Brazil under-20 captain joins Liverpool

LONDON – Brazil’s under-20 captain Lucas Leiva is joining Liverpool from Gremio in July, the Champions League finalists said.

The 20-year-old midfielder will stay at Gremio, who are in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores Cup, while they still have a chance of winning South America’s equivalent of the Champions League. “I really didn’t expect to leave Brazil so soon but what I have been offered and the team which it came from made it impossible to say no,” Leiva was quoted as saying on Liverpool’s website (www.liverpoolfc.tv).* AC Milan fullback Massimo Oddo says Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Catania was not the real Milan and that they will raise their game for the Champions League final with Liverpool on May 23 in Athens.”In Athens it will be different, yesterday we were not thinking straight.We were thinking already of May 23,” Oddo told Italian media.* Lazio coach Delio Rossi has sparked speculation he could be interested in the Juventus job if Didier Deschamps leaves the Turin club when they are promoted back to Serie A.”Will I stay at Lazio? I have a contract until the end of 2009 but you never know what the future will bring,” he was quoted as saying in Gazzetta dello Sport.* Lazio wrapped up their spot in next year’s Champions League qualifiers on Sunday despite a 4-3 defeat at Inter Milan.* Swaziland have appointed Zambian Martin Chabinga as caretaker national team coach less than a fortnight before they go into a series of four key matches.Chabinga, who remains coach of the Swazi club Manzini Sundowns, replaces Egyptian Ayman El Yamani, who was fired on Friday.* Swaziland host a Cosafa Castle Cup mini tournament on May 26 and 27, including Malawi, Mauritius and 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, then meet Eritrea and Angola in African Nations Cup Group Six qualifiers in June.Nampa-Reuters”I really didn’t expect to leave Brazil so soon but what I have been offered and the team which it came from made it impossible to say no,” Leiva was quoted as saying on Liverpool’s website (www.liverpoolfc.tv).* AC Milan fullback Massimo Oddo says Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Catania was not the real Milan and that they will raise their game for the Champions League final with Liverpool on May 23 in Athens.”In Athens it will be different, yesterday we were not thinking straight.We were thinking already of May 23,” Oddo told Italian media.* Lazio coach Delio Rossi has sparked speculation he could be interested in the Juventus job if Didier Deschamps leaves the Turin club when they are promoted back to Serie A.”Will I stay at Lazio? I have a contract until the end of 2009 but you never know what the future will bring,” he was quoted as saying in Gazzetta dello Sport.* Lazio wrapped up their spot in next year’s Champions League qualifiers on Sunday despite a 4-3 defeat at Inter Milan.* Swaziland have appointed Zambian Martin Chabinga as caretaker national team coach less than a fortnight before they go into a series of four key matches.Chabinga, who remains coach of the Swazi club Manzini Sundowns, replaces Egyptian Ayman El Yamani, who was fired on Friday.* Swaziland host a Cosafa Castle Cup mini tournament on May 26 and 27, including Malawi, Mauritius and 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, then meet Eritrea and Angola in African Nations Cup Group Six qualifiers in June.Nampa-Reuters