2-match ban for Adriano

Rome: Inter Milan's fading bid to win the Serie A title suffered another blow on Tuesday when striker Adriano was banned for two matches after hitting an opponent.

The Brazilian international, Inter's top scorer this season with 12 goals in 25 league games, slapped defender Alessandro Grandoni in the face during Saturday's 0-0 draw at Livorno.

The ban handed down by the disciplinary committee of the Italian league caps a miserable period for Adriano, who has failed to score in his last nine matches. He will miss the games with Udinese and AS Roma before returning for the home fixture against Sampdoria on March 11.

Inter are third in the standings with 55 points from 26 matches, 12 points behind leaders Juventus.

Ronaldo's Milan welcome

Rome: AC Milan president Adriano Galliani says his club would welcome Ronaldo with open arms should the Brazil striker leave Real Madrid at the end of this season.

'Ronaldo is a great player and if he decides to leave Real he will find teams all over the world ready to welcome him,' Galliani said in a daily on Wednesday. 'Even the door at AC Milan is open.'

Galliani's comments follow complaints by Ronaldo earlier this week that he had never felt loved by Real's fickle fans and a warning that he would decide his future after the World Cup. His contract expires in 2008.

Stadium after Di Stefano

Madrid: Real Madrid are to name their new reserve team stadium after honorary president Alfredo Di Stefano, the club announced on Wednesday.

The stadium, being built as part of the club's new training complex in the Madrid suburb of Valdebebas and soon to be inaugurated, will be home to reserve team Castilla who play in the Spanish second division.

Di Stefano, 79, spent three weeks in hospital at the start of the year after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery following a severe heart attack on December 24.

Dubai goodwill gesture

London: Three women in the Dubai marathon had their prize money increased after running four kilometres further than anyone else because they were given wrong directions.

Luminita Talpos of Romania and Ethiopians Hirut Abera and Diribe Hunde complained they were led off course when in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively, in Friday's race.

The trio eventually finished fourth, fifth and sixth. A review of the race tapes backed up their complaints and as a gesture of goodwill the race director agreed to pay them for the positions they were in when they went off course.

Accordingly, the athletes received $8,000, $6,000 and $4,000 respectively, a statement from the organisers said on Tuesday.

IOC panel

Turin: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will set up a special panel to investigate the doping scandal involving the Austrian Nordic ski team at the Turin Olympics, IOC president Jacques Rogge said.

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