World champions they may be, but Italy is feeling a chill in its domestic game as the country’s glamour clubs suffer a potentially devastating slump.

Last week’s European action brought home a very uncomfortable truth that the Italians, considered the continental driving force in the 1990s, are no longer sitting at the head of the table.

In three clashes against English opposition, Italy’s three Champions League representatives failed to score a goal, suffered two defeats and only some profligate Manchester United finishing, coupled with heroic goalkeeping from Julio Cesar, allowed Inter Milan to buck the losing trend.

To make matters even worse, three of Italy’s four UEFA Cup sides went crashing out with AC Milan, Fiorentina and Sampdoria eliminated, leaving only northern side Udinese to progress to the last 16.

If Udinese fail to get past holders Zenit St Petersburg in the next round, Italy could well find itself without a single team in the quarter-finals of either European competition.

It’s a far cry from the glory days of the 1990s.

First, the Spanish and now the dominant English, thanks to the mega-rich Premier League, have streaked past.

Italian Clubs Tackle an Inconvenient Truth … read more »

AC Milan want to extend former England captain David Beckham’s loan period from Los Angeles Galaxy till the end of the season the Italian club’s vice-president Adriano Galliani said on Monday.

Beckham, 33, is meant to return to the American club on March 9 but AC Milan have been trying desperately to either buy him – which they failed with what was termed by the Americans as a ridiculous offer of 3million dollars – or extend his loan after impressing since he arrived.

“I hope I succeed in sorting it out that he stays till June 30,” Galliani told the club’s television station.

“After that he can go back to Los Angeles, before returning to us next January (Beckham will cost nothing come November 30).

“That is what we are trying to do. It is complicated as we always knew it would be, but we are still trying.”

Beckham is keen to stay with Milan as he believes the higher level of competition helps his chances of figuring regularly in England coach Fabio Capello’s plans and should England qualify making it to a fourth successive World Cup finals next year.

Italy are to bid to host the Euro 2016 finals the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Monday despite losing out to host the 2012 edition to Poland and Ukraine.

Giancarlo Abete, president of FIGC, made the announcement following a board meeting and added they would be sending a letter to UEFA later in the week confirming the bid.

Candidates for the first Euro to involve 24 teams have until March 9 to inform UEFA that they want to bid – the vote by the UEFA Executive Committee as to who hosts the championships will be taken on May 27, 2010.

UEFA has insisted that the host country has nine stadia.

Opposing Italy for the moment are France, who hosted it in 1984, and a joint bid by Norway and Sweden.

Shunsuke Nakamura admits he could still stay at Celtic but the Japan midfielder won’t decide his future until the club’s bid for a fourth successive Scottish Premier League title is settled.

Nakamura scored a hat-trick in Saturday’s 7-0 win over St Mirren to move Celtic level on points behind leaders Rangers and narrow the goal difference gap between the Glasgow rivals.

It was an influential display that underlined why Celtic boss Gordon Strachan is keen to persuade Nakamura to sign a new contract with the Scottish champions.

Nakamura is believed to be considering a return to Japan but he hinted it was possible he could remain in Scotland.

“Maybe I will stay here, maybe I will move to another league or maybe I will go back to Japan,” Nakamura told the Daily Record. “No one knows – I don’t know.

“However, I want to concentrate only on Celtic for the moment. I am only interested in winning the title for the fourth season in a row.

“That is more important to me than my future. I don’t know if I am going to stay.

“I could have left in January but the situation changed and you never know what can happen at the end of the season.

“I am not worried about it. I am concentrating only on winning the next match.”

Karel Bruckner has left his position as coach of the Austrian national team, the Austrian Football Federation (OFB) announced on Monday.

In an official statement, the OFB said that a mutual decision had been taken by Bruckner and the OFB following a telephone interview between the Czech coach and newly-appointed OFB president Leo Windtner.

Windtner, disappointed by Austria’s stuttering World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign, hinted before he assumed his new role on Saturday that he was prepared to part company with Brucker, 68, if he was not convinced by his plans for the national side.

Austria have picked up just one point since a surprise 3-1 victory over France in their World Cup qualifying Group Seven opener and are currently fourth in the group.

Their last match was a 2-0 friendly defeat to Sweden.

Bruckner took over as Austria coach in July 2008 after leading his native Czech Republic to a group-stage exit at Euro 2008.