Italian Roundup

Reports: Emerson moves to Juventus from AS Roma

ROME (AP) -- Brazilian midfielder Emerson has moved from AS Roma to Juventus, Italian news reports said Tuesday.

Italian news agency ANSA quoted Juventus general director Luciano Moggi as saying the two teams reached an agreement, but he refused to disclose details, ANSA said.

However, ANSA and other news reports said Juventus will pay euro14 million (US$17 million) and send midfielder Matteo Brighi to the Roman team.

No one from either team was immediately available to confirm the reports.

The negotiations between Roma and Juventus -- two top teams whose fans are among the fiercest rivals in the Serie A -- started in May. Roma, which has financial troubles, has been looking to sell some of its stars to raise money.

Emerson, whose contract with Roma was due to expire next year, is 28. He joined Roma in 2000 and helped the club win the league the following year.

Juventus is looking for a comeback after a disappointing season. The club has also hired former Roma coach Fabio Capello.

Napoli demoted to third division due to finances

ROME (AP) -- Two-time Serie A champion Napoli was demoted to the Italian soccer league's third division Tuesday after it failed to meet financial regulations.

The southern team, which Diego Maradona led to Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990, was one of 11 clubs that was lowered a division on financial grounds.

"I'm very upset personally and it was not a beautiful day for Italian soccer," said federation president Franco Carraro, adding that the club could make various appeals.

Napoli has had financial troubles for several years since Maradona left and has spent five of the past six seasons in Serie B. The team was scheduled to play in the Serie B this season.

Another Serie B club, Ancona, also was relegated, as were two third division teams -- Como and Viterbese -- and seven in Serie C2: Brindisi, Isernia, L'Aquila, Meda, Palmese, Paterno and Varese.

About 40,000 Napoli fans, hoping to perhaps avoid relegation, turned out for a special fund-raising match for the team Monday night at the city's San Paolo stadium. New club administrator Luciano Gaucci said he would like to bring Maradona back to the club in some role to restore some prestige to the team, which also finished runner-up to the league title four times.

"Wherever Napoli has to start from, those 40,000 fans would have been upset," Carraro said. "But soccer teaches that if a team plays well today you can cry, smile tomorrow and laugh the day after tomorrow. I hope Napoli finds managers that with realism and concreteness can give life to a competitive team that can reach the levels it deserves."

No Serie A clubs were relegated, although reports suggested that Parma, still recovering from the financial scandal that has engulfed its parent company Parmalat, could also face such measures.

The last major relegation in Italian soccer due to financial troubles involved Fiorentina, which was declared bankrupt in 2002 and forced to the fourth division. The Tuscan club has climbed back through the lower leagues and is slated to return to Serie A this year.

The federation set a meeting for Aug. 12 to determine which clubs would be promoted a division to replace the relegated teams.

Inter defeats Juventus, Milan in Tim Cup

MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Inter Milan defeated Juventus 1-0 and overcame AC Milan 5-4 in a penalty shootout Tuesday to clinch the Tim Cup in a preseason tournament featuring three of the top Serie A contenders.

The competition, played in the sold-out San Siro stadium, featured the debut of coaches Roberto Mancini and Fabio Capello on the bench of Inter and Juventus, respectively, and of several newcomers including Inter's Juan Sebastian Veron and Nicolas Burdisso, and AC Milan's Hernan Crespo.

Inter's winner in the opening 45-minute match against Juventus was scored by Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins in the 36th.

La Juve succumbed 2-0 to AC Milan, the defending league champion, in the next match. Newly signed 18-year-old striker Nicola Pozzi, fed by Crespo, and midfielder Massimo Ambrosini, fed by Cafu, scored for AC Milan within the first 10 minutes.

Inter then prevailed 5-4 over crosstown rival Milan in the penalty shootout after the regular 45 minutes ended in a goalless draw.

Inter and Milan did not field such stars as Christian Vieri, Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka.

The Tim Cup, which Inter won for the third time, was a good warmup for Inter and Juventus ahead of the third round of the Champions League qualifying scheduled for August.

Juventus, however, could miss France defender Lilian Thuram for the first-leg of the European competition on Aug. 10-11. Thuram suffered a shoulder injury in the match against Inter and had to leave the field on a stretcher.

Juventus coach Capello said he was satisfied with his team's form, despite the double defeat in the tournament.

Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.