Serie Aaaaargh!…

Big freeze and frosty relations hit Serie A as Zlatan sees red

Richard Whittle — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:54:00 GMT

The big freeze sweeping through the north of Italy has had those of a certain age pining for a much simpler time. A time when all Serie A matches kicked off at 3pm on a Sunday and venerable, gravel-voiced Sandro Ciotti ruled the airwaves, as reports filtered in from around the grounds while the country collectively digested its Sunday lunch.

The last time the full league programme was played in the afternoon was the 1991/92 season, and for many it has been all downhill since. That could certainly be said of many of the country’s stadiums, which over the 22 years since Italia ’90 have on the whole fallen into a state of disrepair, in some cases necessitating them being torn down and rebuilt from the bottom up.

Juventus took the decision to raze the Stadio delle Alpi and reaped the benefits of playing on through the snow storms, though when they traveled to Parma and the uncovered Tardini stadium they had to watch their name join the rest of the rinivati (postponements).

With first the midweek fixtures and then the weekend thrown into disarray, the question asked was whether Italian football and Italy in general had it in them to drag the game into the 21st century by beginning a rejuvenation of stadiums.

Sky Italia were particularly miffed as they had paid a healthy sum to broadcast three evening matches over the weekend, which would have ensured big TV audiences, particularly for Roma-Inter and Milan-Napoli. The channel’s deputy head Jacques Reynaud wondered where the €8 billion they had invested in television rights had gone.

The simple answer is on player salaries, with 80 per cent of club expenditure heading directly into player bank-accounts.

Sky may have had to fill a hole in their weekend schedule where the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Francesco Totti and Diego Milito would usually have been running around in, but Italian football is staring into a black hole of its own making.

Apart from Juventus and the local authorities in Turin, there seems little desire among clubs and their local councils to find common ground on improving outmoded stadiums: Roma are at loggerheads with the city with regards to a new site, while Milan have all but given up on settling into a new home away from the San Siro.

It is the same story in Genoa and Florence, while the San Paolo in Naples is beginning to look like the Coliseum from the outside. The only other club to have made improvements has been Novara – and the Piedmont outfit ensured their synthetic pitch was playable for the visit of Chievo on Thursday as temperature plummeted to minus 10.

What a shame they are odds-on to be relegated, which brings us on another nostalgic boom – the call for Serie A to return to an 18-team league. This, it is suggested, would not only ease fixture congestion for those competing in Europe, but also make the step up from Serie B to A a less daunting one for those teams winning promotion each season.

Of course, all the hand wringing and calls for change will probably be forgotten in a week or so when the sun comes out again and the temperatures start to climb.

By that time we may have a clearer picture on where the title may be headed. Juventus and Milan were both frozen out on the pitch, with the leaders held to a goalless draw at home to Siena while the Rossoneri were also left empty-handed against Napoli.

One constant in Italian football is of course a good dose of controversy – both the Juventus Stadium and San Siro warmed to it on Sunday.

Juve were beside themselves for what seemed like a stonewall penalty turned down when Siena captain Simone Vergassola’s out-stretched arm blocked Giorgio Chiellini’s cross. However, memories being selective, Cagliari should have had two spot-kicks on the same pitch a few weeks ago so, as they say, these things usually even themselves out.

While Juve were firing blanks down the road in Milan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was getting all slap happy in a match that reflected the climatic conditions to a tee – very chilly.

In an episode that was more vaudeville comedy than vicious act, the big Swede extended an arm from behind the back of team-mate Antonio Nocerino to deliver a slap to Napoli defender Salvatore Aronica, who was so shocked that he returned the favour to Nocerino, who had not been so innocent in instigating the melee in the first place.

It may have seemed a comic incident but it could see Ibra suspended for two or possibility three games. If it is the latter then he would miss the league game against Juventus.

The pair clash in their Italian Cup first leg on Wednesday with little sign of a thawing in the frosty relations between the two: Antonio Conte has been playing down his side’s chances of lifting the title so much that Massimiliano Allegri was forced to misquote “the lady doth protest too much.”

Juve still hold a point advantage and a game in hand; and despite the leaders stalling there was little change in the chase at the top, with both Udinese and Lazio losing, at Fiorentina and Genoa, respectively while Inter’s mini revival has gone into complete reverse after a 4-0 humbling at AS Roma.

In fact, with Roma still have to play their remaining 26 minute at Catania – suspended due to heavy rain – in midweek and Luis Enrique’s exciting but frustrating side could yet warm the hearts through this bleak mid-winter.

Tumour-free Mondonico makes emotional Serie A return

James Horncastle — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

It feels good to see Emiliano Mondonico back in Serie A. It really does. Hearing on Monday afternoon that he is to replace Attilio Tesser at Novara brought a smile to many faces.

Not because there was any ill feeling toward his predecessor – not at all. Tesser had masterminded Novara’s historic return to Serie A after 55 years in the lower leagues, and for that the fans are forever grateful. But with the team seven points adrift from safety, it’s time now to fight for survival, and Mondonico is nothing if not a survivor.

A year ago this week, he reluctantly stepped down from his position at second division Albinoleffe. It was temporary, he insisted: “I hope to be back within two games, maybe even before.” Mondonico, to everyone’s surprise, was to undergo surgery.

The 64-year-old wasn’t checking into hospital for a routine hip, knee or ankle operation to ease the pain caused by an old injury from his playing days with Cremonese, Torino, Monza and Atalanta. He had a tumour in his stomach, and not just any tumour. It was huge. When Professor Novellino removed it at the Seriate hospital near Bergamo, the tumour weighed 5kg.

Anxious for updates on his boss’s condition, Daniele Fortunato, a member of Mondonico’s backroom staff then acting as Albinoleffe’s caretaker manager, paid a visit to his mentor’s bedside. He found Mondonico in high spirits, watching Inter play on TV. Apparently the tumour wasn’t aggressive. It wasn’t attached to any major organs. It wasn’t cancer, he said. “There’s a subtle but fundamental difference,” noted Mondonico before explaining his medical predicament as if he were distinguishing zonal from man-marking to one of his players.

“Beating it, eradicating it, was possible. We did it,” he told Il Corriere della Sera. Marco Bernardini, the journalist sent to interview Mondonico, noted that he used the plural. “Life’s a team game,” he quipped. “My life, that is. There’s me, naturally, and the surgeons who operated on me.

“After opening me up, they had the courage not to close me up again without having taken away that sick mass of fat and dead flesh. It seemed like there was nothing they could do; that it would be all be useless. Instead, they dared to do the impossible.”

To general amazement, Mondonico resumed his place on the bench 30 days later for Albinoleffe’s match against Modena. As he walked out of the tunnel, everyone in the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia stood up and applauded. He looked gaunt after losing so much weight, but the pointed black eyebrows and grey moustache were still there twitching mischievously. Football was his therapy. “By going into training every day, every kick that I gave the ball was the equivalent of kicking that beast in the face. I’m not saying that in this case it substituted medicine,” Mondonico claimed, “but I still like to think that inside.”

The road to recovery, though, was a long one, and there were many twists and turns still to come. Albinoleffe struggled and were required to win a relegation play-off match against Piacenza to stay in Serie B. Mondonico saved them, of course.

But as the full time whistle blew and the supporters rejoiced, a tear streamed down his face. Mondonico needed to save himself again. The tumour had returned. He had put off another operation for 15 days until Albinoleffe were safe. “For me, a new season starts,” he said. Visibly emotional, Mondonico had to leave the press conference for a moment to pull himself together. On returning, he let it be known: “I don’t feel defeated.” This was not the end of the world – the fine del Mondo.

For the sake of his health, he finally left Albinoleffe. This was to be the toughest game of Mondonico’s life. The second surgery, to everyone’s relief, was hailed a success. “Cancer,” he told Il Corriere della Sera, “is like the monster in Alien which has by now completed its awful work of devastation. The sarcoma I had in my belly was certainly a foul beast but not yet a winner.”

Talking shop with then Fiorentina manager Giovanni Trapattoni in 1999

At his age and faced with his situation, many of us would have retired. There are more important things in life than football like friends and family. Except that’s exactly what it represents to Mondonico. “Football is my best friend,” he told La Stampa.

It wasn’t too long before he was pacing up and down the sidelines, ball under one arm, whistle between his pursed lips. He was offered the chance to take an Italian XI to the University Games in China, but it was too early. Instead, once a week during his convalescence at his home in Rivolta d’Adda, Mondonico went to a psychiatric institute where he benevolently coached groups of men and women with addictive disorders, from drugs and alcohol to gambling. Football had helped him recover, so why not others?

“When there’s a desperate team, they’ll still call Mondonico and I’ll be there,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. On Monday 30 January, 2012, Novara president Massimo De Salvo duly picked up the phone.

NEWS, Jan 31: Mondonico replaces Tesser as Novara boss

“I’ve come full circle,” Mondonico said. “On January 31, 2011 I went into the operating theatre for the first time. Exactly a year later I return to do what I’ve always done in life. I’m sorry for Tesser, who throughout these difficult times was always close to me. But football, and life, are made up of these things.”

What Novara will get from Mondonico is pane e salame [bread and salami]: good, honest, wholesome football, the genuine kind with a dashing of experience too. Mondonico has taken charge of 915 games as a coach. He guided Atalanta to a Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final in 1988, and inspired Torino to the 1992 UEFA Cup Final.

Then came the proudest of his five promotions to Serie A, achieved with Fiorentina in 2004. That had a special taste. Why? Because he is a fan of the Viola. Check the records of the 7 Bello ultras of the Curva Fiesole and they’ll tell you that member No.72, registered in 1987, is Emiliano Mondonico.

Above all else, though, he is famous for what he did in that 1992 UEFA Cup final. Playing Louis van Gaal’s Ajax, Torino hit the woodwork three times, and when the referee denied Roberto Cravero a penalty, Mondonico rose from his chair and held it aloft. It became a provocative symbol of protest against the injustice of it all. When Torino fans heard Mondonico had fallen ill a year ago, they arranged a meeting at the Stadio Olimpico and each had a photo taken of them holding up chairs. It was a sign of solidarity and gave their hero the courage to win the game of his life.

In Novara on Thursday, Mondonico will make his first appearance in Serie A for seven and a half years, against Chievo. It promises to be emotional.

As he drives to the Stadio Piola, one wonders what song this great music lover will play in his car. As a player at Cremonese, he once deliberately got himself sent off so he could miss an away trip in order to see the Rolling Stones in concert.

Wild Horses would perhaps be a good choice now, as not even they, it seems, could drag Mondonico away from football.

Blizzard kings: all-weather Juve blow pretenders Udinese off course

Richard Whittle — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:01:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 28 Jan Catania 1-1 Parma; Juventus 2-1 Udinese Sun 29 Jan Fiorentina 2-1 Siena; Cesena 0-1 Atalanta; Roma 1-1 Bologna; Lecce 1-0 Internazionale; Chievo 0-3 Lazio; Genoa 3-2 Napoli; Palermo 2-0 Novara; Milan 3-0 Cagliari

It has been a week of worrying seismic activity and blizzards in the north of Italy but even Mother Nature can't knock Juventus off their stride.

The weather was fitting for the winter champions when they took on third-placed Udinese at the Juventus Stadium – where the undersoil heating meant there was never any doubt of the match going ahead.

FEATURE, Mon 23 Jan Winter champions Juve take heart in title charge

However, just be on the safe side a massive tarpaulin covered the pitch before the match. Rolling it up proved problematic, which meant that the teams had to delay their warm-ups – but once the bubble-wrap was out of the way both sides got stuck into each other in good old full-blooded fashion.

When AS Roma had visited earlier in the week, those present had witnessed the visitors pass the ball around neatly, making pretty patterns all over the pitch before forgetting the whole point was to finally score.

No such kaleidoscopic art with these two sides, who only saw the outcome in black and white – although Juve were forced to wear their pretty-in-pink shirts. Both sides lived up to Juve coach Antonio Conte’s assumption that the outcome was worth six points by playing the game at twice the normal pace – an urgency sorely lacking when they had met in Friuli just before Christmas.

The direct approach meant that the ball seldom remained in the possession of either side for more than one or two passes. It did ensure that another sold-out crowd could forget that their cars were all snowed in, but it had Andrea Pirlo parked in the centre of the pitch on many an occasion as the ball whizzed over his head for the ever-keen Alessandro Matri and Udinese old boy Fabio Quagliarella to chase after.

However, only when the playmaker managed to bring some calm to the frantic proceedings could we enjoy the full repertoire of his passing master-class as his man-marker Almen Abdi, an attacking midfielder by trade, gamely followed him around like a lost dog.

With his side trailing to a typical Matri predatory finish, visiting coach Francesco Guidolin replaced Abdi to set Antonio Floro Flores – one of the top flight’s most under-rated finishers – free in the wide-open spaces where the Juve defence had once resided.

Flo’s equaliser, which if it had been scored by his team-mate Antonio di Natale would have had the press crowing for days, looked to have given the visitors impetus to go on and win the game – and if Di Natale had been at his sharpest they may have taken the lead.

But here’s the rub: when in doubt Conte plays to the team’s strengths and rather than throw on a fresh striker for the tiring Quagliarella the touchline growler opted to shore up the midfield with Claudio Marchisio, who no one believes is an attacking midfielder but certainly acted like one in picking out the perfect pass for Matri’s winner.

We now understand why Conte signed Marco Borriello: not to pick the former AC Milan and Roma benchwarmer, but to get the best out of Matri, who has responded strongly to the thought of being replaced by someone equally concerned with personal grooming.

Despite their immaculately presented frontmen, Juventus are far from beautiful to watch – but as Conte pointed out, if his side has to win ugly so be it.

Such comments would never find their way down the motorway to Milan, where finesse and a certain savoir-faire is expected whenever the Rossoneri take to the pitch. They needed only a sprinkling of style to overcome Cagliari on Sunday evening in front of a disappointing crowd of just under 20,000 at the San Siro but once again Zlatan Ibrahimovic lit up proceedings with a delightfully executed free-kick in a routine 3-0 win.

With Udinese knocked back and Inter losing at Lecce of all places, the Old Lady and the old Devil are beginning to stretch away at the top – although much to Conte’s pleasure, there's little time to sit around and mull things over. Juve are back in action tomorrow evening at Parma while Milan travel to Lazio, who are back in the hunt for third, on Wednesday.

Three once again the magic number for Serie A defences

James Horncastle — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:11:00 GMT

Some games stick in the mind more than most. One of the greatest I recall watching while growing up happened on a sunny spring day in Turin in April 1997. It was between Juventus and Udinese and caught the imagination because the outcome left many in the stands scratching their heads.

Shortly after kick off, it looked like the result was a forgone conclusion. Regis Genaux’s red card meant Udinese were down to 10 men and at the mercy of Juventus, who were the reigning Champions League holders and on course to reach another final as well as reclaim the Serie A title from Milan. The writing, it seemed, was on the wall.

Yet Udinese coach Alberto Zaccheroni out-maneuvered his opposite number, Marcello Lippi. Instead of taking off a striker and bringing on a defender to form a 4-4-1, he sprung a surprise. He left three-at-the back and withdrew one of his strikers into midfield, but on the condition that when the team had possession, he’d resume his former role up front.

Juventus did not know how to react to what was ostensibly a 3-4-2. They were beaten heavily 3-0, as Marcio Amoroso and Oliver Bierhoff both found the net in the five minutes before and after half-time. Any resistance Zaccheroni had met when proposing a three-man defence to his players earlier in the season crumbled. They embraced it, went undefeated for the remainder of the campaign and finished fifth then third the following season.

Zaccheroni got the Milan job on the back of that success and led them to the Scudetto in 1998/99 with a three-man defence made up of Bruno N’Gotty, Alessandro Costacurta and Paolo Maldini. He claims to be not the last but “perhaps the only” coach to win the title in Italy by using the tactic. There’s a degree of self-interest in that assertion. Osvaldo Bagnoli and Fabio Capello might have something to say about it. But it’s also fair to argue that no one is more associated with the three-man defence in Italy than Zaccheroni.

Zaccheroni's back three - including Maldini - won Milan's 16th title in '99

I mention this because, after the relatively successful re-emergence of the tactic under Gian Piero Gasperini at Genoa and Edy Reja at Napoli - both of whom achieved promotion with three-man defences in 2007 - it is no longer an odd exception in Serie A, rather a clear trend across the league as a whole.

The tipping point appears to have come at the end of last season. Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli finished third and qualified for the Champions League group stages using a 3-4-2-1, while Francesco Guidolin’s Udinese followed close behind them, ending the campaign in fourth place after adopting a 3-5-1-1.

Were the other teams missing a trick? Judging by their reaction it seems like they certainly think so.

In addition to Napoli and Udinese there are now seven other teams in Serie A from Fiorentina and Parma to Genoa and Novara basing themselves around systems with three-at-the-back. The list does not include Inter, who started the season with a 3-5-1-1, which they abandoned after a brief and ill-fated spell under Gasperini because it didn’t suit the players. Nor does it take into account the occasions Juventus have swapped their 4-1-4-1 formation for a 3-5-2 in a clear attempt to adapt to their opponents when faced with Napoli and Udinese.

Some have also made the case that Roma use three-at-the back too, but that’s simply the evolution of their 4-3-3 under Luis Enrique with Daniele De Rossi dropping between the centre-backs once the team has won possession in order to provide extra cover in defence and give license to the full-backs to push on and support the attack.

The question remains though: what’s behind the revival of the three-man defence in Serie A. Wasn’t it pronounced dead not too long ago?

In some respects, it’s circumstantial: Take for example, Vincenzo Montella. He opted for a 3-5-2 at Catania because he found himself without any full-backs. He even went so far as to convert Davide Lanzafame, a striker, into a right wing-back out of necessity. Bologna coach Stefano Pioli made a similar decision based on an appraisal of the resources at his disposal. He decided upon a 3-4-1-2 because, in his opinion, it best suited the characteristics of his players.

On the other side of the spectrum there are coaches like Gasperini, who appear to be wedded to a tactic and are dogmatic rather than pragmatic about using it even if it doesn’t fit the team. In his four seasons at Genoa, for instance, he used a back four just 20.4% of the time. Serse Cosmi also falls into this category of three-at-the-back fundamentalists. He has played that way more or less since his time in charge of Perugia in 2000. So is it really any surprise that Lecce are currently lining up in a 3-5-2?

However, for a tactic to be this widespread in Italy there must be a more profound contextual reason as to why it has suddenly become so popular again. The rise of the three-man defence perhaps coincides, at least in Serie A, with the fall of one-striker systems. Ever since Luciano Spalletti left for Zenit St. Petersburg and José Mourinho departed for Real Madrid, the most fashionable formation on the peninsula has been the 4-3-1-2. To put that into some kind of perspective, it was used more than 100 times in Serie A last season.

A three-man defence works especially well in this situation. Rinus Michels once claimed that teams should always have one defender more than the opposition had forwards, and that’s certainly the case when a three-man defence comes up against two strikers.

This is a solution to the problem posed so often in Serie A last season by teams matching up against each other in a 4-3-1-2. In this scenario, there is no attacking width to speak of and the game inevitably becomes a pitched battle in midfield. When faced with a 3-5-2, a team playing 4-3-1-2 finds itself in difficulty, as the wing-backs can exploit the space on the flanks without worrying about their defence. This is because a 3 v 2 situation means there’s a spare man, who can, if he sees fit, either sweep up or bring the ball out of defence and create an attack.

Guidolin alluded to this in a tactical discussion with Il Corriere dello Sport.

“The aspect that convinces me the most about a three-man defence,” he said, “is not so much the desire to be more covered in central areas but the part played by the three defenders in winning back possession, because if they do it well and one of the three manages to get into the other half of the pitch, you always put your opponents in difficulty.”

Elaborating on this point, Zaccheroni added: “In the medium and long term, games are always lost in central midfield and this tactical solution allows you to have a very dense one at that… The return of this kind of defence is borne out of the desire not to lose the battle in the middle of the pitch. The use of a three-man defence is not to add an extra striker to the team but an extra midfielder.”

This debate isn’t confined to Italy either. Pep Guardiola no less has taken it to the extreme at Barcelona, experimenting with a 3-1-3-3. Against Santos in the Club World Cup final in December, he essentially went without a natural striker and played with five midfielders plus Lionel Messi, who defies categorization as a classic centre-forward.

Guardiola’s reasons for using a three-man defence are slightly different from those held by his peers in Italy. Yet it’s clear that, though once considered out of date, the tactic is now back in fashion.

It seems three is once again the magic number.

Juve take heart in title charge after being crowned 'winter champions'

Richard Whittle — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:06:00 GMT

The title of ‘winter champions’ may be merely a symbolic one, but Juventus will take heart from claiming the lead at the halfway stage of the season.

In the last seven seasons, the team that have been crowned winter champions have gone on to land the title outright.

Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Atalanta left Antonio Conte’s men four points ahead of AC Milan and unbeaten so far, with a record of 11 wins and eight draws.

Milan have won 12 and drawn four, but tellingly have lost to Juventus, Napoli and most recently Inter. It could be such matches as the city derby that play their part in the outcome of the Scudetto, such is the closeness of this year’s title race.

Juve’s 19-game unbeaten run may seem impressive, but Roberto Mancini’s Inter side went 31 matches undefeated during their title-winning campaign of 2006/07. In most of the last seven years it was that dominant Nerazzurri side leading the way at the halfway stage – so this year is possibly a bigger test of the theory that the team leading in January will still be there come May.

Stephan Lichtsteiner heads Juve into the lead at Atalanta

Indeed, those looking for messages in the tea leaves will find that, ever since three points for a win was introduced into Serie A 17 years ago, only four winter champions have failed to take home the prize in May.

It will be a long hard slog for everyone through to late Spring and at present there is little likelihood of Juve or Milan suffering a major collapse in form, though the Old Lady has the kinder fixture list ahead of their meeting with the Rossoneri at the end of February.

Injuries could be a factor in the battle for the title, but Alexandre Pato succumbing to another hamstring strain and facing a month on the sidelines seems to be met with more of a sigh of relief than cries of frustration in the Milan camp.

The absence of the future Mr Berlusconi has finally afforded the Italian footballing public a glimpse of the talented Stephan El Shaarawy, who scored against Novara last week in the Italian Cup and whose entry at half-time against the same opposition at the weekend gave Massimiliano Allegri’s men the sort of zip and zest missing whenever Pato is on the pitch.

The 19-year-old will no doubt be given a clear run through the next month, and if he continues to display a keen eye for a goal then who knows he may even force his way into Cesare Prandelli’s plans for Euro 2012.

Over at Juventus, Conte can also call upon youthful vigour: Luca Marrone came on as a second-half substitute for the injured Simone Pepe at the weekend, and the 21-year-old set up Emanuele Giaccherini for the second goal of the game with a delightful flick.

If Udinese have any aspirations of remaining in the top three then they will be relying not only on their home form – having dropped only two points at the Friuli so far – but on the goalscoring form of Antonio Di Natale.

El Shaarawy, Ibrahimovic and Robinho celebrate against Novara

The Serie A capocannoniere for the past two seasons took his tally thus far this term to 14 with a thunderous volley in the 2-1 win over Catania, but the veteran striker was joined at the top by Zlatan Ibrahimovic who grabbed a brace in Milan’s 3-0 victory at Novara. His second was a dead cert for the cheekiest goal of the season – a nonchalance back-heel that even the usually stern-looking Swede could not help smiling about.

Outside the current top-three AS Roma must feel they make 2012 a year to remember, and Francesco Totti has already started on the right foot.

Vilified for missing a penalty against Juventus only a month ago, the talismanic Roman etched his name into the history books when he broke Gunnar Nordhal’s Serie A goalscoring record for one club by taking his impressive figure to 211 with a brace in the 5-1 demolition of Cesena.

Nordhal set the record some 50 years ago with Milan and it may be another 100 before we see any player surpass Totti. Suddenly now even the most sceptical critics are convinced Luis Enrique’s exciting young side will have a say in where the title ends up.

It is unlikely they will win it, but the Giallorossi are in the pack chasing Udinese and still have 26 minutes of their rain-disrupted match at Catania to play.

Another Roman enjoying a pleasing weekend was Claudio Ranieri, who saw his Inter edge past Lazio. In doing so they took their winning streak to eight matches in all competitions and leapfrogged the Romans into fourth place.

January may be considered the cruellest month for some, but for the title chasers the winter blues have already been blown away.

Della Valle vows to act as Fiorentina faithful lose patience again

James Horncastle — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:16:00 GMT

Delio Rossi held up his hands. “I am not Padre Pio, but a football coach,” he said. Miracle work, it seemed, was not his calling.

Yet after taking the Fiorentina job in November, some supporters were indeed shouting: “Santo Subito.” Rossi, they claimed, should be made a saint immediately, for he had exorcised a demon and delivered them from evil. Sinisa Mihajlovic was finally gone.

For 18 months the Fiorentina faithful had whistled, insulted and protested against the Serb. So when their prayers were answered after a 1-0 defeat to Chievo, it was thought Rossi would lead the club back on to the righteous path.

Sunday night’s events appear to indicate, however, that Fiorentina are still on a road to perdition, and that for all his faults, Mihajlovic wasn’t the only problem. Things go much deeper.

Condemned to a 1-0 defeat at home to bottom club Lecce, anger proved hard to contain in the stands. Owner Andrea Della Valle had left his seat in the Tribuna d’Onore out of superstition at half-time. With hindsight, it was a lucky escape. When the full-time whistle was blown, his executive president Mario Cognigni and one of the club’s advisers Paolo Panerai were spat at and subjected to a series of bad-tempered chants. Security had to be called and they were escorted to safety.

Fiorentina ultras then tried to break into the dressing room. They were held back, but a crowd outside the Artemio Franchi estimated to be 500-strong lingered for two hours after the game and demanded that their message be heard and taken on board. A delegation of seven ultras sought and obtained a meeting with Cognigni, chief executive Sandro Mencucci, communications director Gianfranco Teotino and team manager Vincenzo Guerini. After quarter of an hour or so, they re-emerged without any trace of satisfaction on their faces. The question is: what did they talk about?

According to Monday’s Il Corriere dello Sport, the ultras outlined three specific concerns. The first was that the club doesn’t appear to have total control over its players. All too often this season, there have been indications that there’s a culture of indiscipline and lack of professionalism among some of the players in the Fiorentina dressing room. Admittedly Houssine Kharja was somewhat harshly punished for arriving late for training because of his commuting to-and-from Milan where his family live. Stevan Jovetic, Adem Ljajic and Khoumar Babacar made the headlines too after they were banned from driving for not having the right paperwork. Fans can live with that.

What they can’t live with, though, is hearing about key members of the first team partying until the small hours in Florence’s nightclubs before games in a difficult season. Juan Manuel Vargas was caught in October. Alessio Cerci and Andrea Lazzarri were spotted in November. They were each named and shamed in the local press, then fined.

Cerci in particular has come in for criticism for not “respecting the city.” Asked to move his illegally parked Maserati by a traffic warden, he allegedly refused to do so until after he had finished his dinner. His case wasn’t helped last week when, in response to being dropped for Fiorentina’s Coppa Italia clash against Roma, his girlfriend launched a tirade on her Facebook page once they were knocked out. “No Cerci? No Coppa Italia!!! Ahahaha… bye bye Delio [Rossi] and bye bye Fiorentina fans,” she wrote.

The second issue on the ultras’ agenda was the Della Valle family’s growing distance from the club. The third centered on a lack of investment. The two are not mutually exclusive. For the last two years, Fiorentina’s owners have perceived a distinct lack of gratitude for resurrecting the club they had bought in 2002, which was then playing under a different name in Serie C2 and still reeling from the effects of bankruptcy. They felt let down, first by coach Cesare Prandelli, who decided to take the Italy job in 2010, then by Florence’s mayor Matteo Renzi, who shelved their plans for a new stadium with hotels and retail space. There was genuine disillusion.

Diego Della Valle, Andrea’s brother, wrote an open letter outlining the situation: “I need to know with extreme clarity what the city and the fans want and expect for the future of Fiorentina, to understand if there is still the motivation for the owners to continue down a common path of sporting passion, to build the best possible future and to restore all the pleasure of going to the stadium to spend an entertaining afternoon. If there aren’t these conditions then, as we have said before, the owners are ready to step aside.”

Amid growing protests from the fans, the moment had come to ask if their time and money could not be spent better elsewhere. Last January, for instance, they committed £21.5 million to the restoration of the Colosseum in Rome, while transfer expenditure at Fiorentina throughout the season was £13.3 million, the lowest outlay since the club returned to Serie A in 2004.

As the disenchanted Della Valle brothers withdrew into themselves, the team’s best players began to lose faith and perhaps came to believe that Fiorentina’s ambition didn’t match their own. Captain Riccardo Montolivo revealed he wouldn’t be signing a new contract after his existing deal expires in 2012 and was stripped of the armband. Alberto Gilardino’s “fire had gone out”.

While it’s useless to keep players who no longer want to play for the club, it’s also counter-productive in Gilardino’s case to sell one of Italy’s best centre-forwards to Genoa for just £7 million, as Fiorentina did last week, partly because, with Santiago Silva about to be sold back to Argentina, Fiorentina didn’t have a replacement lined up and would now be forced into playing Jovetic and Ljajic up front.

With no natural strikers in a young and inexperienced squad, is it any wonder that the fans’ raised a few eyebrows? This is a club that, in recent memory, has had Luca Toni, Giampaolo Pazzini, Adrian Mutu and Gilardino leading the offensive line. Now too much was being asked of Jovetic. As for Ljajic, on being played out of position, he missed sitters against Roma and Lecce.

To make matters worse, negotiations to sign the much-maligned Amauri from Juventus hit a snag over the players’ excessive wages demands. Then came a report that Valon Behrami, one of Fiorentina’s most committed players in a dispirited bunch, had been cheekily asked for in part-exchange by Juventus.

Interviewed on Sunday night, a shaken up but conciliatory Andrea Della Valle promised action. “It’s true we deserve more. The fans deserve it too, naturally. They do what they think is right the protest is understandable if it’s civil. It was a cold shower that we didn’t expect. With another three points we would have been nearer the European places. Now we have to roll up our sleeves and make up for our mistakes. The market still offers us two weeks of trade and we’ll do something soon.”

Fiorentina currently lie 13th in Serie A. It’s hardly a disaster, but also no real improvement in terms of results than those they achieved under Mihajlovic, even if the team’s style of football has sometimes been easier on the eye. Rossi insists that for the rest of this season “blood and tears” will need to be wept by his players. What Fiorentina need more than ever, though, is to start smiling again.

Derby specialist Ranieri once again enjoys local bragging rights

Richard Whittle — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:51:00 GMT

From the Special One to the Specialist – the derby specialist that is.

Claudio Ranieri, the wily old Roman, has added the Milanese bragging rights to those he garnered in the capital during his spell at the helm of AS Roma, and to a lesser extent in Turin with Juventus.

There had been reports Jose Mourinho had been encouraged to send his support to his former players in the build-up to the game. The Milan derby was a fixture in which the Portuguese used to take three points for granted, but this most recent Inter success was built on good old Ranieri prudence and attention to detail.

Diego Forlan and Wesley Sneijder were both declared fit, so naturally everyone assumed they would start, but of course Ranieri has never been one to follow conventional thinking and with Gianpaolo Pazzini and Ricky Alvarez impressing last weekend in the 5-0 defeat of Parma, it was as you were at kick-off.

Milan, for their part, could easily have been without Alexandre Pato if the Berlsuconi family influence had not been such a pull on the striker remaining at the club instead of moving to Paris.

There may have been a few groans around the dressing room as the news came through that the bubbly Brazilian would be staying; especially if you happened to be Massimiliano Allegri, who had no option but to start the boyfriend of the president’s daughter.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic must not have been too happy either, if his subsequent display was anything to go by, though maybe the personalised training programme the Swede had been following all week was to mask an injury problem.

In truth, in the first half Inter had to dodge a few bullets, which turned out to be fired in a scatter-gun fashion rather than with the deadly accuracy we have come accustomed to from the defending champions. However, when it came to calm head in front of goal there was only one marksman to count on.

Diego Milito had been at his princely best against Parma, where he scored twice, but he was simply regal when it counted this time. He swept what was more of a pass than a shot to the far corner when presented with his only clear-cut chance of the game, after Ignazio Abate’s failed clearance left the striker with an angled run down the left side of the area.

As Milan started to look even more sluggish, Inter became more energised in every facet of their play – and having edged in front they frustrated their opponents at every turn.

There was one moment in particular that summed up the differing approaches of the two teams: Milito looked to have lost the ball in the centre of the pitch but as Ibrahimovic closed in the Argentine raced back to win the 50-50 challenge and at the same time retain possession.

Then there was Javier Zanetti and his right-hand man Esteban Cambiasso, who harried and retrieved lost causes to drive Kevin Prince Boateng and Urby Emanuelson to distraction.

While the likes of Boateng talk about getting another tattoo if they win the Champions League and generally give off the air of the modern millionaire footballer, the two Argentines would never be seen with a hair out of place (though in Cambiasso’s case, this is less of an issue).

They believe that football is their life - off-field charisma means nothing to them, unlike a few Milan players who have allowed the bright lights to blind to who they really are.

Tellingly, someone who is cut from the same football cloth as the Inter veterans – Mark Van Bommel – was Milan’s only decent performer on the night.

It had been a sobering week for Milan’s big names, what with Adriano Galliani forced to stand down in his chase to sign Carlos Tevez after what was apparently a very stern call from Berlusconi to call off the hounds and in future consult the powers at the very top – Silvio and Barbara.

The repercussions could yet be felt if Inter decide to make good on their claims for the Argentine, though with the way results are going at the moment, do they really need a potentially disruptive influence just when things within the club are settling down once again?

Ranieri will not be too concerned about who he has to work with, but he will be well aware how important his derby magic has been in galvanising the black and blue half of Milan.

Milito refinds his regal form as Inter fire five past Parma

Richard Whittle — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:31:00 GMT

Written off more times than Italy's debt, Diego Milito has found a few stray goals in his back pocket to suddenly more Golden Boot than Bidone d’Oro [Golden Bin] – Italian football’s least sought-after award, for the year's worst player.

The Inter striker – and many were using that word lightly following his annus horribilis in front of goal – joined such notable such names as Rivaldo, Christian Vieri and Adriano (a three-time loser) in landing the ‘prize’ last month.

However, it hasn't signalled once and for all the demise of the instinctive goal-poacher known as El Príncipe [the Prince]. Indeed, it seems to have become more of a spur than a burden.

The Argentine had failed to find the net in the league since the end of September – and had even upset his most ardent backer Massimo Moratti after missing an absolute sitter at Atalanta – although he finally got back on the scoresheet in the 4-1 win over Lecce just before the winter break.

RESULTS Sat 7 Jan Siena 4-0 Lazio, Internazionale 5-0 Parma Sun 8 Jan Udinese 4-1 Cesena, Atalanta 0-2 Milan, Bologna 2-0 Catania, Cagliari 3-0 Genoa, Lecce 0-1 Juventus, Novara 0-3 Fiorentina, Roma 2-0 Chievo, Palermo 1-3 Napoli

The pressure was still on the 32-year-old coming into the first game of 2012, at home to Parma, but he answered the call with a dominant performance at the San Siro where he scored twice and had a part to play in two of the other three goals as a 5-0 romp nicely set up Claudio Ranieri’s men for Sunday’s derby.

The visitors contributed in part to their own downfall and were a shambles in every area of the pitch, but with Milito drifting out to either flank and basically picking when and where to make his runs there would have been very few defences capable of holding on to his royal coat-tails.

"Hugs!" Milito (2nd l) is mobbed by Pazzini, Maicon, Zanetti and Alvarez

Even through his long barren period and lack of form, the Buenos Aires man was always an unselfish runner into space and never hid from his duties of showing for his team-mates – and the biggest smile of Saturday evening came not in celebration of either of his two sublime finishes but his weighted pass to send Gianpaolo Pazzini through to score a goal of his own.

The Italy international has suffered as much as Milito this season but he too will have taken heart from his performance, remaining as he did as the target man while his strike-partner scurried off along the frontline. The pair may have done enough to start against AC Milan next weekend, even though Diego Forlan is expected to be fit for what promises to be a titanic tussle at the San Siro.

Inter were coming into the Parma match on the back of four straight wins, albeit against modest opposition, but Ranieri knew the importance of making it five in a row: the team failed in that feat last season under Leonardo even though they pushed their city neighbours for the title in the second half of the campaign.

It was of course Jose Mourinho’s Treble-winners who had last enjoyed a five-game winning haul and the bulk of the Special One’s team were still on show at the weekend.

The result was not lost on the players at the final whistle as they celebrated with more gusto than usual when they defeat Parma at home – maybe they were still smarting from last year’s crucial setback at the Tardini – but more likely they were sending out a message to their own fans and their rivals that there is plenty of fight in the Nerazzurri yet.

Milan, for their part, answered in kind by inflicting a first home loss of the season on Atalanta, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic once again head and shoulders above everyone else. The Swede scored the opener from the penalty spot and set up Kevin Prince Boateng for the second in a comfortable 2-0 win.

Home defender considers single-fingered "itchy-face" gesture

It was a good weekend overall for forwards, with Alessandro Matri scoring the only goal of the game at Lecce to ensure Juventus kept pace at the top of the table while Antonio Di Natale, who has never grasped the concept of a goal drought, grabbed a brace for Udinese in their 4-1 win over Cesena.

So the weekend may have belonged to the Prince (Milito, not Boateng), but the King of Rome caught the eye too: Francesco Totti hadn't scored all season and had even been barracked by some of his own fans at the tail-end of last year when Gigi Buffon saved the Roma captain’s penalty effort.

Presented with the opportunity to make a amends early on against Chievo, the veteran of many a one-on-one strode up to the spot and buried the ball with such power that goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino had no time to move.

He then doubled his tally for the season with a second goal by repeating the feat from 10 metres, although at least the keeper got a hand to the ball.

As with Milito, Totti knew he'd come good in front of goal again and had already prepared one of his famous T-shirts, this time reading “Sorry I was late” – a statement the Inter man would no doubt agree with.

Milan and Juve stay in touch over refreshing break

Richard Whittle — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:56:00 GMT

AC Milan and Juventus return from the winter break joint top of the table and sporting matching winter tans after a week of warm-weather training in Dubai.

The ever-fashionable clubs have mirrored each other throughout the first half of the season, and will be keen to match strides rather than fall behind the times. There are four matches remaining before the crowning of the winter champions, which is always a good indicator of the eventual champions: in the 17 years since the introduction of three points for a win, only four winter winners have failed to triumph come May.

It could be that a January slip-up gives one team or other that vital advantage before the mid-February return of the Champions League – in which Juventus, free this season of any European competition, will hope the Rossoneri triumph against Arsenal having run themselves into the ground.

However, continental commitments could prove marginal and overall there is little to choose between the clubs. Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte are young and determined coaches with fresh ideas, players in form and (currently) fit – and the feeling that every match is there for the taking.

Juve have already got one over Milan rivals with a late double in the 2-0 home win back in early October, traditionally a time when the Rossoneri are below par – but more than any other team, Milan have always enjoyed the return to action in January.

If there is to be any trouble at the champions, it could well come from within their own ranks. The club's desire to show the world that they can always incite a star player to Milanello has seen them make an all too public pursuit of Carlos Tevez; as the saga rumbles on, no doubt to the final hour of the final day of the transfer window, the seemingly growing rift between Allegri and Alexandre Pato could well unsettle the club.

There's no doubt that the pair don't see eye to eye on how the game should be played: the player is too ad hoc for the methodical coach and in a recent interview Pato made it clear that where Carlo Ancelotti offered guidance, Allegri offers only hollow words.

“The coach tells me I need to improve, but not how and in what areas,” claimed the Brazilian in a frank recent interview with heavyweight Milanese daily Corriere della Sera. “With Ancelotti, at least we talked on how to improve my game by telling me what I needed to do.”

The outburst was greeted with some irony within the Milan organisation. “At least it proves he is alive,” commented one source to the self-same newspaper. To some at the club, the 22-year-old is seen as something of a sphinx, someone who barely opens his mouth to chat and when he does it is only with his fellow Brazilians.

Such a lack of empathy cost him the armband in late November when Milan faced Chievo without club captain Massimo Ambrosini and his vice Rino Gattuso, along with a whole host of experienced players.

By tradition the armband would be passed to longest-serving available squad member, which would be Pato – remember he arrived at Milan back in 2007. However, Allegri anointed Thiago Silva, Pato’s closest (and if reports are to be believed, only) friend in the dressing room.

The fact that Pato is dating Silvio Berlusconi’s daughter Barbara has apparently made the situation within said dressing room a little tense, with squad members feeling they can't speak their mind just in case a stray word is taken out of context and somehow gets back to the top.

Allegri knows he needs to stay on the right side of the president and blurted out in a press conference in Dubai that he had no problems with Pato, only to suggest in the same breath that maybe the Duck’s quacking was just a way of getting a few issues off his chest.

The coach also seems to have a few issues simmering below the surface and he had a little dig at the forward’s reccurring fitness problems: “Maybe he felt left out during his recent injury.”

Pato was sidelined for nearly two months – spending most of that period training alone – and it seems that he has become marginalised with Zlatan Ibrahimovic now seen as the focal point of the team.

So when a friendly on Wednesday night pitted Milan against PSG, now overseen by coach Ancelotti and sporting director Leonardo, speculation buzzed that Pato is set to team up with his two mentors. Scoring the only goal of the game sent a message to both parties, but there is little sign of any thawing in the relationship with his current coach.

;

Over at Juve, Marco Borriello’s arrival raised a neatly-plucked eyebrow from the man he could replace: Alessandro Matri.

Coach Conte already has Mirko Vucinic, the fit-again Fabio Quagliarella and Alex del Piero in attack while Luca Toni, Amauri and Vincenzo Iaquinta still lurk in the shadows, but Borriello’s style is similar to Matri’s and the new man also has his sights set on a return to the Italy squad ahead of Euro 2012.

A bemused Matri denied that he was under pressure. “We have the same number of strikers as the other clubs… we have four, five, no, six or seven... I don’t know.”

Borriello and Matri are considered two of the pin-up boys of Italian football and the press have hailed Juve as possessing the two most handsome frontmen in the league, but it looks like it could get ugly in the battle for the No.9 shirt. However, if Milan were to accept an audacious €45m PSG bid for Pato, even the arrival of Tevez couldn't stop Juve feeling they have the edge in the title race.

Tevez to Milan: Another pact with the Devil?

Adam Digby — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:46:00 GMT

They couldn't could they? After everything Carlos Tevez has done - his every outburst publicised and chronicled in many languages and televised for all to see - Italian giants AC Milan have elbowed their way to the front of the queue to sign the Argentinian forward.  

While the queue of clubs interested in the 27-year-old's services has shortened in recent weeks, the club known as il Diavolo ('The Devil') tabled an offer to take him off Manchester City's hands - and out of Roberto Mancini's increasingly greying hair - when the transfer window opens in January.  

The Premier League club are said to have rejected their initial offer but, despite the player's refusal to play and his extended - and unauthorised - stay in Argentina, Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani has tasked himself with trying to seal a deal to take the former Boca Juniors man on loan for the rest of the season.  

There is no doubting how good a player he is when the mood takes; he was the Premier League's top goal scorer last season, while his huge desire and work-rate have made him a stand-out player at every club he has played for, not to mention more popular in his homeland than even Lionel Messi.

  Other clubs have been put off by a combination of his sheer unprofessionalism and a 'representative' who with each passing day grows more and more akin to the Al Pacino character in the film Devil's Advocate ("Freedom, Carlitos.... is never having to say you're sorry"), all but leaving the San Siro giants in a position to dictate terms to Manchester City.  

This offer has quickly been dismissed by many observers, but to do so is to overlooked the influence and negotiating skills of Milan vice president Adriano Galliani.  Time and again Berlusconi has dispatched his man to bring home a player and, on almost every occasion, Galliani has delivered.

Here is a man who, in July 2008, watched Barcelona turn down a £25.5 million offer from Manchester City for Ronaldinho only to somehow convince them to accept his own bid of £14.5 million that same month. He returned to the Catalan club last summer for Zlatan Ibrahimović - a player with a €250 million release clause in his contract – completing a €24m deal just thirteen months after Barca had paid Inter over €69m for the Swede.  

Galliani's list of great deals doesn't end there either. He has already taken advantage of Manchester City, signing their €42.5 million man Robinho for €18 million. He has Liverpool's Alberto Aquilani on a loan deal that will cost just €6 million to make permanent should the English club’s €25 million signing from Roma play 25 games this season. The 67 year old also convinced Genoa to loan Milan Kevin-Prince Boateng just hours after they had signed him from Portsmouth.  

It is hardly a recent trend either, back at the start of the new millenium he engineered a swap deal with Inter, sending their city cousins Francesco Coco and Guly in exchange for two other players you may not have heard much about, Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo.

  As well as being a move typical of Galliani, the capture of Tevez would also fit well alongside some of Milan's other recent captures. While many questioned how Massimiliano Allegri, the coach who led the club to the title in his debut season, would cope with so many big egos, he moulded them into a title-winning team with very little fuss.

  Of course, Zlatan has fought with the occasional team-mate, the big Swede can only play nicely with others for so long, but on the whole every one of those potential trouble-makers has bought into Allegri's ideals and they have all benefited.

Two major factors are firstly the remoteness of the club's training ground, the famed Milanello complex is very isolated and there is little admittance to the media. Secondly that the majority of news outlets in Italy are owned by a certain Silvio Berlusconi only helps to reduce any negative press that might otherwise blight such an opinionated group of players.

Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked to Tevez, but the former Italian Prime Minister made clear his position on the possible move when he spoke to Sky Italia earlier this week.  

"The situation that regards Tevez is very clear, he has to choose between two solutions: prestige and money. Milan represent prestige, the possibility of being seen all over the world and to win the Ballon d'Or. On the other hand, PSG, who represent Qatar, is the chance of a big wage. Now it's up to him to choose."

Totti demands respect as Roma fans grumble at penalty failure

Richard Whittle — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:40:00 GMT

In an age where loyalty can be bought at the opening of a transfer window, Francesco Totti has always resisted the call of the sirens.

As with Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Del Piero and Javier Zanetti the Roma captain has become synonyms with club he plays for.

Known as “bandiere”, no one can picture these loyal servants in any shirt other than the one they have worn for most, if not all of their careers. So there was some shock not just in Rome but throughout Italian football and beyond when Totti revealed he had been insulted by his own fans.

Apparently a group gathered outside the player’s home to voice their disappointment that the star had missed a penalty against Juventus on Monday evening. Totti has had his run-ins with Roma fans in the past, but obviously this time he was feeling particularly vulnerable and revealed that was contemplating leaving.

Talk about spoiling Christmas, picking as he did the moment during an interview with Sky Sports Italia at the club’s festive bash to drop the bombshell.

However, after a short period of thumb-sucking he cleared up any misunderstanding by reiterating his desire to see out the rest of his days at Roma, although that reassurance came with a veiled threat that he expected to be treated with more respect. But from who?

After all, he could have left on numerous occasions: Silvio Berlusconi made an offer he knew would be refused because as the AC Milan owner put it: “his heart is with Rome and you can never tear the heart away.”

Real Madrid would have not only provided him with riches beyond his wildest dreams but also a cabinet case full of trophies. He even admitted he had been tempted by the thought of a switch the Bernabeu, and you have to wonder how differently he would be perceived around Europe if he was now ending his days in the Spanish capital.

Instead, his remained committed to the city of his birth and a club that has had more downs than ups during his 19 years there. Now 35, he has won the league but once and the Italian Cup twice but throughout it all his name has always been cheered the loudest when the team is announced, which was the case on Monday evening as the fans then chanted their refrain: ‘Un capitano, c’è solo un capitano.’

This latest outburst comes after a year to forget for the veteran: Roma missed out on a Champions League place and then new American consortium led by Thomas Di Benedetto arrived to sweep away the old regime to which Totti was seen as closely associated with.

Former owners the Sensi family had promised him a say on club matters when he eventually retired, but Di Benedetto kept his distance for most of the summer. They only met briefly as the management staff began to take on a completely different shape.

Franco Baldini was brought back as sporting director and suggested that the No.10 concentrate on playing rather than concern himself with matters outside his remit, such as his attempt to woo Gigi Buffon to the club, which considering the fact the Italy keeper saved Totti’s penalty would have been a good idea.

Baldini’s supposed criticism was seen by many as originating from much higher up the hierarchy, and with Totti already grappling with new coach Luis Enrique he could not afford to alienate his new employers as well.

This little show of pique comes on the back of a difficult start to the campaign, where Enrique has attempted to impose his own style on the team, substituting the star man at some inappropriate times such as the last quarter of the Europa League qualifier against Slovan Bratislava when the outcome was in the balance. There is no doubt that Totti would have taken no joy from the subsequent elimination from the competition...

Niggling injuries and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his role on the pitch – as well as off it when he finally calls it a day - seem to be the underlining factors in this latest moody episode, rather than what may or may not have been shouted in his direction by those with little to do with their time on a winter’s evening.

The demise of Inter

Richard Whittle — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:11:00 GMT

After having eight entries in last year's 100 Best Players, this year Internazionale are down to four – with most in the lower reaches. Our man in Milan Richard Whittle examines the Nerazzurri nosedive...

Few would have envisaged that Inter would go from champions of Europe to languishing just outside the relegation zone in the space of 18 months or so.

After Jose Mourinho left the club with the treble in 2010, new coach Rafa Benitez wanted to rebuild, but Massimo Moratti refused to green-light any new signings – or release a number of those players who had peaked so admirably under Mourinho but who now had nowhere to go but down.

Age and waning desire have played their part in the Nerazzurri becoming a shadow of their former dominant self, but that doesn't tell the whole story.

When Massimo Moratti turned to Mourinho he did so with one aim in mind: to emulate the achievements of his father Angelo, who in the 1960s oversaw the Grande Inter led by Helenio Herrera.

The Portuguese possessed many of the same qualities as the master of catenaccio, central to which were the tactics and strategy to get the best out of a side reaching their prime and well aware that this is their moment to obtain greatness.

Moratti had spent millions and gone through 14 coaches on a succession of failures and even recent domestic dominance hadn't been enough – not with the holy grail of the Champions League continuing to elude him – so it was to be one last opening of the chequebook.

This time, the transfers were shrewd – far from a given with Inter – with new arrivals Lucio, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Milito reinforcing what was already a resilient unit. However, what gave Inter the edge was the trade with Barcelona involving Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto’o – with the latter still possessing the desire for further honours.

The result was a treble-winning season and, on a barmy night at the Bernabeu, Europe's top trophy finally back with the Morattis after 45 long years.

"Look what I've won!"

Even when it became clear that Mourinho was not coming back from Madrid there should have been no reason to fear for the future, with a little planning and foresight.

Instead of which, the lingering likes of Marco Materazzi, Diego Milito, Christian Chivu and even Douglas Maicon weren't thanked for their sterling efforts, paid up and packed off, but retained on vast wages and dwindling returns while more-than-promising youngsters Davide Santon and Marco Balotelli were allowed to leave.

Benitez was the unfortunate coach to arrive when Moratti too busy polishing the trophy to overhaul the squad, so the Spaniard was left with an ageing side who had given their all for the previous regime and weren't willing to do it all again. A few fresh faces would have kept the likes of Maicon, Dejan Stankovic, Lucio and the rest on their toes, motivating them to believe that this wasn't the end, but a positive turning point for the club.

However, with senior players Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso setting the mood in the dressing room, Benitez was helpless in his attempts to gain a sixth consecutive league title and a genuine defence of their European title.

"Wally says what?"

A player like Sneijder, coming off a marathon season that ended in the World Cup final, returned to a club that was treading water and failing to attract big names – and this failure had a detrimental effect on the players. Forced to soldier on gamely they succumbed to all sorts of injuries, mostly brought on by simply being worn out physically as was certainly the case with Sneijder and Cambiasso.

Benitez didn't have the luxury of resting weary stars, as Mourinho had been able to thanks to Inter’s domestic supremacy – but the Spaniard's replacement Leonardo was fortunate to find those self-same players finally rediscover their form, after having at least lifted the Club World Cup.

Benitez must have bristled when he saw how Lucio, Sneijder and, above all, Eto’o were so inspirational during a run that made AC Milan sweat before their city rivals wrested the title away – and ended with the Italian Cup as minor recompense after the European crown was tamely surrendered in defeat to Schalke 04.

Individually, just about any one of the Inter players could have walked into any starting line-up in Europe but as a unit they were a spent force. The reality of the situation hit home when Gian Piero Gasperini arrived in the summer and attempted to fix something that at its core wasn't completely broken.

Eto’o could easily still be tormenting defences in Italy and Europe, but instead Moratti’s cost-cutting measures – not to mention the chance to become the world’s highest-paid player – saw Mourinho’s chief operator disappear to Russia.

Injury has curtailed Diego Forlan’s appearances and Claudio Ranieri is now in charge of a squad still relying on the majority of the heroes of Madrid, although there are signs that the future is finally being handed over to youth. Andrea Ranocchia has become a regular in the heart of the defence, while in recent weeks 19-year-old Luca Castiaignos and new arrival Ricky Alvarez have impressed.

The old guard are coming to the realisation that their sell-by date is fast approaching but a slow climb away from the relegation zone and qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League may be enough for one last tilt at a major trophy.

FFT Editor David Hall: How we picked the 100 Best Players
The Top 10s: Alphabetical by position

Conte's troops march on Naples as Juve look to widen the gap

Richard Whittle — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:05:00 GMT

With Juventus finding themselves top of the table, the inevitable title talk is in the air - but their superstitious coach Antonio Conte is having none of it.

Having defeated both Inter and AC Milan, the Old Lady left the Olympic Stadium in Rome on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Lazio tucked in her overnight bag, with a one point advantage and a game in hand over Milan and Udinese. That fixture will take place at Napoli on Tuesday evening.

Victory at the San Paolo – and the four point gap that would open - would be considered a genuine breakaway at the top, but for now all talk of the Scudetto has been banned, with Conte well aware nothing can ever be taken for granted where Juve are concerned.

The club’s former midfielder is more than happy to lead from the front, and although his short managerial career may have been littered with setbacks, he has never lost his belief that his way is the right way – and in fact his methods have long been hotwired into the Juve psyche.

There has always been the class of the old guard – and now that takes the form of Andrea Pirlo and Gigi Buffon. The former took the pitch in Rome on Saturday with his knee heavily strapped, but was still standing at the end of 90 minutes of raw combat, while the latter made a miraculous save to deny Tommaso Rocchi and looks back to the Gigi of old.

The desire to battle for every ball and work as a team manifested itself in the unlikeliest figure to chase back - Mirko Vucinic - popping up at left-back to make a couple of clearances and on one occasion a challenge that had Giorgio Chiellini grinning from ear to ear.

Then, the clinical finishing to kill off the opposition just when they seem to be holding the upper hand – that came from a three-pass move which saw Vucinic release Alessandro Matri along the left flank who whipped in a low cross for Simone Pepe to sweep the ball home for the only goal of the game.

And then there is the drill sergeant on the sideline, who never finishes a match with his voice intact. But what most makes his side genuine title candidates is his lack of reliance on one or two big names - as Milan do with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The whole team has taken on the plan one hundred per cent.

“It’s a war and you need to be battle ready,” is how Conte has described his approach to football in the past and that is why the Bianconeri are top and can now deploy their troops to Napoli in good heart.

Some will point to the fact that Juve have had no European duties to distract them, and they will certainly hope to impose their physical approach on Napoli, who after their exertions against Manchester City were fortunate to come away from Atalanta with a point thanks to Edinson Cavani’s last-gasp equaliser.

Milan knew they needed to respond on Sunday evening and a 4-0 thumping of Chievo - with Ibra passing the century of goals in Italian football and Pato on the score sheet for the first time this season - sent out loud and clear the message that the reigning champions remain in rude health.

Despite their impressive performance, the arrival of Carlos Tevez is looking more and more likely, and this will ramp up the pressure on Alexandre Pato and Robinho, whose starting places will come under threat.

It would be unlike the Brazilian pair to throw a hissy fit (cough, splutter) but word around Milanello is that some of the senior players are none too keen on the Argentine’s potential arrival, even if the team is in dire need of additional offensive cover in Antonio Cassano’s absence.

However, with Juve distancing themselves from the troublesome South American, the way is open for Milan chief Adriano Galliani to persuade City to accept a loan deal. The reaction of the rest of the Rossoneri squad will be key to how their season unfolds – lose their discipline and they could well lose their title, especially as there seems little danger of anybody in Turin breaking rank.

Roma striker Osvaldo's work of art stolen

James Horncastle — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:06:00 GMT

One blustery spring morning a few years ago I was strolling through Milan's art district Brera. It happened to be the third Sunday of the month, and the market stalls were out on the streets selling their wares. I wasn't looking for anything in particular but that's usually when you stumble upon something special.

In a damp cardboard box on an antiques stand were a number of dog-eared Panini albums, about 30 in total. Each of them had been painstakingly completed by the man on the stall. He wanted €50 for the set, a price I considered to be a bargain considering the sentimental value they might have held. So we shook hands and I spent a train ride back to Rome that evening leafing through their contents.

The faces on the stickers change from season to season, and with them the styles of their shirts and hair, but one player has been on the front cover since 1965. His name is Carlo Parola. He won the Scudetto twice with Juventus, but that's not what he is famous for. He is famous for executing the perfect scissor kick in a game against Fiorentina on January 15, 1950.

Parola didn't score - he was clearing the ball from his own penalty area in the 80th minute of a goalless draw - but aesthetically, it was a thing of beauty, and as the crowd rose to their feet to give a standing ovation, the photographer Corrado Bianchi captured it from the byline. It would be used by the artist Wainer Vaccari as the basis of a commission from Panini to come up with a symbol for their albums.

Vaccari didn't need to do much, just paint his subject in a neutral football kit. It would feature on the front cover of more than 200 million copies printed worldwide, making Parola's iconic scissor kick immortal.

That image crossed my mind again while watching Roma play Lecce at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night. The hosts were showing glimpses of what a fine team they could become under Luis Enrique, opening the scoring in the 25th minute when Miralem Pjanic finished off a 16-pass move.

Things got even better early in the second half after Fernando Gago doubled their advantage with an angled shot into the bottom corner from outside the box. But when Lecce pulled one back through the midfielder Andrea Bertolacci – a superb young player currently on-loan from Roma - there was a suspicion that for all their dominance, a win might once again slip through their grasp.

Then in the 74th minute, it happened. Erik Lamela received a reverse pass from Francesco Totti. He swiveled and played in Gago on the right-hand side of the box. Gago crossed to the far post and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo was there waiting. As the ball curled away from him, he leaped. At that moment it was like Parola appeared again.

Osvaldo produced a scissor kick that was identical in its shape and in its form. But there was a key difference. The Roma striker scored. His shot fizzed into the top corner. It was the goal of the season. The Italy international striker wheeled away and as he knelt down to do his Batistuta inspired machine gun celebration, he saw the linesman holding up his flag for a non-existent offside.

Crestfallen, he pulled his shirt over his head in disgust. So many emotions ran through his head and those of the Roma fans. After all, they have been here before. Disallowed goals have cost them the Scudetto in the past. Think of Ramon Turone on May 10, 1981.

Fortunately, Roma held on to win this time around and besides, this wasn’t about the scoreline. Before the game, the Curva Sud had unveiled a banner on which they showed their support for Enrique’s philosophy by writing on it: “Never slave to the result.”

No more so was that true than in this case. The result paled into insignificance. Everyone was talking about the injustice suffered by Osvaldo. “They have committed more than a mistake,” wrote Carmine Fotia in Il Romanista. “They have committed a murder. They have killed poetry. Or better, they have tried, because as happens with poets killed by dictatorships, the aura of their verses remains beyond mortal life.”

For me, the parallel lay elsewhere. When the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911, people queued to stare at the empty space on the wall where it had once hung. And so it is with goals that are taken from us, from Karl-Heinze Rummenigge’s for Inter in the UEFA Cup against Rangers in 1984 to Michel Platini’s for Juventus in the Intercontinental Cup against Argentinos Juniors in 1985. They are each lost masterpieces that continue to hang in our minds.

Osvaldo’s is the latest exhibit to be added to the gallery, the goal that never was, but always will be.

Naming rights: A black and white issue for Newcastle United and Juventus

Adam Digby — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:58:00 GMT

It must be the stripes. You look at one and more often than not think of the other. Yet besides a vaguely similar home shirt, Newcastle United and Juventus are different in almost every other way.

One is synonymous with victory, racking up more league wins than any of their domestic rivals and becoming one of the most dominant and feared sides in European football. The other is, some lower league titles and an Anglo-Italian cup victory aside, trophy-less since 1969.

While Turin's grand Old Lady is viewed as one of the most prestigious and glamorous sides in the world, Newcastle United have become renowned for spectacular collapses, kamikaze defending and some bizarre off-field incidents.

While it may be easy to draw parallels between Kevin Keegan's famous "I'd love it..." rant and Juventus legend Giovanni Trapattoni's incredible tirade against Thomas Strunz during his time at

Bayern Munich, there are in truth very few similarities between the two sides.
Indeed this season, as both enjoy superb starts to their respective league campaigns, even the reaction towards each could not be in more stark contrast.

Newcastle's incredible rise to the Premier League’s top four has generally been met with incredulity and a widespread belief it simply cannot last. Meanwhile Juve's own unbeaten march through the first ten Serie A fixtures has seen them touted as genuine title contenders, and the belief the club is 'back' after five difficult post-Calciopoli years is ever-growing.

Even the grounds the two clubs call home are almost as different as it is possible for two football stadia to be. Newcastle's reluctance to ever leave the nostalgic familiarity of St James' Park has seen the old stadium take on an increasingly lop-sided look as regular increases in capacity have been made to keep pace with the raise in demand.

In Turin, the Bianconeri moved in a brand new home ahead of the current campaign, opening the Juventus Stadium back on September 8 in a friendly against the team who gave the club it's famous colours, League One side Notts County.

It is, to provide even starker contrast to the settled-in-one-place Newcastle, Juve's eighth permanent home in their nomadic 114 year history, and is packed with every facility and convenience modern day football demands.

Yet events last week served to draw an interesting parallel between, not just these two clubs, but also those very stadia, as the increasingly frequent issue of the sale of naming rights has begun to affect both.

For Newcastle the story begins back in 2009 when they first announced plans to sell those rights. Protests over the loss of the old name - which even led to the tabling of a motion in Parliament - forced the club to clarify the move would not involve dropping the 'St James' Park' moniker. They then cited the example of 'SportsDirect.com @ St James Park' as an idea, before announcing that would indeed be the official name until a new sponsor was found.

All of which brings us to the latest development when, on November 10, the club announced the stadium was to be officially renamed "Sports Direct Arena" as a temporary measure to "showcase the sponsorship opportunity to interested parties" while the search for a buyer continued.

Sports Direct is of course, like the club itself, owned by retail entrepreneur Mike Ashley. According to him and the club, the traditional St James' Park title was not being "commercially attractive".
Juventus too are beset by similar difficulties but, as history has already shown, they are handling it in a very different manner to the Premier League side.

When unveiling the final plans for their new home, the Turin club announced it had reached a twelve year agreement with international sports rights marketing agency Sportfive, worth €75 million.

That deal saw the club sell naming rights for the stadium to Sportfive, who in turn would sell them on at a profit, with the instant payment to Juventus covering approximately 75-80% of the total cost of construction, vital in the current financial climate.

Shrouded in secrecy as the opening of the new 41,000 seater stadium approached, it wasn't until that incredible inauguration evening that it became clear a sponsor willing to meet both the asking price and strict criteria set out by the club had not been found.

The state of the Italian economy - and indeed that of the Euro Zone in general - has been blamed, but the use of Sportfive as a broker meant that this apparent failure does not affect the club in any way, their fee already paid - and indeed spent - well in advance.

Changing one's stripes may well be as impossible as the ancient proverb would lead us to believe but - especially in the case of Newcastle United and Juventus - the beast underneath can be, despite initial appearances, vastly different.

Napoli in the eye of their own storm against Manchester City

Richard Whittle — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:18:00 GMT

Anyone who thinks watching Napoli is a massive bucket of fun obviously hasn’t been following the Azzurri recently.

Going into the international break they lost at Catania, having frozen in the headlights at Bayern Munich where they were 3-0 down inside 42 minutes before offering something of a comeback to finish 3-2.

Then on their return to competitive action at the weekend they failed to break down a well organised – read “defensive” – Lazio, though they had a good goal incorrectly ruled out for a non-existent offside.

The result left coach Walter Mazzarri and his not-so-merry men off the pace in the league, seven points behind Juventus and facing Manchester City on Tuesday in what is a make or break moment, even at this early stage of the campaign.

Failure to progress in the Champions League coupled with a sluggish domestic run could derail their whole season, so the current hype in the Bay area is for once justified, with the match billed as il finalissmo (the very big final).

Such an event needs a full house and that’s what they’ll get at the San Paolo, where the fans will be flooding through the turnstiles a good three to four hours before kick-off. The locals will no doubt be looking to welcome one of the city’s favourite players, Mario Balotelli, who they hold in high regard for being, well, Mario Balotelli, and who in return feels like an adopted Neapolitan.

City manager Roberto Mancini, however, will neither feel any affection or receive any good will on his return, having put Diego Maradona’s side to the sword with two goals for Sampdoria’s title-winning side back in 1991. But if anything, it will be the home players who will have to overcome the weight of expectation.

For the record, Napoli have never conceded a goal at home to Englis, with their results thus far a 0-0 draw with Burnley in 1967; a 2-0 win against Leeds in 1968 and another goalless draw with Liverpool in 2010.

There have been far more amazing evenings in the San Paolo over the last year, including the thriller which was the first encounter with Bayern, in which Morgan De Sanctis saved a penalty to earn what could yet prove to be an invaluable draw.

There is no doubt the fans will be up for it, but the question remains whether the players can pull themselves out of the funk in which they currently find themselves.

Edinson Cavani has been particularly out of sorts and since scoring a hat-trick against AC Milan back in September, finding the net just once more to take his season tally in the league to four. This time last year he had scored 11.

The Uruguayan endured a similar slump last term and came good again, and he did also score at City in the first meeting in Manchester, and although there were banners calling for “Sainthood Now” following his exploits last year, what the South American really needs right now is a bit of devilment.

The Holy Trinity is completed by Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi, who have chipped in with two goals apiece on the home front, with the former also grabbing one in Europe: So nothing much to write home about there.

However, on such evenings so far it has been Lavezzi who has thrived against foreign opposition, with his pace and darting runs causing rivals no end of grief, though as ever the Argentine’s finishing remains wayward, with the 26-year-old generally preferring to attempt and walk the ball into the net.

Lavezzi may be hyper on the pitch but on the sidelines it is the over excitable Walter Mazzarri who must ensure his players keep their heads and not allow all manner of distractions to get to them - such as owner Aulerio De Laurentiis

The ever-combustible movie mogul has been obsessing about this game ever since the draw was made and nothing will pacify his desire to take the Sky Blues into the big time. It is that craving which could work against his team unless the players can find the calm in what promises to be a tempestuous night in Naples.

Zlatan torments Catania as Milan move one step closer to the summit

Richard Whittle — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:14:00 GMT

The great north-south divide in Italy is beginning to disappear, and as the devastating images of the flash flooding in Genoa testify, the country is currently battling against more than the crippling debt.

"We are all Italians and we are all suffering," lamented Rome-based daily La Repubblica in an editorial reflecting on both the disaster in Liguria and the financial struggles hitting the Eurozone.

In such trying circumstances Italians can be counted on to provide a united front, so in footballing terms AC Milan and Catania, who reflect a perfect microcosm of the aforementioned national split, provided a little weekend panacea for the all the doom and gloom in the real world - as much as a 90 minutes of football possibly can, at least - with one man doing more than most to entertain.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – who had spent all week plugging his autobiography 'A Nose for Trouble' [working title] in which he gives Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi a verbal kicking – was at his defender-torturing best, and inspired the champions to a somewhat surprisingly emphatic victory.

Of course, we all know that Massimiliano Allegri’s side are more than a one-man team, but it’s hard to imagine they’d be quite the same side without the dominant Swede. Zlatan set up three goals and scored another in a 4-0 rout of the Sicilians, who had arrived at the San Siro on the back of a six-game unbeaten run.

It may have ended-up being a routine victory, and one that took Milan to within a point of leaders Udinese and Lazio, but it was a brilliantly extravagant performance from Ibra, who toyed with the Catania defence until he almost seemed to become detached from his surroundings. Perhaps he was contemplating other ways to flog a few more hardbacks...

When switched on to the task at hand he produced two sublime passes – the first a sharp side-footer slicing through the opposition defence, and the second a delightful volleyed diagonal ball with the outside of his left foot.

On both occasions Robinho was the grateful recipient: fouled for the penalty that opened the scoring – dispatched by the provider of course – then creating his own piece of magic for the second, skipping past his marker and steering a low curling shot into the far corner of the net.

Thirty minutes had not even gone and it looked like curtains for the visitors, but it’s when things become all too easy that Ibra starts to dilly and dally on the ball, causing potentially sweeping attacks to come to a grinding halt - and for most of the second half that was the case.

It was not until almost the final quarter that the big fella decided enough was enough and threaded a delightful through-ball for Robinho to score his second goal via a massive deflection off Francesco Lodi for his team’s third.

Just to underline the champion’s dominance, Gianluca Zambrotta was the unlikely scorer of the fourth and even Filippo Inzaghi was given ten minutes in which he contrived to miss a presentable goalscoring chance, though the veteran would probably claim to have still garnered the biggest cheer of the afternoon from the home fans when he took to the pitch.

No wonder Catania striker Maxi Lopez made it public that he was ready to join the Rossoneri if they desired his services in January. The Argentine has been heavily linked with a move to the San Siro to fill in for the gap left by Antonio Cassano’s enforced absence, though in truth there is probably nobody who could fill the role of maverick genius in quite the same way Cassano – other than Mario Balotelli, perhaps.

It seems a cruel twist of fate that the Bari Bawler be struck down just when it seemed he had settled down, but as he recuperates over the next six months he can do so in the knowledge that if his strike partner continues to turn it on then he could well be celebrating another title on his comeback.

'Mute fish' Mihajlovic still swimming against the tide of fan opinion at Fiorentina

James Horncastle — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:23:00 GMT

As dawn broke on a wintry Tuesday morning in Florence, the streetlights outside the Stadio Artemio Franchi cast a murky orange light on a banner hanging loosely from its green gates.

“As a coach we discuss you, but as a man we respect you. Sorry!!!” it read in crude red spray-paint.

This, believe or not, was an apology of sorts from the Fiorentina supporters to coach Sinisa Mihajlovic for the deplorable racial slurs he has been subjected to in each of the club’s last two home games when - amid the by now frequent calls for his dismissal - a section of the Curva sang: “You are a Gypsy.”

Their actions justifiably brought widespread condemnation from the club and the wider football community. “Fiorentina expresses the firmest and toughest condemnation of racist chants and insults towards Mihajlovic,” a statement read. “Every form of dissent and protest is considered legitimate as long as it does not go beyond the limits of correctness and civility. Fiorentina cannot accept a decline into gratuitous vulgarity, into verbal aggression or racism and therefore expresses full solidarity and support to Sinisa Mihajlovic, the victim of shameful and intolerable attacks.”

Mihajlovic’s own response was typical of the spirit he once showed as an uncompromising defender. “They can whistle me and chant ‘sack him’ for as long as they want, that’s fine. But when they start to get personal it becomes bothersome and I can’t accept it. I hope that if these people were ever to meet me in the street they would have the bottle to say it to my face.” Mihajlovic has never been one to shy away from a fight, but there is a growing sense that, for once, this is a battle even he can’t win.

Ever since his appointment in June 2010, Mihajlovic has never enjoyed the favour of the Fiorentina supporters. Replacing Cesare Prandelli, the club’s longest-serving manager, was never going to be easy. On the pitch, he had done more than anyone else to re-establish Fiorentina as a leading player in Serie A, achieving fourth place finishes in 2008 and 2009 and qualifying for the Champions League. Off it, Prandelli went further. He helped shape the club’s identity, presenting a Fiorentina with a social conscience to the world. There was the Terzo Tempo fair-play initiative and the decision to forego a commercial shirt sponsor to promote the charity ‘Save the Children’, which came into effect just after his exit.

When Prandelli accepted the Italy job in the aftermath of the World Cup in South Africa, it was thought that Fiorentina would bring in another Mr Nice. Instead, they made the decision to hire someone with a reputation for being Mr Nasty. It was not well received. Football fans are elephants, not gold fish. They never forget. But they are selective in what they remember. To many of them Mihajlovic remains one of the most divisive figures in the game because of the controversies that marked his playing career, controversies that many take at face value without exploring the complexities behind them, even if that doesn’t at all mitigate or excuse what he did, from racially abusing Patrick Vieira during Lazio’s encounter with Arsenal in October 2000 and spitting at Adrian Mutu during a match against Chelsea, to honouring his friendship with the late war criminal Zeljko Raznatovic – better known as Arkan.

Sinisa's range of bespoke knitwear wasn't particularly popular in Florence

But to refer back to Tuesday’s banner, what’s up for discussion here is Mihajlovic the coach, not Mihajlovic the man. The debate has to be professional, not personal. So let’s look at the facts and in particular the background of Mihajlovic’s arrival.

Fiorentina had finished a disappointing 11th in Prandelli’s final season at the club. They were eliminated from the Champions League in March by Bayern Munich unable to recover from the injustice of the first leg when referee Tom Henning Ovrebo harshly sent off Massimo Gobbi and failed to disallow Miroslav Klose’s winner, which was scored from a clearly offside position. The defeat cast a shadow on the rest of campaign, as did the open secret that Prandelli would be leaving.

That Easter, amid the suspicion Prandelli was in talks with Juventus about replacing caretaker boss Alberto Zaccheroni, one of the brothers who owns Fiorentina, Diego Della Valle, asked that the coach sign a letter to the fans saying he would not be moving to the club’s biggest rivals. Prandelli refused and in a fit of pique Diego announced that he would no longer be patron of Fiorentina. He’d had enough. Around the same time, plans to build a new stadium with hotels and retail space were shelved by the city’s mayor Matteo Renzi, a huge blow to the Della Valle family, while the economic downturn understandably meant their business interests also warranted greater attention.

The Della Valle family grew distant. They felt a distinct lack of gratitude for resurrecting the club they had bought in 2002, which was then playing under a different name in Serie C2 and still reeling from the effects of bankruptcy. The same fans who had welcomed them as saviours were now staging protests, and the moment had come to ask if their time and money could not be spent better elsewhere. Last January, for instance, they committed £21.5m to the restoration of the Colosseum in Rome while transfer expenditure at Fiorentina throughout the season was £13.3m, the lowest outlay since the club returned to Serie A in 2004.

What’s clear is that there was a climate of discontent before Mihajlovic’s arrival in Florence. Lauded for saving Catania from relegation, his stock had risen substantially since he received the sack from his first coaching position at Bologna. Even so, his experience came under the microscope. He had never started and finished a season with a club, always stepping into the breach and there were suggestions that Mihajlovic had done so well in six months at Catania because they were up against it and needed someone to take no prisoners and give them a good kick up the backside. The job played to his strengths and the team responded.

Fiorentina represented a different proposition entirely. Used to challenging for Europe and being comfortable in Serie A, whenever times were hard, the players could expect Prandelli to put an arm around their shoulders and talk to them calmly. Voices weren’t raised. There was no hair-dryer treatment. In Mihajlovic, a bigger contrast to Prandelli’s style of management could not be found. Alberto Gilardino said it was a bit of a culture shock. That was an understatement but, to be fair, Mihajlovic soon recognised that if he were to get the best out of his players, he would have to adapt.

Matters weren’t helped, however, by an injury crisis that decimated Fiorentina’s squad. Top playmaker Stevan Jovetic was ruled out for the entire season with torn ligaments in his knee. Goalkeeper Sebastien Frey suffered a similar fate and had been disgruntled anyway by the purchase of Artur Boruc. New signing Gaetano D’Agostino struggled for fitness and form, reportedly prioritising church over his football. Captain Riccardo Montolivo played through an injury sustained at the World Cup but inevitably succumbed and had to go under the knife before Christmas. Adem Ljajic ate too much chocolate and needed to get his haircut. The list went on. Mihajlovic could never field his best team, the football was unconvincing and an already thin margin for error became thinner and thinner.

Mihajlovic shares a laugh and a joke with Patrick Vieira back in 2000...

Interviewed by Il Corriere Fiorentino, Mihajlovic’s wife Arianna said: “I suffer if he loses because I know that the mute phase begins… He already speaks little, if he then loses a freeze descends on the house. He becomes a fish...” Was Mihajlovic out of his depth? Considering the circumstances, the ninth place finish he achieved was not a disaster. Fiorentina were four points and three places better off than the previous year. They had taken the lead in 20 games, but in those cases Fiorentina only went on to win 11 of them. There were missed opportunities that’s for sure. But it could still be said an improvement had been made. Nevertheless the expectations of the supporters hadn’t been met.

When Mihajlovic was again linked with the vacant post at Inter after Leonardo’s departure for a desk job at Paris Saint-Germain in June, another banner was draped over the gates at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. “Moratti, please take him away from us. Thanks!!!” it read. Much to their disappointment, he didn’t take them up on their offer, deciding on Gian Piero Gasperini instead. A measure of fun was to be had though when someone stole Mihajlovic’s favourite Oliver People’s sunglasses at a pre-season press conference only to respond to a club appeal and return them in an unmarked envelope.

Even so, the malaise at Fiorentina couldn’t be lifted.

Diego Della Valle’s brother, Andrea, wrote an open letter outlining the situation. “I need to know with extreme clarity what the city and real fans want and expect for the future of Fiorentina, to understand if there is still the motivation for the owners to continue down a common path of sporting passion, to build the best possible future and to restore all the pleasure of going to the stadium to spend an entertaining afternoon. If there aren’t these conditions then, as we have said before, the owners are ready to step aside.”

Montolivo was one of the first to give an answer, one that he had been mulling over for some time. Entering the final year of his contract, he revealed that he wouldn’t be signing a renewal. Fiorentina stripped him of the captaincy and though there were rumours of a move to Milan, a deal to suit both parties couldn’t be struck and he remains at the club, still eligible for selection as long as he keeps working hard in training, which he has done to his credit.

Despite everything, once Mihajlovic’s second season started there were reasons to be hopeful. Fiorentina opened their account with a 2-0 victory at home to Bologna, while a defeat to Udinese the following week was immediately put right by the 3-0 thrashing of Parma in front of their own fans. Jovetic announced his return with a brace and put pen to paper on a new long-term contract until 2016. Then came a run of five games without a win, coinciding with an injury to Alberto Gilardino and a 2-1 defeat to the old enemy Juventus, which brought the pressure right back on to Mihajlovic.

Last Sunday’s visit of Genoa was labeled a must-win, even by the club. Fiorentina president Mario Cognigni insisted that while a “Mihajlovic problem” does not exist, results have to change. Before kick-off the supporters unveiled banners in favour of certain names put forward in the press to replace him. “I want Delio Rossi,” claimed one. “Me too,” said another. Some even got behind Genoa because their coach Alberto Malesani, once in the employ of Fiorentina in the mid-90s, remains popular. Much to their chagrin, Mihajlovic prevailed, as Andrea Lazzari’s 41st minute strike separated the two sides and saved his coach from being fired though it wasn’t enough to silence the whistles and vile chants.

Tuesday’s ‘apology’ was a positive sign. Tentative efforts to open further channels of rapprochement between Mihajlovic and the fans were made on Thursday when an open training session was organised with a friendly against the Under-17s on the cards. Whether the peace is genuine or phoney remains to be seen. Street signs in the city have been defaced to read via Sinisa da Firenze [jokingly pointing Mihajlovic in the direction of the exit] and if Fiorentina were to lose to Chievo on Sunday ahead of their next fixture against Milan then he might well be forced to take it.

Italy unites behind stricken Gattuso and Cassano

James Horncastle — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:51:00 GMT

These are difficult times in Italy. The government’s debt is front-page news across the world. It is now the second highest in the Eurozone, and borrowing is naturally becoming more expensive.

By one study’s reckoning unemployment has risen to 8.3 per cent and domestic inflation has hit its highest level in three years. There is a palpable sense of vulnerability about the country and few places remain for the people to seek refuge from the depressing headlines.

Sport is where most of them look to for an escape. But even that is providing little succour at the moment. Thousands were shocked and profoundly moved by the tragic death of the rising star of Moto GP, Marco Simoncelli, after an accident at the Malaysia Grand Prix on October 23. Later that day, his face featured on the big screens of Italy’s football grounds. A minute’s silence was held and black armbands were worn in commemoration of his life. Everybody hurt.

It was in this sobering context with a red and black shirt bearing Simoncelli’s name draped out in front of him that the Milan midfielder Rino Gattuso held a press conference on a rainy afternoon to reveal that the sixth cranial nerve of his left eye was paralysed and the muscle linked to it was no longer working. A clash with teammate Alessandro Nesta during the opening match of the season against Lazio had worsened an existing problem with his sight.

Present at San Siro on match days with the left lens of his designer glasses covered with a bandage, Gattuso has not played since and at first feared that the affliction not only threatened his career but his life too. “I really thought the worst,” he said. “When they put you in the CAT scan cylinder and you’re afraid you have a tumour, your thoughts go to your little kids. Now I know that that kind of ‘worst’ has been excluded so, despite everything, I can let out a big sigh of relief.”

Gattuso will be out for at least four months. He remains hopeful the nerve will start to function normally again of its own accord but for now the World Cup winner can only wait before considering an operation. “I fight against an invisible man,” he added. “Every morning when I wake up I open the healthy eye first then the sick one and I say to myself: ‘We’re still where we were.

“Before I saw triple and now double, so I am improving a little. Football is no longer the central part of my thoughts. Now every day life is more important: it’s awful not being able to take the kids to school, not being able to drive. I find it hard to watch the TV and also to write an email on the PC: I see objects in one place while in reality they are in another. If you are not strong mentally, it’s very tough.”

Keeping his spirits up at Milanello with his jokes and high jinks was Antonio Cassano. Now it’s the condition of the latter that is of deep concern to a nation. Late on Saturday night as the Milan players were disembarking a charter flight home from the capital where they had inflicted a 3-2 defeat on Roma, Cassano reportedly felt feint and was lent up against the bus that was due to take them to the terminal at Malpensa.

There were claims that his vision became blurry, and that he developed problems with his speech and movement. In the early hours of Sunday morning, Cassano was taken to the Pronto Soccorso hospital by Milan’s medical staff where it’s said he underwent tests on his blood and heart. He was then transferred to the neurology department at the Policlinico di Milano for further examination.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported last night that the initial diagnosis was a transient ischemic attack or mini-stroke. Milan reacted by releasing a statement to the effect that it was “hypothetical” and “cannot possibly be verified as they are from neither the club’s medical staff, nor the doctors at the Policlinico di Milano who are caring for him.”

As of yet there is no official diagnosis, and nor should one necessarily be issued. Cassano may be a public figure, but he is also a patient and has a right to privacy and confidentiality. What was apparent from the tears in the eyes of his mother Giovanna and the distress on the face of his wife Carolina yesterday is that even if Cassano’s condition is said to be improving, he has had a real fright.

Unsurprisingly, messages of support for the jovial playmaker haven’t been lacking. Roma captain Francesco Totti even wrote on his blog: “Antonio, hurry up and get out of that hospital because I’m sure the doctors and nurses can’t take any more of you and your jokes.” Ronaldo tweeted: “Forza Cassano.”

It’s too early to speculate exactly what the future holds. Some already have done, of course, suggesting that if Cassano has in fact suffered a transient ischemic attack then as long as the source of it is discovered and removed he will in theory be able to play again. For now, however, the most important thing is that he puts his health first and football second. That goes for Gattuso too.

For what their examples show is that for all our efforts to put them on a pedestal and regard them as untouchable, they are really just human and mortal like us.

Milan win from 3-0 down as Lecce phone in second-half 'performance'

Richard Whittle — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:51:00 GMT

Don't expect to see Adriano Galliani on the phone too often this evening when AC Milan host Parma. Certainly not compared to on Sunday down in Lecce, when he took full advantage of his free weekend minutes.

With the champions somehow – and no one really knows how – 3-0 down after 37 minutes to a team that look nailed-on relegation candidates, Silvio Berlusconi’s chief problem-solver was seen fervently whispering into his mobile.

In truth, he had been on the blower after every home goal, some of which were suspect: the second was a questionable penalty, and the build-up to the third involved what looked like a foul on Luca Antonini.

After Milan scored four unanswered second-half goals, the conspiracy theorists (i.e. Inter and Juventus fans) quickly asked asking who Galliani had been chatting to so animatedly, with his hand hidden over the mouthpiece for added affect.

Some wags suggested that it was to the Massimo Oddo’s agent with the promise that a new contract was waiting for his client if the full-back, who is on loan down in Salento and had taken great glee in scoring from the spot, had a few words in the dressing room during the interval.

It was all good Milanese bar banter on a Monday morning and in fact those of a Rossoneri persuasion had the good grace not to rub it in – remembering of course that they had been on the receiving end of a similar comeback against Liverpool in the Champions League.

Their saviour came from the bench. Kevin-Prince Boateng had time to stretch his legs and relax during the first 45 while his team-mates gave a good impression of the Walking Dead; given the nod at half-time, the Prince of body-inking was well pumped up.

And how he relished all that open space (or perhaps Lecce failing to notice he was on the pitch), sweeping home two thunderous shots totally unhindered as the home players settled down to an languid lunch break inside their own penalty area.

The Ghana international completed his hat-trick before Antonio Cassano was left with all the time in the world to pick out Mario Yepes for the winner.

Some comeback, but given how Lecce strolled in the second-half sunshine the result hardly compares with Genoa’s stirring four-goal comeback against AS Roma last season which cost Claudio Ranieri his job.

You wouldn't expect to see Lecce in a position to throw away a three-goal lead against anyone, let alone the champions. Whatever the manner of the outcome, the result propelled Milan back to the top of the betting to retain the title.

That's where Massimiliano Allegri feels his side are most comfortable, with the rest of the league showing them due respect – and no doubt Parma will be as obliging as Lecce.

A good dose of reverence is what Juventus used to receive from opponents and although the Old Lady may have acquired a beautiful new stadium – and it is indeed a wonderful piece of architecture – on-field performances had still looked as confused as she did last season.

TRAVEL Our guide to Juventus (and Turin, Italy, etc)

Draws at home to Bologna and Genoa had, however, not dampened enthusiasm amongst the fans to enjoy the spectacle of a first-rate, modern stadium and Antonio Conte’s side finally turned it on against Fiorentina last night much in the way they had done against Milan last month.

“It’s the true Juve,” trumpeted Tuttosport and in fact, the 2-1 scoreline belied how dominant Juve were and they could easily have scored another three or four goals, but if they can turn squandered chances into goals then the Bianconeri will start to earn the sort of respect Milan now take for granted.

Juventus nearing end of an era as Del Piero gets his curtain call

Richard Whittle — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:01:00 GMT

It was one announcement nobody had expected to hear at a Juventus shareholders meeting: Alex del Piero is being shown the door at the end of the season.

Those weren’t the exact words uttered by club president Andrea Agnelli, who had been boring everyone to tears with a list of figures and obviously recognising the need to ensure those present didn’t drift off to the land of nod.

The facts were, of course, presented in a sugar-coated fashion that demanded some clarification.

"Our captain Alessandro Del Piero really wanted to stay with us for what will be his final year." mumbled Agnelli. "Let’s dedicate a massive round of applause to him."

Obviously everyone only heard the applause bit and they kept clapping until their brains kicked into gear and they understood that they were in fact applauding an ill-judged spot of public relations.

In fairness, Del Piero announced when he extended his contract last February that it would be his last, but it is doubtful that he ever thought the club would dismiss him in such a manner in a meeting room on a grey October morning.

There could perhaps have a more dignified announcement in keeping with the Old Lady’s tradition of grand gestures to its most loyal servants, but this is a new Juve run like any other major company - once you’re out; you may as well clear desk straightaway.

Del Piero followers will see it as two decades of loyal service cut down with a curt goodbye from a younger man whose family have always kept the 36-year-old close to their hearts.

There is little time for sentiment in sport when your powers are on the wane, and already this season Filippo Inzaghi and Francesco Totti have both felt the icy blast of being left out in the cold.

There is certainly a chilly new breeze sweeping down from the Alps into Turin, and the club captain is no longer a regular, even under former teammate Antonio Conte. That said, last weekend against Chievo he saved a certain goal at one end and then hit the post at the other having only come on as a second-half substitute, so he is certainly still a useful member of the squad.

How well the announcement goes down within the squad and affects Conte’s relationship with Del Piero remains to be seen. As of yet the veteran has kept his own counsel, but the feeling is that he was not privy to the decision to make the announcement on Tuesday.

The bombshell would seem to be the closing of an long chapter in the club’s history so that Juventus can finally get their house in order. Agnelli has been staring at a Ä95million black hole that does not look like it is going to get smaller any time soon.

For the Oxford graduate, the figures are totally unacceptable and like the rest of us there will be an extended period of tightening of belts, financially speaking, with there likely to be fewer big contracts and the focus likely to turn to younger players, which may see Sebastian Giovinco return to claim the No.10 shirt next season.

There may be some rather testing times ahead for those running the club, but what of Alex and his final months as he plans a farewell tour of the peninsula?

Well, he may never add to his 44 Champions League goals with the club, but the way Juve are struggling to convert chances he could yet be afforded the opportunity to get closer to the 200-mark of Serie A goals – he is currently on 185.

Looking further ahead to when the curtain comes down next May, the USA could well provide an option, with New York considered a likely destination for one last hurrah, with the general consensus being that he would then return to Turin to join legions of men in suits.

We can only hope that any future statements from the club are made with the sort of class Del Piero has demonstrated on the pitch.

The perfect result: The history of the goalless draw in Italian football

James Horncastle — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:02:00 GMT

Annibale Frossi was short sighted. As a member of Italy’s gold medal-winning team at the 1936 Olympics, the whippet-like winger - once clocked running the 100m with the ball at his feet in 11.4 seconds - had to wear a pair of round-rimmed spectacles.

When they weren’t falling off and being deliberately trampled on, as they were by Juventus defender Mario Varglien during a match against Frossi’s Inter, a scoreline could be read on his face: it was 0-0.

Frossi is often forgotten as the originator of a phrase more commonly attributed to Gianni Brera, the influential pipe-smoking chronicler of the game in Italy who shaped the language and style of football on the peninsula from the pages of his books and newspaper columns. “0-0 is the perfect result,” Frossi said, “because it is the expression of total balance between the attack and the defence of the two teams.”

From his point of view last weekend in Serie A must have been easy on the eyes, as for only the fourth occasion in history and the first time since the era of three points for a win, there were a record equaling five 0-0s in a single round of the championship. “HELP! The goals have disappeared,” cried Monday morning’s Gazzetta dello Sport.

Frossi certainly wasn’t your average footballer. A studious-looking man, he graduated with a law degree and became a director with Alfa Romeo once his playing days were over. Yet the game continued to have a strong hold over him and he became a coach after the Second World War. Though he advocated for difensivismo, Frossi was among the first in Italy to invert the W of the W-M and use an M-M in which wingers, like himself, would push on and establish a fluid front four.

Hardly a complete conservative then, but nonetheless, Frossi’s words have been taken to represent the essence of Italian football. Popularised by Brera in his definition of the gioco all’italiana, the number of goals scored in Italy declined by almost 300 per cent between 1950 and 1970, and it wasn’t until the emergence of a certain Arrigo Sacchi that things changed for the better.

When Sacchi arrived at Milan in 1987, an average of just 1.92 goals were scored in each game. When he left four years later, that average had risen to 2.29, a figure that translates to an extra 113 goals per season.

That ratio is still the same today. Admittedly, it’s behind the Bundesliga’s and the Premier League’s at 2.8, but then that’s nothing particularly new.

What’s different is the steady rise of 0-0s in Serie A. There have been 11 in just six rounds of the championship so far– that’s up from eight, seven and four respectively at this stage in each of the last three seasons. At this rate there are nearly two 0-0s a week in Italy and as one columnist noted that’s enough to make people turn off Serie A, which is a real cause of embarrassment for a league as inflated by TV as this one where clubs are more dependent on broadcast revenue as a source of income than anywhere else in Europe except perhaps Spain.

So how can this trend be explained? The consensus among the Italian media is that Serie A is mediocre, that there is no longer a huge gulf in class between the big clubs and the small ones.

Sure, the league gives off the impression that it is competitive. Thirteen teams are separated by just four points, with Juventus and Udinese sitting top on 12 a piece. That’s great for the neutral. But it’s also the lowest total for a league leader at this stage of the season since that watershed moment in 1994 when three points was introduced for a win and the draw was devalued.

“Are we so different from normality?” asked Gazzetta. The answer is yes and no. There were 12 coaching changes in the summer, a further three have been made since the season started, and the knock-on effect of that is more teams are in transition than usual.

It must be said there wasn’t much luck around Serie A last weekend either. Alessandro Del Piero headed against the post for Juventus in Verona, Cristobal Jorquera saw his shot rebound off the woodwork as Genoa drew at home to Lecce, Roberto Guana and Antonio Candreva both rattled Fiorentina’s crossbar for Cesena and were it not for a Man of the Match display from goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, 10-man Udinese wouldn’t have kept Atalanta at bay either.
Of the attempts at goal on Sunday only 28% were on target, evidence perhaps of a dip in the quality of finishing in Serie A.

The presence of Sebastian Giovinco, Rodrigo Palacio and German Denis at the top of the scoring charts is revealing in that sense. Not one of them has a history of being prolific, while it should also be noted that Italy no longer prefer to play with a classic No 9 at international level, reflecting a change in the times and tactics, but also the absence of one available to Cesare Prandelli, perhaps with the exception of Giampaolo Pazzini.

There’s no denying the sun is beginning to set on a generation of great goalscorers in Serie A too. Del Piero plays fewer and fewer minutes and, according to Juventus President Andrea Agnelli, is in his last season at the club. Pippo Inzaghi doesn’t come off the bench anymore and was left out of Milan’s Champions League squad. Christian Vieri has retired, Luca Toni’s career is approaching its end and Francesco Totti plays further away from goal. Alberto Gilardino and Marco Borriello, meanwhile, have yet to convincingly take over from any of the above, while Mario Balotelli now plays in England.

With David Trezeguet gone last year and Samuel Eto’o this summer, Serie A has to some extent compensated for their losses with the additions of Miroslav Klose and Diego Forlan, though at 33 and 32 the curiosity lies in seeing how much longer they can keep producing the goods, an argument that’s just as valid for Diego Milito, Fabrizio Miccoli, Marco Di Vaio and reigning Capocannoniere, Toto Di Natale.

Undoubted class remains in the form of Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who along with Alessandro Matri and Gilardino are the only players aged 30 or under to score more than 20 goals in a single season in Serie A. When one thinks about it, the number of members in that group is actually pretty healthy and were it not for the 13 injuries he has suffered in the last two years, Alexandre Pato might have achieved that feat by now too.

So it would be reductive to lay the blame for the 0-0s solely at the door of the strikers. After all, Serie A clubs are, by and large, conceding fewer shots on target this season and retaining possession better. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. If it’s the opposition doing both then it’s certainly harder to score goals, while the inherent narrowness of teams in the division mean that the need for central playmakers like Wesley Sneijder and Hernanes to pick up the slack and create chances is greater still, which can of course be limiting.

A few have blamed the international week for Sunday’s series of stalemates. That line of thinking excuses some of the players, notably those who faced long journeys to and from South America, but not the Italians who had already qualified for Euro 2012 with two games to spare.

Make no mistake about it, the increase in 0-0s in Serie A is not an anomaly, it’s a tendency. One man’s mediocrity, however, is another man’s perfection. And his name, lest we forget it, is Annibale Frossi.

Lazio's OAP trumps Roma's brave young charges in capital clash

Richard Whittle — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:07:00 GMT

When you're part of the two-man team commentating on Serie A's international TV feed, it's important to give viewers from Adelaide to Anchorage a feel of the build-up to the big game of the week. Stepping out into the piazza in front of Rome’s Termini station on Sunday morning, it looked as if the derby had kicked off – excuse the pun – without us.

The smell of tear gas lingered in the air and council workers were busily patching up damaged shop fronts while battle-weary police glared at groups of tourists eager to take home a photographic memory of a burnt-out car. However, this was not the aftermath of another AS Roma-Lazio dust-up but the remnants of Saturday’s public protests, ostensibly anti-banking but possibly also opportunist.

Being in the capital solely for the love of the beautiful game but as a veteran of many a fraught derby experience, there was a certain amount of trepidation heading along the concourse to the Olympic stadium a few hours before kick-off – after all, Italian police and football fans mix as easily as oil and water.

But in the end the events of the previous day had obviously taken the edge off some of the more unsavoury elements who populate this event. And with city mayor Gianni Alemanno declaring that Rome couldn't afford not to stage the derby despite the forces of law and order being stretched to the limit, it was game on.

The players of both sides certainly reacted in a manner fitting of such a major occasion to produce a stirring and drama-filled encounter. The climax came when Lazio's Miroslav Klose grabbed the winner with 20 seconds of added time remaining to finally halt a five-game losing streak which had haunted the Biancoceleste.

Dear old Edy Reja – who must have long given hope of ever breaking his losing jinx – belied his 66 years and went hurtling down the touchline, closely followed by the man who carries Olimpia the eagle around plus said bird and the rest of the Lazio bench. They led the celebrations in front of the Curva Nord, home to the Lazio hardcore who had directed their much-loved anti-Semitic chants and banners at the Giallorossi followers in the Curva Sud.

The scene of utter desolation at the other end of the ground was mirrored by those in red and yellow on the pitch, who had almost pulled off a courageous draw having played most of the second half a man down after centre-back Simon Kjaer had been shown a straight red for a tug on Christian Brocchi inside the area.

Roma coach Luis Enrique had never witnessed such a spectacle even during his time at Real Madrid and Barcelona and his opening response in the post-game press conference was along the lines of “mamma mia, what a game.”

Every foreigner from Abba to yours truly likes to throw out a mamma mia now and then, but never has it served so well. It summed up an evening on which Hernanes had drawn Lazio level from the spot and Klose and Djibril Cisse had hit the woodwork before the German’s last-gasp finish.

Credit must be given to Enrique for his reaction when Roma went down to 10 men. Rather than remove one of his two front men, he removed midfielder Simone Perrotta – one of only two Roma players to have experienced the derby before, along with Daniele De Rossi (captain for the evening in the absence of Francesco Totti).

He had his reasons: the two derby debutants in attack, Bojan Krkic and Pablo Osvaldo, had been dovetailing so well that the Spanish coach felt the game was still there to be won. Osvaldo had opened the scoring after just four minutes, revealing the Totti-inspired T-shirt slogan “vi ho purgato anche io” ['I’ve purged you too'], and could easily have had two goals to his name before the break.

However, for all the kudos due to the defeated Enrique and his exciting youngsters, the evening belonged to an OAP – and Reja, whom Totti had taunted mercilessly in the week before the game, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“It was a feeling of liberation,” wheezed the old fella at the final whistle. And the same could be said for the capital, after a weekend in which it had been held hostage to civil disorder ended in a riotous outpouring of joy – for one half of the city, anyway.

Meet this season's sensational Serie A newcomers

James Horncastle — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:55:00 GMT

After the international break it's back to the domestic Serie A action this weekend, and James Horncastle highlights five special new talents to watch

Maxi Moralez, Atalanta
Standing at 5’2” Maxi Moralez is the shortest player in Serie A by two important inches. One of the nicknames by which he is known back home in Argentina is El Enano, the midget. He even makes Sebastian Giovinco, the so-called Atomic Ant, look like a giant at 5'4.5". But as Xavi and Andrés Iniesta have shown, technique beats physique in creative positions, and it’s from down low that Moralez is sending Atalanta on high.

With a six-point penalty to overcome and a ban abruptly ending the career of talismanic captain Cristiano Doni following the Last Bet match-fixing scandal, Atalanta were in need of a new saviour. Their director of sport Pier Paolo Marino, the man who brought Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi to Napoli, personally went to watch Moralez at Velez Sarsfield and liked what he saw.

The 24-year-old was a key member of the Clausura championship-winning side, much more so than his teammate Ricardo Alvarez who joined Inter earlier in the summer for £10.5m. Moralez cost half that figure and has thrived playing off German Denis either as a trequartista or a second striker in Atalanta’s 4-4-1-1 formation. “I have always played both roles,” he said. “I feel myself in them.”

Moralez made his mark by scoring twice on his Serie A debut in a 2-2 draw away to Genoa. “For an hour, he was a nightmare for the defence,” wrote La Gazzetta dello Sport. His coach Stefano Colantuono agreed. “Maxi is intelligent. He knows how to move himself between the lines and is used to these games as he won two domestic titles in Argentina.”

Such is his reputation, opponents are already doubling up in their marking of Moralez, though that won’t stop him from attempting to score from 55 yards like he tried on Palermo’s visit to the Atleti Azzurri d’Italia. Unfortunately, it didn’t come off, but the intention was applauded and it goes without saying that getting the maximum out of Maxi is Atalanta’s best chance of survival this season.

Gabriel Torje, Udinese
Hyped as the Lionel Messi of Romania on his arrival in Italy and treated by some as a welcome excuse to reminisce over compatriot Gheorghe Hagi's 1990s spell with Brescia, Torje has somehow managed to live up to expectation following his €3.6m move from Dinamo Bucharest.

Udinese's esteemed scouting department appears to have come good again in finding a typically low-cost replacement for the Barcelona-bound Alexis Sanchez. Coach Francesco Guidolin looked on in silent amazement as Torje scored six goals in the opening 20 minutes of his first full training session in Friuli.

His adaptation has been uncommonly quick. Torje spoke confidently in Italian at his presentation to the media in September and said: "I must only respond with facts on the pitch, not with words, but it's clear that I already feel under pressure." If he was nervous it certainly didn't show during his Serie A debut.

On a baking hot day in Lecce, the 21-year-old was magnificent scheming left, right and centre between the lines in and around Antonio Di Natale. Unable to pick him up, Torje's opponents were fooled by his low centre of gravity, as well as the pace he demonstrated on and off the ball, allied to his innate technical ability.

"I am not Sanchez," he humbly claimed. Not for the moment anyway. But given time, Torje could be better still.

Cristóbal Jorquera, Genoa
Advised to watch the tape of a March 2008 Copa Libertadores match from between Boca Juniors and Colo-Colo before pressing ahead with negotiations for Rodrigo Palacio, Genoa owner Enrico Preziosi nodded in approval as the club's principal transfer target scored in a 4-3 win.

Another player, however, contrived to steal the show. Colo-Colo midfielder Cristóbal Jorquera took the game by the scruff of the neck and laid on three assists for his team-mates. Palacio signed for Genoa in July 2009, but Preziosi was understandably intrigued to discover more about Jorquera and gathered no fewer than 30 DVDs of his performances in his office.

Two years later, Jorquera joined his former adversary at Genoa. Signed for £1.5m this summer, he made his first Serie A appearance as a second-half substitute away to Lazio. His team were 1-0 down at the time and he changed the game, setting up Palacio as Genoa came back to record a 2-1 victory.

"No one wins games by themselves, but he deserves all the compliments that he received," Genoa coach Alberto Malesani told reporters. "I threw him in because he disrupts tactical systems and creates lots of problems for them.”

Jorquera has since become an established member of the starting XI and plays at the tip of his team's midfield diamond in a 4-3-1-2 formation. He put Palacio through to score again a week later in Verona, only to see Genoa relinquish their lead and lose to Chievo.

Nicknamed El Niño Vertical for his directness, he is recognised as the successor to Jorge Valdivia in Chile. "I am from the 1988 generation, the same as Alexis Sanchez," he said. There's a theme here, isn't there? Even so, that's certainly not bad company to be in.

Thiago Ribeiro, Cagliari
With Robert Acquafresca gone, it was thought that Cagliari would struggle for goals this season. Not so now that Thiago Ribeiro, the top scorer in the 2010 Copa Libertadores, has struck up a fine understanding with Joaquin Larrivey and fellow Brazilian Nenê since his arrival from South America in a complex third-party loan deal.

Mobile and fast, the 25-year-old second striker has taken Serie A by surprise. “The less people know you, the less they expect of you,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. A teenage flop at Bordeaux, and blighted by injury throughout much of a career which has already included a stint in Qatar, Ribeiro represents a gamble, but one that already looks like paying off for Cagliari.

“I like to vary my play in attack, starting out on the flank, running and moving a lot,” he said. Tactically Ribeiro may step on the toes of playmaker Andrea Cossu, but his dribbling and desire to take players on adds another element to his team’s play.

He opened his account in Serie A with a nice header against Novara and was man of the match a week later at home to Udinese, creating chance after chance which his teammates failed to take in a 0-0 draw. Continuing his rich vein of form, he also got the opener in Cagliari’s 2-0 win away to Lecce.

Ribeiro isn’t quite Gigi Riva, but he has at least put the Samba in Sardinia.

Eran Zahavi, Palermo
No stranger to spectacular goals, as his perfectly executed bicycle kick for Hapoel Tel Aviv showed in last season's Champions League match at Lyon, Eran Zahavi made an instant impression at his new club Palermo when he hit a shot from the edge of the box that curled beyond Cagliari goalkeeper Michael Agazzi barely 18 seconds into his first Serie A start.

That strike ensured Zahavi became only the second-ever Israeli to find the net in Serie A, 14 years after Tal Banin put his country on the Italian football map with a goal for Brescia against Empoli. "I felt indescribable emotions, thousands of emotions all together," Zahavi said after dedicating it to his girlfriend Shai.

Snapped up for a bargain €1.6m, he steps into the boots of PSG-bound Argentinian playmaker Javier Pastore. Yet his position is notably different. "Zahavi does the job that I ask of a wide player," Palermo coach Devis Mangia revealed, and so far he has started on the left of midfield in a 4-4-2 where he has been asked to cut inside on his right foot.

Zahavi's technical ability is there for all to see, though his rake-like frame needs bulking up if he is to cope with the rigours of Serie A, not that he'll be stuffing his face with local delicacies. "Unfortunately typical Sicilian dishes aren't recommended under the rules of the Jewish religion," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Here there are no temples for my religion, so I pray at home.” Palermo fans, on the other hand, are in need of a new idol to worship every Sunday and he could just be the one.

New kid Osvaldo proves political problem for future of Italy

James Horncastle — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:21:00 GMT

Eight points clear at the top of Group C having only conceded one goal in eight games, Italy's place at Euro 2012 is already booked. Coach Cesare Prandelli could have been forgiven for thinking that his decisions ahead of their final two qualifiers, in Serbia and at home to Northern Ireland, wouldn't come scrutiny.

However, he put paid to that notion when, in light of injuries to Giampaolo Pazzini and Mario Balotelli, he called Pablo Daniel Osvaldo up to the squad.

Roma striker Osvaldo forms part of a group Prandelli calls the New Italians. In truth, that’s nothing more than a clever rebranding exercise relating to a longstanding selection policy: the Oriundi.

An Oriundo is a player born or raised in another country who can trace his roots back to Italy, often through a grandparent. The first was Ermanno Aebi, who played and scored for Italy in a historic 9-4 victory over France on January 18, 1920. Osvaldo is the 38th to represent the Azzurri.

Born in Buenos Aires in 1986 and brought through the youth systems at Lanús, Banfield and Huracán, he is also the 18th from Argentina and follows in the footsteps of Renato Cesarini, Omar Sívori and the most capped Oriundo of all, Mauro Camoranesi.

There’s nothing particularly novel about it. Unsurprisingly, however, the right-wing and unpalatably anti-immigrant political party Lega Nord – a key partner in Silvio Berlusconi’s ailing coalition government – are ‘upset’. “Osvaldo’s call-up certifies the definitive failure of the FIGC’s policies,” a statement read. "Prandelli’s project based around talented young players is transforming itself into a guesthouse for Oriundi."

By spinning and generalising to suit their scaremongering agenda, the Lega were once again missing the point. There’s more to nationality than place of birth, and anyway Osvaldo has played for the Italy Under-21s on a dozen occasions, including appearing at the Olympics under Pierluigi Casiraghi. During his time at Fiorentina, he even married a local girl and in 2008 endeared himself to the city by scoring a stunning bicycle kick against Torino, a goal worth £15m as it earned the club a place in the Champions League.

Osvaldo’s commitment isn’t what’s up for debate here, nor has it ever been an issue. “It’s the realisation of a dream,” he smiled on Wednesday night. So why then has his call up caused such a stir?

Well, there are other candidates perhaps more deserving of a place in the squad, such as Alessio Cerci or Alessandro Matri, who has averaged more or less a goal every other game since joining Juventus in January. Did Matri’s place on the bench in Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Milan influence Prandelli’s choice? Or was it, as the conspiracy theorists would have it, a political-football concession in light of there already being six Juventus players in his squad?

Whatever it may be, scepticism surrounds Osvaldo and has done ever since Roma raised eyebrows by paying Espanyol €17m for his services in the summer. Few were prepared to acknowledge his extraordinary spell in La Liga where he scored 20 goals in 44 games.

Instead, it was remembered that he’d flattered to deceive in three previous seasons in Serie A with Fiorentina and Bologna, finding the net on only eight occasions.

Lest it be forgotten, Prandelli was Osvaldo’s coach at Fiorentina. He wasn’t entirely convinced and allowed him to leave for Bologna, where the striker was more often than not on the bench. But that was then and this is now, and Prandelli, unlike many in the media, appears to have changed his opinion.

“Osvaldo is a modern and complete striker. He is of interest to us in prospect,” the Italy coach said. There’s a degree of truth to that of course, as Osvaldo does offer something different. He has experienced another football culture, thrived in it, and can play both in the air and on the ground, although his habit of giving the ball away is frustrating.

Still, despite being arguably the most handsome man in Italian football, his early performances for Roma were ugly – La Gazzetta dello Sport gave Osvaldo a 4.5 for his display against Cagliari and a 5 against Inter. However, he is showing signs of progress and has scored three goals in each of his last three games in a new system with a new manager during a period of adaptation.

For some, though, it’s still not nearly enough to justify a place in La Nazionale. Prandelli, they say, has missed a golden opportunity to give young players who have broken through at club level in Serie A a chance to discover what it’s like to play for Italy, citing the likes of Fabio Borini at Roma, Alberto Paloschi at Chievo, Diego Fabbrini at Udinese and Manolo Gabbiadini at Atalanta.

“What Osvaldo’s call up shows is that even when Italy’s ‘big players’ are knocked out by injury, there is still little chance of youngsters representing their country at the highest level,” wrote Fabrizio Bocca in La Repubblica.

Only last month the newspaper published an investigation showing that just 4.2% of appearances in Serie A were made by players under the age of 21 throughout the entire 2010-11 campaign.

That figure doesn’t look like improving either, as in a separate study carried out by La Gazzetta dello Sport last week it was revealed that 51% of the players used so far in the top flight are foreign – and moreover 57% of the goals scored have come from non-Italian players.

Amid so much that is positive about Prandelli’s Italy, it’s a worrying sign that for all the talk of developing homegrown talent, the culture has perhaps still yet to change.

He's not an old head or new blood, but Marchisio is a key part of Juve's future

Adam Digby — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:50:00 GMT

Having suffered two abject years, Juventus have fast become one of the major talking points of the early part of this Serie A season - and most of the talk centres around everything new.

The new signings - including Eljero Elia, Arturo Vidal and Mirko Vucinic - have been touted to provide the creative spark to light up the new Juventus Stadium, with it's supposed 'English' feel which when experienced first hand actually seems more German than anything else.

The new coach Antonio Conte, meanwhile, appears to be the ideal man to change the philosophy of the side and restore much of what was missing in those bleak times. He arrival is widely viewed as the dawn of a return to old values; the grit, determination and 'Spirito Juve' of the teams Conte himself was a part under Marcello Lippi.

Not everything is new, of course, and helping instill these virtues in the newest incarnation of the Bianconeri is the talismanic Alessandro Del Piero. The captain and holder of a plethora of club records is ably assisted by World Cup winning goalkeeper Gigi Buffon, a Juve player for over ten years and still regarded by many as the best in the world in his position.

Somewhere between these two stools of old and new falls Claudio Marchisio. The 25 year old seems to fit neither category; too young to be one of the custodian old guard, but at the club too long to be considered part of the new generation.

Closer inspection of both his career to date and his playing attributes reveals he is actually both, and his two-goal performance in the recent win over AC Milan merely reinforces the feeling of those paying attention that the midfielder is in fact a key protagonist in Antonio Conte's revival of Turin's grand Old Lady.

Rewind five year to late summer 2006 and Juventus were relegated to Serie B following the Calciopoli trials, losing a number of first team regulars. Unsure of when they would see their beloved Bianconeri back among the elite of European football, the clubs fans consoled themselves with the fact their team would now be filled with promising young Italian players, turned out year after year by one of the country's most successful youth systems.

Under the previous regime these players were all too often destined to spend their years being loaned around the league, or be used as leverage in deals for players who could help win trophies in now rather than later. This was the Juventus of Luciano Moggi, who only aimed to win in the here and now - to them the future may as well have been on another planet.

Even with that management team gone, Marchisio had to fight for his place with a number of more famous, not to mention expensive, imports as Juve sought to return to glory. He rose to the challenge, becoming a first team regular despite the presence of Cristiano Zanetti and later Tiago, Momo Sissoko and Christian Poulsen. He was even being named Serie A Player of the Month for December 2008 after a string of impressive displays including a winning goal against Inter in the Derby d'Italia.

However, Marchisio is not without his critics. He is often accused of inconsistent and indifferent performances, and has been described as 'invisible' on a number of occasions. Yet to people who see past the match highlights and score-sheet, the midfielder has actually become a key player in many different ways.

He can of course win matches - that much was clear long before the win over i Rossoneri - but he can also be deployed in various roles, his intelligence and positional awareness nullifying the opposition's better players in a manner that is all but impossible to measure using statistics, or gauge by watching television.

Last season's encounter against Inter at the San Siro was one such occasion. Lambasted by many for another 'no-show', this criticism was massively unjust as a deeper look in the intricacies of the game highlight. Marchisio was pressed into action on the left flank as Gigi Delneri looked to shackle Maicon, who went into the match in brilliant form

Far from it being Marchisio who 'went missing', it was in fact the usually impressive Brazilian who was rarely spotted, struggling to join up with Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto'o as he did the year before when he single-handedly won the match.

Delneri, of course, must take credit for the tactical switch, but the discipline shown by Marchisio must also be praised. His presence on the touchline forced Maicon to stay honest, to play as an orthodox defender and prevent Juventus from exploiting the space behind him.

The Brazilian was restricted to just one tame effort on goal and only a single cross which came after a short corner. Normally the source of much of their attacking prowess, the right flank accounted for a mere 14% of Inter's play.

This constant shuffling around to nullify threats in the opposition line rarely appears to subdue the Juve man's own attacking threat, as his two goal performance against Milan showed. The midfielder completed 95% of his passes (up from 86% so far this term) and never neglected his defensive duties, contributing to a superb performance both in and out of possession by Juventus.

His is a key part of Conte's relentless pressing approach, winning the ball back an average eight times per game between tackles and interceptions.

There have been a number of impressive performers among the Juve squad under the new coach, but the man Conte referred to during the summer as "like me, only better" has done his 'Capitan Futuro' image no harm.

Inter sacking the only predictable part of a mad Serie A week

Richard Whittle — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:36:00 GMT

There is never a dull moment in Italian football, and after just three rounds of the season, Serie A is turning into one of the most unpredictable for years.

Early pacesetters Juventus and Napoli both came up short in midweek, with the Old Lady getting into a frustrating 90 minutes of futile body-bumping with Bologna to drop two points at home. A Juve fan took advantage of the stands being so close to the pitch by attempting to grab Bologna’s Marco Di Vaio by the hair – fortunately for the visiting striker, he is shaven up top.

Napoli lost to Chievo at their bogey ground, the Benegodi Stadium in Verona. The disappointing result was thanks in part to coach Walter Mazzarri’s desire to show off just how big his squad is this year, making seven changes to the starting line-up that had defeated AC Milan at the weekend.

Champions Milan, for their part, were held at home by Udinese. Their worrying injury problems deepened, too, when Alexandre Pato limped off 20 minutes into the game with another muscular problem – his eighth in two years – although he looked happy enough in the VIP area at half-time. He should be fit enough to jump on a flight to Brazil, anyway, for a bit of R&R with Barbara Berlusconi during his month-long recovery period.

AS Roma are still without a win, and where there had been applause after the home defeat to Cagliari there were only whistles inside the Olympic Stadium at the end of a deflating 1-1 draw with Siena on Thursday evening.

Luis Enrique has set out a game plan more complex than the Matrix, which left the home players a lot more confused than the opposition, whose counter-attacking will be the blueprint to frustrate Roma’s tippy-tappy approach. The only way Enrique’s side are ever going to score, it seems, is by walking the ball into the back of the net.

Patience may be wearing thin in the stands but the club’s American owners will not be rushed into changing the man on the bench – which, predictably enough, was what Massimo Moratti did on Tuesday night after Inter’s humiliating defeat at newly-promoted Novara. Indeed, the sacking of Gian Piero Gasperini was the only development which was widely expected in an otherwise irregular week.

Gasperini may as well have headed back towards former club Genoa rather than stopping off at Novara’s Silvio Piola Stadium, such was his influence over team affairs, but at least now Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso have a new vice-coach: Claudio Ranieri.

Yes, the man to rescue lost causes is back on a two-year deal that few expect the approachable Roman to see through – not if Moratti can finally persuade Fabio Capello to take one more tilt at club glory next summer.

In the meantime, Ranieri will be expected to do what he does best and bring some stability to the team, and maybe even get them close to a honour, but in the end if his past record is anything to go by – no cigar.

It won’t be so much tinkering but rather tailoring the team to their strengths, which will mean kicking the three-man defence into touch. No doubt there were whoops of delight during the first session when that news was delivered.

There might even be a smile on Wesley Sneijder’s face: the Dutch midfielder has still been the team’s best player despite being forced to play closer to his own area than the opposition goal, but you can bet that he will no longer have that thousand-yard stare, or have to run that far, from now on.

Ranieri took his first session on Thursday afternoon, and only has today to listen to what Zanetti and Cambiasso want to do before the team faces Bologna on Saturday. In all seriousness, though, he will have to get his dressing room strategy as spot on as his on-field tactics.

He got on the wrong side of Alessandro Del Piero at Juventus, which cost him his job despite a third-place finish on the club’s return to the top flight after Calciopoli and the same position going into the final three games the following year.

Demoting Francesco Totti to the bench on a few occasions led to a toxic atmosphere within the Roma squad, where there could only be one winner. Now, at the ripe old age of 59, Ranieri is back on the bus attempting to turn a club on the road to nowhere at least back onto the right track.

House of Inter crumbling as Gasperini fails to make the most of his tools

Richard Whittle — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:10:00 GMT

Massimo Moratti had the builders in again over the summer, after Leonardo, the man he thought would be the prime architect in rebuilding the crumbling house of Inter, decamped to Paris.

By the time the Inter president had failed to persuade Fabio Capello, André Villas-Boas and Marcelo Bielsa that it was a job worth taking, Moratti was willing to hire anybody prepared to provide a low estimate for a bit of a rushed job. Enter former Genoa boss Gian Piero Gasperini.

Gasperini even looks a bit like the local cowboy builder, and although he certainly has the materials at his disposal, he sadly hasn’t a clue how to fit them together.

So, not for the first time, we're left looking at a rather disjoined Inter side. They followed their opening day defeat to Palermo and embarrassing Champions League performance against Trabzonspor with a pretty shapeless draw against AS Roma - themselves a work in progress, though Luis Enrique at least seems to have laid some foundations.

The sight of Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Lucio pointing in all directions like over-excited traffic police was clear indication that no one was taking their orders from the man on the bench.

Gasperini’s giant head, topped by a massive hatch of graying hair, popped out of the dug-out intermittently just to make sure he had eleven souls on the pitch or to berate Wesley Sneijder for daring to play inside the opposition half.

By the time he finally released the little Dutch wiz from his cleaning-up duties, there was nobody for him to link up with upfront as Diego Forlan had been replaced by Sulley Muntari - and not a proven scorer or at least someone to get on the end of chances, such as Giampaolo Pazzini.

It was all very confusing. It was hard to tell whether Gasperini was trying to construct a house, a garden shed or a garage

His back three are struggling in the absense of a midfield that plays with pace and guile; the latter sorely missing along the flanks where Joel Obi and Yuto Nagatomo can run and run, but never produce a decent cross – and then the less said about Jonathan the better. The Brazilian is 25 but possesses the gait of a man closer to 55 and makes even the 38-year-old Zanetti look spritely.

Yet, much like the days of Rafa Benitez, it is not so much the individuals that are the problem, rather the negativity towards, and lack of faith in the new system.

No one wants to play for Gasperini and no one wants to play in his 3-4-3 formation. We know this because Zanetti and Cambiasso have said that the players are behind the coach and happy to follow his tactics…

It is the kiss of death when the two Argentines start talking about you (unless you happen to be Jose Mourinho) and it may be a last Gasp this evening when Inter make the trip up the road from Milan to newly-promoted Novara and their artificial pitch.

The first midweek round couldn’t come soon enough for Napoli and Juventus, who along with Udinese and Cagliari hold 100 per cent records so far.

While Juve have a very winnable home game against Bologna, Napoli must be careful they do not suffer a San Gennaro hangover after sweeping an under-strength AC Milan away on Sunday.

It was a day to celebrate the patron saint of Naples, Saint Januarius, on Monday, but Walter Mazzarri’s men had little time to sit back and enjoy the party – not with a match at Chievo tomorrow evening.

The Bentegodi Stadium in Verona was the venue for a humbling 2-0 defeat for Napoli last season, but if the coach’s analysis of the win over Milan is anything to go by then the Azzurri are taking nothing for granted.

“I didn’t like our approach against Milan,” claimed Mazzarri. “We were too timid and afraid and I don’t want to see that anymore.”

Now, there is a man you would put your house on having a successful season.

AC Milan act their age to prove a point, Inter show their age to lose it

Richard Whittle — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:48:00 GMT

With an average age of 29.2, AC Milan have the oldest squad in the Champions League – and on Tuesday evening at the Camp Nou it showed in the way the team played as a mature unit.

Barcelona were limited to two goals but furthermore Massimiliano Allegri’s side very rarely looked in real trouble– and when the Catalans did manage to shoot Christian Abbiati was there in the Rossoneri goal doing his job.

NEWS REPORT: Milan snatch draw at holders Barcelona

One player, however, stood out head and shoulders above all the other old-stagers and even that young sprit Leo Messi: Alessandro Nesta. A commanding performance in the heart of a blanket defence brought back memories of his displays at Euro 2000 for Italy.

He's 35 now and can hardly get out of bed in the morning, so bad is his back pain, but the Roman picked the perfect moment to remind football fans all over Europe that there is still life in those old, long legs.

One challenge on Messi, just as the striker was about to pull the trigger inside the area, left the little Argentinian banging his fists into the turf in frustration – and no doubt incredulous that anyone could have timed a tackle to such perfection.

Nesta’s career looked to be winding down last season and there were some hints that he may call it a day, but decided to carry on with a specially-tailored training programme while carefully listening to what his body tells him. Milan can be thankful he has, especially with new signing Philippe Mexes still a month or so away from full fitness.

In fact, so important is Nesta’s presence alongside Thiago Silva that Allegri asked him to play through the pain barrier last Friday in Milan's season-opening fixture against Lazio, and although he was wincing from the first minute he still managed to deny Djibril Cissè a late winner.

In fact, the thirtysomethings throughout the side could have been equally proud of their displays at Barcelona. Gianluca Zambrotta marshalled the lightning-quick Dani Alves, forcing the full-back (or is he really a winger?) inside on just about every occasion. Mark van Bommel shored up the centre of midfield on his return to his old club. And then there was Clarence Seedorf, exhibiting such a velvet touch that you expected the ball to swoon.

From Pato’s opener on 24 seconds to Thiago Silva’s last-minute equaliser, it was one of those resounding team performances on which Italian clubs thrive: one in which they are played off the pitch but still manage to grind out a result – and in Italy football is all about the final score.

A draw at the Camp Nou will renew confidence that maybe the oldies can top the group and Milan will also take heart from the fact that when they defeated Liverpool in the final in 2007 the average age of the team was 30.2 – the oldest ever to win a Champions League.

Inter Milan, for their part, are just old and worn out – certainly in defence and in midfield, where they failed to get to grips with a lively Trabzonspor side, just has they had failed to tighten up at the back against Palermo on the opening day of the season.

NEWS REPORT: Trabzonspor humble Inter at San Siro

At least it was just the one goal conceded – unlike last Sunday, when the Nerazzurri leaked four goals, and their last Champions League home game, when they conceded five to Schalke – but the repercussions are set to be felt more deeply. Qualification has not yet been thrown away, but Inter are by no means sure to finish top of a group they expected to stroll through.

Gian Piero Gasperini may not be around to plot the side’s way back into the campaign. Even before the season started the pressure was on the new coach, who now probably needs to avoid defeat to AS Roma at the weekend to save his job.

No such worries for Walter Mazzarri, whose Napoli side followed Milan in demonstrating, with their precious draw at Manchester City, that the art of intelligent defending and counter-attacking football is still very much alive.

NEWS REPORT: Kolarov saves point for debutants City

Mazzarri would have probably taken such a result before kick-off but in truth Napoli could have returned home with all three points: Ezequiel Lavezzi hit the bar and Marek Hamsik had a volley cleared off the line before Edinson Cavani’s fine finish on the counter-attack.

City also smashed the woodwork and if there was one criticism of the Azzurri it was that they defended too deeply but that may have been to alleviate their lack of pace at the back.

However, their European adventure is up and running, providing the perfect fillip ahead of Sunday's arrival at the San Paolo of Serie A’s other defender of Italian honour: champions Milan.

Meet Novara: Fake grass, Gorgonzola & missing Panini stickers

James Horncastle — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:07:00 GMT

Marco Savioni was a member of the last Novara side to play in Serie A. Now in his eighties, he still remembers the 1955/56 season like it was yesterday.

“That was the strongest team we had in those years," he recalls, "and we didn’t deserve to get relegated, even if we lost a few too many home games.”

The short, nippy winger had played alongside the great Silvio Piola, Serie A’s all-time top scorer who was then in the twilight of his career. There was Giovanni Udovicich too, the rugged defender with a bald head and handlebar moustache, whose Panini sticker no one could find to complete their album.

‘Nini’, as he was known among the supporters, would stay at Novara much longer than Savioni. Between 1958 and 1976 he made 517 appearances without ever scoring a goal. But of greater regret to Udovicich was the fact he never managed to lead Novara back to the promised land.

The region that produced a Juventus legend in Giampiero Boniperti was also called home by the grandparents of Michel Platini. Yet for more than half a century it remained a footballing backwater. “Novara haven’t been in Serie A practically since the day I was born,” the UEFA president lamented. “Actually, no sooner had I arrived on this earth than they were in Serie B.”

But now, after 55 years, the wait is finally over. On June 12, Novara overcame Padova in the Serie B play-off final to book their place in the top flight. A free-kick from Pablo Andrès González and a superb individual effort from Marco Rigoni put the tie beyond any doubt.

Rigoni, now 31, had come through the youth ranks at Juventus. He had trained with Alessandro del Piero and Zinedine Zidane. A decade later, Rigoni could tell everyone that he’d be mixing it with the big boys again. But his story, fascinating though it is, still pales in significance when compared with that of Novara as a whole.

Only the 17th team in the history of Italian football to earn back-to-back promotions, the club whose blue shirt is inspired by Dolcelatte Gorgonzola are a model to be followed. “Alarm bells are ringing in calcio,” wrote Nicola Binda in La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Clubs are in crisis. Sponsors are found wanting. The riffraff are fixing and betting on games. Everyone one is wondering how to get out of this situation and then – puff! – out of nowhere Novara get into Serie A.”

Staggering though their sudden rise may be – and it is a minor miracle – everything can be put down to hard work and above all good practice.

The story starts in 2006 with Massimo De Salvo, the young, bespectacled and slightly chubby owner of nine private clinics with a turnover of €225m. You might think Novara’s rise is simply the case of a rich owner in a very wealthy region of Italy buying success. But that would be to labour under a misapprehension. Far from throwing his money around with great ostentation, De Salvo has invested wisely.

A year into his chairmanship, work began on Novarello, a state of the art training ground set in the shadow of a 17th century windmill with four regular pitches, two artificial ones, a swimming pool, restaurant, auditorium and office block. It cost approximately €7m, about a million less than the club’s entire wage bill before tax, which to put that into some kind of perspective is how much Gigi Buffon alone earns in a single season.

Recognising that Novara is the wettest city in Piedmont, De Salvo also had the foresight to contact Maurizio Gilardi, the owner of Italgreen, the leading name in the production of a new generation of artificial pitches that use ‘reinforced’ natural grass. “In the last two years extraordinary progress has been made in terms of the performance, sustainability and security of the materials used,” Gilardi explained in La Repubblica.

“Now all the parameters such as the bounce and fluency of the ball, the resistance of the surface to players stopping and accelerating, and the risk of injuries all tallies with that of real pitches.” Unlike the Bentegodi in Verona, the Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna and the Luigi Ferraris in Genova, which all saw games either ruined or abandoned last winter, the Stadio Pioli is always open for business.

So De Salvo’s philosophy was simple: create the conditions that would allow Novara to thrive. He didn’t meddle with the team, leaving such matters to his excellent sporting director Pasquale Sensibile. The former Juventus chief of scouting and protégé of Walter Sabatini built a squad on the cheap either finding bargains in Italy’s lower leagues like leading scorer Cristian Bertani or looking further afield and discovering a player like Pablo Andres González from Grupo Universitario di Tandil, an Argentine Second Division club.

It was Sensibile who appointed Attilio Tesser as Novara’s head coach in June 2009. The former Udinese player, who wore the captain’s armband when Zico was still curling in free-kicks at Friuli, had been sacked from his last four jobs.

Cagliari president Massimo Cellino was one of Tesser’s former employers, but forget about a reference: Tesser was given his marching orders just 24 hours after putting pen to paper on a contract in 2005. That’s not how things are done at Novara. Tesser was given De Salvo’s and Sensibile’s full backing, and they were repaid handsomely.

The season tickets bought by the good-natured resident ‘ultras’ at the Pioli, known rather tamely as The Walnuts, would prove ridiculously good value too. Back in Serie B after 33 years, then back in Serie A after 55, Novara have lost just twice in 40 home games these past two seasons and have never been lower than third place in the table with more or less the same team as the one that thrilled the Lega Pro.

“It’s a group that has been together for two years, one that has done important things and has finally been rewarded,” Tesser gushed. “We started this season with the objective of survival, but we overwhelmingly deserve promotion.”

So the question on everyone’s lips is what next for Novara? At the moment it seems like a case of keep calm and carry on. De Salvo has confirmed that Tesser will remain in place as the team’s coach next season. And while that might not come as a surprise considering the owner’s level-headedness and everything Novara have achieved under their softly-spoken tactician, it does bear remembering that Tesser, by now entering his third season at the helm, instantly becomes the top flight’s longest-serving manager.

This will undoubtedly be his greatest challenge yet, not least because he plans to follow the model laid out by Cesena last season and put faith in the players who got Novara to Serie A in the first place. Tesser will have to do without the departed González, now at Palermo, and can no longer rely on Sensibile to find a replacement after he left the club to join the rebuilding operation at relegated Sampdoria.

A lot rides on Takayuki Morimoto realising his potential. Once dubbed the Japanese Ronaldo – but for his buck-toothed grin and glass knees rather than his goals – the 23-year-old lover of horsemeat and fish biscuits has been made to feel at home since his arrival from Catania.

“In training camp, Jimmy Fontana, our back-up keeper and dressing room leader, decided that all the foreigners had to sing their national anthem before eating," explains Morimoto. "At every lunch and dinner, I’d get up and start Japan’s. After a while everyone was singing it.”

Whatever happens, it promises to be a memorable season with Platini even revealing his intention to attend one of their matches. “I read his words in Gazzetta,” Di Salvo said. “An invitation has been sent. We’re expecting him.” After a wait of over half a century, who could possibly say ‘no’ to Novara?

Serie A set to be predictably unpredictable as ever

Richard Whittle — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:32:00 GMT

As Serie A finally kicks off, our man in Italy picks the runners and riders for the Scudetto, Europe and relegation.

Juventus gave the rest of Italian football a glimpse of what the future could hold when they inaugurated their new stadium in a lavish evening of fireworks, special guests and ribbon-cutting.

And a most elegant stadium it is, too, with a capacity of 41,000 and more than enough room not to seem too empty when anyone but Inter or AC Milan visit. It will be the envy of Serie A, and a major disappointment to binoculars salesmen, as there is no running track. Hopefully, it’s also fireproof, for when the locals turn feral.

In keeping with the low-key build-up to the season, it was not Barcelona, Real Madrid or a Premier League club that were the guests of honour. It wasn’t even an English Championship side. Juventus’ opponents were Notts County, who provided the Turin club with their first set of black and white striped shirts around the turn of the 20th century, to replace their rosé tops of the time (which were, by all accounts from those now long dead, rather fetching).

But in the modern day, Antonio Conte’s side remained in keeping with Italy’s new-found standing in the game by managing only to draw 1-1 with the League One team. The suggestion, though, was that it was a diplomatic result and everyone went home happy and content.

Now, down to the real business. At long last, Serie A is set to take flight – but not in the manner of a private jet or business-class trip somewhere exotic. No, it’s more in the low-cost, no-frills variety where you have a 50-50 chance of the journey being either a pleasant surprise or an incalculable nightmare.

The new campaign kicks off this evening with champions Milan at home to Lazio in what is round two of the season, with the opening games now rescheduled for the dead of winter and the shortest day of the year on December 21st.

The players’ union and their revolt against the clubs, which scuppered the opening weekend, came to a typical Italian conclusion: we’ll leave things the way they are and discuss it all again at a later date – in this case, next summer – but basically, let’s just forget all about it.

So we are ready to go, and from Milan’s squad of 160million Euro earners to newly-promoted Novara’s 9.8m Euro take-home hopefuls, each and every team has its dreams and hopes for the season ahead.

Massimiliano Allegri’s champions will start as favourites, having kept the core of the squad together and eased out a couple of hangers-on, such as Marek Jankulovski and Massimo Oddo. Filippo Inzaghi, meanwhile, was essentially shown the door in January, the veteran striker being excluded from the Champions League list.

No Mr X on the transfer front – only Alberto Aquilani – so Allegri has laid down the law with Antonio Cassano, who has responded in kind by knuckling down in training. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been told he can do basically what he wants as long as he does not burn himself out by the turn of the year. He may need to start eating breakfast – something he hadn’t been doing last year (or maybe ever).

There will be little change in the team’s approach, and the big Swede – who is promising a 20-goal season – will be the focal point of the attack. Allegri must ensure, though, that Alexandre Pato is not overshadowed, or there could be the first fissures in the cosy relationship the Brazilian has with the club – never mind that with the president’s daughter.

It may be Milan’s title to lose but the chasing pack will feel they all have a tilt at the big prize. Inter will be looking over their shoulders after Massimo Moratti put the blank cheques back in the drawer and cut the wage bill to a still quite staggeringly high 145m Euros, following the sale of Samuel Eto’o, which saved 9m euros in salary a year.

New coach Gian Piero Gasperini has been struggling to impose his three-man defence on an aging backline. He also needs to find the right position for Wesley Sneijder, who is at his most dangerous in a free role further up the pitch rather than as a deep-lying playmaker.

Juve, for their part, could explode or just as equally implode, such is the pressure on the team to live up to their new surroundings and qualify for the Champions League. It must be remembered, of course, that there are now only three places available.

Conte seems to have the same problem as his predecessor, Luigi Delneri. He has talented players at his disposal, but can he get them to gel in a formation that calls for non-stop movement and toil?

Napoli have been the most active club in the transfer market, bringing in eleven new players, while president Aurelio De Laurentiis sent out a strong message by retaining the services of Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi, who will provide the final passes for top goalscorer Edinson Cavani.

It could be the year that Napoli make the great leap forward, but much will depend on how well they survive a nightmarish Champions League group stage featuring Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Villarreal.

As with Juve, AS Roma have no European football to distract them, having handily crashed out of the Europa League at the preliminary stage to Slovan Bratislava. Instead, the ongoing power struggle between Francesco Totti and the new American owners needs to be resolved to leave Luis Enrique free of the infighting that could easily break the morale of his fledging squad.

With their city cousins building for the future, Lazio could be ready to grab the bragging rights in the capital and push for the top three. Edy Reja’s side look solid more than spectacular, however, and doubts surround the fitness and staying power of Djibril Cisse and Miroslov Klose.

Dark horses are few and far between. Genoa could spring a surprise or two, but not in the manner of Udinese last year, who look set to drop out of the top six. Fiorentina have the impressive Stevan Jovetic back from injury but Riccardo Montolvio’s lack of enthusiasm to remain mirrors that of their owners, the Della Valle family.

The three sides that came up, Atalanta, Siena and Novara, will be favourites to go straight down again – especially Atalanta, who start with a six-point penalty for their part in the betting scandal which came to light in early summer. If one of the new boys were to remain, prime candidates for the drop would be Siena, with Lecce and Chievo not far behind (or more accurately, in front).

The rest of Europe may have already departed, but the important thing is that Serie A finally has its slot on the runway. As always, we never know exactly what sort of journey is ahead, but it’s safe to bet on it being a bumpy ride.

What's the Rush? Reto Ziegler makes speedy exit from Juventus

Adam Digby — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:00:00 GMT

In the summer of 1987, Ian Rush left Liverpool for Juventus after a seven year spell on Merseyside littered with trophies, accolades and, most importantly, goals.

With an astonishing 207 in 331 games, he arrived in Turin with not only a brilliant strike rate, but also a ringing endorsement from Juve legend and fellow Welshman John Charles, who said of his compatriot; "Ian is better than me and will score more goals. There is not a striker in the world who knows the art of scoring as he does."

Yet despite Juve being so confident Rush could replace for the recently retired Michel Platini they were willing to cough up £3.2 million for his services, the striker struggled to fit into a team desperately in need of a huge overhaul.

Unlike Charles, who's move was an unmitigated success, the timing was completely wrong for Rush, who suffered thanks to injury, poor form and a complete lack of effort to embrace the culture of Italy and Juventus. While the oft-quoted 'It's like living in a foreign country' was nothing more than a sly joke from Kenny Dalglish, Rush returned to Liverpool just over a year after departing, with the Bianconeri recouping £2.8 million.

Sadly for Juventus this quick resale is a far from isolated case. Earlier this summer they shipped out Argentinian midfielder Sergio Almirón to Catania for €400,000, just four years after splashing out a staggering €9 million in taking him to Turin from Empoli. While it's hardly uncommon for big money signings to fail, few turn out for their new club as rarely as Almirón did in the famous black and white stripes. He played just nine times before being packed off on loan less than four months after arriving, never to play for the club again, loaned to a seemingly endless string of clubs until this final resolution was found.

Thierry Henry's time with Juve was a similar tale, arriving amid much fanfare in January 1999 but leaving that same summer after just sixteen appearances and three goals. While there are mitigating circumstances for his perceived failure and subsequent success at Arsenal - not to mention the fact Juventus made a profit on his sale - it is one more example of a strange quirk of the transfer policy at one of European football's biggest clubs.

Yet this past week Juve may have outdone themselves in loaning defender Reto Ziegler to Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahçe. A host factors make the deal quite possibly the oddest in the club's history, foremost among them the fact the Swiss International never featured for Juventus in an official game.

Having only joined the club on July 1 following the expiration of his contract with Sampdoria, Ziegler played very little of Juve's pre-season. New coach Antonio Conte preferred instead to focus on Italian fullback Paolo De Ceglie, who missed much of last term through injury and used a number of other players instead of the former Tottenham man.

However, as much as the speed with which Director General Beppe Marotta has moved the player on is odd, it is the hole he leaves at the club which causes most concern. With Armand Traoré returning to Arsenal following the expirary of his loan deal, and Fabio Grosso completely frozen out all summer, there is no other specialist left-back in the Bianconeri squad.

As Argentina's lacklustre performances at the Copa America proved, never before have full-backs been so vital to a team's play - and this summer Marotta seemed to have clearly learnt from his previous mistakes with these positions.

Last year saw him gamble on Marco Motta but, in addition to Ziegler's free transfer, he spent €10 million to bring fellow Swiss international Stephan Lichtsteiner from Lazio. This appeared to give the club a competent duo that would stand up against any in Serie A and with De Ceglie fit again Conte had cover should injuries or suspension affect the side.

The most likely explanation for the rather baffling affair lies with the fullback's former club. Ziegler reinvented himself with 'Doria, slotting perfectly into Gigi Delneri's counter-attacking side having largely been used in midfield before arriving in Genoa. With Marotta having also left Sampdoria for Turin last year it is no real leap of faith to suggest this move to reunite Ziegler with his former coach was a long-standing arrangement, as the player himself confirmed when speaking to RSI;

“Gigi Delneri was still the coach when I signed for Juventus," Ziegler explained. "He and Director [Giuseppe] Marotta knew me from their time at Samp and they wanted me at Juve, I went there for them. I spoke to Conte when I first arrived and he told me that he wouldn’t be counting on me at all as he had other ideas.”

Free agents are allowed to discuss moves and sign agreements with other clubs in the last six months of their contract, so it is not unreasonale to assume a deal was struck as far back as early January, when Delneri was in a very strong position at Juventus who then looked like title contenders.

If Conte is unconvinced by Ziegler - as the player's lack of playing time this summer suggests - then quickly putting an unwanted signing back in the shop window is a smart, if somewhat strange way to do business.

While there is still some lingering hope he may actually play for the club, Reto Ziegler is certainly in good company in passing through Turin's express departure lounge.

Italy's loaded stars justified in pay strike. No, really

Richard Whittle — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:52:00 GMT

At first glance it looks as if Italian footballers are living up to their image of pampered, overpaid egomaniacs. But in fact that would seem an apt representation of quite a few of the club’s presidents.

Italy is bracing itself for a winter of austerity budgets, set to sweep a frigid economic climate through the sun-loving Mediterranean country. The last thing the citizens want to hear, then, as they soak up the last of the summer sunshine is that Serie A will not be kicking off this weekend as scheduled because its stars are going on strike.

The league and club presidents have been fostering a view that the country’s high-earning footballers are unwilling to pay the new ‘solidarity tax’, which is set to run for the next three years on anyone – footballer or not – earning more than 150,000 euros a year. It may not surprise you that many of those who kick a ball for a living do indeed earn more than that.

In reality, however, not one player has said they are unwilling to stump up the 5% to 10% the government is attempting to claw back as an extra tax from Italy’s well-off. It took the level-headed, urbane president of the players’ association (AIC), Damiano Tommasi – also winner of 25 Azzurri caps – to point this out.

Footballers in Italy have always had a bad press when it comes to paying taxes. But there are a few other sectors who have managed to maintain their earnings without contributing to the government’s coffers – and the situation has been magnified by the fact that clubs pay the salaries net, thus taking on the burden of all taxes.

A player knows how much he is taking home, and the thinking goes that he doesn’t have to worry about ways of keeping much of his salary out of the hands of the taxman.

The players – or should that be their advisers, agents and accountants – have known for some time that the current government has been exploring creative ways to wring a few more euros out of the populace, and Serie A’s finest are easy targets.

So we have seen negotiations between players and clubs become more fraught than ever, with stern centre-back Giorgio Chiellini holding out on a clause in his contract where Juventus would pay all taxes regardless of type.

The Juve defender can, in theory, look at his bank account and feel the warm glow of contentment that it is going nowhere – unless, of course, he wants to buy a flash car, apartment or Pacific island, in which case he can deal with the subsequent tax situation then.

No doubt Chiellini’s fellow Italian internationals coming to the end of their current deals, such as Daniele De Rossi, have their agents locked in talks over such a clause.

However, when the country begins to fissure economically the players will probably do the right thing by their fellow citizens and make a contribution for ‘the common good’ (as opposed to the elite good).

And the real issue on why the players are holding firm on strike action concerns a much more contentious clause. A part of the collective agreement sees that clubs can demand that a coach exclude a member of the squad from the first team, forcing them to train with the youth team or even in the local park with the yobbos and dog turd.

Club presidents tried to water down this touchy point by offering to leave the final decision to the coach, but considering that players generally feel their “mister” is a mere puppet for their paymasters, this has been laughed out of court by the AIC.

Federico Marchetti, who replaced the injured Gigi Buffon during Italy’s doomed World Cup campaign in South Africa, sat out all of last season when Cagliari president Massimo Cellino denied the goalkeeper a transfer request.

That wound of losing a whole year of what is already a short career really hits home.

Cellino, of course, is no stranger to the hiring and firing business. Only a few weeks ago he sacked coach Roberto Donadoni even before a ball had been kicked in anger.

Interestingly, the Miami-based entrepreneur was one of only two presidents – the other being Massimo Mezzaroma of newly-promoted Siena – to vote to accept the players’ demands.

Could that have been an attack of conscience? Yes or no, this is an issue that could cripple the Italian game for some time to come.

Can new boy Vidal help bring that feisty streak back to the Old Lady?

Richard Whittle — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:44:00 GMT

With the start of the Serie A season still just over a week away, there was an opportunity to gauge the fitness and form of AC Milan, Inter and Juventus when Italy’s three major clubs met in Thursday’s TIM Trophy in Bari.

The traditional summer triangular tournament consists of three 45-minute matches squeezed into one evening, and has been a treat for holiday-makers over the last decade. All three of the participating sides could count on massive support in the south of the country, supplemented by vacationers from other parts of Italy.

The San Nicola stadium was packed - just as it had been the previous week when the national team defeated Spain - but this time the spectators were not united behind one cause, and on the whole Juve shirts outnumbered those of the Milanese pair.

Inter, without the potentially Russia-bound Samuel Eto’o, lifted the trophy after a penalty shoot-out win over Juve and a victory against their city rivals.

If Eto’o does move east, then Diego Milito could be given a new lease of life. The Argentine certainly looked sharp in the game against Milan, in which he scored the only goal in trademark fashion: ghosting in behind the defence before finishing with a deft flick.

However, it is of upmost importance that Massimo Moratti keeps his word that Wesley Sneijder will not be heading to Manchester United, Malaga or anywhere else. The Dutchman was without doubt the star of the evening - full of energy, demanding the ball at every turn and basically being the type of playmaker any coach in the world would want in their team.

There was little to be gleaned from Milan’s overall performance, with the Rossoneri losing both their matches, but the champions gave run-outs to eight youth team players and on the whole eased through what was a broiling evening.

Juventus, for their part, were in no mood to take it easy - not with their drill sergeant of a coach Antonio Conte barking orders from the sidelines.

Conte is back at a club where he once played alongside the likes of ZinËdine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Edgar Davids and of course Alex Del Piero. It was also where he honed a winning mentality that kept the Bianconeri at the forefront of the game both in Italy and in Europe.

Conte’s tactics of playing the ball out from the back demanded concentration and plenty of energy from the whole team.

Andrea Pirlo will be pivotal to exactly how well this system works, and needless to say the playmaker kept the ball moving rapidly, while newly-recruited fullbacks Stephan Lichtsteiner and Reto Ziegler were comfortable receiving passes and willing outlets to burst forward.

Mirko Vucinic linked well with Del Piero and took his goal against Inter with a coolness and assurance that had been missing in his final days at AS Roma. But if we were looking for one player who personified the new Juve then it had to be Arturo Vidal.

Having only recently joined-up with his new team-mates following the Copa America, the Chilean was employed in a more advanced role ahead of the holding pair of Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio in the match against Milan, popping up on the left then on the right before racing through the middle whenever an opportunity presented. And not only that, his touch was sure, his passing crisp – he was the antithesis of Felipe Melo.

A compact bundle of energy who can switch into rapid sprints in an instant, the former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder really stamped his authority after initially being out-muscled by Rino Gattuso.

It was that old warrior of many a campaign who had the better of the early exchanges, brushing the new man off the ball in a move which led to Milan taking the lead. But Vidal soon had the measure of the veteran – and one crunching challenge left Rino visibly stunned, demanding a hand of apology which never arrived.

At just 24, Vidal is on the fast track to make an impression – his goal against Milan may have been more down to the poor goalkeeping of Flavio Roma but he also crashed a shot against the bar and set up Alessandro Matri for the winner with a well-measured cross.

Juventus have been in the doldrums for too long but on last night’s evidence the arrival of Vidal could be the catalyst for a return of that feisty Old Lady of yesteryear.

Italy defeat Spain with new personnel and purpose

Richard Whittle — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:08:00 GMT

Italy’s 2-1 win over Spain in wind-swept Bari was something of a welcome relief for those itching for the return of competitive football and the opportunity to take pride in the Italian game.

NEWS Wed 10 Aug Aquilani fires Italy past Spain

The Italian Super Cup between AC Milan and Inter had been played in Beijing in front of 70,000 Chinese tifosi who had come to witness the exploits of a Swede, a Cameroonian, assorted Argentines and Brazilians and a Dutchman.

That match may have swelled the bank balances of the respective clubs, pushed a few more shirts in the East and given the Lega Calcio a little ego boost, but back home there was an overwhelming sense of why wasn’t the Milan derby played in the San Siro?

FEATURE Thu 4 Aug Milan duo take part in cultural exchange

It may be the height of the holiday season but the Stadio San Nicola in the deep south of Bari was almost full, the provinces once again taking the Azzurri to their hearts – especially with local boy Antonio Cassano captaining the team, thanks to Gigi Buffon’s grand gesture to hand over the armband for one game at least. And of course there was the small matter of witnessing the World and European Champions in action.

Billed as a friendly in preparation for the return of the Euro 2012 qualifiers in September, it was anything but as Cesare Prandelli sent out his men with the remit of demonstrating that Italy had not fallen off the world football map; urged on by a very vocal crowd, they certainly answered the call.

Spain may have been without Xavi and Sergio Ramos and then lost Fernando Torres and Gerard Pique in the first half to injury but Prandelli’s game plan was always to push play high up the pitch and pressurise the visitors as deep as possible, with Daniele De Rossi given the task of marking Andrès Iniesta.

Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo would have impressed Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri with his adeptness in supporting the diminutive front two of Cassano, who provided some sublime touches but gave the impression that he had yet to start pre-season training, and Villarreal's Giuseppe Rossi, who knew the opposition better than anyone.

All three were a constant nuisance in closing down the Spanish backline but it was Montolivo who really stood out in the first half with a beautifully chipped finish to open the scoring – and it can only be a matter of days before he exchanges the Viola for the Rossoneri.

Playing in front of De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo and Thiago Motta, Montolivo had space to dictate the pace of the game and the elegant playmaker’s quick thinking and instant movement of the ball opened up the defence on numerous occasions.

With four central midfielders on the pitch it was important that both full-backs offered support along the flanks. Napoli's Christian Maggio was converted from club winger to international right-back, and on the left Domenico Criscito really stood out.

A summer move to Luciano Spalletti’s Zenit St Petersburg from Genoa is a mark of the confidence the player has that leaving Serie A will have no ill effect on his international chances. Too right, as long as he continues to put in stirring displays like last night, where he rattled not only the post but also the Spanish right flank with non-stop running and a deft touch.

The bench also played their part, with Alberto Aquilani scoring the winner (albeit with a massive deflection) and Mario Balotelli almost adding a third, although the Manchester City striker still looked somewhat off the pace as a true international – and on this showing will have his work cut out to displace Rossi and Cassano for the upcoming qualifiers against the Faroe Islands and Slovenia.

With qualification for the Poland and Ukraine looking almost a formality – top of the group by four points and the Faroe Islands next up – a year on from Prandelli’s first game he is well aware that Italy is still a work in progress.

But a first win in 17 years (since USA ’94) over a traditional European rival, and one who have conquered the continent and the world in the last four years, demonstrates that there is a wind of change in the air and La Nazionale is set fair once again.

Milan and Inter take part in 'cultural exchange' as Italian Super Cup heads for Beijing

James Horncastle — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:36:00 GMT

As Inter trained in the sweaty environs of the Workers’ Stadium on a balmy Tuesday afternoon in Beijing, a thousand or so of their supporters congregated in the stands and began to sing: “Mi-lan, Mi-lan vaf-fan-culo.” Then came the next chant. “Who doesn’t jump is a lossonelo…”

The pronunciation, which up until then had been immaculate, finally gave away their identity. These were not Italian ultrà but rather the Chinese kind, imitating what they’d seen during one of the Serie A games broadcast by CCTV every week during the season.

When a compatriot wearing a Milan shirt went to take his seat among them, they set upon him as if this were the Curva Nord at San Siro, stripping him of it before throwing him out. It’s the stuff that social and psychological studies are made of – the yin and yang of football - not least because the actual sets of Inter and Milan ultrà agreed not to travel to China for this year’s Italian Super Cup in a protest against the distance and cost.

Not that the clubs mind, though, even if it’s said that they would have preferred to play their first competitive match of the new season at home in front of their own fans. It’s a slight inconvenience with the jet lag, the heat and humidity hampering preparation but this, we’re told, is part of the modern game where the tapping of new markets, the sale of TV rights and merchandising is apparently just as important as opening the upcoming campaign with a morale-boosting if not greatly significant piece of silverware.

Since its creation in 1988, the Super Cup has made a relatively frequent habit of going on a walkabout. In 1993, Milan traipsed to Washington where Marco Simone put Torino to the sword, plunging a shot into the net at RFK with real venom to give his side a 1-0 win.

Then a decade later they returned to the United States, this time visiting New York to suffer the ignominy of losing 5-3 on penalties to Juventus, who retained the trophy they had won in Tripoli the year before.

Questions as to where the magical mystery tour would stop next were answered when the Lega Calcio reached a money-spinning agreement with the Chinese promotion company United Vansen International. The terms dictate that at least three Italian Super Cups will be staged in Beijing until 2014.

Inter, the reigning holders of the trophy, have already been here before. Two years ago, José Mourinho watched his side lose 2-1 to Lazio at the Bird’s Nest stadium. It was hardly inauspicious as they went on to win the treble.

So what can we expect? As mentioned above, this promises to be a derby in commerce as well as calico, with sponsors Adidas facing off against Nike, Emirates sparring with Pirelli and Dolce & Gabbana taking on Versace. Incidentally, Inter and Milan will receive €1.65 million each for their participation.

Curiously, the rivals have never met before in the Italian Super Cup, but share the competition record for wins with five apiece. It’s a shame, then, that the game is not being played at San Siro where the occasion would perhaps have been more spirited and meant a great deal more.

While there is a great enthusiasm in China for football, with upwards of 70,000 fans expected to pack into the Bird’s Nest on Saturday, it still faces a struggle to become the nation’s No.1 sport. The absence of a genuine homegrown star such as the recently retired Yao Ming in basketball or Li Na in tennis has perhaps stymied its growth.

Lest we forget, China has only ever been to one World Cup, and that was in 2002 when they lost all their matches and failed to score a single goal. Gao Hongbo’s side currently lie 73rd in the FIFA world rankings, sandwiched between Malawi and Zambia.

The Bird's Nest Stadium - bickering Chinese ultràs not pictured

Domestically things aren’t much better. A match-fixing scandal hit the game hard in 2009, although Guangzhou Evergrande’s decision to sign Darío Conca from Fluminense in July and make the diminutive Argentinian playmaker one of the highest paid players in the world with a contract reportedly worth £6.4 million a year suggests real ambition.

“In China professional football was born in 1994, a century later than in Europe and South America,” the former Tianjin Teda and Roma midfielder Damiano Tommasi told La Repubblica. “You can’t invent a sport’s tradition overnight. For the Chinese, the real football is that of the Champions League and South America, not theirs. For this reason, the Super Cup will be a great opportunity for a cultural exchange and it’s not to be wasted.”

Inter coach Gian Piero Gasperini agrees. “The Super Cup has to become a beautiful advert for our football on the Asian market,” he said. Whether an entertaining game is possible with temperatures of 38 degrees and 95 per cent humidity is the subject of debate. Conditions have been likened by the Italian press corps to those experienced at the 1994 World Cup.

“Let’s say that, from a planning point of view, a week like this is not ideal,” complained Milan’s fitness guru Daniele Tognaccini. “It’s a difficult situation because [in this heat] it’s easier to commit mistakes.”

Still, the first competitive run out of the new season brings with it plenty of intrigue. Inter start the long march of the 2011-12 campaign with their third new manager in the space of a year following Leonardo’s decision to leave the bench and go back behind a desk as director of sport at Paris Saint-Germain.

With €35 million spent on defenders Andrea Ranocchia, Yuto Nagatomo and striker Giampaolo Pazzini in January, President Massimo Moratti has been discreet though not entirely prudent this summer.

Inter have rejuvenated their squad with the signing of promising youngster Luc Castaignos from Feyenoord and added strength in depth with the purchase of Jonathan, a right-back from Cruzeiro, who is capable of covering Douglas Maicon. A bureaucratic c**k-up on Bologna’s behalf also led to Italy international goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano arriving quite unexpectedly at Appiano Gentile, although a torn cruciate ligament in his knee means he faces a lengthy spell in the treatment room.

Gasperini and new-signing Álvarez get up close and personal

Each of the reinforcements apart from Ricardo Álvarez, the left-sided attacking midfield player brought in from Vélez Sársfield after inspiring them to the Clausura championship in Argentina, are seen as either squad players or ones for the future. Those involved in the Copa America have voluntarily cut their holidays short - against the advice of Gasperini - after injuries to Viviano, Luca Castellazzi and Nagatomo, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in a friendly against Celtic.

So the only major change to the starting XI from last year is Gasperini’s 3-4-3 formation. Speculation continues to mount about the future of Wesley Sneijder amid reports of a contract offer from Manchester United. The Holland international travelled with Inter to Beijing and even got into a playful argument with Samuel Eto’o on the plane after the latter was allocated a seat in first class while the rest of the squad sat in business class.

“Sneijder is here with us, he has trained with us and he will play with us on Saturday,” Gasperini said.

The 27-year-old has been given a new deeper role in the team, which has yielded mixed results thus far in pre-season with suggestions that he is both positioned too far away from goal to make a decisive impact and offers little in the defensive phase when Inter are without the ball in a key area of the field. It’s early days, and a footballer of Sneijder’s intelligence with an Ajax schooling behind him should be able to adapt and make it work.

As for Milan, the Italian champions have once again been patient in their build-up for the coming season. Antonio Cassano aside, their squad is settled with coach Max Allegri and chief executive Adriano Galliani taking the view that if the team ain’t broke then why try to fix it.

The midfield trio of Rino Gattuso, Mark van Bommel and Clarence Seedorf are another year older, but fresh legs will be on the way once the search for the so-called Mister X, Milan’s No 1 transfer target, concludes.

A left-sided central midfielder is on the agenda with Fiorentina’s Riccardo Montolivo very much the favourite for the position. Yet Milan are in no rush and much like last year they will play the waiting game, although sensational purchases like those of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho are excluded.

Philippe Mexès has joined on a free transfer from Roma as the long-term successor to the veteran centre-back Alessandro Nesta. However, he will miss the start of the campaign after snapping the anterior ligament in his left knee last April in a match against Juventus.

Taye Taiwo, the physical Nigeria international left-back with a cannonball shot, represents a slight upgrade on Luca Antonini, even if his aptitude as a defender is questionable, while Stephen El Shaarawy, one of the brightest creative talents in Serie B last year at Padova, will be worked in gradually and with care following his €8.8m move from Genoa.

“We are at the beginning of the season,” Allegri explained. “It will be the third game that we play and the condition of our team can’t be the optimum. But the game is of great importance both because it’s for a trophy and above all because it’s a derby, so we’ll need to try and be ready, above all in the mind.”

Of course the last time these two sides met in April, Milan eased to a comfortable 3-0 victory at San Siro and ended Inter’s title challenge. A great wall appeared to separate them with Alexandre Pato, the Peking Duck, getting himself a brace. Gasperini should heed that warning. Indeed, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find Sun Tzu’s The Art of War on his bedside table back at the hotel.

Atalanta fans in denial as hero Doni accused of match-fixing

James Horncastle — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:02:00 GMT

A primitive-looking sign made out of cardboard hangs in the window of the Barettino, a bar just a few streets down from Atalanta’s ground, the Atleti Azzurri d’Italia.

It bears a message scribbled in the local dialect, probably by the man who runs the joint, Claudio Galimberti, better known as ‘Bocia’, the shaggy-haired head of the club’s group of ultrà. It reads: “Paura de nisù,” Fear of no one.

Ever since newly promoted Atalanta were seriously implicated in Italian football’s latest betting scandal, a mood of defiance has swept through the Lombard town of Bergamo. Its proud and hard-working residents, distinguished by the findings of a recent study showing that only the people of Milan declare more income for tax purposes, continue to walk through the streets with crapa olta - their heads held high.

Around 4,000 marched in defence of their club on June 9 with the front line of protesters holding up a banner on which the slogan “get your hands off Atalanta” was written. No one has been left indifferent by the situation. Bergamo after all is a one-club town. Just ask the mayor Franco Tentorio. His father Luigi was a player, a coach and later a director with the club.

It’s enough to remember that only last November, Atalanta’s president and former player Antonio Percassi announced an initiative to send every newborn baby in the town a mini replica kit. With that in mind, is it any wonder so few Bergamaschi support any other team in Italy even considering the relative proximity of Milan and Inter? This is a family affair and thereby a matter of honour for Atalanta as their adopted son and captain Cristiano Doni is at the centre of match-fixing allegations, and not for the first time.

A decade ago, he along with 10 other players was accused of manipulating the result of a Coppa Italia tie between Atalanta and Pistoiese. Doni was eventually cleared and reminds spectators of the ruling every time he finds the back of the net with a provocative goal celebration, placing a hand under the chin to gesture that he too can walk with crapa olta.

After 10 seasons at the club with a brief parenthesis at Sampdoria and Mallorca in the middle, Atalanta supporters revere Doni. His rhetoric is typical of a talismanic figure. He needles local rivals and former club Brescia by saying: “We’re back in our home, Serie A, while they’re back in their home, Serie B,” and often talks of blue and black blood running through his veins.

“This is a really special shirt, almost magical,” he gushes. “Perhaps I could jokingly liken it to the costume that transformed Clark Kent into Superman.” Doni’s acts of heroism include becoming Atalanta’s all-time top scorer with 103 goals between Serie A and B, a remarkable achievement for a midfielder, and though Roman by birth, he was made an honorary citizen of Bergamo in 2008.

Percassi has repeatedly said, with a finger on the populist pulse, that Doni has a future at the club once his playing days are over, even going so far as to suggest: “He would be the ideal president.”

All of which makes the very idea Doni has in any way wronged Atalanta inconceivable to the fans.

One told La Repubblica: “I don’t believe it… It’s not our thing. Because Doni is Bergamasco, I swear… He can’t have stolen. He couldn’t have, could he?”

His coach Stefano Colantuono won’t accept the accusations either. “Cristiano would never do anything to hurt Atalanta,” he insisted.

However, on Tuesday, Doni along with 25 others including his teammate, the defender, Thomas Manfredini were ordered by the FIGC’s chief prosecutor Stefano Palazzi to appear before a disciplinary commission to be held next week. He faces a three-year ban, which if imposed would almost certainly bring about the 38-year-old’s retirement.

Fears that Atalanta’s promotion would be revoked have been played down with the latest reports speculating that they will start the season with a seven-point penalty.

Under scrutiny are two matches from last March. The first a 1-1 draw at Ascoli with their defender Vittorio Micolucci asserting that “before the game Manfredini said to me: ‘Oh come on Vitto, what do you say, today let’s draw, it’s better for both of us?’” The second came a week later at home to Piacenza (video above), with abnormal betting patterns raising alarm bells after a suspicious amount of money was staked on at least three goals being scored in the first half. Sure enough, that’s how it happened.

Doni scored two soft penalties, the first called for hand-ball on Damiano Zenoni, the second for an avoidable challenge made by another player under investigation, Carlo Gervasoni, on the Atalanta striker Francesco Ruopolo who would get his side’s third just before the interval with a close range finish at the far post.

The prosecution alleges that a fix had been arranged with wiretaps appearing to indicate that Doni and Gervasoni were contacted by mediators acting on the behalf of one group in the betting ring.

In Doni’s case, this was apparently Nicola Santoni, a former goalkeeping coach at Ravenna and someone he admitted to knowing in an interview with La Repubblica. It is claimed Santoni bet €30,000 on Atalanta beating Piacenza in the first half and by full time. He was also overheard on the wire the day before the game telling Gianfranco Parlato, a former player caught up in the scandal, “I have seen my man…” Santoni’s explanations when presented with the evidence were found to be unconvincing.

The town of Bergamo, meanwhile, continues to rally behind Doni who claims to have been made a scapegoat. “It’s an ugly story even if the things that I have read in the papers seem very vague,” the mayor sighed. “Up until now the wiretaps that have emerged on Doni and the club are third hand, between a friend and the friend of a friend,” added Daniele Belotti, a town planner and ultrà. “We demand certain proof. If they come up with it we’ll make our own judgements. What has come out up to now is not enough to renounce Doni.”

That of course is for the disciplinary commission to decide and as the so-called queen of the provinces embarks on a 51st season in Serie A, the question is will she do so without her king?

Ibra bristles with ambition as Milan seek Mr X

Richard Whittle — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:46:00 GMT

It has come to that point of pre-season when the main players in the upcoming title race look to send out a strong signal that they are to be taken seriously.
Inter, Juventus and AS Roma are all getting to grips with working under a new coach and new systems, while Napoli are easing their way into the friendly circuit, but AC Milan look to be that bit ahead of the pack in terms of preparation and self-belief.

It's not surprising really, considering that the champions are a settled unit; their only immediate reinforcements so far are in the back-line with the arrival of Philippe Mexes and Taye Taiwo – although they have also astutely signed one for the future in talented teenage striker Stephan El Shaarawy.

There is also the Mr. X to consider – that missing piece whom the Rossoneri hierarchy believe will turn the team into the masters of the football universe once again. There is much speculation on who that name will turn out to be. Marek Hamsik, Javier Pastore, Cesc Fabregas, Bastian Schweinsteiger and even Ricky Kaka have been mentioned. Riccardo Montolivo – a target to replace Andrea Pirlo – doesn't have the X factor.

While the majority of Serie A teams have been encamped in mountain retreats in the Alps, Milan have done as they do every year: prepare in the familiar surroundings of their Milanello training complex. However, on Monday the team ventured out of Italy for their first full friendly of the summer. (Their previous run-out, a 12-goal blitz of amateur side Solbiatese, barely counts.)

There was plenty of symbolism in the opposition and the stadium. Munich's Allianz Arena will host next May's Champions League Final, and hosts Bayern Munich could make it much harder for Milan to get there: if the Germans qualify for the group stages of the competition along with Arsenal, that will relegate the Rossoneri to pot two when the draw is held at the end of August.

There's still plenty of time for Massimiliano Allegri to fine-tune his players. Against a lively Bayern, the team was unsurprisingly a yard off the pace and lost on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

However, one player who looked sharp was Zlatan Ibrahimovic who scored with his first touch after four minutes in Milan’s first foray across the halfway line.

Looking relaxed (honestly), tanned and almost Jack Sparrow-like in ponytail and goatee, the Swede was at his swashbuckling best during his 45 minutes on the pitch: the darting runs into space, the familiar stop and drawback, a bit of defender-bumping.

It was no surprise that he didn't appear for the second half. Allegri’s aim this season will be to keep his star turn happy and he's already gaining dividends from giving his main man another week off before returning to training.

Last August, Ibra arrived at Milan from a turbulent time at Barcelona and settled with gusto to the task of proving Pep Guardiola wrong. However, it became clear that the Rossoneri were frequently too reliant on his ability to get them out of a sticky situation, and by the second half of the season the physical and mental strain began to tell.

This season, Allegri and his backroom staff will want the big man in prime condition heading into spring months, especially if everything goes according to plan for the knockout stages of the Champions League: reclaiming the trophy is the club’s main objective.

Antonio Cassano was also excused for a further seven days but that has made little difference to his general languid approach. Tellingly soon after Ibra’s opener, the barrel-chested Bari boy missed a good opportunity to double the score when set up by his strike partner.

Cassano may have to play the bit-part once again this year behind Alexandre Pato and Robinho, but there is no doubt who is still set for star billing – even when the elusive Mr X is finally revealed.

Inter switch to 3-3-1-3 to suit Sneijder

Richard Whittle — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:42:00 GMT

If Inter are indeed ready to let Wesley Sneijder leave for Manchester United then Gian Piero Gasperini is either unaware of the transfer or he is wasting valuable time trying to fit the Dutchman into a new system.

The new coach’s preferred formation is 3-4-3 and for all his protestations that he will be flexible in his approach when the need arises the former Genoa boss has rarely if ever diverted from his tried and trusted system.

While it may be easier for the attack-minded right-back Douglas Maicon to play in a more advanced position, enabling Lucio, Cristian Chivu and Andrea Ranocchia to form the back three, finding position for Sneijder is more of a puzzle.

Inter are currently in their traditional pre-season retreat in Pinzolo in the mountainous Trento region and on Sunday they had their second outing against a local side – who on these occasions provide cannon fodder for the Serie A sides to rack up a cricket score.

In the first game earlier last week, Gasperini had inserted Sneijder in a front three to no great effect – after all, the Dutchman isn't a striker. On that occasion the coach changed to a 3-4-1-2, but this time he was back in a more familiar central position alongside Dejan Stankovic, with the youthful and hard-running Davide Santon and Joel Obi working along the flanks.

The final result – a 6-1 victory, with Sneijder getting on the scoresheet – was far from the goal-fest one would have expected, especially with Samuel Eto’o returning to the central striker position flanked by Goran Pandev and impressive new signing Ricky Alvarez.

Part of the problem stemmed from Sneijder’s inability to spray passes to either flank from a deeper role – not entirely in front of the defence, but from just inside his own half. There was plenty of headshaking and raised arms in apology as a number of passes driven out wide failed to find their target, either through lack of accuracy or the wingback not having made a run in time to get into a more advanced position.

The situation improved when Stankovic dropped a little deeper and Sneijder was given more freedom in his more familiar trequartista role, turning Inter for all purposes into a 3-3-1-3 – and therefore a much more potent threat going forward.

The Dutchman was back to his buzzing best, playing quick one-twos around the edge of the area and taking his opportunities to racing into the central spaces created by Eto’o, who drifted wide to play in a low cross tapped home by Sneijder.

"They've spelt your name wrong, Sammy"

The little man trotted back to the halfway looking a lot happier with himself but the overall impression is that he will find it difficult to adapt to a more withdrawn role – and that Inter won't get the best out of him in that position.

If he does start in the centre of the pitch then his natural tendency will be to burst forward and attack the edge of the opposition penalty area – but in Italy that is where teams like to lay out their traps to break play up. With the full-backs/midfielders converted to wing-backs and pushing forward, Inter could well become outnumbered in midfield, with only one player to protect a back three who all lack pace.

Gasperini claimed he was satisfied with the way Sneijder went about his task, and there is no denying that he brings his team-mates into play whenever he has the ball – but to much greater effect when he is positioned further forward or not required to defend the edge of his own area.

There were two pivotal moments on Sunday that summed up the player and in turn his coach’s predicament. First, receiving the ball just outside the area, he dallied but still had enough skill to get away from his opponent... only to knock the ball straight into touch. Then, an opposition attack broke down and when the ball ran loose inside near the centre-circle he didn’t even look up before a pinging a perfect pass into space for Eto’o race through on goal.

In a high-octane league game or Champions League tie it is clear that Sneijder positioned in the more advanced position is what you want to see – be it at Inter or United.

Patience on the cards at Roma

Richard Whittle — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:57:00 GMT

Thomas DiBenedetto introduced a new word to Rome in his first official press conference as AS Roma owner on Thursday: patience.

Anyone who has spent any time in the Eternal City will know that a capacity to endure and tolerate delay is a virtue – but that same tolerance is not applied to football, especially when it comes to the Giallorossi.

Looking very much the American in Rome in a pale suit and perspiring gently, DiBenedetto left the introductions to his local management team – former Lecce chief executive Claudio Fenucci and Roberto Cappelli from Unicredit Bank, who is acting president until the end of the month – before outlining his vision for the future.

Around 200 reporters packed into a press room at the club’s Trigoria training centre were treated to the well-worn English expression "Roma wasn’t built in a day" – just what the expectant local hacks didn’t want to hear.

The American investors have acquired a 60 per cent share in the club, becoming the first foreign majority owners of a Serie A club (Unicredit Bank retain the remaining 40 per cent). But instead of a full-out (and, in truth, unrealistic) assault on the Scudetto, the new owners are pinning their hopes on developing a youthful side around the ageing Pied Piper, Francesco Totti, who DiBenedetto dutifully hailed as Roma’s best-ever player. Not Italy’s, though, which raised a few eyebrows.

The fact that Stefano Okaka, at 21 an Italy Under-21 squad member with first-team experience at Roma, has been put on the transfer list suggests there is a belief that within this year’s title-winning youth side there is enough emerging talent to make the step up. It did not go unnoticed that it was members of the youth team who modeled for the new kit.

It was all a matter of buying into the American Dream, where a new culture of management, both on and off the pitch, will eventually pay dividends.

One of those who must decide if he is part of this ‘new era’ is Daniele De Rossi. The midfielder is yet to sign a new contract, but if Roman sensibilities are not to be swept away in a tide of American pragmatism then the club cannot another afford to allow the local-born star, who has long been considered heir-apparent to Totti, to move on. There is still much to do.

Luis Enrique demands Perrotta, Totti and De Rossi stop ageing

New coach Luis Enrique was also paraded in front of the press for the first time, and seemed to be in a state of heightened agitation, having arrived almost directly from only his second training session. The Spaniard was sweating more profusely than DiBenedetto, and fidgeting in a manner that suggests that his press conferences could become as confrontational as Jose Mourinho’s run-ins.

The former Barcelona B coach was in no mood to fawn to the press. He immediately made it clear that the blueprint of Catalan success would not be simply lifted and dropped into the Italian game, although a philosophy of attacking football and retaining possession doesn’t seem that far from Pep Guardiola’s approach.

In fact, it was difficult to decipher who was the most uncomfortable: the coiled, sinewy Enrique or the more sedate DiBenedetto, complete with ill-fitting headphones so that he could understand what was going on and keep everyone on the party line.

With the more vocal radio reporters firing their first salvos over a proposed new stadium and whether Mirko Vucinic would be sold – "you’ll have to ask sporting director Walter Sabatini," opined Enrique, finally deciding on a bit of mischief-making with the press – it was left to Di Benedetto to return to the point where he had come in. Indicating to President Cappelli that he should throw the dogs a bone, he announced that Franco Baldini would be leaving the England set-up after the Euro 2012 qualifiers to join Sabatini.

DiBenedetto reinforced the concept that success will arrive but that everyone needs to keep expectations more grounded, which is bit like asking a Roman taxi driver to slow down for a pedestrian crossing.

The big hitters in the north – Juventus, Inter and AC Milan – as well as Napoli to the south and Lazio closer to home would have been watching with interest and no doubt some scepticism, believing this new-look Roma are working on a hidden agenda to draw them into a false sense of security before catching everyone out with a revolutionary approach.

Italians don’t like surprises; they prefer to know what they are dealing with. But the evidence so far suggests that Roma, under their Boston-based owners, will be run on good old American common sense and a bit of bullish Spanish spirit, but above all a tempering of Roman impulsiveness.

Moratti's call for Inter boycott of Gazzetta is doomed to fail

Richard Whittle — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:10:00 GMT

Massimo Moratti’s morning reading will be a spot shorter from now on after the Inter owner decided to boycott La Gazzetta dello Sport for joining in the chorus of calls for the Nerazzurri to be stripped of their 2006 Serie A title.

He urged all Nerazzurri fans to follow suit and give the pink one a miss. That seems highly unlikely considering that it is not only Milan-based, but generally quite pro-Inter. It's also the most popular paper in the country, including the non-sporting dailies.

Just about everyone reads it. You see smartly-dressed businessmen walking to their city-centre offices with the Gazzetta tucked under their arm along with that other Milanese publishing institution Corriere dello Sera – and you can guess which one they delve into first.

So for Moratti to turn against a traditional supporter, whose offices had become a second home when he needed a mouthpiece, can only be counter-productive – especially when Inter need to keep old and trusted friends as close as possible.

His call for a mass embargo did encourage some rabble-rousing and a number of fans hurled the odd bit of verbal advice at Gazzetta staff outside the paper’s headquarters, although hacks have become used to being the brunt of supporter anger.

No one could turn a blind eye to the overwhelming evidence that has emerged after a year-long enquiry into the Calciopoli by the Football Federation (FIGC) chief investigator Stefano Palazzi that Inter and their then president Giacinto Facchetti was as much part of the system of influencing referees as anyone else – and to some extent even more so.

Facchetti died in September 2006 and Moratti, having seen the moral high ground swept from beneath his feet, lashed out with disdain at the Gazzetta, the FIGC and anyone else who questioned that his old friend was nothing less than a saint.

However, despite all the legal claims about breaching articles of sporting law, there will be little punishment for Inter. Due to the sporting statute of limitations – and Palazzi’s snail-like investigation, which took the case beyond the four-year limit in which to take any further action – the worst that could happen is that the FIGC decide to wipe Inter's 2006 Scudetto (awarded by default post-Calciopoli) and leave that title unrewarded, as they did with the 2005 edition.

The initial investigation had its roots in the desire to proportion blame quickly, and Juventus director Luciano Moggi set himself up as the fall guy. However, the selective evidence presented means that others got off very lightly – and in Inter’s case they were able to profit from being kept out of the firing line to become the people’s champions.

Considering Facchetti’s close relationship with Moratti it would seem unlikely he was acting independently of the club – possible, but highly unlikely considering the paranoia within Italian football that someone else, in this case Juventus, always has too much influence.

You can see where Moratti’s outburst came from: the evidence from wire-taps now suggests that Facchetti's conversations with referee designator Paolo Bergamo were little different from what was going on anywhere else, even if they seem to be a plea for a share of the spoils within the bigger picture.

Bergamo has even claimed the FIGC actively encouraged him to speak to as many clubs as possible about which referee should be in charge of which game – specifically to deflect any accusations of favouritism like the ones which subsequently came to light.

These revelations are playing out in typical Italian fashion with no concrete evidence – in this case that matches were fixed, or that anyone was doing anything more than attempting to gain an edge before someone else did: to "level the playing field" without everyone being on the level.

Five years on from Italy’s post-Calciopoli World Cup victory, everyone is still trying to get one over their rivals – be it in subtle claims of injustice hinted at to the press or full-on public outbursts usually directly into a TV camera on prime-time.

The FIGC will decide on July 18 if the the title will disappear into the ether or remain Inter’s property. Until then, there's as much chance of Interisti wearing red and black as there is of them leaving the pink one on the news stands.

New Roma boss Luis Enrique aims to build his own Barcelona

Richard Whittle — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:06:00 GMT

Luis Enrique turned up at AS Roma’s training ground on Friday looking more like a new signing than the club's new coach.
Looking trim and dressed casually in jeans and polo shirt, the 41-year-old arrived with his new staff – including Ivan de la Pena, a former Lazio player no less, who also looked as if he wouldn’t need much persuasion to get involved in a five-a-side match.

Given a tour of the Trigoria training facility, they looked suitably impressed with the training pitches, players’ quarters and country-club air, swimming pool and all. Then they sat down for a 15-minute chat with the man they most need to win over: Francesco Totti.

One can clearly picture the steely stare and iron-gripped handshake when the pair were introduced, and new sporting director Walter Sabatini must ensure that there is mutual understanding between two hard-headed individuals whose co-existence will be crucial to Roma becoming a power once more in Serie A.

While Totti is still the undisputed king of all he surveys, Enrique certainly has all the credentials to become the team’s true leader and uniting force; as Sabatini pointed out, the Spaniard has that built-in arrogance that ensures you always come out on top in the battle for a parking place in the Eternal City.

His playing career at Real Madrid and then Barcelona is well documented and, having had his nose splayed across his face by Mauro Tassotti at USA 94, his very presence gives Romanisti another reason to hate title holders AC Milan.

However, the experience gleaned at the Barcelona academy of excellence in charge of the Blaugrana B side will be invaluable and could even revolutionise the Italian game. What conversations Guardiola must have had with Pep Guardiola on the philosophy that has taken Barça to the heights of footballing perfection they have currently attained. Even if he didn’t get on that well with his old team-mate, he's privy to the secrets of the Camp Nou and the La Masia player-development complex.

Tellingly, Enrique will have complete control over every area within the Roma set-up from the under-8s onwards, with each side playing in the same way as the first-team – just as they have been doing at the Catalan club. The talent is there – Roma have always had the pick of the best local talent and the youth side won the Italian Cup Final against Varese on Sunday – but the new structure will be the first step on what everyone hopes will be a Roman answer to cultivating their own Xavi or Iniesta... and dare they dream of a new Messi somewhere down the line?

This is not like Jose Mourinho, who arrived in Italian football like a force of nature to drag Inter to the Treble of the Serie A title, Champions League and domestic Cup by exerting his own will on his players and opposition alike. Roma aren't demanding instant success but rather a cultural evolution in the way the game is played.

Enrique arrives with no baggage: he doesn’t know or owe anyone in Italy. But those he will work will closely – initially Sabatini and eventually Franco Baldini, when he unties himself from his England commitments – are masters of the intrigue and Machiavellian power plays within the Italian game and will guide him through the corridors of mistrust and envy that will no doubt rise against the Romans from such an insular world.

Enrique has been handed a two-year contract and as it stands there will be no panic reaction if the team fail to finish in the top three next season. However, everyone including the new man are well aware that the resources will be made available to reach that objective.

The club’s new owner Thomas Di Benedetto has thus far maintained a low profile but has given Sabatini carte blanche to provide him with five or six names that can be persuaded to move to Rome.

Already there have been suggestions that Enrique will return to Barcelona for Bojan Krkic and suddenly with Americans at the helm and one of Europe's most sought-after young coaches in charge, agents are talking up their clients as the perfect additions to the new Roma adventure.

Javier Pastore had already been linked some time ago, but the Palermo playmaker has looked more likely move to Real Madrid or Inter – until the last few days, that is. Now that the Argentine is back home to prepare for the Copa America and having seen the likes of Erik Lamela of River Plate and Ricky Alvarez of Velez Sarsfield suddenly linked with Roma, his agent is making overtures towards the Giallorossi management.

There's no doubt that the manner in which the Spanish Ironman competitor swaggered into town has had a galvanising effect with even the out-of-sorts Daniele De Rossi seemingly coming round to the idea that maybe this new-look Roma is really the place to be.

Here we go again: Italy in another match-fixing fug

Richard Whittle — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:33:00 GMT

Andrea Pirlo has had to suffer through it all before. Ahead of the 2006 World Cup finals, the then AC Milan midfielder had to face the media to answer accusations that Italian football was rotten to the core.

That was the prelude to Calciopoli, the crippling effects of which are still being felt throughout the game, with the country’s snail-paced judicial system continually dragging the case against former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi through the courts.

So on Wednesday, as the now Juventus midfielder prepared for the Azzurri’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Estonia, he was in no mood to deflect questions on another scandal about to explode in Italy.

“How disgusting,” he said of claims that a criminal betting ring – said to be fronted by former Lazio and Italy international Giuseppe Signori – had been fixing matches in Serie B (which happens to be sponsored by a betting company) and the lower division Pro Lega. There are also question marks over a number of top-flight matches, including Inter-Siena and Brescia-Bologna from this season.

The story became more concrete when magistrates in the northern city of Cremona, led by the straight-talking Guido Salvini, co-ordinated the arrest of 16 individuals – nine of whom were immediately put under house arrest, including the aforementioned Signori.

Other high-profile names amongst the journey men involved include former Sampdoria full-back Stefano Bettarini – the one-time pretty boy of Serie A who has spent his time since retiring in the gossip pages photographed on the arm of some young TV wannabe – and Atalanta captain Cristiano Doni, who played for Italy at the 2002 World Cup. Naturally all three are pleading their innocence in what has been christened the Calcioscommese [football betting] scandal.

The probe was triggered by a very strange incident even by Italian standards and surrounded Cremona’s club Cremonese and their third division match against Paganese. A number of Cremonese players complained that they felt ill at half-time; as the story developed, their then goalkeeper Marco Paoloni has been accused of feeding his team-mates sedatives before kick-off and at half-time.

Cremonese still managed to win the game but suspicions had been raised within the club after some questionable performances from the keeper, who was moved on in January to fellow Pro Lega side Benevento. Paolini should have been preparing for a play-off tie this Sunday, but instead finds himself incarcerated facing some very serious charges and potentially the end of his career at the age of 27.

Signori leaves the police station yesterday

Magistrates are under no doubt that Paoloni – an AS Roma youth product who never made the top-flight grade and, along with his wife, had run up tens of thousands of Euros in debts – is a key figure in their case. Among a list of charges against him is attempting to convince Lecce players to concede a high number of goals against Inter. (The match ended 1-0.)

Bets of up to €150,000 had been placed on matches that probably didn't merit a fiver at best, which has led to a belief that the sums were being laundered by criminal organisations. Betting agencies throughout the country have been searched and the homes of betting operators raided, as have been the offices of an accountancy firm.

The accused called their legal advisers, the clubs dismissed the investigation as comical and the Pro Lega president Marco Macalli instructed lawyers to bring a civil case against those who had damaged his federation’s reputation – but judge Savini remained resolute and warned that the evidence was just too compelling.

No wonder La Gazzetta Dello Sport ran the headline “Football infected.” Corriere dello Sport went for “Betting earthquake” and claimed that the 18 games under investigations were only the tip of the iceberg. It was left to Tuttosport to sum up what Pirlo had lamented, but it is not the first time that betting irregularities have dogged Italian football.

Paolo Rossi, no less, was found guilty of playing a role in the Totonero [black pools] match-fixing scandal in 1980; having been banned for three years he had his sentence reduced in time to win the Golden Boot – and the World Cup – at Spain 82.

Now with so many matches every week and 132 registered companies taking bets online and off, it's a boom market – and unsurprisingly corruption accusations are surfacing as Italy once again reveals its dark underbelly.

Inter adopt Mourinho approach in order to end season on a high

Richard Whittle — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:51:00 GMT

When Inter needed to win a trophy to add a little gloss to a disappointing season, they resorted to a tried and tested approach: playing the Mourinho way.

The Special One’s long shadow was cast over Leonardo’s methods in nullifying Palermo in the Italian Cup Final to give Samuel Eto’o a glimpse of goal to inflict the necessary damage.

The spoiling tactics were helped by Palermo’s inability to hit the target when it counted, with Abel Hernandez and Javier Pastore both guilty of missing presentable chances early on – the former after a mere fifty seconds.

Inter’s struck the first blow with their first real sight of goal, as Eto’o latched on to a sublime through ball from the equally impressive Wesley Sneijder just before the half-hour mark to open the scoring.

That breakthrough came just after Palermo had seen central defender Dorin Goian limp off to be replaced by Moris Carrozzieri – suitably immobile on only his second appearance following a two-year ban for testing positive for cocaine use.

Inter took the chances presented to them but for long periods the game was played out in the middle third of the pitch, where the Nerazzurri were quite content to kill the pace of the contest by any and every means possible, including rolling around on the ground whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini was his usual magnanimous self in defeat, accusing Inter of being nothing more than thieves – christening them The Beagle Boys after the cartoon criminal characters from a fifties comic strip.

At least an apology was forthcoming, and rather than lament the opposition’s tactics he should be full of praise for his team, none of whom had ever played in a major final - unless you count the Slovenian Cup Final - and end speculation surrounding the future of put-upon coach Delio Rossi by offering him something longer than a one-year contract.

Backed by 40,000 fans inside the Olympic Stadium in Rome, the likes of Javier Pastore, Josip Illic, Hernandez and the 18-year-old Afriyie Acquah played with verve, pace and determination and were only undone by their wayward finishing.

They deserved more and for a moment there was a glimmer of hope that they may get it when Ezequiel Munoz pulled a goal back with two minutes remaining, only for the centre back to be sent-off soon after for a second yellow card. Replays suggested the young Argentine had touched the ball before clattering into MacDonald Mariga, but that was no help to Palermo.

It was on such slight margins that the match slipped away from the Rosanero, leaving Eto’o to carry off the bounty in his shopping bag – a goal celebration the Cameroonian first unveiled in the final of the World Club Cup – to close the season with 37 goals in all competitions with only the woodwork denying him drawing level with such legends Antonio Angelillo, Giuseppe Meazza and Gunnar Nordhal in all-time goalscoring charts.

So, three trophies for Inter but the Italian Cup, Super Cup and World Club Cup hardly compare with the exploits of last season, although Leonardo has at least tucked away his first trophy.

The Brazilian will now be given more time to plot his revenge against AC Milan and it was fitting that he ended up celebrating in front of the same section of the ground where only a few weeks ago Rino Gattuso had joined in with the Rossoneri Ultras in a merry ditty blasting their former coach.

As Massimiliano Allegri pointed out recently, Leonardo is too much of a gentleman at times but there was no doubt that he was deeply hurt that Milan failed to force Gattuso into a public apology.

However, he can expect Moratti to loosen the purse strings for one or possibly two major signings, one of which could well be Alexis Sanchez, although not if Udinese fail to lower their €30 million valuation for the Chile winger.

The general feeling is that Inter’s ‘special’ relationship with Udinese could hold sway in bringing the 22-year-old to the San Siro, pepping up an attack that has become over-reliant on Eto’o and at the same time halting growing complaints that the club is unwilling to invest in fresh faces as Milan failed to do for too many seasons.

With their city rivals reclaiming the summit on the domestic front, and considering the upheaval of the first three quarters of the season, winning the Italian Cup turned out to be a rather special way for Inter to end a difficult season.

Mazzarri out then back in as Napoli summit meeting brings peace

Richard Whittle — Wed, 25 May 2011 10:52:00 GMT

Serie A’s managerial 'merry-go-round' is in fact more like a dilapidated rollercoaster at a disreputable theme park - nobody knows when or how the ride will end...

Take Walter Mazzarri – and it seemed for a while that Juventus would; The Napoli coach was happily taking the plaudits on Monday morning for a season which had ended with a third place finish and a return to the Champions League, when he was informed that his services were no longer required.

Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is not a man to be messed with and despite Mazzarri’s success on the pitch the movie mogul was less than impressed with his coach’s refusal to buy into the long-term plans for the club.

Mazzarri must have felt he was on pretty solid ground when he informed the press that he would be considering his options come the end of the season, only for the rug to be yanked from under his feet when that decision was taken for him.

“You’re sacked,” was probably the wording of the notice from the De Laurentiis office – a notice coming in the form of a telegram, no less, as the pair had not spoken in the previous two months, with the president even blanking Mazzarri during the celebrations for the club’s return to Europe’s elite cup competition for the first time in 21 years.

There were murmurs on Sunday evening that something was amiss when, after the draw at Juventus, Mazzarri gave a touching speech to the players during which he praised their professionalism and hinted he may not be around to enjoy such good days in the future.

For a short time Mazzarri was left pondering his future

Some took it has another round of ‘call my bluff’ with the big boss, but when De Laurentiis cancelled an appearance at a Lega Calcio meeting on Monday morning the alarm bells started ringing around the Bay of Naples.

Word soon spread that recent Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini was to take over from next season and all that remained was to thrash out the termination of the remaining two years on Mazzarri’s contract worth €6 million.

An afternoon meeting was hastily arranged in Rome between two hard-headed individuals, with Napoli sporting director Riccardo Bigon acting as referee, peace-maker and soother of dented egos.

They certainly made up for lost time on the verbal side of things, emerging sometime around 9pm to inform an incredulous press and public that peace had actually broken out and rather than finding himself without a club Mazzarri had in fact signed a new five-year contract.

The pair then jumped on the train back to Naples as if the extraordinary events of the day had never happened - and no doubt the agreement was all sealed in true Neapolitan fashion with a big hug and a bit of back slapping - maybe a little too vigorously on the relieved Mazzarri’s part.

Having committed himself to remaining within the UEFA financial fair-play regulations, De Laurentiis also seems to have bent to his coach’s demand for reinforcements for next season’s Champions League campaign, an adventure Napoli will have to juggle with staying in Italy’s- no small task given the likes of AS Roma and Juventus can only improve.

First to arrive will be Gokhan Inler, who it had seemed was close joining Bayer Leverkusen with Napoli seeming to cool their interest in Udinese midfielder for a spell. Also on the radar are River Plate striker Erik Lamela and Fiorentina winger Mario Santana, who will shortly be a free agent.

But perhaps most pressing will be the need to prevent AC Milan from whisking Marek Hamsik away, and this could have been another factor in the turnaround of the last 48 hours. The midfielder has always been fulsome in his praise of Mazzarri and will only have been encourage to see his boss sticking with the club.

However, as we are all aware, contracts mean little if anything in football, and all it would take is for Antonio Conte to get off to a bad start at Juventus for the first stirrings of another upheaval to begin rumbling in the shadow of Vesuvius.

Udinese must heed Samp warning after sealing Champions League spot

Richard Whittle — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:25:00 GMT

Next season will be the last in which Serie A's fourth placed side will get a crack at the Champions League, and on Sunday Udinese confirmed themselves as the team who will take the spot.

But if Sampdoria’s cautionary tale of this season is anything to go by, finishing fourth can be like knocking on the door of paradise, only for it to suddenly swing open causing you to stumble through and land firmly on your face.

As they did in 2005, Udinese grabbed that fourth and final Champions League spot. But if the side from Friuli are to join AC Milan, Inter and Napoli in the group stages they could well be handed the daunting task of having to defeat Bayern Munich, Villarreal or Arsenal in the play-off round first.

Udinese faced Barca in their last Champions League campaign

The Bundesliga has snatched the extra Champions League place from Italy for the 2012-13 season, leaving Serie A alongside France and Portugal with two automatic qualifiers and third place in the qualifying round.

So it is of major importance for the UEFA coefficient - not to mention a fillip to the domestic game - that there is a full quota of Italian participants when September’s draw for the Champions League ’proper’ takes place.

However, as the Udinese players and their coach Francesco Guidolin - who made good on his word to embarrass himself like tipsy uncle at a wedding reception - celebrated at the end of their goalless draw against champions Milan, the feeling was that this was as probably as good as it gets.

By all accounts it appears the spine of a team that has lit up the league with the free-flowing football since losing their first four games will be removed. Central defender Christian Zapata is a target for Arsenal, central midfielder Gokhan Inler is set for a switch to Bayer Leverkusen, while Alexis Sanchez will go to whichever club comes closest to €40 million asking price.

Could Sanchez and Gokhan Inler be about to leave Stadio Friuli?

Bianconeri president Giampaolo Pozzo revealed that he had already turned down €35 million and is biding his time to see whether that un-named club – although it doesn’t take too deep a knowledge of football finance to work out it is probably Manchester City – come back with an even larger sack of money.

While the little Chilean dribbles off towards untold riches, the old maestro Antonio Di Natale will of course remain to lead the attack on the back of being crowned Serie A top goalscorer for a second consecutive season – the first player to do so since Giuseppe Signori for Lazio in 1993 and 1994.

The veteran ended up on 28 goals but was denied improving on that total when Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia saved his spot-kick, but that little blip could not dampen the scenes of genuine joy at the full-time whistle. The result meant that Lazio couldn’t catch them, whatever the Rome side did at Lecce.

It helped that Udinese were playing against a pretty compliant Milan side, who had themselves spent the previous week in party mood. Yet the champions' spirits were dampened with the news that Alexandre Pato was once again set for an extended period on sidelines and definitely ruled out of the Copa America after suffering a dislocated shoulder.

Pato is carried off the pitch in agony with a shoulder injury

In the event, Lazio ran out 4-2 winners but had to settle for fifth place and direct qualification for the Europa League, missing out on fourth place by virtue of their inferior goal difference.

The Biancocelesti at least ensured their rivals may be forced to curtail their summer break; the win saw Lazio finish ahead of AS Roma, who will now enter the Europa League in the third qualifying round should Palermo win the Italian Cup against Inter on Sunday.

It was the end of the road for the Sensi family at the Olympic Stadium and, after defeating Sampdoria 3-1 with Francesco Totti scoring his 207th Serie A goal, the captain presented outgoing president Rosella with a bunch of flowers while the rest of the team trooped by for a sweaty embrace with the tearful Signora.

There were no flowers and probably not even a farewell card for Gigi Del Neri, who ended his brief and terrifying reign at Juventus with a draw against Napoli, making a hasty exit with the Old Lady failing to qualify for Europe.

You couldn’t really say it was harsh or particularly surprising as the team failed to break free of the coach’s strict and prosaic game-plan to finish in seventh place.

The task of rebuilding Juve’s pride will be handed to one of their most combative midfielders Antonio Conte who took Siena back into the top flight and returns to the club with a reputation of suffering fools lightly which should make for some interesting discussions with the club’s hierarchy.

With the relegation issue already done and dusted last week, there was little to play for in six of the ten last day fixtures - for most it was just time to party and nowhere did they do that with more gusto than in Genoa.

The Rossoblu fans staged a mock funeral through the streets of the city to ‘mourn’ Samp’s drop to Serie B, but they did so in the manner of a Mardi Gras parade resplendent with floats, coffins and a fair smattering of nuns who were by no stretch of the imagination members of any holy order.

With that imagine burned into our brains let’s hope that Udinese can touch heaven rather than descend into hell come August.

Champs Milan choose who to chop from the old guard

Richard Whittle — Mon, 16 May 2011 11:39:00 GMT

When AC Milan won their first post-war title in 1951, the players shook hands on the pitch and their Hungarian coach Lajos Czeizer – known as “Zio” [Uncle] even by his players – took the team for a well-earned bowl of pasta and a glass of wine.

Massimiliano Allegri may not have picked up the tab for Saturday's lavish dinner topped off with a celebratory cake, but the club spared no expense in the San Siro celebrations which rivalled the Eurovision song contest in outlandishness, right down to Kevin Prince Boateng’s Michael Jackson impression.

There was no repeat of the gaudiness of last weekend in Rome: no running around in underwear or aiming fouled-month rants at Leonardo, although the Ultras in the Curva Sud couldn't resist a dig at Inter – unfurling a banner which read “18 titles, all of them on the pitch” in reference to their neighbours' court-awarded 2006 title in the wake of Calciopoli.

And on the pitch, everyone was back on their best behaviour as Allegri’s men steamrolled Cagliari 4-1 and then duly kept their brand-new kits on to parade in front of the packed stands.

As strobe lighting highlighted the names of those who had played their part in lifting the club’s 18th title – and their first in seven long Inter-dominated years – the pressing questions were already being raised. Is this the beginning of a new era of Silvio Berlusconi-funded dominance, or the glorious final curtain for a group of players who have served the club (and themselves) very well?

In the wake of the 2007 Champions League triumph, the club handed lavish contracts to Clarence Seedorf (now 35), Alessandro Nesta (35), Gennaro Gattuso (33), Andrea Pirlo (32 this week), Filippo Inzaghi (37) and current club captain Massimo Ambrosini (33). However, apart from Gattuso and Inzaghi, the other members of the old guard are out of contract in the next few weeks and the club must decide to cut them loose or reward them with further riches for another year or two.

Berlusconi’s right-hand man Adriano Galliani must reduce the €130m annual salary bill without threatening the defence of the title – and more importantly a genuine assault on the Champions League. While Ambrosini (who earns €3m a season – about £50,000 per week) and Nesta (€4.5m) are reportedly ready to accept a much reduced contract, Seedorf and Pirlo are seemingly less inclined to forfeit one last big pay-day for another tilt at European glory.

Milan may now be demonstrably the best team in Italy but in Europe they've fallen a long way from reaching three finals (winning two) in five years under Carlo Ancelotti between 2003 and 2007; since that last win – which marked a record-breaking seventh success in Europe's premier competition – they haven't even reached the quarter-finals.

Galliani has been postponing negotiations until the title was clinched but this week will bring tough decisions all round. Seedorf has claimed that he could accept mega-offers from Dubai or Russia but he won't use that as leverage; if money's not a major issue in his life he may well remain, unless Galliani greatly reduces his current €4m salary.

"Let's stay together": straitened times for Nesta, Seedorf and Pirlo

The matter is more complex for Pirlo, who doesn't fit in with Allegri’s plans – according to the coach’s assistant Mauro Tassotti, who let that open secret slip out last week. The midfielder is the club’s second-highest paid player on €6m – roughly £100,000 per week. He won't see those figures again but his languid (read: sluggish) style clashes with Allegri’s high-paced approach of getting the ball forward as quickly as possible.

Pirlo has also made conciliatory overtures that money isn't important – well, up to a point – but now that he has some silverware in the cabinet and his feet under the table, Allegri may feel that the party is well and truly over for Milan’s old swingers and it’s time to hand the dance floor over to a new generation.

Palermo prepare to pour into Rome for Coppa Italia

Richard Whittle — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:06:00 GMT

As all ancient would-be conquerors would no doubt testify, you can't march on Rome without a large army. Thankfully for Palermo, they're expecting more than 30,000 fans backing them at the Italian Cup Final in the Stadio Olimpico a week on Sunday.

The Sicilians have never won anything of note and last reached the cup final back in 1979, losing in extra-time to Juventus. But the Sicilian city is at fever pitch with expectation, Rosanera flags and banners hanging on every street corner.

In fact, Palermo hasn't witnessed such unbridled fervour since promotion in 2004. The morning after the team eliminated newly-crowned Serie A champions AC Milan in the semi-final, travel agencies and internet sites were inundated with travel requests to the Eternal City, where holders Inter await.

Supporters’ clubs have organised coaches, chartered flights, booked ferries to Naples and trains up to Rome – as well as pooling resources to make the long drive to the mainland (if they take the shorter ferry via Messina it's 600 miles).

It has been, by no stretch of the imagination, a rollercoaster season for the team. And there in the middle, hanging on for dear life, is Delio Rossi – who was sacked back in February following a 7-0 humiliation at home to Udinese, only to be reinstated last month when results failed to improve under Serse Cosmi.

FEATURE Mon 28 Feb: Palermo fans regret backing boss after 7-0 home humiliation

Rossi has been put through hoops by club owner Maurizio Zamparini on a regular basis and the joke doing the rounds is that the coach’s job is safe until after the Cup final.

There is in fact more of a grain of truth in what the local wags are saying around the bars and street cafes, with reports that Zamparini has already lined up former Palermo midfielder Gian Piero Gasperini, who led Genoa into the Europa League.

It wouldn’t be the first that Rossi has won the Coppa Italia and got the boot: he led Lazio to victory over Sampdoria in a 2009 penalty shoot-out but left the Biancocelesti within a month. His relationship with president Claudio Lotito had gone so sour that Lotito hardly acknowledged Rossi’s part in the cup success – and apparently still owes him part of his unpaid contract.

It’s no wonder that the 50-year-old was left in tears and he could be welling again in a few weeks where Zamperini will no doubt be hogging the limelight. He has already stated that lifting the cup would Palermo’s very own scudetto and was more than willing to fund a summer-long party – so no pressure on Rossi and his players then.

The team may revolve around the mercurial skills of Javier Pastore but there is enough experience in the line-up with the likes of Cesare Bovo, Giulio Milgliaccio and Federico Balzaretti to match favourites Inter. The former two scored against Milan on Tuesday. Fabrizio Miccoli who will no doubt come into the equation, although there have been suggestions that Zamperini has demanded that the more bankable Abel Hernandez be given the starting role in attack – thus upping the young striker’s market value.

Rossi has been around long enough to know how the game is played, on and off the pitch – and if Zamperini thinks he can continue to manipulate his craggy but approachable coach in whatever manner he pleases, he could well be in for a surprise. “I would have no problems coaching Roma,” claimed Rossi, who once famously leapt into a Roman fountain after leading Lazio to a derby win. “I am a professional and I don’t see anything scandalous in managing Lazio’s rivals.”

With the scenes at the moment in Palermo and such statements from Rossi, this cup final could spark not only one of the most delirious celebrations ever but also one of the greatest acts of revenge in the history of Italian football.

Milkman Zanetti prepares to deliver for 1,000th time

James Horncastle — Wed, 11 May 2011 11:57:00 GMT

Independiente unwittingly made a milkman out of a young Javier Zanetti. “That was the year in which I did everything,” he said. “They let me go just when I’d closed my books at school and there was no chance of going to another club. So I started to work with my cousin Carlo who delivered milk for a dairy company. I would get up at four in the morning to go pick it up and then take it to the supermarkets. I had to arrive early. When we got out, we’d have lunch and then I’d go train with Talleres.”

A hard worker by nature who had to be persuaded to down tools and leave work on building a wall at the family home to play football with his friends in the Dock Sud barrio of Buenos Aires, it’s often forgotten that, as a child, Zanetti suffered from the same growth problems as Lionel Messi.

Indeed, many - not least Independiente, the club he still supports - wrote him off simply because of his size. “I was skinny,” he recalled. “We saw a lot of doctors. Some said that I wouldn’t grow. Others said that I would. One of them recommended that I eat lentils and potatoes. It traumatised me. I am incapable of swallowing one or the other to this day.”

What Zanetti did do, however, was drink half a litre of milk every day. The rounds with his cousin proved he certainly had stamina and it wasn’t long before he made it as a professional. “I still remember the face of my father, Ignacio Rodolfo at our house the night before my debut. September 1992, Buenos Aires, the third week of the season in National B at five o’clock in the afternoon: We were playing at home in a small ground – 5000 people more or less – Talleres against Instituto Cordoba. It finished 2-1 to us. I played 90 minutes on the right of a three-man midfield.”

Nineteen or so years later, the player nicknamed The Tractor is still ploughing his furrow in football. When Zanetti steps out on the pitch at San Siro tonight for the second leg of a Coppa Italia semi-final against Roma, he will make the 1,000th appearance of his remarkable career.

Zanetti lifts the Champions League trophy with Inter in 2010

To mark the occasion, Inter have prepared a special commemorative armband for their captain, featuring the names of nine other players to realise the feat from Peter Shilton, Ray Clemence and Pat Jennings to Paolo Maldini, Andoni Zubizarreta and Roberto Carlos. Asked to reveal his secret, Zanetti smiled: “I live peacefully, enjoying every training session, every game: I feel happy every day. I know that the time will come to say enough is enough, but I am not thinking about it right now.”

Zanetti arrived at Inter in August 1995. A videotape of his performances was one of the first things that landed on Massimo Moratti’s desk when he bought the club earlier that year. He watched it with his son, marveling at the youngster he saw playing in the green and white of Banfield against Boca Juniors in a famous match at the Bombonera.

Moratti’s South American scouts Giovanni Branchini and Paolo Taveggia were already in Argentina drafting reports on the River Plate playmaker Ariel Ortega and Independiente striker Sebastián Rambert when they decided to take in a match between Zanetti’s Banfield and Gimnasia De La Plata.

A bid arrived shortly afterwards and the rest, they say, is history. “I was in South Africa for a friendly with Argentina and the coach, Daniele Passarella said: ‘Inter have signed you’,” Zanetti told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “In that time, there wasn’t the Internet or anything. A van from the club came to pick me up at the airport and we went directly to the mountains for pre-season. I had my boots in a plastic bag. When they saw me drinking maté, the people thought I was crazy. They thought I was taking drugs…”

Not much was expected of the unassuming full-back, then aged just 22. No one could have known that the first transfer of the second Moratti era at Inter was also the best. Inter’s captain at the time Beppe Bergomi, who recently saw Zanetti beat his club appearances record in Serie A, was one of those taken by surprise.

Zanetti is congratulated for scoring in Inter's UEFA Cup Final win in '98

“I remember that we had bought Rambert at the same time and they talked about him as if he were a great player for the future, then there was Javier. The first day of training at Cavalese we were doing a possession-based exercise. Pupi never lost the ball. You couldn’t get it off him. It was glued to his feet. That day, I swear I said: ‘This one will make history with Inter’.”

Of course, looking back, nothing was guaranteed. Inter were in flux. Zanetti felt a long way from home and the adaptation wasn’t easy. “It was like there were no traffic lights in Italy,” he said. “I didn’t know when to cross and when not to. I used to walk out into the middle of the road and stop the traffic.” Hours were spent in one of Como’s phone boxes calling his childhood sweetheart Paula. “The worst time was in winter,” Zanetti sighed. “The doors didn’t close properly. Fortunately the fax machine arrived. I bought one right away. I wrote letters, messages, everything.”

Things on the pitch were tough too. Players and managers came and went [Zanetti has had no fewer than 12 at Inter], as a success-hungry Moratti driven by the desire to emulate his father tried to end the dominance of Milan and Juventus.

It became an all-consuming obsession, one fuelled by the conspiracy of la grande ruberia in 1998 with Mark Iuliano’s assault on Ronaldo and of course May 5, 2002 when Inter blew a six-point lead at the top of Serie A with five games remaining and threw away what would have been their first Scudetto for 13 years on the final day of the season.

The only constant was Zanetti and his hairstyle, the eternal side-parting. “Once we tried to change the cut,” he laughed. “Honestly, I can’t tell you what it looked like.” Joking aside, he had been through it all, suffering just as much as Moratti. He only ever lost it once, his cool exterior betrayed by an uncharacteristic strop after Roy Hodgson substituted him during the 1997 UEFA Cup final against Schalke.

Parting shot: THAT haircut back in 1998

And yet, amid the frustration and disappointment of his first 10 years at Inter for which he had just two major trophies to show [the 1998 UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia in 2005], Zanetti’s outlook remained unyielding. The grass never looked greener on the other side. He didn’t take the easy way out, not even amid interest from Real Madrid in 2000.

“One day Giacinto Facchetti said to me: ‘Javier, you’ll never get anything without sacrifice’. Thanks to my father I always knew this. But hearing it from Giacinto had a special weight because he didn’t speak often, but his words were like stones.”

Naturally, the wisdom of Facchetti held true. It would all pay off in the end, for after the drought came the rain, bringing with it five straight Scudetti, an unprecedented treble last season and a Club World Cup. Few can boast a similar medals haul. A place in the pantheon of all-time greats surely lies in wait for Zanetti who counts Ryan Giggs and Kaká as the two best players he has come up against.

With a contract until 2013, the boots he brought to Inter in a plastic bag aren’t yet ready to be hung up at Appiano Gentile. A run of 137 consecutive games in Serie A stretching from October 26, 2006 to March 24, 2010 led José Mourinho to say: “His passport must be wrong. He can’t be 36. He must be 25 or 26 at the most.” When cast in that light, Diego Maradona’s decision to leave Zanetti out of his World Cup squad last summer – ostensibly because “he no longer has the legs” – looks foolhardy to say the least.

“In Italy, they say that I am Inter’s Maldini. So it must mean that I am the Argentine Maldini,” Zanetti said. "If I feel like I do today in 2013 then maybe the time to retire will come later.” And who knows maybe he’ll get a new haircut. “I will never change it,” he grins. Then again, maybe not.

Allegri free to bask in title glory as Milan end seven year wait

Richard Whittle — Mon, 09 May 2011 10:48:00 GMT

There is no doubting the fact AC Milan more than deserved to be crowned Italian champions on an evening of high emotion at Rome’s Olympic Stadium.

It has been seven long years since the Scudetto was last pinned to the Rossoneri shirt and this eighth title of the Silvio Berlusconi era has to be one of the most satisfying, having come in what was supposed to be merely a transitional season.

However, despite the potential upheaval of the arrival of a new coach and the signing of a few players with what can only be described as suspect temperament, every element gelled perfectly. The statistics speak for themselves: 23 wins, nine draws and just four defeats with two games still to play.

It was around the turn of the year that Milan really started to look genuine title favourites, following the arrival of Antonio Cassano and Mark Van Bommel, with the Dutchman forcing Andrea Pirlo onto the sidelines even when the playmaker was fully fit.

But it has been a real team effort. Centre back Thiago Silva has performed brilliantly and must be a shoo-in for player of the year - tellingly Milan have only conceded six league goals since mid January. At the other end Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexandre Pato and Robinho all reached double figures on the goalscoring front; the only three-pronged attack in Serie A to achieve that feat so far this season.

“Milan, you are the most beautiful,” was Sunday edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport’s fawning take on the title triumph, although in truth “functional” may have been more apt a description; particularly in the light of Saturday’s professional performance in Rome, when Allegri's side ground out the single point required to ensure they would hoist the tricolour for the first time since 2004.

This Rossoneri side quite simply get the job done, and the unassuming Massimiliano Allegri has not shied away from making the tough decisions, such as jettisoning Ronaldinho and keeping Cassano on the bench. The joker may have gotten his own back by dousing the coach in champagne at the final whistle, but Allegri remained characteristically unruffled.

The boss can rightly bask in the glory and the travelling support of well over 10,000 were treated to a team in the throes of unbridled joy – as united in their moment of glory as they had been all season.

Ibrahimovic, who continued his record of winning a league title in the first year at every club, was rightfully grinning like the cat that got the cream; Pato received a kiss from his beau Barbara Berlusconi, who is being groomed to take over from dad one day soon; even Massimo Oddo got a bit of exercise when he bet everyone he could run a lap of the running track in 55 seconds or less – which he achieved.

The celebrations continued back at the team hotel into the early hours of the morning, before the team refocused in preparation for their Italian Cup semi-final second leg at Palermo, with the scores currently tied at 2-2.

Taking the shirt off the King's back

They say seven is a lucky number, but who would have thought seven little words would lead to fifteen minutes of fame?

Okay, it wasn’t up there with “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” but having yelled “The King of Rome is not Dead: Francesco Totti” after the AS Roma captain scored his second goal in the derby against Lazio back in March, life has been a little different for my good self.

There had been a surge of interest on YouTube and an upping of friend requests on Facebook, but when the man himself unveiled the words on a t-shirt after the Bari game last week, events took a somewhat surreal turn.

Everyone wanted to know who had uttered the phrase now immortalised on in football history, so there was heavy rotation on Italian TV of the moment when I had through no forethought entered the AS Roma lexicon.

There has been an interview on Sky Italia’s sports news channel, numerous appearances on Roman radio stations and promises of free meals if I ever drop into certain eateries in the capital.

The daily newspaper dedicated to all things Giallorossi, Il Romanista, called to say that the great man would like to meet the person behind the voice and so as I happened to be in the area on Saturday evening after commentating the title decider, I descended into the depths of the Olympic stadium for a quick chat.

And swift word it was at that, as royalty has little time to converse with the masses, but after some pleasantries and a symbolic handing over of the t-shirt, the King was gone engulfed by his adoring public – and I was left to claim my free pizza and a return to normality.

Italy celebrates its perfect 10s as Totti overtakes Baggio

James Horncastle — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:35:00 GMT

All they had was 20 minutes. It was February 10, 1999 and Italy were sparring in a friendly against Norway under the leaning tower of Pisa when Dino Zoff threw on a 22-year-old Francesco Totti to play alongside Roberto Baggio.

Il Divin Codino had already struck the post from a free-kick. He now moved over to the left-hand side to make way for his protégé. “Totti was without doubt Baggio’s heir,” Zoff said. “Even then I knew that he had the qualities to be so and his career and his numbers confirm it.”

The match ended 0-0, but never before had Italy seen so much fantasia on the pitch at the same time, partly because of coach Ferruccio Valcareggi's damned ‘relay’ between Sandro Mazzola and Gianni Rivera in 1970. We would never see these two formidable modern No.10s play together again.

Perhaps we would have discovered they were incompatible, but perhaps not. The only thing that stays with us is the magic. Unfortunately time was against them. Baggio’s career with Italy was coming to an end while that of Totti, a player nine and a half years his junior and a debutant in Azzurro in 1998, was only just beginning.

Memories of their brief encounter were piqued on Sunday when a brace in a topsy-turvy 3-2 victory over Bari saw Totti overtake Baggio and go fifth in Serie A’s all-time goalscoring charts with numbers 205 and 206. Interviewed by Sky Italia after the match, Totti unveiled a T-shirt on which was written “The King of Rome is not dead” – a slogan coined by FourFourTwo’s very own columnist Richard Whittle while commentating on the Rome derby in March.

“The King will never die,” Totti said. “I know what I can give. The slogan is for everyone who thought I was dead. I am happy to have broken another record and to reach a champion like Baggio. He was a great player, someone who made history. But if I have a quality it’s that of not being envious of anyone... I enjoyed designing a T-shirt with the Colosseum on the front and me on the back making the ciuccio gesture of sucking my thumb.”

Totti had prepared his commemorative clothing 10 days earlier, but Simone Perrotta scored the only goal when his former side Chievo visited the Olimpico on April 23. He faced another dilemma on Sunday when, after passing Baggio’s landmark, the referee awarded Roma another penalty. “I had already written 206 so I missed it on purpose because I only had this one T-shirt,” he laughed.

Baggio, meanwhile, wasted no time in lauding the King of Rome. “He is an example. With his passion and love for this sport, Francesco is the symbol of the fact that you can always go further, and I’d like to give him one piece of advice: he has the quality and the ability to concentrate on reaching the players who are still above him in the scoring charts. He is one of the last true No.10s.”

;

Inevitably, though, it wasn’t long before comparisons were being made between the two players whom Marcello Lippi described as “monuments of Italian football”, with debate focusing on their contrasting fortunes in the World Cups of 1994 and 2006. To Totti’s credit, he saw through the parlour game right away. “I won it and he didn’t, is that what you’re saying? But he was only playing with one leg.”

A breakdown of the statistics reveals just how little there is between the pair whether it be in terms of goals scored with the right and the left foot (which Totti shades 89 to 84 and 29 to 25) or set-pieces (which Baggio edges 21 to 18 on free-kicks and 69 to 57 on penalties). Either way, both are tied on goals considered decisive, with a staggering 96 each. It’s really tit-for-tat with two Scudetti here, one Scudetto there, a Ballon d’Or here, a Golden Boot there.

“Baggio was the poet, a dream, an absolute love, which in Florence they compared to that between Dante and Beatrice,” wrote La Repubblica. “Totti instead is a party or a religion, absolute and untouchable. He has an entire [Roman] nation to lead.”

Perhaps it’s best to leave the last word to Carlo Mazzone, who famously mentored Totti at Roma and Baggio at Brescia. “I am privileged because I had the luck of seeing Totti’s first goal in Serie A as well as the fantastic culmination of Baggio’s career,” he recalled. “If I had been able to coach both of them together in the same team I would have won a lot and certainly wouldn’t have lost all my hair. I’d like it a lot if we could all have dinner together and remember their goals.”

Indeed, wouldn’t we all.

Sampdoria live dangerously while Milan live in wait

Richard Whittle — Tue, 03 May 2011 10:26:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 30 Apr Cesena 1-2 Internazionale; Napoli 1-0 Genoa; Sun 1 May Fiorentina 5-2 Udinese; Milan 1-0 Bologna; Catania 2-0 Cagliari; Chievo 1-0 Lecce; Sampdoria 3-3 Brescia; Bari 2-3 Roma; Parma 3-1 Palermo; Mon 2 May Lazio 0-1 Juventus

The bunting was out, the open-top coach revved and ready to go, the ‘Scudetto Number 18’ T-shirts printed... but, of course, the uninvited cousin turned up to spoil the party.

AC Milan were five minutes away from needing only a draw with Bologna on Sunday to be crowned champions. Then Inter equalised in the 91st minute at Cesena and, revelling in being killjoys, scored the winner four minutes later.

Giampaolo Pazzini, who was only on the pitch because Goran Pandev had to limp off injured, netted both goals to ensure the title would be kept tantalisingly out of the Rossoneri’s grasp for another week, despite their win over the Rossoblu.

Leonardo joked that it had all been planned as such, but there was no sign of Pazzini making an entrance until the ineffectual Pandev was felled 15 minutes from time.

Inter’s victory did at least spare us the sight of Kevin-Prince Boateng carrying out his threat to dress up as Michael Jackson and moonwalk around the San Siro stadium.

The Prince will have to wait a couple of weeks to slip on the glove in Milan, as the champions-elect are at AS Roma on Saturday, where potential title celebrations will be more muted.

But it is at the other end of the table that the real drama was to be found over the weekend.

Six sides, as far up the table as Bologna on 40 points, were scrambling to avoid joining already relegated Bari in Serie B.

At this stage of the season, with nerves frayed and battered from the relegation scrap, mental strength is needed to avoid the drop – so it is no surprise that Sampdoria have continued to live on the edge.

Following the January sale of Antonio Cassano and the aforementioned Pazzini, the Blucerchiati have been in free-fall, winning a grand total of three games. The latest of these was at lowly Bari last week, after the team had been hounded out of Genoa by irate Ultras, who had stoned the team coach on its return from defeat at Milan.

The actual coach, Alberto Cavasin, was then confronted by a group of supporters outside the Bogliasco training ground, forcing him to retreat with threats of physical violence ringing in his ears.

It is no wonder the squad upped sticks and headed off to Rome to prepare for the Bari game, but there was nowhere to hide on Sunday back at the Luigi Ferraris stadium.

Samp had lost their last five home games ahead of the arrival of second-bottom Brescia for what had been inevitably billed as a ìmust-winî game. Ticket prices had been slashed to between five and 10 Euros – not bad value for an afternoon of high drama in the sun.

The crowd, to their credit, did get behind the team even as they fell behind on three occasions before managing to draw 3-3 in stoppage time through Daniele Mannini.

If the draw left Brescia marooned five points from safety, the point did Cavasin’s men little good either. They are just a point ahead of Lecce, still in the relegation zone after losing at Chievo. Samp do, however, hold the advantage in the head-to-head tie-breaker, having won in Salento.

Pazzini also did his old club a favour with his goals at Cesena: the Bianconeri are now only a point in front of Sampdoria. But as fate would have it, Genoa are waiting to inflict a potential coup de grace in the derby next weekend.

Genoa would take great delight in sending their city rivals down, and the bear pit of the Marassi will not be for the faint-hearted.

Elsewhere, Francesco Totti is deserving of congratulations. The Golden Boy moved ahead of Roberto Baggio into fifth place in the all-time Serie A goalscoring charts with two goals at Bari, taking the AS Roma captain’s tally to 206 goals.

Totti donned a T-shirt bearing the inscription ìThe King of Rome is not deadî, and explained that an English-language commentator uttered the words after he had scored the second goal in the derby against Lazio in March.

Well, I guess that is my 15 minutes of fame, although I hope to meet the great man on Saturday after the Milan game, where at least someone will be celebrating.

Milan almost champions but fight for fourth continues

Richard Whittle — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:41:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 23 Apr Roma 1-0 Chievo; Bologna 0-2 Cesena; Cagliari 1-2 Fiorentina; Internazionale 2-1 Lazio; Genoa 4-2 Lecce; Palermo 2-1 Napoli; Udinese 0-2 Parma; Bari 0-1 Sampdoria; Brescia 0-1 Milan; Juventus 2-2 Catania

AC Milan had lost the habit of winning the league title, but a barren period stretching back to 2004 is now almost over after a slender weekend win at Brescia took them eight points clear of Inter.

The Rossoneri, who have led the table since early November, could seal their 18th Scudetto next weekend with a home win over Bologna if Inter fail to win at Cesena. Even if Inter equal their neighbours' result, Milan could clinch the title with a draw as Rima the following weekend.

It would cap a remarkable first season in charge for Massimiliano Allegri, who has moulded the team into a solid and consistent outfit – if not a jaw-dropping pedigree compared to vintage Silvio Berlusconi teams.

IN THE NEW FFT Read how Berlusconi invented modern football

However, to be so far ahead with four games remaining is probably something not even dear old Silvio would have envisaged. In fact, until the early-April derby when Milan turned over the defending champions 3-0, it seemed that the momentum was with Leonardo’s men.

SERIE AAAARGH Mon 4 April Allegri's derby lesson sends Leo to the shadows

It has been one of those seasons where Milan have been able to keep their heads while all around them their main rivals have been losing theirs. The match at Brescia this weekend was a case in point: having squandered chance after chance, wayward culprits Antonio Cassano and Robinho finally combined for the Brazilian to score the only goal of the game.

Alexandre Pato’s fragile hamstrings and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s recent disciplinary problems, which have seen the Swede sit out two three-game suspensions, have been circumnavigated by a squad numbering a healthy 31 players. Without the January arrivals of Cassano, Mark van Bommel and to some extent Urby Emanuelson, the team wouldn't now be in such a position where they can afford a dip in form.

Inter’s self-harming in the first half of the season – mishandling the Rafa Benitez appointment and subsequently failing to back their coach when the dressing room turned against the Spaniard – also helped send the Scudetto across the city.

Meanwhile, the failure of AS Roma and Juventus to mount a serious challenge left Napoli, Lazio and Udinese to take on the Milanese giants. The chase for the title is not for the faint-hearted and the aforementioned trio have been found wanting when it really mattered in recent weeks.

Napoli’s defeat at Palermo on the back of their home loss to Udinese last weekend has ended their faint hopes of sparking the sort of celebrations last seen in the Diego Maradona era, while Udinese crumbled at home against lowly Parma to undo all their hard work of winning in Naples.

Lazio demonstrated their own feet of clay: having been gifted the opportunity to record their first win at Inter since 1998, they failed to seize the moment.

Edy Reja's side were a goal up and a man up after Inter keeper Julio Cesar was red-carded for a last-man foul on Mauro Zarate and the Argentinian despatched the subsequent spot-kick. However, it was the home side who grabbed the initiative, showing some of that never-say-die spirit so much in evidence when Jose Mourinho was in charge.

Fighting back and then taking the lead with 10 men has done the power of good to Leonardo’s case to be retained as coach; a runners-up finish plus a place in the Italian Cup final should ensure that the Brazilian will be smoothly patrolling the touchline once again next season.

Leo will hope that Massimo Moratti provides funds for reinforcements rather than allow Wesley Sneijder to leave for Manchester United as the Italian sports press are sure in their belief will happen.

In some way the old order has been re-established with the Milan clubs first and second while Napoli should hold on to third spot – which leaves the fourth and final Champions League place still for grabs.

STATS Serie A table, results & fixtures

With Lazio and Udinese wobbling – and Juve pressing the self-destruct button against Catania where they led 2-0, missed a hatful of chances to be completely out of sight and were pegged back with the last kick of the game – Roma are suddenly back in the frame after their narrow win over Chievo.

Vincenzo Montella’s men have the easiest run-in, especially if Milan are already champions before the sides meet in two weeks. But having come so far, Lazio and Udinese’s fate is still in their own hands although they must now dig deep or face late heartbreak.

There may be no cliffhanger for the title but the chase for the final Champions League spot should keep us on the edge of our seats.

Americans come to Roma's rescue

Richard Whittle — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:08:00 GMT

The Americans are coming, the Americans are coming... 67 years after Allied forces marched unopposed into the Italian capital, on Friday 15 April AS Roma became the first major Italian club to end up in foreign hands.

Thomas DiBenedetto is the American in Rome who has taken the plunge into the murky, mysterious world of calcio – where nothing is ever as it seems but everything is crystal clear to those who have shaped that exclusive members' club.

DeBenedetto (right) announces his takeover

The Sensi family, who are walking away with a tidy sum after 18 years at the helm of the Giallorossi, have known that world inside out – first under patriarch Franco and then more recently with his daughter Rosella. But in truth Roma have never been invited into the inner sanctum occupied by Juventus and the Milanese clubs.

Despite on-field progress – a league title in 2001, two Italian Cups and two Italian Super Cups, three second-place finishes in the last four seasons – the Sensi family, under the Italpetroli umbrella company, ended up saddling the club with debts reckoned to be north of €300m.

So when their major creditor Unicredit Bank decided that the situation was no longer sustainable they looked outside Italy for a white knight, knowing that no viable rescue package would be forthcoming at home.

DiBenedetto and his consortium – which includes Fenway Sports Group, parent company of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool – offered the best option for all parties involved. Even so, there was a maze of financial intrigue to unravel before the American would commit, including 90 claims from former club employees – one of which was a reported outstanding payment of €5m to former striker Gabriel Batistuta.

The devil is in the detail, as they say, so while rumours abounded in the capital that DiBenedetto would walk away from the deal, as his fellow countryman George Soros had done in the past, he and his advisers were in fact completing the most stringent of due diligence.

There was plenty of euphoria in the Stadio Olimpico last weekend ahead of the league game against Palermo when the news came through that a deal had finally been reached, with the stars and stripes in prominence along with the somewhat lost in translation “Welcome Uncle Tom” banners.

Romans welcome the Ital-American

Despite his Italian origins from the Abruzzo region, DiBenedetto seems very much the archetypical American businessman of a certain age and manner so he has needed to surround himself with those who have a feeling for local sensibilities.

One such is James Pallotta, one of four partners in the newly-formed group DiBenedetto AS Roma LLC. He's also an Ital-American but his maternal grandmother was born near Rome.

What the new bosses will find when they arrive at Trigoria training complex will be a mixed bag of those secure in the knowledge that they will have a part to play in the new organisation and those nervously awaiting their marching orders.

Already earmarked as sporting directors are Franco Baldini and Walter Sabatini – the former back at the club where he worked alongside Fabio Capello, the latter having been instrumental in bringing Javier Pastore to Palermo before inevitably falling out with the Sicilian club’s firebrand owner Maurizio Zamparini.

They will be given the task of attracting star names – Gigi Buffon and the aforementioned Pastore are heading the list – but they will not be bankrolled in the manner of mega-rich Arab backers, which should at least ensure that a sense of realism remains intact.

Whether Vincenzo Montella stays on as coach must also be dealt with delicately, but Carlo Ancelotti returning to a club where he played with distinction would help expunge fan doubts over whether the Roman identity will be diluted.

There is no doubt that situation at the club can only improve and although DiBenedetto naturally set out the remit of winning the league, what is needed is a period of stability – and failure to qualify for the Champions League may not be a disaster after all, despite Lazio’s participation.

Serie A as it stands – click for more stats

With Serie A set to have its quota reduced to three clubs in the competition from the season after next, then, the new-look Roma could concentrate on domestic matters from August safe in the knowledge that the new investment will cushion the blow of missing out on Europe’s premier competition.

As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day but at least the foundations have been laid.

Sleepwalking Inter risk going from heroes to zeros after European exit

Richard Whittle — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:42:00 GMT

It was always going to be an exercise in futility for Inter as they desperately attempted to defend their Champions League title in the second leg of a quarterfinal in which they already trailed 5-2, but the holders could not even exit the competition with some semblance of pride.

The task in Germany had been made nigh on impossible after conceding five goals at home to Schalke 04, so the return leg was of mere academic interest, with only the Italian press flying against the wind of common sense.

“Inter, Believe”, ran the headline in La Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday which was met with a wave of head shaking and shoulder shrugging over coffee in the Milanese cafes, while this morning’s “Game Over” on the front page of the same paper was greeted with knowing nods.

The 2-1 defeat in Gelsenkirchen ensured that the team could not even return home with their heads held high - with Diego Milito doing his best Fernando Torres impression, Wesley Sneijder a spent force mentally and physically, and everyone else sleepwalking through the evening, only Samuel Eto’o kept the embers of hope flickering.

In the end, however, the lights have gone out on Italy’s presence in Europe this season and for Inter the repercussions are likely to be felt back on the domestic front.

Leonardo now has to pick up his worn-out players for Saturday’s league match at Parma - who are themselves battling for their Serie A lives - before facing a resurgent AS Roma in the first leg of the Italian Cup semi-final next Tuesday.

After all the strutting and posturing under Jose Mourinho throughout last year’s treble success, opposition fans up and down the country cannot wait to don t-shirts emblazoned with ‘zero titles’ this time around.

Inter are currently five points off Milan at the top of the table with six games to play and the momentum is certainly with their city cousins, who welcome free-falling Sampdoria to the San Siro on Saturday evening.

While Massimo Moratti has slinked back into the shadows to plot for next season’s rebuilding programme, Silvio Berlusconi is basking in the limelight and at the same time blinding the populous with extravagant promises.

Using ‘if’ rather than ‘when’ we win the league, the happy cavalier promised a summer filled with beautiful young things parading in front of him – and before you get any ideas the aging Lothario was talking about new signings - in particular Cristiano Ronaldo.

Such statements may be instant vote winners and although the sight of the Portuguese poser and Zlatan Ibrahamovic hogging the ball is a tantalising one there is more chance of the Real Madrid player appearing as a defence witness at the prime minister’s ‘bunga bunga’ sex trial - and that’s not a joke, the former Manchester United man really has been listed as potential witness.

Unsurprisingly, Ibra does not appear on the defence team’s star-studded roll-call of those expected to testify for the PM’s standing as an upright citizen.

The sulky Swede obviously attended the same finishing school as Wayne Rooney, but rather than swear at inanimate objects he took his wrath out on the referee’s assistant last weekend at Fiorentina and was shown a straight red card.

Slapped with a three-game suspension, Zlat was much more sanguine and accepted he had been wrong, no doubt in the hope of only having to sit on the naughty step for two games - although the three fixtures would be Samp, followed by Brescia and then Bologna.

It is no surprise that Massimiliano Allegri is not too concerned and Ibra’s absence solves a selection headache, what with the Alexandre Pato finding the back of the net at the rate of a goal every other game and dovetailing neatly with Robinho, while for all his foibles Antonio Cassano is just the type to have a field day against lesser sides.

Not only does the thought of Milan running away with the title in the final weeks occupy Inter minds but also the threat posed by Napoli for the runners-up spot.

Walter Mazzarri’s side are two points clear of Inter and face a pivotal moment on Sunday against Udinese, who have slipped off the pace of late. But they do so knowing they are at home in front of a sell-out San Paolo stadium where belief of an unlikely title success remains very much alive.

Such conviction is now in short supply at Inter, who after relinquishing their European crown face the very real prospect of going from treble-winning heroes to trophyless zeroes unless they can find an instant pick-me-up.

Leonardo left speechless as Inter face up to the end of an era

Richard Whittle — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:32:00 GMT

Leonardo’s voice had gone long before the end of last night’s humiliation, which was just as well because there was little he could have said in defence of Inter’s performance in the Champions League quarterfinal humbling at the hands of Schalke 04.

The team may have sleepwalked through their 3-0 loss to AC Milan at the weekend but the 5-2 thumping at the San Siro stadium was a footballing nightmare for the Nerazzurri faithful.

It’s hard to believe barely a week ago there was talk of a Treble repeat in the air - but there must now be serious doubts as to whether Leonardo has what it takes to handle the pressure that comes with coaching at the highest level.

The smooth-talking Brazilian has never won a Milan derby or a home tie in the Champions League as a coach, although in his defence he has taken over an Inter team coming to the end of their natural cycle.

It is an aging side which, despite winning everything there is to win over the 12 months, has finally run out of steam both mentally and physically - and club owner Massimo Moratti cannot allow the squad to remain so depleted through the close season.

It seems as though he will keep faith in his rookie coach unless Pep Guardiola can be prised away from Barcelona, but whoever is in charge next season faces a monumental challenge to ensure Inter do not become the forgotten men of Europe.

The biggest difference between the Champions League and the Italian domestic game is the fitness and explosive pace of many of the stronger teams in the continental competition; and Inter’s weakness in this area has been laid bare.

Having already conceded three times at home to the Premier League’s fifth-placed side, Tottenham Hotspur, they have now shipped five to a Bundesliga relegation contender on their own patch.

The spine of the team has snapped completely and although Julio Cesar - who once again walked home from the deserted San Siro - is still capable of brilliant reflex saves, without Lucio and Walter Samuel in the heart of the defence the goalkeeper is all too often left exposed.

Andrea Ranocchia, scorer of an own-goal against the Germans, is a young player of promise but he needs to play alongside a cooler head like Lucio, not the rash Cristian Chivu, who last night received is marching orders for the second time in three days having also been sent off in Saturday’s Milan derby.

Had it not been for Walter Samuel’s season-ending injury, Ranocchia would have continued to serve his apprenticeship on the domestic front with Genoa before being thrown into the brutal world of European club football – but instead his battering at the hands of Edu could well see his slender shoulders slump even further.

Douglas Maicon and Javier Zanetti currently look like spent forces, with Moratti surely regretting not cashing in on the Brazilian in the summer, and the old Tractor having too many miles on the clock to keep chugging away at full-back.

Not that the veteran, for all his heart and determination, can really cut it in midfield either, an area where Thaigo Motta, Esteban Cambiasso and Dejan Stankovic have all had their fitness problems, having regularly been run into the ground and outnumbered by much younger and more nimble opponents.

Wesley Sneijder is another whose body and mind are giving up, with the Dutchman becoming an ever more peripheral figure with each passing game. Diego Milito is returning from injury, but his sensational campaign of last year is an increasingly distant memory, while the general malaise has cut so deep that even Samuel Eto’o no longer looks the invincible force of nature he once was.

If the starting eleven can no longer lift themselves, then what hope for those coming off the bench? There was little or no genuine quality among last night’s replacements; Houssine Khajra looked out of his depth when he came on and Ivan Cordoba is another well past his sell-by date.

Despite these evident shortcomings, no team - not least Schalke - would have ever entertained the thought of scoring five goals against a Serie A side, let alone at the San Siro - and unsurprisingly the local press took a dim view of another embarrassing evening for Italian football.

Terms usually reserved for natural disasters were employed with plenty of gusto, with terms like ‘catastrophe’ and ‘collapse’ used in abundance.

La Gazzetto dello Sport went for the ‘No Defence’ plea and laid the blame at the feet of pretty much everyone connected with the club. However, Corriere dello Sport summed it up succinctly: ‘Inter routed.’

Inter’s reign as European champions is all but over, and it definitely felt like an end of an era for the current incarnation of the club after the most humbling few days of Leonardo’s brief coaching career.

Allegri's derby lesson sends Leonardo to the shadows

Richard Whittle — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:43:00 GMT

As Silvio Berlusconi might note, you can say one thing in public and do exactly the opposite in private. Certainly Berlusconi's employee Massimiliano Allegri did so in the build-up to Saturday’s Milan derby. The AC Milan coach had been telling all and sundry that this Derby della Madonnina was of much more importance to Inter, who trailed his side by two points at the top of the table.

Away from the media spotlight, however, he was no doubt priming his players for something more akin to the game of the season – and certainly the most important match of what is still a fledging coaching career for Allegri, having only taken the Rossoneri reins from Leonardo in the summer. Largely unheard of outside Italy, Allegri first cultivated a brand of pressure football (similar in style to the approach adopted by Arrigo Sacchi during his time at Milan) in the lower leagues with Sassuolo before making the step up to Serie A in charge of Cagliari back in 2008.

The transition to the big time at Milanello has gone smoothly so far, the only black mark coming in Champions League elimination by Tottenham Hotspur. In fact, the jam-packed and feverishly humid San Siro was reminiscent of a big European night – the teams even trained on the newly-laid turf the previous day – but from the kick-off it was clear which side had their minds totally focused on the task ahead.

In no short measure, Milan tore into their city cousins and never let go of their iron grip from the moment Alessandro Pato opened the scoring inside a minute.
If reports are to be believed the Duck is also stepping out with Silvio Berlusconi’s daughter Barbara who was in the stands – and the newly beefed-up and loved-up Pato was full of the joys of spring all evening.

Freed of the shackles of the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Brazilian whizz cut through the fragile Nerazzurri backline – itself shorn of the suspended Lucio – with darting runs from myriad angles.

With Robinho equally fleet-footed, Cristian Chivu, Douglas Maicon, Javier Zanetti and Andrea Rannocchia must have thought they were facing two Gareth Bale clones, such was the hesitant nature of their defending. One of them had to go and in the end it was Chivu, sent off for a last-man foul on Pato – although even before they went down to 10, Inter were only postponing the inevitable.

The outnumbered midfield of Thaigo Motta and Esteban Cambiasso had already been steamrolled by the imperious Mark van Bommel, Rino Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf well before Pato headed home the second just after the hour mark. Leonardo’s game-plan of a three-man attack was left in tatters.

Much had been made of the Brazilian knowing his old club inside-out – but by the same measure, Allegri (and more importantly his assistant Mauro Tassotti, who had shadowed Leo for a whole season) were well prepared for the opposition’s approach.

Milan were left to prepare for the game in relative peace and tranquillity while Leonardo faced the glare as the returning Judas – and so it came to pass. The Curva Sud, where the Rossoneri Ultras gather in the San Siro, unfurled a gigantic banner depicting the Last Supper fresco by that other Leonardo – Da Vinci – although the traditional meal scene had been replaced by glasses of beer.

Below it was writ large in no uncertain terms the feelings towards Leo’s defection to the other side of town – "Giuda Interista" ["Inter Judas"] – along with a poetic reference to selling one's soul for “30 pieces of silver".

They love a banner, those Ultras

It seemed for a moment that Gattuso was going to serve Leo’s head up on a platter when he ran to the Inter bench after the opening goal for a few choice words with the man he freely admits he never got on with, although thankfully the pit-bull midfielder managed to keep his head and did apologise as the teams walked off at half-time.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Antonio Cassano failed to engage his brain when he came on with 10 minutes remaining as if he was some conquering hero – only to be sent off in injury time.

It was classic Cassanata – grabbing centre stage when the match had already been won; tearing off his shirt after scoring the penalty, thus garlanding a yellow card; and then moments later receiving a second booking for a needless challenge on Ivan Cordoba. There has never been a bigger airhead in Italian football, although Mario Balotelli seems to carrying the torch for those who brains remain firmly in their feet.

For once Berlusconi was scrambling for the moral high ground, forgiving Leonardo for pitching up at the court of Moratti and then claiming that the Manchester City striker was not a Milan type of player. Meanwhile, rumours grow that Cassano may be used as a makeweight to secure Kevin Prince Boateng’s permanent move from Genoa.

Well, few would have thought of Leonardo as a future Inter coach so tales of Cassano’s return to the red and blue half of the Liguria port city may not be that wide of the mark.

In the meantime, Allegri will continue to underplay the title run-in while Leonardo will have to remain in the shadows around Milan for some time to come.

Aquilani enjoying renaissance as Italy go for a stroll in the park

Richard Whittle — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:02:00 GMT

The Italians love nothing more than their passeggiata (a traditional early evening stroll), so there is plenty of satisfaction with the way the national team’s Euro 2012 qualifying campaign is progressing.

Group C is turning into something of a walk in the park for Italy after victory in Slovenia took the Azzurri’s advantage at the top of the table to six points over both their hosts on Friday and Serbia.

The only goal of the game in Ljubljana came from Brazilian-born Thaigo Motta, who Cesare Prandelli had to implore long and hard to take up Italian nationality. But it was one of Italy’s very own lost souls who really stood out.

Alberto Aquilani looked set for a glittering international career when the then-AS Roma midfielder scored twice against Montenegro during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers and seemed to have answered Marcello Lippi’s calls to lead the country into a brave new future after the disappointments of Euro 2008.

Unfortunately, that future would be one of niggling injury after niggling injury, which saw him lose his standing in the Capital and then his international place - and those same fitness problems also blighted his stay at Liverpool, where his name became synonymous with ‘big-money flop’.

After making just nine starts for the Reds, a return to Italy and Juventus on a season-long loan offered ’the Little Prince’ hope, but the Roman walked into a side struggling to find an identity under Luigi Del Neri - a coach who had never put creativity ahead of work-rate.

Thankfully, Prandelli is now in a position to look beyond next week’s result and giving Aquilani the timely platform to display his undoubted skill and poise could yet see the playmaker return to England as once-again a workable component within the Liverpool set-up.

At 26, Aquilani has never played in a World Cup or a European Championship but it seems he can now look forward to finally appearing on the big international stage come next summer.

With Andrea Pirlo now in his 30s and suffering from injury problems of his own and Daniele De Rossi’s ill-discipline still an issue, Prandelli is really in need of some genuine quality rather than wholesome endeavour in the centre of the pitch.

And on Friday’s evidence there is plenty about which to be positive - most notably the manner in which Aquilani controlled the tempo of the game, keeping the ball moving in his elegant style and bringing the attacking full-backs Christian Maggio and Federico Balzaretti into play when the opportunity arose.

Riccardo Montolivo was more water-carrier than creator but that only gave Aquilani more freedom and it was only the profligacy of the likes of Antonio Cassano that forced Italy to wait until almost the closing quarter-hour to break the deadlock.

Aquilani, by then, had been pushed forward to support the front-two of Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini in place of the hard-working Stefano Mauri, who had been replaced by another player experiencing something of a renaissance: Antonio Nocerino.

Motta, in turn, was also able to venture further forward and it was the Inter man’s driving run to the edge of the area which finally brought the much-deserved breakthrough.

In fact, the goal summed up Prandelli’s philosophy for Italy perfectly – born as it was out of commitment and quality – something that Aquilani will want to show more off to get his career back on track.

Prandelli continues to prime the next generation for Italy

Richard Whittle — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:55:00 GMT

Italy’s build-up to their Euro 2012 qualifier in Slovenia has been more about the notable absentees than those actually making the trip. Both Mario Balotelli and Daniele De Rossi have been left in the cold as Cesare Prandelli has observed his ‘code of ethics’ outlawing any sort of unsporting behaviour – which of course, if strictly abided to, would preclude most of the squad.

Neither Balotelli nor De Rossi had done anything untoward on the domestic front, coming a cropper in Europe with the young striker sent off for Manchester City in the Europa League while the AS Roma midfielder received a three-game ban from UEFA after being caught on video elbowing Shakhtar Donestk captain Darijo Srna.

Blacklisting two important members of the new-look Azzurri could yet backfire on the coach but rules are there to be… broken. Whilst De Rossi was seemingly unconcerned about missing out on the delights of a Friday evening in Ljubljana, preferring to use his imposed exile as an opportunity to rest up, Balotelli was reportedly pouring his heart out to his national team boss.

According to Prandelli, the troubled youth has demonstrated some hitherto untapped maturity and admitted that he is indeed the architect of his own downfall at the moment – and is in need of some guidance. The saintly Cesare has taken many a stray waif under his wing, so who better to guide the raw talent towards realising his undoubted potential?

Prandelli: "You wanna chillax, son"

Having extended the hand of forgiveness to both his bad boys, with Balotelli definitely back for the friendly against Ukraine next week, Prandelli then boosted the confidence of those attempting to build an international career.

With the likes of Francesco Totti, Antonio Di Natale and to a certain extent Alessandro Del Piero enjoying a rich vein of form, those in the current squad are being somewhat overshadowed and Prandelli joked that if the tie had been a crucial decider then the old guard would have been back.

Of course, the glory boys of 2006 won’t wear the blue shirt again – Prandelli hasn’t come this far to take a massive step backwards when the new generation of Italian footballers need all the support they can get.

In fact, he is something of a visionary and has put forward a proposal that a select group of under-21s are allowed to play as a team in Serie B, where they would gain valuable experience of the rough and tumble of professional life rather than kick their heels at clubs where there is no reserve-team football.

One player who has benefited from leaving a top team is Sebastian Giovinco, who looked set to become another wasted talent at Juventus where he failed to displace or even play alongside Del Piero.

With his confidence shot to pieces, the Atomic Ant moved on to Parma – and lo and behold, he's playing with the sort of verve and creativity that had originally marked him out as one to watch a few years ago.

Gaffer and Ant: "He's only this big!"

Prandelli’s selection policy is very simple: if a player is starting for his club on a regular basis, good; if he's playing well, even better. Thus Giovinco has been given his opportunity, as have Giuseppe Rossi, Alessandro Matri and Giampaolo Pazzini.

Giovinco has been touted for stardom for some time while Matri and Pazzini have made the step up at Juventus and Inter respectively. By contrast, at 25, Marco Parolo had never played in the top flight until this season.

However, despite turning out in a struggling Cesena side, Parolo's personal performances and eye for goal from midfield – he's scored two in the last three games – have been enough to ensure his call-up.

With the likes of Inter, AC Milan and Juve jammed pack with foreign stars, the inclusion of the likes of Parolo will give other players at less glamorous clubs the hope that their chance will come too. Prandelli may joke about the old guard waiting in the wings but he knows the future belongs to a new generation.

Pressure mounting on Rossoneri ahead of Milanese showdown

Richard Whittle — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:20:00 GMT

The international break could not have come at a more opportune moment for AC Milan, who have seen their lead over Inter whittled down from 13 points to just two since the turn of the year.

There are still just under two weeks to go before the Milanese showdown which could either completely blow the title race wide open again, see the leaders increase their lead once more or bring Napoli and - surprisingly but totally deservedly - Udinese into the hunt.

That’s two weeks for the main protagonists of the north to trade barbed comments and score points in the hope of gaining an edge come April 2.

Milan raised the tension level barely a moment after the final whistle had signalled the end of Inter’s win over Lecce at the San Siro on. The title holders edged past last season’s Serie B champions with a goal that the Rossoneri felt should not have stood, claiming that Giampaolo Pazzini had controlled the ball in exactly the same manner as Zlatan Ibrahimovic had against Bari a week previously.

The only difference was that the Milan striker had been pulled-up for hand-ball as he fired the ball into the net, while his Nerazzurri counterpart was allowed to run-off, displaying his trademark ‘look into my eyes’ goal celebrations.

Certainly, Inter president Massimo Moratti was in no mood for mud-slinging just yet and when questioned on the similarity of the two moments, he replied with a curt: “They were not the same, let’s move on.”

The big chief had been surrounded by journalists on almost exactly the same spot in the centre of the city where only last week Lionel Messi had found out just what it is like to be football superstar attempting to do a bit of shopping – you can’t – well not in Italy.

At least Moratti had room to breathe but that intrepid band of press, radio and television reporters who set up camp outside Inter headquarters every day were demanding scraps of derby tittle-tattle that they could turn into a full-blown headline.

Would Ibrahimovic’s absence be felt more by Milan than Lucio‘s would by Inter? “Let’s hope it is Ibrahimovic,” was the only response. Then knowing that the day would be almost over before he even got to the office a sly grin played across those ragged features.

“You know what, everyone is talking about Milan and Inter but there is another team that is doing amazing things: Napoli.”

What better to throw the dogs of the press off the scent that turn the spotlight on a side that only a few weeks ago were being written off as also-rans – much like Inter in fact – and in doing so put them under renewed pressure.

It was also an indirect dig at Milan, reminding them that matters had been all in their own hands three weeks ago when they had ran roughshod over the Neapolitans but failed to take advantage - but they now have teams within touching distance of knocking them off top spot.

The Azzurri are a point behind Inter and are in a position to take advantage if one of the Milan clubs fail to take maximum points on the same weekend they meet Lazio at home. Walter Mazzarri’s men also have a pretty benign month ahead of them with only Udinese at home causing any real worries, on paper at least.

And if current form is anything to go by, Udinese cannot be ruled out of causing the shock of all shocks despite being six points off the pace.

The flying Friuliani have not been beaten in 2011, accruing 33 points and going seven games without conceding a goal. Then if we were to find everyone level on points come the end of the campaign they hold sway over Inter, having beaten them twice, having also so far drawn at Milan and defeated Napoli - both of whom they will face again in the run-in.

Of course, no one believes that the south or the provinces will do what Napoli and Sampdoria once did back in the mid-80s and early 90s and wrest the title away from the northern metropolis.

However, no doubt when Moratti is cornered on the way to work again he will make sure to sing Udinese’s praises - as well as mentioning again that he is a big fan of their star player Alexis Sanchez.

Inter help to restore Italian pride as Ibra sulks and Milan sweat

Richard Whittle — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:30:00 GMT

The Tricolore was flying proudly around Italy yesterday as the country celebrated 105 years of unity.

The green, white and red colours of the national flag also happen to adorn the Scudetto badge awarded to the Serie A champions - and all of a sudden the impending culmination of this year’s title race looks very intriguing indeed.

AC Milan hold a five-point gap over Inter, with Napoli a further point behind - so the chances of a north-south showdown remain alive and well.

However, going into this weekend’s round of games the momentum is very much with the defending champions, who in these celebratory days are being heralded as the savours of national pride after overcoming Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

The Nerazzurri’s season has been given a massive lift by their exploits in Munich and they are now talking up their chances of another glorious Treble-winning season rather than one of transition following the Jose Mourinho’s departure and the failure of Rafa Benitez to adapt to Italian football.

Only five days ago, La Gazzetta Dello Sport where questioning Inter’s domestic dominance with the headline “Ciao Scudetto” (Goodbye Title) after their draw at Brescia but now it took easily be a case of “Hello Again, Title”.

Defending their Champions League crown can take a back-seat for a few weeks - as can the Italian Cup semi-final against AS Roma - leaving Leonardo’s men to concentrate on closing the gap on their city rivals.

The Milan Derby will be played immediately after the international break so for both sides a positive showing is a priority this weekend – and Inter certainly have the easier task. They’re at home to relegation-threatened Lecce on Sunday afternoon, and will already know exactly where they stand as Milan play at Palermo the previous evening.

Neither side can afford to take their eye off the ball, but while there is plenty of euphoria floating around the Inter camp - especially with the news that Leo has an almost full and fit squad at his disposal - it is a different story across town where Massimiliano Allegri is counting the cost of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s petulance last weekend.

The Swede let himself down once again when he swung an arm into Marco Rossi’s ribs as the Rossoneri trailed to by a goal to Bari, receiving a straight red card and a three-game suspension which will include the derby on April 2nd.

There is no doubt that the weight of being the go-to guy for the team is becoming a heavy burden – and even before last weekend’s irritable performance he had been well off form.

The thought of a month’s rest is not something that seems if filling big Zlat with the joys of Spring and he was snappy with anyone unfortunate to get anywhere near him in training, which also included assistant coach Mauro Tassotti who, during a practice game in which he was acting as referee, had the audacity to blow for a foul against the striker.

There was a moment of tough-guy staring between the pair before Ibra stormed off, quickly followed by Kevin Prince Boateng who limped away with a reoccurrence of the ankle injury sustained at Juventus. The Ghana midfielder is now a major doubt for the trip to Sicily.

Napoli, who are home to Cagliari on Sunday evening, are well aware of how crippling a suspension to a vital player can be and during Ezequiel Lavezzi’s three-game absence for his spitting offence against AS Roma, the Azzurri struggled and scored just once.

However, with the tricky Argentine restored to their ranks at Parma, normal service was resumed with El Pocho scoring one and setting up another in a 3-1 victory, which was just as well because Edinson Cavani is going through an Ibra moment having failed to score in the league since mid-February.

While Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri has Lavezzi to pick up the goalscoring slack and Leonardo has proven goal-getter Diego Milito raring to go again, Allegri’s options now seem a little more limited if Alexandre Pato, Antonio Cassano and Robinho fail to gel.

He will be hoping that without the presence of his moody team-leader, the trio can play with more freedom. Championships are won on pivotal moments and this weekend could be one of them.

Inter comeback spares Cesar's blushes and sets up possible Jose reunion

Richard Whittle — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:11:00 GMT

Three weeks ago Julio Cesar walked home from the San Siro after his fumble in the Champions League Last-16 first leg against Bayern Munich enabled Mario Gomez to score the only goal of the game in the dying moments.

In truth he only faced a brief stroll down the road to reach his apartment complex, so last night - after another blunder - the Brazilian must have felt like having an ‘Into the Wind’ moment and just hitting the highway until he ran out of road.

Samuel Eto’o had put the Nerazzurri back on level aggregate terms early on in the Allianz Arena when JC (not the other miracle maker) failed to hold onto an Arjen Robben effort and allowed Gomez to hook the ball home.

From then on all he could do was pray his team-mates could hoist him out of the hole of his own making so he could banish every goalkeeper’s reoccurring nightmare: the routine shot that turns into the squirming eel.

Fortunately, the much-derided Goran Pandev produced a dream finish and Julio Cesar could get on the bus again.

The feeling was that if Leonardo’s men could get it right at the back then they could overturn the one-goal deficit considering the attacking potential available in Eto’o, Welsey Sneijder and as it turned out, Pandev.

All three found the net, with the indomitable Eto’o setting up two, and on this evidence the team are taking on a similar personality to Leonardo’s AC Milan of last season - albeit with a few more potent players going forward.

There was little fun watching Jose Mourinho’s well-drilled side sucking the life out of European matches last year on their way to winning the competition, but they very rarely lived as dangerously as they did last night, with their defence evidently unsure of how to deal with the threat of Robben, Franck Ribery and Gomez not to mention the late runs of Thomas Mueller into the area.

Not for the first time in Europe, full-backs Cristian Chivu and Douglas Maicon looked particularly vulnerable and, had it not been for Julio Cesar’s quick reflexes and Lucio’s warrior-like defending, the Bundesliga side could have been out of sight before the break.

Mou’s men may have rarely, if ever, found themselves in a position where they needed to go on all out attack over 45 minutes to save their skins – it may have been nervy at times, but at least they would had everyone behind the ball generally protecting an advantage of some kind.

There is no doubt Leo got his tactics wrong for around an hour, leaving Sneijder out on the left where he spent more time tracking Philipp Lahm than looking to create openings for Eto’o.

The game turned the moment the Dutch wiz switched back into the middle, replacing the labouring Dejan Stankovic - with Coutinho coming on to fill the role on the left, Pandev moving out to the right and Eto’o free to run the defence ragged through the middle or out wide if he wished.

It also provided an outlet for the previously ineffectual Thaigo Motta and Esteban Cambiasso, who in their defence have both not long returned from injury and were hastily drafted in after Javier Zanetti succumbed to an iffy tummy.

What this side has in common with that special one of last year is that they have rallied around their new coach in a manner they never did during Rafa Benitez's brief reign.

Even after winning the World Club Cup there was no mass celebration and Marco Materazzi didn't ever leap on the Spaniard in the manner he did with Leonardo at the final whistle last night - or Mourinho several times last season.

In truth, Bayern are not a great side and once the game entered the crucial latter stages with things still in the balance they looked very ordinary, which handed Inter the impetuous to take control.

It was a night of the heart and a stirring moment at the final whistle when Yuto Nagatomo danced around the stadium wrapped in a Japan flag ensuring his homeland were not walking alone.

Italy are still represented in the competition and Inter will not be dethroned as champions of Europe that easily.

Now, it has to be Real Madrid in the quarter-finals - it is as if everyone is willing the return of the Special One for another very special evening.

Ibra and Lazio see red as Milan slip and Totti conquers the Capital again

Richard Whittle — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:57:00 GMT

It was a another topsy-turvy weekend in Serie A. One where nothing seemed to go to plan unless you happened to be Francesco Totti, and which left the race for the league title wide open once again.

Inter were fortunate to leave Brescia on Friday evening with a draw, with Andrea Caracciolo missing a late penalty for the home side - and by Saturday morning the defending champions were beginning to write off their chances of catching city rivals AC Milan at the top of the table.

That was until the league leaders fluffed their lines in the lunch-time kick-off against bottom side Bari, leaving it late to equalise through Antonio Cassano after seeing an irritable Zlatan Ibrahimovic handed a straight red card for a petulant swing on at an opponent.

The repercussions could well be felt at the start of April when the Milanese derby comes around and Ibra is likely to be suspended, with the likelihood being he will face at least a two game ban – although this will no doubt be fiercly contested.

Red cards, rows and rousing finales are all part and parcel of the Rome Derby, where those coming to bury Francesco Totti left the Olympic stadium hailing him once more as the King of Rome.

This was meant to be the moment where Lazio would end their four-game losing streak against their eternal enemy and along the way reaffirm their Champions League credentials as well as end the Giallorossi’s hopes of finishing in the top-four.

The Biancocelesti should have known it would all come to nothing on another sodden afternoon which brought back memories of a similar scenario back in the 1994-95 season, when Lazio were expected to send Roma tumbling towards the relegation zone but instead saw the old enemy ruin their day.

Edy Reja had never looked so bedraggled and shell-shocked when he came out for the post-game press conference to explain how he had failed to live up to his proclamation that “this was our time”.

At 66, the craggy, old coach has been round the block a few times without managing to savour one moment of success against Roma in the derby, while his opposite number Vincenzo Montella – a generation or two younger – once scored four goals in a derby and as a mere novice in the coaching game got his tactics, team selection and substitutions all spot on.

He knew that Lazio would always rise to the bait of Totti dangling out there as a lone striker but he also demonstrated a willingness to back his captain up with not one but two finesse players – in Mirko Vucinic and Jeremy Menez.

The fact neither had a real impact on the ball was negated by their mere presence keeping the opposing full-backs, Stefan Radu and Stephan Lichtsteiner in check, which meant that Lazio’s midfield had no outlet in wide areas.

However, it was Totti’s gladiatorial battle with just about every player in a sky blue shirt, going mano-a-mano at every turn, that in the end swung the contest in Roma’s favour.

The body count was high, with Stefan Radu and Cristian Ledesma sent off while Reja withdrew his flair players Hernanes and Mauro Zarate for the more prosaic approach of Stefano Mauri and Cristian Brocchi.

By then, the war had been lost as Totti taunted the opposition into rash challenges; the last man standing draped in his “sei sempre unica” (you are always unique) t-shirt – a little love note to his wife but it could easily stand for his performances down through the years in the battle for the Capital.

With Udinese continuing their goalscoring ways in a four-goal blitz at Cagliari and Napoli returning to winning ways at Parma it was a day to forget for Lazio, who not only missed another opportunity to get one over their bitter rivals, but also dropped out of the top four.

Milan and Ibra flunk English test yet again

Richard Whittle — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:15:00 GMT

Out go the Serie A leaders to the English Premier League’s fifth-placed side along with the mesmerising passing movements in the best traditions of AC Milan. You can pass a team off the pitch – Milan produced 473 of them – but if there is no end product then the game can only pass you by: this is the stark reality of the situation that leaves Italy’s representation down to one after the Rossoneri exited the Champions League to Tottenham Hotspur.

Massimiliano Allegri’s game plan was ensure that Spurs had little or no space to work the ball wide – and with Mathieu Flamini and Kevin Prince Boateng covering in front of the full-backs they did very well in this task. Clarence Seedorf was in an unfamiliar withdrawn role in front of the defence, where his ageing legs had plenty of time to set the tempo for Milan’s forward motion.

Unfortunately, the problems lay further up the pitch where the front three failed to match the quick-fire passing from midfield with what was needed – a goal: Milan have now failed to score in their last three European outings.

Robinho is no natural goalscorer, as he demonstrated in the first half by miskicking in front of goal when set up by Alexandre Pato, William Gallas clearing off the line; then, late on, scuffing wide after the ball had fallen to him inside the six-yard area – although he did have a powerful effort deflected over the bar in the dying minutes.

"Where's the cavalry?"

Pato saw an angled shot well saved by Gomes and then came agonisingly close when he cut in from the left to drive a low shot just the wrong side of the post – but in general the Duck was Milan's most threatening presence.

In contrast, Zlatan Ibrahimovic produced one rasping free-kick which Heurelho Gomes pushed away and well, that was just about it. Once again failed to dissuade the doubters who believe that he will always fall flat in Europe. He has played for Ajax, Juventus, Inter and Barcelona – and not one of his previous employers have lifted the Champions League with the Swede leading the line, having to make do instead with becoming domestic champions.

Milan – who would be grateful for home-front success, having not won the Italian league title since 2004 – can at least take heart from the fact that Ibra is the man for the domestic chores, but he is prone to travel sickness when forced to leave those cosy confines for continental competition.

He may have scored four goals in the group stages but he has never found the net in the knock-out round – and coming into the return leg at White Hart Lane he hadn't scored from open play in seven games, his only goal in that time coming from the penalty spot against Napoli two weeks ago.

In his defence, he did set up Pato for a presentable chance and provided a neat lay-off for Robinho’s late effort but as everyone at the club keeps saying, the team is built around the big man and at times like last night he needed to carry the responsibility on his board shoulders.

He had the vibrant and pacy Pato and Robinho buzzing around him all evening but on too many occasions he failed to react to their darting runs. The Spurs defence on the whole ensured he was playing with his back to goal when the Brazilian pair had already set off on a run, but if you have pretensions of being the best player in the world then you have to produce that something out of the ordinary.

Once again Ibra was weighted down by over-expectation, especially amongst the Italian media who have been fawning over his every performance in Serie A where he has scored 14 goals. There was a different feel to Thursday morning’s press coverage, with his player-rating hovering around 4.5 out of 10.

"You people don't underSTAND me..."

If Milan are to ever regain their European crown then there will need to be changes in the summer. Alessandro Nesta will retire (or move to the States) with Philippe Mexes partnering Thaigo Silva in the centre of defence, but there seems to be no adequate left-back – which was highlighted last night when Marek Jankulovski failed to provide one decent cross into the area while Ignazio Abate only ventured forward late.

Youngsters Alexander Merkel and Rodney Strasser were introduced in the closing stages and had few opportunities to make an impression in midfield, but at least they offer some youthful hope for the future.

With the Rossoneri banished from Europe for the third consecutive season by a Premier League club, La Gazzetta dello Sport flicked through their get-by-in-English phrasebook to produce the headline “Bye Bye Milan" – but as Zlatan would no doubt echo, there's no place like home.

Roma go down without class or clue

Richard Whittle — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:45:00 GMT

The lights have gone out on AS Roma’s Champions League campaign and the way things are going back on the home front the off-switch will be flicked for some time to come.

The statistics and the frigid weather – Shakhtar Donetsk’s 53 undefeated home games, -7C and dropping – were already stacked up as handy reasons why the Giallorossi would leave the Ukraine with nothing more than mild frostbite.

Then why not make the task even more unfeasible by missing a penalty, having a man sent off and going a goal down, all in the first half?

The tie was lost in Rome in the dog days of Claudio Ranieri’s reign in the 3-2 first-leg defeat, and you could see from the players' demeanour and body language when they got off the bus in the belly of the Donbass Arena that they would love to be anywhere other than their current location – a Sardinian beach for example.

Francesco Totti was grim-faced in the knowledge that he would be on the bench for the duration – a clear sign that Vincenzo Montella had more or less given up the ghost and was already thinking ahead to the derby with Lazio at the weekend.

The only respite for the away players came when the game was temporarily paused after a section of the floodlighting failed or when a home player was receiving treatment following another scything foul. The usual suspects were playing on the edge of legality – Philippe Mexes and Daniele de Rossi in particular are combustible characters at the best of times so it was no surprise that they would soon get on the wrong side of referee Howard Webb.

The English official demanded respect for his authority Cartman-style early on by flashing a yellow card at Mexes, who is too flashy for his own good when he commits a foul. So when the French fancy was caught out of position before dragging back an opponent it was no shock that he was flicking his ponytail on the way to the dressing room.

Another player too much in love with his own reflection is Marco Borriello – the culprit who could have brought his side back into the contest before Mexes was sent off but instead of which hit a poor penalty which goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov saved in routine fashion. The playboy striker, whom Claudio Ranieri claimed was the first to complain whenever he wasn’t picked, is never far from the limelight; such is his enormous ego honed from being a bit-player at AC Milan that the world must revolve around his amazing being.

He had attempted to take the spot-kick at Lecce last Friday but was forced to bow to Davide Pizarro’s seniority; unfortunately that wasn't the case last night, although Montella revealed that the Chilean was on spot-kick duties and at the same time gave an insight into a leaderless club.

However, it was De Rossi’s reaction that could have the greatest repercussions. Home captain Darijo Srna did all he could to inflame Roman wrath with some verbal sparring and his Giallorossi counterpart unleashed one of his trademark elbows on the Croatian in retaliation – the sword being much more painful than the word.

De Rossi had escaped with a short-arm hook to Dymtro Chygrynskiy in the first leg and it will be major surprise if he does not receive a severe sanction when the video evidence is viewed once again, proving that the heir-apparent to Totti has learnt little since the Brian McBride incident at the 2006 World Cup and will now join fellow miscreant Rino Gattuso in UEFA’s rogues gallery.

The climatic conditions may have been well below freezing but the temperature on the pitch was kept at boiling point, with Borriello and then John Arne Riise attempting to take a chunk out of Srna’s leg while Pizarro became more and more annoyed to the point where he just decided to belt the ball at the third goalscorer Eduardo.

The final 6-2 aggregate scoreline can be set alongside the 8-3 humiliation at Manchester United, but at least a good omen ahead of the derby is that generally the side coming into the encounter in worse form come out winners – cold comfort at this point in what was another embarrassing outing for an Italian club in Europe.

Del Neri's joyless Juventus sleepwalking through seasons

Richard Whittle — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:23:00 GMT

RESULTS Fri 4 Mar Lecce 1-2 Roma Sat 5 Mar Juventus 0-1 Milan Sun 6 Mar Sampdoria 2-3 Cesena, Udinese 1-0 Bari, Napoli 0-0 Brescia, Bologna 2-2 Cagliari, Fiorentina 3-0 Catania, Internazionale 5-2 Genoa, Chievo 0-0 Parma, Lazio 2-0 Palermo

Every Monday seems to arrive with a fresh name on the roll-call of the dearly departed from the Serie A coaching fraternity.

Claudio Ranieri fell on his sword at AS Roma, Delio Rossi was shoved out the door at Palermo and Domenico Di Carlo is as we speak probably having his name removed from the office door at Sampdoria.

However, someone seemingly immune to the sack race is Luigi Del Neri who continues to receive the full support of his superiors despite overseeing a third consecutive defeat at the weekend – and in such a craven manner to AC Milan.

Despite the weekly calls for Del to go, changing the man on the bench at this stage of the season would reflect very badly on those who put him there in the first place – Andrea Agnelli and Beppe Marotta.

Post-Calciopoli, Juve have brought in and discarded coaches at a rate that would impress even Maurizio Zamparini, so even now as the team languishes 20 points off the top and five points away from a Europa League spot, the powers that be will not press the eject button until the end of the season at least.

Tuttosport have been clamouring for Gianluca Vialli to take over, reasoning that the former striker and darling of the disgruntled fans would at least bring some unity to a team that is completely shot of all confidence.

When Gigi Buffon allowed Rino Gattuso’s trickle of a shot to slip through his hands for what would turn out to be the only goal of a low-key encounter at the Olympic Stadium, the reaction from the rest of the team was to let their heads drop.

There was a banner in the crowd which read: “At Juventus we don’t care how, winning is all that matters.” However, there will be no honours for the Old Lady for another season – or for many to come until the club can bring in some quality players, never mind a new coach.

In truth, what are the club doing employing the likes of Armand Traorè, Jorge Martinez, Andrea Barzagli and Luca Toni – to name almost half of Saturday's starting line-up? Mistakes and mismanagement have been made at the highest echelons of the club so why shoot the messenger of a directive that no one seems to understand?

The message is a lot clearer at Milan, and Juventus must be firing envious glances at how their old rivals have on the whole made do with adequate players and a couple of world-class performers. Of course, Adriano Galliani is a much more persuasive operator than Marotta, otherwise Antonio Cassano would now be turning out in the black and white.

As it stands, Rossoneri coach Massimiliano Allegri has instilled a very simple game-plan where the team attempt to get the ball as quickly forward as possible – and when they lose it, it's the job of the midfield is to win it back. On Saturday Mark van Bommel controlled the centre of the pitch, which enabled Mathieu Flamini and Gattuso to push further forward, hence the latter finding himself in a position to score from just inside the area.

Whist Alessandro Nesta and Thaigo Silva are classy acts in the heart of the defence, neither Ignazio Abate or Marek Jankulovski or whoever else is brought in at full-back offers much in the way of stability – but all they have to do is give the ball to a team-mate, their job done and their failings on one hand hidden and on the other exposed.

Juve’s problems are that Del Neri’s rigid obedience to four across the midfield without two natural wide-men does not conceal his side’s weaknesses so with all lost this year, why not lighten up a little and change the formation?

Pep it up a bit – have a bit of fun, which obviously doesn’t come easily to the po-faced Del Neri. Try three in midfield, Del Piero or even Milos Krasic behind a front two, three at back… the choices are endless, and as the banner on Saturday made plain, all the fans want to see is the team win.

NEWS, Sun 6 Mar: Quick Inter comeback stuns Genoa
NEWS, Sat 5 Mar: Rare Gattuso strike gives Milan win at Juve
NEWS, Fri 4 Mar: Roma beat Lecce with last-gasp penalty

Can an 110 year old rivalry help unite Italy?

Richard Whittle — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:42:00 GMT

Support Italy! It’s the 150th year of unification, although you would hardly know it, evident by the apathy sweeping the country even with the prospect of a national holiday and an extra day off work on March 17th.

The organisers of this massive damp squib have been encouraging business and shops to hang a ‘Supporting Italy here’-emblazoned tricolour outside their premises, and in the sporting world the national anthem is being blasted out for every event from volleyball to the Italian Cup – with seemingly only the nation's rugby players actually up to speed with the words.

No matter that a sizable percentage of the population couldn’t care less about whether Italy is one country or not, the event is at least an excuse for some sort of party – and Italians, following their prime minister’s example, do like to have a good time.

So, to ensure the whole shindig doesn’t pass everyone by in the blink of an eye, Juventus have been drafted in to unite the country.

After all, Turin was the first capital of the fledging nation and is home to the first lady of Italian football, so who better to raise some interest in the landmark birthday than the country’s favourite/most hated club?

President Andrea Agnelli unveiled the commemorative shirt the team will wear against AC Milan on Saturday evening – the only difference from their normal attire is a tatty sticker reading 'Esperienza Italia 150th' glued to the chest.

You may have to squint to make out the badge of honour, but it has more to do with the associated symbolism of the Old Lady, whose ups and downs over her 114-year existence have been interwoven with that of a country that is more comfortable with a provincial identity than national unity.

Fittingly, the opposition are the government, in the guise of AC Berlusconi, who have never been known to hide their light under a bushel – and have woven "the world’s most titled club" into their shirts lest anyone forgets the jillions of trophies they have hoarded away while Juve have, of course, won the most league titles.

Sivlio was once famously quoted as saying, "When the world thinks of Italy, after pizza and the mafia, they think of Milan."

Hardly a glowing endorsement for what has been billed as Italy’s big unity match - the latest chapter in a rivalry that goes back to 1901, no less - and which brings into sharp focus two separate strands within the fabric of the country.

Juventus represent the old-style approach to life where business is done behind closed doors and a stoic demure is presented to the outside world, while Milan are the outside world: in your face, shouting to all who will listen, "Look at me and my amazing bling life."

It’s Charlie Sheen versus the Wall Street Bankers, and who would you root for? According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Massimo ‘Inter are the real Milanese’ Moratti will be supporting the suits – for obvious reasons.

However, on closer inspection of what he actually mumbled, there is no such heresy tumbling forth in the manner of "I am for Juve."

What he actually said was: "Milan have a duty to do well, but being closer to the top would give us further motivation. I will be supporting the team that plays better, but Juventus have all the motivation they need in facing Milan."

Reading between the lines, Mo’s backing his own club’s arch-nemesis down the A4 motorway as opposed to those closer to home. Who can blame him? Juve offer little or no threat in the title race, while Milan are five points clear at the top.

Even a draw would suit the Nerazzurri, who are at home to Genoa on Sunday and still have the derby in their locker. However, on past evidence a draw would seem unlikely. Juve-Milan fixtures are usually chock-full of goals, especially in Turin.

The Rossoneri ran out 3-0 winners last season, with Ronaldinho scoring twice and David Beckham playing his part as the irate home fans attempted to set light to the Olympic stadium so everyone missed the third goal.

The 2008-09 season was a 4-2 humdinger to Juve, while the year before that finished 3-2 to them too, so no one is putting their hard-earned Euros on a goalless draw – just as they will be not putting any store in the game uniting the peninsula.

Duck becomes top dog at Milan as Pato outshines Ibra

Richard Whittle — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:37:00 GMT

Who’s the daddy now? Well, AC Milan in the title race and most definitely Alexandre Pato in the never ending struggle for dominance amongst the Rossoneri alpha-males.

Up until recently all Zlatan Ibrahimovic had to do was beat his chest and Pato would scurry off into the shadows: in the competitive world of the Milan frontline, the young man nicknamed Duck was more like a startled deer in the headlights.

Finally, last night the young Brazilian chose the top-of-the-table clash with Napoli as the moment to stand up for himself and decided there would be no more grovelling to the big Swede – or, for that matter, passing the ball to him either.

On two occasions, he could have set up his team-mate for a goalscoring chance but this was an evening for personal gain and glory, so with Ibra screaming for a pass on the edge of the six-yard box Pato waited patiently until Kevin Prince Boateng arrived in front of the goal before rolling the ball into the substitute’s path.

Ibra had broken the deadlock from the penalty spot – Pato was involved in winning it when his knockback from the by-line was needlessly handled by Salvatore Aronica – but he was very much on the margins from there on.

The real gem of what had been a glittering performance from the No.7 came soon after as he sprinted on to a headed clearance from Mark van Bommel before bearing down on the visitors' goal.

Ibra was again in support and this time had made a darting run to the left which Pato duly acknowledged by cutting inside and curling a wonderful shot beyond the sprawling Morgan de Sanctis. The Napoli goalkeeper had earlier denied his tormentor but was left helpless this time – and even Ibra was fulsome in his celebrations.

However, the pair still found time to exchange pleasantries as the final whistle blew after Pato made his fellow striker sprint forward into the opposition half before stopping and passing all the way back towards the defence.

Such was Pato’s newfound status that he dismissed Ibra’s complaints with a wave of his hand. As we already witnessed at Chievo, he is no longer a puny youth and to prove that there was plenty of testosterone pumping through his body, Pato even received a yellow card for swatting Aronica to the ground.

However, his real knockout punch came when he had the ball at his feet and his pace and verve was all too much for the labouring defence.
Napoli had arrived at the San Siro looking to storm the northern citadel but hardly mustered anything approaching an attack – and in fact failed to test home goalkeeper Christian Abbiati at all.

They were as damp and insipid as the Milanese weather that greeted the players and the near 80,000 capacity inside the stadium which brought back memories of the rivalry of the mid-to-late 80s when Diego Maradona and Marco van Basten were in their prime.

However, this current Azzurri side is a long way from the finished article and Ezequiel Lavezzi’s absence was sorely felt, leaving Edinson Cavani isolated and outnumbered against Alessandro Nesta – sporting a sensible hair-cut – and Thiago Silva.

Walter Mazzarri had no back-up plan when his team went a goal behind but the real problem was an inability to retain possession while the high-pressure game further up the pitch does not come naturally to a side with counter-attacking tendencies.

No doubt owner Aurelio de Laurentiis will address the lack of depth in his squad come the summer but in the meantime they will have to set their sights on third place and leave the title race to the city of Milan.

The victory ensured Massimiliano Allegri’s men kept Inter at bay – and after Pato’s performance he also found a new leader of the pack.

How the Top Dogs have squared up in 2010-11 season
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 25 games, 25 starts, 14 goals
2220 minutes played (158.5 minutes per goal)
Alexandre Pato 17 games, 6 starts, 11 goals
1074 minutes played (97.6 minutes per goal)

Palermo fans regret backing boss after 7-0 home defeat

Richard Whittle — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:40:00 GMT

It has been one of the great mysteries of the season how Delio Rossi has survived so long in charge at Palermo.

The coach has given Maurizio Zamparini plenty of opportunity to wield the axe, not that the president needs much of an excuse: Rossi would be the 13th coach he'd fired since buying the club in 2002.

Even by half-time yesterday, the craggy Rossi must have thought that his time would be better spent drawing up his removals list than attempting to lift a side already five goals and a man down at home to Udinese.

The second half was marginally better, the visitors taking pity and only scoring two more (with Palermo having another player sent off). The 7-0 defeat is unsurprisingly Palermo’s worst ever top-flight loss and only one shy of the all-comers' record, set by Milan in a 8-0 demolition of Genoa in 1955. Perhaps visiting coach Francesco Guidolin had sympathy for Rossi, having in the recent past been sacked and brought back three times by Zamperini.

The gravel-voiced Palermo supremo was at his most combustible in the post-game inquest, giving his coach “one percent” chance of remaining while accusing him of destroying the team before his very eyes.

Certainly, Rossi didn't do his cause much good by leaving his most in-form defender Ezequiel Munoz on the bench when he was already missing Mattia Cassani and Dorin Goian at the back – instead starting Sinisa Andelkovic, who had played in the two defeats before this game and, like fellow centre-back Cesare Bovo, had it found it difficult to contain fast and mobile strikers.

So it was that Udinese livewires Antonio Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez helped themselves to a hat-trick and four goals respectively – the pick being the third goal scored by the fleet-footed Chilean.

Zamperini had already handed out none-too-subtle warnings about the coach needing to toughen up (“This team lacks cojones”) and getting it right at the back before playing the fancy stuff further up the pitch. Rossi never heeded the advice.

Apparently heading the list of those ready to leap into the lion’s den is another fiery fellow, Serse Cosmi, who only last Sunday was being linked with the AS Roma job after Claudio Ranieri’s resignation in the wake of his side imploding in Genoa.

Even so, Giampiero Gasperini is the favourite to take over next season, so candidates like Gianni De Biasi (who played for the club in the 1980s) and Franco Colombo are mere benchwarmers: Gasperini, who also played for the club in the early '80s, left Genoa early in the season so he cannot take up another post in the top flight in the same season.

Then again, Zamperini may not follow through with his threat. He has already backtracked once on getting rid of Rossi, changing his mind 24 hours after December's home draw with 10-man Bari.

There are of course no positives to be taken from a seven-goal thrashing – apart from the fact that it could have been eight – but in Rossi’s defence Palermo are still in the running to qualify for Europe either through their league position or by winning the Italian Cup, having reached the semi-finals where they will meet AC Milan.

Before Sunday’s shambles, the Rosaneri faithful had already sent their president an open letter calling on him to stick by Rossi but even they must be wondering if it is maybe time for a change.

Red faces too at Juventus where there was no sign that Andrea Agnelli’s pep-talk had the desired effect as the team limped to another defeat – this time at home to Bologna.

SERIE AAAARGH!, Fri 25 Feb: President Agnelli gives King's Speech to stuttering Juve

Delneri’s closest ally Beppe Marotti admitted that the coach was under “close scrutiny” – which basically means that a negative showing against Milan next weekend and it's curtains, with reports suggesting that Pavel Nedved will be made caretaker until end of the season.

Coaches are well aware that the only certainty is the uncertainty surrounding their employment prospects but with Ranieri resigning last week rather than waiting for the axe to fall, longevity in the job is a rare commodity.

In fact, the longest-serving coach in the top flight is Luigi De Canio at Lecce (hired 9th March 2009), probably only because he brought the team from Puglia up from Serie B – and unsurprisingly he is now hanging on by his fingertips.

And trailing De Canio by just a few months just happens to be Walter Mazzarri, who only took over at Napoli in October 2009 which says everything about the long-term planning clubs are willing to invest in the men on the bench.

President Agnelli gives King's Speech to stuttering Juve

Richard Whittle — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:03:00 GMT

Andrea Agnelli does not seem the type who has ever had to raise his voice to get what he wanted.

More at home amongst the suits in the sedate surroundings of the boardroom, he has always seemed a reluctant Juventus president, despite following in a rich family lineage. So when forced to read the riot act to the under-achieving team he resorted to the cruel put-down.

Following the defeat to Leece last weekend he told reporters that the players had done so little in the game that he they didn’t even need to shower. They may be highly-paid stars in the world of football but they didn't go to prep school or Oxford – as Andrea did – so when the chips are down, it is the proles who obviously need a good dressing-down.

Hence one and all, from baseball cap-in-hand Gigi Delneri to oh-so-desperate for one last pay-day Ale Del Piero, were forced to sit through a 40-minute ‘pep talk’ from the president. By all accounts it was something of a King’s Speech delivery – the one when the royal has overcome his speech impediment – calm, collected and to the point: basically no more performances such as the one at Leece and a few more displays such as against Inter.

Having been put firmly in their place, the players trooped out to the training ground where Agnelli and the rest of the overcoats (now including Pavel Nedved) watched on for all of five minutes before returning to the warmth of their blacked-out sedans. Del Piero had reportedly sat through the ordeal staring into space, no doubt calculating if it was worth trying to get a few extra cents out of the club, before heading off to train alone – which says a lot about where the team are in terms of unity at the moment.

Slapcheek: Andrea Agnelli can't believe it

No one’s future is secure – Delneri has heard the rumours of Fabio Capello’s return, which in turn must have Del Piero eying a move to the MLS where he can play out another couple of years as minor royalty. Reports suggest the club are ready to offer their captain another year but set at a €1m salary while the player and his brother-agent Stefano were thinking more in the €2.5m ballpark.

With the club struggling to finish in the top four and having failed to make the knock-out stages of the Europa League this season, it would seem difficult to justify such a salary for a 36-year-old whose best years are well behind him, even if he's still the only member of the current squad with any real star quality.

The feeling is that the club are edging their talisman into a corner and if he wants to remain then he needs to do so on the basis of what is good for the Old Lady. When asked by reporters how Del’s contract talks were going, Agnelli snapped back "You need to ask him what he wants to do,” which backs up the presumption that the player will have to lower his sights somewhat.

Then there's wide-eyed Alberto Aquilani, who has just about given up on a permanent switch to Turin given that Liverpool will not drop their asking price lower than €16m. Like most Romans, the midfielder must be wondering why he ever left the capital in the first place. Oh yes, actually we do know why; and maybe the Anfield mob will take into account the fact that they are losing out paying €85,000 a week to someone who has made it clear he has no desire to return to England.

"You hear that? I'm rich!"

Fabio Quagliarella’s permanent transfer will also have to be sorted, but as the loaned-in Napoli striker is sidelined for the rest of the season the final amount should fall close to Juve’s offer of €4.5m.

There have been reports that Andrea Pirlo will incited away from Milan, but that would be welcomed with the same enthusiasm as Dejan Stankovic’s proposed move from Inter a few seasons ago. The Tuttosport poll, which is always a good gauge of feeling within the Juve nation, returned a resounding 90 percent “no” to signing the playmaker.

Another name being floated out there is Davide Santon, which would only encourage Inter to ask for Claudio Marchisio, who happens to earn less than Felipe Melo – so that's a deal that would come with plenty of strings attached.

Anyway, such matters will become clearer after Juve get through the next 12 games until the end of the campaign – and if things do not improve then it may not be a stern word or two but more like the hairdryer treatment next time they are called in front of the president.

Inter/Bayern match-up highlights problems facing the Italian game

Richard Whittle — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:02:00 GMT

Four ties, three defeats, a draw, two goals for and five against make yet more dismal reading for Italians clubs in Europe.

It’s no wonder Thursday’s headlines were peppered with terms such as ‘flops’, ‘second-rate’ and ‘too poor to compete’.

La Gazzetta dello Sport summed up the general mood of doom and gloom when it comes to Serie A’s standing alongside the rest of the continent, by claiming: “We are no longer good enough to compete with the top teams in Europe”, before laying the blame on an inward looking mentality more concerned with avoiding defeat than attempting to win games.

Certainly the lack of goals adds some credence to this theory: Inter followed in the shallow footsteps of AC Milan and Napoli by failing to score at home - and only the latter avoided defeat in their first leg tie.

Inter, like their city neighbours, went down to a one goal defeat at the San Siro, and while AS Roma actually did manage to score twice, the three goals conceded to Shakhtar Donetsk leave all three Italian representatives having to play catch-up on the road in the Champions League.

Napoli could exit the Europa League this evening when they travel to Spain for their return leg against Villarreal, a place where no Italian club has ever won, although in this instance a score draw would do rather nicely - especially with Walter Mazzarri already focusing on the top of the table clash with Milan next Monday and ready to leave his regulars on the bench.

But another Italian defeat in Spain would seem the more likely outcome, especially when you take into account the Azzurri’s lack of away success in the group stages, where they drew against mediocre opposition and were well beaten by Liverpool.

Wednesday evening’s clash between Inter and Bayern Munich was not only a rematch of last year’s final, but also a tussle with representatives of the league now set to supersede Serie A as the third ranked in Europe behind England and Spain.

There was little difference between the two teams on the pitch, with Leonardo hindered by a lack of attacking options – Diego Milito was injured and Giampaolo Pazzini ineligible – which left Samuel Eto’o to take on the German defence single-handedly.

The San Siro was full to the third tier for once, and both sides kept plugging away looking for that vital goal which made for a vibrant encounter - although the Nerazzurri now look set to become another one season wonder when it comes to retaining the trophy.

Not that Inter successfully defending their crown would offer much succour to the domestic game, where stadiums lack even the most basic amenities and the commercial and merchandising sectors generally seem to consist of a trader flogging knock-off shirts outside the ground.

A comparison of Inter and Bayern’s balance-sheet shows the Bavarians in the black by nearly €3 million in 2010, compared to Massimo Moratti’s massive €69 million black hole.

While Bayern can point to a healthy profit of €31.2 million over the last five years, the Italian champions are left staring at losses of €609 million over the same period – no wonder Moratti has reined in his free spending transfer policy.

Inter can of course point to the fact that they do not own the San Siro, drawing just over €40 million in gate receipts compared to the €66 million Bayern pocket a year from matches at the Allianz Arena.

Television revenue accounts for 62 per cent of Inter’s revenue and only 26 per cent of Bayern’s, and with more Italian fans staying at home to watch their favourite team on the box, Serie A clubs are losing on average €100 million a year at the turnstiles.

Inadequate stadia and the perceived threat of violence are keeping families away - hence the commercial and promotional side has little hook to draw in the crowds – and everyone is feeling the pinch.

While you may be able to see fans in Inter shirts from New York to Beijing, the club’s overall marketing revenue is only €34.6 million a year, with Bayern enjoying a very healthy €159.7 million.

On-field success is still the top priority, but revenue needs to be drawn as evenly as possible from the three areas of match-day receipts, television and marketing.

At present there is an over-reliance on broadcast revenues and if Italy continues to be blinded by the bright lights of the big European evenings, the resulting diet of constant domestic football will eventually lose its appeal.

Can super-buff Pato and chums make the Berlusconi Era All-Star XI?

Richard Whittle — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:20:00 GMT

Silvio Berlusconi had something to take his mind off all his other play things on Sunday, when he celebrated the 25th anniversary of his marriage to his one true love - AC Milan.

It was back on February 20th 1986 that he took over a then beleaguered club he had supported as a boy - and from there the good times rolled.

The Rossoneri threw off the shackles of catenaccio to play a pressure game which pinned the opposition back in their own half – and in doing so Milan would break out of the staid domestic game to conquer the world.

During Berlusconi’s time in charge, Milan have won five Champions League titles, seven Italian championships and three World Club Cups, so it was perhaps understandable that he felt it was his given-right to scribble his autograph on a specially commissioned commemorative shirt to honour the occasion when his team met Chievo at the weekend.

He also expected his league leaders to take all three points from their trip to Verona, even if the home side had not lost there since late September. They duly obliged, although not without a fair share of controversy - Robinho controlled Antonio Cassano’s cross with his arm before scoring the opener.

The other talking point was Alexandre Pato’s rapid transformation from puny youth to P90X work-out master. It looked as if he had been spending more time in the gym than out on the training pitch when he ripped off his shirt after scoring the winner to reveal his pecs and abs.

When viewed alongside his bum-fluffed boyface, the look was actually quite disturbing, but then one must be thankful that the annoying heart-shaped finger-gesture to the crowd is no longer part of his repertoire.

The victory, doubtless inspired by dear old Silvio, got us wondering how many of the current Milan side would make the Berlusconi Era All-Star XI? So here it is…

Goalkeeper

Sebastiano Rossi Holds the record of 11 consecutive Serie A clean sheets and was the man between the posts in the Invincibles' 58-game unbeaten streak between May 1991 and March 1993.

Defence

Mauro Tassotti Hard as nails with a velvet touch. Only Cafu comes close in terrorising opposition wingers and left-backs in equal measure.

Franco Baresi The blueprint for the modern defender and captain of the Immortals and Invincibles of the late 80s and early 90s. Made 719 appearances, won it all and the club retired his No.6 shirt as a mark of his legendary status. Grown men still weep at the mention of his name, not all of them strikers he once haunted.

Alessandro Nesta Graceful, elegant on the ball and never hurried into making a tackle thanks to his excellent positional scene, but with the steely resolve in the best traditions of Italian defenders.

Paolo Maldini Too cool, too sporting and too damn good-looking to be anything other than the greatest left-back of all time: Followed in dad Cesare’s footsteps from boy-wonder to hoisting the Champions League trophy - and of course they retired his No.3 shirt after a record 902 matches for the club.

Midfield

Roberto Donadoni Tricky dribbler and finisher who combined skill with work-rate first under Arrigo Sacchi and then for Fabio Capello’s Invincibles.

Andrea Pirlo Inspiration behind Milan’s most recent success in the Champions League under Carlo Ancelotti, and a player who considers giving the ball away a crime.

Frank Rijkaard Always in the right place at the right time, as he demonstrated with his winner in the European Cup final against Benfica in 1990 and then repeated the feat in the subsequent Intercontinental Cup against Olympica of Asuncion.

Forwards

Ruud Gullit Equally at home as sweeper or in attack, the Dutch star had the physical presence combined with the silky skills to unlock any defence: The dreadlocked Dionysus of Arrigo Sacchi Immortals.

Marco Van Basten The most complete striker of the modern era who scored spectacular goals coming at an astonishing average of one every one and a half games. Three-time Ballon’Or winner whose glittering career was cut short by injury at 30.

Andriy Shevchenko Fast and direct, the Ukrainian finished his first season in Italy as Serie A top goalscorer on 24 goals and took on legendary status after scoring the decisive penalty in the 2003 Champions League Final shoot-out against Juventus

Coach

Fabio Capello Learnt from the master Arrigo Sacchi and then turned the Immortals into the Invincibles, winning three consecutive Serie A titles between 1992 and 1994 as well as demolishing Johann Cruyff’s Barcelona 4-0 in the 1994 Champions Cup final.

Substitutes Nelson Dida, Marcos Cafu, Alessandro Costacurta, Ricky Kaka, Dejan Savicevic, Filippo Inzaghi.

Ranieri hopes to fire up stuttering Roma by jumping ship

Richard Whittle — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:54:00 GMT

Roma as we know it does not exist anymore - either on or off the pitch. This was plain to see on Wednesday evening in a vacuous performance in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk – a team that had not played a competitive game for two months – and then again on Sunday as they allowed a three-goal lead to turn into a 4-3 defeat at Genoa.

There were underperforming players who know already that they would not be there next season, a coach who knew he was about to lose his dream job and a president who has no power left whatsoever and should already be gone.

Last Wednesday, Rosella Sensi cut an even more isolated figure than Claudio Ranieri as she sat puffing away in her favourite seat – and it wasn’t the blue haze of smoke wafting around the soon-to-be former owner that was sending those around her scurrying, rather the realisation that their meal ticket to the good seats was about to be discontinued.

The 3-2 defeat to the Ukrainian outfit was the prelude for the Curva Sud to demand the players march behind the goal so that the jeers and boos could really ring home – and not one player dared throw their shirt to the faithful as the shame of it being chucked back in their faces would surely have followed.

Leaderless, the players have been in open revolt and seemingly able to do whatever they want, as demonstrated by Marco Borriello who demonstrated his displeasure at being left on the bench in the Champions League tie by mouthing clearly for the cameras that he had “scored 25,000 goals” and that he should therefore be on the pitch.

Ranieri was in earshot but did little but remain stony still, staring no doubt into the abyss while all around the team crumbled to the ground - although he seemed oblivious to the fact.

“What crisis, I don’t see any crisis,” was his Nero-like take on the situation in the post-Shakhtar press conference - but after Sunday’s incredible events he knew the time for fiddling was over.

He had been left out in the cold at the club’s Trigoria training ground on Thursday as the players held their own meeting to see if they could at least muster some interest in the rest of the campaign.

Sensi had apparently demanded that the team be sent into the dreaded ‘ritiro’ where they would be locked up together 24-hours a day; but they refused point-blank which was further evidence that any sense of order within the club was absent.

Who is going to listen to someone who won’t be around for much longer? In reality the UniCredit bank are in control of club affairs until a new owner comes on board having taken on a debt-for-equity swap with the Sensi family to stave off bankruptcy.

The problem is that nobody seems willing to face up to reality and accept that it is all over: it should have been Sensi and her vapour trails of smoke heading out the door long before Ranieri became the scapegoat for failings further up the chain of command.

The Ultra community took things into their own hands in the most direct manner possible as the team prepared to depart for Genoa by lobbing smoke bombs and flares into the training ground before engaging in running battles with the forces of law and order. The coach carrying the team to the airport left with a escort of flashing lights and frayed nerves.

The players’ have been facing an uncertain future for some time now; John Arne Riise in particular seems bereft of all confidence in his own ability, as witnessed by the Norwegian losing his footing and the ball to enable Shakhtar to score their third goal on Wednesday evening.

The former Liverpool man looks a certain candidate for the exit door in the summer, as is Philippe Mexes, who is out of contract come June and didn’t even bother hanging around for the ritual post-game humiliation on Wednesday – before also going missing in the second half at the Luigi Ferraris stadium at the weekend.

The French defender, who has a stronger Roman accent than most of his team-mates, would in an ideal world like nothing better to stay in the Capital, but the new owners will be looking for a new start which of course brings up the thorny issue of what to do with Francesco Totti?

Keeping such a charismatic character as close as possible would seem to be the smart thing to do to ease them through their settling in period - and then over time allow age and the fading of the light to do the rest.

Beyond that, a ruthless streak is needed to rebuild the current ruins.

Timeline of Ranieri's departure

Sunday, February 20th

16.50 – AS Roma trudge off the pitch at Genoa after losing 4-3, having at one point lead 3-0.

17.00 – Gian Paolo Montali (a club consultant with the mandate of optimising the human resources for the sporting area) informs the media that the players and coach will not be speaking to the press and that a decision on the coach’s future will be made within 24 hours.

17.05 – Media abuzz with reports that Ranieri has resigned and has already told the players, wishing them the best for the rest of the season.

20.40 – The team lands at Rome’s Fiumicino airport and a briskly ferried to Trigoria, where a large police presence has already been deployed.

20.53 – Daniele De Rossi arrives at Trigoria having missed the match due to suspension.

20.55 – The club release official clarification that Ranieri has stepped down, with the lifelong Roma fan telling news agency ANSA: “I hope my decision fires up the team and I have always said that losing here hurts more for me than any other club.”

21.05 – Around 50 vocal fans gather in the rain outside Trigoria.

21.10 – Team bus arrives to a chorus of “mercenaries” with a few eggs, a bottle or two and a couple of oranges lobbed in its direction.

21.15 – The team bus carrying the Giovanissimi Nazionale (the under-15 side) arrives and on bound is their coach Vincenzo Montella who is favourite to take over from Ranieri. The former Giallorossi striker is greeted by cheers from the fans.

21.25 – Players are called into a meeting with club representatives.

21.35 – Sensi releases a statement that the club will make a decision on the new coach on Monday morning.

21.55 – Ranieri leaves Trigoria in his Smart car with police escort, who ignore the fact he is driving while chatting on his mobile phone.

22.15 – Players start leaving by a side gate, with Montella installed as the odds-on favourite to see the team through until the end of the season with Alberto De Rossi (Daniele’s father) as his assistant.

22.20 – Carlo Ancelotti installed has favourite to take over next season.

22.54 – Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Marco Borriello, David Pizarro and Marco Cassetti meet in a restaurant near Trigoria for a late dinner.

Gattuso's Jordan spat reminds Milan of a past they'd rather forget

Richard Whittle — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:17:00 GMT

One must wonder if Rino Gattuso is aware that AC Milan fans of a certain age hold Joe Jordan in high regard and with great affection, and therefore feel he should be shown respect and certainly not grabbed by the throat or head-butted under any circumstances.

The image of the pair coming together on the touchline offered the perfect link between the present side and a past all Rossoneri fans would rather see torn from the history books.

Back in the 1981/82 season, Jordan was running around upfront in a team that would end up relegated on the last day of the campaign in circumstances many with long memories still believe were rather fishy – with Milan winning at Cesena only for their direct rivals for the drop, Genoa, to score a late equaliser at Napoli.

Even making an immediate return to the top flight, thanks partly to Lo Squalo’s 10 Serie B goals, could not prevent a fallow period in the club’s history - until Silvio Berlusconi came along in 1986 to tear down the past and build a shiny new future.

Milan have come a long way since those dark days, currently sitting atop the Serie A table and looking likely to win the domestic title this season. But losing at home to the Premier League’s fourth side has suddenly left this feeling like that relegation season – pretty much pitiful.

Gattuso’s antics were a snapshot of exactly how Milan looked to approach a tie against a Tottenham side the Rossoneri backroom staff must surely have gauged were a compact team capable of breaking forward at pace.

Leaving aside the injuries to Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini, coupled with the ineligibility of Mark Van Bommel and Antonio Cassano, the defeat lies squarely at the feet of Massimiliano Allegri.

A small-time coach who is at home in his own back yard, but once ushered out into the big, bad world of European competition comes across as the novice he is; as witnessed by the timorous approach in Madrid in the group stage – now we can see why the club employed him: to keep the home fires burning.

Milan have now lost their last two home games in Europe – against Ajax and now Spurs – and they have also fallen to defeat at the San Siro to the major domestic rivals; Juventus and AS Roma, which backs any argument that Allegri is too provincial for such a grand club.

The tone was set on Monday when Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as usual, talked the big talk and made is crystal clear he expected to be joined upfront by Robinho – a player who had failed to make an impression in England – which reading between the lines meant he expected to see Alessandro Pato sitting on the bench.

Allegri duly obliged and the team was immediately shorn of something Spurs had in abundance – pace going forward – with Clarence Seedorf supposedly offering support behind the front two. The guile of the aging Dutch master and Ibra’s supposed hunger to leave his mark in Europe were meant to produce the goals the side needed to take to London for the return.

Instead, the move exposed a threadbare midfield three where Thiago Silva - whose very presence in defence alongside Alessandro Nesta usually ensures instant security - was once again drafted in alongside Gattuso and Mathieu Flamini.

The more established midfield duo’s failings are there for all to see: both are unable to move the ball quickly and precisely, with the Frenchman only at home using both feet when it comes to making two-footed lunges.

Behind that, for all Mario Yepes’ sterling efforts to score at the other end - which incidentally says a lot about the ineptitude of the attack - the Colombian looked completely out of his depth in the back four, while the full-backs Ignazio Abate and in particular Luca Antonini sank without trace, leaving Nesta to go down with the sinking ship.

It was not as if Spurs as a team created that much more than Milan, but as individuals within a team unit they seemed to have that much more quality and verve, which is very worrying not only for Milan but Italian football in general when it comes to keeping up with the neighbours around the continent.

At this rate, Serie A could one day become Europe’s fifth or sixth league, having already fallen behind England, Spain and Germany - with France and, if Ajax’s performance at the San Siro is anything to go by, Holland on the up.

What hope then for the second leg? Well, not much if Allegri refuses to change his tactical approach.

For a start, Thiago Silva has to return to his rightful position at the back, as not only can he bring the ball out of defence, the Brazilian has also the pace to offer some insurance when Milan need to force the issue by sending the full-backs further forward.

He must also look to jettison the three-man midfield and drop Seedorf back where, at least in theory; he can keep play ticking over. Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic really needs to prove he is indeed a team player and not ignore Pato, whose very purpose is to score goals.

Milan need goals but more than that, just as with their owner, they need to ensure their image and that of Italy is not tarnished any further.

Matri Juve's leading man but Cavani and Napoli still get star billing

Richard Whittle — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:15:00 GMT

It was certainly a blockbuster weekend in Serie A, what with a historical epic, a coming of age tale, a feel-good flick, and a heist caper all hitting the screens.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is almost halfway through his five-year plan to take the club to the top of Serie A - and you would have to say that the movie mogul’s smash hit looks like being at the post production stage way ahead of schedule and under-budget.

He sees AS Roma as a benchmark for his own side’s progress, and after the resounding victory - not to mention an assured display - at the Olympic stadium on Saturday evening, the man who persuaded Robert De Niro to appear in one his Italian-produced rom-coms can no longer deny his football team star billing.

Napoli must now be considered viable co-stars to the Milanese pair. Edinson Cavani is vying with Zlatan Ibrahimovic for player of the year and the Uruguayan took his league goal-scoring tally to 20 with his brace in the capital. But what was most impressive about Napoli was the ruthlessness with which they attacked Roma’s soft defensive underbelly.

They also showed a bit of wiliness, knowing that the home side could easily be wound up, although there could be trouble ahead for the Neapolitans. Ezequiel Lavezzi could be in hot water after becoming involved in a spitting match with Giallorossi right-back Aleandro Rosi which was caught by television cameras.

Andrea Dossena could also have seen red for an elbow to Rodrigo Taddei’s face, however Walter Mazzarri promptly removed the former Liverpool man to ensure the home side were not offered a foothold back into the game.

Unfortunately for the Romans, that never really looked likely especially, with Claudio Ranieri losing his nerve and opting to start his most talented performer of late, Jeremy Menez, on the bench for the first half.

The Curva Sud were already voicing their annoyance at what they perceived to be a spineless approach from the coach long before Cavani scored his second from close-range.

The only positive that Roma’s potential American buyers would have taken from this game was the sight of the Stars and Stripes and a Roma fan dressed as the Statue of Liberty in the stands. The only noise at the final whistle came from the Napoli fans who celebrated a first win in Rome in 18 years, and one that kept up the pressure on league leaders Milan.

Antonio Cassano was blowing kisses to the San Siro crowd all evening after notching his first goal for the Rossoneri and setting up two in now customary fashion, although the fawning should perhaps wait until he downs more serious opponents than Parma.

It was day-light robbery down in Sicily, where Fiorentina ended a dismal away run which had seen them not win on the road since last March with a stirring comeback against Palermo. The Rosanero just cannot seem to wake up in time for early kick-offs – and this allowed the Viola to make off with all three points as they came from 2-1 down to win 4-2.

Sunday evening’s grandiose Derby d’Italia was crying out for a leading man, and Juventus found him in Alessandro Matri, who scored the only goal to take down an under-par Inter side who didn’t really click into geat until it was too late.

The former Milan player has always been considered too damn handsome for his own good and as something of a play-boy and is rarely seen without the footballer’s must-have accessory – the velina – a dancer from Italy’s favourite satirical TV show Striscia La Notizia.

There had been major doubts as to whether Matri could make the desired impact at Juve, given he is already at the grand old age of 26 and was forced to circle the lower division block before finding his goalscoring touch at Cagliari.

Early indications suggest that maybe he does mean business, although he still tried to wimp off late on clutching his rib cage only for Luigi Delneri to remind him that all three substitutions had been made and that he would just have to grin and bear it.

To his credit he did battle on, although he avoided the group hug in the centre of the pitch at the final whistle well aware that, on the eve of San Valentino, he was already a special someone.

Delneri to adopt cautious approach as Juve look to smother Inter

Richard Whittle — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:13:00 GMT

Inter’s last match was everything any football fan would want from ninety minutes - so savour it in the pleasure centre of your brain, because this weekend’s encounter with Juventus is set to be rather more mind-numbing.

It is not that the grandly-titled il Derby d’Italia (The Derby of Italy) will lack feeling and passion - it just won’t touch the same heights of ecstasy the eight-goal treat between the Nerazzurri and AS Roma conjured up.

Always billed as the game of the season and the only match that the whole of Italy takes notice of, it is of course a manufactured derby; much like il Derby del Sol (the Derby of the Sun) between AS Roma and Napoli, il Derby del Sud (The Derby of the South) Napoli-Palermo or il Derby delle Isole (The Derby of the Islands - Sicily and Sardinia).

Il Derby del Sol also happens to take place this weekend and will probably be more aesthetically pleasing than the rumble in Turin.

Of course, there is history between Inter and Juventus going way back into the depths of time. But while there is nothing more satisfying than turning over old rivals, there is also nothing more feared than defeat - as the bore-draw at the San Siro earlier in the season demonstrated.

Whenever this game fails to live up to its billing everyone blames the tension that’s stirred during the build-up, and since Juve returned to the top flight it has been the spectre of Calciopoli that has hung most heavily over the fixture like the northern mists that will doubtless shroud the Olympic stadium on Sunday evening.

The ruling Agnelli and Moratti families have long been feuding like the Capulets and Montagues and there is little sign of a truce, even with San Valentino falling on Monday – but we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Massimo Moratti started the week in uppity fashion by claiming the championship had been a complete farce until 2006 - comments sure to have left the Old Lady smarting. But barbed comments have become as big a part of the pre-match build-up as tactical analysis.

Juventus will have a much better chance of beating Inter if Luigi Delneri continues to loosen the tactical straitjacket and allow his team more freedom to take the game to the opposition. The coach played three in attack at Cagliari and came away with a win – only their second in eight games, the other coming against doomed Bari.

However, it looks like it will be back into the padded cell of four in midfield and two upfront. Delneri has had a look at both 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 formations in training in recent days and it seems as though he will attempt to smoother the play rather than spread it wide.

Of course, the revamped visitors need to be shown a certain amount of respect, but Udinese had little time for such niceties three weeks ago as they took the game to the Inter with flair and finesse, earning themselves a timely 3-1 victory over the European and Italian champions. So the Bianconeri of Piemonte understands how a defence can be torn apart: injecting some urgency and courage to take the ball deep into the opposition half.

Here lies the problem if Delneri reverts to four midfielders strung across the pitch. While Krasic - should he be able to muster the pluck to take on Javier Zanetti down the Juve right - will at least get to the by-line and attempt to get the ball into the box, even if the Serbian’s final cross lets him down at times, on the left flank it’s an altogether different matter.

Claudio Marchisio is neither a natural wide player, or for that matter left-footed, and cannot by the very nature of his game provide decent service to the middle. Simone Pepe is back in training and if the little livewire is available then he would be a better option in that position.

As a result chances for Juventus may well be at a premium, and with Leonardo’s side having much more flair going forward, perhaps a cautious approach is the right one for the Old Lady after all.

Mourinho's golden bench and Cassano's latest 'last chance'

Richard Whittle — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 11:26:00 GMT

With the week’s international friendlies taking a large number of Serie A stars off on their travels, the coaches gathered at Coverciano on Monday for a technical meeting and to award the Panchina d'Oro (Golden Bench) for the coach of the year.

The award went to Jose Mourinho, who was snubbed last time round in favour of Massimiliano Allegri - but with the Portuguese (and his ego) now safely out of the country – and a treble winner - he is at last being given some credit by his former peers in Italy.

The day also offered an opportunity to swap ideas and listen to the latest musings on the game. The Italy squad were also at the Federation headquarters preparing for their match against Germany - so the coaches could keep an eye on their charges if they wished.

The majority of Italy players are as pious as cardinals when on Azzurri duty, but there is always the odd one or two who will use the occasion to break with club protocol - hence Allegri dropped in on Antonio Cassano to ensure that his recent signing was sticking to his diet.

There were no reports of the AC Milan coach finding empty jars of Nutella on the windowsill or chocolate wrappers hidden under the player’s mattress, but no doubt the portly Bari boy will be on the scales when he returns to Milanello on Thursday - just to be sure.

The pair had a quick word or two at the café inside the complex, where the player swore that lunch had been nothing more exciting than chicken before lifting his training top and tucking in his tummy - as if that was going to fool anyone.

Cassano arrived at Milan at the turn of the year looking well fed after being exiled from the Sampdoria squad for reportedly swearing in a different manner at club president Riccardo Garrone.

And for someone more in love with self-indulgence than self-discipline, Cassano has found it difficult to shed the excess baggage: in fact, he has made the latter-day Ronaldinho look almost svelte in comparison.

"ROOM SERVICE!"

Even the much-vaunted MilanLab have not been able to put any spin on Tony’s weight-gain plan - which is no surprise considering he has revealed that when he retires he plans to get fat, really fat.

There is no denying the skill and tricky are still there, but the initial thrill of seeing Cassano waddle on as a second-half substitute to set-up a goal or two has worn off somewhat amongst the Rossoneri faithful, who have now witnessed the league leaders draw their last two games in a worryingly collective wobble of their own.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has admitted he is beginning to feel the strain of being the first name on the team-sheet and the Swede certainly has not been as sharp or clinical in front of goal in the last two games; spending more time growling at his team-mates than roaring past defenders.

A little R&R would no doubt not go amiss, but that seems unlikely - not with Cassano unable to last the pace and Allegri seemingly not yet having enough faith in Alexandre Pato to allow him to lead the line, despite the Brazilian netting a more than an adequate nine goals in 14 league appearances.

Cassano will at least have a opportunity to sweat off a few pounds in Dortmund, scene of that never to be forgotten World Cup semi-final in 2006, where Cesare Prandelli will hand him yet another ‘last chance’ – let’s hope he still has the appetite to take it this time round.

More hungry to leave his mark at international level is another descendant of the Italian Diaspora, Thiago Motta who will make his debut this evening.

The Inter midfielder has felt the tug of the old country on his heart strings for some time – his great grandfather emigrated from the Veneto region for South America when he was in his early 20s – which at the time you would have to say was not a bad move.

It seems that for now Prandelli has given up attempting to groom home-grown talent for the central midfield role alongside Daniele De Rossi, with Italo-Argentine Cristian Ledesma another of the ‘new Italians’ to don the Azurri jersey.

It may not have gone down too well with the tifosi, but if these homecoming sons - as with Mauro Cameronesi in the past – help lift the national side out of the doldrums, then boos will soon turn to cheers. And as Cassano will almost certainly testify, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

San Siro witnesses a Serie A classic as Inter continue to improve

Richard Whittle — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:33:00 GMT

If Carlsberg broadcast Serie A matches they would show Inter - Roma every week.

Sunday evening’s goal-fest at the San Siro was a perfect advert for the Italian game, and will be remembered as a bona-fide classic.

The teams shared eight goals – although in truth it could easily have double figures – and a red card as Inter pulled themselves back into the title race, just five points behind leaders AC Milan with a game in hand.

The home side scored five in what was a five-star performance all round - if Roma’s potential starred and striped savours were watching from Boston then they too should be rubbing their hands in glee at the thought of becoming part of the show.

Everyone wanted to get involved, from the referee - who was as much at the centre of the action as the players - to the fans, who started waving the white handkerchiefs in an Italian version of the pañolada after Houssine Kharja was booked just before the break.

Certainly the crowd reaction was more in keeping with a La Liga match – while the apparent lack of tactical planning bar ‘get the ball forward as quickly as possible’ was pure Premier League.

There was so much to enjoy that it is difficult to know where to begin: Douglas Maicon’s drag-back inside his own area when surrounded by opposition players springs to mind. Or Wesley Sneijder, finally recovered from injury and illness, hitting a stunning opener to set the tone for the evening. Or perhaps Jeremy Menez refusing to stand in the shadow of Eto’o and Vucinic, with a couple of mazy runs that cut a swathe through the opposition ranks.

Then, there was the man well versed in attacking football of the Spanish variety, Eto’o - who just edged Vucinic for man of the match. The former Barcelona striker grabbed two goals and could easily have had four although he was helped by the visitor’s weak link, goalkeeper Julio Sergio who failed to hold anything aimed at his hands.

At the other end, however, Julio Cesar was in inspired form - making three crucial saves in one Roma attack at the start of the second half when the game was still evenly poised.

Attacking football has always come easily to both of these sides and in general the gold standard is that there are very few dull games at the San Siro, but the difference between the teams was in terms of strength and depth.

Leonardo had been presented with four reinforcements in the winter transfer market while Claudio Ranieri had been left to stare into an empty transfer kitty – and he must wonder if the Americans do decide to invest then he may not be there to enjoy the benefits.

When Roma can field there preferred starting XI, which means Francesco Totti down the pecking-order, then they are a match for anyone. However the centre of defence will always be a worry, despite the heroic efforts of Juan and to a certain extent Daniele De Rossi in front of the back four. Against Inter, Nicolas Burdisso was easily dragged out of position and then lured into a foul on Giampaolo Pazzini, which lead to his subsequent sending-off.

If things are not going according to plan for Inter, they can always give the ball to Eto’o to speed off down either flank, but Thiago Motta has become a very assured operator in the withdrawn role in midfield which enables Esteban Cambiasso to play in a more advanced role.

There is still a long way to go in the title race and if we get a few more champagne calcio evenings such as this, who needs the beer?

Milan run into a brick wall as Roma and Juve blame the refs

Richard Whittle — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:21:00 GMT

The last round of midweek games of this season was all about bruised egos and bloodied noses.

AC Milan were the first team to run into a brick wall on Tuesday - or more precisely a very robust Lazio side whose beanpole striker Libor Kozàk dispatched Daniele Bonera and Nicola Legrottaglie to hospital, having rearranged both central defenders’ facial features (see the below video for his crack at Legrottaglie).

Lazio coach Edy Reja had obviously watched a re-run of AS Roma’s win at the San Siro against the leaders at the end of the year, and it was another Roman rearguard action without the subtleties going forward demonstrated by the Giallorossi.

The goalless scoreline and the carnage inflicted by Kozàk’s flailing limbs had the chasing pack smelling blood when all but one of the remaining fixtures took place 24 hours later.

Of course, when chucked this bone, Napoli and AS Roma sniffed at it, turned tails and scarpered off in the opposite direction. Were they not hungry enough for the big prize against, in all honesty, less intimidating opponents than Lazio’s heavies?

Napoli could have closed the gap at the top to just two points with a win at Chievo, but found themselves two-nil down ten minutes into the second half and staring despondently into the misty northern Italian night.

Once again the Neapolitans suffered a nose bleed north of Tuscany and while the Flying Donkeys have become something of a bête noir, having won at the San Paolo as well this season, AS Roma must be equally sick of the sight of Brescia.

Having lost at the Rigamonti where the Romans cited - surprise, surprise - refereeing bias, one would have thought the sweet scent of revenge would be in the air in the Capital, but instead it seemed Claudio Ranieri had been dishing out calamine tea instead of raw meat during his pre-match pep-talk.

No matter who the opposition – in this case the second-bottom side in the league who had lost nine of their last 12 games, just sacked coach Mario Beretta and brought back Giuseppe Iachini who had been shown the door in December – if you don’t actually create any decent openings going forward, you can’t expect to have much joy.

Brescia’s tactic was simple enough – pack the midfield and play one-man upfront. Roma responded by bulldozing down the congested centre of the pitch or disappearing into cul-de-sacs along the touchline.

Only the introduction of Jeremy Menez and Mirko Vucinic - the latter finally awakening from his evening nap - produced anything approaching the flair and verve we have come to expect at the Olympic stadium.

In the end it was all too sloppy and, having equalised, the visitors could have grabbed a winner in added-time when Davide Lanzafame hit the bar.

Juventus must feel like hitting themselves over the head just to make sure they are not living a never-ending nightmare - one in which they are falling off a cliff only to wake up in a cold sweat having plummeted to the bedroom floor.

The Vecchia Signora are thus in freefall: two-down in twenty minutes at Palermo and only the denial of a stonewall penalty when Cesare Bovo handled could jolt Juve out of their slumber, with Claudio Marchisio scoring soon afterwards to raise some hope of a comeback.

Unfortunately, Alessandro Matri fluffed his lines not once, but twice as the new signing caught Amauritus - missing exactly the kind of chances you pay good money for your principle striker to tuck away.

Now out of the running for a European place completely and with little to clutch on to, the club have resorted to a familiar defence – ‘Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me.’

Juve still believe they are paying for the shady deeds of the recent past, and referees - they seem to be claiming - are at the head of a much-wider witch-hunt. They have therefore demanded the suspension of Wednesday’s official Emidio Morganti, who Gigi Del Neri claimed was ‘in no fit state to referee.’

One solitary victory in the last seven league games suggests perhaps someone isn’t fit to coach.

Overall, it was one step forward, two steps back in the title chase and we all know whose corner we would like to be in at the moment – Inter can go joint third with a win at bottom side Bari this evening.

Serie A's big guns rush to beat the transfer deadline

Richard Whittle — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:43:00 GMT

The transfer window closed with a late rush on the market as clubs throughout Serie A jostled to find the missing ingredient that will make the second half of the season that little more tasty.

Juventus turned to Alessandro Matri, Inter rubbed Rafa Benitez’s nose in it again, bringing in their fourth signing: Yuto Nagatomo, Napoli brought Giuseppe Mascara back home and AC Milan could not resist opening the gates of their country club to Nicola Legrottaglie.

The summer may have belonged to Milan with the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho but the winter has become Massimo Morrati’s playground, despite Silvio Berlusconi’s capture of Antonio Cassano, Mark Van Bommel, Urby Emanuelson and left-back Didac Vilà from Espanyol.

Giampaolo Pazzini was an instant hit for the Nerazzurri at the weekend, and the striker’s arrival takes the pressure of Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito. Another new signing, Houssine Kharja, will ease the problems in midfield where Wesley Sneijder, Dejan Stankovic and Esteban Cambiasso have all been injured at various times this season.

The third new signing, or in fact the first arrival at the turn of January, Andrea Ranocchia, is ensured even more game time with Lucio now out injured for at least a month.

And that seemed to be the end of business for the defending champions until Davide Santon’s limp performance against Palermo persuaded the club’s hierarchy that Yuto Nagatomo was a better option for cover at left-back.

Cesena were immediately informed that the Japan international, fresh from winning the Asian Cup under Alberto Zaccheroni, would be spending the rest of the season on loan in Milan to leave the player who was once hyped as the new Maldini in a relegation dogfight.

It could have been worse – he could have been Sulley Muntari, returning to England and Sunderland, or Nelson Rivas, who is off to Ukraine to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk

Most of the Juventus side perhaps should have been exiled to the footballing equivalent of the salt mines for a dose of hard labour, but in the end the club could only force Amauri into exile at Parma.

Transfer chief Beppe Marotta is finding out the hard way that the Juve name does not carry as much weight as it did under Lucky Luciano Moggi, hence the signings of Pazzini and even Alejandro Dominguez of Valencia never materialised.

Instead, a last-minute search for fire-power produced a frantic call to Cagliari where Alessandro Matri was waiting with his bags packed. Hopefully, the one-time Milan youth player has broad shoulders because he will be expected to carry the attack where goals have been as rare as a cheery crowd at the Olympic stadium in Turin.

An initial outlay of €2.5million with an option to add a further €15 million to make the deal permanent at the end of the season does not seem too much of a gamble on a player who has scored 11 league goals so far this season, which needless to say sits very favourably with what has gone before – Amauri having last found the net in the league back in October 2009.

In fact, Giorgio Chiellini has scored more goals over than period than the Brazilian who apparently had recently taken to hiding behind a mask such was his shame.

Napoli pulled off something of a coup by signing Victor Ruiz from Espanyol. The central defender was reportedly an Inter target and strengthens the weakest area in Walter Mazzarri’s side while Mascara will add cover as the poor-man’s Ezequiel Lavezzi.

So with the Roman clubs without a cent between them and in truth Lazio and AS Roma need to trim their squads rather than add to them, once again it was the Milanese giants that landed the best winter deals.

Inter go Pazzini crazy as Van Bommel starts as he means to go on

Richard Whittle — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:47:00 GMT

As debuts go you cannot get much better than scoring two goals and winning a penalty to fire your new club to a comeback victory - so take a bow Giampaolo Pazzini.

Inter were trailing two-nil at home to Palermo at the break, so there was little for Leonardo to do but return to his coaching roots: take off a full-back for a midfielder and throw three upfront, with Pazzini replacing the support-striker Coutinho.

‘Pazza Inter’ (Inter Crazy) is the official club song, so of course the first syllable of the new man’s surname was ready to hit the newsstands on Monday morning: 'Inter Pazzesca' (Inter go crazy) trumpeted La Gazzetta dello Sport with the rest of the dailies duly following suit with their own variant on the theme.

It has been a rare sight indeed to see a new signing in an Inter shirt, but all of a sudden new coach Leonardo has been handed a trio of them: the aforementioned Pazzini, Andrea Rannocchia and Houssine Kharja who both arrived from Genoa.

Rafa Benitez had pleaded in vain for the same number of new arrivals and having been rebuffed, such recent transfer activity suggests that nothing in the world of Massimo Moratti and that included a World Championship was going to save the Spaniard.

Moratti kept claiming that there was no money to spend and that the squad was fine the way it was, but the €12 million plus Jonathan Biabiany to Sampdoria - and depending on what value you put on the French winger that amount comes to €12.5m or €24m – is the bargain of the transfer window.

And not just that – he is Italian (hooray), has an annoying goal celebration (boo), is only 26. He has also scored over 100 goals during a career that has taken him from Atalanta - where he burst on to the scene with Riccardo Montolivo, to Fiorentina - where the pair continued their partnership, and most recently Sampdoria - where he formed a prolific partnership with Antonio Cassano.

Wearing the number seven shirt, last seen on Ricardo Quaresma but more productively on Luis Figo, Pazzo bounded on to the pitch along with the other last-minute arrival from the city of Genoa, Kharja, to lead the cavalry charge on the Palermo goal.

As script-writing goes it was all pretty predictable: the new signings combined to get their team back into the game, the opposition missed a penalty. The new striker scored his second. And then the leading man, in this case Samuel Eto’o, sealed the victory from a spot-kick after the new boy had been fouled as he ran on to a ball from the other new man - and so on and so on. Oh yes, and the returning goalkeeper made a stunning save with his foot to deny a late equaliser.

Breathless entertainment indeed, and matches like this only strengthen Leonardo’s position – who needs Jose Mourinho’s pouting mug staring from the sidelines as his team grind out results when dashing Leo’s men can demonstrate the same heart but throw in a bit of fun as well?

The result ensured that the defending champions did not fall any further off the pace set by AC Milan, who crafted a routine win at Catania despite having Mark Van Bommel sent off on his league debut.

At this rate the Dutchman will spend more time in the stands than on the pitch during his five month stay at the Rossoneri.

The midfielder picked up two yellow cards for what he believed were no more than routine fouls and despite being something of robust tackler the competitive midfielder was only ever sent off four times in the Bundesliga.

He will to learn quickly that Serie A referees allow no room for leeway when it comes to a late challenge regardless of its intent. Alexis Sanchez also suffered the same fate at Juventus on Sunday evening but by then the Chilean had dispatched the home side to another dispiriting defeat – but trying to sort the Old Lady out would drive anyone mad so we will leave the day to Crazy Heart Pazzini.

Old Lady kisses goodbye to her season as cup goes into hibernation

Richard Whittle — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:02:00 GMT

It has been a busy week, what with the Italian Cup attempting to sneak under the radar once again, AC Milan going Dutch on the transfer front and Adrian Mutu promising for the umpteenth time that he will be a good boy.

It's not as if the Coppa Italia is losing its appeal – there's never any interest amongst clubs and fans alike until the semi-finals at least – but in the last few seasons the Football Federation (FIGC) has attempted to revamp the competition.

The much maligned two-legged encounters were jettisoned until the semi-final stage, and the final became a one-off with a permanent home in Rome.

However, with midweek rounds in the league, Champions League and Europa League ties and internationals to fit in, there's little room in the fixture calendar for Cup games so they have to be shoe-horned into the dead time in January.

We've had two rounds in the last two weeks – the last 16 and quarter-finals – leaving a black hole in the memory bank until April, when we will be reminded that the semi-finals will take place.

These January stages can become glorified a kick-around for Serie A benchwarmers in front of sparsely-populated crowds for afternoon or late-evening mid-winter kick-offs.

However, the FIGC has latched on to the fact there is a worldwide television audience out there and even if there is little interest at home, the armchair fans in Asia, in particular, are all for watching the likes of Inter, Juventus and Milan, while Napoli, Palermo and Roma have major fanbases in the Americas.

In fact, only the absence of Lazio – dumped out by Roma last week – made the quarter-finals a clean sweep of the league's current top eight teams: interlopers Parma were dispatched by Palermo after penalty-kicks which seemed to be the only point of their appearance in Sicily on Tuesday evening.

There were few takers - with people having jobs, families and suchlike - for the Sampdoria-Milan matinee show to heckle the pantomime villain Antonio Cassano on his return to the Marassi stadium – and anyway it was such a low-key affair that the home side didn’t wake up until midway through the second half, when Alexandre Pato had already scored twice for the visitors.

The occasion, if you call it that, did give Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri a chance to blood his two new arrivals, Mark van Bommel and Urby Emanuelson: the Dutch pair must have wondered if a friendly had been specially arranged for their benefit.

They ran around a bit, passed the ball, and Van Bommel made his obligatory lunge at an opponent, but what is the point of this pair? OK, they arrived on free transfers, and Van Bommel is represented by Italian-born Dutch agent Mino Raiola (who also brokered Zlatan Ibrahimovic's moves in and out of Milan), but what return do you get from a 33-year-old midfielder and a 24-year-old who is fundamentally no more or less talented than many home-grown players?

No wonder Italy coach Cesare Prandelli is lamenting a dearth of potential internationals when the major clubs refuse to invest in Italians, but decide on the low-cost option from abroad.

Milan had expressed an interest in signing Domenico Criscito before the close of the January sales but not if Genoa are demanding something like, heaven forbid, cash: €12m, although €8m and a couple of youth players would probably seal the deal.

Instead, it seems that Adriano Galliani will turn once more to foreign shores and Espanyol left-back Rossello Didac Vila – coincidentally, another Raiola client – who will cost a mere €3m.

At least Inter seem to be putting some faith in a future Azzurri, Andrea Ranocchia (and have now signed another Italian in Giampaolo Pazzini), but we will wait and see how long that lasts.

Centre-back Ranocchia started in what semed to be the pick of the cup ties at Napoli, but in truth we could have skipped 80 minutes and tagged the other 10 minutes on to extra-time. It was well past most people’s bed-time before the penalty shootout ended with holders Inter through.

Juventus could have played all night against Roma and never scored. The Old Lady can just about kiss goodbye to her season after losing 2-0 at home to the Giallorossi, who never really had to get out of first gear and of course have what the Turin side do not: a quality striker in Mirko Vucinic.

So we can wave farewell to the cup until the more mellow days of spring. Which brings us on to someone looking to soften his turbulent life: bad boy Adrian Mutu, who has been lying low ever since storming out of training when Fiorentina decided that he could'nt pick up all his toys and flounce off to Cesena.
In his defence, the evidence suggests Romanian may not have been thinking clearly as he processed the information coming from his agent Victor Becali, considering that Cesena look destined for an immediate return to Serie B.

Having parted ways with Becali, angry Adrian called a press conference to apologise and pleaded for another chance in the Renaissance city. No doubt he was sincere in his intentions to toe the line, but the only people who need to believe him are the club.

President Andrea Della Valle seems to have bought it when he called Mutu’s apology “lovely” - and no doubt the wayward talent will be back in a Viola shirt if not this weekend then in time for the following midweek round. The whole saga is a bit like the Italian Cup – long-winded and very predictable.

Juve unlikely to window shop, leaving Delneri to look for a Plan B

Richard Whittle — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:59:00 GMT

Juventus continue to paper over the cracks of their rebuilding programme – and we are not talking about the new stadium, which by all accounts will look amazing and put those who are meant to be performing there to shame.

Being nine points off leaders AC Milan is one thing, but being in a real scrap to qualify for the Champions League - the target set out by the club at the start of the season - is quite another.

Currently, Luigi Delneri’s side are joint-fifth with Inter and two points off fourth-placed Lazio. But with the defending champions rediscovering their form under new boss Leonardo, and Palermo and Udinese - both in the chasing pack - looking particularly impressive, Juventus are likely to have to battle hard to even qualify for the Europa League.

Investment in the first team squad is required, and President Andrea Agnelli’s new regime are at risk of deluding themselves that the current squad will be strong enough to be playing Champions League football in the new stadium some time in the near future.

The UEFA financial fair play regulations are playing their part, or so the club claims, but wasn’t this “project” to restructure the whole organisation on and off the pitch meant to have started back in 2006?

There have been some false starts along the way and patience even amongst the most fervent Juve follower is beginning to wear thin. There are only a few days left in the January transfer window, but there are still gaping holes right through the squad.

And yet it seems the only arrival will be defender Andrea Barzagli from Wolfsburg – another hero of Berlin ’06 to reminisce about the glory days with Luca Toni, Fabio Grosso, Alex Del Piero and Gigi Buffon.

Barzagli (left) looks likely to be Juve's sole winter purchase

Cover in the centre of defence should probably have been one of Juve’s lowest priorities, with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini on the whole remaining free of injuries and slowly developing a partnership that will bear dividends in the future.

That stability has been sadly lacking in the full-back positions: Armand Traorè limped into the club from Arsenal and after just three starts, the left-back set the record for quickest ever substitution in Italian football on Sunday when he pulled a thigh muscle 52 seconds into the stalemate at Sampdoria.

This is of little significance when compared to the problems in attack, where needless to say a goalscorer will always make the difference – and that is something Juve just do not possess.

AC Milan have Zlatan Ibrahimovic on 12 goals and despite his own injury problems Alexandre Pato has netted eight so far, Napoli’s Edinson Cavani is on 14, Samuel Eto’o has 12 for Inter and AS Roma’s Marco Borriello who turned down a switch to Turin in the summer, is on nine goals.

Antonio Di Natale also snubbed the Old Lady and is currently leading the goalscoring charts at Udinese on 15 goals.

Fabio Quagliarella had found the net nine times until his season was ended and the key to finding a decent replacement came down to whether the club could sufficiently cash in on Amauri and Mohamed Sissoko.

The former has rarely hit the high notes since his arrival in Turin from Palermo and there have been no takers for the Brazilian-born Italian national, perhaps unsurprising given he has also had his fair share of injury problems. The same goes for Sissoko who has been punted to clubs in France and Germany only to be rebuffed at every turn.

The names of Luis Fabiano, Diego Forlan and even Klaas Jan Huntelaar have been bandied about but if no one moves on then, as Juve transfer chief Beppe Marotta lamented: “What can be done?”

There just isn’t €10 to €12 million in the transfer kitty so Delneri will have to make do with whatever he can scrape together from the fit players currently at the club for what is likely to be a testing month ahead. This could be as good a time as any for the coach to start thinking outside the box somewhat and jettison his rigid ’four in the middle and two up top’ approach.

With Milos Krasic being run into the ground having not had a break for over a year after playing for CSKA Moscow through August immediately after the World Cup, perhaps now might be time to rest the Serbian. Jorge Martinez could actually be fit again and could be brought in on the right side of a two in support of a lone striker, be it Amauri, Toni or another injury victim Vincenzo Iaquinta.

Simone Pepe has provided one of the rare positive notes of late and should continue on the left flank; behind those three there is room for a solid three of Alberto Aquilani, Felipe Melo (or Sissoko if the Brazilian cannot stay on the pitch) and Claudio Marchisio who would feel more at home in a narrow midfield role.

Next up on Thursday are AS Roma in the Italian Cup followed by in-form Udinese on Sunday, a midweek trip to Palermo and then a visit to Cagliari before Inter arrive at the Olympic stadium. It is crucial Juve get their act together over these coming weeks if they are to salvage something from this season.

Udinese's diminutive odd couple keep tying the giants in knots

Richard Whittle — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:03:00 GMT

Small, fast, skilful, elusive: Udinese forwards Antonio Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez are the odd couple of Serie A, as no other side in the top flight play with a diminutive front-two who possess such exquisite technical qualities.

Di Natale and Sanchez both stand around 5ft8 in their sock feet and like nothing better than a tight turn before accelerating away with the ball to play quick-one-twos in and around the area – they’re both also deadly from long range; be it from open play or dead-ball situations.

Di Natale was at it again on Sunday with a wonderful strike from a free-kick putting the flying Friuli ahead in what was a high-tempo 3-1 home rout of Inter – a result which put the brakes on the newfound momentum the Nerazzurri had found under coach Leonardo.

The defending champions should have expected as much; Francesco Guidolin’s men had already put four past AC Milan at the San Siro two weeks ago, - although they also conceded the same amount that night - and then hit four again last weekend at Genoa, this time running out 4-2 winners.

Di Natale is topping the goalscoring charts once again on 15 goals, only two of which have come from the penalty spot, having been crowned Capocannoniere as Serie A top scorer last year when he netted 29 goals in total.

The tactic of playing two smaller frontmen would seem to have its limitations but the astute Guidolin changed the system during the comeback win over Fiorentina in December: no sitting back, no more high balls but quick, decisive passing – and the switch paid dividends.

Since then the Bianconeri have suffered just one defeat, which happened to come in the game after Fiorentina, at Lazio when most of the starting XI plus subsequent substitutes all took it in turn to miss a hatful of chances.

The change in approach also called time on Antonio Floro Flores reclaiming a starting place and it was no surprise that the third wheel moved on to Genoa last week rather than sit on the bench.

Of course, the glory is not down to the pocket-sized front-two alone, but a midfield five that ensures constant service. The tactic is simple enough: win the ball back and then get it forward as quickly as possible to catch the opposition off-guard.

The tall and imposing Gokhan Inler is the lynchpin in the middle flanked by the equally robust Giampiero Pinzi and Kwadwo Asamoah but there are two other vertically-challenged performers in Mauricio Isla and Pablo Armero who race up and down the flanks, providing a constant outlet – it is an non-stop intensity and fitness allied to skill that is almost like watching Barcelona at times – well the closest an Italian club can get to the Catalans.

There is also a team ethic that binds, but the Bianconeri will have to enjoy it while they can. For a start the Di Natale and Sanchez partnership may soon come to an end: the Italian is 33 while the Chilean is just 22-years-old and.

Born outside Naples, Di Natale has never found the need to move to a bigger club – having been linked with AS Roma and Napoli in the past and in the summer demonstrated his loyalty to the unfashionable north-east by turning down a switch to Juventus.

Having spent eight years in the backwater of Empoli he found out long ago that the grass is not always greener having been a nearly-man for Italy as a succession of coaches felt he did not possess the glamour to play on the international stage – by South Africa it was too late and even then he was given a bit-part by Marcello Lippi.

It is days such as yesterday that Totò dreams off: feeling appreciated among the down to earth citizens who visit the Friuli stadium and repaying that sentiment with some sublime performances – hat-tricks against Lecce and Napoli in consecutive home games this season spring to mind.

Di Natale may have found his home but El Ninho Maravilla - as Sanchez is known – is only starting out on his long road in the game. He has learnt from the old maestro although the young Chilean will not remain in one place for much longer and the top sides throughout Europe have been eyeing the South American.

He created a buzz at the World Cup finals so it is not as if he is a completely unknown quality and has already hit a couple of stunning goals this season, the pick of which coming at Bari.

Udinese president Gianpaolo Pozzi has slapped a 30million Euro price-tag from which Massimo Moratti shied away at the turn of the year but may well have to reconsider tabling a bid in that ball-park or miss out on what his aging Inter side needs: youth and talent in one bundle.

The signs are that the Di Sanchez will remain until the end of the season which on current form should see Udinese back in Europe - so for now we can all enjoy the odd couple who have so much in common as they cut the giants down to size.

Milan cannot afford to continue isolating 'out of sorts' Pato

Richard Whittle — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:39:00 GMT

AC Milan surely couldn’t be losing that loving feeling for the Boys from Brazil, could they?

In the summer, Leonardo gave up having to bow to Silvio Berlusconi and the writing was then on the wall for Ronaldinho, who recently slipped back home leaving the corridors of Milanello no longer echoing to the Samba beat.

Thiago Silva, Robinho and Alexandre Pato are still there of course, but the latter is now feeling something of the cold shoulder from the new coaching regime.

Massimiliano Allegri has brought a more pragmatic approach after Leonardo had previously paid a romantic homage to the Brazil World Cup side of ’82 by occasionally playing four up front.

With Antonio Cassano arriving to reinforce the Italian contingent, Zlatan Ibrahimovic ploughing his own path on and off the pitch and Robinho coming to grips with life in a new league, Pato has been given the distinct feeling that he is becoming the odd man out.

He probably won’t end up like Dinho, disappearing inside a giant snood like an old woman waiting for a bus that’s just never going to come, but since the turn of the year it has been made clear to the 21-year-old that now is the time to start imposing himself on matches.

When Berlusconi met the players to give out his New Year pep talk ahead of the league game at Cagliari, he went round the gathered audience picking out faces and making a comment or two about each and when he got to 'the Duck' his opening line was 'stop getting injured'.

It wasn’t the most ringing endorsement and not the first thing that a player wants his boss to think when he claps eyes on him. Injuries, after all, are part and parcel of the game, and Pato’s set-backs have generally been minor niggles rather than season-wrecking ailments, such as those that have plagued Fabio Quagliarella, Walter Samuel or even Filippo Inzaghi’s five month lay-off.

Rino Gattuso then had a go at him as they walked off at half-time at Lecce on Sunday, lementing what the combative midfielder felt was a lack of effort from his team-mate; at least Pato answered in kind and Clarence Seedorf was forced to break up the verbal sparring.

Cassano eventually replaced the youngster who was clearly out of sorts – and ahead of this evening’s Italian Cup tie against Bari, Allegri had to deflect probing questions on whether the South American was unable to coexist with Ibra who demands passes played to his feet in tight spaces so that he can dance around with the ball for a while.

The Swede had complained earlier in the season that he was seeing less of the ball when Dinho and Pato were on the pitch and preferred to have Inzaghi as his partner upfront, but he has since toned down his comments no doubt due to the fact that he is now the big chief in the side.

Under Leonardo, Gattuso was pushed to the margins but he is just the sort of competitor most Italian coaches like to have in their side, hence he has become more vocal when the bad times threaten to raise their head – such as now with the side drawing the last two while Inter closed the gap to six points last night after their fourth win in 2011.

Pato, for his part, prefers inspiration to perspiration so it is doubtful if he will ever find common ground with a player who will run himself into the ground to patch over a lack of natural ability.

It is hard to say what affect such sniping and public displays of frustration will have on Pato – he still looks as fresh-faced as the teenager who arrived at club back in 2007 but answering back to Gattuso demonstrates there is a hardening steely resolve developing underneath those soft features.

The statistics bear out the fact that apart from the Lecce game he has been no turkey when fit – eight goals in eleven Serie A outings – ten of which he started – is more than an acceptable return.

He netted braces against Leece (on the opening day), Chievo and just recently Udinese to take his overall tally to 49 goals in 106 games for Milan - which for someone barely into their 20s is quite extraordinary.

He has already nipped any speculation that he would follow the man who brought him to Milan - and then acted like a big brother and confidant - to Inter, but there has been speculation that Europe’s heavyweights will be knocking on Milan’s door this summer: Carlo Ancelotti, wherever he may be next season, would definitely be making enquiries.

The club’s hierarchy may need to rein in any growing criticism of their prize asset from within the rank and file or face losing another Samba Boy ... Kaka, Ronaldinho and now Pato, surely not?

Cassano cameo can't inspire Milan, but Inter on the march again

Richard Whittle — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:41:00 GMT

For once Antonio Cassano has been speaking sense - although in his usual straight to the point manner he painted a stark picture as to where his future may lie, claiming that if he failed to take his chance at AC Milan then he deserved to be institutionalised.

Cassano will never be held in the same esteem as the divine Roberto Baggio or even Alessandro Del Piero, but at least he now has a genuine opportunity to leave some sort of positive legacy at a club with the word professionalism woven neatly into its very fabric.

Strange really, when you consider who runs the whole operation, but Silvio Berlusconi told the players at the turn of the year that Milan success was good for the government and, with his political enemies gathering at every corner, the laughing cavalier will hope his team go on an unbeaten run to the end of the season, winning the league, Champions League and Italian Cup to boot…

Away from such flights of fancy, Cassano can at least play his part on the domestic front and with each session on the training pitch his fitness is of course returning - and class as they say in Italy - is not like water, i.e. you can’t bottle it.

Witnessing the way the likes of Alessandro Nesta, Rino Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf go about staying in shape, Cassano - again employing his colourful language - claimed he was more than motivated to “get his finger out and start training like a dog as well.”

So far so good: two outings coming off the bench for a total of 35 minutes and three assists leading to goals. Yesterday evening the fifteen-or-so minute man was back in Puglia - not in his hometown of Bari, but rather the more hostile surroundings of regional rivals Lecce.

In fact, he was given an extra five minutes in the place of the ineffectual Alexandre Pato when Milan, to all intents and purposes, were in complete control even if the score was only 1-0 - the product of another Zlatan Ibrahimovic wonder goal.

Cassano was less productive than in his previous cameos against Cagliari and Udinese, although through no fault of his own, with Nesta and Thiago Silva having their worst game of the season. To call Milan’s defending from the corner which resulted in Lecce’s late equaliser sloppy would perhaps be being a bit kind, with nobody picking up Ruben Olivera who gladly swept home from 10 yards.

Milan should have been out of sight even before Cassano entered the game, but once again the chance to open up a significant gap over the chasing pack was missed, suggesting that Massimiliano Allegri’s men are not the genuine title-winning material they had us believe in the first half of the season.

Cassano still has plenty of time to leave is mark throughout the rest of the campaign, but imagine the glittering career he may have had if he had come under the protective wing of Javier Zanetti early on, rather than head off down his wayward road.

The Inter captain equalled Giuseppe Bergomi’s club record of 519 appearances in Serie A against Bologna on Saturday evening and ever since arriving in Milan back in 1995 the Argentine has kept his game and his life much like his hair: neat and tidy.

The tractor wheels are still churning away and one moment early in the first-half on Saturday summed the 37-year-old’s approach to the game: As Bologna’s Gaston Ramirez broke into open space down the left flank the veteran came racing back to dispossess the midfielder and not only keep the ball in play but instigate an attack that almost led to a goal at the other end.

Milan’s old enemy are on the march again and Bologna were displaced with ease. Samuel Eto’o was at his rampaging best and weighed in with two goals in the 4-0 blitz including a precise fee-kick, Diego Milito also found the back of the net again while the midfield and defence were fully in synch.

The biggest cheer of the evening, however, came when Zanetti was replaced in the closing minutes: the game was still going on behind him as he soaked up the adulation, but as always for one of Serie A’s all-time greats there was no time to look back.

With each passing match it looks more and more likely that the defending champions will soon be back near the summit: they can close the gap on Milan to six points on Wednesday when they play the first of their two games in hand, at home to Cesena.

Milan target Van Bommel as Serie A sides go on bargain hunt

Richard Whittle — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:21:00 GMT

Second-placed Napoli can at least claim to be top of the league when it comes to getting their house in order financially – that should please UEFA and Michel Platini.

Club owner Aurelio de Laurentiis was all smiles when he informed the world that he had balanced the books, and if he wanted, the movie mogul could blow the rest of Serie A away if he ever deemed to cash in on Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Another 100 million Euro in the bank account would be all well and good, but the Partenopei have their sights firmly set on Champions League qualification, and like the rest of those chasing a top-four place they want and need reinforcements.

The forward-thinking De Laurentiis had given Walter Mazzarri more authority over transfer dealings, turning him from a coach into more of a manager in the English mode.

There may be no Diego Maradona-like figure out there but Mazzarri can at least target three or four names that, together, can take the club to the next level.

One objective is Claudio Yacob , the 24-year-old midfielder with Racing Club Avellaneda. At a mere 5m Euro he would be a much better prospect that Momo Sissoko, who has been touted around the league and beyond by Juventus but with no takers so far.

Of course, no Napoli side can ever have enough Argentines in their ranks, but an Italian may well be the sort of dream arrival (as we said, times are hard) the fans have been calling for: Giuseppe Rossi.

The Villarreal striker is suddenly in demand and Juventus would love to take the Italy international to Turin, especially after Luca Toni broke down last night during the Italian Cup win over Catania. But with funds tight, the bargain basement Antonio Floro Flores looks more affordable to the Biaconeri.

The Old Lady must be wishing they had not let David Trezeguet leave so easily. The veteran has rediscovered his goalscoring touch and joie de vivre at Hercules in Spain, and Ronaldo has already contacted his old mate about joining him at Corinthians, but a move back to Italy has been mooted.

However, it is the same old problem of cash – or lack of it. Lazio have made contact with the former France international’s Spanish club, who want at least 3m Euro, while the Romans were thinking more along the lines of a free transfer.

The signs are that somewhere in the middle could just see one of the most unlikely returns to Italian football taking place. Having missed out on Roque Santa Cruz, the Biancocelesti are desperate for added fire power upfront, where Tomasso Rocchi and Sergio Floccari have only scored six goals between them – the last of which came back in November.

It is the same story around the rest of the league: bringing in quality reinforcements on shoe-string budgets (or least budgets working towards staying on the right side of Monsieur Platini).

Everyone will have to fall in line. Hence, AC Milan have been sounding out Marco van Bommel, out of contract at Bayern Munich in the summer. At 33, though, he hardly fits into the long-term planning for a club with designs on dominating at home and Europe again.

Domenico Criscito, on the other hand, is the sort of investment that the Rossoneri should be making. At just 24, the Italy international would solve the problem with the left-back position, but Genoa are asking 18m Euro while run-of-the-mill Cagliari midfielder Andrea Lazzari is valued at 10m Euro.

Of course, Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani make be able to wangle a lower price, or maybe even a loan deal, but as we enter the second-half of the winter transfer market the stakes are becoming higher – even if the outlay for players throughout Serie A remains modest.

Stroppy Totti needs to learn a lesson from his peers or risk denting legacy

Richard Whittle — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:39:00 GMT

We all get the blues now and again, but Francesco Totti is in a right old January funk.

Four minutes was all it took for the moody Roman to fall out of love with 2011. Four minutes was all Claudio Ranieri deemed the veteran should spend on the pitch last weekend at Sampdoria.

The fact that those four minutes were the amount of time added at the end of a game AS Roma were trailing 2-1, left Totti in a right state of agitation to say the least.

As he climbed the steps of the club bus outside the Marassi stadium, he asked in jest, “Has the game started.” The journalists lapped the comment up but Ranieri, who was in ear-shot, was all daggers and once again gloom descended over Roma’s training ground at Trigoria.

In fact, Totti claimed that he has been feeling a little down on every occasion he turns up for training and a lot happier when he jumps in his motor and back out the gates again.

His life seems to be imitating art at the moment, as he acts out a similar scene of making a quick exit in an ad for an international mobile phone company with the tagline “Life is Now” which should really be along the lines of “Live your Life”.

Unfortunately with time running out on his career, the 34-year-old seems to be doing anything but living his life and his attitude has left something of a toxic atmosphere in the camp.

Ranieri has been involved in a power struggle with the man who is seen as Mr.Roma – and one he seems to have won, with the club siding more or less with the coach.

Rosella Sensi is hanging in there as president until a new buyer comes along, and the way things are going she could be there for quite some time, although she did little to placate her unhappy star.

“There is a reason there is competition for places in the team and that is to motivate players,” was her carefully worded statement on Tuesday. “Those who love the shirt have to be ready to give a professional response when called upon.”

Of course, it doesn’t take much to read between the lines and gather that she expects Totti to knuckle down and accept he is no longer the first name on the team sheet – and that she may well call his bluff on the No.10’s threat to leave.

This season a number of fading Serie A stars have been left warming the bench: Ronaldinho could not hack it at AC Milan, where he also suffered what he felt was the indignity of four minutes against Sampdoria back in November – and from that moment with his humiliation further compounded by Massimiliano Allegri’s assertion that the former world player of the year was very much on the margins, Dinho’s time was up although he never made any of his dissatisfaction public.

Alessandro Del Piero had to kick his heels in his quest to equal the Juventus goalscoring record until the final minutes of the match against Lecce in which he came off the bench with the Old Lady cruising at 2-0.

Del Piero has since surpassed Giampiero Boniperti’s 178-goal record and, along the way, accepted he can still be a team leader without stepping on to the pitch from the first minute – and when called upon - for example in the Italian Cup and Europa League - offer guidance to the future generation of Bianconeri players including Boniperti’s grandson Filippo.

Gigi Buffon has had to wait for his return to action such has been the good form shown by Marco Storari, despite Juve conceding seven goals in the last two games. But he has demonstrated respect for his team-mates by refusing to demand his starting berth back.

Clarence Seedorf left the pitch on Sunday with the jeers of the AC Milan fans ringing in his ears after the midfielder’s mistake gifted Udinese a goal in their incredible 4-4 draw, but the Dutchman came out to face the press and admit that the fans were right to vent their anger with him.

Of course, all stars will rally against the fading of the light, but Totti for one should look to the example set by some of his peers when things are not going his way, otherwise we risks tarnishing his reputation once and for all.

See Naples and die! Brilliant Cavani treble kills off Old Lady

Richard Whittle — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:07:00 GMT

The great thing about Italy - especially if you reside in the north of the country - is that if you tire of the long, inclement winter then all you need do is hop on a plane and an hour later you are basking in the warmth of the south.

So rather than face another Sunday in frigid Lombardy, Serie Aaaaargh! decided to board a mid-morning flight to Naples and grab the only ticket in town: Napoli against Juventus.

Touching down in the shadow of Vesuvius under pristine, blue skies with the temperature a good 15c warmer than in Milan, there was more than the feeling of spring in the air: the taxi driver set the tone for the day asking if our party were Juve fans down from the damp flatlands for the game.

He was not at all surprised to learn that we had merely sought to escape the greyness of the north -even if was only for a day - and what a day to pick when the whole of the city was abuzz with the arrival of the Old Lady who was ripe for picking, according to said taxi driver.

As the cab sped through the tunnels, giving a tantalising glimpse of the Bay and coastline to the south of the city, fans were already gathering in bars to listen to radio commentaries or watch pay-per-view coverage of the afternoon matches.

AS Roma had already come undone at Sampdoria and picking an outside table along the Lungomare area that runs around the bay there were soon yelps of delight to be heard as Udinese took the lead at AC Milan and Catania followed suit at home to Inter.

It may be an old cliché but they really do love their football down in old Napoli, and they are not afraid to express an opinion about it either: the taxi driver had already predicted that the home side would clean the floor with Juve but that the team lacked depth to finish in the top four.

The drop-dead gorgeous waitress with penetrating eyes (Italians never miss a trick when it comes to the important things in life) was certain that owner Aurelio De Laurentiis was going to lead her beloved club to the Promised Land while grandma at the cash register was still all misty eyed for the days of Diego.

In fact, it was one of those days where there was no better place to be than feeling the warmth of a winter sun in a football-crazy city. Taking a taxi back past the San Paolo around 5pm and it seemed that over half of the capacity crowd were making their way to the stadium or already inside for what was to be the first sell-out in many a year.

Expectations were high: Milan had been held to a 4-4 draw on what seemed to have been a crazy afternoon at the San Siro, Lazio had imploded at home to Lecce, Roma had already been on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline at Samp and Palermo had ended goalless at Chievo which only left Inter’s 2-1 win at Catania to spoil a perfect day.

Still, the Nerazzurri were still off the pace and in Napoli they only have eyes for one love and on the walk to stadium, the air was heavy with adoring adulation while once inside it was a cauldron of emotion.

The home team may have been coming off a sobering 3-1 defeat at Inter, but then again Juve had recently capitulated against Parma, lost the ‘traitor’ (as he is now known in Naples) Fabio Quagliarella to injury, and had signed Luca Toni…

In fact, watching Juve warm-up the words of the taxi driver that the Old Lady was there for the taking came ringing back.

There in the full-back positions were Armand Troare and Zdenek Grygera – the former making his starting debut in Serie A and the latter in the line-up only because teenager Frederick Sorensen was still suffering from the shock of his stinker against Parma.

Then in attack, there were the photo-fit twins, Toni and Amauri, all straggly hair and flailing arms and whose very presence invited the long-ball game.

The home side, for their part, looked the business. The weak-link in defence, Salvatore Aronica, had been relegated to the bench in favour of the diminutive but tough-tackling Gianluca Grava, with the Holy Trinity of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsik and the soon-to-be-hero of the hour Edinson Cavani ready to reap havoc up front.

And so it turned out, as Cavani swept home a hat-trick on what was an intoxicating evening of typically raw, southern Italian passion, albeit without the tears (except from the Juve fans, obviously).

There was a least one striker with long, flowing locks who knew how to use his head although Toni can feel hard done by that he had a header disallowed for an adjudged foul of goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis when the score was 1-0.

However, it was the simple adage of get the ball wide, take on the full-backs and deliver telling cross for a frontman on form that won the day. Cavani is now entering the realms of a world-class striker: 13 league goals, seven in the Europa League not to mention five in four international outings for Uruguay since the summer

There are very few strikers who can carry a team on their shoulders – Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Samuel Eto’o and Cristiano Ronaldo come to mind - but now ‘El Matador’ can join such exalted company – and you know you have made it when your president claims that not even €50 million of Manchester City’s oil money would be enough to prize away the new darling of the Neapolitans.

There is an old Italian saying dating back to the 19th century that translates roughly as ‘see Naples and die’. Far from being a blunt threat, this was a reference to the breath-taking beauty of the city. Perhaps the phrase needs to be updated for 2011. ‘ See Naples and die, but not before you get the chance to see Napoli at the San Paolo’.

Merkel a good boy, but Melo can expect nothing but coal

Richard Whittle — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:40:00 GMT

Italian folklore has it that La Befana delivers gifts or coal on the eve of Epiphany to children, depending whether they have been good or bad.

This Santa Claus-character is depicted as an old witch-like lady and also goes under the name of La Vecchia, so in theory Juventus should have expected a sack full of presents to open on January 6th but instead of which they ended up asking themselves what they had done to deserve a lump of bad luck?

No more than two minutes into their first game of 2011, at home to Parma, and Fabio Quagliarella who had been Juve’s best performer in the first half of the season jarred his knee at one of those angles that immediately has 'season over' written all over it.

Luigi Del Neri already has Vincenzo Iaquinta sidelined so president Andrea Agnelli will have to loosen those very tight purse strings to bring in another striker – and pretty swiftly too as there is little hope of mounting a title challenge with only the aging Alex Del Piero and lumbering Amauri in attack.

Maxi Lopez had been linked with a move from Catania to Turin at the end of last year and could come back into the reckoning but the names of Alberto Gilardino, Alessandro Matri and Giampaolo Pazzini were being mentioned as Quagliarella was being stretchered off although the smart money is on that old warhorse Luca Toni.

If misfortune heralded the first major talking point of the New Year then it was quickly followed by good, old stupidity and who better to provide it than the ever unreliable Felipe Melo.

Seventeen minutes had passed on the clock but if the Brazilian had made any resolutions to keep his temper in check then they soon went the way of most people’s commitment to go to the gym at this time of the year.

The midfielder flew into a tackle on Massimo Paci and as both players gathered their bearings from a prone position, Melo inexplicably thrust his studs into the defender’s face and although the lashing out lacked clout the vehement intent was there so the referee who was standing nearby had no option but to produce a straight red card.

From there on it was all downhill for Del Neri who sacrificed Del Piero for the more mobile Simone Pepe and for a time it seemed that was life in the Old Lady as Giorgio Chellini had a goal ruled out for kicking the ball out of grounded goalkeeper Antonio Mirante’s hands.

Then of course, what usually happens in such situations, a former player who was discarded comes back to haunt his old employer: cue Sebastian Giovinco. The Atomic Ant grabbed a brace and another Juve old boy Raffaele Palladino scored the fourth to add to a penalty from the evergreen Hernan Crespo.

Del Neri was left shell-shocked at the final whistle but the coach will have to pick the team up psychologically for the trip to Napoli at the weekend or face a collapse similar to this time last year under Alberto Zaccheroni.

In the end, Antonio Cassano made the difference after sitting on the bench for 74 minutes when he set up his fellow substitute 20-year-old Rodney Strasser (big toe possibly offside) for the only goal of the game at Cagliari to ensure that AC Milan will be crowned Winter Champions – usually a good indication on where the title will go at the end of the season.

It was a precious three points for the Rossoneri in what had been something of a gamble by Massimiliano Allegri to start Alexander Merkel in the free-role, once coveted by Ronaldinho, behind Robinho and Pato as Zlatan Ibrahimovic served a one-game suspension.

The 18-year-old who was born in Kazakhstan, possessing some Russian blood, is a German national and has been capped at every level for Germany up until under-19. He looked the business and his youthful vigour and sure touch meant that the veterans Clarence Seedorf, Massimo Ambrosini and Rino Gattuso had no need to stray from their holding positions in midfield.

Allegri now has options and more importantly youngsters to step in when the inevitable injuries and suspensions coming calling as they did yesterday.

Inter know all about these twin hindrances but a New Year and new life as they say ... oh and a new coach ... saw the champions rediscover that dynamism that had made them almost unbeatable under Jose Mourinho.

Leonardo had reportedly called the Special One to ask for some advice on managing Inter and the Brazilian must have passed on a few choice words of wisdom because the Nerazzurri tore into the form side Napoli with a purpose very rarely seen under Rafa Benitez.

Basically, they ran the neat and tidy but lightweight visitors into the ground and with only the suspended Samuel Eto’o to return while Andrea Ranocchia to be eased into first team action, Leo’s Lions may well yet give Mr Berlusconi a few sleepless nights as the campaign wears on.

AS Roma also threw themselves back into the mix and while ill luck may have dogged the side ahead of them at the start of the day it was good fortune that befell the Romans.

They ran out 4-2 winners against Catania, thanks in part to two dubious decisions; the first when the ball seemed to have gone out as John Arne Riise set up Marco Borriello for the equaliser and then replays showed that Mirko Vucinic was offside as he scored the all-important third goal.

On a more positive note, Claudio Ranieri played the last ten minutes with four attackers but what seems apparent in these early days of a new year that keeping Lady Luck close will go some way to deciding the outcome of the title.

Serie A returns, even if some South American stars don't

Richard Whittle — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:43:00 GMT

The dangers of a mid-winter break have been laid bare in Italy: it allows players to swan off to warmer climes and there is a good chance they won’t come back.

This has been particularly relevant when it comes to South Americans and especially those with an axe to grind who happen to play for AS Roma.

Both Adriano and David Pizarro failed to report back for training at the end of December, the former citing bureaucratic and/or personal reasons; the latter a more mundane troublesome knee twinge.

There is no doubt Adriano would love to kick back in Brazil, having spent a torrid time in the Eternal City making little or no attempt it seems to get fit, starting for Claudio Ranieri‘s side only twice.

However, in the last game before the break at AC Milan, he demonstrated that an overweight striker can cause problems for the opposition by holding the ball and falling over when the thought of having to move arises – and it looks as if he will have to force his frame back into one of those snug airline seats for a flight back to Italy in order to see out the next six months on the bench.

The same fate may not await Pizarro, who has fallen out of favour completely with Ranieri and may well circumnavigate Italy completely and head straight to Russia and his old coach Luciano Spalletti at Zenit St. Petersburg.

Ronaldinho took advantage of Milan’s kind offer of an all expenses paid few days in Dubai before jetting back to Brazil to mull over the tempting offers from Gremio, Flamengo and, errrm, Blackburn Rovers.

Sun, sea and limitless good times and never having to wear a woolly hat again are what Dinho craves so it isn’t too difficult to see his future lays in the home of sun and samba, not (David) Dunn and (Christopher) Samba .

It is hard to believe that Massimiliano Allegri actually got his own way and Silvio Berlusconi was shredding a farewell tear for his favourite party boy, but in the next breath was once again all ‘wink, wink’ and ‘nudge, nudge’ when Antonio Cassano turned up at his doorstep.

The Rossoneri president - looking as if he had enjoyed a hearty holiday period of over-indulgence - met up with the game’s biggest comfort eater yesterday to impart a few words on wisdom on living the life of a sportsman and never, never speaking back to the man who pays your wages.

The Bari Bawler blushed demurely towards the man who has done it all and lived not to tell any tales and will now take Ron’s place at chugging around the training pitch in a fruitless bid to get fit by March.

In the meantime, the rest of the league has its collective sights set on putting the league leaders in their place when Serie A shakes off the last of the New Year excess and gets back to business on Thursday.

The knives are already out for Leonardo who starts his time in charge of Inter against the team-of-the-moment Napoli, with seemingly most of the country hoping he falls on his face believing that he has become a little too suave for his own good i.e. charming his way from one big club to another.

The dashing Leo’s switch of allegiance across town has left a bad taste amongst both sets of Milanese followers while in the wider sense, the likes of Walter Mazzarri, Luigi Del Neri and Delio Rossi have come up the hard way through the coaching ranks and are more deserving of their moment of glory.

Certainly, on current form Napoli - who hold joint-second spot with Lazio - could be a good punt for the title, and tellingly all their South Americans were back on time to resume training.

With the most open title race in recent times set to heat up who would want to miss it?

Serie Aaaaargh's Italian Team of the Season so far...

Richard Whittle — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:50:00 GMT

This season has finally seen a shift away from one team’s dominance in the league and this is reflected by the Serie Aaaaargh! team of the campaign so far.

The goalkeeping positions were always up for grabs, so to speak, with Julio Cesar suffering from an uncharacteristic lack of form and persistent injury problems, while Gigi Buffon has not played a match as the Juventus No.1 continues to recover from back surgery.

There are a number of home-grown keepers who have impressed, such as Buffon’s stand-in Marco Storari, Stefano Sorrentino at Chievo, Bologna’s Emiliano Viviano and Salvatore Sirigu of Palermo - all of whom have both broken into the Italy squad. But taking the gloves is Fernando Muslera who has taken his excellent performances from the World Cup with Uruguay into the league to help Lazio maintain their chase at the top of the table.

The full-back positions are always tricky ones to fill – what with the need for those in that role to have both defensive and attacking attributes. Lazio’s Stephan Lichtsteiner has certainly been a force of nature - if at times erratic - while Palermo's Mattia Cassani has been efficiency personified. However, with three goals to his name and a solidity obviously honed out during his time in the Bundesliga, Cristian Zaccardo of Parma claims the starting place at right-back.

There are very few ‘true’ full-backs around with the majority midfielders converted to the role or wing-backs masquerading as defenders to reinforce three-man backlines such as Domenico Crisito at Genoa, Udinese’s Pablo Armero but for the genuine article we need look no further than Federico Balzaretti in the left-back position.

Central defence has seen the development of some fine partnerships, such as that of Andre Dias and Giuseppe Biava at Lazio; the indomitable Thaigo Silva and Alessandro Nesta of AC Milan and Cesare Bovo and Ezequiel Munoz with Palermo while Andrea Ranocchia has cemented his growing reputation at Genoa.

Each one could stand beside the man who has been head and shoulders above the rest – Giorgio Chiellini. The Juventus defender has thrown his body in where others fear to wave a boot so a touch of class provided by Thaigo Silva would dovetail nicely with the Juve action man.

A midfield three has been the platform to instigate attacks for the majority of the clubs enjoying success this term, and anchoring the centre of pitch have been a number players combining grace and a high work rate – Gokhan Inler of Udinese and new Italy international Cristian Ledesma with Lazio have been two who have caught the eye but it is the diminutive Walter Gargano who has really been pulling the strings in Napoli’s charge into the top four.

The Uruguayan has the ability to switch the direction of the attack in a split second and in a moment to intercept an opposition drive forward and bring the pace of game back into control of his own side.

The right-hand side of most Serie A midfields has seen a mix of tricky from the likes of Alexis Sanchez at Udinese, genuine pace and a direct running in Milos Krasic of Juventus and the more explosive all-purpose performer as witnessed by Kevin-Prince Boateng’s eye-catching performances. All three can find the net but the Juve man just shades it with his desire to get to the by-line at both ends of the pitch.

The opposite side of the midfield trio needs a player who can support the attack with timely forward runs rather than out and out dribbling and another new arrival, Kevin Constant has impressed at Chievo, Mathieu Flamini has been busy with AC Milan while Josep Ilicic has been a real surprise package at Palermo. However, Stefano Mauri’s all-round approach makes it difficult to look beyond the Lazio man.

It is even further forward that fans have been treated to a real bumper year for the trequartisti – Javier Pastore, Jeremy Menez and Marek Hamsik have all shone, but Hernanes slipped into the league with little or no fanfare to quickly become the talk of the town at Lazio and then throughout the league.

It has been a vintage year for the frontmen, with the evergreen Hernan Crespo and Marco Di Vaio in rich veins of form, Samuel Eto’o has been a one-man wrecking ball for Inter, Marco Borriello has finally offered AS Roma the targetman they have been lacking while few would bet against Antonio Di Natale finishing the season as top goalscorer again.

Of course, any one of these strikers would flourish even more alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic as Robinho has done and the little and large partnership is always a real threat.

Mauro Zarate could offer the unexpected as could Ezequiel Lavezzi and Fabio Quagliarella but Edinson Cavani - who may not be that little but is certainly on the lean side - would provide it more often so the Napoli man completes the line-up which would be coached by Stefano Pioli who has taken Chievo into the top ten and along the way defeated Inter and Napoli as well as drawing with Roma and Juventus.

Serie Aaaaargh’s team of the season so far: Muslera; Zaccardo, Chiellini, Thaigo Silva, Balzaretti; Krasic, Gargano, Mauri; Hernanes; Ibrahimovic, Cavani. Coach: Stefano Pioli.

Leonardo may need to adapt softly-softly approach to succeed at Inter

Richard Whittle — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:19:00 GMT

Most of us would have been content with an iPad for Christmas, but not Massimo Moratti. The Inter president would only be really happy with a new coach - and one who would cause Silvio Berlusconi the greatest amount of discomfort to boot.

So, enter Leonardo, who had walked out of the court of the laughing cavalier in the summer claiming he could not work with a narcissist, but now finds himself across town working with an equally self-important club owner.

AC Milan will see it has the ultimate betrayal and the Brazilian, for all his charm, will now be set in stone as a Judas amongst the Rossoneri, although the Inter president has been head-over-heels in love with the dashing South American for ages in the same way he has been with Paolo Maldini, who in another piece of mischief-making he sounded out about taking a role at his club.

Then there are the overtures towards Ricky Kaka, who Leonardo brought to Milan, just to rack up the local rivalry a notch or two. However, it seems that leaving Real Madrid for the Nerazzurri will be a step too far for the impending transfer window, with the arrival of Luca Toni likely to provide a more sobering reality check.

As the 14th coach in the Moratti era, Leonardo will have a similar task to the one presented to him when he stepped out of the suit and into the tracksuit at Milan: to get one last hooray out of an aging squad whilst at the same time integrating some new faces into the set-up.

Once again, he will rely on a solid right-hand man, Beppe Baresi who will provide the technical experience just as Mauro Tassotti did last year.

Baresi is well respected amongst the South Americans – Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Ivan Cordoba - who run the Inter dressing room and he would have been a welcomed caretaker if Moratti had not found a suitable replacement for Rafael Benitez.

Leonardo has already negotiated the corridors of power at one Milanese giant before finding it all too much for his sensibilities, and will do everything he can to ensure that he stays on the right side of the hierarchy and win over the players on the other side of the Naviglio.

This was something that Benitez spectacularly failed to achieve in his six-month period in charge, but Leo was at Milan when Adriano Galliani gave the green-light to sell Kaka and then introduce a whole sway of austerity measures concerning contract extensions for the old guard.

However, he was never one to crack the whip and in introducing his four-man attack last term he memorable stated that “Ghandi had freed India without having to raise his voice."

A softly, softly approach worked up until to a point, but in the end Milan fell into their old wayward ways of blown points and lapse defending. Inter are no longer imperious but at least the trip to Abu Dhabi saw the return of the majority of the injured players to some semblance of fitness for the second half of the campaign.

The impending introduction of UEFA’s financial fair-play regulations - which call on clubs competing in the Champions and Europa Leagues to break even over a rolling three-year period - will mean the new man cannot starting demanding wholesale changes. but least he will have Andrea Ranocchia available immediately.

The highly-rated central defender was destined to return to the club in June, but with Walter Samuel sidelined for the foreseeable future, splashing out €12.5 million for the remaining 50 per cent stake of the 22-year-old’s contract with Genoa looks money well spent.

Selling Sulley Muntari would also make sound business sense and a €12 million fee which Liverpool are apparently ready to match would of course wipe out the outlay for Ranocchia.

Leonardo was considered something of a visionary and Inter certainly need a new approach if they are to retain their title in what has been an unpredictable season so far, with the likes of Napoli, Lazio, AS Roma and Juventus just as likely to take over leadership from current table-toppers Milan.

San Siro to zero: Milan are beaten and Rafa signs suicide note

Richard Whittle — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:33:00 GMT

RESULTS Serie A: Sat 18 Dec Cesena 1-0 Cagliari, Milan 0-1 Roma Sun 19 Dec Lazio 3-2 Udinese, Bari 1-1 Palermo, Chievo 1-1 Juventus, Catania 1-0 Brescia, Parma 0-0 Bologna, Napoli 1-0 Lecce, Sampdoria P-P Genoa Club World Cup: Sat 18 Dec TP Mazembe 0-3 Inter Milan

Just by the law of averages Zlatan Ibrahimovic had to have an off day. And so it came to pass in the week before Christmas, when all was quiet in the San Siro, that the Swede swung a big-socked shot over the crossbar when he should have buried the ball.

Had he scored, AC Milan would have been back on level terms with AS Roma: much has been made of the over-reliance on Ibra to find the back of the net when it matters and this fact was laid bare on the most frigid night of the year.

The Romans arrived in less than charitable mood, determined not to permit an open and expansive contest which would have enabled the home side to hit their talismanic striker quickly and directly.

Instead, Claudio Ranieri set out the most miserly defence possible coupled with a Scrooge-like meanness in squeezing play as far up the pitch as possible. The upshot was that the Rossoneri attack – and Zlat in particular – was caught offside time and time again, which only led to ever-increasing frustration.

And just when the sparse crowd who had braved the Arctic conditions had given up on ever feeling life in their frozen toes again, who else popped up to spoil a Milanese Christmas – with the help of his shin – than the dashing Marco Borriello?

The former darling of every female Milan fan felt the icy blast of a spurned lover when he was substituted late on, but as the jeers rang around the stands his heart probably skipped closer to his new home in the capital.

Claudio Ranieri is a Roman through and through, and the fans hold him dearly to their hearts – but the press love to create mischief, and the coach must have spent many a sleepless night of late with visions of first Marcello Lippi and more recently Carlo Ancelotti marshalling his beloved team from the sidelines.

While Massimiliano Allegri was constrained by form and to a certain degree by injuries on his starting line-up, and with the last chorus of “Dinho, Dinho” a mere echo before his January departure, on the other bench the old master was ready to spring a surprise.

There in the warm-up was not a Yeti but in fact Adriano who had been unwrapped especially for the occasion and preferred to the half-fit Francesco Totti – and with the Giallorossi season and possibly Ranieri’s future employment resting on the outcome, it was a brave decision to put faith in the Brazilian who had only made one other starting appearance all season.

However, that extra girth proved handy in not only keeping out the cold but also holding off the robust challenges of Daniele Bonera and Rino Gattuso – and, when needed, strategically drawing fouls to break up the flow of the game whenever the momentum threatened to swing towards the home side.

The whole of Italy was watching closely to glean a way of how to nullify the leaders. They would have seen that playing a high line can pay dividends in annoying Ibra and Robinho, while flooding the midfield will eventually wear down the ageing legs of Gattuso, Massimo Ambrosini and Clarence Seedorf, but that searing pace allied to close skill will hurt Milan's full-backs and cause panic inside the area.

Jeremy Menez has both speed and tricks in abundance and the French whizz spent the evening tormenting Luca Antonini and Iganzio Abate – and it was the latter he bamboozled to provide the cross for Borriello’s rather fortuitous close-range finish.

Not only were Roma given the perfect fillip from the result but the rest of the chasing pack were licking the lips at the prospect of closing the year within touching distance of top spot.

Just to demonstrate that this league race is set to be the closest for years, Lazio, Napoli, Juventus and Palermo all struggled but at least the former pair recorded victories, be it with late winners and in Napoli’s case with a contender for goal of the season from Edinson Cavani.

Of course, the spectre of Inter will hang over the winter break. The Nerazzurri finally laid to rest their own ghosts by winning the FIFA World Club Cup – but, being Inter, they had to take the shine off the celebrations.

Marco Materazzi and Dejan Stankovic took umbrage at not being considered good enough to face TP Mazembe of Congo. In the case of the moody Matrix, all he wanted was a walk-on part in the closing stages so he could then let it really rip in the post-game celebrations – as Jose Mourinho had consented to in the Champions League final.

Having been left to stew on the bench this time around, the walking tattoo who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time when football history was being written stormed off to the dressing room without collecting his medal.

Rafa Benitez could be collecting his redundancy card after finally breaking his silence on what he really thinks of the situation at the club and his comments that he lacked both support and a genuine transfer policy has backed Massimo Moratti into something of a corner.

NEWS, Sat 18 Dec: Benitez issues Inter ultimatum after Club World Cup win

Craggy old oilmen do not like being backed into a corner and usually come out swinging – and after missing out on showing Mourinho the door Moratti must be itching to inflict a good old sacking again.

NEWS, Sun 19 Dec: Benitez comments were inappropriate, says Inter chief

It has been an open secret that the players are still under the spell of the Special One and that this irks Benitez to no end – but without new faces, how can he ever hope to stamp his own identity? In the end, this cry for help could well turn out to be professional suicide.

NEWS, Mon 20 Dec: What will Inter do with Benitez?

The Monday morning papers were all certain in their belief that the Spaniard is off Moratti’s Christmas card list and that Giuseppe Baresi will take over as caretaker coach – unless Luciano Spalletti can be incited away from the depths of Russia.

All in all, the Christmas break is not going to be a time to completely kick back and relax for the Milanese cousins, but the rest of the title pretenders cannot wait for January 6 when the league returns again.

Milan ready Cassano move as shadow of Ancelotti hangs over Ranieri

Richard Whittle — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:41:00 GMT

With Inter kicking back in the warmth of Adu Dhabi ahead of their glorified friendly, sorry, the moment they will be crowned world champions of club football, the rest of non-Nerazzurri supporting Italy will be concentrating on much more important matters back home.

Rafa Benitez might be set to save his neck at the court of Moratti with victory over TP Mazembe, but that issue is of fleeting interest compared to that of whether Antonio Cassano will step into Ronaldinho’s dancing shoes at AC Milan, whether Carlo Ancelotti will become the new emperor of Rome, whether the country’s Champions League representatives would end up with nightmare draws, and whether most of the games in northern Italy would be snowed off to bring 2010 to a frigid end?

Cold comfort could yet be found for Cassano, as the court of arbitration has decided that the Sampdoria rebel’s contract will not be rescinded. The ruling was delayed yet again until Thursday evening and in turn it was delaying any decision on the Bari boy’s future.

Cassano was sitting at home in Genoa waiting for his agent to tell him of the tribunal’s ruling - which will be definitive and not subject to appeal. In short, he will remain under contract but suspended without pay until January 31 and then paid only half his salary until the end of the contract in 2013.

Samp president Riccardo Garrone is apparently expecting to field offers for the man who reportedly called him “an old so and so …” and Milan are in prime position to add to their growing number of players with bad-boy reputations.

With Filippo Inzaghi a long-term absentee and Alexandre Pato never far from the treatment table, Massimiliano Allegri has been given the green-light to bring in another striker, although Cassano’s arrival would put Ronaldinho’s future at the club very much in doubt.

President Silvio Berlusconi is feeling flushed with the festive spirit after surviving a no-confidence vote in parliament, and has decided that he needs to make another grand statement on the transfer front.

Cassano’s erratic behaviour has followed him wherever he has been, but Milan will be hoping the fact that they are a ‘special club’ which requires a certain standard of behaviour - combined with the fact a move would represent the player’s last real chance to play for a top team and possibly forge a return to the national side - is enough to see him change his ways, for good.

With the courts deciding not to side with Sampdoria, Adriano Galliani has already set out a plan to bring in the forward on a loan deal, which would mean the Rossoneri could afford to pay Cassano’s €2.5 million salary until June when a permanent option could be taken up.

Milan attempted to sign Cassano a few seasons back, only for Paolo Maldini and his fellow senior squad members to veto the move. But with the legendary captain gone, the remaining old guard are towing the party line.

Now, Cassano’s arrival very depends on Dinho heading out the exit door and whispers suggest Berlusconi has given the go-ahead for the sale of the Brazilian who has been on the fringes of Allegri’s plans for the last month or so.

The former Barcelona star’s contract expires in June and so far there has been little talk of an extension. David Beckham’s LA Galaxy have been interested in taking him Stateside for some months now, although the player himself seems to be more tempted to return to his native Brazil to take a punt at winning the Brasilero Serie A and the Copa Libertadores.

Just a few days ago his brother and agent Roberto de Assis met with Palmeiras, although no deal has been reached so far. We will know more on Saturday after the match against AS Roma, which could prove to be the last time Ron pulls on a Milan shirt even if it is just to sit on the bench.

This weekend could also be the beginning of the end of Claudio Ranieri’s reign in charge of Roma, with the long shadow of Carlo Ancelotti known to be cast over the Roman’s future.

The Giallorossi have courted their former player in the past but, with new owners hopefully in charge before the end of the campaign, Ranieri’s contract will not survive the summer, in part for his failure to handle the big personalities – and we all know who the biggest ego is in the Capital?

In the meantime, Allegri, Ranieri, Benitez, Francesco Totti and the rest were left mulling over some festive tidings from UEFA who handed all three Italian clubs more than winnable ties in the last sixteen of the Champions League although as they always say a lot can happen between now and the end of February.

The Club World Cup doesn't matter? Try telling that to Massimo Moratti

Richard Whittle — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:59:00 GMT

Rafa Benitez has had to steel himself for many pivotal moments in his career, and he will have to draw on every ounce of his experience this week.

The Spaniard can only save his job at Inter if he returns from Abu Dhabi with the FIFA World Club Cup tucked under his arm as the best ever Christmas present for Massimo Moratti.

It is doubtful the sun in the United Emirates will add much colour to the president's even-paler-than-usual complexion, but he will be glowing inside if his club can finally be crowned World Champions.

Juventus and AC Milan have also achieved the feat and Moratti’s nemesis across town Silvio Berlusconi never misses an opportunity to remind his polar opposite that he has overseen world dominance on three occasions out of the four times the Rossoneri have reached the summit.

The Grande Inter won the Intercontinental Cup under Massimo’s father Angelo back in the 60s, so from the moment Javier Zanetti lifted the Champions League trophy back in May, Junior was already dreaming of getting another monkey off his back this December.

The owner sent the party off with a stirring speech which ended with something along the lines off “don’t bother coming back without the trophy” which was probably aimed more at Benitez, who had plenty of time to mull over the challenge on the five-hour flight from frigid northern Italy to the warmth of the Gulf, where the squad have looked in a pretty relaxed frame of mind – well it is not as if they face the sack.

When not training, the players have been lolling around the reception area of the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel, fiddling with their iPhones and putting their feet up on the expensive upholstery – they may be two games away from becoming masters of our footballing universe but they still give off the air of overgrown school kids on a field trip.

Benitez has been in tricky situations before of course – the 2005 Champions League Final against Milan for starters - and just has he shook the Liverpool players up during the interval in Istanbul, he will need to get this underperforming lot in the right frame of mind before they take on Seongnam in the semi-final on Wednesday.

Victory will be expected against the South Koreans, but it needs to be achieved in a manner that ensures the team head into the final believing that they have finally turned the corner under their new coach.

It has not been easy for Benitez to convince the players that there is another way to play rather than defend and hit the opposition on the counter-attack. Jose Morinho’s tactics suited the majority of the team as they relied on physical power and a well-defined pattern of soaking up pressure and then breaking to the opposition area employing the minimum of passes en-route.

The new man arrived with a different mind set and wanted his team to play in the opposition half, push further out of their comfort zone at the back and basically play attractive, attacking football which unfortunately is just the way Serie A sides like the opposition to play.

There has had little time to engrain such creative thinking into a team used to performing unimaginative tasks, and maybe if Moratti had sanctioned a couple of new signings akin to the Spaniard's way of thinking that transition would have been much easier.

Injuries played their part has well, but that can only be used as an excuse up to a point; too many players had it too easy in that they did not have to think for themselves, Mourinho told what to do and they did it, and if they didn’t such as Mario Balotelli they were soon warming the bench or sitting in the stands.

Each one of those players who, in the words of Wesley Sneijder, were willing “to die” for Mourinho are available for selection, albeit in various physical conditions. Now they have to put themselves on the line for Benitez.

Napoli keep on dreaming while Pirlo finds a new role

Richard Whittle — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 11:31:00 GMT

It has been many a fine year since a meeting between Juventus and Lazio meant anything as far as the title race was concerned.

Last season’s encounter was played out in the shadow of Ciro Ferrara’s sacking and ended in a 1-1 draw in Alberto Zaccheroni’s first game in what would prove to be a fruitless period in charge of Juventus. The Rome side were not in much better shape and finished the campaign with no indication that they would be in the top-four come the end of 2010.

Old friends Luigi Del Neri and Edy Reja have rejuvenated their respective clubs to such an extent that they are completely unrecognisable – and it has been the arrival of Milos Krasic that has helped galvanise the Old Lady of Turin.

The Serbian has made quite some impact since his summer arrival from CSKA Moscow and has become a more than worthy successor to Pavel Nedved - right down to the shaggy, blond hair and hunched running style. But what he really shares with the Czech legend is the ability to burn up full-backs and maintain perpetual motion until the final whistle.

And just like Nedved, he has learnt that falling over just for the sake of it will get you nowhere and instead staying on your feet especially inside the area brings results like this:

That last-gasp winner has put Juve firmly into a title chase that has all the makings of being one that will go right down to the wire.

It is not so much a change in personnel but rather a change in approach that has turned Lazio’s fortunes around, with Reja cutting his cloth accordingly by forming a razor-sharp counter-attacking style that has been the making of the Romans. However, as with Juve, there are still question marks over the full-back positions.

Napoli have an altogether different gripe, and that is that they cannot intice players from northern Europe to the club due to the bad press the city receives – with talk of crime and grime supposedly dissuading potential signings.

Marek Hamsik is from Slovakia and after leaving Brescia three years ago has settled into life amongst the Partenopei as effortlessly as a local, right down to apparently dogging traffic tickets with a shrug of the shoulders and a winning smile.

The man with the mohawk scored the only goal of the game at Genoa to send the Azzurri into dreamland – although sadly dreamland is probably the only place the league title will be making its way south for the first time since the Diego Maradona era.

A few hundred not-so-early birds turned up to welcome the team home on Saturday night and the Marassi stadium had a healthy travelling contingent supplemented by numerous “exiles” to ensure the occasion had a Cup feel about it although both sets of fans are longstanding Gemelli (twins) to always make it a festive affair, in the stands at least.

The stirring success on the pitch was achieved without the injured Ezequiel Lavezzi, leaving Edinson Cavani to lead the line, but Walter Mazzarri made sure that the striker was not left isolated and lacking support: Juan Zuniga was employed as the muscle ahead of the midfield platform which enabled Hamsik to torment the home defence at will.

The 23-year-old is extraordinarily gifted in every facet of his game and no doubt Maradona would have welcomed him with open arms into his scudetto team of a few decades ago.

A fifth away win of the campaign ensured the pressure was on Juventus and Lazio ahead of their Sunday evening meeting, but as for AC Milan they could put their feet up and enjoy the evening knowing that they would still be top of the heap going to into the final round of the year.

The lunchtime date at Bologna had called for diligent planning on the part of Massimiliano Allegri’s men, who had been tucking into a bowl of pasta at 9.30 and then tailoring their training around the 12.30 kick-off.

Armies cannot march on empty stomachs, as they say, and even before they had fully digested their Penne, the Rossoneri were out of sight at the Dall’Ara through Kevin-Prince Boateng and Robinho, with who else but Zlatan Ibrahimovic adding a third after the break.

Again the secret to the new recipe was using tried and trusted ingredients in a new way – and in this case it was employing Andrea Pirlo in a wide midfield role known as a mezz’ala from where he had more space to splay the ball around and where his deficiencies in the physical match-ups are at least masked.

It proved to be a tasty dish and the party were back on the high-speed train to Milan for an afternoon’s repose before enjoying their just desserts in the evening.

Italian players lay out their demands as strike threat looms

Richard Whittle — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:24:00 GMT

“Right lads – down tools, we're all out.”

You know the world has gone crazy when footballers are threatening strike action. This Saturday and Sunday, full-backs will join fantasistas around the flaming oil drums on the picket-lines to protest at the “slave-like” conditions they're forced to work under.

Of course, not all players earn multi-million-Euro contracts like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will have to forgo his €320,000-odd weekly wage packet if the union make good on a walk-out. The average top-flight weekly salary might be "only" €5,300 but the average office worker has to make do with less than €250 a week.

How one contract rebel made his point

However, the current agreement between the footballers’ association and the clubs has expired and now the players are filled with revolutionary zeal, just when they may need to toe the line for once. How many times has a player basically broken his contract to ensure a move to another club or sat around earning vast sums of money for doing nothing because he refuses to accept a transfer?

Both parties are to blame for the situation we find ourselves in now – the clubs have been handing out massive and lengthy contracts to players in their late twenties and expecting them to be at the peak of their powers in their early thirties or even later.

AC Milan are prime example. The players who avenged the 2005 Champions League final defeat by beating Liverpool two years later were rewarded with four-year deals – meaning that at the pinnacle of their careers, the whole squad was set up for life.

There was only one direction they were heading after that and Milan were saddled with the likes of Marek Jankulovski, Nelson Dida, Massimo Oddo and Kakha Kaladze – who simply didn't deserve the star status bestowed on them.

Milan attempted to get some value out of having Oddo hanging around by extending the full-back’s contract for another season but spreading the final payment over 24 months.
However, Jankulovski refused to budge and will no doubt literally sit out his final season before becoming a wealthy free agent at 33.

With this in mind, what concerns the players’ union is the proposal that will allow clubs to terminate the final year of a contract and pay the player 50 percent of what he was due if he refuses accept a move to another club of equal standing.

Tellingly, Oddo was the shop-steward at the press conference to warn the country that their national sport was heading the way of the public transport system – brought to a standstill on a regular basis by industrial action.

“We are not objects,” he bleated as he sat there in his designer shirt, sporting perfectly manicured sideburns and looking all for the world like the perfect object of footballing desire. Clarence Seedorf, Javier Zanetti and Rino Gattuso nodded gravely in agreement while the rest of the working world shook its head in disbelief.

Oddo, Seedorf, Zanetti and Gattuso: model professionals

Let’s face it, any current player who has been in the top flight for the last four or five years should be able to survive until the end of the century on their earnings, investments, luxury villas, cars and other trappings of material wealth. Even those players not given star billing can have few gripes about earning a very good living from playing football. Considering football is all about results and success, if you are good enough you will generally reap the rewards from the game.

There are a number of other issues. Clubs want to decide where a player has treatment for an injury and not the player. Under that arrangement it would be difficult to imagine Alessandro Nesta spending 18 months in Miami receiving treatment on a back injury. And the union has demanded that coaches must work with one group of players in training – ensuring that those no longer in their plans or in dispute with the club cannot be exiled to train with the youth team, or all alone.

There is no doubt now that the party is over but these issues can no doubt be solved through dialogue rather than threats of bringing the national game to a halt. Silvio Berlusconi would not have been taken too kindly with the stance taken by his Milan militants, especially in the light of the team’s defeat to the proletariat – newly-promoted Cesena, whose annual wage bill is less than Ibra’s basic annual pay.

FEATURE, 9 Sep 2010: Milan lead the way as wage bills revealed

However, only the under-fire prime minister could still profess solidarity for his hard-put-upon stars in the most political manner by claiming that the match referee’s political leanings were to the left.

Maybe he should have been questioning his own team's work ethic. But then, Inter aside, it wasn't a profit-making weekend for the top flight’s fat cats: Milan were humbled by Cesena, AS Roma thrashed at Cagliari and Juventus held by Sampdoria. On top of that, Palermo lost at Brescia while Fiorentina went down to Lecce and Napoli drew at home to Bari.

Chievo won at Genoa to leave the table-topping Flying Donkeys as the only team on maximum points. Power to footballer’s true workers, and long may it continue.

Whatever happened to that team called Inter?

Richard Whittle — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:01:00 GMT

There once was a team called Inter – they were quite good, in fact, they used to dominate Italian football for about five years or so and even won the Champions League so they must have been pretty hot.

So, where did they disappear to? Apparently, they were in Rome on Friday, well it said Inter in all the newspapers and the television listings had them down to play Lazio in the Olympic stadium at 8.45pm local time – it was all there in black and white or pink and black depending which paper you read.

Anyone attending the match or subscribing to pay-per-view to watch the game from the comfort of their living room should be demanding their money back or least an explanation of why one of the teams failed to turn up.

Of course, Lazio fans were dancing into the wee hours of the damp night or grabbing another beer from the fridge to toast revenge for last season when it was their side who rolled over for the same opposition just to scupper any lingering chance of AS Roma winning the league.

Strangely, this time the Curva Nord were urging the Biancocelesti forward, rather than threatening their own players with physical harm, and enjoying every moment of the visitor’s humiliation.

In fact, the home team would have been even more morally corrupt this time around had they allowed the defending champions to leave the capital with anything other than their tails between the legs, and the evening was brought to the perfect close with the third goal from man-of-the-match Hernanes.

The match was brought forward so to help Inter better prepare for the FIFA World Club Cup, but before that do-or-die moment for Rafa Benitez there is still a vital Champions League tie at Werder Bremen to play.

If Inter return from Abu Dhabi empty-handed then Massimo Moratti will step up his bid to prise Pep Guardiola away from Barcelona, and in the meantime install either Walter Zenga or Diego Simoene as caretaker. There has been plenty of rye amusement that either of these two club greats could change things around sufficiently to make the idea of managing Inter even the slightest bit tempting for Guardiola to leave Spain for the pain in Milan.

Attempting to make up at least ten points on Milan in the New Year will stretch Inter’s resources to the limit, but for now it is the city cousins and Lazio looking forward to the winter break in rude health.

Here’s a little teaser to mull over – would Lazio be top of the table if they had Zlatan Ibrahimovic leading their attack instead of Sergio Floccari or Tommaso Rocchi?

There is certainly plenty of evidence to suggest that a simple ‘yes’ would not be that wide of the mark.

Robinho has been pitching in with an ever-improving goal-tally, but with Pato forever injured it has been a rare sighting of another player finding the net apart from the big Swede.

It did occur in the demolition of Brescia on Saturday evening, but as was the case against Bari and Sampdoria, it was Zlat who set up the finish – on this occasion for Kevin Prince Boateng.

Of course, Ibra also left his mark on Brescia inside the half-hour mark with a finish that nearly ripped the net out.

Lazio have been relying more on their midfielders and defenders to ensure they find the back of the net – they have contributed eight goals so far this season (four from Hernanes) compared to four by their Milan equivalents.

Overall, there is little to choose between the two side’s current starting XIs: Mauro Zarate is a similar type of player to Robinho in that they are both supreme dribblers, and in midfield Hernanes, Christian Brocchi, Christian Ledesma and Stefano Mauro are a match for Andrea Pirlo, Rino Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf and Massimo Ambrosini.

There is little difference between the two sets of full-backs and in the goalkeeping positions although you would have to say Milan win hands down in the centre of defence when comparing the classy Alessandro Nesta and Thaigo Silva to the more workmanlike Giuseppe Biava and Andre Dias.

However, it is in attack where the real difference is telling – Ibra eight goals to go with all those assists, Floccari five goals which is not a bad return for an adequate frontman, but to win the title a team needs a world-class striker – Samuel Eto’o, David Trezeguet, Andriy Shevchenko, Gabriel Batistuta and of course Ibrahimovic stand testimony to that fact.

Talking of world-class strikers Adriano once promised to fall into such exulted company rather than the lunch-buffet which now seems to be the case.

There was some surprise to say the least when Claudio Ranieri decided to start the overweight Brazilian at Chievo, but the happy-go-lucky Roma coach probably thought that, seeing as the Bentegodi pitch resembled a beach after being churned up by some burly rugby-playing sorts a couple of weeks previously, the conditions were ideal for the striker to leave his mark.

Well, he certainly played like a beach-bum, although the heavy going at least meant that the Emperor did not look out of place labouring around in the sand pit.

The pitch at Verona has always been something of a barren patch and until yesterday evening Catania’s Massimino stadium had also been a bit of wasteland for visiting teams. The Sicilians had not lost at home for nearly a year but Juventus ended that proud record with a 3-1 victory.

Fabio Quagliarella scored twice but should really have had a hat-trick when the referee and his assistant failed to spot that a thunderous shot from the striker had crossed the well after coming down off the underside of the bar.

In the end, it made little difference as Juve consolidated third place and with Napoli and Palermo meeting this evening, the top of the table is beginning to take shape even if one familiar name is missing.

Napoli just about keep Italian flag flying in the Europa League

Richard Whittle — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:19:00 GMT

Italy’s collective Europa League campaign has been one of flops, failures and in the end a freezing out of Europe’s B-list competition.

Napoli are the sole survivors with one round remaining of the group stages, where the four Serie A representatives have managed just two wins out of a possible twenty.

Juventus, Sampdoria and Palermo all saw their hopes disappear this week, but in truth the damage was done earlier on when victories were needed but never materialised.

Juve could well have complained that they could have done with playing in anti-glare snow goggles in Poland, where they drew with Lech Poznan in temperatures that reportedly fell to -11c, but there had been a chilling wind signalling an end to the Old Lady’s European hopes long before that.

Five straight draws have ultimately proven their undoing, and if they had managed to hold on for a draw at Manchester City then the return match next week may have held some significance, rather than becoming a glorified friendly. The goalless draw at home to Salzburg is something Gigi Del Neri and his men will not look back at with much pride either.

The rallying call in Turin will now be ‘the scudetto’ but clubs with their sights set on the title are generally not participating in the Europa League in the first place, never mind exiting at the group stage

Granted, there isn’t one team dominating the league at the moment and Juve are only six points off leaders AC Milan, but as in Europe, dropping two points has been the problem and the Turin outfit have also been dogged by the inability to put consecutive victories together.

Palermo look better equipped to launch a title bid after their failure to overcome Sparta Prague left them also facing elimination from the Europa League.

The Sicilians will have gained valuable experience from their brief stay in the competition - especially when it comes to ensuring that, if they are going to pick up yellow cards, they need to spread them around the team.

Dorian Goian was the latest guilty party when he needlessly picked up a yellow card early on against the Czech team and then could have no complaints when he received a second for a foul to give away a penalty.

Petulance is Javier Pastore’s problem and kicking the ball away when you are already booked was just plain brainless for what was the Argentine’s second dismissal in the competition, although a talent such as he will no doubt be performing in the Champions League next season, be it with his current club or his pick of Europe’s elite.

Whatever you may think of Sampdoria’s stand against the potty-mouthed Antonio Cassano, the truth of the matter is that they lacked that extra quality their star performer brings to the pitch (and that he so obviously lacks away from it) in their 2-1 home defeat to PSV Eindhoven.

Earlier this season, the Blucerchiati were sixty seconds away from making the group stages of the Champions League against Werder Bremen, but ultimately paid for not been able to hold on to a lead as was the case again in both matches against the Dutch side.

So it is left to Napoli to maintain some Italian pride, and a home win in their final game against Steau Bucharest will see them through.

The Partenopei had Edinson Cavani to thank again in another incredible comeback when it looked all over in Utrecht last night. The Uruguayan, who had grabbed a 98th-minute equaliser at Steau earlier in the campaign, hit a hat-trick against the Eredivisie side to set up what is effectively a knock-out European tie at the San Paolo against the Romanian side next Thursday.

It is hard to believe that Palermo president Maurizio Zamperini felt that Cavani was not up to the task of leading the frontline and although Juve, Samp and Palermo will not have another chance to show what they can do in Europe this season, at least one club from the peninsula is keeping the flag flying which for a time yesterday evening looked highly unlikely.

Robinho matures into manhood at Milan

Richard Whittle — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:14:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 27 Nov Sampdoria 1-1 Milan, Juventus 1-1 Fiorentina Sun 28 Nov Internazionale 5-2 Parma, Bari 1-1 Cesena, Bologna P-P Chievo, Brescia 0-0 Genoa, Cagliari 3-2 Lecce, Lazio 1-1 Catania, Udinese 3-1 Napoli, Palermo 3-1 Roma

If a Brazilian can't settle at AC Milan, he's not really a Brazilian – more like an Argentinian.

The club has always been a home from home for Samba Boys, from Altafini and Amarildo to Cafu and Kaka, so there were expressions of puzzlement amongst the Rossoneri hierarchy back in August when it was suggested that Robinho was a risky signing.

True, there had been tantrums and walkouts at Real Madrid and Manchester City, but there has never been any suggestion that the fleet-footed South American would be storming out of Milanello.

He slipped in quietly, compared to the headlines surrounding the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Many believed he would either play second string to Ronaldinho, who had been buzzing in pre-season training, or as a luxury substitute whenever Alexandre Pato’s fragile frame gave in. Many outside the club expected party tricks with Dinho to focus on the dance floor, but the only time Robinho was photographed away from the pitch was coming out of a Brazilian food store with a bag of rice.

Massimiliano Allegri’s initial 4-3-3 formation ensured Robinho was indeed the odd man out, but the coach's switch to a more balanced 4-3-1-2 – not to mention Pato’s injury problems and Ronaldinho’s nocturnal wanderings – has seen Robinho take a more pivotal role.

A model professional, then? Allegri certainly thinks so, putting his trust in the new Brazil captain, who has taken the pressure off his coach when the question "Are Milan too reliant on Ibra?" Saturday’s goal at Sampdoria was his fourth in the league, just three behind the big Swede who has also scored two from the penalty spot.

But for losing his bearings in front of goal at Bari the other week, he'd probably be level with the Swede in the scoring charts. Either way, it certainly looks as if he is finally fulfilling the potential he has only shown in flashes since arriving in Europe five years ago at the age of 21.

There had been question-marks over whether he was too much of an individual for the constraints of the Italian game and although his party-piece is still the pedalada – the exaggerated step-over – it is employed to turn defenders to distraction rather than infuriate his team-mates.

His licence to roam from left to right has definitely given Milan a new impetus and when Zlat is off-colour, as was the case this weekend, the nimble support striker has been on hand to energise the team.

Having taken the lead in Genoa, the league leaders might have lost their way after the opposition equalised, but it was Binho who offered the greatest threat – and it was no wonder that the other Ho was left on the bench until the last minute, seeing as a certain Scandinavian is now the untouchable one. After all, Allegri had maintained that it would be very difficult to see all three ball players on the pitch at the same time – and it was certainly a blink and miss it moment.

Just for the record, Ronaldinho has not started since the 3-1 win over Chievo on October 16 and another late night before the Fiorentina game has not helped his cause; the former World Player of the Year is now the luxury benchwarmer.

Lazio, Napoli and Juventus couldn't take advantage of the leaders dropping two points, but Inter shook off weeks of self-pity to stick five past Parma.

Sub-zero temperatures and a noon kick-off seemed just the ingredients for another sub-standard display, especially with Samuel Eto’o sitting out the first of his three-game suspension.

However, those hardy souls willing to drag themselves to the San Siro under slate-grey Milanese skies were rewarded by a vibrant display from the ailing champions – but only after it seemed that Javier Zanetti demanded that Rafa Benitez push Wesley Sneijder forward to support Goran Pandev and Jonathan Biabiany in attack.

As with the Champions League win over FC Twente in midweek, Inter enjoyed a fair share of good fortune – the lack of which the ever-more isolated Benitez had been bleating on about for the last seven days – in the shape of two deflected goals from Dejan Stankovic.

The Serbian bagged a rare hat-trick and described the win, Inter's first at home in the league in just over two months, as being like a dose of penicillin. It remains to be seen whether it's a panacea or a placebo.

Wins for Roma and Milan put smile back on the face of Italian football

Richard Whittle — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:50:00 GMT

Italian football has been in desperate need of a little pick-me-up in Europe for a good few months, and Tuesday evening provided it in the best possible manner – AS Roma’s fight-back from two-nil down to defeat Bayern Munich.

Serie A’s Champions League representatives had so far failed to overcome their main continental rivals so far this campaign – Roma having already in Munich, AC Milan coming up short to La Liga kingpins Real Madrid and Inter falling flat on their faces against the Premier League’s very own Tottenham Hotspur.

With the Milanese sides up against French and Dutch opposition in the penultimate round of group stage matches, the pick of the games from an Italian perspective was always going to be the Romans at home to last year’s finalists.

Of course, the Bundesliga side had already made safe their passage to the knock-out stages as group winners and were shorn of big guns Mark Van Bommel, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben, which does put things into perspective somewhat, but at least the final outcome provided succour in times of need.

It seemed for a time that it was more a case of suckers for punishment, as the Romans handed Bayern two quick-fire goals after their own period of sustained, but ultimately fruitless, pressure.

With Mirko Vucinic unwilling to track back and Jeremy Menez causing more problems for his own side when he did, Roma conceded wide open tracks of space to the visitors who were more than happy to populate in numbers.

The territorial advantage had been lost, which was very unlike Claudio Ranieri’s side in recent times – with their recent seven game undefeated run built around masterful possession and razor-sharp incursions into the opposition final third.

Granted, the two best passers were on the bench, but Francesco Totti and in particular David Pizarro had already missed games along the way without the team looking so disjointed and bereft of the ball.

In all honesty it could have been at least 4-1 to the Bavarians at the break and no one would have batted an eyelid, but at least Ranieri had fifteen minutes to go batty at his players and no doubt Menez felt the sharp end of the Roman’s tongue lash.

It needed a bit more of the sword and less of the sandals if there was to be the kind of epic comeback required to ensure qualification remained in Giallorossi hands going into the final group game.

The French winger could never be described as gladiatorial, but it was his stirring run and cross for Marco Borriello to score the first goal that galvanised both the home team and its supporters who certainly played their part from the stands roaring their approval at every turn.

Roma legend Bruno Conti has claimed that Menez is a better player than he ever was, but there was always one thing that the 1982 World Cup winner did right and that was the basics.

As long as he is gliding forward, Menez is indeed magical, but anywhere near his own goal he becomes mesmerising in all the wrong ways as witnessed by the air-head pass to Daniele De Rossi on the edge of the Giallorossi area which lead to Bayern’s second goal.

Ranieri pointed the former Monaco man in the right direction – down the right flank - and with Vucinic hugging the left suddenly it was wing command taking control.

With Borriello unnerving the backline, the scene was set to drive the sword home and for Totti to make the sort of entry that we will become more accustomed to – a 15-minute cameo of sublime touches and defence-splitting passes and to cap it all, the winning goal.

Local Roman newspaper il Messaggero summed up a evening that Ranieri described as “historic” perfectly: “It was a virtuoso performance from the soloists that demands a standing ovation from the whole of Italy.”

Also playing the happy beat were AC Milan, who secured their runners-up spot behind Real with a routine 2-0 win at Auxerre. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s absolute blinding strike and Ronaldinho’s own cameo performance rounded off with a perfectly-placed curler also helped put the smile back on the face of Italian football – well until Inter play at least.

Zlat the Splat turns Serie A into the walking dead

Richard Whittle — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:23:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 20 Nov Roma 2-0 Udinese, AC Milan 1-0 Fiorentina Sun 21 Nov Genoa 0-2 Juventus, Brescia 1-2 Cagliari, Catania 1-0 Bari, Cesena 1-2 Palermo, Chievo 2-1 Internazionale, Lecce 2-3 Sampdoria, Parma 1-1 Lazio, Napoli 4-1 Bologna

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has claimed he is nothing more than a zombie at the moment, stumbling around throughout the week in a daze until he gets a scent of matchday.

Then, like a character from The Walking Dead, he goes tearing lumps out of any unfortunate soul within his reach. Last week it was Marco Materazzi and on Saturday it was Fiorentina’s Per Kroldrup.

The Inter he-man had to be taken to A&E after coming off second-best to a flying taekwondo kick, while the gangly Dane was dragged around the San Siro like a rag-doll before he plucked up a bit of courage to lash out at his tormentor – only for his yapping to the referee to result in his own red card.

By that stage he was a hapless heap of quivering flesh anyway, which has been the case for just about every backline in the league when the big man starts pounding into them – and there's nothing they can do about it.

The way things are going AC Milan will win the league at a canter unless someone (or something) halts the Swede marauding around the country every weekend.

Serie A defenders like to think they are made of the right stuff but now that Ibra has settled back into life in Italy no one has been able to hang in there for more than a few rounds.

Giorgio Chiellini could be a contender, having gone the distance with his old sparring partner in the past (see video), but unfortunately we never got the opportunity to witness a bit of rough-house recently: the defender with the face of a battered punchbag failed to get through the pre-game warm-up without inflicting injury upon himself.

So far the only man man enough to stand toe to toe with Zlat The Splat has been the 200-pound Oguchi Onyewu – but unfortunately for the rest of the league the American bruiser is also employed by Milan although he could become of some use if he secures a loan switch to another Italian side in January.

In the meantime, there is no one taller, tougher or with more physical presence than the Rossoneri Rumbler: eight goals so far this campaign and the matchwinner in the last two outings has ensured that no one can mess with a side that had always put brain before brawn in the past.

Not that it is all bluster with Ibra – as witnessed by his Viola-dispatching bicycle-kick at the weekend. After scoring he threw his arm skywards with such gusto that there seemed for a moment that the limb would fly off into the stands.

Ibs has been accused of lacking heart and a team ethic in the past but not anymore and for all the intricacy of passing that made Milan stand out there has never been a real focal point for the attack since Andriy Shevchenko moved on.

Now the Scandinavian thrives on the menace he provides in the area of confrontation so vital in Italian football – imposing your will on the defence.

Massimiliano Allegri would love that his enforcer could veg out now and again at the weekend but three points ahead of Lazio at the top of the table and a whopping nine in front of Inter means that the coach will be throwing his hit-man opposition shirts to sniff in every pre-game training session from now on.

And what of the other daddy of the league: the player brought to Inter to replace Ibra, Samuel Eto’o? Well, frustration, pent-up rage and in the end a poor imitation of a Zinedine Zidane headbutt on Chievo’s Bostjan Cesar summed up his current state of mind.

It wasn’t that convincing really; more as if he was wiping sweat off his brow against the defender’s sternum than attempting to puncture his enemy's chest, as the Frenchman had seemingly endeavoured to do to Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup Final.

Verona is the city of broken hearts, where Milan’s own title dreams have been put to the sword in the past, and now it was the turn of the current champions to commit their own scudetto suicide on a grey old Sunday.

Not a cheery tale to tell, what with the one-time lords of the manor down to sixth in the table and the only player seemingly able to lift his game above the mediocre now facing anything up to a four-game ban.

Taking advantage of the waning Rafa Benitez’s fruitless time at the court of Moratti are Napoli, Juventus and AS Roma, who all enjoyed victories at the weekend.

Lazio remained just ahead of the Neapolitans in second after a draw at Parma. However, there is one team – or should that be one man – standing head and shoulders above the rest, and as long as Ibra’s is taking no nonsense Milan will continue to knock the opposition off one by one.

Tetchy Moratti gives Benitez his backing - for the time being

Richard Whittle — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:05:00 GMT

So, after storming away from the San Siro on Sunday, spending Monday in tetchy mood with reporters before falling into sulky silence, Massimo Moratti broke cover to hand Rafa Benitez his full backing.

Usually the vote of confidence is a harbinger of doom for any coach and Moratti has plenty of previous when it comes to telling the public one thing and doing completely the opposite in private. Well, sort of in private, as it is well-known in Milanese circles that sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport will break a story originating from the inner sanctum of Inter headquarters.

Alberto Zaccheroni, Hector Cuper and Roberto Mancini no doubt have the press clippings horded away somewhere foretelling of their demise. Benitez has three games to save his job was the gist of the latest premonition, coming as it did from reliable sources close to the man from the black stuff.

Oil is a pretty slippery liquid, so any blame for the coach’s failure will seep downwards towards Marco Branca, who persuaded his employer that Benitez was the man to continue where Jose Mourinho had left off – without any new signings, of course.

Apparently the technical director brushed away the Spaniard’s concerns that, having landed the Treble, the team were in natural decline and in need of a few fresh faces, claiming that the club had everything in hand but when Benitez put forward a few transfer targets they were ignored.

As long as the current group continued to dominate at home then the hierarchy could get on with bringing the club finances under control, but the last month or so have seen the side sail some choppy waters, spring a leak along the way before running aground in the derby.

It was left to Branca to see what could be salvaged and then get the vessel afloat again, dispatched as he was to the training ground with vice president and heir to the throne Angelo Mario Moratti, for a clear the air meeting with Benitez and his assistant Amedeo Carboni.

Or put it another way, let’s get tough with this Iberian interloper. The meeting came at a time when most of the first-team squad were away on international duty or injured, so no one could hear the pleas from Benitez for more time.

The emissaries apparently returned to the city satisfied that they had made is suitable clear what was expected, but all too aware that once a rift occurs between an underling and the boss then there is little that can be done to heal it.

Mancini sealed his fate with his public resignation at the final whistle after losing to Benitez-managed Liverpool in the Champions League despite going on to win the title.

Benitez is a veteran of boardroom politics from his time in England and he knows he needs to get results back on track again which means getting tough with his players.

Early momentum has come to a grinding halt over the last month or so with just 10 points from the last eight games while Milan have gathered 21 points. So an 11-point gap has turned into a six-point deficit.

Injuries are one thing but what seems to be at the heart of the problem is that the dressing room is missing belief - something Mourinho excelled at, getting the best out of whatever resources he had at his disposal – Moscow when the side were on the cusp of elimination from the Champions League, Chelsea after the 1-1 draw at home and of course Barcelona when the odds were stacked against them, all come to mind.

Benitez cannot seem to lift his charges in the same way – witness the abject performance at Spurs and the lacklustre response in the derby against 10-man AC Milan which so obviously ticked off Moratti.

If Inter cannot get positive results from Chievo, Parma and FC Twente then any Inter coach would be expecting the dreaded meeting with the main man, but as it stands the World Cup for Clubs will be the moment where Benitez’s fate will be sealed.

He flunked the European Super Cup and failed in the derby so if Inter are not crowned World Champions then it would be adios Benitez.

If reports are to be believed then the candidates are indeed wide ranging – Leonardo obviously just to get up Silvio Berlusconi’s nose, Frank Rijkaard and Luciano Spalletti fresh from being crowned Russian champion with Zenit St Petersburg.

They have all been strategically placed to up the pressure on Benitez who needs to demonstrate some of that tactical wisdom to negotiate the corridors of power in what has been a five months at Inter that few could have envisaged.

Former Hammer Diamanti hoping to finally find himself in fashion

Richard Whittle — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 11:04:00 GMT

Marcello Lippi may have been a man to give the nod to household names, but his successor Cesare Prandelli has preferred to trawl the lesser-known path to unearth Italy internationals.

For starters, the squad to face Romania this evening has an Argentine in its ranks, with Cristian Ledesma following in the footsteps of Mauro Camoranesi, but what is more striking are the number of players from less fashionable clubs.

In fact, it would take less time to name the players plucked from the Serie A elite, but at least it gives the Azzurri a more homely feel which should help the likes of Davide Astori (Cagliari), Federico Balzaretti (Palermo), Andrea Ranocchia (Genoa) and Daniele Gastaldello (Sampdoria) settle in without feeling intimidated by their new surroundings.

One new cap who seems to have taken to the manor-born is Brescia’s Alessandro Diamanti, who has been darting around in training like Antonio Cassano should be, winning everyone over with his enthusiasm at just being part of La Nazionale set-up. He is proving that if you have what it takes technically and the fire in your belly, you can make it.

The 27-year-old is a hero to the outsiders – the street dribbling, off-the-cuff mavericks who never quite had the talent of a Cassano and thusly spent their careers with boots slung over their shoulders travelling the backwaters and by-lanes of the Italian football scene (and East London, in Diamanti‘s case).

The Tuscan-born Diamanti did it his way, from Serie D to A; but never became part of the A crowd.

There were spells at his hometown club Prato, Empoli, Livorno and three games for Fiorentina when they went under the name of Fiorentia Viola - and always there were whispers of a step-up into the big time, but it seemed his face would never fit at one of the more prestigious clubs.

Never fully appreciated at home, he pitched up at Gianfrano Zola’s West Ham United, where he immediately drew comparisons with another ball-playing entertainer who liked to do things his own way: Paolo Di Canio.

He had the same pinched features, hunched running style and was never afraid to take a penalty or two – in fact he even shaved his head in the fashion of the Roman. But just like his predecessor at Upton Park, he seemed destined to never be fashionable in the eyes of those back home, especially when after just one season in England he moved to Brescia.

However, looks can be deceiving. He may be heavily-tattooed (although what Italian players aren’t?) and still has a penchant for eye-catching hair-styles – the latest was a cross between Robert de Nero in Taxi driver and an extra from Max Mad which thankfully had grown out by the time he arrived at Federation headquarters at Coverciano - but he prefers to live the family life with his wife and two kids.

One thing that does set him apart is that he can play a bit, and for Brescia fans he is the closest thing they will ever get to another Roberto Baggio, although club president Gino Corioni’s assertion that the new darling of the fans was better than the one-time Divine Ponytail was well wide of the mark.

The player was the first to laugh off Corioni‘s comparison, joking that he could only his left foot, but already this season he has given a master-class in tricky against Inter and Juventus – scoring an absolute stunner against the latter.

And it was no surprise that when he was forced to sit out three matches after being banned for berating the referee as he left the pitch after being sent-off at Lazio, the Rondinelle’s form nose-dived in his absence.

With Cassano off the scene until March, Diamanti has the chance to take up the mantle of the team’s creative fulcrum, for one night at least. He’ll be hoping he can stay in fashion.

Sumptuous Serie A servings show Inter no longer at top table

Richard Whittle — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:52:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 13 Nov Fiorentina 1-0 Cesena, Juventus 1-1 Roma Sun 14 Nov Lazio 2-0 Napoli, Bari 0-1 Parma, Bologna 1-0 Brescia, Cagliari 0-1 Genoa, Palermo 3-1 Catania, Sampdoria 0-0 Chievo, Udinese 4-0 Lecce, Inter Milan 0-1 AC Milan

Mid-November and the first mists of early winter begin to hang over the country, but the league starts to take a clearer form – and with the top eight facing each other over the weekend, it seemed an appropriate moment to bring some order to the table.

AC Milan had displaced Lazio at the top of the table with Napoli leapfrogging Inter while Juventus and Roma loomed just outside the top four.

With the Milan derby, Juventus against AS Roma and the meeting between Lazio and Napoli there promised a mouthwatering weekend of drama, goals and no doubt contentious refereeing decisions.

And even if seventh-placed Sampdoria against eighth-placed Chievo held little for the appetite, a dash of some great football and sprinklings of individual skill made the weekend crackle and fizzle like a frying pan of pancetta.

Fifth-placed Juventus and sixth-placed AS Roma was more than just a tasty little appetiser and certainly got the juices flowing: always a grudge game, especially for the Romans, and this time with Claudio Ranieri still seething with rage over the way the Old Lady dumped him while Alberto Aquilani faced his old "family".

Such affairs need strong referees and looked as if Mr. Rizzoli was going to stand for no nonsense when he booked Jeremy Menez inside 40 seconds for a late lunge on Fabio Grosso.

However, moments later when Felipe Melo rattled into Francesco Totti, the yellow card remained firmly in the official’s pocket – which only encouraged the players to play on the edge of legality for the rest of the game.

Roma were better at maintaining possession because their players are more technically adroit, but Juve are a tenacious and obstinate bunch – apart from the nimble-footed Aquilani, whose cheeky nutmeg on Leandro Greco followed by defence-splitting cross set up Vincenzo Iaquinta for the opener.

Both sides were up in arms at the referee just before the break: first the visitors, when Giorgio Chiellini dived into a challenge on Philippe Mexes inside the area but play was waved on; then the home side surrounded the official after a penalty was given when Totti’s free-kick cannoned off Simone Pepe’s arm.

After dispatching the spot-kick for his first league goal of the season, Totti baited the home faces and a heated debate continued all the way down the tunnel.

Words were exchanged between the Giallorossi captain and Juve goalkeeper Marco Storari – the origins of which dated back to Storari witnessing Totti and his team-mate Daniel de Rossi verbally abusing the Sampdoria players after they had all but ended the Romans' title hopes last season.

The second half was even more blood and thunder, summed up perfectly by the image of Chiellini in the dying seconds with blood streaming down his face, after a collision with Mirko Vucinic, refusing to leave the pitch to receive treatment.

Sunday lunchtime served up more delectable fare in the sunshine of Rome's Olympic Stadium. Against Napoli, Lazio coach Edy Reja allowed Mauro Zarate to dish up a smorgasbord of delightful skills to fire the Biancocelesti back to the top of the table in a 2-0 win.

It was an important victory, especially after the derby and midweek defeat at Cesena – even if Zarate’s opener had the touch of handball about it as the Argentine raced on to a bouncing ball inside the area.

However, to be really sated only an evening feast of fancy footwork, flying tackles and Milanese artistry out on the lush greenery of the San Siro would suffice.

This being Inter v AC Milan, everyone was expecting Marco Materazzi to make one of his meaty challenges from behind on Zlatan Ibrahimovic early on. The veteran obliged but misjudged his position, which happened to be inside the penalty-area.

There was only ever going to be one man to take the spot-kick and how the big Swede must have enjoyed his former fans choking on their jeers when he stepped up to dispatch the ball firmly into the corner of the net. Revenge and cold dishes, as they say.

Injuries have dogged Inter all season, but the latest seemed to help them get back in the game. When Joel Obi limped off with Esteban Cambiasso stripped off and ready to come on, Rafa Benitez changed tack and chose Philippe Coutinho. With Dejan Stankovic moved inside and the young Brazilian playing wide right, the Nerazzurri were potentially more of a threat – although you would never have known it with barely a shot troubling Christian Abbiati.

Another substitute Goran Pandev, on for another limper Diego Milito, attempted a different approach when he wound Ignazio Abate up by shoving the full-back to the ground.

The Milan man fell for it, so to speak, raising his hands to his opponent's face and receiving a second yellow card. Tellingly, the reckless Abate was just about to be substituted which brought back memories of Rino Gattuso seeing red last year moments before his number was about to come up.

Ibra’s martial arts skills came in handy when he attempted to tear a lump out of Materazzi (shades of Zinedine Zidane, but with the boot rather than the head) and as the Inter man was stretchered out of the stadium you just knew the after-dinner drinks were off.

Also off the menu was any further meaningful football as a fully satisfied 10-man Milan closed up shop for the evening while the Inter players wandered around the edge of the opposition area waiting for the referee to call time on their depressing evening.

So having gorged on a marathon two-day pig-out of Serie A’s finest offerings the conclusion is that no one course was the meal of champions although Inter’s days at the top table looks finally over.

Preview: AC Milan look to reassert derby dominance over Inter

Richard Whittle — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:00:00 GMT

FIXTURES Sat 13 Nov Fiorentina v Cesena, Juventus v AS Roma Sun 14 Nov Lazio v Napoli, Bari v Parma, Bologna v Brescia, Cagliari v Genoa, Palermo v Catania, Sampdoria v Chievo Verona, Udinese v Lecce, Inter Milan v AC Milan

With the derby coming up this weekend, going top of the table for the first time in two years couldn't have come at a more timely moment for AC Milan.

The Rossoneri swept past Palermo in the midweek round, despite having to put up with the ever-so-fragile Alexandre Pato limping off again: just what is going on at the much-vaunted Milan Lab that they can't keep the Brazilian on the pitch for more than 20 minutes at a time?

NEWS: Milan go top

And just when Filippo Inzaghi was feeling on top of the world, damaging knee ligaments means the end of the veteran’s season – and possibly his career at the club, unless Adriano Galliani takes pity on him.

NEWS: Inzaghi to miss rest of season

Anyway, things could be worse: they could be Inter, who for once come into the Derby della Madonnina needing all the help they can from the Virgin Mary.

During Jose Mourinho’s time in charge there was only one team in town as the Nerazzurri lorded over their old rivals on three consecutive occasions – indeed, Milan haven't even scored in the last two encounters.

Those were the days when Inter fans strutted around with the air of mini-Mourinhos, checking their look in shop windows and generally feeling smug with life. Now that exuberance, that top-of-the-heap numero-uno aplomb seems lacking, replaced by something else.

Like the onset of winter, there is a chilling acknowledgement that the wildest, craziest affair they ever had will most likely never be repeated – never again will they hit the heights of ecstasy as they did not once but thrice in one season.

Just one tiny thrill would probably do before everyone hunkers down for another long Milanese winter – and if it doesn’t come on Sunday then it’s going to have to be the Club World Cup.

Rafa Benitez isn’t exactly titillating locals who are missing that bit of devilment - that wild, reckless streak Jose brought to every occasion and especially derby encounters.

After a draw at Lecce as pale as Wesley Sneijder with anaemia, all the Spaniard could muster was that his team were unlucky and that he expected more from his players.

January joy as Inter celebrate a derby win last season

Across town Massimiliano Allegri – in need of another haircut a mere two weeks after getting a neat back-and-sides – has been doing little to get the pulse racing either, claiming that the derby will not be decisive in determining the outcome of the title race.

Well, so what? Inter are there for the taking: at this stage of the campaign last season, they were top with eight points more and had scored double the amount of goals. Now even Napoli have overtaken them.

Of course, it matters little if the coaches fail to ratchet up a bit of tension in the manner Mou and Leonardo did last season and even Carlo Ancelotti before that. A derby is most often remembered by what the players do when they take centre stage.

It will be interesting to see how both sides react to what on paper seems a bit of a role-reversal where Milan are the mean and moody bullies, as witnessed by the way likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Rino Gattuso and Mathieu Flamini have been snarling their way through games of late.

Inter seem almost retiring in comparison, even if they still have few tasty competitors in the side such as Douglas Maicon, Lucio and Ivan Cordoba.

However, beware the wounded beast, as they say and the club’s medical staff are confident that Esteban Cambiasso will be fit to start while a few days' rest will hopefully have brought a bit of colour back to Sneijder’s cheeks.

One man who knows what it takes to win a Milan derby, having appeared in 56 of them, is Paolo Maldini. He believes that his old club won't have a better opportunity that this to put one over their cousins and strike a psychological blow by opening up a six-point gap.

The legendary defender is of the opinion that Milan are well equipped to win the league title, more so than progressing to the latter stages of the Champions League, so now is the time to seize the moment.

For their part Inter will feel that this is the ideal occasion to get their season up and running again – which could yet make for an stirring evening of strong passions at the San Siro.

Rafa looks to younger limbs as Inter's injury problems mount

Richard Whittle — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:56:00 GMT

Rafa Benitez and Massimo Moratti must have had a long look at each other after Inter’s draw with Brescia on Saturday and pondered where it was all going wrong for the defending champions.

The following day that young rebel Mario Balotelli was scoring twice for his new club Manchester City, while the Nerazzurri were counting the length of their injury list. Walter Samuel was the latest to collapse in a heap and it looks as if the central defender’s season is over with ligament damage to his knee.

It was damp old evening at the San Siro and Inter were off-colour from the start. Only Samuel Eto’o demonstrated anything in the way of a positive attitude against well-organised but ultimately beatable opponents who were allowed to grow in confidence after taking an early lead.

Benitez may not be ‘special’ like Jose Mourinho, but even the Portuguese would find it difficult to get anything out of a side decimated by so many injuries to key players.

Douglas Maicon’s troublesome hamstring finally gave in at the weekend and the full-back joined Esteban Cambiasso, Thiago Motta, Julio Cesar and Sulley Muntari in the treatment room nursing a range of muscle strains.

Athletic trainer Paco De Miguel looks set to be working overtime to get players fit again and he has defended claims that his preparations had caused some of the injuries, maintaining he had changed little from the previous regime and was working towards ensuring the players stayed in shape over the hump of the season without tiring their limbs.

Youngsters on the whole do not tire as much as the more mature players, so Benitez and his staff will have to work on fine-tuning the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Joel Obi and the speedy Jonathan Biabiany over a shorter period, with nearly two months still standing between them and the January transfer window.

Inter will then, by all accounts, buy up the outstanding fifty per cent of Andrea Ranocchia’s contract from Genoa - worth something in the region of €10 million - thus not breaking the bank for a new central defender.

There is a round of mid-week games coming up and the defending champions will leave dull, cold Milan for the relatively benign climes of Lecce.

However, it is the weekend derby that will be on their minds, so Wesley Sneijder will sit out, having become all light-headed in the dressing room at the weekend which meant he couldn’t take the pitch for the second half.

The San Siro showdown will not be for the faint-hearted – not with AC Milan suddenly becoming the macho side in the city.

Having beaten Bari, the Rossoneri will want to push on this week against Palermo, although Massimiliano Allegri is finding it difficult to keep some of his players, who feel they know more than the coach, in check.

Rino Gattuso tore into the team’s tactics after conceding the last-gasp equaliser to Real Madrid in the Champions League which just about forced Allegri to drop Ronaldinho and play Rino, Massimo Ambrosini and Mathieu Flamini at the base of the midfield against Bari.

It ultimately made little difference as the team still conceded two goals, and Allegri didn’t help his cause by refusing to bend to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s veiled demands that he preferred playing upfront with Filippo Inzaghi - by fielding Robinho instead.

Pippo was left to sulk on the bench and in a show of 37-year-old petulance threatened to leave in January alluding to “a couple of interesting offers.”

No doubt the moody vet will start against Palermo, but Ibra needs a slap on the wrist; so just to annoy both of them the Swede could well be left on the bench.

The club have made great efforts to play down the bust-up - for that’s what it apparently was -between Ibra and the man mountain Oguchi Onyewu in training last week with photos surfacing of the pair really going at it after the stroppy Swede had dived into a late challenge on the American defender.

Insiders have claimed there pair didn’t “kiss and make up” and only performed the most reluctant of handshakes – and in a scene familiar to any prison drama, the Brazilian clique have taken the big Yank under their collective wing, although this may ultimately be for Ibra’s protection as much as anything else...

However, as long has the Rossoneri are pushing for top spot and can overcome Inter at the weekend the team will continue to present a united front.

While the Milanese giants play make or break-up, Lazio hang on to top spot despite their derby defeat and have a chance to get back on track against struggling Cesena. Joint-fourth Juventus – Happy Birthday, Alex – and Napoli are on the road at feisty Brescia and Cagliari, respectively which leaves AS Roma the most likely to profit as they face Fiorentina at home.

Ranieri outwits Reja as Giallorossi shoot down soaring Eagles

Richard Whittle — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:48:00 GMT

There was something in the air ahead of the Rome derby, and it wasn’t Olympia the eagle, which had been grounded due to fears for the poor feathered soul’s wellbeing.

The last time the Lazio mascot was let loose he/she/it remained on the stadium roof for 35 minutes before being coaxed down – so rather than turn the event into a bird of prey target practice session, Olympia was instead paraded in front of the relative haven of the Monte Mario and Curva Nord stand ahead of the game.

The military band of the Bersaglieri must have wished they had remained there as well. The Sharpshooters don’t march, they jog and they needed to be quick on their feet when they ventured over to the Curva Sud – home of the AS Roma hardcore fan base.

There to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unity of Italy and as a tribute to Lazio founder Luigi Bigiarelli, the little runners were met by a burning flare arching through the air and into their ranks.

The trumpeters legged it through the smokescreen to the other end of the stadium where they received a warmer welcome.

Already it had all the makings of another heated Derby della Capitale but it was a shame to see such wide open spaces along one side of the ground.

The running battles in the Tevere stand which marred last season’s corresponding fixture had left that area a no-man’s land, open only to Lazio season-ticket holders, children and the over-60s – and we wonder why the Italian game is not family-orientated.

Three o’clock is no longer the traditional kick-off time for big games and despite one team being top of the league and the other coming off a win in the Champions League there seemed little enthusiasm among the locals to turn out in large numbers - and who can blame them.

There were the usual crowd disturbances along the Ponte Milvio after the game although the police claimed it ‘a success’ that only one fan had been stabbed, while another lost a finger trying to scale a wall into the stadium.

While the aforementioned Roma fans were spoiling the band and eagle’s afternoon, their Lazio counterparts took to taunting the rather soft target of Adriano, unfurling an enormous banner with the appropriate enough but less than original ‘Hippopotamus Adriano’ scrawled across it.

Having failed to grab the imagination off the pitch, there was plenty to hold attention on it and any match that is decided by two penalties is always going to be somewhat contentious.

There can be little argument about the first spot-kick when Stefan Lichsteiner’s hand got in the way of a thunderous goal-bound Simplicio effort – and the referee had already pointed to the spot before the Roma players could swarm over him like a swarm of shouty, whinging bees.

But the second was not quite so clear-cut. Julio Baptista pushed Lichsteiner, who then collided with Guglielmo Stentardo as he mistimed his leap: the loose ball fell to the Brazilian who tumbled under the slightest contact from Andre Dias.

Lazio had two genuine appeals for spot kicks of their own waved away: the first when Sergio Floccari tangled with Philippe Mexes, whose swan-dive earned him top marks for evading a certain red card as well.

The referee then missed John Arne Riise dragging Stefano Mauro down as a free-kick was swung into the area, although his assistant had also not spotted that Dias was in an offside position when the dead-ball was struck.

Claudio Ranieri filled the midfield with lively players with energy to burn, nullifying Lazio’s strongest area of the pitch and in turn providing a springboard for attacks from eventual goalscorers Mirko Vucinic and Marco Borriello.

Ranieri had already given notice of his approach to the encounter in the pre-game press conference when he recalled legendary Roma coach Zdenek Zeman’s feelings that the derby was ‘just another match’.

Being a Roman and a Romanisti, there were never going to be any feelings of neutrality from the Giallorossi coach, who now has three consecutive derby wins to his name.

As expected Francesco Totti’s absence was more of a hindrance for Lazio: having no hate-figure to direct their ire towards while the Roma players were not obliged to pass the ball to their captain at every turn. And would the local lad have kept his cool when it came to the penalty kicks?

Ranieri got it spot on while his opposite number, the more prosaic Edoardo Reja, failed to dare when it really mattered – and now we have to wonder if the eagle is in danger of becoming permanently grounded.

Pippo strikes again but Mou's Madrid mug meek Milan

Richard Whittle — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:28:00 GMT

It was fitting that Filippo Inzaghi’s record-setting goal would come from his favourite position – offside – even if SuperPippo was pipped at the post in his moment of glory by the Special One.

AC Milan looked home and dry against Real Madrid thanks to Pip’s two-goal burst, only for that old Jose Mourinho jinx to strike again when Pedro Leon made it 2-2 with just about the last kick of the game.

Grabbing the record as the top goalscorer in European club competitions overall, the veteran striker had already whipped out two commemorative shirts emblazoned with the number 69 and 70 – but it was the Portuguese who was whipping down the touchline in final celebration.

Still, Inzaghi has now moved ahead of Gerd Muller and Raul in European goals scored – and in front of Marco van Basten’s 184 goals in the Rossoneri goalscoring charts, an amazing achievement for the 37-year-old whose career looked to be over five years ago.

It was one of those rip-roaring evenings at the San Siro and Mourinho was primed to play the pantomime villain when greeted by a wall of whistling and jeers, responding with a three-fingered salute reminding the red and black half of the city of his personal achievements last season.

"Yoo-hoo! I'm back!"

At least Mou’s presence had encouraged Massimiliano Allegri to smarten himself up, instead of looking like some small-town council official who had allowed his mother to cut his hair and pick out his clothes from the local Upim (cheap and not so cheerful clobber outlet for the sartorially challenged).

However, he has not yet stamped his authority on the side. Otherwise he wouldn't have given in to the obvious pressure coming from Silvio Berlusconi - not the first time someone has had to bow to the little cavalier – to play Ronaldinho in place of the in-form Robinho, who had kept his compatriot out of the side recently.

Forget the "diplomatic" injury, the club have been kidding no one – Allegri doesn’t want the boss’s favourite party guy in his side, but it's the coach who is hamstrung at the moment.

At least when the No.80 had proven that he is only in shape to hang around Milanese watering-holes, there was the oldest swinger at a loose ball ready and more than willing to seize his moment.

The first goal was a typical Inzaghi reaction to a goalkeeper making a complete hash of a routine ball played into the six-yard area. And the second, well, it made up for all the other times he hadn't been offside in his career.

Taking care of business: Pippo bags the first

Milan’s display may have lacked the slickness of the big city but there was plenty of provincial endeavour on show – although that will not serve in progressing a long way in the competition.

This is where Allegri needs to overcome his awe at coaching a club with such a rich tradition in Europe and shed the inferiority complex which makes him concentrate on nullifying the opposition rather than believing in the instincts of his own team.

Milan never used to worry about going a goal down but now their play is hampered by what-ifs. It took to some shoddy Madrid defending and a myopic referee’s assistant to get their noses ahead last night, but ultimately they lacked belief in victory.

The Rossoneri may have suffered a late sucker-punch, but AS Roma came off the ropes to produce some deft counter-attacking to down Basel and put the Giallorossi back in the box seat for the runners-up spot in their group.

It was a positive evening for another old hand, Francesco Totti, who got on the scoresheet for the first time this season in the 3-2 win – and can now put his feet up and watch the Rome derby at home, where in true Roman scaramanzia [good luck] he expects Lazio to win with a Sergio Floccari penalty.

There may be life in both old dogs yet but there is still much work to be done for all three of Italy’s Champions League representatives – and finishing second in their respective groups will only cause concern for Inter, Milan and Roma further down the line.

Jose's Milan return highlights task facing beaten Benitez

Richard Whittle — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 10:54:00 GMT

Jose Mourinho swept back into Milan yesterday, strolling triumphantly through the arrivals hall at Malpensa airport.

The return of the Special One was always going to be big news and the Inter fans had gathered in numbers to hail the man who had led the club to an amazing Treble last season – a couple had even paid €320 for a room in the same hotel as Real Madrid just to say they had “slept” close to the man with the Midas touch.

In the early hours of this morning Rafa Benitez slipped quietly back through the same airport with no more than a sideways glance from a couple of cleaners and a few other weary travellers.

Having lost their Mou-Jo in the summer, Inter are becoming a pale shadow of their former self with each passing week and Benitez cannot seem to correct the slide which has seen the Nerazzurri drop off top place both at home and in their Champions League group.

Of course, they had a worse start in Europe last season when they could easily have gone out early on, but you always felt there was a steely resolve coupled with Jose’s tactical cunning to see them through.

Bale and co. gave Rafa plenty to ponder

Going into the game at Tottenham, Benitez had been forewarned off Gareth Bale’s pace and for that reason decided that the speedy Jonathan Biabiany should play in front of the labouring and out-of-sorts Douglas Maicon.

Unfortunately, the French winger was neither a defensive reinforcement nor an attacking threat so it was puzzling why he remained on the pitch for so long when the sharp and in-form Coutinho was left on the bench having done so much to hurt Harry Redknapp‘s side in the previous meeting.

One of the secrets of Mourinho’s success was his willingness to change his tactics quickly if he saw that his plans were not working - even if it was only ten minutes into the game.

The Spaniard’s reluctance to change allowed a situation to develop whereby Bale was embarrassing Maicon every time he picked up the ball. The right flank had already been torn to shreds long before Benitez made a change in personnel, and this was after the forewarning of the last 35 minutes of the home tie against Spurs where the same happened.

It was always going to be an evening where pace and the directness of the home side needed to be nullified, but with Biabiany and Goran Pandev pushing high up the flanks and Wesley Sneijder a mere spectator in the middle, there were massive gaps through the centre for the likes of Modric and Van der Vaart to exploit.

No doubt the presence of Esteban Cambiasso and Dejan Stankovic in the centre of midfield would have ensured Spurs did not have quite the same freedom to pin Inter to the edge of their own area, which was the what ultimately led to the first goal.

Neither Sully Muntari or Javier Zanetti got close enough to their opposite numbers and they are not the type of players at ease moving the ball forward, which meant that Sneijder was forced to drop back further to instigate attacks which in turn left Samuel Eto’o isolated.

"Still, at least we had fewer offsides..."

However, even when out-numbered, the Cameroon striker caused the home defence all sorts of problems and his well-taken goal, which he made for himself, gave hope of something better with ten minutes remaining.

What Benitez will hopefully have learnt from this sobering experience is that Eto’o needs to play alongside Diego Milito in a front two, with Sneijder in behind.

The Argentine’s belated entry seemed to make the lights finally come on throughout the team, with his first run taking him into a shooting position and visibly giving his team-mates some much-needed belief.

Another rasping drive which clipped the bar when the game was already lost suggests that the Prince will be back on the goal trail soon.

Ideally, Inter would line-up with the aforementioned trio pushing forward, with Zanetti on the right, Cambiasso in the centre and Stankovic on the left of the midfield.

The defence is what it is, and Maicon and Cristian Chivu, who once again had words with Benitez during the game over his positioning, would benefit from experience and a bit of bite in front of them, while Lucio and Walter Samuel are aging but still massively effective central defenders.

Victory at home to Twente in three weeks time will ensure safe passage to the knock-out stages and provide Benitez with another bargaining chip when trying to persuade Massimo Moratti that he needs to open the cheque book in January.

All is not lost, but clearly that Inter swagger - like Mourinho - is long gone.

Del Piero celebrates as Cassano sulks

Richard Whittle — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:09:00 GMT

Alessandro Del Piero trotted off the San Siro pitch on Saturday evening a very happy and contented man.

There were five minutes remaining when he was substituted; having given Juventus a 2-0 lead at AC Milan, the little forward had all but finished his work for the evening.

You would have expected the Bianconeri faithful in the stands to rise to hail their captain – but clusters of home fans were also ready to applaud a vintage display from the veteran star. Not only vintage, but record-breaking: Del Piero’s goal took him past Giampiero Boniperti’s 178 Serie A mark for the Old Lady.

A job well done and time to flop into the comfy seats on the bench, or soothe those ageing bones in the bath? Not with a vital win tantalisingly within reach – and there he was alongside Luigi Delneri cajoling his team-mates to see out the game.

That moment more than anything sums up Del Piero’s undiminished love for the game and he obviously appreciates doing something he enjoys – especially when it produces special nights like Saturday.

At the final whistle he was back on to the pitch to celebrate with his team-mates who had held on for a 2-1 victory and in turn receive their plaudits for the part he had played in propelling Juve into the title race.

There's still a mental and physical toughness about Del Piero and an instinct for the half-chance that ensured he followed play all the way into the Milan penalty area after Momo Sissoko had made a right hash of his own.

When the midfielder regained possession, Ale was lurking and with no backlift dispatched the ball into the back of the net without a second thought.

Del Piero will be 36 next week and he joked before kick-off at the weekend that it could be his last appearance at the San Siro. With more and more players continuing well into their late thirties, he may have second thoughts about calling time on his career at end of the season.

The club seem to be working out a contract package which would see the player move upstairs to the boardroom – although that may come after a hiatus in the MLS.

Del Piero seems to have come through that mid-life crisis where every substitution or omission from the starting XI was taken as a personal slight and in the closing years of his career each minute on the pitch is now taken has a gift.

There is still unfinished business – a 200-goal landmark to reach, maybe one last Italy cap, a new Juve stadium to grace and of course playing in the Champions League where the rest of Europe took him to their collective hearts.

Already this season there have been standing ovations in Dublin and Manchester where Juve played in the Europa League but you just know that leading the team he joined in 1993 back into the premier competition still holds a special place in his heart.

In an age of big egos, it's Del Piero’s craving for success at the basic football level that makes him stand out. You could say that Alex has the perfect life – which is something the weekend’s other headline-grabber, Antonio Cassano, is a long way from.

By all reports, Italian football’s tortured soul insulted just about everyone associated with Sampdoria after refusing to attending a club awards evening.

President Riccardo Garrone got an earful of abuse, as did a few team-mates, followed by the usual round of slamming doors before he stomped off home.

The new domesticated Fanantonio claimed he just wanted to be with his pregnant wife: the club demanded a written apology and when none was forthcoming they basically sacked him. So much for player power.

However, the Football League must sanction any termination of a player’s contract and they are likely to oppose such a measure.

A chastened Cassano claimed he called Garrone to apologise, but get ready for a public kiss and make up followed by Samp selling their sulky star in the January transfer window for 20million Euro.

There will be no problem finding a taker but maybe at times Cassano must wish he could just find a way to play football and live his life in the perfect manner of Del Piero.

NEWS: Del Piero breaks remaining Juventus record

You can dupe a ref, but can't evade video justice

Richard Whittle — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:05:00 GMT

Diving has always been part and parcel of the Italian game, but in recent seasons there have been signs of upright behaviour, with fewer incidents in the top flight.

Milos Krasic had obviously not read the memo when he tripped over thin air inside the Bologna penalty area to win his side a spot-kick last Sunday.

The referee Andrea De Marco had been unsighted and his assistant unable to keep up with play so the main official had to make a judgement which has had consequences for this weekend’s round of games.

Video evidence proved that the winger had gone crashing down in a heap without the slightest help from the nearest Bologna player, defender Daniele Portanova.

A two-game suspension ensued along with a slew of headlines condemning the Serbian’s (they aren’t in Italian good books at the moment) behaviour.

If the referee had spotted this piece of gamesmanship then he would have given Krasic a yellow card and that would have been the end of it even if it has become more unacceptable in a league that once prided itself on getting one over officials.

Believe or not but times are changing and the Football Federation (FIGC) was correct in enforcing a two-game suspension on the player. The message is that you may dupe the referee but not video justice and if that means missing a crucial match so be it.

Juventus, for their part, were suffering from selective myopia in seeking to justify the actions of their player which is a shame.

Coach Gigi Del Neri and sporting director Beppe Marotta had the opportunity to castigate the player in public but they refused to hold up their hands and admit that the club would not tolerate deception of any kind.

After all, this is meant to be the beginnings of a fresh, new era for the Old Lady and it would have sent out a positive message if the leading figures in Turin had taken the lead but it seems that old habits die hard.

Club resident Andrea Agnelli eventually mumbled an apology of sorts but it was wrapped up in an attack on the press for their “unfair” reporting of the player’s character.

It has been a collective rather than an individual effort to clean up the Italian game – next up has to be all-in wrestling contests inside the area at every dead-ball situation which has become the norm for referees to ignore even when it is going on in front of their eyes.

Juventus were within their legal rights to appeal the outcome (and of course Juventus face AC Milan this weekend) which was heard on Friday afternoon but the evidence always pointed to the two-game ban remaining in place.

That was the outcome when Adriano fell over inside the AS Roma area a few seasons ago when he was playing for Inter although then the club had the good grace not to appeal and of course Alberto Gilardino’s deliberate handball to score for Fiorentina at Palermo received the appropriate sanctions.

Gilardino had a bad rep when it came to simulation with his swan dive during a Champions League tie at Celtic when the striker was playing for AC Milan comes to mind. Fortunately, since the Palermo episode he seems to have cleaned up his act.

Krasic has subsequently admitted his guilt: “It was instinctive” meaning it was something that comes naturally but hopefully now he will become an upstanding citizen.

No surprise to see Italians not make the grade

Richard Whittle — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:25:00 GMT

The national team’s limp showing in South Africa coupled with Inter not having a home-grown regular in their Treble-winning side meant it was somewhat unsurprising to hear there were no Italians on the 23-man shortlist for this year’s Ballon d’Or.

However there are four Serie A, and specifically Inter, based nominees in the running – Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto’o, Douglas Maicon and Julio Cesar - but strangely no Diego Milito, who seems to have paid for a World Cup spent on the Argentina substitute’s bench despite being the top goalscorer in last season’s Champions League and scoring twice in the final.

There is also no space for Nerazzurri defender Lucio, although that is perhaps more understandable given his poor showing in South Africa and, by his standards, poor early-season form at club level.

Eto’o’s goalscoring has been exemplary but the boat has probably long since sailed for the Cameroon international as far as winning the top awards goes, leaving Sneijder as perhaps Serie A’s leading contender for the recently restructured gong.

An excellent first season in Italy followed by a World Cup Final appearance seemed to have put the Holland international in pole position but, like Lucio, his form so far this season hasn’t been quite as impressive.

There have been whispers that the former Real Madrid player has not warmed to new coach Rafa Benitez and would have followed Jose Mourinho back to Spain if the chance had arisen.

A new contract has yet to be agreed although the club have maintained it is a mere formality – but even if he does sign there is no guarantee that the midfielder will remain beyond the summer.

Inter's Ballon d'Or contenders...and Diego Milito

The Dutch master needs a couple of really high-profile performances in Europe to keep him ahead of the Barcelona trio of Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi - although if he does make the final three-man shortlist then helping his side win the Club World Cup could well do the trick when the winner is revealed on January 6.

The Ballon d’Or has been kind to Serie A over the last decade; Pavel Nedved in 2003 (although it should have been Paolo Maldini), Andriy Shevchenko the following year, Fabio Cannavaro in 2006, (thanks in part to Marco Materazzi World Cup final shenanigans), and Ricky Kaka in 2007.

However, recent seasons have been lean for Italian nominees, with none last year either. Gianluigi Buffon is generally a shoo-in, but the Juventus goalkeeper has spent most of the year injured.

Daniele De Rossi’s career has stalled in spectacular fashion over the last two seasons – a combination of burn out and injuries have impeded him, although his reluctance to leave the bubble of Rome for the big wide world has ultimately been his undoing.

His personal problems were the talk of the Capital and you never know a move to Real Madrid could have been just the fillip to re-ignite the midfielder’s career never mind getting him noticed for an award.

As it stands there were no viable candidates: Antonio Cassano didn’t have the chance to pull on the Azzurri shirt in the summer, while playing for Sampdoria isn’t exactly going to gain many plaudits .

Mario Balotelli received more headlines for his spats with Jose Mourinho – a certainty for coach of the year – than for his on-pitch exploits, while the only other name that springs to mind is Giorgio Chiellini, so we rest our case.

Oh well, England and France don’t have a name on the list either, and if Sneijder were to win we could at least point to football being a team game - just not a team of Italians in Inter’s case…

Sunday lunch menu hard to swallow

Richard Whittle — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:19:00 GMT

Italians by and large are traditionalists and one sacred cow is of course Sunday lunch.

Even football fans making long trips around the country will ensure they are in a restaurant near the host stadium a few hours before kick-off for a bowl of fresh (is there anything else?) pasta at the very least.

The introduction of a regular 12.30 start this season has left fans not only stewing over missing out on their hearty sustenance, but also the quality of the fare on the pitch.

Parma fans brought a novel approach to Sunday’s lunch date against AS Roma by inviting anyone attending to bring a sandwich to the Tardini stadium and munch away as the players took to the pitch.

The aim was to highlight that the game did not revolve around those sitting at home in front of their television sets but the faithful who follow their teams every week.

Unfortunately, the majority of those armchair fans probably thought eating in the stands was just a quaint Italian custom, considering they were watching in Asia.

Prime time in downtown Shanghai would seem to be more important than down time in Rome to the Italian football league, who employed a rights and marketing company to wring as much as possible out of TV deals.

The feeling was that Asians would devour any football dished out at a decent hour, and potential Italian football fanatics in burgeoning markets such as China and Japan are not best served by the 3pm and particularly 8.45pm kick-off times.

So they might now tune in but what they make of the quality is another matter. Yesterday’s game finished goalless, and so wayward was the shooting that both sets of players may have been a little faint from low blood sugar.

The previous week was another drab affair in Cagliari where Inter came out 1-0 winners – disrupted by racist abuse directed at Samuel Eto’o, which proves that whatever the hour there will always be unpalatable morons.

Before that, for some reason beyond the realms of common sense the majority of the matches had been in the south of the country where the high-noon temperatures were still in the high twenties – and in the case of Bari against Cagliari in the sultry mid-thirties.

Needless to say, the games have been pretty lifeless affairs in front of sparsely-populated stands. But there is hope that domestic fans at least will gain an appetite for an early start to future Sunday rounds, with current leaders Lazio at home to Napoli, Juventus welcoming Parma and Milan at Bologna on the menu before the winter break.

RESULTS Sat 23: Fiorentina 2-1 Bari. Sun 24: Parma 0-0 Roma, Bologna 0-0 Juventus, Chievo 2-1 Cesena, Genoa 1-0 Catania, Lazio 2-1 Cagliari, Lecce 2-1 Brescia, Udinese 2-1 Palermo, Internazionale 1-1 Sampdoria. Mon 25: Napoli v Milan, 7.45pm

Roma’s plight left their fans with plenty to think about on yesterday afternoon's return from Parma to the capital where Claudio Ranieri finds himself an ever more isolated figure but the club cannot afford to pay him off or to pay for a half-decent replacement for that matter.

The Giallorossi will have muddle on for the time being and must hope that the derby in two weeks' time can turn their season around. Lazio may be happy to laugh off any talk of the title but the Edy Reja’s battlers continue can bask at the top table for some time to come, especially as European competition continues to take its toll on their rivals.

Inter looked completely worn out from chasing Gareth Bale around last week, against a Sampdoria side who were much more at ease playing counter-attacking underdogs at the San Siro than favourites to win an Europa League tie in Ukraine.

The defending champions were once again shackled (remember Jose Mourinho’s crossed-hands gesture in the corresponding fixture last season?) and it was left to Eto’o to get them out of prison with a late equaliser - the Nerazzurri are four points off top spot and could be overtaken by AC Milan, who are at Napoli this evening.

As soon as Juventus started playing up their chances they go and knock over their half-full glass of expectation with a goalless draw at Bologna: earlier on in the campaign they conceded too many goals now they can’t seem to score any.

Gigi Delneri spent most of the post-game interview defending Milos Krasic from receiving a suspension for diving to win a penalty which Vincenzo Iaquinta then missed, but the Serbian looked to have gone down unaided and could well miss the game at Milan this weekend under the new video evidence procedure.

Come to think of it, checking in on video misdemeanors might be more enjoyable than the lunchtime fillers so far.

Serie A-ren't we terrible...?

Richard Whittle — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:47:00 GMT

It was another hellish week for Italian clubs on the continent - one which makes you wonder if there's any point battling all season to qualify for Europe only to then embarrass yourself at nearly every turn.

Not many will remember but Serie A teams once possessed determination and energy; now they are becoming better known for being weak-willed and lifeless.

The tactical masters can still play the perfect game in their heads, but have no answer to quick movement on and off the ball.

Even the usually dependable Inter almost allowed Spurs back into a game they were leading by a street, only to be nearly overtaken by the speedy Gareth Bale and the help of the befuddled Julio Cesar – sorry, where else is a left-footed player going to put the ball when he is speeding into the area on his stronger foot?

The far post of course, and it was more like the last post for Javier Zanetti, Lucio and Ivan Cordoba who must have seen the sun setting on their careers as they laboured behind a player over a decade younger.

Never mind. Serie A is full of old men dithering around the pitch every weekend only because the game in Italy is played at a pace in keeping with a summer’s afternoon in Sicily.

Like their ageing AC Milan counterparts across town, who had no answer to Real Madrid's direct approach, they are driving the Italian game forward at the speed of an OAP on a country road.

The cycle of such players is almost over but really it cannot come quickly enough, with the greying generation nearly on their push-bikes.

While the Champions League representatives may be labouring under pedal power, the Europa League is a dumping ground for the clapped out in the extreme.

Juventus were fortunate to grab a draw at Salzburg and remain without a group win so far, while Napoli played the tradition of Liverpool rather than the reality of the once mighty Reds - and of course the home fans kept the Italian game in the medieval age of stabbings and mob rule.

Sampdoria were shamed by ten-man Metalist Kharkiv and Palermo also had no answer to the rise of the East when they crashed 3-0 at home to CSKA Moscow who could also afford to miss a penalty.

Even the previously divine Javier Pastore has fallen into Italian petulance when the chips are down, and was duly sent off for applauding the referee having already been booked.

Inter may be champions of Europe but we cannot blind ourselves to the fact that there was a special reason for that. Italian clubs have been stumbling for a long time and are now fall guys not only for the traditional heavyweights but welterweights as well.

Apart from the Nerazzurri, there is a real danger of having no representatives in the knockout stages of either the Champions League or its lesser second-cousin the Europa League. This may dilute both competitions when they reach the more watchable rounds, but there can be no complaints if Serie A gets left behind.

If we cast our minds back into the mists of time, to 2003, Old Trafford was the venue for an all-Italian Champions League final. But drawing conclusions from this week there is little chance of Wembley Stadium repeating that feat. Dublin too need not worry about an invasion of dark shades and hair gel.

Inter only Italian option for Rooney

Richard Whittle — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:23:00 GMT

If Wayne Rooney is contemplating a future in Italian football, then of course there is only one club capable of matching not only his wage demands, but also his ambitions on the pitch.

Inter president Massimo Moratti has always admired English players, but having half-jokingly claimed that he was considering making a bid for Leo Messi in the January transfer window, maybe he will start cracking a few one-liners about hiring the Manchester United rebel.

It will certainly keep the rumour mill ticking over now that Messi has put an end to any speculation about leaving Barcelona, while Moratti is still silently seething that Silvio Berlusconi landed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who he would have been welcomed back in the Nerazzurri fold with open arms.

Moratti’s principle medium of communication is generally to mutter a few words to journalists as he strolls into work in the centre of the city which then morph into the gospel according to Massimo.

Ever since his arch nemesis across town stole a march in the transfer headline stakes, the feeling is that the old oil baron is planning something spectacular.

If this is the case, then he is either keeping it to himself or Rafa Benitez is a very good actor: the coach has been beside himself with frustration at not having a big-name signing to show off.

Moratti has made it clear that he wants the club on a sound financial footing to comply with UEFA regulations but there may be a loose €70 million or so lying around for the January sales.

No doubt Wayne and his advisers are studying the European market for a big day and they will have an opportunity to check in on Inter this evening when the Champions League holders take on wet-behind-the-ears Tottenham Hotspur.

Little thought has been given to the English side that arrive at the San Siro lacking the gravitas of a United, Chelsea or even Arsenal.

However, it has been left to Inter once again – which made the morning coffees even sweeter for their fans – to salvage Italian pride in the competition.

It is doubtful if the names of AC Milan and AS Roma have come anywhere near the radar of the Rooney camp as potential destinations – and you can see why.

Neither club looks certain of even making it out of the group stages – Milan’s defensive problems were laid bare once again at Real Madrid, while Roma were just downright woeful in the home defeat to Basel.

Massimiliano Allegri had stated that the march wasn’t about him and Jose Mourinho - and didn’t he get that right?

He was left gawping like a provincial boy in awe of the bright city lights and, just as the Special One made sure that his Inter teams were psyched up for the Milan derbies, it was the same attention to detail which helped his Real Madrid charges win with more than a little to spare.

Despite the experience running through the Milan side, Allergi was not primed for the early Real onslaught and the contest was over within the first 15 minutes.

At least back in Serie A there are few teams that play with such intensity from the first whistle – Palermo spring to mind and before that Roma under Luciano Spalletti had their moments.

Milan will still hope to sneak through but the Giallorossi are in real danger of missing out on the knock-out stages all together which would probably save them from further humiliation.

The Olympic stadium is such a cavernous bowl that it is difficult to generate a big-game atmosphere at the best of times, but the vast swathes of empty seats in the stands last night summed up the depressing mood around the club at the moment.

The uncertainty over a buyer with the financial muscle to drag the Giallorossi out of the perilous state is affecting everyone.

Claudio Ranieri has lost that control he initially had over the team who now fail to follow basic instructions such as covering back and making tackles - whispers persist that he will be out the door when a new regime takes over while the players are in the dark on who will be offered new contracts.

Until the off-pitch problems are resolved there seems little hope of Roma turning their dismal season around.

Inter, of course, have no such worries and their continued success is more in keeping with Wayne’s world.

Mihajlovic suddenly cuddly as Dunga awaits

Richard Whittle — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:42:00 GMT

Sinisa Mihajlovic isn't one to go down without a fight, but even he must feel that fluffy Fiorentina need a cuddle rather than a slap round the back of the head.

Cesare Prandelli's humanistic approach is ingrained into the club's psyche and the big, brash Serbian has never come across as someone who is likely to put an arm around a player's shoulders – unless it was to grab him in a headlock.

He arrived at a club that was already feeling a little fragile after a season that had promised so much: they topped their Champions League group ahead of Lyon and Liverpool and came within a whisker of knocking the eventual finalists Bayern Munich out of the competition.

Ultimately, however, it all ended up as flat as a piadina and the domestic form suffered: since January, only 28 league points have been collected.

Adrian Mutu's suspension for lax dietary control and Stevan Jovetic's season-ending injury left the team shorn of two classy performers even before the new campaign had begun, but more than anything it was the departure of the saintly Prandelli that took away the team's heart.

Mihajlovic's idea of lifting the players is a denouncement that midfielder Adem Ljajic eats too much chocolate, spends his spare time playing too many video games and should get his hair cut - and after the home defeat to Palermo before the international break, describing the team as "weak-willed."

The shrinking violets clung to the wall once again, appropriately kitted out in all yellow, in Genoa. There they crumbled to allow Sampdoria back into the game in the last 10 minutes, conceding two goals in a blink of an eye to go down 2-1.

The result saw the Viola sink to bottom of the pile. The last time they were down in the basement was back at the start of the 2006-07 season, and that was only because they were docked 19 points on the back of the Calciopoli judgements.

Just one win in the opening seven games would leave any Serie A coach fearing for his future. Mihajlovic being Mihajlovic, he was as aggressive as ever going into Sunday’s game, claiming he's not one to resign and that he expected the players to turn things around.

They may do that but it could be with Dunga at the helm: the former club midfielder and Brazil coach was recently spotted chowing down with Fiorentina's sporting director Pantaleo Corvino in a fine eatery.

Even if they were discussing the merits of Tuscan cuisine, to be seen with an out-of-work coach could only have sent out one message to the players: this ordeal will be over soon.

The players have never gained an appetite for Mihajlovic's puritanical tactical approach, where possession is something you do to clear the ball as far up the pitch as possible. It may have worked at Catania but the Florentines are used to something a little more cultured.

Fear has replaced flair so it was no wonder some of the players were in tears after the final whistle yesterday as they walked down the tunnel to face an inquisition on another lacklustre finale.

Alberto Gilardino, Alberto Santana and the candy-loving Ljajic may have provided the soft touch that gave Fiorentina the lead, but Mihajlovic would say the hard edge is missing, with injuries to Gaetano D'Agostino, Cristiano Zanetti and Mario Bolatti.

Juan Vargas and Ljajic both limped off with those old niggles that seem to crop up in players when their confidence is shot to pieces, but at least the boss was not putting the boot in for once when he faced the media in the post-game press conference.

In fact he seemed to have an overriding urge to come across all new-age man as opposed to his default mode of stone-age man – talking about confidence building and how the whole team had to put the distress of the day behind them and look forward.

Expect then a group hug at training sessions from now on, but will the new sensitive Mihajlovic be enough for this Fiorentina side to overcome their insecurities? Do feel free to find your inner self and discuss the issue over an herbal tea.

Mean Old Lady

Richard Whittle — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:00:00 GMT

One positive to come out of Tuesday evening’s shenanigans in Genoa was that Giorgio Chiellini didn’t get a chance to kick Milos Krasic.

The Juventus defender had warned his team-mate that he might have to give him a “little knock” despite warnings from Gigi Del Neri to his rambunctious tackler to show some caution.

Memories of Euro 2008 came flooding back, when the then out-of-control colt crocked Fabio Cannavaro even before the competition had kicked-off. And of course, in the build-up to the Serbia game, Chiellini had denied that Giuseppe Rossi had nut-megged him in training, claiming on Twitter “he wouldn’t be able to walk again if he had.”

As it turned out the Serbian nationalist pride away day ensured that the players at least returned to their clubs with limbs intact.

Chiellini must have been kicking himself that he missed the little dust up in training between Felipe Melo and Momo Sissoko, who apparently squared up to one another like rutting stags during a five-a-side game.

There is no evidence that the ball was actually anywhere in the vicinity of the combative midfielders who have a taste for what some have termed ‘reckless tackling’ - or what they would probably describe as ‘wholehearted endeavour’.

As happens in such moments an animated discussion ensued followed by a bit of pushing before the arrival of a team-mate or two to separate the pair, who subsequently made up with a round of high-fives.

Both players are literally battling it out for one spot in midfield and reports suggest Melo has come out on top with Sissoko to be sold in January, although that seems to be the club’s yearly New Year's resolution when it come to the Mali international. So far he has survived intact.

Not that the incident will have concerned Del Neri, who observed the scene from afar no doubt feeling that he is finally moulding the team into his own image – mean, moody and competitive.

Maybe not a band of brothers but certainly a side that can demonstrate character, which has always been a feature of Juve teams down the years.

There has never been anything beautiful about the Old Lady – charming at times, alluring at others - but really comes into her own when she is left to be a craggy old dear.

We have seen something of her settling into her more familiar look in recent games – against Manchester City and Inter – where the team was well-drilled in its defensive duties and composed going forward.

Before that indiscipline was everywhere, with little or no cohesion between the defence, midfield and attack, but that may have had more to do with the employment of the personnel at the coach’s disposal.

The midfield area has been a particular problem but with Alberto Aquilani gaining in match fitness there are signs that finesse may not remain an entirely forgotten element within the team.

Having a minder such as Melo or Sissoko in the centre of the pitch and flanked by two willing wide men, the former AS Roma man can begin to flourish once again after two years of misery on the sidelines.

Having held Inter before the international break, Juve now have two more than winnable games coming up – at home to Lecce this weekend and then Bologna away.

Del Neri won’t mind if his side win them ugly as long as the Old Lady is sitting pretty heading into the clash with AC Milan at the end of the month.

Serbs bring darkness to Genoa (again)

Richard Whittle — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:05:00 GMT

Genoa doesn’t have a great record for public disorder. There was the stabbing of a Genoa fan by an AC Milan ultra in 1995, the infamous G8 clashes in 2001 – and now nothing short of co-ordinated mob rule.

Let's be clear. Last night, the Marassi stadium came under the control of Serbian nationalist ultras. In effect they held hostage all those inside and around the ground, including the forces of law and order, who seemed completely powerless in the face of such an onslaught of anti-social behaviour. "The Beasts", screamed La Gazzetta dello Sport with an unnerving image of a balaclava-clad ultra leering over the fence to give the world the short-arm salute.

The same black T-shirted, heavily-tattooed bogeyman was splashed across the Corriere dello Sport over the headline "We surrender to you!" His tattoos were to give him away when he was identified boarding a supporters’ bus much later and subsequently arrested.

There was no escaping who the culprits were, with Tuttosport calling the events "The shame of Serbia." Evidence suggests this isn’t sport, but another darker agenda tied up with the region's politics.

There had been rising tensions all day as Serbians fought with police outside the stadium and generally rampaged around the city in a well-organised paramilitary operation. The aim was pretty clear – the match would not go ahead and the local police were incapable of snuffing out the trouble at source even though the Serbia Football Federation claimed that they had warned authorities of such a possible outcome.

The troublemakers were obviously well aware that the police would corral them and their paraphernalia to riot inside the ground rather than make mass arrests, lending inevitably toward the depressing conclusion of postponement.

That the match even went ahead beggars belief. Well before kick-off, the fire service were forced to extinguish burning flares. As the ground filled, objects rained on to the pitch at regular intervals. TV footage clearly showed the invaders cutting away the protective netting to clear the way for the inevitable bombardment of flares.

The players were barely able to warm up, and the compact nature of the Marassi was always going to leave the goalkeepers exposed to whatever objects were thrown in their direction – as was the case with Azzurri goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.

Even with kick-off delayed by 35 minutes, the Serbian players showed little desire to take to the pitch – unsurprising, given reports that goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic was threatened not only on the team bus but also near the dressing room area. Dejan Stankovic led the visiting team out but the Inter man looked ashen-faced as he held the team pennant to his face to whisper to the opposition that all was not obviously well.

But the situation had clearly reached tilting point well before the national anthems were roundly booed and the minute’s silence for the death of Italian soldiers in Afghanistan was cut short. The rioters wouldn't be stopped no matter what their team tried, be it "ironic" applauding or raising three fingers to indicate that they could forfeit the match to a 3-0 defeat – which, despite Serbia's official apology to Italy, will probably be the case.

Belfast, Bestie and barn doors

Richard Whittle — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:59:00 GMT

As the city that produced George Best, Belfast is familiar with dribbling wizardry. And the locals may have been expecting more of the same from Italy’s Antonio Cassano on Friday evening.

Instead, Italy’s most gifted player was a marginal figure in the Euro 2012 qualifier at Windsor Park against an adequate but hardly adventurous Northern Ireland side.

The Azzurri may have boasted players of great technical quality, but would have needed a little sprinkling of Fantantonio star dust on Best’s old patch to break down the well-organised home defence.

There were a couple of tempting crosses – one in particular for Giampaolo Pazzini, which the striker should have volleyed home - and a darting header which was turned over the bar, but no tricks and feints to draw defenders into challenges and create that extra space behind the backline.

Not once did the Samp man get to the by-line inside the area and then swivel back to set-up a chance or angled a shot into the corner in trademark fashion.

We have seen that move so many times in Serie A, but it never really looked like happening at Windsor Park, which once again suggests all the fancy stuff will never really transfer onto the international stage.

Cesare Prandelli may have defended his star turn, but the coach could only lament once more the lack of alternatives - and the dearth of attacking talent was certainly visible in the mediocre performances from Simone Pepe and Marco Borriello.

There isn’t a barn-door in the world big enough for either player to have hit on Friday night –especially the Juventus winger, who should probably have been jettisoned after South Africa.

If Prandelli is to persist with a three-man front-line then the rest of the team needs to be confident that the forward trio will be clinical enough to kill off the opposition – Pazzini flanked by Cassano and Giuseppe Rossi already looks a lot more positive.

The only player who would have got the seal of approval from Bestie would probably have been Andrea Pirlo, but unfortunately Pepe was never on the same wavelength as the deep-lying playmaker – either dropping too short when there was space in behind or galloping off when he needed to hold his position.

It was no wonder that the AC Milan man looked in the opposition direction towards Cassano whenever he could, but the Irish eventually cut off that route, leaving Pirlo with few options when in possession.

Apart from Pirlo, the midfield was its usual mix of mediocrity and ineptitude.

Daniele De Rossi’s physical (for an Italian) approach looks to have finally caught up with the AS Roma schemer - who quite frankly looks worn out - while Stefano Mauri is a run-of-the-mill player albeit in the form of his life at club level.

The defence was as shaky as an old tree and all that hand waving by Giorgio Chiellini and De Rossi could have found a more sharp-eyed referee pointing to the penalty spot.

The whole team still looks uncoordinated and vulnerable when the game is taken to them as occurred when Northern Ireland eventually came to the conclusion that this was no Italy side to fear.

Of course, two wins and a draw from the first three group games keeps Prandelli’s men in pole position especially after Serbia’s defeat to Estonia.

Tuesday’s meeting between the sides in Genoa marks the moment Italy can go some way to removing their main rivals from the fray but they will need to start finding that barn door.

Zambrotta return a sign of the times

Richard Whittle — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:31:00 GMT

The sight of Gianluca Zambrotta sitting in front of the media at the first Italy press conference ahead of the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Serbia had a slightly depressing air about it.

It is not that the AC Milan full-back is not an urbane and charming interviewee, more the fact it seemed the first step backwards in what had been billed as a bright new and youthful era for the national team.

Cesare Prandelli had promised a clean slate, but Zambrotta’s return brought back memories of the words of Fabio Cannavaro prior to the World Cup, when he puffed out his chest and defiantly asked: “Where are the youngsters better than us?”

In turn, Marcello Lippi howled from the deck of the sinking ship: “I have not left any stars at home” before disappearing beneath the waves somewhere off the Cape of No Hope.

Zambrotta was part of that South African folly and at 33 should have really followed Cannavaro and Rino Gattuso into international retirement.

However, Prandelli must take any criticism now heading his way squarely on the chin, as it was he who called the player and asked him if he wanted to add to his 97 caps – and who is going to turn down such an offer?

Mattia Cassani, Domenico Criscito – a mere 23 – and Cristian Molinari, in for the injured Luca Antonelli, must feel the Italian obsession with age and the aged will never cease.

It is not as if Zambrotta is a regular at his club anymore, falling behind Ignazio Abate and Luca Antonini in the pecking order at the San Siro, which surely suggests his best years are well behind him.

Prandelli revealed he had watched another full-back, but considered him too inexperienced for what will be the intensity of Windsor Park in Belfast followed by what promises to be another tough encounter with Serbia in Genoa on Tuesday.

That player was thought to be Lorenzo De Silvestri, while there was also said to be an uncapped 28-year-old in contention - probably Cesare Bovo of Palermo - but Prandelli still opted, in these times of doubt, to fall back on one of the old guard.

There was stark warning for any young hopeful when Prandelli complained, “It’s a league rich in talent but not what I am looking for. I don’t see young players with the potential to be stars.”

The task facing the Italian federation’s technical chiefs Roberto Baggio and Arrigo Sacchi in unearthing new talent looks a long and laborious one, but we may just see results by the time Criscito is about to retire in some twenty years time.

Hence the inclusion of 30-year-old Stefano Mauri, who has captained Lazio to top of the table and is at least in a rich vein of form, although there has to be question-marks over the midfielder’s club team-mate Sergio Floccari - added to the squad in the place of the injured Alberto Gilardino.

The uncapped 28-year-old has only scored once so far this season, albeit a finely-taken close-range finish against AC Milan – no wonder Luca Toni has been trumpeting his own return to
La Nazionale…

The first stop is Belfast and it looks as though Zambrotta will take a step closer to his century, but the Azzurri seem to be taking a step back into a previous era.

At the same time as the full international side were gathering, the nation’s 24 best under-21s were preparing for their European Championship play-off with Belarus

In Pierluigi Casiraghi’s party, only De Silvestri and Leandro Ranocchia are playing regularly enough to be seriously considered to make the step up to the next level – which again poses the question; how and why are Italian clubs failing to nurture the next generation?

Sunday night is gripe night for pundits

Richard Whittle — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:34:00 GMT

Sunday evening television is a time to sit back, vegetate and take stock of the weekend ahead – unless, of course, you are a football pundit.

Then it is a time to let all your gripes and grumbles come flooding out, safe in the knowledge that a nation is hanging on your every word.

From the state-run RAI to Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset empire and beyond into the netherworld that is local television, any forgotten player or coach with an opinion and person of a certain age with a press pass can get into an on-air slagging match.

Everyone is fair game and the 'guests' are encouraged to have a go and get the ratings up so that even more time can be spent promoting useless products such as sun-loungers or marker pens.

After what was a relatively low-key Inter-Juventus encounter – hardly a foul so no red cards and no on-pitch or in the tunnel melees to talk about – the discussion had to centre on the football.

The moaning and complaining quickly focused on how the two teams at the very heart of the game’s most-heated rivalry – the Derby of Italy no less – could serve up a goalless draw.

That scoreline had last been flashed up at the San Siro back in the 1998-99 season, but although there were no goals it was an enthralling game nevertheless.

The pundits complained that these two traditional heavyweights should never cancel each other out, but it was no through a lack of effort that neither could find the net.

For Inter, Samuel Eto’o created chances out of nothing; the off-form Diego Milito was wasteful from close-range and Marco Storari’s reflexes denied Douglas Maicon’s downward header.

At the other end Vincenzo Iaquinta got all Filippo Inzaghi – drifting offside at crucial moments – while only Julio Cesar’s sharp blocks denied Fabio Quagliarella and Milos Krasic from breaking the deadlock.

The match was a goalless draw in name only despite the moans of those in the television world whose gloomy summarising made one long for the commercial breaks.

It wasn’t just the lack of goals that irked those on the cozy couches; it was the fact that Rafa Benitez had the gall to play two unseasoned youngsters in a game of such importance.

The Spaniard retained the same starting XI that had put four past Werder Bremen in the Champions League in midweek – in part due to injuries to Goran Pandev and Milito - which meant that Coutinho and Jonathan Biabiany flanked Eto’o on either wing.

Raw pace and fearless determination did not go down too well with some of those on the sidelines, who felt that the two young Inter charges should not have even been in the squad never-mind on the pitch.

The argument is that inexperienced players need to be sent out on loan to learn their graft at lesser clubs rather on the grand stages of the Italian game.

Thankfully Benitez does not come from that short-sighted school of thought and, although injury may have forced his hand over the last week at least Coutinho and Biabiany are not just there to make up the numbers.

Biabiany is 22 and has already completed his apprenticeship in the provinces at Modena and then Parma last season where he learnt the responsibility of being a first-team regular.

In fact, during the Jose Mourinho reign, the France Under-21 player whose speed would push Pato and Alvarez close over 50 metres, ended up on a co-ownership deal at Parma before being bought back in the summer for around €9 million.

You would have to say that the club must have felt confident that he was first-team material or they would have left him the relative backwater and saved the millions.

At only 18, Coutinho was snapped up by Inter two years old but could only officially play for the club this season – and has been coaxed to give his best by Benitez which has been in stark contrast to the treatment Mario Balotelli received from Mourinho.

The latter has of course moved to England but the young Brazilian has every chance of becoming a fully-fledged star in his current environment where the pressure to perform is even greater.

Sometimes appreciating life away from the cosseted surroundings of a top club can toughen up a player and give him character but it doesn’t work for everyone – just look at Sebastian Giovinco.

As for the pundits, they have it cozy every Sunday but they never seem to appreciate that – and it’s time to turn them off.

Hernanes shines as Eagles soar

Richard Whittle — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 11:49:00 GMT

Heading into the last round of fixtures before yet another international break, just five points separate nineteen of the twenty in Serie A, with only Udinese off the pace on one point so far.

Inter lead the way, which is no real surprise, but there alongside the defending champions on ten points in joint-first place are Lazio.

The Eagles, who released a real-life bird of prey ahead of the match against AC Milan, were last in such a lofty position heading into the third game of last season. Before that they made a more stirring start two seasons ago when they held onto their lead for six games before falling away.

Most of last season was one long round of recriminations for Lazio, as president Claudio Lotito went head-to-head through the courts with contract rebels Goran Pandev and Cristian Ledesma.

The former won his case and joined Inter, but the latter was left to go cap in hand and ask for his place in the squad back after he failed to have his contract rescinded on a technicality, as the Argentine had been training with the first team.

Lazio's celeb fans include Bill Oddie and Terry Nutkins...

It was all soon water under the bridge with the midfielder signing a new deal, but Lotito decided that the only way to ensure there was more harmony within the camp was to give everyone a pay-rise.

The annual wage bill has increased by €10 million to somewhere in the region of €41 million – pocket money for the Milanese clubs and even AS Roma for that matter, but enough to put Lazio in the top six of the league’s big payers.

Astute as he is cantankerous, Lotito has always possessed the ability to dig up a little gem from apparently nowhere.

Two seasons ago it was Mauro Zarate - a Birmingham City reject – who had taken the top flight by storm and now it looks as if Anderson Hernanes is another find who will have AC Milan and Inter wondering why they allowed the Brazilian to slip through their grasp.

The midfielder had been linked with both clubs for a number of seasons and it seemed odds on that he would be wearing red or blue and not the sky blue of Lazio.

However, while the Rossoneri dithered as to whether Hernanes was the heir to Andrea Pirlo, and Inter decided he should first be loaned to Chievo if they bought him, Lotito was working his connections in Brazil. All it took was €13 million for Sao Paolo to part with their playmaker.

Hernanes: Soaring high with Lazio

The chance of a starting place in a Serie A team was enough to persuade the player nicknamed the Prophet that his future was in the Capital – and along with Zarate who has rediscovered his touch and guile – the 25-year-old has been in inspired form.

He may lack pace but he is quick over two or three yards, which enables him to escape close marking, as he demonstrated when he skipped past Alessandro Nesta to set up Sergio Floccari for the equaliser against Milan.

However, it is his effortless control and quick-feet that stand Hernanes out as the most creative player Lazio have had since the majestic midfielder stroller Juan Sebastian Veron.

There are similarities between the two: an almost languid style, excellent range of passing and an ability to take a shot early. In fact, apart from Inter’s Samuel Eto’o no one has had more efforts on goal than the new darling of the Curva Nord.

Around him there are a host of hard-working and seasoned professionals: Cristian Brocchi, Stefano Mauri, the aforementioned Ledesma and the fit-again Matuzalem, who are all willing to put in the hard work to leave Hernanes free to get into advanced positions.

It is not as if the new man is grabbing all the limelight however, and tellingly in the first five games seven different names have appeared on Lazio's scoresheet.

Much of this success is down to veteran coach Edy Reja, whose hard work from the end of last season in bringing the team together is really starting to show dividends - and in their last eight away games the Biancocelesti have accumulated 19 points out of 24 thanks to six wins, a draw and a defeat (2-0 against Sampdoria on the opening day of this season).

This weekend another surprise pacesetter, Brescia, arrive at the Olympic Stadium, but the Prophet has already sent out the message that the Aquile are soaring again.

Inter united on the pitch, divided off it

Richard Whittle — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:55:00 GMT

It may be different in other countries, but in Italy players only get up close and personal on the pitch and very rarely is there any ‘team bonding’ off it.

They may socialise now and then, but in general they are content to go their own way and get on with life in the traditional Italian, family-orientated manner.

That’s not to say there aren’t dressing room cliques, and nowhere are they more prominent than at Inter, where the South American clans hold sway.

Well, the non-Brazilian cartel that is – the Argentines Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Walter Samuel along with Ivan Cordoba of Columbia have the final say on most matters, while the Brazilians keep themselves to themselves, probably secretly wishing they could hang-out with their fun-loving compatriots at AC Milan.

Having obviously been used to the off-field activities of players in the Premier League, Rafa Benitez must have been surprised at the divisions within his new dressing room.

When the Spaniard apparently suggested the whole squad go out for a meal together he was met with blank looks until a senior South American – we can only guess who – informed the new would-be ‘social secretary’ how things worked.

The coach may be the boss on the pitch, but off it he had no say on how the players spent their time, as long as they weren’t indulging in the sort of activities that blighted Adriano’s final period at the club – and there is no evidence that this crop like to do anything more exciting than watch a bit of TV.

This set-up didn’t concern Jose Mourinho, and as long as results were going his way it didn’t matter if the players ignored each other or not.

Now having to start all over again with a new coach in charge there have been signs some of the outsiders are beginning to raise their voices.

Christian Chivu could never be accused of speaking out of turn, but the sight of the full-back exclaiming to the bench that certain members of the team where not putting in enough effort raised concerns – or hopes, depending on your point of view – that all was not well in the camp.

The Romanian’s blast, ìif they don’t start running, I am offî came midway through last weekend’s defeat at AS Roma and, with the silence broken, fellow full-back Douglas Maicon also opined that the front players were too egoistic.

Maybe that is why Inter are already a lot more entertaining to watch this season – with Samuel Eto’o freed from having to track back – but last season’s successes weren’t achieved by playing open and attacking football.

Tellingly, Zanetti was missing from the trip to Rome – recovering from a ball struck to the nether regions during the Palermo game the previous week - and in his painful absence it was left to his consigliere Cambiasso to lay down the law that any problems are solved inside the dressing room and they would remain there.

There was never any chance of recriminations last night in the Champions League game against Werder Bremen.

Eto’o was given the freedom of the pitch as the out-and-out striker flanked by the eager-to-please Coutinho and Jonathan Biabiany.

And how the Cameroonian thrived through the middle where his pace and direct running garnered a hat-trick as well as setting up one for Wesley Sneijder in a 4-0 stroll.

Eto’o was a player in his element again and the joy of being back in his natural habitat was there for all to see when he grabbed a photographer’s camera after scoring his third to snap the snappers.

Even Benitez was more animated than usual, and spent most of the match pacing his technical area and encouraging the mop-topped Coutinho, who is a clone of Alexandre Pato, to actually enjoy himself.

Yes, enjoy – not a word that is often associated with Inter but maybe that will become the Benitez trademark as long as he doesn’t try and organise any more nights out for the players.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Totti walks out of Roma regularity

Richard Whittle — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:30:00 GMT

Now we know what has been ailing AS Roma: Francesco Totti.

When his substitute Mirko Vucinic danced into the dressing room after scoring the Inter-defeating goal that may well have turned the Roman club's season around, the leader, the figurehead, the man they are meant to look up to, was nowhere to be seen.

As the team finally came together as a unit, the Emperor had gone into the night, no doubt to brood over the waning of his powers.
The Giallorossi captain turns 34 today and is into the autumn of his career - and the signs are worrying. If drastic action isn't taken soon, he's in danger of becoming a lamentable figure.

Against Inter, the self-proclaimed king of the Stadio Olimpico heard the first stirrings of discontent on the Curva Sud as groans grew louder at every failed control and misplaced back-heel.

He failed to take down a cross with his instep which would have led to a free shot in front of goal - and then when that opportunity presented itself from an indirect free-kick some seven yards out, he blasted over. The frustration was clear for everyone to see.

When Claudio Ranieri could bear it no longer - and we had to wait until the final 15 minutes - he was removed from the fray. A disconsolate figure, the No.10 marched purposefully past his coach without even a sideways glance and straight down the tunnel.

On many major occasions on his home turf, Totti either leaves the pitch to acclaim or disgrace, with a referee waving a red card at his departing figure.

This time, the whole stadium was too engrossed in this intriguing encounter to pay much attention - and with Vucinic fresh and willing to run at a tiring Inter defence whose midfield had been worked into the ground, the game shifted back towards Roma.

With the last breath about to be sucked out of the evening the Montenegrin dived full-length to head home Daniele de Rossi's curling cross. The explosion of noise would have reached down into the depths of the stadium where Totti was making good his exit - and who knows how bitter he felt.

Francesco Who? Vucinic scores – click to watch

There's a battle of wills in the Roma camp. A few days ago the coach looked an ever more isolated figure, but beating the champions has helped Ranieri reassert his reputation. Having replaced Totti at a pivotal moment, he then decided to keep Adriano on the bench – after the Brazilian had stripped off and looked set to come on.

When the change was made, it was Julio Baptista who was brought on while his compatriot sat stock still, back in his tracksuit. Questioned on the sudden change of heart, Ranieri said that he hadn't liked something about Adriano's demeanour – although the striker had spent a full 10 minutes warming up, so maybe all that exercise was too much for him.

One player Ranieri can't doubt is Jeremy Menez. A constant menace down both flanks, he also impressed through the middle when given the freedom to wander. With Marco Borriello working hard to hold the ball up, the coach should feel justified in starting Vucinic alongside the former AC Milan man with Menez in the free role.

Roma's victory has cleared much of the brooding within the camp, but it also means the time has come to rethink the whole concept of Totti as the first name on the team-sheet.

Alessandro del Piero went through a similar period before accepting that he could no longer play in every game; in doing so, the Juventus captain has extended his career towards his 36th year.

The time has come for Totti to put the club he adores ahead of his own self-love and let the younger generation of Vucinic and Menez carry the burden instead of carrying him.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News • Stats
FFT.com Features • News • Interviews • Home
Interact Twitter • Facebook • Forum

Roma's bucket of tears fit to burst

Richard Whittle — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:01:00 GMT

Buckets of tears, sang a great man and that could well become the AS Roma official song.

There were floods of the wet stuff at Brescia last night, as howls of anguish and frustration pierced the night sky.

Another defeat for the much put upon Claudio Ranieri, but one where the Romans can genuinely feel aggrieved after another lamentable refereeing display which will probably see the official in question Carmine Russo sent on gardening leave for awhile.

Philippe Mexes was the first to well up and then completely lose all semblance of restrain when he the furious Frenchman was sent-off for a last-man challenge where not only did he win the ball cleanly, but contact occurred outside the area.

The referee demurred to his assistant who gave the defender the thumbs down.

The double whammy of a red card and penalty was all too much for Gallic sensibilities and defender’s team-mates wasted a fair amount of energy dragging the blond bawler off the pitch.

Parents of children in their terrible twos up could only have shaken their heads in sympathy when the little tantrum continued all the way to the touchline where an innocent-looking foam pad became the victim of a vicious right boot.

Julio Sergio’s grief was much more understandable, although equally unsettling, as the goalkeeper was forced to remain on the pitch despite being in no condition to move.

The Brazilian had been the architect of his own demise when he came lunging out of the area to upend Panagiotis Kone - and in the process injure his ankle.

He could have come off had not Mexes beaten him to it and Ranieri had no further substitutions at his disposal so the water works were in full flow until the final whistle.

The brave soldier was carried off the pitch in a considerable state of distress and the initial diagnosis was ligament damage of some sort although the word ‘rupture’ was not mentioned.

However, it seems to be all coming apart for Ranieri who having ranted at the press at the weekend over his treatment was more itchy then belligerent when he faced the cameras for the post-game television inquisition.

It must be said that his prickly demeanour is understandable - what with the name of Marcello Lippi cropping up at every turn as his odds-on replacement.

Ranieri always suspected that the former Italy coach was behind his demise at Juventus and now the spectre of his cigar-chewing nemesis is once again haunting his thoughts.

Suspecting a plot stirring from the Lippi camp, Ranieri used the Sky Sports Italia platform to make his feelings very clear.

"I knew what was going on in Turin, I knew that Lippi was behind it and same things are appearing in the press now as they were then," he said in almost a doomed manner.

However, on a warm Thursday morning on the Tiber, the Roma-supporting citizens remain loyal to their own and the Roman-born coach still has the support of the 'Curva' as they say but defeat to Inter at the weekend could lead to ruin and more tears.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Cesena show Serie A the way forward

Richard Whittle — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:21:00 GMT

The first midweek round of the Serie A season and already Inter are top of the table, but the defending champions have an unlikely pace-setter matching them stride for stride.

Cesena are enjoying the late summer warmth on their return to the top-flight after a 19-year absence and it is not as if they have garlanded their seven points the easy way.

A more than well-deserved draw at AS Roma on the opening day was followed by a stunning win over AC Milan which had Silvio Berlusconi claiming that a left-wing plot had been hatched by the match officials – after all Cesena is situated in the old red-supporting Emilia-Romagna region.

Then at the weekend they demonstrated they could defeat a club of similar stature in fellow newly-promoted Lecce.

Much has been made of the fact that Zlatan Ibrahimovic earns more than the whole Cesena combined but the Cavallucci marini (Seahorses) are no floundering minnows.

Their Dino Manuzzi stadium is a 23,860 capacity envy of any club in Italy and has a playing surface that would put the San Siro and Olympic stadium to shame never mind the potato-fields in Naples and Bari.

If Italy had won the bid for Euro 2016 then it would have been one of the host stadiums ahead of the Luigi Ferraras in Genoa

Even last season, the club had a record 8,175 season-ticket holders in Serie B and once promotion to the elite league was ensured, 36-year-old president Igor Campedelli launched a promotional campaign that encouraged families and females to join the 'fun' at the Manuzzi.

Five hundred family packages have been sold and 2,000 females have signed up for all the home games. There is also a burgeoning fan-club of German fans no doubt drawn to the team’s white and black kit.

The total number of season-tickets across the board has now gone beyond 10,000 to almost 11,000 – compare that to Milan with 26,000 season-ticket holders for Serie A games and you get a fair idea of the buzz for football when it can be watched correct environment.

They are certainly one of the most progressive clubs in a region that has never felt it should be held back by the Italian affliction that you can only beat the system by looking after number one.

If la dolce vita really existed then it would be in the Emilia region which boasts the best quality of life in the country – and so it is no surprise that the club put fans first and ensure that families can watch matches in a manner you would never witness in most other grounds around the peninsula.

The playing staff are mostly those who came up through the divisions but they have augmented by experienced performers who form the spine of the side such as 41-year-old goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli, yet to concede a goal, Albanian striker Erjon Bogdani, now 33, and the scorer of two goals so far having gone almost a year without finding the net.

The Argentinean defender Maximilano Pellegrino is approaching 30 as is midfielder Stephen Appiah who came back onto the radar during the World Cup with Ghana after a serious knee injury.

In fact, South Africa was a success for Cesena who also picked up Japan left-back Yuto Nagatomo who has formed one of the speediest and certainly vertically-challenged partnerships down the flank with the team’s star man Emanuale Giaccherini.

The diminutive 25-year-old winger has made the rise from the fourth division and having torn Roma and Milan’s defences apart, he is expected to force his way into Cesare Prandelli’s reckoning for an international call-up.

Massimo Faccadenti is a no-frills coach who has followed the attacking blue-print drawn by Pierpaolo Bisoli after the latter’s move to Cagliari.

Even when they were reduced to ten men against Lecce at the weekend when captain Giuseppe Colucci was sent-off on 30-odd minutes, in one of the worst ever cases of mistaken identity when Nagatomo had been the culprit, they kept going forward to find the winner.

It may only be the early stages of the campaign but Cesena’s aim will be to repeat the feats of Chievo in 2001 when the side from the suburbs of Verona came up from Serie B and surprised the world of Calcio to finish fifth in their first season.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Squabbling, lies & big feet

Richard Whittle — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:01:00 GMT

It was one of those weeks in Italian football where deep-rooted feelings of anger and frustration came boiling to the surface and it seemed that just about everyone was out to settle a few personal scores.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Arrigo Sacchi were involved in an on-air spat, Leonardo laid bare Silvio Berlusconi’s ugliest personality traits and Claudio Ranieri lost his temper in spectacular fashion with the Roman press.

It is not easy to maintain your clarity when you are caught up in the moment and when pushed to express something your reaction can be volatile to say the least.

Ibrahimovic was the first lose his temper when he was confronted by old nemesis Sacchi, who has never rated the Swede and took little persuasion to have a sly dig when he cited Ibra’s size 47s as the sole reason he scored his first of his two goals against Auxerre in the Champions League.

The comment may have been made in a jovial manner – well sort of – but it just happened to have been uttered live on the post-game round-up show

“Big feet” just happened to then appear in a link-up and the cat-calling started.

Refusing to speak directly to the Milan legend, the man who has yet to achieve legendary status outside his own household, fumed: “Sacchi should learn to be quiet and if he wants something he can come and see me.”

That’s a fighting talk, but sensing he had the moral high ground, the man a mere year away from pensionable age remained calm and composed and attempted to explain.

However, he never got the chance as Zlat cut him off with, “I don’t want your explanations. If you don’t like the way I play then don’t watch me.”

Just imagine if Sacchi had called him “big nose.”

If Ibra thought he was defending the oversized then he was mistaken: the Milan Channel was bombarded with calls and e-mails demanding the latest signing show some respect to a man who after all had taken the club to the very pinnacle of the game.

No apology was forthcoming but if the forward thought he could let his feet doing the talking he was once again to left disappointed.

The Rossoneri were back to their wasteful old ways in a 1-1 against Catania and look like a team that are going to be even more frustrating than Leonardo’s side last season.

The Brazilian is now on a busman’s holiday, “studying” the game around Europe and especially in England where he has picked some sort of TV gig similar to his appearances in the past on Sky Sports.

He does manage to pop back to Italy now and again – and on this occasion it was to give La Gazzetta dello Sport the inside skinny on why he walked away from coaching Milan in the summer.

Unsurprisingly, it was all down to Silvio Berlusconi, who had claimed that the Brazilian was just too damn good-looking – no, he didn’t really – it was all about tactics and how the team should have played.

‘Not so’, countered Leo, who only told us what the whole of the country was well aware off – Berlusconi is vain and self-centred.

“Narcissus doesn't like anything that is not a reflection of himself,” was his poetic take on the whole sorry situation which now finds one of the finest young coaches hanging around TV studios giving his opinion on the game.

Having cleared the air he finally broke his ties with the club he had spent 13 years with by not ruling out a possible return to Italy and if Inter ever came calling he would not turn them down.

Tension had been lingering in the capital well before AS Roma’s dreadful start to the season and Ranieri may regret getting all medieval on the local media at the press conference ahead of the weekend encounter against Bologna.

Francesco Totti had already made it open season on his coach with his complaints that the team were betraying their attacking traditions by playing catenaccio.

“It’s not true,” raged Ranieri. “And I’ll prove. This is my team. I am the coach and the players do as I tell them.”

As the scribes sharpened their pens, the old Roman let loose with a tirade of abuse towards the press in similar fashion, table-thumping included, to Giovanni Trapatoni when he went on a rant in pidgin German during his spell at Bayern Munich, - expect this outburst was in pure Roman.

It was like one of those summer storms – as soon it gets going it soon abates – which sums up the way Roma are playing at the moment.

Having taken a 2-0 lead against Bologna they looked set fair for their first win of the season but ended up drawing 2-2 with former Lazio striker Marco Di Viao scoring both goals for the visitors – and the equaliser with almost the last kick of the game.

Of course Ranieri could not leave well alone when his side were charge and instead of encouraging his players to go for a third he brought off Jeremy Menez for Fabio Simplicio who had not stepped on a football pitch for about four months.

The local press had been calling for the Brazilian and in hindsight it looked as if Ranieri was bowing to pressure which does not bode well for his future employment in his home town.

After all, there is only ever one emperor at a time along the Tiber and we all know who that is.

If a vacancy does come up in the Capital then it is doubtful Leonardo will be leaping into the pool of self-love that is Roma.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Milan already taking Ibra to their hearts

Richard Whittle — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:32:00 GMT

Ballyhoo follows bathos follows hyperbole at regular intervals throughout the world of Italian football, so it was no surprise that Zlatan Ibrahimovic would shine on a stage where he usually falls flat on his face.

The big Swede was brought to AC Milan primarily to turn the Italian government’s in-house team into an eye-catching outfit on those glittering Champions League nights despite the fact that you don’t see a lot of Zlat when it comes to European games.

Of course having rightfully laid low after last weekend’s forgettable debut at Cesena where he missed a penalty - which had Inter owner Massimo Moratti chortling as if he had stroke comic gold - it was Ibra who got up his former president’s nose last night with no one, but two goals for the team 'across town'.

Okay, it wasn’t one of those evenings where bottling it would have been fatal – but with nearly 50,000 season-tickets already sold for the Champions League group stage the San Siro public were expecting plenty of entertainment against the supporting act, Auxerre.

However, for long periods Milan looked like what many observers had been forecasting – a talented bunch of individuals that would never gel into a cohesive unit.

So Andrea Pirlo tried to find Clarence Seedorf who only had eyes for Ronaldinho who couldn’t pick out the immobile bean-pole in the centre while Pato waved frantically out on the left wing only to be ignored by all and sundry – strange really as the young Brazilian was the main threat on the rare occasions he was given the ball.

Then in a moment, it all clicked together and each of those giant egos remembered that they possessed the razzle and dazzle to banish any thoughts of vulnerability.

A shimmy from Dinho, a step-over from Clarence and a mazy run from Pato ended with a back-heel from Ibra – unfortunately to no one in particular - but the lights were suddenly going on and the opposition was caught in the glare of pure skill.

Another rapid move enable Ronaldinho to drift inside to deliver an angled cross into the area where Kevin-Prince Boateng flicked the ball on for Ibra to stab home.

The was merriment to follow with Ronaldinho in particular, irresistible and forthright in taking the ball forward – shaking off a challenge and accelerating (yes, he seems to have found some of that long-lost pace) to the edge of the area before releasing the big man for his second goal.

The self-same fans who would have derided Ibra a few weeks before were in delirium but that’s show-business – and the signs are that the Ron-Zlat duo is set to replace the Clarence and Dinho double-act as the must-see performance.

There will be more severe tests down the line against Europe’s elite but there were other positive performances to banish the negatives: Boateng or - Prince as likes to be known - was a pleasant surprise to many.

Little or nothing was known about the midfielder when he first arrived but possessing work-rate aligned to a sure touch he looks a more suitable starter than the ailing Massimo Ambrosini whom he replaced early on or the now redundant Rino Gattuso.

Robinho came on for Pato who does not seem to completely free of his injury problems and showed glimpses of his deft touch and quick passing but certainly lacked match fitness.

Of course, doubts still abound in defence and especially in both full-back positions.

Age is against Gianluca Zambrotta whose leg are beginning to go while Luca Antonini has not been converted from a second-string midfielder to anything like a consistent left-back.

In fact he is not even left-footed – while Ignazio Abate cannot even be considered as adequate cover which demonstrates how bad things are in that department.

The majestic Alessandro Nesta papers over the fragility along the backline but he is another veteran whose body could give in at any moment.

Then again it is just this sort of swashbuckling approach that the San Siro faithful have become accustomed to so it is no wonder they have already taken Ibra to their hearts.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Party over as players threaten to strike

Richard Whittle — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:51:00 GMT

"Right lads, down tools we are all out."

You know the world has gone crazy when footballers are threatening strike action.

September 25th and 26th have been earmarked as the dates when Italian football comes to a standstill as the country’s players take to the picket-lines to protest at the ìslave-likeî conditions they are forced to work under.

Of course, not all players earn multi-million Euro contracts such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic who will have to forgo his €320,000-odd weekly wage packet if the union make good on a walk out.

However, the average salary is still around €23,000 a month in the top flight so on the surface there seems little to protest about – unlike the average office worker who has to make do with less than a €1000 a month.

The current agreement between the footballers’ association and the clubs has expired and now the players are filled with revolutionary zeal, just when they may to toe the line for once.

How many times has a player basically broken his contract to ensure a move to another club or sat around earning vast sums of money for doing nothing because he refuses to accept a transfer?

Both parties are to blame for the situation we find ourselves in now – the clubs have been handing out massive contracts over four years to players in their late 20s and expecting them to be at the peak of their powers in their early or some cases mid-30s.

AC Milan are prime example, having awarded the players who "revenged" the 2005 Champions League defeat to Liverpool two years later with four-year deals which meant that the whole squad was set up for life at the pinnacle of their careers.

There was only one direction they were heading after that and Milan were saddled with the likes of Marek Jankulovski, Nelson Dida, Massimo Oddo and Kakha Kaladze who you could never say deserved the star status bestowed on them.

Milan attempted to get some value out of having Oddo hanging around by extending the full-back’s contract for another season but spreading the final payment over 24 months.

However, Jankulovski refused to budge and will no doubt literally sit-out his final season before becoming a wealthy free agent at 33.

With this in mind what concerns the players’ union is the proposal that will give an employer the right to terminate the final year of a contract and pay the player 50 per cent of what he was due if he refuses accept a move to another club of equal standing.

Tellingly, the shop-steward at the press conference to warn the country that their national sport was heading the way of the public transport system - brought to a standstill on a regular basis by industrial action - was Oddo.

Massimo money mo' problems...or something

'We are not objects,' he bleated as he sat there in his designer shirt; sporting perfectly manicured sideburns and looking all for the world like the perfect object of footballing desire.

Clarence Seedorf, Rino Gattuso and Javier Zanetti nodded gravely in agreement while the rest of the non-football playing work shook its head in disbelief.

Even those players who do not warrant star billing have little to complain about: earning a very good living from playing football – and isn’t football all about results and success so if you are good enough you will generally reap the rewards from the game.

There are a number of other issues on the table, so to speak: clubs want to decide where a player has treatment for an injury and not the player. So now we know why Alessandro Nesta spent 18 months in Miami receiving treatment on a back injury.

There is another good one: the union has demanded that coaches must work with one group of players in training thus ensuring that those no longer in their plans or in dispute with the club cannot be exiled to train with the youth team - or all alone.

There is no doubt now that the party is over but these issues can no doubt be solved through dialogue rather than threats of bringing the national game to a halt.

Silvio Berlusconi would not have been taken too kindly with the stance taken by his Milan militants especially in the light of the team’s defeat to the proletariat: newly-promoted Cesena whose annual wage bill is less than Ibra’s basic annual pay.

Maybe he should have been questioning his own team work ethic and apart from Inter, it was not a profit-making weekend for the top flight’s fat cats: Milan humbled by Cesena; AS Roma thrashed at Cagliari and Juventus held by Sampdoria.

On top of that, Palermo lost at Brescia while Fiorentina went down to Lecce and Napoli drew at home to Bari.

Chievo won at Genoa to leave the Flying Donkeys as the only team on maximum points and top of the table – power then to footballer’s true workers and long may it continue.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Milan lead the way as wage bills revealed

Richard Whittle — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:40:00 GMT

La Gazzetta dello Sport has just printed a handy guide for anyone wishing to browse through the salaries of each and every current Serie A player gathered from Italy’s biggest-selling sports paper’s own sources.

According to the Milan-based daily, in total, the 20 clubs in Italy’s top flight will shell out €802 million this year - from AC Milan at €130 million, right down to Cesena on €8.3 million – some €700,000 less than Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s basic take home pay for the year.

However, these figures do not tell the whole story of the final salaries amongst the elite of Serie A who have leapt at the carrot of incentive-based bonuses.

Inter led the way last season when the first-team squad was awarded with €600,000-a-man for lifting the Treble – and with a good run on the transfer market this summer more and more players are accepting less in their basic but looking to top it up if the team reach certain pre-defined targets.

So, for example, Ibrahimovic may have seen his salary drop from €12 million to €9 million after his switch from Barcelona, but if Milan have a successful campaign then he may climb beyond even the figure the big Swede became accustomed to in Catalonia.

Samuel Eto’o moved in the opposite direction to Ibra last season and was offered €9 million which, of course, he duly accepted.

However, looking at the figures for this season, the striker’s published salary is €8 million which suggests that the shortfall plus the rest will be made up in bonuses and incentive schemes in whatever they may come in – scoring a hatful of goals being the obvious example.

On top of that, there are “grey areas” where an undefined bonus can be added to the contract at the end of each season – a little extra to squirrel away in a off-shore account, hand over to charity, or whatever the player wants to do with it.

So how have these “flexible contracts” suddenly become all the rage?

Well, of course, never far from the surface of any upheaval is the new influx of television money which is now beginning to wash into the Italian game.

The clubs pitched in together on a collective bargaining scheme to get as much as they could out of the TV rights right across the board and the Players’ Association have also gone down the same route in their own negotiations with the Football League.

As part of a new collective, players can earn bonuses of up to 50% on top of their current contract- and the clubs have welcomed the new initiative for one simple reason: it looks good on the balance-sheet; well, it doesn’t actually appear on the balance sheet.

We will not know what the likes of Ibra and Eto’o are earning beyond their basic salary this season because that is the figure in print – and the true amount may never come to light, with bonuses showing up as one figure in the accounts a year down the line.

It paints nothing more than a false picture, just as the loan-to-buy deals that have become in vogue this summer fail to provide a clear indication of how much money is disappearing out of the club accounts over the course of a year.

There is little doubt that many Italian clubs are playing a dangerous game that is not in keeping with UEFA fair-play finance plan where by clubs will be forced to live within their means.

Even by the end of last season, salaries were accounting for 70% of revenue amongst Italian clubs and it seems increasingly difficult to reverse the trend.

The television money has opened eyes to the financial rewards to be reaped, but with no income as such from stadiums and merchandising only slowly catching on there is still a substantial hole to fill - and unfortunately it may turn into a black hole when it comes to the true cost of player salaries.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Italy finally deliver the goods

Richard Whittle — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:51:00 GMT

It was a painful nine-month gestation in which Italy went seven games without a win, but finally in Estonia the Azzurri came through and delivered the goods.

The frigid temperatures in Tallinn were not welcoming for Cesare Prandelli’s men who had spent all week training in the late-summer sun back home - and the first half display was equally off-putting.

It was the worst failings of South Africa all over again, with passes going astray, control of the ball an alien concept and the whole backline wobbling whenever there was a set-piece to defend.

In the end, it was the class of two players who dragged Italy out of a tight corner in this Euro first 2012 qualifier: Antonio Cassano and Andrea Pirlo.

In fact, Pirlo delivered the two corners from which Cassano first drew Italy level with a header and then produced a trademark back-heel to enable Leonardo Bonucci to score from close range.

Much of the first hour had been almost unwatchable and in fact the viewing public back home missed the equaliser after state broadcaster RAI decided the moment of a rare Italy corner was the perfect time to flash up an ad (you’d never see that happen in England… - Ed).

After ten seconds of some forgettable football, seeing the players suddenly celebrating was a bit of shock until it became clear that their merriment was not down to winning another corner.

Up to then, the only positive had been Pirlo’s display anchoring the midfield - and wearing the captain’s armband the AC Milan man kept the ball moving; finding his target from 74 out of 81 of his passes.

It was as if he had the ball on a lead and he was taking it for a walk around the park. Unfortunately, further forward it more like headless chickens as possession could not be turned into a genuine goal threat.

Cassano was too many times the culprit as he too often attempted to pick out his Sampdoria team-mate Giampaolo Pazzini, who had one good effort in the first period but failed to get a shot away at all after the break, than do the simple but much more productive thing such as passing to another player wearing a blue shirt.

It was only when FantAntonio dropped – no doubt at Prandelli’s insistence - a little deeper and began playing short passes and one-twos with Pirlo that Italy started to function as a unit.

The ball then found its way out to the flanks and Mattia Cassani, in particular, enjoyed some telling runs down the right wing much in the way Gianluca Zambrotta used to.

The introduction of Fabio Quagliarella in the place of the very ineffectual Simone Pepe also give the team much-needed zip just as he had done in that fatal World Cup game against Slovakia although in the end to no avail.

However, it is the first step on a completely new era for la nazionale and there are positives to be taken, above all, a new spirit in the team.

It may look on the whole as if there are too many mid-table club players in the squad but this could be to Prandelli’s advantage, having after all turned the likes of Parma and Fiorentina into competitive outfits.

A little bit of joie de vivre is just what is needed and who better to provide it than Cassano; under Prandelli’s patient guiding hand he will learn to play for the team and understand that he can rely on his team-mates to carry the workload as well, just as he has done at Sampdoria.

It is all a little hazy at the moment but what is clear after freezing for a time in Estonia, Italy will enjoy a warm welcome back home at Prandelli’s old stomping ground in Florence against the group’s whipping boys the Faroe Islands.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Italy's love affair with the No.10

Richard Whittle — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Deep in their heart of hearts Italians accept that football is a brutal game where only the result matters – players put themselves at the disposal of the coach and follow the mister’s orders to the letter.

The tactics and style of play can be as ugly as you like, as long as you come out on top.

Then again, Italians as a whole love beauty, they also love to feel that they are beyond the rules set out by society so of course they were always going to fall in love with the ‘No 10’.

Even in the most mundane life there needs to be some spark of creativity. There is something of the artist in very Italian, even if, when push comes to shove, pragmatism always wins out.

That is why the fantasista has always held a special place in Italian hearts: the genio creating the bella figura while the artisans go about their day’s labour.

The love affair really took off with a Valentino of course: Valentino Mazzola who captained the Grande Torino that dominated the Italian game in the post-war years and who lost his life in the Superga plane crash in 1949.

His son Sandro would keep the light burning brightly as the creative force in the Grande Inter of the 60s and then, as we shall see, give an Italy coach endless selection headaches.

Mazzola senior may have created the allure for the position everyone envies but at the same time carries the greatest burden – and when it comes to a time for expediency the artist will be sacrificed for the perceived good of the team.

Roberto Baggio’s substitution at USA ’94 after Italy had goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca sent-off is an good example of when the Italian coach – in this case Arrgio Sacchi – understood that he could not afford any luxuries and served up a game plan based on avoiding defeat at any cost.

Sacchi got away with it only because it was Norway, when another Baggio – Dino – scored the only goal of the game. However, the Divine Ponytail returned for the following game and then basically dragged the Azzurri kicking and screaming all the way to the final.

There he missed the decisive penalty in the shoot-out against Brazil, but was forgiven because his feet were never made of clay.

Italians are not adverse to a bit of anarchy and Evaristo Beccalossi was the king of the nutmeg and the reason why many a Milanese kid supported Inter in the late-70s.

Il Bec never got the opportunity to take his undoubted talents onto the international stage as Enzo Bearzot refused to call him up to the squad for the 1982 World Cup – but then he did have the equally-elegant and more team-orientated Giancarlo Antognoni to call upon although donning the number nine shirt.

When the home-grown talent has failed to bloom such as the in the early 1980s, Italy has imported number 10s with the eye of a wine connoisseur choosing a fine vintage: Michel Platini, Diego Maradona and Zico arrived and uncorked a golden age of sublime skill and invention in Serie A.

However, it us the grape off the home vine that is more to Italian liking, so Marcello Lippi left a bitter taste when he refused to take a trequartista to South Africa – leaving both Antonio Cassano and Francesco Totti at home.

It was first time since the 1986 World Cup that Italy were without a natural creator in the advanced role as opposed to the regista in the more withdrawn position – and in the end the cost was more severe than it had been back in Mexico.

Lippi knew he had betrayed a rich legacy and only left himself open to more ridicule when he attempted to employ Claudio Marchisio and Mauro Camoranesi in that gaping hole of magical possibilities even though Antonio Di Natale was wearing the 10 shirt.

In the end, it was Fabio Quagliarella who took it upon himself to scatter a little star-dust in the dying moments of the final group game against Slovakia.

However, the Napoli man is a seconda punta – a support striker – a defined role far removed from that of the maverick 10, which demonstrated how far the national team had fallen from the mantra of facci sognare or ‘makes us dream’.

In the past, Italy coaches were spoilt for choice when it came to subtle back-heels, killer passes and unforgettable goals, which reflected the country’s unfailing love for a player who could brighten even the dullest Sunday afternoon with a moment of divinity.

The 1970 World Cup coach Ferruccio Valcareggi could not decide whether Gianni Rivera or Sandro Mazzola’s creative instincts best served the team and devised the staffetta – the relay baton where each man played a half.

What a shame Valcareggi could not have built a side around these two Milanese talents who embodied the cool but yet resourceful nature of late 60s and early 70s Italy.

Baggio burst on to the scene at Italia ’90 and had Gianfranco Zola as back-up through the mid-1990s while Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti vied for the role through the noughties which takes us up to Cassano and his return to the national side under Cesare Prandelli.

We can only hope that Fantantonio’s second-coming does not mark the end of a love affair with Italy’s dream position.

My Perfect 10: Paul Simpson on Vladimir Petrovic
My Perfect 10: Riccardo Rossi on Roberto Baggio
My Perfect 10: Steve Morgan on Robert Prosinecki
My Perfect 10: Andy Mitten on Eric Cantona
My Perfect 10: Michael Cox on Rui Costa
My Perfect 10: Hugh Sleight on Zico
My Perfect 10: James Horncastle on Francesco Totti
My Perfect 10: David Hall on Zinedine Zidane
My Perfect 10: Sefa Atay on Gheorghe Hagi

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Are Inter feeling an icy blast of austerity?

Richard Whittle — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:36:00 GMT

Rafael Benitez must have felt that he had waved farewell to financial constraints and was about to say hello to earth-shattering amounts of transfer funds when he arrived at Inter.

However, the Spaniard has found that any transfer business over the summer would be heading in the opposite direction – selling Mario Balotelli to Manchester City and keeping Real Madrid at bay by pricing Douglas Maicon out of the market.

The former Liverpool manager claimed he was more than willing to stay out of the financial side of the business and just get on with coaching – leaving president Massimo Moratti and transfer chief Marco Branca to actively deal with the recruitment policy.

Having been stung before by Jose Mourinho’s insistence that the club sign Ricardo Quaresma there was a marked lack of conviction to go the extra euro to land Javier Marscherano and especially Dirk Kuyt.

Benitez has quickly found out he is not that special, but then he has not had the luxury of taking advantage of a major transfer coup that fell into Jose Mourinho’s lap when Barcelona jumped at Zlatan Ibrahimovic and threw in Samuel Eto’o for good measure.

In fact, last summer could not have gone better with Wesley Sneijder arriving from Real Madrid for a pocket’s worth of change.

Deals like that do not come around that often so in one respect Benitez has been slightly unfortunate, although he could have expected more than the modest out-lay on Jonathon Biabiany, who was on a co-ownership deal with Parma so cannot be counted as an outright transfer.

Midfielder Gokhan Inler and Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini also came into the frame late on in the day but when Udinese and Sampdoria, respectively, refused to play ball Inter backed off.

Moratti has never been so expedient – and for once in a quite a number of years Silvio Belursconi has stolen the limelight across town with the arrival of Ibrahimovic and Robinho.

There is no secret that the owners of the Milanese clubs have little in common and Moratti’s more prosaic approach is at odds with his AC Milan counterpart’s razzmatazz.

That is maybe why the Mourinho partnership worked: Moratti the steady anchor when his coach became caught up in the stormy seas of Italian football.

Now we have two individuals given to mumbling, and Benitez was certainly chewing on his words when the transfer window slammed shut and Inter had locked themselves out of any reinforcements.

A quick glance at the latest available accounts for 2009 shows the club in the red to the tune of €154 million pushing the figure to a reported half a billion Euros over the last three years.

With UEFA threatening clubs that cannot balance their books Moratti may be beginning to feel the offset of an icy blast of austerity.

However, at the same time Benitez is not as if he is looking at a training pitch full of under-achievers and it might be case of the new man stepping up to the standards to his predecessor and keeping to his word that he will just get on with coaching.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Showman Berlusconi has the last laugh

Richard Whittle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:24:00 GMT

Silvio Berlusconi has been written off on numerous occasions lately, but just when it seemed as if his demise was imminent the laughing cavalier has, well, had the last laugh.

He was certainly chortling away on Sunday evening as he strolled out of the San Siro after watching AC Milan produce their best 45 minutes of football since they tore Manchester United to shreds in the Champions League some four years ago.

Ever the showman, Berlusconi was more than willing to play to the gallery although he had certainly not forgotten that only a few months ago the fans were calling for him to step aside if he was not willing to dip into the transfer market.

With reporters hanging on his every word on how he had brought off the transfer coup of the year in landing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the diminutive leader of the country was interrupted in full flow by a group of ultras who had gathered to offer words of praise for a change.

The chief in staff accepted them graciously before reminding them that they were entitled to celebrate all they liked or complain as much as they wanted, but there is only one person who was actually dipping into his pocket at the end of the day.

And with a regal wave of the hand the Silvio Show was over and the sound-bite was soon flashing across the late news bulletins – of the media magnet’s television stations of course - along with a new slimish-looking Ronaldinho who was in element against a Lecce side whose coach Luigi De Canio fielded two youth-team players in defence.

The new boys paid the price in a 4-0 thumping and suddenly season tickets for the Rossoneri are going through the roof while Ibra number 11 shirts are flying off the shelves.

Well, any good news is always welcomed on an opening weekend where there were only 15 goals and by the looks of it a few players have not yet recovered from their World Cup hangovers.

None of those unfortunates who played a major part in Italy minor contribution to the finals in South Africa started the new campaign on the front-foot - apart from maybe Giorgio Chiellini.

Andrea Pirlo and Giampaolo Pazzini cannot be considered as their playing time was minimal, but Daniele De Rossi, Claudio Marchisio and Simone Pepe were visibly suffering at the weekend.

De Rossi, in particular, was completely out of sorts in AS Roma’s goalless draw against newly-promoted Cesena and the midfielder cut a forlorn figure when he was substituted midway through the second half.

Both Marchisio and Pepe looked well off international class as Juventus began the campaign with a defeat Bari which brought only resigned shakes of the head from their long-suffering fans and a baffling aside from Luigi Del Neri that the team were on the right road – to mid-table obscurity it would seem.

There were shades of South Africa in Florence where Edinson Cavani was awarded a goal for Napoli even though replays clearly showed the ball had bounced off the underside of the bar and hit the line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRzbILS2smg

The “phantom goal” again raised calls for goalline technology which Gazzetta dello Sport has been punting for all its worth since Frank Lampard’s effort was ruled out in the summer.

There was also a phantom of sorts on the Bologna bench during the Monday night game against Inter.

Franco Colomba should have been taking his place there in charge of the home side but was relieved of his duties over the weekend because he had been pestering the new club owner Sergio Porcedda for something called ‘new players’.

As is generally the case when a team is left to its own devices it produces a positive result – and fortunately for Bologna the defending champions had not shaken off their European Super Cup defeat.

Having being suitable chasten in Monte Carlo, the Nerazzurri once again looked heavy-legged in a goalless draw. However, each of their last three seasons have started with a point so maybe it is an omen of things to come.

Of course just when we get started again along comes a break weekend for the Euro 2012 qualifiers but for now it is Milan and their chirpy president who are all smiles.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

My Perfect 10: Roberto Baggio

Richard Whittle — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:26:00 GMT

The new issue of FourFourTwo is a 'Playmakers Special'. This week on FFT.com our writers will be celebrating their favourite fantasistas – Riccardo Rossi continues the series with a look at the man best known as the Divine Ponytail...

The late 1980s were an enjoyable time to follow football in Italy.

The national team were coming off a positive performance at Euro ’88 and with the likes of Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini and Paolo Maldini making their breakthrough, hopes were high that the Azzurri would win the World Cup in 1990 as hosts.

On the club front, AC Milan were starting to play the sort of football that would see Silvio Berlusconi’s club sweep through Europe, Napoli were packing the San Paolo as Diego Maradona held court, while it also looked as if Inter were finally coming out of the doldrums.

Then, every week there was the treat of witnessing the likes of Van Basten, Gullit, Maradona and Careca along with the rest of the glittering gallery of some of the world’s best players in action.

Everyone wanted to be in Italy ahead of Italia ’90 – and every Italian wanted a home-grown hero: that wish would come true.

What drew the football-watching public to Roberto Baggio was just how unremarkable he looked.

Baggio shares a tender moment with Salvatore Schillaci

Maradona was a barrel-chest Napoleon, Van Basten tall and elegant in his very movement, Gullit a dread-locked colossus but Baggio was a skinny urchin with a face you would never pick out from the rest of the curly-topped youths of that era.

Then, his look was so different from the players of the clubs ruling the league at the time: shirt outside his shorts, socks around the ankles and that hunched run – he was the street player in every one of us.

Playing for Fiorentina also set him apart because, never-mind that the Viola were never going to win the league, they were hardly ever going to win away from home.

And when they did, it was generally Baggio who produced a moment that could never be taught on the training field and his solo goal at Napoli at the start of the 1989-90 season sealed the deal forever

No one ever had audacity to turn up at the San Paolo and waltz through the best defence in the league before walking the ball into the net – the goal was replayed through the evening of that broiling hot Sunday and right through the following week.

A flickering television highlight was one thing but now you had to see this young dribbler who seemed to float past opponents live in front of you.

Serie Aaaaargh! would have to wait until the last day of that season in the inauspicious surroundings of the Stadio Flaminio in Rome for the moment to arrive.

AS Roma and Lazio had been temporarily evicted from the Olympic stadium so that it could be brought up to standard for the World Cup so they moved across to the Tiber to the compact Flaminio where the Six Nations Rugby matches are now held.

It was a third division ground really, but at that meant you could press yourself in front of Perspex glass to get close to the action.

Roma had already qualified for Europe and Fiorentina were safe from relegation and somehow – well we knew how – qualified for the final of the UEFA Cup so it was basically one of those end-of-the-season kickabouts.

The Giallorossi had Giuseppe Giannini controlling the midfield at a leisurely pace with his thoughts on the World Cup and for all we know Baggio was taking it easy too.

However, whenever the ball arrived at his feet the tempo of the game was lifted a notch or two – he was ahead of Mardona in the goalscoring charts and just behind the league’s top goalscorer Van Basten.

A couple of goals could have possibly made him the league’s capocannoniere and in fact he had an opportunity to score, but unbelievable missed a penalty or if memory serves correctly Franco Tancredi, the current England goalkeeping coach, dived to his left to save.

The sight of Baggio with his hands on hips and head bowed was a rare sight at that time but it only added to his allure.

He may have been subbed off shortly afterwards, but little did it matter because Italia 90 was less than a month away and tickets had been procured for all the games in Rome – which meant Italy and without doubt another glimpse of Baggio.

However, there no sign of our hero the first two group games – against Austria and USA – as Italy stumbled through by the only goal in both encounters.

With the team’s most naturally-gifted player languishing on the bench, coach Azeglio Vicini was becoming the most unpopular man in Italy.

He had to start Baggio against Czechoslovakia and it was a decision that produced one of the most memorable moments in World Cup history (video below).

To be there as the whole of the Olympic stadium rose as one when Baggio collected a pass from Giannini on the halfway still produces goose-bumps.

After that everything seemed to go into slow-motion as Baggio kept the ball almost tucked under his foot before producing a dummy inside the area that is better remembered in the mind than any television replay.

Then, it was all a bit of a blurry as gape-mouthed astonishment was followed by total and utter unbridled joy as the stadium celebrated until the final whistle - and right through the night – the best moment of the World Cup, the best moment of any World Cup in fact.

That instant would mark the end of youth and innocence as the world came tumbling down on Italian hopes and dreams – the Azzurri were dire against Ireland and then left the Capital for Naples never to be seen again.

When Baggio resurfaced he was no more a blossoming talent but a genuine superstar in the making, wearing a Juventus shirt and transforming into Il Codino Divino, but those snapshots of the mind from the early summer of ’90 were the essence of Italy’s greatest number 10 – the skinny lad with the ball at his feet making dreams come true.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

My Perfect 10: Paul Simpson on Vladimir Petrovic
My Perfect 10: Steve Morgan on Robert Prosinecki
My Perfect 10: Andy Mitten on Eric Cantona
My Perfect 10: Michael Cox on Rui Costa
My Perfect 10: Hugh Sleight on Zico
My Perfect 10: James Horncastle on Francesco Totti
My Perfect 10: David Hall on Zinedine Zidane
My Perfect 10: Sefa Atay on Gheorghe Hagi
My Perfect 10: Jamie Bowman on Michael Laudrup
My Perfect 10: Joel Richards on Juan Roman Riquelme

Videos: Football's finest playmakers in full flow

The 'Playmakers Special' issue of FourFourTwo is in stories throughout September 2010.

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Mou & Ibra almost overshadow new season

Richard Whittle — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:46:00 GMT

We might have known that it wouldn’t take long for Jose Mourinho to return to haunt one half of Milan.

The Special One will back at the San Siro when Real Madrid face AC Milan in the Champions League.

He will be something of the evil twin of Ricky Kaka who slipped out of the city without a ciao, ciao - and had to wait until Real played the Rossoneri in Europe to thank everyone for helping him for a leg-up in his career.

Subsequent events have suggested that his time in Italy is probably as good as it will get for the Brazilian but who knows if last season will turn out to be a similar football-epithet for the Portuguese.

One thing is certain when Real pitch up at their hotel they will be mobbed by Inter fans who can’t wait for such a special return.

The draw set the pulse racing to varying degrees for each of Italy’s group stage representatives.

The defending champions, who also swept the awards from goalkeeper to striker at the Champions League draw ceremony, will be content to have pulled Tottenham, Werder Bremen and FC Twente out of the pot – little travelling, excellent stadiums and teams that play in a straightforward manner.

Milan have less to be satisfied with – and as it was last season it will not be the double-header with Real that settles the outcome of the group but the matches against Ajax and AJ Auxerre.

The Rossoneri came away with a win at the Bernabeu last year and then followed that up with a draw at home only undo all their good work with a home defeat to FC Zurich and a draw against Marseille which left them facing Manchester United in the round of the last sixteen as group runners-up.

AS Roma will have similar concerns when they take on FC Basel and CFR Cluj, having lost to both opponents in last year’s Europa League, however, the stand-out games will be against Bayern Munich and the Giallorossi should be looking to top the group.

The Champions League will remain an inciting side-dish for a few weeks yet and amongst all the headlines on whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic will join Milan and why no one wants to move to Juventus, the new season starts this weekend.

Inter won’t be in action until Monday evening at Bologna so for once we will have a new name at the top of the table – or more than likely a long line of team on three points.

Roma should get their campaign off to a winning start at home against Cesena who are back in the top flight for the first time since 1991 – and will no doubt approach the game with the mentality of a Serie B side playing an Italian Cup tie at the Olympic stadium.

Another new arrival, Lecce might fancy their chances, however, at Milan who have lost to newly-promoted sides at home on the opening day in the past.

The third new boy, Brescia would also expect to take something from their trip to Parma although Sebastian Giovinco could finally start to blossom in the more relaxed atmosphere of Emilia-Romagna.

However, the games of the first round will be Fiorentina at home to Napoli and Bari welcoming Juventus.

All four teams will be worth watching – for differing reasons. How will the Viola fair under Sinisa Mihajlovic, can Napoli do a Sampdoria and make the breakthrough into the top four and will Bari follow their 10th-place finish with a year battling against relegation?

However, all eyes will be on the Old Lady as she desperately searches for a new identity under Gigi Del Neri.

Diego has been moved on and by the time you read this Fabio Quagliarella should have arrived on loan from Napoli but the sum of the parts may not add up to a top-four chasing whole.

There are certainly enough teams pushing for European places, such as Genoa who are home to an Udinese side lifted by Antonio Di Natale’s snub of Juve. Sampdoria need to put their Champions League exit behind them when they meet Lazio who could just as easily explode or implode.

Watch out for Palermo who finished two points off fourth place last term. The Sicilians have cashed in on Edinson Cavani and Simon Kjaer but have kept potentially the player of the year: Javier Pastore. Much will depend on tightening up a defence that conceded 47 times last year.

So, putting the Serie Aaaaargh! head on the block, here comes the predictions for the 2010-11 Serie A season.

1.   AS Roma
2.   Inter
3.   Palermo
4.   Genoa

Europa League
Napoli
Milan
Juventus

Relegated
Bologna
Cesena
Brescia

Italian Cup winners
Napoli

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Galliani capable of wrestling Ibra from Barca

Richard Whittle — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:15:00 GMT

The bigwigs of AC Milan met up with Barcelona’s decision makers yesterday at a restaurant that Woody Allen frequented during his stay in the city filming Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

No doubt the one-liners were flying back and forth between Adriano Galliani and Barca president Sandro Rosell before an attack of neurosis set in as the diners failed to get past ordering the hors d’oeuvres.

On the face of it Milan are back in the realms of flights of fancy as they attempt to dupe - sorry - persuade the Catalans to give hand over Zlatan Ibrahimovic and continue to pay the bulk of his wallet-busting €12 million-a-year salary.

However, just like one of Allen’s main characters, do not underestimate Galliani’s ability to get what he wants: he after all apparently convinced Rosell’s predecessor Joan Laporte to cut Manchester City out of the equation and then drop the asking price for Ronaldinho by simply refusing to leave the president’s villa until the deal was done.

Conveniently enough, this time around Milan have been in town to play Barcelona in the Gamper Trophy so Galliani had a ready excuse for claiming he just happened to be in the neighbourhood and thought he would drop in for a chat – not that he really does chats; more like a monologue.

So, Rosell will have to accept that Silvio Berlusconi’s right-hand man will tough it out until he gets what he wants – and that is a big Swede on a flight back to Milan.

Not only that, someone is going to be lighter in pocket and chances are it won’t be the Italians who seem to have a knack of ensuring the figures always add up in their favour.

The move for Ibra has all the makings of a sequel to the Ronaldinho saga where it started with a plea of poverty and ended up with a firework-extravagance unveiling at the San Siro.

No one will be that concerned about the pyrotechnics this time around but Berlusconi will have kept good on his promise to the Rossoneri fans to always bring in a big-name at least once every two seasons – sorry “Prince” it wasn’t you.

Of course, there is a third corner in this “who stands to gain” triangle and that is the player’s agent Mino Raiola who seems to be doing everything possible to drive a wedge between his client and Barca coach Pep Guardiola although Ibra has been weighing in as well, claiming he hasn’t spoken to his coach for six months.

Even though he has ruled out a loan deal, Raiola may have to accept that in the long term it is the only way he is going to beat the house with what will be a weaker hand with every passing year.

There is still some more filthy lucre to be wrung out of the situation as Milan will have some readies available next summer when nine mega-contracts at the club come to an end.

If Ibra produces the goods this season then his 30s can still be lucrative years with a four-year contract waiting to be signed.

Then, of course, there is overcoming the thorny issue of that giant elephant in the room – 12m big ones – and no one in their right mind is going to take a massive pay-cut when they have no reason to do so.

Galliani will be standing there cap in hand claiming fiscal woes in the hope that Barcelona will continue to pay half of the player’s salary with the promise of a ‘good price’ in the offing when it comes to making the move permanent.

Maybe Barcelona will be thinking that Milan will want them to carry the player all the way to Italy as well – and you never know they may end up doing so just to get rid of Galliani.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Roma must play Inter at their own game

Richard Whittle — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:55:00 GMT

It looks like a case of as you were – Jose may have gone but Rafa seamlessly steps in and Inter are raising four fingers to the rest of Italian football.

The Italian Super Cup became the club’s fourth trophy of 2010 following on from the domestic double and Champions League – and a fifth could be in the trophy cabinet before the team kicks-off the Serie A season if they overcome Atletico Madrid in the European Super Cup on Friday.

Certainly the majority of the 60,000 inside the San Siro on Saturday evening expect nothing more than Nerazzurri dominance once again this season, and it was something of a familiar scene against a familiar opponent in AS Roma.

As has been the case for the last five years or so, the Romans created the illusion that they had the measure of their Milanese rivals only to be left with another disheartening reality check. Some kamikaze defending aside, the difference between the sides did not come down to the amount of possession but what the teams did with the ball when they had it.

Roma like to work the ball around the midfield utilising David Pizzarro’s ‘give and go’ style in the centre of the pitch, which brings just about every Giallorossi player into play. Inter, meanwhile, usually take no more than three passes to find themselves in and around the opposition penalty-area.

Mourinho installed this high-tempo, no frills game-plan and Benitez has seen no reason to vary an approach in which the players feel comfortable.

The only player who likes to take what could be called an extra touch is Lucio but the Brazilian’s marauding style in breaking out from defence led to the breakthrough second goal when he motored to the edge of the area before playing in Diego Milito to set up Samuel Eto’o for a close-range finish.

Neither of the two frontmen took more than two touches before looking for a pass, while Wesley Sneijder touched the ball 85 times against Roma, but the majority of those where quick lay-offs or an extra touch to propel the ball into an advanced position to fire off one of his six shots at goal.

One of the Dutchman’s quick releases set up Eto’o for the third goal of the game after Rodrigo Taddei had dawdled on the ball too long and too near his own area to lose possession.

Even though Inter’s equaliser was the product of Mirko Vucinic committing the cardinal sin of passing the ball back across his own six-yard area, the pressure exerted on the opposition so the high up the pitch had led to Roma being hemmed in.

There is no doubting that Claudio Ranieri’s team can match Inter man-for-man in most areas of the pitch, but they could benefit from adopting a similar tactic to that of the team they hope to dethrone.

However, there would have to be major shift in how Francesco Totti is employed. There is no doubt the Roma captain can pick out a pass that most other players can only dream about and is the match of Sneijder in terms of touch and control. However, the Inter man shaded his opposite number ten in every area thanks in part to dropping a little deeper and having that extra time and space to move the ball into dangerous areas.

Under Lucio Spalletti, Totti resisted the demands of his coach to take up a withdrawal role - preferring to play as the main striker in the belief that remaining further up the pitch would save his body from the skirmishes of a crowded midfield.

That did not prove to be the case as his ravaged calves and ankles bear witness to. Too many times he has been facing away from goal and taking the brunt of a defender’s challenge from behind.

Now nearing 34 and looking to prolong his career for another three seasons, it may be time to become the creator allowing Mirko Vucinic and Jeremy Menz to run freer further forward where their dribbling skills can come to the fore.

Ranieri would have to demand that his star have a rethink about his role but maybe taking a step back could be the key to unleashing an even more potent Roma going forward.

As it stands, if the perennial runners-up don’t start playing Inter at their own game they will continue to finish second-best.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Kevin Prince and the paupers

Richard Whittle — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:40:00 GMT

Today’s La Gazzetta dello Sport has a front-page photo of the grandly-named Kevin Prince Boateng looking mean and moody, sitting on a pile of rubble on what seems to be a mock-up of a building site.

In riposte, after obliterating a wall or small building, with sledge hammer in hand the evidence suggests that Milan’s newest recruit is a tough, no-nonsense sort of guy – the wrecking-ball of football; the new Rino Gattuso.

Inside there is an exclusive full-page interview – it’s August after all, a slow month – with probably the least-known footballer to have graced the cover of Italy’s biggest-selling daily, who goes on to say: “It’s unbelievable to be there.”

Plenty of Rossoneri fans are also thinking how far-fetched it is that a club that titles itself ‘the most successful in the world’ is now reduced to taking on loan signings from Genoa.

The midfielder may have caught the eye in a couple of games in the World Cup but that seems hardly a compelling reason for Adriano Galliani to get involved in a deal where Genoa stump up the readies so that Milan can take the player on loan.

Maybe the photo of Boateng on the debris is more apt as a metaphor on the sorry state in which Milan find itself in at the moment.

By the looks of it they don’t have a cent to rub together, let alone the ability to scrape up the €6 million Portsmouth were looking for - forcing them to go cap in hand to Genoa owner Enrico Preziosi to fund the deal.

You could say it is a win-win situation for both parties: Genoa can expect an €8 million Euro transfer fee if Milan decide to make the move permanent at the end of the season – a 30 per cent return on their investment - and if it doesn’t work out then Milan have saved a few cents.

"Hello? Yes, I'd like a refund on my sunglasses..."

Having handed out big, juicy contracts to the heroes of the 2007 Champions League triumph, Milan are now stuck with the wage-draining likes of Kakha Kalazde and Marek Jankulovski until the end of next season at least.

It is not uncommon for Italian clubs to buy a player, only to loan him out almost immediately but that it usually with the aim of giving the new signing some experience before he returns to the fold.

This is certainly not the case with Boateng – and Preziosi has already stated that he does not expect to see the player in a Genoa shirt.

The whole episode certainly has the feel of the gentleman’s club about it and both clubs have already cozied up this summer on the transfer market, with Milan signing Marco Amelia and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

In fact, Preziosi had been working on brokering a co-ownership deal with Lazio to bring Boateng to Italy – the sole purpose would seem to have been to put the player in the transfer shop window once again.

However, the Roman club are not exactly in descending order: high-profile, in with a chance of silverware, on TV every-week material hence the San Siro rather than potential mid-table obscurity.

The pressure is on Boateng to persuade Milan that he is the answer to their midfield problems where Gattuso is well on the wane and Mathieu Flamini is neither a creator nor destroyer.

If he fails there is no way he will ever taste the delights of Liguria – not good enough for Milan but maybe okay for Genoa is never going to happen.

At 23, at least he will add some much-needed youthful vigour to Massimiliano Allegri’s side and the coach has been asking very politely if there was any chance of the club’s hierarchy sanctioning a move for a physical midfielder.

Well, the damage he did with that sledge-hammer suggests Allegri may have got his man but the way Milan went about it gives further credence to the belief that a once proud club is crumbling before our eyes.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Big Three go head to head to head

Richard Whittle — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:52:00 GMT

Let’s face it – these lazy days of late summer are just downright boring if you're stuck in one of the big Italian cities.

Most of the locals have hung out the ‘See you in September’ signs and headed south to the beaches of the Bel Paese, so why shouldn’t the country’s best-supported teams follow suit and decamp to Bari for a Friday evening triangular tournament?

It's a home from home for Juventus, Inter and AC Milan, who all have significant numbers of fans dotted all over the heel of the peninsula. These fans were out in force in the San Nicola stadium, which is usually only this full during the season when the aforementioned northern giants are in town.

With the new season still two weeks away, the players are still some way from full fitness but the three games of 45 minutes apiece gives a sliver of light on how the three big sisters of Italian football are shaping up under their new coaches.

Unsurprisingly it's Rafa Benitez who can look forward to the new campaign with plenty of confidence, while Gigi Del Neri and Massimiliano Allegri are faced with enough shortcomings to suggest that they will do well to hold off the likes of Napoli, Palermo, Fiorentina and Sampdoria – never mind compete with last season's clear runners-up AS Roma.

Benitez has inherited a team oozing with quality and Jose Mourinho’s Treble-winning year has left the senior players with the hunger to repeat the feats of the last season.

The opening encounter of the evening pitted the Nerazzurri against their old nemesis Juventus, who have been back in training since the beginning of July but already have the look of a side that has been through a long, tough season.

A one-sided affair could have seen Inter two goals up after 10 minutes but they had to wait until the 25th minute, when Wesley Sneijder produced a stunning long-range finish.

Wes wangs a wonder… CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

Juve of course could well have been saving their energy for Thursday's Europa League play-off first leg against SK Sturm Graz, but there's no getting away from the fact that the team are some way from playing in the manner Del Neri would like.

The aim is to get the ball wide and then quickly into dangerous positions, but the problem is that Diego, Momo Sissoko and Felipe Melo each want to take the ball forward – which then closes up the space for widemen Davide Lanzafame and Simone Pepe to work in.

The Old Lady needs less haste and more speed. The latter has long gone from Ronaldinho’s armoury, but the old magic is still there at times.

Dinho drops a demon… CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

Allegri has accepted that he is going to have to build a side carrying too much deadwood around the immobile but still twinkled-toed Brazilian.

What his compatriot Diego would give to have a side built around him. Juve's No.28 found the equaliser against Milan doing what he does best: taking a position closer to the opposition penalty area and then bursting forward to get on the end of the final ball. You have to admire the man's fortitude, even as the club does everything possible to move him on.

Having flexed their muscles in the first 45 minutes, the Milanese sides let the kids run around well past their bed-time with the only newsworthy note that the two standout youngsters were Inter’s 18-year-old Brazilian Coutinho and Milan's young German midfielder Alexander Merkel.

Complacency was the problem in the penalty shootout and it was left to Dinho to demonstrate that he is incapable of taking the straightforward option.

Worst shootout ever? CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

Allegri was left shaking his head. It may become a common sight throughout the season.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy News * Stats
FFT.com Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Azzurri look to end annus horribilis

Richard Whittle — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:40:00 GMT

Here is a depressing fact: Italy have not won a game in 2010. There have been World Cup qualifiers, the World Cup finals and a few friendlies in between, but not one measly victory to mention.

The saying goes that Italy don’t do friendlies, preferring to get it right when it really matters, but South Africa held that theory up to ridicule.

Cesare Prandelli begins his reign as Italy coach against Ivory Coast this evening in what would usually be termed a meaningless and un-needed kick-about between players who are nowhere near match-fit, and in some cases still removing the sand from between their toes after their summer holidays.

In the knowledge that most Italians are taking the almost obligatory August break, the Italian Football Federation have switched the match to London and although the welcome will no doubt be warm from the Anglo-Italians, the pressure is very much on the new coach.

Prandelli needs to hold firm in his commitment to launching new generation of players whatever the outcome of the game at Upton Park.

There are ten newcomers in the squad and the average age is now down to a more acceptable 25 years and seven months compared to the near 29 years under Marcello Lippi.

With the scourge of Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli joining the rest of the pensioners on the beach these two supposed mavericks have an opportunity to at least put some faith back in a disillusioned public that La Nazionale is worth following once again.

The training footage from the last few days certainly suggests that there is more fizz in this new group than amongst the tired old faces in June.

You would expect Prandelli to be animated in his first days in charge but it is his enthusiasm during every drill that has really caught the eye while most of the sessions have been pretty relaxed affairs just as they were when the 53-year-old was in charge at Fiorentina.

Certainly without the likes of the retired Fabio Cannavaro and Rino Gattuso, not to mention assorted other old-stagers, the new faces can ease their way into the international set-up.

Amauri and Balotelli both have points to prove – the former to win over those who believe the Juventus striker is not up to international class (never mind the fact he’s Brazilian…), while the latter seems to have the world at his feet but doesn’t know what to do with it.

Maybe running out at a Premier League ground will open his eyes to the possibility that he can build a career away from Serie A, which for many players in the past meant that they had little or no chance of receiving a call-up to the Azzurri.

Giuseppe Rossi may have a recent exception to the rule but it would seem that the new regime is open to everyone near and far: Stuttgart’s Cristian Molinaro is a case in point, having failed to get anywhere near a call-up when he was at Juventus, of all places.

Of course, it is taking advantage of these opportunities on the pitch that will be the acid test and in Cassano’s case his third and last strike to leave his mark in the blue shirt.

Significantly, he has grabbed the number ten shirt so hopefully the newly-married and in Prandelli’s words “a more mature” Cassano will play with the sort of freedom he demonstrated through the latter-half of last season.

Amauri or Marco Balotelli leading the attack with Cassano and Balotelli in support would be the ideal way to start a new era - not to mention a victory to finally put an end to what has been an annus horribilis for the former world champions.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Meet football's Bill Murray

Richard Whittle — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:42:00 GMT

The story of Luis Jimenez bears some resemblance to the 1993 Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day.

The midfielder is no run-of-the-mill footballer, having worn the shirts of Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter and West Ham.

The Chile international spent the second half of last season at Parma but as ever he has ended up returning to the backwater of Terni, tucked into the rolling green countryside of Umbria, from which he cannot escape.

The local team go by the name of Ternana and it was for them that Jimenez pitched up in 2002 having secured a dream move to Europe from Club Deportivo Palestino.

It was meant to be a mere staging post on what had all the makings of a stellar career for a player nicknamed “The Magician” but every August for the last eight years, there he is getting ready for another campaign with the Prima Divisione side hoping that the bad dream will finally come to an end.

As he rewinds his day each time the same story unfolds: Ternana are willing to sell but the price is never right.

Jiminez in happier times (despite the kit...)

He thought he had found a way out in 2006 when Fiorentina took the stylish playmaker on a co-ownership deal of €2.5 million, but Ternana would not release him from their steely grip, feeling that they could get even more for him if he extended his contract with a club which had its sights set on promotion from Serie B.

That never came to pass, and after a thoroughly disheartening loan spell at Lazio it seemed that the mighty Inter would exert enough political muscle to sway the minnows when they took him on another co-ownership move in 2007.

A mixture of injury and loss of form saw poor Luis shipped off to West Ham for another forgettable loan spell which was only ended when Parma came to the rescue – even though it was all too late to secure a World Cup place with his country.

The last discussion with Nerazzurri owner Massimo Moratti came in June and was apparently terminated abruptly when Ternana, having laughed off Inter's €1.9m bid, came back with a counter-suggestion of €4m. Parma were willing to go as high as €3.5m but once again that seemingly inviting sum was turned down.

The Chilean would probably quite fancy a return to Inter

Not only is the 26-year-old missing out on top-flight football, but having pocketed an annual salary of €1.1million at Inter he's now back on a measly €100,000 a year, with his contract not expiring until 2013. Maybe it's time to find a new agent…

Jiminez still possesses all the trappings of a Serie A star, arriving at training in a black Porsche and eating out at a restaurant everyday (even if it's the same one he used to frequent when he first arrived at the club).

He's even shipped mum and dad over for a prolonged holiday and to help out with looking after his triplets, who were born in June.

Despite the misfortune that has dogged his football career, Jiminez's dashing smile helped him win over Maria Jose Lopez – a model and sometime show girl on Italian television who was axed from the football show Controcampo for revealing a little too much to the viewers one Sunday evening.

To heap further woes on her husband, she was then rumoured to have had a fling with another Chilean player, Mauricio Pinilla – although if recent events are anything to go by all is fine and dandy in the Jimenez household now.

However, for hubby, he's still having the worst football day of his life over and over again.

The story of Luis Jimenez bears some resemblance to the 1993 Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day.

The midfielder is no run-of-the-mill footballer, rather a pla...(that's enough of that - Ed)

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Divine Ponytail to divine intervention

Richard Whittle — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:05:00 GMT

It has been just over a month since Italy’s world fell apart and the nation could no longer bask in the title of world champions.

La Gazzetta dello Sport’s apocalyptic headline “The Darkest Hour” summed up the miserable mood post-South Africa – and there seemed little light on the horizon to lift the country out of the doldrums.

The future looked bleak to say the least: a top-flight league with an average age of 27 years and four months - making it second oldest only to Cyprus – compared to a European average of 25 years and eight months; where only eight per cent of players under 21 saw first team action last season and where the Under-19 national side followed in the footsteps of their senior counterparts and failed to go beyond the group stage at the European championships.

Year Zero indeed - and time for a rethink of the country’s national sport at all levels.

Certainly the arrival of Cesare Prandelli as Azzurri coach was step in the right direction or least step away from the confines of the old guard which crippled Marcello Lippi’s second stint in charge.

However, of greater significance could be the integration into the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) of one of the most skilful players Italy has ever produced: Roberto Baggio.

From the Divine Ponytail to Divine Intervention - in footballing terms at least - Baggio has been handed the grand title of President of the Federation’s Technical Sector.

Considered nothing more than a symbolic post when it was held by the coach of the Italy team at World Cup ’90, Azeglio Vicini, under the current restructuring the former World Player of the Year will work closely with the youth set-up and coaches at all levels of the game.

Just having a figure such as Baggio in charge of nurturing future generations is enough to give one hope that Italy will not disappear into a footballing abyss.

Two other greats of the Italian game – Gianni Rivera and Arrgio Sacchi – will work under Baggio, which in the latter’s case puts the boot on the other foot so to speak, having coached the number 10 at international level; most famously to the World Cup Final in 1994.

Rivera will oversee the youth sector at school level while Sacchi will co-ordinate the national teams up to Under-21 level, and with such a wealth of experience at their disposal the game’s decision makers cannot waste this opportunity especially with Baggio.

Now 43 sans ponytail and only able to run in a straight line after his knees finally gave out, the former Golden Boy has been taking all the relative coaching badges and after six years away from the game Roby is as close to the pitch as he is ever going to get again.

He may find that controlling a ball and skipping past defenders was a lot easier that dealing with those who influence how the game is played.

He will need to work on changing a mindset that has always put the results before anything else – and Baggio was always something of a free-spirit when he played so hopefully we will see the Italian game evolve and move towards a more stylish approach.

He was after all the player when he started out who used the back-heel to pass the ball in tight areas in training games only to have the drill brought to a halt with his a succession of coaches screaming that such a move had no place in the competitive game and was best left to street football.

Thankfully he ignored them just as the likes of Alex Del Piero, Francesco Totti and Antonio Cassano no doubt did – and maybe now we can look forward to the return of that fine art from a new generation of youngsters even if they would never be seen sporting a pony-tail.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Pre-season? Yes! Friendly? No!

Richard Whittle — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:42:00 GMT

After a week or so of pre-season friendlies, which were anything but the usual summer kick-around, it was good to see some positive performances from Italian clubs over the weekend.

The general rule at this time of year is: put in a good hour or so and then ring the changes, no diving into tackles, no pressure on the referee and handshakes all round at the full-time whistle.

Unfortunately, Cagliari and Bastia had not received that memo turning their match into Fight Club - and a standing count for both sides as the contest was suspended with twenty minutes to go.

Catania and Greek side Iraklis then took the pitch on Friday for their own summer dust-up which also failed make it to the final whistle while Brescia’s game against another Greek team Larissa had its moments but at least went the full ninety minutes.

Italian clubs – at the higher level anyway – rarely if ever get involved in full-on brawls preferring to stick to gesticulating widely with threats that are never followed through.

Of course for the likes Serie A’s aristocracy there is no need to meet assorted Greeks or Corsicans in August, when there are money-spinning tournaments to be played throughout Europe as well as the obligatory trip across the Atlantic to the USA.

Inter, AC Milan and AS Roma were all in action over the weekend in such diverse locations of Paris, London and Baltimore.

Rafa Benitez has based his Inter squad in Rocky’s hometown of Philadelphia for a week’s training and certainly the Nerazzurri looked punchy as they took Manchester City apart thanks in part to Patrick Vieria demonstrating that he is still all elbows when it comes to aerial challenges.

A routine if feisty run-out against ten-men was just the way the Spaniard would have wanted to start a tour that will take in further games in Toronto and Dallas before the end of the week.

There are more pressing concerns back home where the club will want to move Mario Balotelli and Douglas Maicon on as quickly as possible: tidy sums of €30 million for the former and €28 million for the latter have been agreed in principle and now it is up the player’s respective agents to wring as much out of City and Real Madrid in terms of salary.

The search will be on for replacements and although Dirk Kuyt has been earmarked to take over from Balotelli, replacing Maicon will be no easy matter: Javier Zanetti could well find himself returning to the position where he started out his career, making way for imminent arrival Javier Mascherano in midfield.

AC Milan would love to be in a position to negotiate a few key moves and new coach Massimiliano Allergi will have a very clear idea where the squad needs strengthening after a competitive weekend in London.

The Rossoneri came away from the Emirates Cup with draws against Arsenal and Lyon but plenty of question-marks over the strength and depth of players at his disposal.

The club have made it clear that only by selling will funds become free for high-profile signings – and with this unlikely the names doing the rounds are either free agents such as Manuele Blasi or of the low-cost variety such as Andrea Lazzari of Cagliari and Mahamadou Diarra from Real Madrid.

Roma, for their part, have been ticking over nicely in pre-season and like Milan picked up two draws over the weekend – this time in Paris against Bordeaux and tournament hosts Paris St Germain.

In what was close to a regular starting XI, the Giallorossi were in complete control against PSG but Claudio Ranieri’s side fell into their old failings when it comes to closing out games, as Francesco Totti missed a penalty he was forced to retake, and the Romans then conceded an equaliser six minutes into added time.

Of course, with three weeks to go before the start of the season the sparring will continue but let’s hope the gloves don’t come off again.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

No tears for Balotelli departure

Richard Whittle — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:10:00 GMT

Inter flew out to the States on Sunday for their pre-season tour and as the fans at Malpensa airport waved farewell, there were few tears being shed that Mario Balotelli will more than likely be a Manchester City player before the team gets over its jet-lag.

Saddled with the ‘Super Mario’ tag, the youngster has done little to live up to his moniker since making his debut as a raw seventeen-year-old under Roberto Mancini.

Now about to turn 20, those rough edges have not been softened and his career stalled last season when Jose Mourinho decided he was nothing more than a frustrating talent who was unable to integrate into a team – and exiled him to the margins of his Treble-winning squad.

Balotelli’s overall demeanour – on and off the pitch - did little to win over his doubters: throwing his shirt on the ground, winding up his own fans by donning a Milan shirt and generally acting like a spoilt brat in most people’s eyes.

In fact, there was little that he did right last year - and it seems he has still not learnt that he need not open his mouth whenever a microphone is thrust in his face.

Waiting for the flight to the USA, he was asked by reporters if he had a message for Inter fans: “Yeah, I am off on holiday.”

And a one-way ticket it will be, adding further ammunition that Inter are doing the right thing in taking the €30 million from City to be done with a player who has all the makings of being as much a disruptive influence under Rafa Benitez as he was when Jose was in charge.

At least Mancini knows what to expect, having been something of a hot-head in his playing days, which is probably why he put so much stock in the teenager when he first made his breakthrough.

There is no doubting the striker’s potential but the jury in Italy seems to have finally decided that he is guilty as charged – a wasted talent more concerned with the trappings of success than working to achieve it.

It is the likes of Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso that the Nerazzurri fans adore – because they only want to play football - but then again they are not blessed with the skill and turn of pace of Balotelli.

However, the question has to be asked: did Mario want to leave Inter, was he forced out by a dressing-room influence – or the whispers i.e. advice, over the last few months finally take hold?

The answer probably lies in a mix of all of the above, but the figure of his agent Mino Raiola looms large throughout the whole affair, having already negotiated another maverick Zlatan Ibrahimovic away from Inter this time last year.

He has been pushing all the right buttons to angle his young client in a position for a move, but so far the only firm offer has come from City – Manchester rivals United have been mentioned and before that there was Barcelona although the talking was coming from the Raiola.

When he took over the player’s management he was able to wrest a €2 million-a-year pay deal out of Massimo Moratti for his client, but with it came the flash car, the rapper-looker and an even-more inflated attitude.

The riches will double at City but maybe the move is the best option for the player to escape the goldfish bowl back home.

There will be little chance that he will pull on a Manchester United shirt on an evening out and even if he utters the sort youthful nonsense that has ruffled the feathers of Italians it is unlikely to grab as much attention in England.

It is not as if living in Milan or anywhere in Lombardy is that different from the north-west of England in winter – after all he grew up in Brescia which isn’t exactly Florence.

In the long run it may be cold comfort for Italian football to lose one of its brightest talents but for Balotelli let’s hope it is the making of him as a true professional.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Diego's face doesn't fit at Juve

Richard Whittle — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:44:00 GMT

Juventus were sporting their new away kit at the weekend: all white with the Italian tricolour sweeping down the centre of the shirt.

Wearing the green, white and red will bring back memories for Bianconeri fans, memories of a time when the colours were almost a permanent fixture on the club shirt – in the shape of the championship shield. If the Old Lady is going to reach those heights again, she'll have to do it the hard way.

New coach Gigi Del Neri has had his new charges back in pre-season training for two weeks. And while the other title contenders ease into pre-season by racking up dozens of goals against amateur sides, Del Neri has put his side through their paces against quality opposition.

Sunday saw the team record a goalless draw against Hamburg and they will take on Lyon this Saturday – all in preparation to face either Bnei Yehuda of Israel of Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

This time last year, there was a belief that the team could mount a genuine title challenge but after a blistering start through September and October, everything had fallen apart by the turn of the year.

It is a much more prosaic Juventus preparing for the upcoming campaign – and no grand claims of dominating the rest of the league have been made this around, even without the Champions League to contend with.

In fact, it seems that very few reassurances can be given to any of the playing staff who have going out of their way to win over the new man in charge.
Diego, in particular, has been in excellent form in training – but then that was the case last summer as well. However, the Brazilian is going to have to produce something out of the ordinary as Del Neri has already made it clear that he cannot envisage Diego playing alongside Alessandro Del Piero in his preferred 4-4-2 formation.

Having spent €25m on the 25-year-old last year, the club would apparently happily offer him up to persuade Wolfsburg to release Edin Dzeko. Rather than find a manner to incorporate Diego into the side, Juve should be doing all they can to land the Bosnian striker – who may not be a star name but looks to possess the qualities that the attack have been lacking.

"I wanna play!"

Strength, power and mobility have been missing, and with Dzeko leading the front-line there would be little need to work the ball in and around the area, which is Diego’s trademark.

It's goals that the Bianconeri faithful have been calling out for – and neither Amauri or David Trezeguet seem capable of producing them. Neither player wants to leave the club but certainly the writing must be on the wall for Trez, who looked well off the pace at the weekend – and could prove an unsettling influence on the bench as he did last season.

A suitably chastened Felipe Melo will remain part of the grand scheme of things in what will be a hard-working and physical midfield, but the problem for Del Neri, or more to the point general director Beppe Marotta, is persuading Diego that he is not part of the new hard-edged set-up.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Milan tighten belts, unlike Dinho

Richard Whittle — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:56:00 GMT

Juventus have been back in pre-season training for nearly a week; Inter and AS Roma have been going through their paces for a few days, which just leaves AC Milan to lure the television cameras to their Milanello base.

The height of the holiday season is upon us in Italy and the players generally make for an unhappy bunch as they trudge through the gates on their way to their first day “back at school.”

All eyes will be on whether Ronaldinho will be conspicuous by his absence at Milan come next Tuesday when the squad reports back although club officials are expecting his arrival from Brazil over the weekend.

Recent photographs of the step-over king enjoying the good life on the beach back home in Rio suggest he has been letting himself go somewhat - much in the same manner of his compatriot Adriano.

Speculation has been growing in direct proportion to the player’s girth that the Rossoneri are seriously considering offloading the star-turn in an attempt to ease the strain on their own financial belt.

The Ronaldinho clan are beginning to understand that the golden egg of the Silvio Berlusconi nest is no longer central to Milan’s plans.

It seems to be a case not so much of cashing in but more a matter of cutting loses – and a move back to Brazil may be the ideal answer – in the short-term anyway – for both parties.

Joining Flamengo would enable Ron to continue his life of leisure for a few months and not miss out on the Rio carnival to boot, but there have also been reports that LA is calling where he would team up with Milan part-timer David Beckham at the Galaxy.

Has Ronnie waved goodbye to Milan's fans for the last time?

Dinho’s brother and agent Roberto De Assisi is set to hit town for a meeting with Adriano Galliani; apparently to thrash out a deal that would enable Milan to cash in their chips before the striker becomes a free agent in a year’s time.

A move to another European club such as Olympiakos in Greece would probably fetch around €10 million, with the return diminishing at a club across the Atlantic.

The first problem facing Galliani will be persuading Berlusconi that he would be making a €16 million saving on salary alone over the next two years if he were to give up his favourite player.

However, the president is always willing to make an exception when it comes to the wayward South American – and there are whispers that this could cause a rift within the boardroom where the bottom line is slashing the budget.

New coach Massimiliano Allegri is all for toeing the company on this issue but even if the club’s biggest earner were to move on, viable replacements to ensure season ticket sales do not reach an all-time low are thin on the ground.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edin Dzeko are beyond the financial reach of the new slim-line Milan, Luis Fabiano could end up going the way of Ricardo Oliveira while another name that has been floated out there, Lukas Podoski, would hardly have them queuing around the block.

Hopefully talk of Robinho filling the void remains just idle chatter from those looking to fill in the long, lazy days of summer.

In fact, Gaùcho may end up enjoying an endless summer break, but it would be a shame to think that at 30 it is now the sunset of a once shining career.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Benitez not in awe of task ahead

Richard Whittle — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:19:00 GMT

There was a stark contrast between the unveiling of Rafael Benitez as Inter coach and that of his predecessor Jose Mourinho. While the Portuguese’s arrival had been the event of the summer, Benitez had slipped into town and out again with hardly a passing nod from the locals.

That was last month, and the Spaniard finally got his feet under the table on Monday afternoon when he got down business with his first “tactical and technical” press conference.

While Mourinho controlled every aspect of his “grind” with the media; even down to his presentation – well-gelled hair and the ready-to-roll stubble - Benitez ambled into the conference room showing off a well-fed stomach and possessing the look of a man who understands that a little bit of humility can go a long way.

There was no need to grovel for explanations on how he envisaged the team playing, which annoyed Italian journalists more than anything during the Special One’s reign. In fact, they lapped up anything to do with formations, movement off the ball and suchlike. Only the blistering temperatures precluded the wearing of anoraks.

The former Liverpool manager will be expected to be special but in his own less histrionic way – Massimo Moratti has already admitted that a repeat of last season’s treble would be “difficult” but at least one of the major titles should remain in the club’s hands.

Spot the difference...

The opening exchanges with Benitez, in full command of his Italian, had the club and hacks beaming as questions on tactics, team selection, and the future surrounding certain players were all dealt with in an open and calm manner.

The press room remained hushed not because the platform in front of them was bristling with hostility, but because the media was finally receiving the type of insight that they expect from coaches – they certainly got their fill of “tactical and technical” chat.

Softly spoken and looking very relaxed, Benitez did not give off the image of a man in awe of what lay ahead – not having to step out of Mourinho’s long shadow, but instead perform a seamless transition and continued dominance on the home front at least, helps.

Benitez arrives in a Serie A probably at an all-time low in terms of genuine title contenders amongst the major clubs. Juventus have all the makings of being solid yet but unspectacular, AC Milan look no closer to kick-starting a rebuilding programme while unless AS Roma find a new owner they could implode rather than explode.

The rest of the league lacks the financial clout to mount a challenge, and the likes of Sampdoria, Palermo and Napoli will have to mix and match as best they can.

Inter are also not immune to the financial constrains that are sweeping through the Italian game – and there will have to be sales before new players can be brought in. Real Madrid seem to have dropped their interest in Douglas Maicon but if €30m or so can be wrung out of either of the Manchester clubs for Mario Balotelli then the club can delve a little deeper into the transfer market.

One element that will change from Benitez’s time in England will concern his involvement in the transfer dealings: he can make suggestions but it will be sporting director Marco Branca making the final decision.

There will be no need for enormous changes within the squad and Mourinho’s philosophy of “team before self” will remain intact. In fact, it has all the makings of a very quiet pre-season for the champions – and if first impressions are anything to go by then that’s just how the new man will like it to remain.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Writing on the wall for stricken Roma

Richard Whittle — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:25:00 GMT

Would anyone out there like to buy AS Roma? The Eternal City’s flagship team has a massive fan-base and in the right hands could be potential title winners.

It could be snapped up for a knockdown price of €200 million so; please contact your local branch of Unicredit Bank of Milan and no doubt they will be happy to listen to any offers.

In fact, they will do just about anything to offload what has become another Italian financial black-hole much in the way the once flag-carrying national airline Alitalia was.

The writing has been on the wall since Rosella Sensi took over from her late father Franco two years ago and more so without any Champions League football last season, running up a debt that has now reached over €400 million...

There is no doubt that over this period her heart ruled her head – and she could have walked away rich beyond anyone’s wildest dreams by selling up: before the world financial meltdown Roma’s market value was well over €300 million.

Instead of which through the club’s controlling shareholder, Compagnia Italpetroli, she oversaw a rampant growth in debt where there could be only one winner – as anyone who has been in to hoc to a bank will testify.

Unicredit’s chief executive Alessandro Profumo – a well-known Inter fan who flew around 1,000 bank clients to the Champions League final in Madrid – finally ran out of patience but Sensi was hanging on by her well-manicured finger-nails late into Thursday evening.

After failing to reach an agreement where she would pocket a comforting €30 million, she turned to one of Silvio Berlusconi’s trusted aides Gianni Letta to intervene, but considering the way the country seems to have run into the ground by the present government that may not have been the smartest move.

However, as they say business is business and bowing to growing pressure Sensi accepted that her time was up otherwise a court of arbitration was sharpening the knives to crave up the club and cut out its heart.

The likes of Juan, Mirko Vucinic and Philippe Mexes would have gone for give-away transfer fees although at least two out of three will have to be sold anyway and any new arrivals would be loan signings.

Although Sensi will hang around until a buyer is found, her last meaningful act was posing with a XXXL shirt alongside Adriano who by the looks of it will need three or months of boot-camp to get fit.

However, it has been an unforgettable seventeen years with the Sensi family in charge: a league title, second runners-up spots, five Italian Cup finals, and Italian Super Cup and the quarter-finals of the Champions League on two occasions.

Roma could yet fall into the hands of another financial institution; Banca di Roma director Giovanni Malagò.

However, there are obvious concerns that he may not possess sufficient financial clout to banish fears that the club would slip into the mire once more.

Italian clubs are in a mess financially anyway – and even Inter will have to sell before they delve back into the transfer market – but for the moment they have resisted the urge to sell the family jewels to a foreigner.

Roma may have to accept that a white knight is only going to ride out of the Urals or gallop across the sands of the Gulf region to save the day.

If that is the case then expect a few more big names to attract foreign investment as the Italian football market hits rock bottom.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Knee-jerk ruling will hurt Italian football

Richard Whittle — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:22:00 GMT

As knee-jerk reactions go after Italy’s dismal failure in South Africa this one is going to hurt Italian football.

With the transfer market about to swing into full-on negotiating mode, sporting directors from Turin to Palermo will have to rethink their strategies after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) sprung a new law limiting the number of non European Union signings to one.

Up until Friday, clubs were gearing up to sign at least two players from outside the EU – and with a number of players shining at the World Cup there were pickings aplenty to be had.

FIGC president Giancarlo Abete - who unsurprisingly survived the post-World Cup purge only because there was no other viable candidate capable of stepping in - dropped the bombshell which the federation hopes will force clubs to promote local talent rather than look abroad.

Abete claimed that the decision had nothing to do with what happened in South Africa but the issue of whether to reduce the number of non-EU players from two to one is brought up by the federation every year and then quietly dropped.

Strange then that it should suddenly become a central totem of the game’s governing body – and looks rather heavy-handed when you consider the dearth of talent in Serie A at the moment.

What difference will it make if there are one or two non-Europeans turning out for clubs in the grand scheme of things and especially in a league that has traditionally been a welcoming destination for players from all over the world?

What the new ruling does is immediately cut a swathe through transfer options for a number of clubs.

Juventus, for example, have been chasing Edin Dzeko and Milos Krasic but will have to drop their quest for one of them; Inter can wave goodbye to signing Brazilian midfielder Ramires as they have already taken up their option on his compatriot Philippe Coutinho.

AS Roma have already landed Adriano and the player set to cause commentators a moment of hesitation, the Sri Lankan Panushanth Kulenthiran, but they had their sights set on Argentina left-back Clemente Rodriguez – not any more.

AC Milan have just released Nelson Dida so they can at step up their chase for Keisuke Honda who impressed for Japan and CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.

It is going to be tough though for Lazio whose transfer team decamped to South Africa to hunt down new talent while Udinese’s whole scouting system is built around unearthing young gems from the four corners of the globe.

Numerous players who made an impression over the last month will be heading to England, Spain, Germany and France rather than to these shores.

There is certainly a basis for ensuring that young Italian players have an opportunity to progress considering that the percentage of foreign players has leapt from 29 to 47% over the last three years.

However, as with most things where the Italians get it wrong the Germans have already got it right – and following the model of the Bundesliga where a team can have as many foreigners as they wish but eight players must have come through the youth ranks, makes sense.

This move, which frankly has left the whole of Italian football floored, is so short-sighted that it can only be seen as a step backwards for Serie A in maintaining its position amongst the European elite.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Will Italy's new broom sweep clean?

Richard Whittle — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:18:00 GMT

It is not as if a collective state of amnesia has swept the country since Italy’s early exit from the World Cup but at least it's a clean slate that awaits Cesare Prandelli as he begins his tenure in charge of the national team.

Thursday may have been a day the former Fiorentina coach will never forget – well, until he gets down to drawing up a list of players capable of restoring Italian pride on the international front.

At least expectations have been suitably realigned with the new world order, which leaves Italy in a similar position to those other fading football empires England and France.

However, the new man has the opportunity to create a fresh identity so get ready for the new buzz word in Italian football: Meritocracy. Players will be in the squad on current form, not just because they are household names.

Marcello Lippi tried this policy once in a friendly against Northern Ireland last summer ahead of the Confederations Cup – but once the World Cup qualifiers kicked in again, the ball-playing Giuseppe Mascara, Pasquale Foggia and Sergio Pellissier were immediately cast aside for a more prosaic approach.

Prandelli’s first task will be to ensure that he does not follow that tired and tested route to ultimate failure – and add to that unwanted number of one- or two-cap wonders.

His biggest worry must be that the young players will not get a chance at club level over the arc of a season to even merit a cap but there is no doubt that Mario Balotelli will finally make the breakthrough to the senior squad for the friendly against Ivory Coast in August.

There should be space for Davide Santon, who drifted off the radar following the Confederations Cup – but at least the full-back wasn't tainted with the same brush as those who travelled to South Africa this time around.

Spot the difference: Confederations Cup line-up v Egypt

Domenico Criscito, Claudio Marchisio and Leonardo Bonucci will have learnt from last month’s sobering experience - and then there should be room for Lorenzo De Silvestre at Prandelli’s former club and Bonucci’s central defensive partner Andrea Ranocchia, whose season was curtailed by a knee injury.

So already there are seven names that could breathe a bit of freshness into what had become such a stale set-up – and then of course there is Antonio Cassano. The people’s choice will be a mature 28 in a week or so, and the newly-married Sampdoria star may turn gamekeeper to keep the youngsters in line or least take the pressure of their shoulders.

Tradition will be maintained with the most capped player – in this case Gigi Buffon – wearing the captain’s armband but promoting Daniele De Rossi to vice-captain is the correct move, as will be paying more than lip-service to selecting players who may not have been born Italian but hold the requisite passport.

The press conference at Prandelli’s unveiling certainly gave hope that this would be a more approachable and humble Azzurri set-up compared to the torrid tail-end of the Lippi reign.

Of course it's not difficult to be amiable when you are attempting to make a good first impression: just look at Jose Mourinho on his arrival at Inter. But at least Prandelli starts on the right foot, well respected both within the game and amongst the media.

With a solid club record, an amenable personality and an ability to get the best out of even the most wayward performers the new Commissario Tecnico is at least in there on merit.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Inter prepare to board managerial merry-go-round, thanks to the Deserting One

Richard Whittle — Mon, 31 May 2010 10:57:00 GMT

Not only did he skip the celebrations back in Milan, he failed to even board the team coach outside the Bernabeu stadium - preferring to jump into his new sugar daddy’s car to whizz off into the Spanish sunset.

The spurned Massimo Moratti certainly felt he had been letdown and much of the shine had been taken off the club’s defining moment, with the future of his soon-to-be former coach grabbing the headlines.

Like any divorce involving the obscenely rich, it usually comes down to splitting the filthy lucre – and in this case it was a €16 million settlement at the centre of the final split.

However, even if Inter did wring €8 million out of the Deserting One, the former object of Nerazzurri affection still walked away without a second glance.

Moratti knows that Florentino Perez will be back sniffing around for Douglas Maicon, so expect a few extra million euros on the price tag and of course Real can forget about the €3 million that it is still owed on Wesley Sneijder

And now Inter have to join the summer merry-go-round to install a new coach.

While the majority of them are quite happy where they are, it is a fact of life for an Italian coach that the summer will be spent house-hunting and getting to know a new club.

Over half of the Serie A misters will be on the move over the next month or so as presidents up and down the country look for instant success.

While Inter have been linked with Fabio Capello (the firm fan favourite), Carlos Dunga, Luciano Spalletti and Luiz Felipe Scolari, Serie A rivals Juventus have already signed up Luigi Del Neri – a man who seems permanently stuck in fast-forward mode, so quickly does he speak.

Taking Sampdoria to fourth place was an achievement in itself but doing the same with the ailing Old Lady will just not do, so Del Boy has his work cut out - especially as the team needs a complete overall. Then there’s the small matter of keeping Juve’s other Del Boy happy too...

Samp have gone for another middle-of-the-road manager in Domenico Di Carlo, while AC Milan are edging towards Massimiliano Allegri only because Silvio Berlusconi cannot spare the time from his duties of running the country into the ground.

AS Roma will retain Claudio Ranieri, but he cannot be overjoyed that the famed fan of life’s simpler pleasures, Adriano (yes, that one), will be hitting the spa town that is known as Rome.

Fiorentina have lost Cesare Prandelli to the greater cause that is the Italy national team and the candidate list for his replacement is as long as the weekend traffic jam coming off the motorway outside Florence.

However Sinisa Mihajlovic will probably already have a Viola scarf around his neck by the time you read this, having resigned from Catania in the mistaken belief that Moratti would take him back.

Francesco Guidolin and Pasquale Marino only need to swap notes after swapping clubs with the former heading to Udinese as the latter gets ready to speed down the motorway to Parma.

Plenty more kilometres will be eaten up as too many coaches chase too few jobs but all eyes will be on that very special job – the real tasty one at Inter.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Italy fail to get their fans onside as Lippi prepares to name final 23

Richard Whittle — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:18:00 GMT

Italy have set off on the sort of World Cup build up that on the face of it does not bode well for the finals themselves: the squad booed and jeered on its first official outing.

This was a result of Marcello Lippi and his 28-man squad’s refusal to stop and sign autographs as they boarded their bus for the maiden training session in the alpine resort of Sestriere above Turin.

It was mostly dads with their young sons who had just paid €8 for the pleasure of gathering around a hotel exit to watching their heroes walk out of the foyer and climb on to a bus - so they could have at least expected the players to scribble something on a piece of paper.

Enthusiasm turned to disappointment which is the majority feeling on the Azzurri chances of defending their crown in South Africa.

The PR gaff has since been partially corrected with free access to training on the snowy Alpine peaks for the next few days but as we know Italy only really respond well in adversity.

Four years ago the party travelled to Germany with a valid reason to lift the Cup but this time as World champions they have everything to lose which does not sit squarely on Italian shoulders.

Lippi will need to direct the sense that they have been written off even before they leave these shores by molding a united group of players with the desire to win over the doubters.

The final culling of five players ahead of the June 1 deadline will inform us on whether Italy are travelling to the tournament to make up the numbers or as potential history-makers

Having jettisoned the penalty shoot-out hero of Berlin, Fabio Grosso, and his Juventus team-mate Antonio Candreva from the original 30, the coach has already demonstrated that what was achieved in the past counts for nothing and there will be no favours for anyone.

There are eight players from 2006 and both Mauro Camoranesi and Gianluca Zambrotta would seem to be the ones in jeopardy especially if Lippi decides that three at the back and five in midfield is the preferred system.

Camoranesi would come under pressure from not only Simone Pepe but also Andrea Cossu who just might be the surprise choice as he is at home playing just ahead of two holding midfielders if two wing-backs are to be employed.

Zambrotta could slot into one of those wing-back positions although Christian Maggio is a better crosser of the ball and can pop up with the odd goal now and then.

However, the AC Milan veteran is certainly versatile and has spent a good part of his career on the left so he may just edge out Mattia Cassani.

The name of Salvatore Bocchetti keeps popping up as the other odd-man out in the defence but the Genoa player offers genuine cover in the centre of the backline.

Let’s take it as read that there will not be four goalkeepers in the party, so with Salvatore Sirigu left at home there may be a case for leaving the defence well alone - dropping two in midfield and two forwards.

Camoranesi would be one and Riccardo Montolivo would have to be the other as he does not offer more than adequate cover for Andrea Pirlo, whose position can be taken up by potential utility-man Angelo Palombo, who can also be used as an emergency defender.

Upfront, the names of Fabio Quagliarella and Giuseppe Rossi immediately spring to mind, although if it came down to one to miss out then it would have to be the Napoli striker who seems to have lost that spark for the unexpected.

So as it stands it is Sirigu, Cassani, Camoranesi, Montolivo and Quagliarella who will not have to worry about autograph hunters.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Party time in Milan, but the 'Blubbering One' doesn't fancy the challenge

Richard Whittle — Mon, 24 May 2010 07:52:00 GMT

A Saturday night hasn’t had this much fever since John Travolta donned a white suit and swaggered into the mindset of a generation.

In footballing terms, Diego Milito is the latter day Tony Manero for the manner in which the Argentine strutted through the Bayern Munich defence on an unforgettable and highly-charged evening in Madrid.

Jose Mourinho can turn on the water-works as neatly as Milito turned Daniel Van Buyten and his two left feet in the area, and there he was again for the second time in less than a week snivelling into the sleeve of his expensive suit.

And of course alongside the Blubbering One was a manically-beaming Massimo Moratti, who must be the worst investor in the world, having had to wait fifteen years for a return on the near one billion Euros thrown into his all-consuming goal of winning the big one his father Angelo landed in successive years back in the 1960s.

In fact, he cut short the Sky Sports Italia presenter who decided that, in the moment of the purring president’s greatest achievement, he should bring up the matter of all those failed signings - and terminated the post-game interview with a curt good-night before turning on his heels and disappearing into the night.

Back in Milan they have been gathering in their thousands all day and anyone who has ever staggered across Piazza Duomo laden down with designer purchases or trailing in the wake of a significant-other in a shopping daze will know how grand that open space from one side to the other is.

"Hang on - if I'm here and you're there, who's driving...?"

Well, it was not just packed on Saturday evening, it was heaving, over-flowing, bursting to the seams to do any Italian game-show dancer proud – estimates put the crowd at 100,000.

The Nerazzurri faithful had come from near and far to be in the very cradle of the club’s existence – as it was in a restaurant just around the corner from the city’s main square that Internazionale was formed by a group of disgruntled AC Milan types who were fed up with too many Italians in the team.

The founding fathers would have been settling contended in their graves when the teams walked out without one Italian in the starting line-up – and the roar that greeted the final whistle was enough to awaken the dead as a life-time of frustration and exasperation came pouring out.

Forty-five years is a long time for anyone walk to around with a sense of “what it’s all about” but for Inter fans of a certain age - Moratti would count himself amongst them – they at last got it.

NEWS: Inter crowned kings of Europe

So this is why we exist: this truly is the meaning of life and the universe wrought whole into this rather cramped space they may or may not have mused.

Even if the celebrating and absolutely delirious Inter followers could only express themselves in a succession of grunts, screams and the odd yelp it was a sight to behold.

Needless to say the party went on all night as fans raced through the city on mopeds waving huge flags and motorists honked their horns in scenes more akin to week-day rush-hour traffic in say Naples or Rome rather than staid-old Milan.

Around 50,000 fans even found the energy to tramp out to the San Siro to welcome the team back at 6am with a dawn chorus.

"Please don't make me stay Mummy - the other boys are horrible to me!"

The flight that touched down at Malpensa airport an hour earlier was shorn of many of the main protagonists including Mourinho who had remained in Madrid with Moratti for no doubt one last, lingering good-bye.

Now, there is a question that has to be raised.

We all know that Jose is sick and tired of certain elements of the Italian game, with the media topping his list of hates but fellow coaches, rival presidents, Mario Balotelli and all other clubs are not far behind.

He has been plotting his exit strategy for some time and now that he feels his work is done he can say whatever he wants - but the fact that he told RAI Sports that he was looking for a “new challenge” had something of a hollow ring to it.

What can be more demanding than attempting to repeat the achievements of this year with Inter? No club has defended the Champions League crown in its current form or repeated a treble for that matter – and what kudos in the game would accompany such a feat?

Seeing as he is only about one signing away from hitting the billion-euro mark on transfers anyway, surely Moratti could have provided his dream maker with all the riches he required for what would have been the real challenge?

NEWS: Zanetti desperate for Mourinho to stay

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Mourinho's impending departure leaves Moratti lost for words

Richard Whittle — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:55:00 GMT

Jose Mourinho may have booked a one-way ticket out of Italy along with all of his possessions - and if Inter lose to Bayern Munich on Saturday evening we will not see him back on these shores until Real Madrid play here again.

It may not be an obsession for the Portuguese to win the Champions League, having already tasted success with Porto, but that cannot be said for his soon-to-be late employers and their legions of fans who expect nothing else but to witness the Holy Grail in all its shining glory displayed in the Duomo on Sunday evening.

Massimo Moratti is certainly feeling the weight of destiny hanging over him as he attempts to emulate his father Angelo's feat of landing the trophy some 45 years ago.

In fact, his gruff tones which are such a feature of everyday life on Italian sports news bulletins, have been remained silent after admitting that his 14th and most successful coach will not be around for much longer.

Usually you cannot keep the man away from a microphone but obviously Mou’s defection has hit him hard so it has been left to the fans on the street to voice their opinions, doubts and predictions on what will be the Special One's last great act at the club.

It has been another week of frayed nerves and lost appetites for the Nerazzurri faithful; La Gazzetta dello Sport even provided its readers with a detailed survival pack for those lucky enough to be making the trip to the Bernabeu stadium.

Amongst the check-list of identity card, scarf and so forth should have been throat spray such has been the endless chatter on how events will unfold across the Iberian Peninsula.

The team's final training session saw a few hundred fans gather out at Appiano Gentile for a rousing send-off and a final attempt to persuade his Holiness of Setubal to remain in situ.

"I'll keep in touch, I promise..."

"Please don't go Jose," they screamed to no one in particular; much better to save one’s voice for a full-throttled backing on Saturday evening.

No doubt the man at the centre of all this fawning was happy to get his feet under the table in his new surroundings after the full party flew out on Wednesday as a precaution against the threat of volcanic dust sweeping down through Europe.

As it turned out the skies were clear and the omens are set fair for an Inter victory – no doubt Manchester United thought the same thing ahead of their meeting with Bayern Munich – but Jose and his men have never been ones to undersell their own worth.

There is enough quality and experience to see Inter through on a day where captain Javier Zanetti will make his 700th career appearance, and Walter Samuel, Esteban Cambiasso and Wesley Sneijder will be back on their old stomping ground.

There will be no surprises in the starting XI apart from Zanetti occupying the covering role in front of the defence alongside Cambiasso in the absence of Thiago Motta – and little deviation from the manner in which Cheslea were dismissed over two legs and the way Barcelona were dispatched at the San Siro.

Mourinho has employed a 4-2-3-1 formation or with a slight variation morphing into a 4-2-1-3 ever since the competition got underway again in late February.

He will come up against his old boss Louis Van Gaal, who is even more obsessive when it comes to note taking so the aim will be to hit Bayern early and hard then ruthlessly keep the opposition pinned back to ensure that Arjen Robben, as like Lionel Messi, has little or no space to fire up those weaving runs.

However, it is going forward where Inter can catch the Germans out and Sneijder will be the key to the master plan as he has been throughout this momentous season.

Drifting beyond the Bayern midfield the playmaker can exploit the space in front of the penalty-area to play Diego Milito or Samuel Eto’o into a goalscoring position.

There should also be opportunities arising to take advantage of the Dutchman’s expertise at dead-ball situations – and it could well be a set-piece that settles the outcome.

It has been a long wait for glory and Inter can let this moment pass them by – especially now that Mourinho has locked up the house for one last time.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Inter Milan dominate Serie Aaaaargh's Team of the Season

Richard Whittle — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:31:00 GMT

So another Serie A season comes kicking and screaming to an end – and once again Inter lord it over one and all although all credit to AS Roma for at least making it an exciting run-in.

And keeping with traditional it is time to unveil the Serie Aaaaargh XI of the year so as quickly as Jose Mourinho can high-tail it to Madrid, let’s getting going.

There has to be a formation of course and we will bow to the Special One and go for a 4-2-3-1 line-up which gives us plenty of opportunity to select a good mix of flair and power just like good old Jose does.

The goalkeeper position saw the usual suspects - Gigi Buffon and Julio Cesar - drop below their usual high-standards but certainly the future looks in safe hands with both Federico Marchetti and Salvatore Sirigu enjoying breakthrough campaigns.

However, it is another Julio who has really caught the eye: Julio Sergio. The AS Roma keeper was nothing more than a bench-warmer until Alexander Doni picked up an injury and then lost all confidence in his ability.

Not particularly tall and generally incapable of catching a high cross which is no major defect in Italian football, the Brazilian’s reflex saves provided some of the stand-out moments of the year – the most memorable being the penalty save against Lazio.

Right-back has been something of a movable feast this season with a number of midfielders converted to a deeper role such as Christian Maggio at Napoli.

Another potential member of the Italy World Cup squad Mattia Cassani has been solid but for sear dynamism not to mention an eye for goal then we can look no further than Douglas Maicon.

The Inter man was of course part of the meanest defence in the land so it is no surprise that Shrek-a-like in the heart of defence will be at least one of his team-mates: Lucio has had his moments but Walter Samuel has not only been a wall but an absolute rock.

Thiago Silva held Milan’s aging backline together and how they could do with a youngster such as Simon Kjaer of Palermo. Cannavaro had a good season – no not Fabio, but brother Paolo down at Napoli.

However, it is another unheralded player and an Argentine as well who lines up alongside Samuel – and that is Nicolas Burdisso.

Discarded by Inter like an old cardboard box, the South America turned out to be as tough as teak to fortify Roma’s previously porous defence, so he edges it ahead of his more classy team-mate Juan.

Fabio Grosso’s exclusion from Marcello Lippi’s preliminary 28-man squad for South Africa should see Domenico Criscito make the Italy left-back position his own but the Genoa youngster is probably more at home as a wing-back.

John Arne Riise has become something of a cult hero with the Roma fans but lacks a bit of pace for our liking unlike another lesser name for many: Federico Balzaretti.

It seemed that after leaving Juventus and then failing to impress at Fiorentina, Palermo would be the end of the line, but his forays along the flank, neat touch and excellent positional sense are more than worthy reasons for his inclusion.

There are enough candidates in the Inter team to anchor the midfield and while Esteban Cambiasso and Thiago Motta have spoilt many a free-flowing attack, Javier Zanetti stands head and shoulders above the rest with an unruffled approach to match his hair-cut.

Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo have both suffered from pushing their bodies to the limit over the last four years and as they run out of steam so Angelo Palombo has kept going in the Sampdoria engine room.

With the defence and midfield firmly anchored to repel any storm further ahead we can that much more creative.

It certainly has been a year for the return of the vintage trequartista – Javier Pastore at Palermo, Cagliari’s Andrea Cossu, Clarence Seedorf during the first half of the season, Jeremy Menez at Roma in the second, but unfortunately not Diego.

Wesley Sneijder, on the other hand, only needed two minutes into his debut for Inter in the derby to demonstrate that Real Madrid must have lost all sense of reason in allowing the Dutch master to leave.

The diminutive number 10 has the freedom of the park through the middle and there is an abundance of talent who can operate down either flank as well interchanging positions with the main striker.

So whom to pick?

Samuel Eto’o has shown versatility; Fabrizio Miccoli has been at his pigeon-toed best; Antonio Cassano’s late-season form was what we expect from the Bari Bawler while Ronaldinho was at times an exclusion zone in his own little area out on the left but still capable of flashes of blinding skill.

They all deserve special mention but we need a little more zip and goals to boot so it is Antonio Di Natale on the right and Mirko Vucinic on the left.

They can switch flanks with ease or drift inside in a heartbeat; Vucinic picked up the pieces as Francesco Totti fell apart while how can you leave out someone who scored 29 goals for Udinese no less?

You can’t, not when you have a main striker who is going to draw this array of talent to him.

That man of course can only be Diego 'The Prince' Milito – the league’s most clinical finisher and an unselfish runner who brings others into the game.

So there you have it: a team that would give the best from the English Premier League and La Liga a run for their money.

Of you may not think so and as you sip your cappuccino or coffee feel free to come up your own team of the year.

Goalkeeper: Julio Sergio (AS Roma)

Defence: Douglas Maicon (Inter Milan), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Nicolas Burdisso (AS Roma), Federico Balzaretti (Palermo)

Midfield: Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria)

Midlfield/Trequartista: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Mirko Vucinic (AS Roma)

Attacker: Diego Milito (Inter Milan)

Mourinho left misty-eyed at impending farewell

Richard Whittle — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:34:00 GMT

The day of destiny for Serie A could have ended in tears - and in fact it did but not from the expected source.

As AS Roma accepted their fate with a rare show of stoicism, it was a strange sight indeed to see Jose Mourinho welling up with emotion as the feat of taking Inter to the league and Cup double was itched into his heavily-stubbled face.

A cynic may say they were crocodile tears or the tears of the showman milking his last current call, but the emotion did seem genuine enough from a man who likes nothing better than a sense of theatre.

There had been drama for nearly an hour as AS Roma held the advantage with their two goals at Chievo but then as on so many occasions this season Diego Milito popped up to burst the Roman bubble and set the bubbly on ice in Siena.

With history made on the domestic front there is nothing to keep the Portuguese on these shores anymore even if he fails to land the Treble in Madrid.

There is no hope of even Massimo Moratti with all his deep pockets retaining the services of his star attraction even if the man in question was happy with life in Italy – which he isn’t.

After all, Mourinho has stated many times that he wants to win the title in England, Italy and Spain.

He will soon be setting up home in the Spanish capital and let us hope he is a bit more respectful of his surrounding there than he has been in belittling his current abode.

NEWS: Nervy Inter seal Serie A title

Even in the moment of Inter’s triumph as the players danced around the Artemio Franchi stadium – well park pitch with a couple of rickety stands bolted on – Mourinho was turning the knife one last time.

"This is not my home; it’s not an easy place to work and be happy," he told those self-same reporters whom he had been ignoring for the last two months.

It was a calculated dig at his hosts who pride Italy as one giant casa where everyone is invited to pop in for a bowl of mama’s homemade pasta – and it was also a veiled warning to any foreign coach considering a move to Serie A and having the temerity to even try and emulate his achievements.

So watch out then Rafa Benitez, if Massimo Moratti comes a calling.

There is also the issue that this Inter team has peaked and if they defeat Bayern Munich next Saturday then what next for those history-making players – a repeat performance is unlikely to happen.

It is an aging side, with only Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon under 20 while Wesley Sneijder and Goran Pandev are in their mid-20s – but the remainder of the squad are heading into or already in the twilight years of their careers.

Mourinho built this squad for such a moment as Sunday, and off course to win the Champions League - and although Moratti can go out and potentially land just about any player he wants there will be no massive turnover of playing personnel next season.

Mou would love to take Sneijder and Milito to Madrid but that seems very unlikely: Moratti will not let his old employee cherry-pick his team, but Sneijder is already a Real reject while the Argentine for all his rapier-like goalscoring is no Galacticos photo-fit.

However, such concerns can be left to another day for now – and it may have been Roma that put the romance back into the title race but the real drama has only ever centred on one man.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Mourinho set for one final wind-up as Inter prepare for title showdown

Richard Whittle — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:38:00 GMT

Roma’s mantra over the last month or so ìIt’ll never happen but if it does Öî will finally be laid to rest one way or another this weekend.

The phrase has appeared on banners and has been printed up on T-shirts - and no doubt many of the 10,000-plus Giallorossi support travelling to Verona to will be reciting the lucky charm along the way.

While the Romans lay siege to Chievo’s Bentegodi stadium; heading along the motorway in the opposite direction will be the Inter tifosi en-route for Tuscany where they will be expecting a title party to take place.

It is north against south, the Capital against the financial powerbase, the villain against the hero and gripping stuff it promises to be indeed on a day of destiny.

In fact, so concerned are the local authorities in both Rome and Milan that total social collapse is only 90 minutes away that both AC Milan and Lazio have had their games switched to Saturday evening.

Their reasoning was it was better not to risk mayhem ensuing outside the San Siro and Olympic stadiums when either of the city rivals were crowned champions.

So, Milan and Lazio fans can make themselves scarce on Sunday and what ignominy it is for Milan not to mention Juventus whose traditional showdown has become no more than a TV schedule filler.

However, there was only ever going to be one prime-time and the tension has been cranking up all week to such an extent that radio stations in both cities have had to close their phone lines a few minutes after going on air to deal with the surge from those unable to keep their emotions in check.

And there has been plenty of speculation on how the afternoon will pan out; needless to say conspiracies have been fuelled like jet planes.

Of course, a mischievous Portuguese threw petrol on the fire by joking – well he said it was a tongue-in-cheek comment - that Roma would pay Siena to beat his side.

SERIE A PREVIEWS: Del Neri rumours hamper Samp

It is a wonder Jose Mourinho didn’t mention that Siena’s team owner is called Mezzaroma or like Roma they sport a she-wolf on their shirts, but casting aspersions over the integrity of Italian football has been his favourite past time of late.

The usually serene Claudio Ranieri hit back by claiming that his nemesis was a ìloose cannon,î ready to go off unexpectedly one day.

The lovable old Roman doesn’t believe his rival is that special and has quizzed members of the press why they hype up an already over-sized ego.

That sense of self worth will go stellar on Sunday if Inter do the Double and it will be absolutely stratospheric if he lands the Champions League the following weekend – that could be grounds for a no-fly zone over the western Mediterranean.

Can the unthinkable happen to finally wipe that smug grin off Jose’s face?

Well, apart from Roma, Siena are the only side to have pushed Inter all the way at the San Siro - and although already relegated they will not roll over as Lazio did a few weeks ago.

In fact, for once Jose may be regretting opening his mouth although the way he has been making overtures to Real Madrid he is probably past caring what he says in Italy.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Is reigning champ Lippi throwing out a smokescreen with his selection?

Richard Whittle — Wed, 12 May 2010 10:21:00 GMT

Marcello Lippi has revealed that he already knows which 23 players will be making the trip to South Africa to defend Italy’s world crown.

Seven players will head to the pre-tournament training camp near Turin on May 23rd already earmarked for the heart-breaking news that they do not feature in the coach’s plans, but is the old fox throwing out a smokescreen as thick as his famous cigar smoke?

There could still yet be room for a surprise or two as the Azzurri boss attempts to energise a squad that on the whole looks well past its sell-by-date.

The goalkeeper situation is the most settled area of the team: Gianluigi Buffon will of course be the undisputed No. 1 and barring injury or suspension both Morgan De Sanctis and Federico Marchetti will not see any game time. But for Marchetti in particular the experience will be invaluable as the current Cagliari keeper has been ear-marked as Gigi’s heir at club and international level.

Palermo’s young shot-stopper Salvatore Sirigu will benefit from pre-tournament experience and is definitely an international in the making.

The problems begin to become clear as soon as we get to the out-field players and for a nation famed for its defensive prowess there is no embarrassment of riches.

NEWS: Totti & Legrottaglie left out of Italy squad

The fault lies with the fact that the old guard have not grown old gracefully, or in many cases done the right thing and stepped aside, which is also partially Lippi’s error on his return.

So going into the first group game against Paraguay we could see three of the heroes of Berlin plus Giorgio Chiellini shoring up the backline: captain Fabio Cannavaro will partner Chiellini in the centre of the defence flanked by Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso.

If things do not get off to a positive start then there could be a complete reshuffle of the backline.

Leonardo Bonucci could come into a back-three allowing Lippi to employ two wing-backs such as Christian Maggio and Domenico Crisito to offer some much-needed freshness – such a strategy would probably see Salvatore Bocchetti and Mattia Cassani miss out.

The central of midfield will be another area where we have seen it all before, with Andrea Pirlo, Rino Gattuso and Daniele De Rossi all certainties but, Lippi will need cover which would come in the shape of Angelo Palombo, Claudio Marchisio and Riccardo Montolivo .

Out wide, Mauro Camoranesi will definitely make the final 23 which would leave his Juventus team-mate Andrea Candreva along with Andrea Cossu and Simone Pepe fighting for the last place: Candreva is the more versatile so he should get the nod.

There is room for five attackers but Lippi may feel that a physical approach is more of a priority especially as the tournament progresses so Vincenzo Iaquinta, Giampaolo Pazzini, Alberto Gilardino, Antonio Di Natale and Marco Borriello will be on the plane, with the flair players Guiseppe Rossi and Fabio Quagliarella back home watching on TV.

Roma fans unconcerned by Totti's cup final petulance

Richard Whittle — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:10:00 GMT

If any player was feeling a little uncomfortably about walking out on to a football pitch on Sunday, then it must have been Francesco Totti.

The AS Roma captain had been vilified for his unruly behaviour in the Italian Cup final where he booted Mario Balotelli not once but twice and then had to defend himself from allegations that he had made a racist comment towards the Inter player.

Totti admitted that he had lost his head but his subsequent claims that Balotelli had it coming for, among other things, winding the Roma players and fans up in the league match at the San Siro last season suggested that his actions in the dying moments of the game may have been premeditated.

The fall-out was the sort of bad press someone looking to impress his national team coach ahead of the World Cup could do without - and it is still touch and go whether Marcello Lippi will recall the bad boy for South Africa – a decision that will become clear on Tuesday.

Another concern for the veteran is that, although he has a €5million-a-year contract with Roma until 2014, there are also a number of very lucrative commercial endorsements to be milked.

The last thing he wants is a major mobile phone operator refusing to return his calls come time for the renewal of his biggest cash cow; considering that it is a family affair and his missus also plays a central role in the ad campaign as well.

So it was time to embark on a charm offensive at the Olympic stadium yesterday: Mrs Totti handed the kids over to dad for the afternoon so he could carry them into the work place which just happened to have 60,000-plus people waiting to maybe voice their disappointment at their fallen hero.

He need not have been too concerned as his adoring public were never going to turn against one of their own, especially when they had been told that his only crime had been to act like a true Roman in defending the honour of the city and just as importantly the Roma colours.

In fact, local radio station Radio Roma had been encouraging fans to wear the Totti number ten shirt at the match – Mrs Totti made sure she was caught on camera displaying her figure-hugging version when the teams marched out.

The banners dotted around the stands made it clear that Totti need not search for redemption amongst the faithful – "Thank-you captain, we are all behind you for defending our Roma."

You cannot buy popularity such as this but then again maybe this stay-at-home attitude has come at a price - and we will never know if he would have become universally adored on the back of moving to Real Madrid, which apparently was once an option.

However, remaining a big fish in a small pond has enabled Totti to develop a skewed view of what is right and wrong – and in doing so exposed the flaws that seem to go hand-in-hand with a sporting genius.

There have the petulant kicks, the spitting incident at Euro 2004 and of course the constant baiting of the neighbours Lazio, which at times have offered some comic relief for one side of the River Tiber at least.

And it was along the famous old river that he found the sort of welcome that would have brought a tear to any Italian mama when it comes to forgiving an errant son.

Of course, there was a match to be won to ensure that the title would head into the final weekend – and Totti would have to play his part as a thank-you for the undying fawning showered upon him.

He did in the end but for a long time it seemed that the leading man was going to let everyone down; first by doing little but stand around in the middle of the pitch and then when a goalscoring opportunity arose somehow chipping the ball over the bar from in front of the goal.

Then just when it seemed the Giallorossi season would finally peter-out in the Spring sunshine after Cagliari – yes there was another team involved but they were only meant to be there to make up the numbers – scored; the man with the Roman gladiator tattooed on his shoulder remembered his role as heroic savour.

A smart turn in the area and an angled shot brought the equaliser and then when offered the opportunity to score the game-winning penalty he took it with the aplomb of a conquering Caesar returning from taming the hordes.

Just in case the advertisers and sponsors had not gotten the picture there was a well-choreographed lap-of-honour with various kids in tow – it was Roman theatre at its most extravagant and the sort of occasion that any ancient emperor would have revelled in.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Unruly Totti's moment of madness unlikely to impress Lippi

Richard Whittle — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:52:00 GMT

The Italian Cup final was shown in 3D in selected cinemas in Milan and Rome and the viewers must have felt as battered and bruised as the players at the full-time whistle.

There were Avatar moments aplenty as players fell pole-axed at the slightest touch while others went flying through the air as the studs flew and boots waded in for real.

Quite a few of the audience must have ducked during the many phlegm-filled moments when the protagonists gobbed-off to one and other - and covered their ears as one foul-mouth rant followed another.

Referee Nicola Rizzoli demonstrated sterling resilience in not brandishing the red card more than just the once but it must have been some sight in all its high-technology glory especially as the recipient was the unruly Francesco Totti.

It was brutal enough watching the game on HD and no doubt those wearing the funny glasses are receiving the appropriate counselling - much as those faint-hearted souls who first witnessed the Exorcist film were calmed down.

Yes, it was riveting at times but it was also traumatic and certainly not for lovers of the beautiful game or even the mildly-attractive for that matter.

In fact, it was pretty much a horror show all round and it was Totti who had heads spinning with his snarling and down-right shocking foul on Mario Balotelli who he then booted in the head when the young lad was face down on the turf.

For such a mean-spirited act the Roma man should be banned from selection for the World Cup, although his lumbering performance as a second-half substitute will probably not have Marcello Lippi reaching to make the phone call anyway.

Luca Toni is another old crock who should be putting his feet up this summer after his grappling match with Marco Materazzi was only brought to an end when Walter Samuel came on and sorted the two old bean-poles out – removing his team-mate from the fray to go and stand in the middle of the penalty area while he put lame Luca in his place.

NEWS: Inter lift Italian Cup

Every few of those involved left the field of conflict with their good name intact: Nicolas Burdisso could easily have been sent-off in the first-half and his first challenge of the evening after less than sixty second left Wesley Sneijder unable to walk.

The Dutchman hobbled off soon after, leaving the only real touch of class to come from Diego Milito whose crisp strike at the end of a quick break was enough to seal stage one of ‘The Treble’ quest.

No doubt the events of Sunday in the same Olympic Stadium effected the ‘home side’ – surely it is time to move the game to a neutral venue if the Roman clubs reach the final again – and there was a poisonous atmosphere hanging around the stadium.

What we can take from the game is that Jose Mourinho will probably employ the same game-plan in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, which he will no doubt defend as 'the ends justify the means'.

Once they had gone a goal ahead, Inter looked to kill the contest off and there was still another half to play.

When the ball went out - even when it was thrown back quickly - it still took an age for the sphere to find its way out of the thrower’s hands and back onto the pitch.

Free-kicks were also treated as an opportunity for an extended discussion on how far away the wall was while other blatant time-wasting tactics became the order of the day.

Then when everyone was just about to scream in exasperation ìget on with itî, suddenly the Nerazzurri midfield would spring into life and Milito, Samuel Eto’o along with the very impressive Balotelli would scurrying off into the danger-zone to create mayhem in the opposition defence.

After spending the first 45 minutes lofting the ball towards the inert Toni, Roma returned for the second-half attempting to move the ball forward quickly along the ground - but just like Barcelona they floundered in a sea of black and blue shirts in the final third of the pitch.

There was half-chance here and there but as the clock ticked down so Roman frustration turned to hysteria which made for utterly unpleasant viewing no matter if it was in 3D or not.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Rafa needs to be a gentleman and not keep the Old Lady waiting

Richard Whittle — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:10:00 GMT

While Rafa Benitez agonises over whether he should leave Liverpool, the new Old Lady in his life is getting a little anxious.

As it stands, Juventus - like any hopeful new flame - will wait a little longer for the Spaniard to make the break and set up home in Turin.

However, she is not going to openly beg him to walk hand-in-hand together into a bright new future – and in the role of the ‘other woman’ she has to protect herself.

If Benitez is not going to make the first move then she is not going to look a fool and tell the world that she has been doing all the chasing.

Better to drop a hint or two that others suitors could be allowed to flirt around the front door – and would fit the bill just as well – such as Cesare Prandelli and Luciano Spalletti.

Neither party are up to much at the moment – Prandelli is kicking his heels at Fiorentina where all the signs are that the club are ready to offload the backbone of the team, while Spalletti is marking time in Russia only because he cannot coach in Serie A for a season after walking out on AS Roma.

So, just to focus Benitez on what he would be missing, Juve media outlet Tuttosport have been flashing the aforementioned names across their pages for the last couple of days, but there will be tears and tantrums if she doesn’t get her man.

NEWS: Benitez fails to shed light on future

There is plenty to incite someone who has become used to the finer things in life – the tax-free salary which is set to be something in the region of Ä12 million over three years and the Ä80 million transfer kitty which could well be increased if new president Andrea Agnelli can wring a few more million out of his cousin John Elkann.

The wage bill is also set to be cut with Gigi Buffon leading the charge for the exit door followed by David Trezeguet, Mauro Camoranesi and Momo Sissoko who will be out the back door anyway if Benitez is walking up the path.

Buffon has already made his pitch for the Premier League, so he will sit back and wait and see if Manchester or London coming calling.

Trezeguet would like nothing better than to be granted membership to the AC Milan country club, Camoranesi fancies the south of France and Marseille and Sissoko’s gangly frame could find favour in France or back in the Premier League.

The door is open for new man; all he needs to do is ask for a divorce and start a new life – he can even bring his best mates with him so he doesn’t feel lonely out on the training pitch and on the bench.

The chosen son has also given his blessing: Alex Del Piero has already been ear-marked for future elevation to the board of directors so he will be hiring and firing coaches someday soon anyway.

All and all there is plenty to woo Rafa to the charms along the banks of the River Po, so now he needs to the gentlemanly thing – and not keep the lady waiting.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

De Rossi pleas ignored as Lazio fans get their way against Inter

Richard Whittle — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:22:00 GMT

The sight of AS Roma players encouraging their Lazio counterparts to show a little city solidarity against Inter was akin to the banking fraternity joining the Proles in the May Day parades.

The way the economy is heading that may just happen in the future, but hearing Daniele De Rossi plead with his bitter rivals to at least put up a good show against his side's title rivals wasn't something anybody would ever have predicted - but that's the bizarre world of Italian football.

It was a bit twitchy in the Capital at the weekend and conspiracy theorist were lurking at every corner along with those caught in two minds on how to approach a game where it would be the players not those in the stands who would decide the outcome – or would they?

There were those who felt very strongly that you should nail your colours to the flag and never concede one iota to the enemy - who would have their own agenda anyway - and then those in the opposing camp whose feelings were that “my enemy’s enemy is my friend.”

The Lazio fans on the whole fell into the latter grouping although in the Serie Aaaaargh! straw poll when faced with the conundrum of whether they would rather scupper Roma’s title chances than stay up they had to admit that it was a close call – a season in Serie B wouldn’t be the end of the world.

At that moment they were waiting to see how results would pan out on Sunday afternoon and as it turned out events could not have gone any better.

Certainly Roma felt that they needed to lecture their neighbours on how to behave, citing Parma’s full-bloodied efforts against them on Saturday as the correct manner in which to face the encounter.

It was not as if Parma had nothing to play for, as they were not mathematically safe from the drop, although a twelve-point advantage over third-bottom Atalanta would not have had them quaking in their boots too much.

Lazio’s six-point gap from the drop zone was a little more perilous, but then the Bergamo bunglers eased the conscience of any Laziale grabbling with thoughts of becoming a turncoat for the day.

Atalanta could only draw at home to Bologna, leaving the Romans needing to find a point from their remaining three games to stay up: if not Inter there was always Livorno or Udinese.

Of course, Lazio spoiled Inter’s title party back in 2002 when they defeated Hector Cuper’s men 4-2 on the last day to leave Karel Poborsky bemused at the abuse he received from his own fans after scoring twice on an afternoon of high-drama.

NEWS: Inter beat Lazio to return to summit

Marco Materazzi was so taken aback by Lazio’s cheek at not rolling over that his bottom lip was all aquiver as he beseeched his opponents to stop attacking when the score was at 3-2, only for Simone Inzaghi to score the fourth.

For once the pizzerias festooned in Roma memorabilia had their television sets tuned into a Lazio game although they were ready to switch channels to the nearest game show at the first sign of capitulation.

There were even claims of aiding and abetting when the team-sheets were produced and Tommaso Rocchi and player most likely – in Romanisiti eyes anyway – to provide the means to a goal was left on the bench.

And there was never going to be a repeat of those Ronaldo tears eight years ago this time around as this Inter model under Jose Mourinho were superior in every area to their hosts although it must be the first time a team putting in such a dismal showing have been applauded off the pitch.

There was a surreal atmosphere inside the Olympic stadium indeed – the Inter line-up garlanded more cheers than the home team and in the Curva Nord banners were unfurled informing Roma that their title hopes were nigh at an end.

The pressure on the Lazio players was intense especially when the chants off “If you win we’ll have more than a word with you” started emanating from certain sections of the ground which then rose as one to celebrate Walter Samuel’s opening goal.

“OH NOOO ...” read the banner and a former Roma player receiving the gratitude of the sworn enemy was all too much for any Giallorossi fan watching although there will be enough enmity stored up to fuel derby encounters for decades to come.

The Lazio players acted accordingly from then on and even Mourinho must have been embarrassed to have witnessed the “spectacle” as he no doubt would have been with another banner claiming he was “the only true person in a sham sport.”

In reality, the whole evening was a farce, but then when Lazio and Roma are involved fear and loathing runs deep in the Capital.

NEWS: Roma spice up final by slamming Inter

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

A Special night for every Interista

Richard Whittle — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:44:00 GMT

“It is not me; it is us,” claimed the very Special One – and how right Jose Mourinho was in lauding his men at the end of a pulsating, drama-filled evening in the Nou Camp.

However, he couldn’t resist stealing the photo opportunity at the final whistle when he gave his conqueror salute to the away fans high in the gods, well aware that the Barcelona players were at his neck snarling the last breath of the vanquished.

NEWS Ten-man Inter reach final

It took water-sprinklers to get Mou’s players off a pitch they had already soaked with blood and sweat. They were down to 10 men for more than an hour after Thiago Motta's red card but they had been outnumbered and exposed for a long time beforehand.

Drowned but not out: Lucio celebrates MORE PICS HERE

A hostile atmosphere, constant noise and exploding firecrackers outside the team hotel the night before – it was back to the good old days of the 1970s and nightmare European Cup trips. And on foreign fields the locals can be quite sensitive when someone strokes their face, as Sergio Busquets can no doubt explain.

The Barcelona players had promised to play out of their skins, not jump out of them at the slightest contact, but being decimated so early on did little to change Inter's game-plan – which was efficiently designed to ensure that the home side created very little danger in and around the area.

FEATURE Master planner Mourinho ready to silence the Nou Camp

Inter condensed the play into the centre of the pitch, thanks in part to the late introduction of Christian Chivu for Goran Pandev. The Macedonian's muscle problem had been well-documented by Mourinho in the days leading up to the match, but it wasn't a massive surprise that it should “flare up” during the warm-up, after the Barça team-sheet had been handed in.

With Samuel Eto’o dropping back to cover the right flank and Chivu closing up the left, the balance was perfect for Wesley Sneijder and Motta to remain tucked in leaving Esteban Cambiasso to patrol the area just ahead of the backline where Leo Messi was waiting to wind up for those darting runs into the penalty-box.

So when Motta finally left the pitch (with a few choice words for one and all and a proper little nip at Busquets), all Cambiasso had to do was step out five metres or so – and of course double his work-rate. And as for expending every drop of energy, let us not forget the efforts of Diego Milito in chasing every pass – no matter how misplaced it was.

"Wherever you go, We Will Follow You" MORE PICS HERE

All this running and concentrating on opponents who are marvelled at for their quick movement and interchanging of positions is easier said than done but in reality Inter never looked under pressure – it was catenaccio without an Italian in sight and with little of the darker elements of the art.

Lucio and Walter Samuel were hardly drawn out of their fortress in the heart of the defence – and when they were their challenges were crisp and clean – while it is difficult to recall a time when Douglas Maicon or the peerless Javier Zanetti allowed an opponent to get to the by-line.

Julio Cesar was beaten once but followed up his first-leg heroics with another sterling performance, although Ivan Cordoba must have had flashbacks to 2003 – when he failed to close down Andriy Shevchenko for the decisive goal in the derby – when this time Gerard Pique turned inside his despairing challenge.

GALLERY Action and interest from the game

All over the pitch there were performances that merited a place in Madrid. For many it may well be an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and as the contest wore on it was a prospect they seemed determined not to pass up.

But how could they fail when their coach was frequently almost encroaching onto the pitch to man the barricades? It was one of those nights where everyone was special.

Around 2,000 fans welcomed the weary warriors back home at 2.30am, and it seemed as if the majority of the Nerazzurri half of the city had taken over the cafes first thing in the morning - making it an extraordinarily festive start to the day in stuffy old Milan.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Master planner Mourinho ready to silence the Nou Camp

Richard Whittle — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:16:00 GMT

Jose Mourinho could never be described as impulsive, planning as he does every move well ahead of its final execution.

He probably mulls over how to dress for each occasion, to shave or not to ahead of a Champions League press conference – usually sporting a few days stubble – and then immaculately turned on the day of the big game.

Nothing is ever left to chance, so that may explain why he has decided to boycott speaking to the Italian press unless forced to under UEFA orders - well aware that he has met his match in Machiavellian cunning when it comes to dissecting every word.

It is therefore no surprise that Inter’s build-up to the game of the season - or any other in the last seven years when they last made this far - at Barcelona should come shrouded in half-truths.

Was Wesley Sniejder really so badly injured that he may be out for the rest of the season and not only the clash at the Nou Camp as was initially reported on Italian radio?

"Tell them I'm not talking to them..."

It seems that the 'Calculating One' has been taking a leaf out of the old master of spin Sir Alex Ferguson’s handbook on leading the opposition down a blind alley - and as with Wayne Rooney turning up on the team-sheet against Bayern Munich, so the dashing little Dutchman was always going to be fit and ready.

It is one of those subplots that the Portuguese schemer throws out there now to make for even greater drama when we get back to the main story, which is of course Inter attempting to emerge victorious and finally sate their own obsession which has been going on since 1965.

Even the fact that Barcelona’s players have had to turn cheerleaders to encourage their own fans to believe they can overcome a 3-1 deficit will be used as evidence that the opposition are running scared in their own back-yard.

Barca not only has to find at least two goals, but also unravel the Mourinho maze when it comes to which formation he will field.

Against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge it was daring in the extreme as he employed three players in more advanced positions but only Diego Milito in the out-and-out front-man role as Samuel Eto’o and Goran Pandev employed pace and alertness to cover back along the flanks.

Sniejder was free to roam, with Esteban Cambiasso and Thiago Motta forming the solid base in front of the back-four.

There was less surprise when the formula was repeated in the first leg against the defending champions, but while guile outdid the English and speed caught the Catalans out, it will probably need a more traditional Ital-Argentine approach this time around.

Cambiasso will be looking to kick Lionel Messi into touch...

The Italian Cup semi-final second leg at Fiorentina may have offered a better indication of how Inter will go about defending their lead regardless of declarations about taking the game to the home side.

In the domestic Cup tie, Inter were defending a slender one-goal lead but a striker – Milito - was sacrificed for a defender – Ivan Cordoba – and Douglas Maicon was pushed on to the right side of a four-man midfield.

The Brazilian revelled at the opportunity to surge forward but without neglecting to cover Cordoba at full-back.

Tellingly, Mario Balotelli was employed on the left of midfield but Javier Zanetti was sweeping in front of the backline with Sulley Muntari just in front alongside Motta for added protection.

Eto’o was left to keep the opposition defence occupied and was rewarded with the only goal of the game.

A slight tinkering of personnel could produce a similar outcome: with Zanetti at left-back; Cambiasso anchoring the midfield behind Motta and Sneijder further ahead and Pandev on the left.

That would leave either Eto’o or Milito to start in attack, but then what about the former handed the role of keeping Dani Alves on the back-foot along the left flank and at the same adding support to the Argentine?

No doubt the master planner has it all worked out in his head. And like his dress sense on European nights, it should be spot on.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Balotelli could learn a thing or two from maturing Cassano

Richard Whittle — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:46:00 GMT

Wearing a hoodie and jeans, Mario Balotelli looked little different from the group of huddled youths gathered outside Inter’s Appiano Gentile training ground.

The only difference, apart from the lean and imposing frame, was the fact that he leapt into a sports car, which would not have been out of place in a Batman movie, and scattered the civvies to the four winds as he swept through the exit.

Welcome to another day in the hum-drum life of Italy’s newest bad-boy who only last Tuesday threw his shirt on the San Siro pitch not in celebration but in disgust before stomping off to the dressing room – this after his side had just downed Barcelona.

Inter owner Massimo Moratti called the act of petulance “public suicide” although the teenager’s reaction to a few well-placed boos and whistles could have led to an act of homicide if reports of Marco Materazzi’s forceful manhandling of the youngster are to be believed.

Balotelli has been in the limelight ever since breaking into the first team under Roberto Mancini at the age of 17 and controversy has never been far away from someone who has just about alienated everyone apart from AC Milan supporters, in equal measure.

However, the forced excuses for donning a Milan shirt – the team he supported as a child – and for flinging away the shirt of the club that pays his wages have a hollow ring now.

“Clear off, Balotelli” was the spray-painted-greeting on the fence of the training ground on Friday, which the club have yet to remove.

Jose Mourinho could have easily scrawled the ‘advice’ and most of the senior players would not miss him so in an attempt to calm any discord in the dressing room Massimo Moratti was forced to sit the seriously-flawed upstart down to impart a few home truths.

The upshot was that the surly teen would be better off watching Saturday’s game even further away from the pitch than his usual perch on the substitutes’ bench.

There is no doubt that all the lectures and moralising from above will fall on a deaf ear if the youngster feels an outsider.

There was certainly that idea of soap opera villain surrounding the cocksure young fella as he drifted off to his home town to watch Brescia in Serie B whilst his team-mates went about the routine business of defeating Atalanta in the more salubrious surroundings of the San Siro.

And all the grins and waves to a few selected friends at the Rigamonti stadium could not hide the fact that he will be a side-show in Inter’s main event come Wednesday just as he was against Chelsea.

However, Balotelli certainly has a long way to go to out-sin the original case of arrested development: Antonio Cassano

The Bari Bawler has gone from prodigious talent to massive irritant to comic purveyor of third-person one-liners such as “only puppets play for Italy and Cassano is no puppet.”

An outsized ego has overshadowed what he has actually achieved in the game: a destructive streak scuppered a stellar career at AS Roma, sweet talking a move to Real Madrid only led to a cake binge and most recently there has been the massively delusional belief that he would ever play in this summer’s World Cup.

For all his cockiness and strutting, at 27 he has never really turned it on against the top sides since returning to Italy – until Sunday evening that was.

As it is with those of volatile nature, redemption can usually be found in more benign surroundings and so it has proved for Cassano at Sampdoria where in the less challenging environment anything he does stands out.

And this proved to be the case when he provided the perfect outlet along with the equally-impressive Giampaolo Pazzini for his hard-working team-mates against his old club Roma - and in doing so all but ended the Giallorossi’s title hopes.

Fit and focused and with the ball at his feet, he stood up to some hefty challenges without a word of complain before delivering the killer cross from the left for Pazzini’s close-range header to cancel out Francesco Totti’s opener.

His endeavours ended in him cramping up but even off the pitch he had a say in the outcome as Claudio Ranieri sacrificed right-back Marco Cassetti for Luca Toni thus leaving a gaping hole from which substitute Daniele Mannini could sweep in a cross for Pazzini’s winner.

The heartfelt hug for Totti at the final whistle (above) demonstrated Cassano’s new-found maturity. It has been a long time arriving so let’s hope it doesn’t take Balotelli a decade or so to grow up.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Time for Berlusconi to allow Milan's next generation to blossom

Richard Whittle — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:06:00 GMT

It may be difficult to believe but AC Milan recently asked Paolo Maldini if he would like to don his boots again.

After 25 years in the top-flight and countless trophies, the legendary defender of course called it a day at the end of last season and walked away from the game with almost universal praise ringing in his ears.

So, it came as no surprise that the 41-year-old turned down the opportunity to help out his old club when Adriano Galliani and Leonardo apparently put in the emergency call a few weeks ago.

The situation had become critical in the heart of the defence where a spate of injuries has decimated the backline – the most serious has been the absence of Alessandro Nesta who has been missing since mid-March after undergoing knee surgery.

Milan were still very much in the hunt for the title when Maldini was sounded out on whether he would like to return as cover and be part of what could potentially be an historic title triumph, as Galliani no doubt tried to sell it

The former captain did have the good grace discuss the proposal with his father – former Milan defender Cesare – or maybe have a good laugh, but he decided that nearly ten months into his well-earned retirement it was more prudent to leave the playing well in the past.

It is true that he had spent plenty of the intervening period playing five-a-side football and had taken up kick-boxing to stay in shape - but making a return to the world of professional football was a completely different matter.

Having asked for 24 hours to mull it over, Maldini returned with a firm “no” and so ended fevered speculation of a sensational return for the season run-in.

This Raiders of the Lost Ark moment typifies the desperate search for old relics to somehow revive an ailing club where Silvio Berlusconi is looking more mummified every time he appears in public.

With his political opponents plotting to dethrone him from his day job, the aging prime minister has little time or energy to turn his attention to his ‘family’.

And there lies the problem: as long as there is a breath of life in his body, the perma-grinning one will not allow the club to slip from his grasp.

After all, the Berlusconi era which is about to outlast Maldini’s playing career, was for the most part the golden age of enlightenment and how could he allow someone else to build a dynasty to match his unprecedented number of trophies.

Now in his 74th year, the glint has not dimmed in the outsized ego, so even if there will be no money for new signings and no matter that he becomes less of a presence around Milanello and in the stands of the San Siro the iron-grip will not be released in the near future.

It is no wonder that Leonardo wants out, especially if the Brazil job is waiting and the thought of losing his ‘little nephew’ Alexandre Pato whom he incited across the Atlantic and nurtured through his early days at the club hangs heavily over him.

Leo never wanted the daily grind of the tracksuit anyway and must be one of the most reluctant coaches of all time – unlike Mauro Tassotti or Filippo Galli who would jump at the chance to organise five-a-sides every day.

There will be a new man welcoming the likes of Mario Yepes to pre-season training in July and let us hope it is not Marcello ‘Lucky’ Lippi whose arrival would lead to all-out revolt from the veterans (okay just about the whole squad).

Better still to give Massimiliano Allegri the opportunity to start a new era and promote a number of those youth players who only recently lifted the Italian Youth Cup.

That prestigious trophy had last found its way into the club’s trophy cabinet back in 1985 when Fabio Capello was in charge of the likes of Maldini and Billy Costacurta who were making their first steps towards glittering careers.

Yes, it is time for out with the old and in with the new but will dear old Silvio recognise the passing of time?

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

A special night for the Special One as Inter brush off Messi and co

Richard Whittle — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:24:00 GMT

Having experienced those final twenty minutes or so of intense Barcelona pressure should come in handy for Inter at the Nou Camp next week, as it is exactly the kind of bombardment they are likely to endure in the second leg.

Jose Mourinho’s well-moulded men now stand on the cusp of history-making and will go into the return leg of their Champions League semi-final with an aim of doing what they do best: grinding out a result but now with a newly acquired fluency.

The two-goal cushion fits perfectly with Mourinho’s approach where the air will be suffocated out of the Barca attack, much as it was at the San Siro, but at the same time as we saw at Stamford Bridge and then in Moscow the opportunity to attack quickly will not be spurned.

The Italian press had been certain that Mou would play a lone striker and flood the midfield but once again the Portuguese confounded those supposedly in the know and although he went with one up front support arrived from a fast-breaking midfield and full-backs with winged feet.

We all know their names, but Diego Milito, Samuel Eto’o, Goran Pandev and Wesley Sneijder stretched the much-vaunted visitors to breaking point while Douglas Maicon and the ageless Javier Zanetti were tireless in their impulse to get forward.

Tucked in behind, Esteban Cambiasso and Thiago Motta were uncompromising whenever Leo Messi and co. ventured anywhere near the penalty area, and when they did manage to breach the first line of defence, Lucio and Walter Samuel were all flailing boots when it was needed while Julio Cesar was back to his imperious best.

There was only once that this compact group was drawn out of position on Mou’s chessboard and they paid for it with a goal.

However, taking the game to the road travellers was the perfect riposte and even a goal down there was a belief that opportunities would be created at the other end.

There was no need to chase down Messi as the little Argentine drifted out of the game more times than he drifted inside from the left wing.

There was something of the street urchin about him as Zanetti and Cambiasso brushed him off like busy businessmen on their way to an important meeting [Madrid anyone] although he did demonstrate his street-fighting instincts when he laid Maicon out with a clattering shoulder charge, accidental or not.

It was dazzling evening for Inter and the only one casting dark looks and muttered curses was the unfortunate Mario Balotelli whose error-ridden appearance as a late substitute after Milito cramped up was greeted with a chorus of whistles.

The teenager’s huffy reaction shows how far he has to go to develop in the world of football and how little he seemed to understand the significance of the occasion for the Inter fans who were last in the final of Europe’s premier competition before a good number of the crowd were born – 1972 by the way - and eighteen years before the player saw the light of day.

There is little doubt that the poor mite will be looking on from the outside come next week if not for the rest of the season – in the ongoing struggle to win over the Nerazzurri masses there is now only one clear victor – and it was Jose’s name that was being chanted well into the night.

However, Balotelli’s moody moment was a mere sub-plot in what now will be a return leg where Barca will be hoping that the referee is a little more eagle-eyed when it comes to their players going down under challenges inside the area as was the case with Sneijder’s tackle on Dani Alves.

No doubt Mourinho will be putting equal pressure on the official not to be influenced by the surroundings just as he will be cajoling his players towards taking that final step on the road to achieving legendary status.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Derby tinkering keeps Ranieri's Roma one step ahead of Mourinho

Richard Whittle — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:11:00 GMT

There is always someone out there who is courageous enough to do or say what everyone else is thinking – and Claudio Ranieri was that person on Sunday evening.

It came during the interval of a Rome Derby where it looked as if Roma’s dreams of taking the title race into the final four games of the season were about to come crashing down in the most mundane matter possible, to Lazio of all teams.

With the Giallorossi trailing and having generally been played off the park by their more relaxed rivals, drastic action was needed and that would mean taking two local sons out of the fray.

Neither Francesco Totti or Daniele De Rossi had covered themselves in the glory, picking up a yellow card apiece and playing in such a reckless way that they were in danger of leaving their team-mates a man or two short long before the final whistle.

As the players returned to the pitch for the second forty-five minutes, Jeremy Menez and Rodrigo Taddei limbered up on the touchline as the captain and vice-captain forlornly took their seats on the bench.

However, for sixty seconds it looked as if Ranieri’s brave decision was set to have the veteran hounded out of his own city on the charge of high treason instead of being putting forward for instant sainthood.

Lazio were already one-nil up and a penalty-kick away from doubling their lead, but Sergio Floccari’s weak effort and Julio Sergio’s knees energised Ranieri’s men who then found faith once more in their ability to dictate the pace of game before hitting the opposition on the quick counter-attack.

Totti in particular had been having one of those derbies where he was living the occasion rather than playing the match; his immobility in the centre of the pitch doing little to lift the team’s general malaise, leaving Luca Toni and Mirko Vucinic as marginal figures.

Conveying the same distain as a Caesar at the Coliseum, the thumbs down gesture at the neighbour’s perilous position just above the relegation trapdoor demonstrated how churlish Er Pupone can still be.

He attempted to justify the gesture by claiming it was a reaction to Roberto Baronio calling him a “has-been” in the previous derby.

What should be a more lingering talking point is the fact that Totti’s absence was not felt and with Menez and Taddei keeping wing-backs Stephan Lichsteiner and Aleksandar Kolarov in check, the encounter was swinging in Roma’s favour.

And so it proved as Taddei drew a foul from Kolarov for the penalty that man-of-the-match Vucinic stroked away and then Menez enticed another rash challenge for the Montenegrin to hit a free-kick of such explosive power that goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was almost knocked over by the back-draft.

If Totti had still been on the pitch then it is doubtful Vucinic would have been anywhere near the ball when either of those pivotal moments arose – and if there is a talismanic figure in Roma’s amazing charge to the top of the table then it is not difficult to see whom it really is.

The capital’s central Piazza Venezia’s was jammed-packed with celebrating fans well into the wee hours of Sunday night for what they hope is a dress-rehearsal in less than a month’s time as the title heads down to the wire.

In theory, Inter have the easier run-in, but they will come up against an Atalanta side next week who will be battling for their lives while Roma take on Sampdoria who now have their sights on maybe just overtaking Milan who they downed on Sunday.

No matter how Jose Mourinho’s team perform, Roma are a point ahead and if they win their last four games then they will be champions.

With their courageous coach’s not tip-toeing around when it comes to making the bold decisions then a Capital celebration could well become a stunning reality.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Derby weekend takes limelight away from Moggi's day in court

Richard Whittle — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:45:00 GMT

It is time to get ready for the rivalries that gave birth to match-fixing allegations, anti-Semitic banners and the odd moment brilliance on the pitch.

Yes, it is the Derby of Italy – a grandiose title well past its sell-by-date – and the Derby of the Capital – an event that defines a city – and all on the same weekend.

In fact, the weekend starts early this week, with Inter and Juventus locking horns on Friday evening and ends on Sunday evening with the Roman rumble.

There have been drab encounters through the years - especially in the Eternal City where those in the stands have provided the colour and passion - there have been plenty of one-sided meetings, and then there have been enthralling matches that have made for captivating viewing.

Whatever the ultimate outcome, these are two matches that can never be ignored and while the Romans bring a city to a standstill when the northern rivals meet the nation just about comes grinding to a halt.

When we talk about defining moments of the season then this weekend will be definitely be one of them.

Inter are no longer top of the pile and for the first time since Claudio Ranieri starting playing down his side’s chances of winning the title, the Giallorossi have the Scudetto fate in their own hands.

And lo and behold it is Lazio who can derail their cousins’ dreams of having the mother of all parties at the end of May.

Come Monday morning, it will be banishment to the dark corners of bars and cafes for the vanquished and a table in the sunniest part of the piazza for the conquering heroes – and for Roma victory will have even more significance in the grand scheme of things.

In the meantime, by Roman standards, the week has been rather benign. This should be cause for concern – the calm before the storm so to speak.

On the contrary, it has been a fraught week up north in the cities of Turin and Milan.

Both clubs have been refusing to speak to the press so it has been left to events away from the game to take centre stage – and those have been played out back down south in Naples.

Luciano Moggi is having is day or days in court to prove that he was not the great puppet-master in the grand scheme of Calciopoli but just one of many who were pulling the strings to influence the outcome of games.

[Un]lucky Luciano’s defence team have got their hands on a few wiretaps which did not see the light back in 2006, and on one of them then Inter president Giacinto Facchetti is heard chatting to the referee’s designator Paolo Bergamo.

Old Bergamo gives him the rundown of officials available to referee Inter games and Facchetti apparently demands that Pierluigi Collina – and who would not, the bald one was the best man around at the time – takes charge of a game.

There is also some discussion about dropping around for ‘a little gift’ which proves nothing considering it was coming up to the Christmas period and no doubt ‘little presents’ were being wrapped at many a club’s front desk.

We may never know what was behind the Facchetti-Bergamo chin-wag as the latter is no longer with us to give his side of the story.

The question is; why has it taken four years for this new ‘evidence’ to see the light of day?

Moggi has promised more wire-taps next week and Carlo Ancelotti has been called to give evidence on Tuesday.

It is now a case of ‘wait and see’ if new ‘explosive evidence’ is brought to light and the case is reopened but in the meantime at least there is some intrigue on the pitch to keep us all occupied.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Why Mourinho must fuse two-faced mentality

Richard Whittle — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:00:00 GMT

There are only two teams in Europe who can still claim the treble this season – and Bayern Munich happens to be the other one.

Inter could still finish the campaign with the domestic title and Italian Cup tucked away before lifting the Champions League – or if one was to listen to the harbingers of doom then they could end up with nothing.

Round one of 'will they or won’t they blow it' commences this evening in Florence when the Nerazzurri return to the Artemio Franchi stadium for the second leg of their Italian Cup semi-final, holding a 1-0 advantage.

The conspiracy theorists – or those with plenty of time on their hands – had predicted Fiorentina would throw the league game at the weekend in return for a win in the Cup, but why would Jose Mourinho want to be any part of such a pact when he has already allured to dark goings on in the Italian game?

The now silent one has once again bitten his tongue and refused to shed any light on why he feels there is a conspiracy against his side and why in the meantime they have made such hard work of bringing early closure to the title race.

However, the way he marched off the pitch on Saturday suggested that vengeance will be in the air in the Renaissance city on Tuesday.

Just as in the Italo Calvino novel, The Cloven Viscount, where a nobleman is split in two on the battle-fight to become separate individuals possessing one quality a piece, so we have witnessed a good and nasty Mourinho.

The good Mou comes out in the Champions League, cheery and care-free with the press, smiles for one and all; the nasty rears up when his mouth twists into a half sneer to tell everyone he is sick and tired of Italy and Italian life.

In Calvino’s fable, the villagers end up disliking both halves of the nobleman until they are rejoined to balance each other out – and this seems to be the case with our Portuguese interloper.

What he needs to do is become whole once more: we can put up with him being charming and then bristling with anger at the flick of his cashmere scarf, but one or the other is just a bore.

And in truth he needs to get down to business again which means getting the best out of his players over the next five weeks or so.

In Europe, the team have played with confidence and determination, taking command of matches and holding on to their advantage; at home it is almost the inverse.

There are patches of dominant play but then an inability to defend a lead such as at the weekend and Palermo before that.

Too many points have been dropped against sides they should be rolling over and it is that balance in endeavour that has been missing recently.

At this high-risk stage of the campaign no one is asking them to play with open enjoyment but the players are not getting the chance to enjoy the moment – in the league anyway.

A little spring-cleaning may not go amiss in the Cup, with Mario Balotelli and MacDonald Margia worth a run-out to rest Diego Milito and Esteban Cambiasso for example.

After all, the strength in depth of the squad was meant to have been the trump card, but Mou seems attached to a core of players who will no doubt be in action against Juventus on Friday and then Barcelona the following week.

Of course as in Calvino’s ending it may all come together again with Inter and their coach living happily ever after, but then again that may well not be the case if the treble suddenly becomes the double.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Mourinho ready-made to cut Messi down to size

Richard Whittle — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:30:00 GMT

Inter could have played with a plastic ball on that plastic pitch and would have still strolled to victory in Moscow.

It fact, the way Wesley Sneijder’s free-kick swerved in the opposite direction to the way the Dutchman struck the sphere suggested that it was in fact a larger version of a table tennis ball.

Six minutes had gone on the clock and the pre-dinner crowd in one of Milan’s city centre watering-holes returned to their cocktails and chit-chat on how they had spent the Easter break.

Jose Mourinho had obviously spent the same period over the long weekend further cementing the Inter team building exercise: in London it was a stroll around the streets near the hotel, in Moscow a visit to the Red Square.

Taking a leaf out of the KGB handbook on discrediting the enemy, he then cast doubts over the home side’s claims that they had to postpone their weekend fixture due to a shortage of security personnel.

It even gave the snide one a chance to have a little dig at those back home when he compared the situation to a stunt Adriano Galliani had pulled when AC Milan had an Italian Cup tie re-arranged early in the year.

It may have been in poor taste considering the events that only recently occurred in Moscow, but then Mourinho’s world never seems to orbit far from the put-down and the “them against us” paranoia - such as his latest assertion that Inter will have to defeat opponents off as well as on the pitch to reclaim the title.

How he will relish getting his claws into Barcelona once again just as he did against Chelsea.

The last time the sides met was back in November when the Catalans dominated sans Lionel Messi, even though Mourinho was defiant after the 2-0 defeat in the Nou Camp.

He may have been full of praise for the opposition, but at the same time questioned why his side could not defeat the defending champions later in the competition.

He now has the chance and no doubt there will be flattery aplenty, but it will come wrapped in the knowledge that there is nothing the mischievous one would like more than to defeat his old employer in their own backyard.

There is no getting away from it; this will be the Mou-Messi match-up.

There is no reason why Inter cannot cheer the whole of Spain if not Italy and make it a Madrid date in May, especially if they can come away from the first leg at the San Siro on level terms – goalless would do nicely although of course that may be asking too much.

Everyone knows how Barca play, it is just trying to stop them that becomes the difficult part – and this is where Inter in Mourinho’s image are now masters of pressure and organisation.

The two holding midfielders – be it Esteban Cambassio or one from Dejan Stankovic and Thiago Motta – are the key to breaking up moves and launching quick counter-attacks for any one of four players breaking forward.

They will not have to keep hold of the ball for too long, but instead force the opposition on to the back foot and thinking about Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o lurking over their shoulder.

The midfielders, including Sneijder, will also play their part in attempting to shackle Messi by closing down the supply routes to the cheeky-faced little fella and then closing down the space in and around the area where the opposition thrive on playing the quick one-twos.

It has all the making of an absolutely enthralling semi-final between two schools of the game - and no doubt Europe’s most well-known tour guide is already planning his route down Las Ramblas.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Still no clues as to who will go fourth and conquer in Serie A

Richard Whittle — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:09:00 GMT

The Easter weekend fixtures only reinforced the realisation that the title race will go down to the wire this season.

It was as you were for Inter, AS Roma and AC Milan, with all three picking up maximum points but it is the chase for fourth place where the jitters are really setting in.

Inter’s continued progress in the Champions League should ensure that Serie A still has a fourth representative for another season when the competition gets underway with the preliminary round in August.

And four teams have a realistic chance of taking fourth spot – Palermo, Sampdoria, Napoli and believe or not Juventus while Fiorentina and Genoa are outside hopes.

However, it seems that none of the pretenders can actually grab the opportunity to open up a gap heading into the last six rounds.

Palermo looked odds-on favourites to pull away from the pack a couple of weeks ago but lost the Sicilian derby to Catania, in what was their worst performance since the Valentine’s Day massacre at Roma.

On Saturday evening, a desire to play from the back was punished by their eager hosts who took advantage of shoddy, dawdling on the ball to enable Maxi Lopez to nip in for two quick-fire goals.

Quick-draw McLopez celebrates v Palermo

However, Palermo’s remaining away games are more than winnable – at Cagliari, Siena and Atalanta - with the latter two probably already doomed to relegation when those encounters come around.

Delio Rossi’s side can draw encouragement from their excellent home form; they have not lost at the Barbera Stadium so far and have only failed to win there once since the turn of the year – drawing with Inter.

Pivotal to the final push will be Fabrizio Miccoli: the diminutive striker was quiet for once at the weekend but the Romario of Salento is undisputed king-pin of the side.

His seven goals in the last three weeks demonstrate he can be the little man for the big occasion. Up in Genoa another mercurial showman could also have a major say in the European outcome.

Indiscipline, erratic form and general sloth seemed to have put an end to Antonio Cassano’s season, but the errant striker has found himself back in demand thanks in part to injury to Nicola Pozzi.

The gamble has paid off with the Bari Bawler now the Bari Buddha - such has been his on-field calmness that he has now become the decisive factor in why Samp are equal with Palermo on 51 points.

Napoli have also had a brief flirtation with fourth but after drawing at Milan and downing Juventus, the Partenopei have been off-song in the last two games despite picking up a narrow win over Catania and a draw at Lazio.

Cassano didn't wash his hands after eating his Wotsits

Once again, however, there can be few real complaints in terms of the fixtures ahead, with the likes of Parma, Bari and Chievo coming up – and Walter Mazzarri’s hopes may come down to the final game at his old club Sampdoria.

By that time Juventus may not even be in the running for a Europa League spot and it would be too easily taking a cheap shot at the Old Lady but really she needs a complete makeover from top to bottom.

The humiliation at Udinese at the weekend was another public insult to their long-suffering followers just when they thought that the team could not find new depths in which to plummet.

Despite all the shortcomings, Juve are still just three points off the pace for fourth but then again the vacant looks that accompanied the performance at Udine the question has to be asked, is there any life left in the team?

Things are so bad that they are even unrecognisable from Ciro Ferrara’s tame time in charge – and not in a positive way either.

Alberto Zaccheroni cannot even inspire the substitutes to warm up anymore as he tinkers with formations and systems to make even the more ardent Claudio Ranieri detractor long for last season.

In the meantime, the club have taken a vow of silence until further notice which is fine because no one was making any sense anyway.

The run-in does not give much hope of a late revival: of the bottom nine teams Juve have only beaten Bologna and Atalanta in the second half of the season.

With that in mind, they will probably have to take something from trips to their two trips to the San Siro over the next month, which would be something worth talking about.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Milito goal the perfect first step on march to Moscow

Richard Whittle — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:52:00 GMT

It was the one, two or maybe even three goals that got away at the San Siro on Wednesday evening.

Inter should be heading to Moscow with progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League all but ensured.

Instead of which, all they have to show for their numerous chances is a single strike from Diego Milito against a physical but bland-looking CSKA Moscow – much like the eastern-European hitmen in the Bourne movies they never threatened to deliver the killer blow.

It was the occasion rather than the opposition that drew an almost full house which was in full voice as the home side swept forward - no doubt on the back of Jose Mourinho’s plea for affection after claiming that no one in Italy likes him.

Internazionale, as the name suggests, has never been concerned where their coach, players or even fans come from so as chances fell and were then squandered by an Argentine, a Serb, a Dutchman and a Macedonian those in the stands were united in feeling that it was going to be one of those evenings.

When the breakthrough finally arrived, it was once again the ‘Prince’ who made his bow with a goal that was equal if not better than the precise finish against Chelsea – further out and with no time to hit the ball with any back-lift.

Milito has arrived on Europe’s big stage as something of a late bloomer but the South American is making up for lost time much in the same manner he has on the domestic front.

Each of the 30-year-old’s three goals have helped shape Inter’s progress in the competition: the first in Kiev came when the Nerazzurri were in danger of elimination at the group stage and of course the early goal against Chelsea set the team on their way to conquering the English side over two legs.

The latest goal was not a prelude to a Russian capitulation, coming as it did shortly after the hour-mark, although goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev has to take plenty of the credit for keeping CSKA hopes alive – and a few Serie A sides should be keeping close tabs on him.

However, there were enough positives from an Inter side, playing at a much higher tempo than we ever see on the weekends, to suggest that the long march to Moscow will have its ultimate reward of a semi-final berth.

Dejan Stankovic was back to his muscular best, snuffing out any opposition threat before it could gain momentum - and the injury-prone midfielder can now rest up for next Tuesday.

Wesley Sneijder regained his composure on the ball after a hot and bothered performance in Rome while Samuel Eto’o and Goran Pandev dovetailed perfectly with the majestic Milito.

CSKA will obviously be a much more dangerous side going forward on their artificial surface at the Luzhniki Stadium but Mourinho demonstrated at Stamford Bridge that his men can form a resistance movement to ambush any opponent that strays too far into Nerazzurri territory.

There is no reason to head East and settle on defending a one-goal lead – not with the personnel available and a striker like Milito to inflict a decisive away goal.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Milan ain't big enough for both Mourinho and Balotelli

Richard Whittle — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:39:00 GMT

Pride comes before the fall and Inter are in danger of tumbling over the precipice thanks to an ever-deepening rift between Jose Mourinho and Mario Balotelli.

It seems more than likely that one or the other will depart the club at the end of the season.

Apparently the Portuguese apologised for snapping the youngster’s necklace in the wake of a heated discussion when the player refused to take in a few laps of the pitch at the end of a training session when ordered by one of the coach’s assistances.

However, there has been no act of contrition coming in the other direction and there lies the problem.

What usually happens in Italy when an argument gets out of hand is that it may seem as if all-out war has been declared but by the time you arrive on the scene the respective parties are acting like long-lost family members.

"What have I told you about wearing the same scarf as me?"

Both will have admitted their guilt and everyone would have moved on for a cup of coffee.

This is plainly not the case between little dictator and troubled teen hence the former’s exile which has now extended to six games following the latest snub for tonight’s Champions League tie with CSKA Moscow.

If Mario would just issue a statement along the lines that he has been acting like a big kid and all that business about donning a Milan shirt for the television cameras was just a bit of fun, but of course not in keeping with a serious professional, which of course he will strive to be now, then with remorse comes forgiveness.

That is the Italian way, but unfortunately, that does not seem likely especially now that Dutch-based uber-agent Carmine “Mino” Raiola has taken over the player’s affairs.

The little Mr Percentage seems to be reportedly inflaming the situation even more by encouraging his client to demand that Mourinho make a public stand-down.

The lippy lad did just that when he called a chat show where Giovanni Trapattoni was appearing to state that he was not for turning after the Ireland coach had voiced concerns that the player could become another “lost talent” of Italian football much like Antonio Cassano.

"What the fu....actually, you're quite a big fella, never mind..."

Massimo Moratti has so far kept a haughty distance for the whole affair, but with the title race no longer a foregone conclusion, the president dispatched sporting director Marco Branca to mediate and finally bring an end of the ever-widening impasse.

Of course, Moratti may have to step into the line of fire and send a decree calling for a halt to all hostilities coupled with a carefully-worded peace-document that saves face for everyone.

The Portuguese would probably prefer to sing the Fado wearing a Milan shirt in front of Duomo than ever admit he was in some way at fault.

After all, one of his central pillars is the team before the individual, so how will this saga play out?

Well, it would seem that Raiola will be the one to benefit – either he negotiates a massively-improved contract for his charge at Inter or peddle the lad around Europe’s elite clubs.

After all, that was the reason Zlatan Ibrahimovic employed him and the Swede is doing nicely on €15 million a year at Barcelona.

Balotelli’s current deal runs until 2013 and there is a two-year extension waiting to be signed with €2.5 million salary on the table.

Not bad for a 20-year-old but apparently Raiola has already sounded out Manchester City - where of course the man who gave the player is big break, Roberto Mancini currently resides – and Arsenal – with whom Inter would like to do business so they can get their hands on Cesc Fabregas.

Of course, another plausible scenario is that if Mourinho lands the Champions League he will make a grand exit, leaving everyone’s honour intact.

In the meantime, the team have a crucial week ahead but that seems the mere mundane day-to-day life compared with the intrigue at Court of Inter.

Ranieri's relaxed Romans reap rewards

Richard Whittle — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT

When in Rome... there was little option but to sit back and accept the traffic jam snaking away from the Olympic Stadium, breathing in the sweet smell of success mingled with the exhaust fumes.

It had all the makings of a long Saturday evening, no matter what the outcome of AS Roma’s top-of-the-table clash with Inter.
And considering that not one of the 70,000 inside the stadium could dare leave before the drama subsided, the trip back into the centre of the city was always going to be a laboured experience.

Of course, Roma now feel they are in the fast lane after such a pulsating win over the leaders and – never known to keep their feet firmly on the ground when flights of fancy beckon – the locals now believe that come May they will be dancing around the Circus Maximus, just as they did in 2001.

Back then, those festivities went on for months but unfortunately the revelries turned into one long hangover that has continued ever since.

So, when everyone is finally seated at the pizzeria some two hours later, the chatter takes on an ever greater air of exuberance. Even the slice of luck of Diego Milito hitting the woodwork in the dying moments is considered an omen that Roma will be champions, making it a fruitless gesture to urge caution.

It would have fallen on deaf ears anyway, or dismissed with a theatrical Roman wave of the hand – and rightly so; after all, who can argue against a team that hasn't lost a league game since October? The momentum certainly seems to be with the racy Romans and the priceless win over Jose Mourinho’s men was a test of nerve more than anything else.

While expectations are sky-high amongst the fans, tellingly the players seem as unflappable as their coach Claudio Ranieri.

Even Francesco Totti hasn't forced his comeback too soon – and he could well be the decisive factor in the run-in as Roma look to match the champions stride for stride. If one player can change a team’s fortunes for the better in an instant, then it's il capitano when he has something to play for – even if it is on one leg.

Totti and Toni: tip-top

Inter may have greater strength in depth overall, but apart from having the Champions League to occupy their thoughts, they seem to have run through their repertoire of formations, line-ups and personnel changes.

Mourinho may have played his hand once too often and there is very little else he can bring to the table – especially if he continues to leave Mario Balotelli out of the squad.

Their fractious relationship hit an all-time low just before the Champions League return leg at Chelsea when the temperamental teen apparently spoke out of turn to one of Mourinho’s assistants.

It was Gucci handbags by all accounts but when Jose got involved it became slightly feistier. The upshot was that the youngster’s prized necklace was snapped and – of greater concern – his relationship with the Portuguese rendered irreparable.

There is a touchy environment of a different kind at AC Milan where Leonardo has become increasingly peeved by Silvio Berlusconi, whose sly little digs at the team’s dip in form aren't matched by a willingness to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to reinforcements.

The first signing for next season will be Mario Yepes, the poster-boy signing for the club: a free transfer in his mid-30s who already lives in Milan.

Back in the here and now, shorn of the inventive Ronaldinho and Andrea Pirlo against Lazio the Rossoneri looked no nearer to becoming champions than Juventus – and you would have to say that Palermo, Napoli and Sampdoria are playing much more pleasing football deserving of a Champions League spot.

The title race will still come down to the current top three and Milan’s task looks the toughest over the next seven games, with Palermo, Fiorentina, Genoa and Juventus all to play.

Inter and Roma have similar run-ins, with the leaders facing Juventus on the same weekend as the Roman derby, but the Nerazzurri’s trip to Fiorentina will be crucial to their hopes.

However, no matter the opposition, this title could well come down to which side feels more composed – and for once it is the capital that looks the calmest place to be.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum

Ranieri's resilient Roma ready for Inter invasion

Richard Whittle — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:49:00 GMT

For once Roman hyperbole is not overstepping the mark and Saturday’s encounter with Inter is indeed “the game of the year.”

The phrase has been on the lips of the ever-talkative Roma fans since witnessing their heroes come away from Bologna with victory in midweek to leave them just four points off the leaders.

It's good to see the capital abuzz after throwing off its winter coat and the first rays of warming sunshine have brought the locals flocking out to populate the squares.

Even the paving stones in the Testaccio area - where the club played their formative games - have been given a fresh lick of yellow and red paint whilst banners and flags have started to festoon balconies and window ledges.

Where else would anyone want to be than in the Eternal City on the weekend when the title race could finally come alive for real? Any excuse for a party at which Bacchus would have slurred, so there was little need for Claudio Ranieri to turn into a club promoter to incite the locals into the Olympic Stadium – which already had the sold-out signs up first thing Thursday morning.

House Full (well, it will be)

It has been a long time coming but slowly, steadily and almost stealth-like - in fact the complete antitheses of Roman thought – La Roma have clawed back a deficit that stood at 14 points when the teams last met back in November.

Ranieri has lived by his code of humility rather than humiliation and those qualities have rubbed off on the players.

Fabio Capello once complained that during his time in charge if the team went unbeaten for two or three games he had to watch them like a hawk in case they started treating life as an excuse to kick back and enjoy the trappings of success. Now after a 20-game unbeaten run, the height of excess has been a group evening out for a pizza and home to bed before 10.

Some of the more exuberant club followers long for the old days when garishly-clothed players would saunter up to various restaurants, bars and clubs to while away the night. The downside of that came at the weekend when they had to put with the self-same players turning it on for 20 minutes or so before wandering around in a trance.

Luciano Spalletti’s final months in charge were a bit like that: everyone, including the fans, had become comfortable, accepting that the team was never going to be a force to compete with Inter. The champagne football had lost its fizz. Ranieri has arrested that drift into lethargy and in doing so has put a solid work-ethic in place. But there have been signs that he will let the players off the leash now and then.

The last two games have seen him employ a three-man attack. Jeremy Menez and Mirko Vucinic responded with swaggering performances, while Luca Toni has been a more than willing battering ram amongst the dandies.

There were signs that the game at Bologna was a dry-run for Inter: Rodrigo Taddei hardly ventured into the opposition’s third, while David Pizarro was so withdrawn the little Chilean was almost a sweeper in front of the back four. Full-backs John Arne Riise and Marco Cassetti held their line and were only allowed to tiptoe forward on special occasions.

Let's work together: Toni and De Rossi

The tactic of building solid foundations worked against a home side that possess a similar physicality to Jose Mourinho’s men – albeit minus the class, skill and know-how of world-class players – and that should be the approach again. Apart from Juan returning in the heart of the defence and maybe Simone Perrotta replacing Menez or possibly Taddei if he feels punchy, Ranieri should stick with the starting XI from midweek.

With Mourinho set to show his “Chelsea hand” again, maybe for once Ranieri won't come, see and tinker – leading to a night of revelry in the Eternal City.

More from Serie Aaaaargh!

Italy: News * Stats
FFT.com: Features * News * Interviews * Home
Interact: Twitter * Facebook * Forum