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Loeb to test for Red Bull

PARIS: World rally champion Sebastien Loeb will take part in a Formula One test with the Red Bull team in Spain this month.

His Red Bull-backed Citroen rally team said on Monday the 34-year-old Frenchman, who secured his fifth successive title in Japan at the weekend, would test an RB4 in Barcelona on Nov 17 after a preliminary test at Silverstone.

"I already got the chance to test a F1 car last year but this time the circumstances will be a little different," said Loeb, who made clear there was no chance of him switching to F1.

"I'm now going to find myself in the midst of all the regular F1 drivers during an official test. I just hope I don't make a fool of myself."

Dunga calls up Adriano

RIO DE JANEIRO: Striker Adriano, who has been left out of Inter Milan's last two games for indiscipline, was named in Brazil's squad on Monday for this month's friendly against Portugal.

World Player of the Year Kaka was also included by coach Dunga but Ronaldinho, who missed last month's World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Colombia, was again overlooked.

Adriano, who appeared to be on the way back to his best after a prolonged spell of fitness problems, was left out of Inter's matches against Fiorentina and Reggina amid media reports he had been sent home for arriving late for training.

"I have to be faithful to my convictions," Dunga told reporters. "I don't even know if there is a problem and if there is, it's superficial."

The game in Brasilia takes place on Nov 19.

Benitez tips Torres to win

LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says fit-again striker Fernando Torres should be named this year's Ballon D'Or winner.

Torres, who scored Spain's winner in the Euro 2008 final as well as 24 league goals in his debut season in England, trails Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United and Barcelona's Lionel Messi among the favourites for the Dec 2 gong formerly known as the European Player of the Year award.

"Fernando would be my selection," Benitez told a news conference on Monday. "He has scored a lot of goals and won the Euros with Spain. Ronaldo is also a very good player but I choose Fernando."

Bologna appoint Mihajlovic

MILAN: Serie A strugglers Bologna sacked coach Daniele Arrigoni on Monday and named former Yugoslavia defender Sinisa Mihajlovic as his replacement.

Mihajlovic, a former Lazio player, was most recently the assistant manager at Inter Milan before being sacked with coach Roberto Mancini at the end of last season despite Inter winning the title.

Promoted Bologna, second bottom of Serie A with six points from 10 games, decided to part company with Arrigoni after losing 5-1 at Cagliari on Sunday.

The 39-year-old Mihajlovic, who becomes a head coach for the first time, won the European Cup as a player with Red Star Belgrade in 1991 and the Italian championship with Lazio in 2000.

Ballesteros on the up

MADRID: Seve Ballesteros has been able to speak to his family and continues to make progress in his recovery from a third operation on a brain tumor, the Madrid hospital treating him said on Monday.

"Seve Ballesteros continues to evolve favourably. He is conscious, is breathing spontaneously and can talk with his family," the statement from La Paz hospital said.

"He has begun to receive rehabilitation treatment in the intensive care unit."

The 51-year-old Spaniard underwent a third operation on a brain tumour just over a week ago.

I can beat Rossi, says Lorenzo

MILAN: Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo said he can beat teammate Valentino Rossi to next year's MotoGP title if he avoids another catalogue of crashes.

The Spaniard, a double 250cc champion, finished fourth this season in his first year in MotoGP with Rossi romping to his eighth world championship across all disciplines.

Italian Rossi had previously gone two seasons without a title, when American Nicky Hayden and Australia's Casey Stoner took the honors, and Lorenzo feels he could be next in line.

"Why not?" he said at a Yamaha event in Milan.

"Valentino is an amazing rider off and on the track, but it is not impossible to beat him. Hayden and Stoner did it. I can only promise to work hard and have ambition."

(China Daily 11/05/2008 page22)