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Enzo Bearzot, who coached Italy to its first World Cup triumph in 44 years in 1982, died in Milan on Tuesday aged 83 after being ill for several years.

Bearzot became Italy coach in 1975 and led the team at the 1978, 1982 and 1986 World Cups.

At the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Italy beat West Germany 3-1 in the final, after defeating Argentina and Brazil in the second round and Poland in the semifinals. It was Italys third World Cup title following success in 1934 and 38. Italy won a fourth in 2006.

Italian Prime Minister and AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi paid tribute to Bearzot.

“I share your heartfelt sorrow for the death of Enzo Bearzot, the unforgettable coach of the Italian national team,” he said in a statement. “With his skills he united the group of players who won Italys third World Cup in Spain in 1982.”

Paolo Rossi returned from a two-year ban for his part in a match-fixing scandal to finish the 1982 tournament as leading goalscorer with six.

“Enzo Bearzot was one of Italys greatest ever Italians,” Rossi told ANSA. “He was like a father to me and without him I would never have achieved what I did.”

Inter Milan defender Giuseppe Bergomi was only 18 at the 1982 World Cup, but was a key part of Italys defense, alongside Gaetano Scirea, Claudio Gentile and Antonio Cabrini.

“He was the type of coach that gave you massive confidence in yourself,” Bergomi told Sky Sport Italia. “He helped me develop as a player and knew how to get the best out of his team.”

Bearzot was born in Aiello in Italys northeast on Sept. 27, 1927 and played in midfield for Inter Milan, Catania and Torino and was capped once for Italy.

He was coach of Italy Under-23s from 1969 until 1975, and assisted coach Ferrucio Valcareggi at the 1970 and 1974 World Cups.

Under Bearzot, Italy finished fourth at the 1978 World Cup and 1980 European Championship.

After failing to qualify for the 1984 Europeans, Bearzot was criticized for placing too much faith in the stars of the 1982 victory for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

With players such as Marco Tardelli, Bruno Conti and Scirea past their best, the defending champion fell to France in the round of 16.

Bearzot resigned following the defeat having coached Italy for 104 matches, including 51 wins and 28 draws.

He returned to the Italian football association in 2002 as president of its technical sector, a post he held until 2005.

He was survived by his wife Luisa, son Glauco and daughter Cinzia.

Landon Donovan is staying put this offseason, forgoing the chance to be loaned to a European club for the third straight winter.

Donovan scored two goals in 13 matches during a loan to Everton from last January to March, helping the team beat Chelsea and Manchester United, and draw against Arsenal. Everton manager David Moyes appeared open to having the 28-year-old player return.

“While I enjoyed my time at Everton last season and still appreciate all the support their fans have given me, I feel that it is important to continue to rest and recover this offseason as opposed to going on loan,” Donovan said in a statement Tuesday.

“I never considered being loaned to a club other than Everton, but I have been playing nearly nonstop for the past two years and I believe that this decision will allow me to perform at my best for the Galaxy and the national team throughout the upcoming year.”

Donovan spent the early part of 2009 on loan to Bayern Munich, then rejoined the Galaxy. After a summer in which he played for the U.S. at the Confederations Cup, he returned to the Galaxy, took a short break, then joined Everton. That started a 10-month stretch that included the World Cup, where he scored three times for the Americans, including a stoppage-time goal against Algeria that took the U.S. into the knockout phase.

Donovan said during the MLS playoffs last month that overcoming the mental fatigue was more challenging than dealing with the physical. Despite missing time because of the World Cup, Donovan scored seven goals for the Galaxy and led the MLS with 16 assists.

“We think [its] in the best interest of the club and the player that Landon continues his postseason break and begins preparations for what will be a challenging year in 2011 at both the domestic and international levels,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said.

Donovan and all other veterans were bypassed for the U.S. training camp ahead of a Jan. 22 friendly against Chile. He likely will rejoin the national team for a contemplated March 26 home friendly against Argentina.

Organizers of the Asian Cup acknowledged that as many as 3,000 fans were denied entry to the final match but insisted that many did not have tickets and those that did should have come earlier.

Scenes of angry spectators outside the stadium during the final between Australia and Japan marred what otherwise had been a successfully organized tournament for Qatar which will be hosting the 2022 World Cup.

Organizers said the gates were closed five minutes after the match started and never opened again. They said the tight security was in place because members of the emirates royal family attended the match.

Local organizers said they would discuss with the Asian Football Confederation the possibly of refunds.

Landon Donovan is staying put this offseason, forgoing the chance to be loaned to a European club for the third straight winter.

Donovan scored two goals in 13 matches during a loan to Everton from last January to March, helping the team beat Chelsea and Manchester United, and draw against Arsenal. Everton manager David Moyes appeared open to having the 28-year-old player return.

“While I enjoyed my time at Everton last season and still appreciate all the support their fans have given me, I feel that it is important to continue to rest and recover this offseason as opposed to going on loan,” Donovan said in a statement Tuesday.

“I never considered being loaned to a club other than Everton, but I have been playing nearly nonstop for the past two years and I believe that this decision will allow me to perform at my best for the Galaxy and the national team throughout the upcoming year.”

Donovan spent the early part of 2009 on loan to Bayern Munich, then rejoined the Galaxy. After a summer in which he played for the U.S. at the Confederations Cup, he returned to the Galaxy, took a short break, then joined Everton. That started a 10-month stretch that included the World Cup, where he scored three times for the Americans, including a stoppage-time goal against Algeria that took the U.S. into the knockout phase.

Donovan said during the MLS playoffs last month that overcoming the mental fatigue was more challenging than dealing with the physical. Despite missing time because of the World Cup, Donovan scored seven goals for the Galaxy and led the MLS with 16 assists.

“We think [its] in the best interest of the club and the player that Landon continues his postseason break and begins preparations for what will be a challenging year in 2011 at both the domestic and international levels,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said.

Donovan and all other veterans were bypassed for the U.S. training camp ahead of a Jan. 22 friendly against Chile. He likely will rejoin the national team for a contemplated March 26 home friendly against Argentina.

Chelsea forward Gael Kakuta has signed a new 4 1/2-year contract with the Premier League club.

The 19-year-old Kakuta has started five matches for the English champions since his contentious move from French club Lens in 2007.

Kakuta says he now has “to make a way for myself into the starting 11.”

Chelsea was temporarily banned from signing players by FIFA after Lens complained that Kakuta had breached his contract in moving to London.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the ban.

A Manchester United director said Tuesday that the American owners eventually will sell the club but that day is a “long way down the line.”

The Premier League leader has faced mounting speculation about its future ownership since the Glazer family last month repaid around $342 million of high-interest debt used to fund their leveraged takeover in 2005.

The owners havent said where the money came from, although they have said no cash has been drawn from the club.

Reports in Britain and the Persian Gulf over the last week have suggested Qatar Holdings is preparing a bid for the club, but the 18-time English champions say they have not beeb approached and the club is not for sale.

The Glazers, who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have in the past rebuffed a $2.2 billion offer from an unnamed Qatari group and stressed in May that they “will not entertain any offers” for the club.

But United director Michael Edelson, who has been on Uniteds board since 1982, told The Associated Press on Tuesday: “It is inevitable that at some time they will sell … but that will be a long way down the line.”

Fan protests against the Glazers have mounted throughout 2010 since the clubs financial predicament was revealed in a bond prospectus sent to investors in January.

Even after repaying the loans last month, the club is not in the debt-free state it was in before the Glazers took over.

In October, United posted a net loss of $130 million for the year ending June 30 with the cost of its debt service wiping out record revenues of $443 million.

Forbes magazine has estimated that United is worth $1.8 billion - making it the most valuable soccer team for the sixth straight year.

A group of financiers calling themselves the Red Knights joined forces with the Manchester United Supporters Trust earlier this year in an attempt to put together a bid to buy out the Glazers. That prompted the owners to stress in May that they are committed to “the long-term ownership of the club.”

David Beckhams hopes of joining a European club on loan during the Major League Soccer offseason appear to have been thwarted. The Los Angeles Galaxy said Monday that it expects the midfielder back with the team next month.

The 35-year-old Beckham said after an awards ceremony in England on Sunday that he hoped to play in Europe again during the winter to boost his chances of being recalled to Englands national team.

While the former England captain have been allowed to spend the last two winters at AC Milan, the Galaxy are reluctant to send him out on loan again after he injured an Achilles tendon while playing in Italy in March.

Having missed the first six months of the MLS season, Beckham had also previously said he was focused on returning to full fitness rather than seeking another loan move, but he now appears to have revived the prospect of a temporarily joining another club.

The Galaxy, though, expect Beckham to report back for preseason training as he enters the final season of his five-year $32.5 million contract with the team.

“We are not aware that David is looking to be loaned to any other team and we are fully expecting he reports with the rest of his Galaxy teammates in late January for the upcoming season,” the Galaxy said Monday in a statement to The Associated Press.

Beckham appeared to suggest otherwise, although he is yet to identify a loan club.

“I wont be going back to AC Milan this time because is not possible to go onto the roster for such a short length of time,” Beckham said in the English city of Birmingham. “But I will be going back somewhere as I want to keep myself fit and keep myself in with a chance of getting called up for England again. To do that, I have to be somewhere, so fingers crossed I can sort something out.”

Beckham has made 115 appearances for England - the most for an outfield player.

“My body feels great after my injury,” Beckham said. “I always said I needed to get that back into order and keep my fitness and we will see.”

Beckham said the only Premier League team he would consider playing for was Manchester United, which he left in 2003 to join Real Madrid.

“It is a great league and one of the most competitive in the world,” Beckham said of Englands top flight. “Maybe one day I will come back here but I have always said that it will only be for Manchester United. I am not holding my breath on that one, but we will have to wait and see.”

Rafa Benitez dismissed speculation hes about to be fired from Inter Milan, saying Monday that he still has a “good relationship” with club President Massimo Moratti and is focused on improving the team after the winter break.

After Italian media reported that Moratti has decided to sack the Spaniard despite Inter winning the Club World Cup on Saturday, Benitez told Spanish radio station Onda Cero that “no, I have not been fired.”

“I am surprised because I have seen a lot of headlines of newspapers and I have been phoned by a lot of people asking me if I have been fired, and that is not true at all,” Benitez said from Liverpool, where he has gone on vacation. “These are rumors that have been around for some time, but the only thing that I can say is that I am on holiday, and I want to rest so I can come back soon.”

The former Liverpool manager was hired by Inter in the offseason to replace Jose Mourinho, who led the club to the Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League titles last season. The team has struggled under Benitez, however, sitting seventh in the standings, 13 points behind city rival AC Milan.

Benitez then reportedly angered club officials when he said after Saturdays 3-0 win over TP Mazembe in the Club World Cup final that the board should either fully support him and buy new players in January, or let him go.

On Monday, leading sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport ran the front-page headline “Benitez is Out.”

Moratti declined comment Monday.

“Stay relaxed. Im not going to speak today, I dont want to create arguments with anyone,” Moratti told reporters waiting outside his offices.

Benitez said he spoke to Moratti after the victory in Abu Dhabi and voiced his desire to sign new players.

“We have a good relationship. We have never had a problem,” Benitez said. “When we spoke on the phone, we spoke about the team, he told me that the players and former players told him that it was the best football that Inter had played in the last 15 to 20 years, that we were the Barcelona of Italy.

“Inter can be even better … and for that to happen, I think it is convenient to sign players. In a team that wins, that wins so much, it needs competition in the roster.”

Benitez said he expects to return to Italy after the holidays - and still have a job.

“I am not the owner of my future, but being where I am, I will work to the maximum so that the team continues to win,” he said. “It is a historical institution that cannot stop going forward.”

Manchester City says striker Carlos Tevez has withdrawn his transfer request.

Tevez told the club earlier this month that he wanted to leave after falling out with City officials.

But City said in a statement Monday that the Argentina striker has now “expressed his absolute commitment to the club and formally withdrew his transfer request.”

The statement added that after “clear the air” talks, Tevezs “contract remains unchanged and both Carlos and the football club are keen to focus on the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic has extended his contract at the defending Spanish champions by two years through till 2015.

The deal was signed Monday and increases his buyout clause from ?80 million ($105 million) to ?100 million ($131 million).

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola says “it is great news” as “we have a lot of confidence in him and his game.”

The 20-year-old Bojan has 38 goals in four seasons in the first team after coming up through the Catalan clubs youth system.

He became the youngest player to score for Barcelona with a goal against Villarreal at the age of 17 years and 53 days on Oct. 20, 2007. That beat Lionel Messis previous record by 251 days.