Porto looking at Chievo’s Del Neri

Keane returns to Ireland set up

DUBLIN: Roy Keane made his long-awaited and much-debated international comeback for Ireland on Thursday in a 1-0 win over Romania in a friendly international. Matt Holland sealed Ireland’s victory with a right-foot volley five minutes from time but it was the Manchester United captain who was centre of attention for most of the night.

No one was sure what sort of reception he would receive when he ran out at Lansdowne Road, two years after he walked out on his country following a bust-up with then manager Mick McCarthy at the 2002 World Cup. But 42,000 fans gave him a rapturous reception when he took the pitch and cheered his early touches of the ball to chants of ‘‘Keano, Keano’’.

Roma’s Capello is new Juventus coach

MILAN: Fabio Capello has left AS Roma to take over as coach of Juventus on a three-year deal. Juventus, who finished third in Serie A, had been without a coach since Marcello Lippi left the club at the end of the season but the decision to appoint Capello is a major surprise. Former Juventus players Didier Deschamps, coach of Champions League finalists Monaco, and Parma’s Cesare Prandelli had been widely tipped to take the job.

Capello also played for Juventus before beginning a coaching career which has included spells with AC Milan and Real Madrid. The 57-year-old joined Roma in 1999 and led them to the Serie A title in 2001.

Butragueno to replace Valdano at Real

MADRID: Former player Emilio Butragueno will succeed Jorge Valdano as the sporting director of Real Madrid, club president Florentino Perez said on Friday.

Valdano said on Thursday that he would be stepping down with effect from June 11, the date on which the club has called an extraordinary general meeting of its members to lay out the schedule for the presidential election in July. (Reuters)