Rome - Roma coach Luciano Spalletti was suspended for insulting the referee and his club was fined for the racist jeers its fans aimed at Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli at the weekend, Italian media reported.

Balotelli, an 18-year-old born in Italy to Ghanaian parents, was insulted on two occasions by Roma fans occupying a section of Milan's Giuseppe Meazza stadium, a sports judge wrote in a sentence that fined Roma 8,000 euros (10,000 dollars).

Rome  - AC Milan defender Kakha K

Rome - AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani Tuesday sent a clear message to coach Carlo Ancelotti, saying he is only certain to keep his job if the Devils retain their current third place in the Italian Serie A, Italian media reported.

Galliani said that his message should already be clear to everyone and wondered if he "has lost his ability to communicate or others have forgotten how to listen."

Finishing third in the Serie A secures a berth in next season's Champions League without having to play a preliminary round, which is necessary for the fourth-placed club.

Rome - Juventus striker Amauri edged closer to being able to play for the Azzurri after his wife Tuesday became an Italian citizen, giving her husband the possibility to apply for an Italian passport.

Gazzetta. it reported that the Brazilian footballer's wife, Cynthia Cosini Valaderes, swore on the Italian constitution in a ceremony in Palermo, the Sicily town where Amauri played since 2006 before transferring to Juve last summer.

She obtained the citizenship due to her Italian ancestors.

Amauri, 28, has expressed an interest in playing for the world champions coached by Marcello Lippi.

Madrid - Many Spanish football fans are in favour of Real Madrid veteran Raul returning to the national team, an online opinion poll taken by sports daily Marca shows.

Of a total of 31,587 votes registered in the poll by Tuesday morning, 68 per cent voted "yes" to the question and 32 per cent voted "no".

Raul, 31, is in excellent form, helping Real to reduce Barca's lead at the top from 12 points to four points in the past three weeks.

He has scored 14 league goals this season, five of them in the last three games.

Rome - Italy has confirmed its interest in making a bid to host football's European Championships in 2016.

The Italian federation FIGC will officially declare its interest to continental body UEFA by the deadline next Monday.

FIGC president Giancarlo Abete was quoted by Italian media on Tuesday as saying there had been informal contacts with the Italian government, which has given the thumbs up for a bid.

Italy failed in its bid to host Euro 2012 when Poland and Ukraine were chosen as joint hosts.