Serie Aaaaargh!…

Milan survive Tuscan terror to secure third place finish

Richard Whittle — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:25:00 GMT

As the clock ticked past 84 minutes in Siena, life was not looking so sweet for Milan, who faced the unthinkable - missing out on Champions League football next season.

Massimiliano Allegri had spent all week dodging questions about his future, even after Silvio Berlusconi had let it slip that his coach would be the new AS Roma boss, but now he had more pressing business to attend to.

A goal down and with both sides down to ten men, there seemed little way back into the match. The Rossoneri had looked as lifeless and drained as Adriano Galliani’s face as the club’s vice president contemplated a fate he could never have envisaged: asking Mario Balotelli to play in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, across the country on the Adriatic coast, Fiorentina had done all they could to claw back Milan’s two-point advantage. The Viola were 5-1 up against Pescara - like Siena, already relegated -yet the nerves of Vincenzo Montella’s men were still jangling.

The Tuscan side knew they were six minutes plus stoppage time from celebrating third place and a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2009/10.

However, this is Serie A - the home of controversy - so nothing could be taken for granted. Anyone who has followed Italian football would understand that six minutes of normal time is a whole match in itself, and there was time for a final act that would break Florentine hearts.

Somehow, in the remaining minutes, Milan contrived to score twice and all was suddenly well again in the house of Berlusconi. The owner had foregone his now famous pre-match motivational speech to the team, such was his apparent belief that all would turn out alright on the night.

It did thanks to what can only be described (although not be Galliani and friends) as a soft penalty, awarded for a tug on Balotelli’s shirt. The striker went sprawling to the ground, which was the cue for the Rossoneri players to point to the spot. The referee duly followed suit.

The groans of disbelief could be heard all the way from the Stadio Adriatico. Balotelli, who has never missed a penalty in his professional career, tucked away the equaliser in his trademark stop-and-start style, sending goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo the wrong way.

There was no time for Mario to celebrate, as the rest of the Milan players raced back to the centre circle to set in motion an incredible turn of events.

A hopeful free-kick into the area looked to have come to nothing, but Philippe Mexes reacted quickly to score from close range at the second attempt. It was the first league goal from a Milan defender all season, but what a priceless one it was. There was no way Siena were coming back from this double blow.

The full-time whistle sparked the sort of celebrations that had usually been the preserve of Milan triumphs in the Champions League, not the prospect of an early pre-season return and the hope of gaining a favourable draw in August.

Galliani admitted he had been to hell and back, but the most relaxed man seemed to be Allegri, who knew that he had achieved the minimum Berlusconi had demanded of him.

He will now meet with the club on Wednesday in a position of renewed power, but the feeling is that the pragmatic Tuscan will decide to take up Roma’s offer of a three-year contract worth €2.5m a year. Tellingly, he will also be given a free rein to get on with coaching the team in the manner of his choosing with little or no interference from above.

That alone may be too good to turn down, and although Rome will be no life in the sun, at least for now Allegri will escape some of the negative headlines that have surrounded Milan lately.

Allegri may still end up competing in the Europa League if Roma overcome Lazio in the Italian Cup final, which has become a play-off for the final spot in Europe’s secondary competition. Should the make it, Roma would join Fiorentina and Udinese, who kept Lazio out thanks to a 5-2 rout of Inter at the San Siro.

On any other day, that result for Francesco Guidolin’s side would have been headline news, but that was never going to be the case after the events in Siena had taken Milan right to the edge of disaster.

Berlusconi barbs, not third place failure, may send Allegri packing from Milan

Richard Whittle — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:45:00 GMT

Massimiliano Allegri will not be making a beeline for Silvio Berlusconi’s office today to negotiate a new contract. More likely he will be contemplating a possible future away from AC Milan after his side failed to secure third place on Sunday evening.

A goalless draw at home to AS Roma has left the Rossoneri needing three points at Siena on the final day to ensure they keep Fiorentina at bay and pin down a spot in the preliminary round in the Champions League.

Berlusconi has made it clear on a number of occasions that he will not tolerate the team falling any further behind Juventus. But having not gone head-to-head with their Turin rivals over the previous two seasons, Milan have been superseded by Napoli as the second force in Serie A.

Going into the final round of the season they are a massive 18 points behind Juve and nine off Napoli, who have qualified automatically for the Champions League.

A win over Siena will still leave them eight points worse off than last season, and even a cricket score in Tuscany would not get them close to their previous goal difference of +41 (currently weighing in at +27).

Allegri certainly deserves some sympathy. Not only has he been forced to watch the club sell Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to add to mass exodus of the old guard in the summer, but their replacements were less than stellar.

Two wins in their opening eight matches highlighted the fact that Milan had fallen a long way from Allegri’s title-winning debut season in 2011, and even the thrilling duel with Antonio Conte’s side last season.

A rally in the second half of the campaign coupled with Mario Balotelli’s arrival should be applauded, but the coach has clearly been living on borrowed time. Berlusconi has cranked up the pressure with a number of unhelpful comments about his manager’s ability.

Something of a coach in the stands, Berlusconi has never been afraid to tell the man on the bench how things should be done – just ask Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancellotti, who have both been on the end of some weathering putdowns.

However, the vitriol has reached an all-time low in recent months, even when they looked like catching Napoli. Dropping an already-tired Stephan El Shaarawy in the vital clash against Walter Mazzarri’s side gave Berlusconi the opportunity to claim, once again, that Allegri knew nothing about football, having raised the accusation ahead of the Champions League tie with Barcelona which Milan then won 2-0, only to crash out in the return leg.

There was never going to be an Ancelotti-like dynasty for Allegri who, despite having arrived the young coach with film-star looks, has never risen above the B-list in Berlusconi’s eyes.

The laughing lord of the manor is never going to change his ways when courting big-name personalities and has already mentioned a more flamboyant replacement in Clarence Seedorf for next season.

The midfielder has always been one of Silvio’s favourites but he is still playing in Brazil with Botafogo and, although he would always be able to provide an interesting sound bite, the 37-year-old would not be ready to go toe-to-toe with Conte, Mazzarri, Francesco Guidolin or even Vincenzo Montella with no coaching experience under his belt.

It is hard to see who could come in and do a better job than Allegri with the resources at hand. The team needs strengthening in all areas, attack aside where Balotelli, El Shaarawy and Giampaolo Pazzini have scored 42 league goals between. M’Baye Niang looks set to make his breakthrough next season.

However, the midfield (Riccardo Montolvio excluded) is a wasteland of creativity, stocked instead with too many loose cannons such as Sulley Muntari.

In the first half against Roma, the combative former Inter man received a red card after grappling with referee Gianluca Rocchi, when he raced over to remonstrate with the official following a justifiable booking for Balotelli’s late challenge on Mario Marquinho.

Muntari had already clashed verbally with Rocchi before his charge, so it was almost inevitable that a further indiscretion would lead to a yellow card at least.

However, after Rocchi thought he had quelled the player’s ire with a booking he was then manhandled in a spectacularly bizarre incident as Muntari lost all sense of reason and tried to stop the referee reaching into his pocket for a red card.

Strangely enough, the previous week Muntari had shown a comic touch to grab the referee’s yellow card and point it at Balotelli after his team-mate had removed his shirt to celebrate scoring against Torino.

It was an unsavory incident on another hugely depressing evening in the stands, which saw the first-ever Serie A match suspended for racist chanting. Balotelli and Kevin Prince Boateng had been the target from a section of the away support, and after two announcements failed to have the desired effect, the referee called the players to the centre-circle for 90 seconds to halt proceedings.

The game petered out after that but still managed to end on a note of rancor, with Francesco Totti shown a red card for elbowing Philippe Mexes.

Milan even played in a much more adventurous way when down to 10 men, and in the short term Allegri should feel confident of victory at Siena. But after all he has had to put up with, he may not be in a hurry to knock on Berlusconi’s door anytime soon.

Juventus celebrate title, but coach Conte already planning major rebuild

Richard Whittle — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:50:00 GMT

Regardless of whether it's No.29 or No.31, Juve fans are still chuffed

Juventus unites and divides Italy in equal measure, but on Sunday, from Turin to Trapani, the piazzas were a sea of black and white as the Old Lady claimed her 29th Serie A title.

Needing just a point from their home fixture with Palermo, it was achieved in routine manner. A 1-0 win sealed the deal, eleven years to the day after Antonio Conte and Gigi Buffon starred in the Marcello Lippi side that lifted the 2001/02 title at Udine.

Of course, the Turin club will never accept that it has not won 31 titles, having been stripped of the 2005 and 2006 scudetti following the Calciopoli scandal, so the banners and shields marked the occasion in what many would call lo stile Juve (the Juve style). Whatever the record books may say, Juve’s 2012/13 has been a season even more dominant than the one before it.

Top of the table from day one, Conte’s side opened the campaign with a run of eight straight wins. When the final whistle sounded at the Juventus Stadium on Sunday, they were on the back of nine wins from the last 10 games.

Although Juventus may not have matched last season’s undefeated league campaign, losing four times, Conte has actually overseen six more wins, putting the former midfielder on top of the coaching podium.

Still only 43, Conte has two titles and two promotions to his name as a coach, to go with the five titles he won as a Juve player. So it is no surprise his bargaining power is at all-time high.

As his players were dumping him in the dressing room plunge pool, the club’s hierarchy were attempting to pour cold water on speculation their inspirational team leader would not be around for a tilt at the treble, with big-spending PSG touted as a possible destination.

Conte laps up the adulation as his team storm to their second straight title

It has been a tough year for Conte, who spent the first four months watching his team from behind a Perspex glass window in the stands, as he served a ban for failing to report a potential match fixing when in charge at Siena.

The original sentence had been set at 10 months, but even though the subsequent appeal was successful, it did little to ease Conte’s paranoia that someone was out to get him – which he will no doubt shed more light on when his autobiography hits the shelves on Wednesday.

The club had to take some of the blame for the situation their coach found himself in, as their legal team had advised him to accept a plea bargain when the allegations first came to light.

Conte’s right-hand man Angelo Alessio was also embroiled in what became known as ‘Calcioscommesse’, and was banned for two months. This left assistant coach and former Juve defender Massimo Carrera with the role of overseeing the match-day preparations, but everyone knew that, even in exile, Conte was pulling the strings.

Having lost to both the Milanese clubs in November, with Inter ending the unbeaten run at the Juventus Stadium, Conte’s return to the touchline at the beginning of December coincided with a dip in form. It was almost as if the players felt they had done the hard work without their boss in close proximity, and could now coast.

Another home defeat at the turn of the year, this time to lowly Sampdoria, opened Conte’s eyes to the fact his side lacked the strength and depth to take on rest of Italy – and indeed, Europe when the Champions League returned in February.

The winter transfer window only brought meagre tidings, in the form of defensive cover Federico Peluso and luxury signing Nicolas Anelka, who has thus far only played 23 minutes in the league.

With the likes of Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella refusing to move on, Conte turned his attention to reclaiming the league crown. They did so in style, losing just once since the turn of the year (at Roma), but their Champions League match-up with Bayern Munich laid bare how far Juve still have to go to be competitive on the European stage.

Fernando Llorente is Juve-bound, but Conte is likely to want more

The total domination by the new Bundesliga champions was a bitter pill to swallow, even if Bayern’s subsequent humiliation of the great Barcelona eased the pain somewhat. Juve’s 4-0 aggregate defeat brought to the surface the first signs of frustration which will lead the club to change direction in the transfer marker. Last summer, Juventus tried and failed to sign Robin Van Persie from Arsenal - come this summer, it will not be enough to chase just one star name.

Even as he was drying off and enjoying a well-earned glass of champagne, Conte was already looking to the future and what he hoped would be the arrival of least eight new faces – two or three of whom would have Champions League experience under their belt.

Of course, when it comes to offering the sort of salaries the top stars demand, Juventus cannot compete with the Premier League’s top sides, the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich, not to mention the Spanish giants.

However, retaining the title and producing a positive showing in the Champions League should be strong foundations to incite new signings.

Leading Conte’s wanted listed are Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid, who would be a cheaper and a much younger alternative to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A quick look at the goalscoring statistics demonstrates why there is a need for a fresh frontman. Midfielder Arturo Vidal is currently the team’s top goalscorer in the league, with 10 goals. The man who was expected to lead the way, Mirko Vucinic, has only netted nine – the last of which was at the start of April.

With Fernando Llorente already signed as a targetman, Matri, Sebastian, Quagliarella, Anelka and Nicklas Bendtner can all pack their bags. Conte knows that he needs wide-men to deliver the crosses, so Manchester United’s Nani is also a target.

The defence needs little reinforcement for now, and the midfield remains solid. Andrea Pirlo looks set to end his international career after next summer’s World Cup finals, to concentrate on his club commitments, while Vidal is considered untouchable. With Paul Pogba becoming a growing influence, if Juve are forced to sell a big name to raise funds, it could be Claudio Marchisio who’s on his way - especially if one of the Manchester clubs or Chelsea come calling.

Conte may have been a no-frills player, but as a coach he understands that talent at the highest level cannot be taught, and has therefore called on the club to spend big on Stevan Jovetic. The Montenegrin looks to have gone stale at Fiorentina, but is the sort skillful dribbler who can fill that gap between midfield and attack, while also chipping in with his fair share of goals.

The celebrations may still be fresh in the memory, but the plans are already in place for the future ahead of what looks like being a busy summer. Perhaps Juve’s biggest signing will be tying Conte to a new, long-term deal, but they may need to prove they will provide him with a quality squad to keep the Old Lady at the top for many years to come.

Napoli delay Juve's party, while Fiorentina aim to have last laugh over Milan

Richard Whittle — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:46:00 GMT

Juventus moved one step closer to title glory with their derby win

Napoli may have put Juventus’ title celebrations on hold for a week, but the Old Lady won’t be too concerned. Now she can get down to preparing a scudetto homecoming at Juventus Stadium next Sunday.

The defending champions need only a point against Palermo to claim their 29th title (31st, if you ask them) after overcoming city rivals Torino in a tense derby that was settled late with goals from Arturo Vidal and local boy Claudio Marchisio.

Tellingly, both goals came from the Juve engine room that has been the difference between Antonio Conte’s side and the rest of the league. On that midfield battleground it was Paul Pogba who strode through scything challenges and body-checks to emerge head and shoulders above everyone else on the rain-sodden pitch.

The Frenchman’s performance summed up the Bianconeri’s approach throughout the domestic campaign - efficient, commanding and never once on the back foot.

Meanwhile, even without the suspended Edinson Cavani, Napoli were full of inventiveness as they cut through Pescara for a 3-0 win to further cement their hold on second place.

AS Roma gave a hint of what might have been with a mesmerising first-half show starring Francesco Totti, Pablo Osvaldo and Erik Lamela. Osvaldo grabbed a hat-trick in the 4-0 rout but the bad boy from Buenos Aires was still booed by a section of the home support.

However, for star-spangled entertainment in this run-in you need look no further than Fiorentina, a delight to watch under Vincenzo Montella. He, of course, was shipped out of Roma to make way for Luis Enrique.

By Sunday afternoon, after a 3-0 win at Sampdoria, the Viola were up to third on the back of six wins in their last eight matches. In doing so they sent a warning shot to AC Milan, who are still in danger of missing out on the final Champions League spot. That would surely signal the end for Massimiliano Allegri, who the Italian press are already reporting will be replaced by former favourite Clarence Seedorf.

Montella, however, has no worries about his future. In fact, it is more likely that Fiorentina owners Diego and Andrea Della Valle will be fending off a number of clubs - including Milan and Inter - for his services this summer.

This time last year, Montella was leading Catania to their own Champions League of sorts, a record points haul of 48 points, before being lured away to Florence. The Tuscan club decided to make a fresh start in the summer after a string of tumultuous campaigns that saw a number of coaches come and go, including former head honcho Delio Rossi - sacked for attacking his own player, Adem Ljajic, during a match.

Ljajic made his point to former boss Delio Rossi in Fiorentina's 3-0 win

An affirmative end to this poisonous environment was required. This being Italy, out went nearly the whole first-team squad in the summer, while in the opposite direction arrived experienced transfer operator, Daniele Pradè, alongside Montella.

Sniffing around Europe for talented players who would fit into Montella’s attacking approach, the club targeted Villarreal, newly relegated from la Liga. Gonzalo Rodriguez arrived in defence, while Borja Valero was snared to dovetail with David Pizarro and Alberto Aquilani in midfield.

However, it has been one of those associated with that toxic environment, Ljajic, who has thrived with a second opportunity. Another of last season’s overpaid and spoilt underachievers, Alessio Cerci, meanwhile, has dazzled with Torino.

But while many fans would have welcomed a swing at the pair in the past, both have flourished this season. Cerci even made his Italy debut on the back of a series of impressive performances for his new club.

Ljajic looked set to be on his way after the bust-up with Rossi. But instead the 21-year-old, who had been close to joining Manchester United before arriving at Fiorentina in 2010, has shone under Montella.

Injuries to Stevan Jovetic have seen the young Serb become the unlikely fulcrum, with three goals in four matches throughout April. Couple that with a previously untapped desire to track back and Fiorentina have a winning formula. It is a trait their other fleet-footed forward, Juan Cuadrado, has also displayed.

Ljajic’s latest strike, which took his total to eight for the season, must have been the sweetest, given it came against his old nemesis Rossi, now in charge at Sampdoria.

After slotting home from inside the area, Ljaijic ran past the home dugout wagging a finger in the general direction of his old tormentor before pestering the opposition defence with a series of dazzling runs which culminated in an assist for Aquilani.

It was the perfect riposte to last season’s plight but more importantly came with a smile and genuine happiness, something that has swept through Fiorentina under Montella.

Fiorentina have become the league’s real crowd pleasers and even though Milan regained third after their 4-2 win over Catania, it could be the rejuvenated Viola that have the last laugh.

Pirlo and Allegri both in the firing line - for very different reasons

Richard Whittle — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:20:00 GMT

Andrea Pirlo rarely looks ruffled on the pitch, but Italy’s most influential playmaker of the modern era has admitted in his upcoming autobiography that the sight of Antonio Conte charging through the dressing room at half-time is one of the most threatening he’s experienced in his career.

Regardless of how things are going on the pitch, the Juventus coach will generally fly into a fit of rage and, according to Pirlo, hurl anything he can get his hands on at the walls. Unfortunately, the veteran midfielder made a schoolboy error when he selected the peg nearest the changing room door, and has felt the full force of it flying open as Conte comes hurtling through.

Pirlo and the rest of the team must have been running for cover on Sunday evening, after a first-half which was more of a stand-off rather than a showdown against AC Milan – the club Juve had wrestled the title away from last season.

The first 45 minutes had dragged along at a sedate pace, a world away from the usual hectic flurry of activity associated with Juve home games. This was in part down to the tactics employed by Massimiliano Allegri, with the plan being to stifle open football, the front three acting as the first line of defence.

As Bayern Munich demonstrated, pressurizing the backline cuts off the supply to Pirlo, which in turn forces the long ball and lost possession. Unfortunately, Milan’s inability to then hold on to the ball made for a poor spectacle.

With Mirko Vucinic employed as the lone striker and Claudio Marchisio in an unfamiliar role further forward to accommodate Paul Pogba in midfield, the Milan defence was rarely troubled.

In an opening period that had Conte pacing the technical area, champing at the bit to fling a few water bottles during the break, the only bright moment was a Pirlo free-kick which deflected off the wall, forcing Christian Abbiati to adjust sharply for a reflex save.

The Milan goalkeeper strained his calf muscle in the process and had to be replaced by Marco Amelia. Allegri then lost Massimo Ambrosini with an ankle problem at the break, with the captain replaced by the equally ineffectual Sulley Muntari as the Rossoneri stuck to their blanket defending.

Juve were in need of a Conte tirade and at least after the break they provided the spark the game needed. Just before the hour mark, Pirlo’s chipped pass into the area forced Amelia into a reckless charge from his goal that only ended in the keeper clattering into Kwadwo Asamoah.

Arturo Vidal - the embodiment of Conte’s philosophy of totally commitment to the cause - dispatched the penalty high into the net. Sadly, that was about it in terms of excitement, with Milan unable to change their style from Plan A despite throwing on Bojan Krkic to replace the anonymous Robinho.

Much had been made of the clash in the build-up, with Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani claiming his team were on par with Juventus. Yet by the end of the evening, the 18-point gap told a different story, even though this was Milan’s first league defeat of the calendar year.

Juventus could be crowned champions as soon as next weekend, if they win the city derby against Torino, and Napoli fail to beat Pescara. But even if that doesn’t happen, they only need four more points from the remaining five games to confirm that they remain the dominant force in Italian football.

One suspects Conte was as jubilant at full-time as he was angry during the interval, while Allegri will likely have been the reverse. Milan now have a real battle on their hands to ensure they finish third, never mind catch Napoli for the runners-up spot.

While Turin lacked the expected drama, there was plenty to be found in Naples and Florence where the home sides were made to work all the way.

Napoli needed a 94th minute goal from Lorenzo Insigne to see off Cagliari 3-2, while Fiorentina were in danger of throwing away all three points. The Viola having gone 3-0 at home to Torino, only to come back fighting, with Romulo grabbed the winner with four minutes remaining.

Napoli extended their lead over Milan to seven points, but Fiorentina are now just a point behind the Rossoneri. Allegri’s future at Milan is on the line after draws with the aforementioned duo and the latest setback.

As Pirlo revealed in his book, Milan gave him a pen when he brought decade at the club to a close – a “nice pen” he recalled, but “still only a pen”. So Allegri should be aware that sentiment means little, and the writing will be on the wall if he fails to deliver a top-three finish.

'Cursed' Inter rage against the refereeing machine yet again

Richard Whittle — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:57:00 GMT

It was around this time last year that Andrea Stramaccioni was leading Inter to European glory.

It may have been as coach of the youth side in the NextGen Series – the Champions League for tomorrow’s stars – but the success was enough to see the then 36-year-old selected to take over the reins of the first-team in place of the sacked Claudio Ranieri, despite never having been in charge of a senior side.

His 'interim' reign was turned into a permanent deal thanks to a derby success over AC Milan and a sixth-place finish, which was something of a minor success given what had gone before. But 12 months on, Serie A’s youngest coach finds himself in a similar position in the table, with little sign the team has moved forward.

The 2-0 loss at Cagliari - who were also playing “away” in Trieste, having vacated the Is Arenas in Sardinia due to structural safety concerns - was the Nerazzurri's third consecutive defeat and their fourth in the last five, leaving them in real danger of missing out on Europe altogether, never-mind failing to qualify for the Champions League for a second consecutive year.

Bright moments have been few and far between during this campaign: ending Juventus’ unbeaten home record was one to remember, beating Milan another, and there was a heroic attempt to overturn a three-goal deficit against Tottenham in the Europa League, but that has been about it.

Wednesday evening’s Italian Cup semi-final return tie at home to Roma, in which the side trail 2-1 from the first leg, is the last chance to salvage something from a season that Stramaccioni termed as “cursed” after watching Walter Gargano and Yuto Nagatomo join the injury list. The Japanese full-back is enduring his second spell on the sidelines this term, having lasted just three minutes on his return from a spell on the treatment table.

Injuries have already ruled out Diego Milito for the rest of the season, with Antonio Cassano, Walter Samuel and Rodrigo Palacio also on the sidelines for various periods of time. However, it is not the breaks and strains that have left the club feeling black and blue, rather that old chestnut that referees are bias against Inter.

The words 'Massimo Moratti' and 'outraged' haven't been far from the front pages of the sports dailies all season, but the chattering reached a crescendo in the last week or so following the 4-3 home loss to Atalanta in which Inter had at one stage led 3-1.

When Samuel was adjudged to have handled the ball, what looked like a very dubious penalty helped the visitors back into the game, and though Inter basically capitulated from there on, the club patron could not help himself rage against the machine of officialdom.

“I no longer believe referees act in good faith,” he complained to a press corps eager for him to keep shooting his mouth off. But rather than dig a deeper hole for himself, he let celebrity fan Paolo Bonolis use the club’s official channel and website to voice his suspicions that there were forces conspiring against Inter. The television presenter even suggested there was a plot to ensure Milan finished in the top three.

The television presenter claimed match officiating was nothing more than “a comedy”, but the joke was really on him as his comments came a week after Milan had seen two penalties awarded against them at Fiorentina, who are still in the hunt for third after their win over Atalanta and Milan’s draw against Napoli this weekend.

One must wonder what Bonolis and Moratti will add to the conspiracy file after their team's most recent fixture. You suspect the tone will change from comedy to tragedy, after Cagliari were awarded what could be termed a “soft” penalty when Mauricio Pinilla threw himself at Silvestre’s out-stretched leg.

Sadly for those hoping that everyone could move on from the events of the previous week, the latest refereeing decision only added further fuel to the bonfire of Inter’s “cursed” season.

However, It has been a steady decline since Jose Mourinho oversaw the Treble in 2010, with Moratti hiring and firing Rafa Benitez, then being unable to prevent Leonardo from jumping ship to PSG, before dispensing of Gian Piero Gasperini and Ranieri in quick succession.

The inexperienced Stramaccioni has been left with a team of aging stars in their twilight days, such as Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso, Christian Chivu, Dejan Stankovic and Samuel, along with another group who would never have got anywhere near a Mourinho’s squad and a smattering of youngsters with little more than potential on their side.

Twenty-six goals have been conceded since the turn of the year, which tells the true story of a side that at times has been swept away by fast-breaking counter-attacking opponents. The whole team has looked one-paced, as even Cagliari demonstrated when Pinilla came on to join the impressive Victor Ibarbo in attack.

Of course, Stramaccioni was all doom and gloom in the post-game press conference, but despite Moratti’s protestations that everyone has it in for Inter, the writing may be on the wall for the young coach if he cannot overcome Roma on Wednesday.

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Roma-Lazio: Prophet shows feet of clay as King holds court

Richard Whittle — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:23:00 GMT

Hernanes is considered to be Serie A's only naturally two-footed player, but on Monday evening the Brazilian must have wished that for once he had two left feet.

In a pulsating Rome derby, the Lazio playmaker was on the way to one of those match-winning performances that would go down in Roman folklore – but in the end he got all tangled up in his own nifty feet.

It was the first time that the Derby della Capitale had been played on a Monday and it was a return to an evening kick-off and all the security worries which that brought, with local businesses around the Olympic Stadium closing early.

Unfortunately, fears of trouble were realised as fans clashed with police at the traditional flashpoint on the Ponte Milvio – the bridge to the north of the stadium which has become a notorious meeting point for opposing ultras – and although the incident was quickly quelled, two fans were reported to have been stabbed and the ambulance that was quickly on the scene pelted with stones.

The news travelled around the stadium, embellished in the telling to worsen what was already a volatile atmosphere at both ends of the ground.

What was needed was for the match to ignite the passions on the pitch and this was where Hernanes looked set to live up to his O Propheta nickname and deliver Lazio to the promised land of a fourth consecutive victory over their old rivals. After 16 minutes of hectic end-to-end action, a Roma corner was repelled and in a blink of an eye the graceful South American had the wide open spaces of the middle of the pitch all to himself.

With the opposition defence back-pedalling and Daniele De Rossi labouring to get back, Hernanes weighed up the option of a shot with his marginally stronger right foot but then decided to step inside and unleash a left-foot zinger with such power that Maarten Stekelenburg could only make a token dive to his right as the ball arrowed high into the net.

Hernandes cuts inside to unleash his barn-buster

Roma were stunned and for a time it seemed that Hernanes was going to turn the evening into a one-man show of swagger and unerring passing with either foot. Only a last-ditch challenge from De Rossi denied him a second goal and the Roma midfielder, left hobbling from then on, had to be replaced soon after.

Hernanes continued to torment the opposition with series of flashy runs and step-overs to draw challenges thus giving the wide players, Antonio Candreva and Senad Lulic, that extra second or so to time their runs in behind the Roma defence.

However, the ancient Gods of the Eternal City must have thought enough of this joviality and in the cruellest manner Hernanes was turned into a false prophet – unable to deliver when it really mattered.

Ten minutes had passed in the second half when Roma defender Marcos Marquinhos was adjudged to have handled in the area and the man of the moment was presented the opportunity to seal the deal. Hernanes had already scored three derby penalties, so surely this would be a mere formality to make it the magical four in a row.

But a dark shadow crossed his face and as he waited for the expectant stadium to gather its breath, so his feet – well, his right foot – turned to clay, the spot-kick curling harmlessly wide of the right post.

"Ooops": Hernandes curls his penalty wide

From there, it was but a short step from divinity to derision and when drawn back into his own penalty area he could only extend a leg to trip Miralem Pjanic.

It was left for the King to step forward and restore order as Francesco Totti dispatched his own spot-kick, in doing so drawing level with the nine-goal derby record shared by his former team-mate Marco Delvecchio and 1950s Roma striker Dino Da Costa – both of whom were in the stands and had been given a rousing reception when they paraded in front of the Curva Sud before kick-off.

Hernanes's hesitancy from the spot had inspired Roma and when Lazio defender Giuseppe Biava received a second yellow card it looked as if would be the Giallorossi’s evening. Totti continued to pepper the Lazio goal, but a combination of fine Federico Marchetti saves and wasteful finishing from Alessandro Florenzi and Erik Lamela, who somehow headed over from under the bar in dying moments, ensured honours were even for the first time in six years.

For both sides the result could have been much better or much worse. But in the end, the King held court over the prophet – and at times maybe one good decent foot is better than two exceptional ones.

Juventus reap revenge on Inter to prepare for assault on Europe

Richard Whittle — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:11:00 GMT

Matri (centre) celebrates netting vs Inter

Juventus not only moved one step closer to the retaining the Serie A title by beating Inter over the Easter weekend, but also reaped revenge on Andrea Stramaccioni’s side for having the temerity to end the defending champions’ unbeaten record earlier in the season.

November’s surprise 3-1 loss to the Nerazzurri, their first defeat at the Juventus Stadium since it opened in September 2011, denied Juve the half-century of unbeaten matches. But although it rankled to have lost to their most bitter of rivals, it did little to derail Antonio Conte and his men on their relentless march at the top of the table.

Such has been Juve’s dominance throughout the campaign that the scudetto should be sealed by the beginning of May, but in the meantime there was an old score to settle at the San Siro. Despite the Old Lady arriving in Milan with one eye on their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, she was at her meanest in putting Inter in their place.

A 2-1 final scoreline on a rain-sodden afternoon didn’t tell the whole story of a polished performance where the two “back-up” strikers - Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri - were on the mark. Rodrigo Palacio had given the home side a glimmer of hope when he canceled out Qualiarella’s stunning long-range opener, but once Matri had put the champions back into the lead, there was only ever going to be one outcome to this Derby d’Italia.

Hotly contested as ever, Esteban Cambiasso’s potential leg-breaker on Sebastian Giovinco just before the final whistle was as rotten as the weather and led to the Argentine’s first red card in Serie A. The incident summed up Inter’s frustrations at being well off the pace - not only of Juventus, but also AC Milan and Napoli.

Teenager midfielder Mateo Kovacic has potential, but a major rebuilding programme is needed in the summer if Inter are to be reinvigorated. Yet, at present, there is no guarantee there will be European football to incite new signings, with victory in the Coppa Italia perhaps their best hope.

What looks certain is that a Champions League place is beyond Inter, even with a game in hand on most of their rivals, after both Napoli and AC Milan won away from home to cement second and third spot.

The Rossoneri took their unbeaten run to 12 games thanks to a 1-0 win at Chievo, while Edinson Cavani made up for returning late from World Cup duty in South America to score twice in Napoli’s thrilling 5-3 victory at Torino.

Conte was in the crowd at the Olympic stadium no doubt urging on the Granata, but at the same time plotting how Juve will overcome Bayern. The Bundesliga champions-elect may have thumped Hamburg 9-2 on Saturday, but that scoreline will have no bearing on Tuesday night’s encounter.

Mirko Vucinic was left at home for the Inter game, suffering from a bout of weekend flu, but the Montenegrin was on the plane to Munich on Sunday.

Giovinco also travelled, but Conte may elect to play with the former as a lone striker, with Claudio Marchisio’s runs from deep offering support and Paul Pogba drafted into the holding role.

Arturo Vidal is equally equipped to cover every inch of the Allianz Arena, so Juve will not lack man power going forward to create goal chances as they search for at least one away goal.

Yet Juve’s primary strengths, as they have been all season, will be a little further down field. The three centrebacks - Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and indomitable Giorgio Chiellini; the tireless running of the wing-backs; and midfield linchpin Andrea Pirlo’s ability to pick out the pass that ensures his team-mates do not unduly waste energy in chasing lost causes.

With Vidal and Marchisio steaming forward, Vucinic’s strength at holding up the ball will be invaluable. Matri did it to good effect at the weekend and if Conte decides that it is the German side that should be the ones living in fear, then a Vucinic-Matri tandem could well reap havoc.

Juventus are marching towards the title at home, but with the sort of form they have been showing lately, European success is also beckoning.

Catania hoping to upset likely lads with Europe in sight

Richard Whittle — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:44:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 16 Mar Catania 3-1 Udinese, Bologna 0-2 Juventus Sun 17 Mar Siena 0-0 Cagliari, Napoli 3-2 Atalanta, Pescara 0-2 Chievo, Fiorentina 3-2 Genoa, Milan 2-0 Palermo, Sampdoria P-P Internazionale, Torino 1-0 Lazio, Roma 2-0 Parma

While Palermo are preparing for life in Serie B, across Sicily Catania are pushing towards the promised land of Europe.

Saturday evening's impressive 3-1 demolition of another Europa League hopeful, Udinese, saw the Elefanti charge into seventh place just three points off their record haul of 48 achieved last season under Vincenzo Montella.

Inter Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina and AS Roma are all targeting a Europa League place with outside hopes of landing third but Catania could still pull off the surprise of the season and supersede one of these established names with a top-six finish.

Club president Antonio Pulvirenti set out a five-year plan to cement the team's place in the top flight but expectations have been surpassed each year; 43 points in 2009, 45 the following campaign and a one-point improvement a season later. But now the 50-point barrier will be smashed well before the end of this term.

Along the way each coach has put themselves in the shop window for moves to bigger clubs. But from Walter Zenga, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Diego Simeone, Montella and now Rolando Maran, they have all bought into the idea of taking a step forward each year within limited financial means - even if the training facilities are some of the best in Italy.

In fact, Catania can be considered the southern followers of the Udinese model which has enjoyed success through an extensive scouting system in South America and, in particular, Argentina.

The current squad has 10 Argentines in its ranks and it was the attacking trio of Lucas Castro, Pablo Barrientos and Alejandro Gomez that tore Udinese apart at the weekend.

The diminutive Gomez grabbed two goals - one a header - while the third came from Italian midfielder Francesco Lodi (the provincial Andrea Pirlo as he is known) who, with veteran central defender Nicola Legrottaglie, forms the 'home grown' backbone of the side.

"I love you this much!" Gomez celebrates scoring against Udinese

Last season Montella employed a 3-5-2 formation which encouraged the wing-backs to offer support, but Maran has switched to a 4-2-3-1. Gonzalo Bergessio leads the front line and, if anything, Catania are even more pleasing to watch thanks to an exciting supporting cast.

The coach from the north of Italy, who took Varese into the Serie B play-offs last year, has inherited the majority of Montella's core and there is a great understanding between the players thanks to last season's exploits.

Their first goal against Udinese highlighted the strengths of playing quick, short passes on the break. Barrientos threaded a pass through to Gomez, who exchanged a swift one-two with Castro on the edge of the area before slotting home a low shot.

Heading into the pivotal encounter, Maran's men had lost narrowly at Juventus and before that had somehow thrown away a two-goal home lead against Inter to lose 3-2.

However, despite these two hardly unexpected setbacks, they immediately produced a decisive win at Parma to stay in the race for European qualification.

It was that victory on the road which instilled a belief that, even if they could not overcome Inter or Juve, there were enough points still available to ensure they will not fall away into mid-table as they did last season.

Picking up valuable away points will help but it has been Catania's home form which has really impressed. At the Stadio Angelo Massimino they boast 10 wins, just one fewer than Juventus and AC Milan, including a 4-0 mauling of Lazio and 1-0 victory over AS Roma.

With Lazio losing at Torino, Roma overcoming Parma and Inter's game at Sampdoria rained off, there is everything to play for and Catania are still very much in the mix with two months of the season left. The elephant in the room cannot be ignored any longer.

Allegri can't wait for Milan's chance to spring a surprise on Barcelona

Richard Whittle — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:47:00 GMT

Massimiliano Allegri has admitted that he started counting the hours to the most testing moment in his career - sending his Milan side out to face Barcelona at Camp Nou - from the moment the final whistle went at Genoa on Friday evening.

The Rossoneri coach has already overcome the Catalans once in the stirring 2-0 win at the San Siro, but that will have been in vain if his players cannot repeat their performance of the first leg and keep Barcelona at bay in their own back yard.

A place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League is at stake, and if Milan succeed in knocking the strongest team in world football out of the competition, it would redefine Allegri as a coach of the highest order.

Milan strengthened their grip on third place with a 2-0 victory in a bruising encounter at Genoa which saw Giampaolo Pazzini and Philippe Mexes both pick up knocks. After the game, Allegri candidly revealed the stress that will build up to a crescendo on Tuesday night: "Thankfully we only have four days to wait otherwise it would become too unbearable."

Allegri may have lost Pazzini, the victim of an unprovoked attack by Daniele Portanova, but the striker still managed to hobble around long enough to score the opening goal. The absence of Pazzini is a blow, but it may also enable the ever-more astute tactician to spring a surprise or two on Barca’s defence.

Milan’s overall game plan will not change from that of the first leg, where they fought fire with fire in the midfield and were more than stealth-like in coming forward when the opportunity presented itself. That tactic saw them claim two well-taken goals, but just as importantly deny the Catalans an away goal.

Allegri took a much-more experienced side to the Camp Nou for last season's quarter-final second leg, but despite Antonio Nocerino giving Milan a 1-0 aggregate lead, the defence could not contain a Lionel Messi-inspired comeback.

This time they have no need to go chasing goals, but they will be well aware Barcelona will not be as sluggish and out of sorts as they were in Milan in front of their home support.

Once again the devil will be in the detail as Allegri demands a calmness in the heat of battle. He will no doubt turn again to his most physical performers, with Massimo Ambrosini asked to repeat his heroics of the first leg. That night, the veteran captain and Sulley Muntari were willing workers in front of a back four that in the second leg may not get many opportunities to stray too far from their own penalty area.

With Pazzini out, Boateng could be employed further forward to mark Busquets, with Nocerino on the right of midfield which, leaving Stephan El Shaarawy as the lone striker. This would mean the first line of defence would be the midfield, and if a tackle or a stray foot can knock the ball free then Milan could really put Barca on the back-foot with the long ball over the top for El Shaarawy to chase on to.

Riccardo Montolivo will be the main outlet to send the young striker racing away behind the backline, but with Nocerino dropping back, Ignazio Abate’s pace from a deep position could also cause problems down the right flank. As the Rossoneri vice president Adriano Galliani put it: “There will be no Fort Apache game plan from us.”

However, it will be an occasion for cool heads to ensure that all the planning does not go to waste in a moment of madness - and the manner in which Kevin Constant lost his head when fouled by Genoa’s Cesar Bovo suggests that Allegri may switch the less-easily ruffled Mattia De Sciglio to the left-back position. Despite having just turned 20, the former youth player is already looking the part as the heir-apparent to Paolo Maldini. Cool and confident in possession, he has rarely been caught out of position which makes it easier to intercept the ball than to be drawn into a mis-timed tackle.

Milan demonstrated that they can be as cultured as their opponents when they took the sting out Barca’s game last time around, and they will be relying on frustration to tell on their opponents once more.

Friday’s encounter in Genoa was not really a dry-run for what lies ahead in Spain - apart from the opposition wearing the same colour kit. Yet there were still moments at the Luigi Ferraris when Milan came under some pressure, even if it merely akin to the lapping of gentle waves rather than the tsunami that awaits them in the Camp Nou.

Allegri, for one, cannot wait for the chance to turn the tide of Milan’s fortunes against Barcelona.

Chiellini wins mental and physical battle with Cavani, as Juve move nearer title

Richard Whittle — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:48:00 GMT

Juventus took one giant leap towards retaining the Serie A title with their 1-1 draw at Napoli, doing nothing more than they have done all season; refusing to be intimidated on or off the pitch.

The champions knew they were in for a hostile night at the San Paolo before they even arrived at the stadium. The team coach was pelted with eggs and reportedly had a window smashed by a brick, which landed near a presumably startled Kwadwo Asamoah.

The unofficial welcoming party had begun the day before, when the visitors had been bombarded with more dairy products and a hail of verbal abuse. The bile was aimed primarily towards Antonio Conte and Claudio Marchisio, who had both made their dislike of the Naples side clear in the run-up to the match.

The atmosphere had been fractious all week - no surprise given the match represented a genuine opportunity for Napoli to reopen the title race.

Flares had been lit behind the goal in a stunningly choreographed depiction of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but it was Juve who were overflowing with joy ten minutes in. Giorgio Chiellini rose in the area to head home Andrea Pirlo’s pinpoint cross from the left to give the visitors an early lead.

The early away dominance set the stage for what became an ever-more physical contest, one which saw Chiellini and Edinson Cavani spend the majority of the match grappling with each other in their own private wrestling contest.

It was a bruising match-up and as their rancor grew the Juve defender took to pulling the Uruguayan’s locks, only for the striker to retaliate with a well-aimed elbow to his assailant’s jaw. The fifth official spotted the second incident but referee Daniele Orsato decided that a yellow card for Cavani would suffice in cooling tempers.

Chiellini, who has had his nose fractured on five occasions, relished the head-to-head, while Cavani’s frustrations nullified his own game. In the end it was a fifth match without a goal for the league’s top goalscorer – eight if you count his Europa League and international outings.

If Cavani is not firing - and there is a feeling that all the speculation over his future in Naples and that €65 million price tag is effecting his form - then Napoli find it difficult to put chances away.

Their equalizer just before the break came when a fortuitous deflection off Leonardo Bonucci’s head saw Gokhan Inler’s effort fly beyond the diving Buffon.

Napoli had a couple half-chances in the second half but Chiellini’s complete domination of Cavani took the fizz out of the home team.

The rugged man-marker had been sidelined with a calf tear since December, and in that time Juventus had gone on their worst run of form during the season, dropping points, crashing out of the Coppa Italia and generally looking far less than invincible.

Conte understood that Chiellini was the combative heartbeat of the team and although he brought in Federico Peluso from his old club Atalanta to add a bit of extra height and weight to the backline, no one can replace the eagerness and determination from the strapping Italy international. More than anyone else, Chiellini epitomises the club’s unofficial motto; “it’s never over till it’s over”.

Andrea Barzagli and Martin Caceres have both been asked to fill in as the left-sided centreback, but lack the physical presence of Chiellini, who demonstrated that he can also make an impact at the other end of the pitch with Friday’s timely first goal of the season.

However, it is in his natural environment of getting up close and personal to the opposition’s star striker where he really excels. In the past, the Livorno-born player has driven the likes of Zlatan Ibrahomovic to distraction with his single-minded approach of snuffing out the threat by whatever means, be it fair or illegal.

There was little or no consternation in Italy over what went on between the defender and Cavani throughout the ninety minutes, with the Juventus camp complaining that Cavani had kneed Chiellini in the nether regions, which sent their man into a rage of hair pulling, while they swapped shirts at the end with Cavani begrudgingly giving in to one last bear hug.

Chiellini applied the pressure to Cavani to perfection; well aware that football is not a game but a battle of wills, to be won both physically and mentally.

Milan derby: Balo keeps his cool but Inter's switch saves the day

Richard Whittle — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:20:00 GMT

SERIE A Sat 23 Feb Palermo 0-0 Genoa Sun 24 Feb Sampdoria 2-0 Chievo, Parma 1-2 Catania, Atalanta 2-3 Roma, Juventus 3-0 Siena, Cagliari 4-3 Torino, Internazionale 1-1 Milan Mon 25 Feb Udinese v Napoli, Lazio v Pescara Tue 26 Feb Bologna v Fiorentina

When AC Milan and Inter met in the Derby della Madonnina back in October, Walter Samuel stooped to conquer to head home the only goal of the game and hand the Nerazzurri an eight-point advantage over their city rivals.

At that stage it wasn't as if either club looked capable of challenging Juventus for the title or even matching Napoli in the chase for second place, but coming into Sunday evening’s showdown at the San Siro expectations were much changed.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side had not only clawed back the eight-point gap on their neighbours but had overtaken them and the other contender for the final Champions League spot, Lazio. On their charge up the table, Milan had suffered just one defeat in 13 and been unbeaten in eight outings, including that amazing midweek victory over Barcelona.

While Milan have gone from strength to strength and been buoyed by their European exploits, Andrea Stramaccioni has overseen a dramatic decline in his side’s fortunes. Last weekend’s 4-1 defeat at Fiorentina let them with just four victories from 14 league matches, although they had taken some comfort by qualifying to the next round of the Europa League.

Whatever the form of the teams, the stage was set for another evening of genuine spectacle at what is termed “La Scala dello Calcio” in homage to the city’s world-renowned opera house.

All eyes were on the main soloist, Mario Balotelli. Unable to take his place in the Champions League, having already played for Manchester City, the former Inter player was out to grab the spotlight.

It is hardly traitorous to swap one Milanese shirt for another. Some of the top names in the game have done it: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo, Christian Vieri, Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo and even Leonardo, as coach.

Intra Milan: Others who swung both ways

However, none have ever received the sort of malevolent provocation that was reserved for Balotelli, whose entrance was greeted with a chorus of “Balotelli, son of a whore".

It set the tone for an evening in which parts of the Curva Nord, where Inter’s ultras gather, were waving inflatable bananas accompanied by a chorus of monkey noises. The player retained his composure, although at one stage he had to be refrained by Javier Zanetti as he pointed towards his abusers.

Balotelli could have silenced half of the stadium if he had taken either of the two presentable first-half chances handed to him, with Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic also making a stunning reflex save from a close-range header. In the first instance, Balotelli was left free on the edge of the six-yard area; he may have been able to connect with it first time but ended up miscontrolling. Soon after, in a similar position, he could only sidefoot the ball straight at Handanovic, although his aim was better when kicking the post in anger.

Balotelli’s frustrations continued through a relavtively low-key performance following a blistering start to his return to Serie A, during which he scored four in three games, but he was admirable in his restraint considering the abuse he received.

It was left to Stephan El Shaarawy to shine the brightest, finishing wonderfully with the outside of his right foot on 20 minutes when sent free by Kevin Prince Boateng. In tandem with another young Rossoneri Matteo De Scigilio, the rising star formed a daring partnership along the left flank that had Inter on the back foot throughout the first half.

El Shaarawy (r) celebrates the opener

In truth, Milan should have been out of sight by the break but Balotelli’s misses coupled with the heroics of Handanovic would prove telling.

Stramaccioni used the half-time interval to re-jig his line-up, with Zanetti switching positions with Yuto Nagatomo to nullify El Shaarawy. Meanwhile, the coach also sent forward as a lone striker Antonio Cassano – another high-profile defection between the clubs, and a cautionary tale of raw talent going to waste and, of late, to seed.

Cassano's vision and technique may be as sharp as ever, but he plays the game from a standing start that rarely progresses to much more than a light jog. Without Diego Milito, who has been cruelly cut down with a career-threatening knee ligament rupture, to provide the link play between the midfield and attack, too many of Cassano’s runs from the left infield ended up with a square pass or the ball lost in a sea of opposition challenges; indeed, it was his loss of possession that led to Milan scoring.

Leaving him up front enabled the athletic Freddy Guarin to take over the mantle of link-man, in doing so freeing up Rodrigo Palaccio to play right across the line.

However, it was an inspired substitution that brought Inter a deserved equaliser. Ezequiel Schelotto had arrived in January from Atalanta with no great fanfare; little was expected from the Italo-Argentine. But the 23-year-old, nicknamed El Galgo (the Greyhound), has written his name into Inter’s history books by following a regal line that includes Ricky Kakà, Andriy Shevchenko, Ibra and Ronaldo who have all scored on their derby debuts.

Schelotto, overcome at the equaliser

It was no wonder the hirsute winger burst into tears after heading in a pinpoint cross from Nagatomo. It was one of those evenings when emotions were raw – at times a little too much so.

Totti's royal rocket leaves Juventus reeling

Richard Whittle — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:31:00 GMT

They say 'cometh the hour, cometh the man', and for AS Roma, that man has always been Francesco Totti.

Whenever his club has been left wanting, the undisputed King of Rome has stood up and led from the front. But in the run-up to this season-defining moment against Juventus, there were whispers around the capital that his powers were on the wane.

Last Sunday at Sampdoria, when Pablo Osvaldo ignored his captain (and designated penalty taker) before striding up to the spot and tamely missing, it was suggested that Totti was no longer in command.

Caretaker coach Aurelio Andreazzoli, in his first game in charge after taking over from the ousted Zdenek Zeman, was at a loss to explain why Totti had not pulled rank on the upstart, and subsequently faced the wrath of the fans and local media for not supporting their talisman.

The knives were out, and with old enemy Juve the next opponents arriving at the Olimpico, it was left to Totti to issue an appeal for unity; calling on everyone to get behind La Roma – a club that for a Roman through and through, he claimed, was “life itself”.

The impassioned battle cry had the desired effect, as the ferocity of Roma’s approach left the seemingly invincible champions reeling.

Antonio Conte’s complaints that his side would struggle to reproduce another high-intensity showing, following energy-sapping encounters against Fiorentina and Celtic, were borne out.

However, even the combative Conte would have been impressed with the transformation of an opponent his side had swatted away in a humiliating 4-1 defeat earlier this season.

The same players ran out to warm up on Saturday with a newfound spring in their stride. Zeman’s rigorous and rather suffocating approach saw the players put through a routine more akin to a boot camp.

On Saturday the full squad raced straight out to salute the Curva Sud – drawing the sort of response that would have left the hairs on the back of even the hardest-bitten veteran’s neck standing on end.

The gauntlet had been laid down in a manner hardly seen since Luciano Spalletti was in charge, though that is hardly surprising considering that Andreazzoli had been one his assistants. His influence, however, had faded under Claudio Ranieri, Luis Enrique and Zeman.

Dusting off his coaching manual, Andreazzoli went back to basics, building from the foundations of a solid defence, with Ivan Piris, Nicolas Burdisso and Marcos Marquinhos employed as a narrow back three.

Their will was to do nothing more than clear their lines while Marco Marquinho and Vasilis Torosidis – on his full debut – added further security along the flanks to nullify the runs of Stephan Lichsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah.

In a further purging of the recent past, Daniele De Rossi was used as a ‘gatekeeper’ in front of the back three, where he was back to his marauding best, harrying and berating those around him.

With something finally resembling a solid platform, the creative players were given free rein to switch positions. Erik Lamela was a constant threat through the middle while Totti and Osvaldo drifted out wide to be fed by the neat passing of Miralem Pjanic.

The opening quarter was a tide of Juve the home side managed to repel. When the pace dropped, it was the Giallorossi that began to play the better football, though there was still plenty of bite to accompany the guile.

Totti raked his studs along Pirlo’s knee which left a nasty gash (on another day he may have seen red), while De Rossi’s lunge on Lichtsteiner was evidence enough this was a battle in which the Romans were going to give their all.

Grit and determination are all well and good, but it took a moment of rare talent, aligned with raw power, to break the deadlock - and it was Totti who produced it.

His stunning 25-yard strike – the skipper’s 224th Serie A goal - was measured at 113km/hr and unleashed with a fury of pent-up frustrations. Gigi Buffon was left rooted to the spot and for a brief second there was silence, before a sonic boom hit the stadium.

Like everyone in the stands, Juve were left stunned. The visitors stumbled forward only to leave acres of space for Roma to exploit, although they were unable to widen the margin of victory.

However, this was Totti’s evening and in keeping with tradition the star performer was substituted in the final minutes to take the acclaim of his adoring subjects. Despite his regal standing there was only a brief wave to the crowd – but his actions had already demonstrated that the King of Rome is not dead yet.

Rejuvenated Juventus ready to jump through the Hoops

Richard Whittle — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:49:00 GMT

If Juventus needed a relaxing build-up to Tuesday’s Champions League tie at Celtic, they got it from the shrinking violets of Fiorentina on Saturday.

The thought of the Viola turning up at the Juventus Stadium and ruffling the league leaders had Antonio Conte all a fluster, complaining his side had not been given enough time to prepare for their trip to Glasgow before returning to action against AS Roma on Saturday.

However, the first hurdle was easily negotiated without Juve having to break more than a moderate sweat. A compliant Fiorentina offered nothing more than a token hint of resistance after Mirko Vucinic opened the scoring on 20 minutes.

Alessandro Matri doubled the advantage just before the break – still managing to stroke the ball home despite losing his boot in the process – and from there the Old Lady strolled through the second half, leaving one to wonder what all the fuss had been about.

The only worry for Conte, who was back behind the Perspex glass as he sat out the final match of his two-game ban following his verbal assault on the referee at the end of the Genoa match, was the sight of Vucinic limping off with a knee problem. All indicators, however, point to a precaution - the striker is expected to start at Celtic Park.

What will have pleased Conte more than anything was the opportunity for his preferred midfield to not only prove their fitness, but also re-discover the free-flowing mojo that has been missing since the turn of the year.

Andrea Pirlo was given too much space but even when closed down the majestic playmaker wriggled his way out of trouble, completing 75 passes before putting one astray. Claudio Marchisio eased his way through the 90 minutes but it was evident that he has completely recovered from his recent injury problems.

However, it was Arturo Vidal who really impressed with his non-stop running and hounding of Fiorentina’s fragile midfield and defence.

The Chilean needed no better game to stoke up his competitive fires for what will be a much more demanding evening in Scotland. He set up Matri for his goal, went close himself with a curling effort and was still chasing like an over-eager terrier at the death.

With Pirlo and his able lieutenants dominating, Juventus had the perfect platform to launch wave after wave of attack. Down the flanks Paolo De Ceglie and Stephan Lichtsteiner were menacing, while Vucinic and Matri’s excellent link-play through the middle make them favourites to pair up against the Scottish champions.

That tandem of the nibbled-footed Vucinic and more direct Matri has now produced eight goals.

Leonardo Bonucci, who has also been sitting out a suspension for joining the official haranguing two weeks ago, will be refreshed and itching to return to action. That ensures his replacement, Luca Marrone, who was drafted in even though he is naturally a central midfielder, will not be left exposed to the more testing environment of European football.

If there was a weak area against Fiorentina it was in the centre of defence, but even when the hugely disappointing Stevan Jovetic muscled Marrone off the ball he could not get past the colossus Gianluigi Buffon.

The veteran goalkeeper is back to his world-class best and produced an eye-catching performance in Italy’s draw against Holland in midweek to allay fears he is on wane.

The only player who will not be on the flight to Glasgow is De Ceglie, but now Kwadwo Asamoah is back from the Africa Cup of Nations the athletic Ghanaian is the perfect replacement for a first leg that will be built around strength and power.

Juve could not have faced more obliging opponents at the weekend, but they will be ready to jump through the Hoops come Tuesday.

Mario Balotelli on the crest of Milan's new wave after match-winning debut

Richard Whittle — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:22:00 GMT

The weather is better, the food far more delicious and you can walk around wearing as many medallions as you want without anybody batting an eyelid. Mario Balotelli should have no problem readjusting to life in Italy, where he can also drive his car at whichever speed takes his fancy and park it wherever he darn well wants.

Now back on safe ground, the King of Bling felt confident to put the boot into English life in what had been a caustic, and at times downright nasty, press conference to announce his arrival at AC Milan.

The three British journalists present were given short shrift, with a Sun reporter halted in mid-sentence as he attempted to ask a question.

The home-based media had already set the tone, with state broadcaster RAI crowbarring in their Silvio Berlusconi dig about “rotten apples” before following up with a critique on racism in Italy and Balotelli’s role at the vanguard of eradicating it.

There were few smiles to be had on what was meant to be a day of celebration for the return of Italy’s wayward footballing talent.

Having got on the wrong side of the player and Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani from the beginning, there was little insight on how the club would best accommodate the 22-year-old’s talents. But a hint of what would lie ahead came when Balotelli revealed he may finally smile when he scores.

He is, after all, a boyhood Milan fan – a fact he never hid during his time at Inter, where he once reportedly entered the dressing room singing the Rossoneri club anthem.

Balotelli may have come across as some kind of anti-hero during his time in the Premier League but back in these more restraining surroundings he will be expected to live a much more monastic existence.

It is his off-pitch exploits that Milan will want to temper - Galliani has already endured too many sleepless nights dealing with Ronaldinho’s nocturnal wanderings.

So, he would have been thrilled to read that Mario’s brother Enoch had already planned a party on Sunday night to celebrate his sibling’s debut against Udinese.

There had been a typically raucous Italian welcome at the club’s favourite eatery on Wednesday evening. Accompanied by the standard fanfare of riot police, flares and the odd baton charge, Circus Mario had officially arrived.

There was certainly a festive atmosphere at the San Siro ahead of Sunday evening’s match, and Balotelli was not about to disappoint the 40,000 crowd. He was given an unexpected start after Giampaolo Pazzini suffered a thigh strain in the warm-up. Berlusconi, meanwhile, made a rare appearance in the stands.

After five minutes’ preparation, he needed only 30 seconds to almost open the scoring after a darting run and low shot just wide of the post.

However, destiny’s child did not have to wait long to leave his mark. It came on 25 minutes when he lashed home Stephan El Shaarawy’s deflected cross from the byline.

The Jesus-like pose was accompanied by a grin rarely, if ever, seen in Manchester. By scoring, Balotelli followed in the footsteps of other Berlusconi luminaries; Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, George Weah and Alexandre Pato, who all scored on their debuts for the club.

A deft flick to send in the third member of the “Crest” attack – dubbed from their distinctive spiky trims – M’baye Niang, almost helped double the lead. Moments before he had hammered a stunning long-range effort from a standing start, which goalkeeper Daniele Padelli pushed over the bar.

At this stage the man they call Super Mario looked head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch. There was no doubt he was in his true element, thriving in the knowledge that this was his night.

When the Rossoneri were awarded a last-minute penalty after El Shaarawy was challenged cleanly in the area by Thomas Heurtaux, Balotelli coolly (how else?) slotted home to seal victory.

There is no doubt his arrival has transformed Milan into a true Serie A force once more. With young promise in abundance, Galliani must be rubbing his hands in glee at the prospect of a frontline locked down for the next eight to 10 years.

Playing through the middle, Balotelli’s link-play with Niang and El Shaarawy was at times radar-like – and it was his weighted pass that sent the latter sprinting into the area for the late penalty.

His movement away from goal and excellent hold-up play drew some hefty challenges, akin to Zlatan Ibrahimovic during his final season at the San Siro. Midfield runners could exploit the space behind the defence, as Mathieu Flamini did to good effect on Sunday.

While Massimiliano Allegri will want his midfielders to press higher and make full use of that energy in attack, his team’s problems lie elsewhere. When possession is lost they are exposed to quick counter-attacks, as was the case when Giampiero Pinzi netted Udinese’s equaliser from a two-on-one situation.

While the backline still looks vulnerable, it is a different story going forward. If Balotelli can stay focused, even at the tender age of 22, he can become the focal point rather than maverick luxury for Milan's new generation.

Rattled Juventus set to throw Nicolas Anelka in at the deep end

Richard Whittle — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:05:00 GMT

The €100 million man has landed at another club. That is the estimated figure Nicolas Anelka has demanded in transfer fees throughout a nomadic career that has taken him from France to England, Spain, Turkey, China and now Italy.

“Le Sulk” flew into Turin on a private jet from Paris just hours before Juventus were set to host Chievo on Saturday evening. But even though the Juventus Stadium is only a ten-minute drive from the airport, there was no chance of the striker attending the game – not with a medical to be completed on Sunday morning.

Instead, the 33-year-old watched the match from the comfort of his hotel suite and was given an early indication on what the next five months with the defending champions will hold – with the Old Lady becoming more adamant there are forces attempting to derail their title defence with each passing week.

A pulsating match could easily have seen referee Marco Guida award three or four penalties – the last of which had Antonio Conte raging, when Genoa’s Andreas Granqvist miskicked a clearance into his own hand three minutes into added time. The official behind the goal seemed to indicate a penalty should be awarded, but after a slight hesitation Guida opted for the safer outcome – or so he thought – a corner kick.

At the final whistle, as the weary players trooped off with the points shared in a 1-1 draw, a distressed Conte, followed closely by his staff, raced onto the pitch to confront the officials. “It’s a disgrace” he was heard to scream, as he jabbed an accusing finger at Guida, who he later claimed had told him he did not feel “ready” to award a penalty at such a late moment in the game, a statement the referee later denied making.

If Anelka thought he had arrived at a club in control of their domestic league, his eyes will have instantly been opened to the fact that he will be expected to play a key role through the rest of the campaign. With just one win in their last four league outings, this is as big a wobble as Juve have suffered for well over a year.

In Conte, of course, he will have a coach who has no time for shirkers, and he will be expected to knuckle down to the task at hand – and that is providing goals – something that Nicklas Bendtner had failed to do quite spectacularly in the first half of the season.

In fact, there may have even been a hidden sense of relief that the Dane had been ruled out for a few months, so at least the club had a genuine excuse to find a replacement to help solve their goalscoring difficulties.

It’s plain to see that for all the chances they create, the problems lie in consistently putting the ball in the net, and with it putting matches beyond doubt. Fabio Quagliarella took his goal total to six for the season on Saturday, equal with Sebastian Giovinco and one ahead of Mirko Vucinic - Alessandro Matri is on four.

With Fernando Llorente not arriving from Athletic Bilbao until the summer and Lisandro Lopez of Olympique Lyonnais considered too pricey, there was a need for a short-term fix and in what club general manager Beppe Marotta claimed was an “emergency situation” so who better to turn to than a proven goalscorer.

Anelka has scored wherever he has played – well, apart from China - and at Juventus he has an added incentive of a series of bonuses linked to appearances, wins and goals; to go with his €100,000 a week salary. There are still some bureaucratic issues to be resolved with his current club Shanghai Shenhaua and the Chinese Football Federation; in particular a clause on extending the deal for another season, but Juventus are confident matters will be resolved in the coming days.

Anelka certainly has his work cut out, having last played back in November, and the closest he has come to kicking a ball has been a week’s training with former club Paris St. Germain.

Conte has targeted next Sunday and the tricky away game at Chievo, who won at Lazio at the weekend, as Anelka’s debut. With Napoli reducing the gap to just three points at the top, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see the new arrival swiftly thrown in at the deep end.

Pogba demolishes Udinese as Juventus wonder why Man United let him go

Richard Whittle — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 10:42:00 GMT

Andrea Pirlo has put his accomplishments down to the ability to do a “bit of everything”: a jack of all trades who can attack, defend, pass – can’t he just? – and produce the odd goal or two.

The midfield maestro was missing at the weekend through injury as Juventus faced what had the makings of a tricky home game against Udinese, but not to worry: Paul Pogba took a leaf out of Pirlo’s handbook for success to produce much more than a “bit of everything”.

The 19-year-old scored two blistering goals to set Antonio Conte’s side back on the winning path after a rocky start to 2013: they had lost at home Sampdoria and drawn at Parma.

The first goal came out of the blue just before the half-time interval when the French starlet unleashed a thunderous half-volley from some 30 yards; as it flew in via the underside of the crossbar, it was timed at 101kph.

The second, midway through the second period, was as almost as potent – a hefty 97kph but hit along the ground from a metre or so closer to goal. On both occasions, goalkeeper Daniele Padelli was left helpless.

Mirko Vucinic and Alessandro Matri rounded off a routine 4-0 victory; coupled with second-placed Lazio and Napoli drawing at Palermo and Fiorentina respectively, it left the Turin club five points clear at the top.

However, all the headlines belonged to teenager Pogba. Pundits in Italy are still wondering how Sir Alex Ferguson allowed such a star in the making to leave Manchester United for nothing more than the small change of €1m – even if United had acquired the player in contentious circumstances from Le Havre.

Mino Raiola, who looks after the affairs of Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, had begun handling Pogba in late 2011 and had brokered Ibra’s switch from Ajax to the Turin club.

When pressed on the matter in the post-game interview in the bowels of the Juventus Stadium, Pogba parried the question as easily as he had held off the Udinese midfield.

“You'll have to ask him [Ferguson] because he was the one who let me go,” he memorised from a pre-prepared answer sheet. “It's all in the past now and I am happy at Juventus and I don’t think about Manchester United anymore.”

And you can see why the tall, commanding figure has drawn comparisons with compatriot Patrick Vieira – although for older Italian fans, he possesses a style more similar to Frank Rijkaard.

Like the former AC Milan lynchpin, he has an eye for goal at the most opportune moment: Juve had been wasteful for most of the first-half against Udinese until Pogba let rip. He had already popped up to head home the winner in the 92nd minute against Bologna while his first Serie A goal secured a 2-0 win over Napoli.

Pogba celebrates against Udinese

There had been a slight dip in form before the weekend, especially in the defeat against Sampdoria, but the youngster doesn't lack confidence or a flourish: witness the Balotelli blond streak atop his Marek Hamsik spiky haircut.

Conte will keep the player's feet firmly planted on the ground. With Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio both fit again – Saturday’s match was the first time in 18 months that neither had played – Conte is set to send Pogba back to the bench for the TIM Cup semi-final first leg against Lazio on Tuesday.

“It's all about the carrot and the stick when you are managing young players,” explained the Juventus boss. “Then he has a role model in Pirlo who can show him each day in training what it takes to become a truly great professional.”

Pogba seems to be showing signs of maturity by accepting that he may not play a starring role every time – but his walk-on parts so far have certainly been eye-catching.

Quiet man leads Lazio onto the shoulder of the champions

Richard Whittle — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:38:00 GMT

Everyone needs a helping hand when they're chasing the title, and Lazio were given one on Sunday when Sergio Floccari opened the scoring against Atalanta.

The striker clearly controlled a rebound off the crossbar with his right arm before smashing the ball into the net – and from there the Romans went on to wrap up the points when Atalanta defender Davide Brivio dived to head into his own net.

The home win, coupled with another stuttering performance from Juventus in their draw at Parma, cuts the gap at the top from eight to three points – and the Eagles’ claws are sharpened to grab the top perch if Antonio Conte’s team continue to drop points.

In fact, the Juve coach inadvertently helped set up Parma’s equaliser when he shouted out to Mirko Vucinic to leave a long clearance from the home side, only for the ball to land at the feet of Nicola Sansone who raced through to score.

Conte may have to keep his touchline thoughts to himself in the future, but while he belongs of that rather eccentric club of animated Italian coaches, his Lazio counterpart Vladimir Petkovic prefers to maintain a lower profile in the technical area.

RESULTS Sat 12 Jan Bologna 4-0 Chievo; Internazionale 2-0 Pescara Sun 13 Jan Torino 3-2 Siena; Lazio 2-0 Atalanta; Udinese 3-1 Fiorentina; Cagliari 2-1 Genoa; Parma 1-1 Juventus; Napoli 3-0 Palermo; Catania 1-0 Roma; Sampdoria 0-0 Milan

His arrival in the capital in the summer was equally low-key: very little was expected from the former coach of Swiss sides Young Boys, whom he took to a runners-up spot, and FC Sion following a brief spell in Turkey with Samsunspor.

While few expected his stay to be lengthy, Lazio president Claudio Lotito was confident that the Bosnian-born boss, who had come up the hard way in Swiss football and for a five-year period between 2003 and 2008 had combined coaching with being a charity worker, would be the steadying influence for a group of players who lacked confidence in their ability to make the final step forward.

Petkovic: Quietly assured Lazio boss

Lotito is a bit of a thrift-shop club owner and no doubt the mere €600,000 salary tempted him to go with an unknown coach – but Petkovic demanded a peformance-related bonus, which he is well on the way to triggering.

A calm exterior hides a shrewd and self-assured operator who has already written himself into fan folklore following the derby win over AS Roma.

It is a self-belief that he has generated amongst the players and despite possessing only one out-and-out attacker in Miroslav Klose, with Floccari the back-up after Tommaso Rocchi’s move to Inter, the team has gone on a 14-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side were undefeated for 24 matches in the 1997-98, the springboard for a period of success that led to the club winning its last title in the 1999-2000 campaign – and Petkovic’s side now have the exact number of points, 42, as Eriksson’s scudetto winners at the same stage of the season.

Where once Lazio faltered at home, now the Olympic Stadium is a fortress: nine league wins out of 11, with 12 wins from 16 games in all competitions in front of their ever more positive supporters.

Klose may be carrying the bulk of the goalscoring duties but Petkovic has got the rest of the team playing for the German striker and in a masterstroke has re-established Hernanes as a deep-lying playmaker – a position he occupied when playing in Brazil.

Not only is he the chief assist man but by starting runs later into the area, the skilful South American has helped on the scoring front: with seven goals, he's just three behind Klose.

Wins have generally been of the 1-0 or 2-1 variety, with Sunday's 2-0 being extravagant for Lazio – but history has demonstrated that Serie A success is built around such meagre margins coupled with frugal defending.

Needless to say, Lazio have given little away at the back: their 19 goals against in 20 games is bettered only by Juventus (14) and the 18 of Napoli, Juve's other chief title rival five points off the pace.

Across town, Roma may have been grabbing all the headlines as the league’s top goalscorers with 43 goals but their expansive style of play comes at a cost: they've conceded 34, Serie A's third-worst defensive record, and languish 10 points behind their city rivals.

Petkovic would never be so reckless in his approach – and for now he is proving that prudence is the better part of valour.

Juventus target Cavani is the man the Old Lady must fear

Richard Whittle — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:28:00 GMT

It is no wonder Juventus crave Edinson Cavani more than any other player on the planet – and that includes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Serie A league leaders were expected to start 2013 as they had ended 2012, with a continuation of their relentless charge towards another scudetto.

Instead, they came unstuck at home to a Sampdoria side who had played almost an hour of the game with ten men after Gaetano Berardi was sent-off on 32 minutes. At that stage, Antonio Conte’s side were already a goal up and seemingly cruising to a routine three points.

However, they were stung by two second-half goals from former Barcelona youth striker Mauro Icardi, in what was only the second defeat the reigning champions have suffered at their Juventus Stadium.

By the end of what had been a very sluggish performance in every department, Conte had run through every permutation in attack, but all to no avail.

Things would no doubt have been rather different had El Matador been the one attempting to cut through the visitors’ defence instead of Alessandro Matri, who spent much of the game charging into defenders like the proverbial bull in a china shop.

Conte was left to lament the fact a team that had broken records with their league form last year were not quite as invincible as had been made out.

Looking further ahead to a decisive two months, Champions League opponents Celtic will have noted that Juve are susceptible to the quick counter-attack, as Samp demonstrated with their two goals.

Matri, Mirko Vucinic and Sebastian Giovinco all failed to hit the target from open play – although the latter did manage to convert from the penalty spot. Fabio Quagliarella, meanwhile, proved he is a provider of chances rather a taker of them - unless they happen to be the spectacular variety.

How Cavani would thrive off the interplay of Quagliarella, Vucinic and even the at times wasteful Giovinco is anyone’s guess, but on Sunday evening the Napoli frontman demonstrated why some consider him the most deadly out-and-out striker in Europe.

A stunning hat-trick from the Uruguayan sent AS Roma reeling back to the Capital on the end of a 4-1 defeat, and fired the Partenopei into third place and back within striking distance of Juventus in the process.

Each of the three goals came in a different manner – the first after just four minutes was a stabbed finish on the end of a neat through-ball from Goran Pandev; the second was a mishit effort from close range two minutes after the break, and the third a downward header at the near post following a corner.

He could have had a fourth and perhaps even a fifth late on, but was adjudged offside as he slammed home the ball, with Giallorossi goalkeeper Mauro Goicoechia managing to divert the ball off the long-haired terror’s foot as he raced through into the penalty area shortly after.

At the final whistle, the referee did not even bother to collect the ball; he knew to whom it belonged.

The hat-trick took Cavani’s goal-tally to eight goals in 11 meetings with the Romans and he now is a goal away from a century in Serie A. He had been no slouch last year, netting 43 goals - 27 of which came in the league - and already he has reached 16 in this domestic campaign. Juve’s frontline have 19 combined.

It is intriguing to ponder how he would match up to Messi, Ronaldo and Radamel Falcao had a move to La Liga ever materialized, and Cavani’s most-recent goalscoring feat will once again reverberate around Europe.

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has claimed to have already rejected a €55 million offer from Manchester City.

That amount will no doubt increase in the summer, because for now Cavani has unfinished business in Naples. He has set his sights on emulating Diego Maradona, who remains the only Napoli player to finish the season as the league’s leading goalscorer. Then, of course, there is the small matter of the two Serie A title wins Maradona inspired in 1987 and 1990, when the Argentine was at the peak of his powers.

Cavani is only 25 and the way he is performing now suggests a Capocannoniere crown and a league title are well within his reach: Juventus will have taken note.

Juve's late show closes record-breaking 2012

Richard Whittle — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 12:05:00 GMT

It's a black and white Christmas in Serie A, with all the gifts landing under the Juventus tree.

At the start of the month Napoli were just two points behind the league leaders and defending champions, but as Italy heads into a two-week winter break that gap has opened up to eight points and Lazio are now Juve’s closest rivals.

Rivals would probably be too strong a word as the chasing pack look to be battling for second and third while the Old Lady strolls on at the top of the table.
Antonio Conte’s men set an Italian league record of 94 points for the calendar year – shading the Fabio Capello-led Juve that collected two points fewer in 2005 – thanks to a late 3-1 win over Cagliari at the bleak house that was the Ennio Tardini on Friday evening.

The match was switched from Sardinia to Parma's stadium 400 miles away a mere 48 hours before kick-off, following the increasingly familiar and depressing scenario of local authorities deeming Cagliari’s stadio Is Arenas not up to standard to host a high-profile match.

It was effectively a home game for Juve. Cagliari could only muster 71 fans in one section of an almost deserted ground in which most of the noise came from Conte’s booming voice from the touchline.

He was none too pleased to see his team trail by a goal and miss a penalty when Arturo Vidal blazed over, although the tone of his voice changed after the equaliser from former Rossoblu frontman Alessandro Matri with 15 minutes remaining.

The same player hit the second in added time when Cagliari were down to 10 men after Davide Astori had been sent off. Mirko Vucinic then stole Christmas off Sebastian Giovinco when he tapped home the diminutive forward's goalbound shot.

Better late than never: Matri (r) and Vucinic celebrate

There was little festive cheer off the pitch either. Cagliari owner Massimo Cellino complained that Juventus had been behind the switch in venue; the theme that the northern giants in Milan and Turin held too much influence in the corridors of power was then taken up by Zdenek Zeman after AS Roma demolished a demoralised-looking AC Milan.

In fact, the Milanese clubs made life a lot easier for Juventus by their lacklustre performances on Saturday: Inter were held at home by second-bottom Genoa, surviving going a goal behind from former Juve youth star Ciro Immobile to draw level five minutes from time through Esteban Cambiasso.

The winter break gives Massimo Moratti time to contemplate bowing to coach Andrea Stramacconi’s request for reinforcements as the Nerazzuri fell nine points behind the leaders and were leapfrogged by Lazio, who won at Sampdoria.

Stramaccioni believes that a couple of extra players can propel his side into 2013 in better shape which is something that seems highly unlikely across town at Milan.
Even two late goals when they were already trailing 4-0 at Roma couldn't hide the defensive failings in Massimiliano Allegri’s side, especially from crosses and set-pieces.

Last seaon’s runners-up are now seven points off a Europa League spot but there may be some positives in the New Year for Allegri, with funds made available after the impending sales of Alessandro Pato and Robinho. Apart from their deep-seated feelings of saudade, the boys from Brazil believe that the only way that they will have a chance of making the World Cup squad for 2014 is by grabbing the headlines back home.

Milan suit Adriano Galliani will not be looking forward to a Christmas spent in South America overseeing the transfer of two of his favoured players. Galliani has ruled out the arrival of Mario Balotelli on a loan deal but the man with a wonderful record on the transfer market needs to rediscover his mojo by landing signings worthy of Milan’s traditionally high standards.

He could certainly take note of Fiorentina and Roma’s approach to unearthing defensive talent such as Marquinhos at the Giallorossi and Gonzalo Rodriguez for the Viola.

Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Montella will look forward to Stevan Jovetic remaining fit after the playmaker netted twice in the 3-0 win at Palermo to take the Tuscans into joint third with Inter. For their part, Roma could yet be the real threat in the second half of the season and Zeman’s gifted side head to Napoli on January 6th.

Napoli will hope that they may claw back a point from their two-point deduction for their part in failing to report an alleged attempt to rig the outcome of a match against Sampdoria two years ago. Club captain Paolo Cannavaro and reserve first-teamers Gianluca Grava have been banned for six months as part of the investigation after they were accused of being aware of potential wrongdoing.

It had been an unsettling week for the Italian Cup winners, having been knocked out of the competition by Bologna who only four days previously produced a shock win at the San Paolo in the league. Walter Mazzarri looked pretty uninspired in both matches and there was little change in their demeanour at Siena but they still managed a 2-0 win.

However, Conte will not allow any complacency to creep into the Juventus camp and the squad will have little time to put their feet up over the festive period.
Tellingly, the record breakers are the first team back on the training pitch this Friday, leaving the rest with even more catching up to do.

Klose the closer lays down the law to Inter to maintain impressive record

Richard Whittle — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:44:00 GMT

Lazio could be title a contender if only Miroslav Klose played every game. The striker is a bit like the Good China: he is only makes an appearance on important occasions.

While he is usually wrapped up safely out of sight when it comes to matches against Serie A’s lesser sides, the German is a stonewall certainty to cause the top teams defensive headaches and invariably find the back of the net.

Since arriving in Serie A at the start of last season on a free transfer after failing to agree an extension with Bayern Munich, where he had only scored one goal in what had been an injury-plagued year, the 34-year-old has found the net 23 times from 44 league appearances.

The big-five had all suffered to varying degrees - especially AS Roma; against whom Klose has netted in each of his three appearances, including a last-minute winner on his first derby outing.

They call it ‘The Klose Law’ and apart from Juventus the only other side not to have a received a sentence had been Inter - but that all changed at the Olympic stadium on Saturday evening.

Having already missed a very presentable chance, Klose’s persistence finally paid off when he scored one of his trademark goals nine minutes from time; redirecting a low ball into the area with considerably power and accuracy towards the far corner of the net, to hand the Biancocelesti an important victory.

Inter, of course, have their own in-the-box finisher in Diego Milito, but the Argentine has been off the boil lately and unlike Klose he is wheeled out for just about every game without a chance to recharge the batteries.

Nerazzurri coach Andrea Strammacioni has admitted he does not possess a replacement for Milito and is hoping that Massimo Moratti will present him with a back-up in January, and his opposite number at Lazio, Vladimir Petkovic, is in a similat situation, accepting that he has only one genuine goal-scorer and thusly must use him sparingly.

Klose was kept on the bench for an hour at Bologna last Monday in what had been an insipid display from the Romans, but his entry transformed the team so much that they almost claimed all three points just by his mere presence inside the opposition half.

Coming into the weekend showdown where both teams knew that a win would keep them handily placed for a top three spot and a defeat would damage those aims heading into the winter break, Klose’s name would have been the first on Petkovic’s team-sheet.

For many romantics of the art of goalscoring, Klose lacks the frills of a Ronaldo, who he trails by a single goal in the all-time chart at World Cup finals, but there is no denying that he is effective from inside the area.

His strike against Inter took his tally this season to ten goals, highlighting his immense contribution considering that the rest of the team have pitched in with a grand total of 15.
Four of those goals have been winners and he is well on target to surpass his 13-goal total for the whole of last season.

The strikes have been shared between his ability to arrive inside the area at just the right moment to steer the ball home or to produce a toe-poke past a lunging defender and diving goalkeeper.

Little effort seems to be expended but that is the secret of his art while his heading ability has long been recognized as the best in the business although in Italy where defenders are adept at blocking runs at set-pieces he has had marginally less success than he had in the Bundesliga or at international level.

Grabbing the headlines with goals in the derby and against the likes of the Milanese sides keeps the Polish-born frontman in the running for what is his real aim in the swansong of his career – another World Cup finals appearance and a last chance to really write his name into the history books.

Antonio Conte returns with a win and his best Tony D'Amato impression

Richard Whittle — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 11:22:00 GMT

Italian football’s very own Tony D’Amato was back pacing the touchline on Sunday, geeing up the troops and generally being tough on everyone - himself included.

Antonio Conte was last seen doing his best impression of Al Pacino's bruiser coach character from Oliver Stone’s American football epic Any Given Sunday back in May, as his Juventus side went down to Napoli in the Italian Cup Final.

From there on, the Puglia-born tough guy has been battling to clear his name, after it was dragged through the mud during the ongoing Calcioscomisse investigations. He had been found guilty of failing to report alleged match-fixing amongst his players during his spell in charge of Siena, and paid for it severely.

Handed a ten-month ban from all match-day activities that was later reduced to four months, Conte has been left sitting in the stands relaying orders via phone to the dug-out; first to Massimo Carrera and then Angelo Alessio, who was at Siena with Conte and had also received a ban. His two closest allies had continued the good work through ninety minutes every weekend, but as Conte admitted, it was the toughest period of his life. Had the Juve manager not previously undergone a rather expensive hair transplant, he may have been tempted to tear the lot out in frustration.

The freedom to take training on a daily basis may have helped, but he could not be there come show time, so it was massive relief when he walked out of the dark tunnel into the half-light of a dank Sunday afternoon at the Barbera stadium.

How we have missed Conte and the inspirational performances from the sidelines which have helped inspire his Juventus team to recreate the will to win of his playing days. There was a TV camera – dubbed the Conte-Cam – trained on his every move, and he did not disappoint, with a highly animated performance worthy of a whoo-ha or two.

Palermo provided the perfect venue for his return: Sicily has 43 Juventus-registered supporters’ clubs, only four fewer than in the club’s home region of Piedmont, with the Old Lady able to call on an estimated one million fans from the island.

They were dotted all over the ground, ready to greet their returning hero. Former Juve midfielder and now club director Pavel Nedved perfectly summed up what it meant to have Conte back where he belonged; “He is our twelfth man, a true champion. We can now keep going forward with even greater desire.”

Of course, match-day is not about histrionics from the touchline, and even as Conte tried to join his players in kicking every ball, you could see they were performing for their talismanic figure first and foremost.

They glanced over to the bench every time a move hit its mark or a pass went astray, and each time the reaction lifted their spirits as their leader - wearing a baseball cap to protect that expensively-laid mane - cajoled, calmed and on a couple of occasions bawled them out.

Maybe at times the players looked as if they were trying too hard, but on a pitch sodden after two days of persistent rain, there seemed little doubt Juve would finally make the breakthrough.

It came early in the second half, with a player who sometimes seems to be able to walk on water skill-wise – Mirko Vucinic – producing a sublime back-heel to release Stephan Lichtsteiner inside the area, with the full-back slotting home the only goal of the game.

The home side were reduced to ten men when Michele Morganella received a second yellow card, but the Bianconeri should really have been out of sight long before that. Juve’s profligacy did not please Conte, who warned that had Palermo equalised he would have sent the team into the dreaded ritiro ahead of Wednesday’s Coppa Italia tie with Cagliari.

It is all about team-work for Conte, and as the Pacino character exalted in one of his team talks: “On any given Sunday you're gonna win or you're gonna lose. The point is - can you win or lose like a man?”

Juve restore some local pride as academy products tame bullish Toro

Richard Whittle — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 10:29:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 1 Dec Juventus 3-0 Torino Sun 2 Dec Napoli 5-1 Pescara, Genoa 2-4 Chievo, Bologna 2-1 Atalanta, Inter 1-0 Palermo, Lazio 2-1 Parma, Siena 1-3 AS Roma, Udinese 4-1 Cagliari, Fiorentina 2-2 Sampdoria.

Torino have been eagerly waiting for three years to get stuck into Juventus, though the latter would perhaps not express the same enthusiasm for the return of the Turin Derby, believing their true rivalry instead lies some 85 miles down the A4 autostrada in Milan. However, having already lost to Inter and AC Milan this season, the Bianconeri could not afford to lose face against their nearest neighbours, who had returned from another stint in Serie B.

The Derby della Mole - a reference to the Mole Antonelliana museum which juts out over the city roofs - has traditionally been associated with the class divide. Juventus are said to represent the wealth and power, while Toro’s roots are grittier and almost exclusively from the inner areas and surrounding districts.

It was the fixture that fired the nation’s love of football, being the first match to be broadcast live on radio in 1929 at the dawn of what was to become the dominant period of Il Grande Torino. That team would, of course, be tragically decimated by the Superga air crash in 1949, which in turn heralded the rise of the post-war all-conquering Agnelli-Fiat backed Juventus.

Toro were heading for this fixture with some trepidation, having not come out on top against their rivals since 1995, and the club were none too pleased to have been handed only 2,099 tickets to fill one corner of the Juventus stadium, which had replaced the city’s other old relic the Stadio Delle Alpi. In fact, around 500 tickets remained unsold as visiting fans decided that they would never darken the door of their enemy, feeling that Juve had been given all the help they needed by the city council to redevelop their own stadium while Toro’s long-held dream to rebuild their beloved Filadelfia had laid in ruins.

But the bitterness is felt on the pitch, as well as off it: in the early 90s Toro defender Pasquale Bruno - who had also played for Juve - was banned for five games after living up to his nickname “The Animal”. He refused to leave the pitch when red-carded, turning his anger not only the officials, but also his team-mates in what is still considered one the greatest meltdowns in Italian football.

A decade later Juventus midfielder Enzo Marseca celebrated scoring a late equalizer by imitating the bull horns celebration of Toro striker Marco Ferrante, who had netted earlier in the game, as he raced past the opposition bench, leading to a right old touchline furore.

On the face of it, it looked as if Juve would be flashing la corna again. Despite their defeat at Milan the previous weekend, they were still top of the table, while Toro were only four points off the relegation zone and had only won once in eight games. Captain and top goalscorer Rolando Bianchi had not scored since September, while his regular partner in attack, Gianluca Sansone, last found the net a month ago. In fact, nine of the team’s fifteen goals had come from midfielders or defenders.

However, Giampiero Ventura’s side had become something of the draw specialists, having held high-flying Lazio, Napoli and Fiorentina.

It would need some water-tight defending this time around but the flashpoint came on 35 minutes. Toro‘s Kamil Glik challenged Juve winger Emanuele Giaccherini with a lunging tackle which, despite taking place near the half-way line, was deemed dangerous enough to warrant a straight red card. The central defender had ended up in hospital last weekend after a clash of heads with Luca Toni, and the Polish hardman had obviously still not come to his senses as he flew feet-up, horizontally through the air to claim the ball and his diminutive opponent in one fell swoop. In the post-game interviews everyone, bar those in the Toro camp, agreed was worth at least a couple of reds.

There is no doubt Glik’s moment of madness turned the course of the game, which had been goalless up until that stage, with the Bianconeri finding it difficult to make in-roads against a confident Toro, who themselves almost broke the deadlock early on, with Ricccardo Meggiorini flicking his close-range effort wide of Gigi Buffon and the post. At the other end, Torino keeper Jean Francois Gillet allowed a Paolo De Ceglio cross to slip out of his hands, but as Paul Pogba was about to pounce, the referee blew for an infringement.

Down to ten men, Toro were forced to adopt an even more defensive siege mentality, but there was plenty of time for Juve to make the breakthrough.
They even had time to miss a penalty when Pogba went down under a challenge from Migjen Basha, with Andrea Pirlo blazing his spot-kick well over the bar.

It was left to the home-grown talent to finally give an edgy crowd something to cheer about and release the pressure inside the ground. Claudio Marchisio and Sebastian Giovinco had both come through the academy ranks, as had De Ceglio, and had all played in youth derbies, so it was perhaps fitting that they were the central figures in determining the final outcome.

It was Giovinco’s quick delivery that found Marchisio racing into the area in trademark fashion, with the midfielder heading home the opener just before the hour mark. The little frontman then picked out of the corner of the net for the all-important second, before Marchisio added a third with another crisp finish after Mirko Vucinic had nonchalantly chested the ball into his path.

Toro were a spent force by that stage, but their own youth product Angelo Ogbonna could certainly hold his head high.The 24-year-old central defender demonstrated why the likes of Manchester United are supposedly ready to table a January bid, as he marshalled his beleaguered defence with a steely assurance and coolness than any of the top sides would desire. Toro’s shaky finances and lack of squad depth in other areas will surely see Ogbonna move on, but Juve will be heartened by in the fact that their own new generation is continuing the tradition of the delivering the coup de grace to their bullish neighbours.

Milan-Juve: Silvio's sound-off and a "phantom arm" goal

Richard Whittle — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:19:00 GMT

When AC Milan met Juventus at the San Siro last season, a point divided the top two. Nine months on, the landscape of Serie A has changed drastically and coming into Sunday evening’s clash there was a massive 17-point difference in favour of Juve.

The champions were top of the pile again, but Milan had slipped a long way down the table after a summer that had seen the old guard retire or at least head into semi-retirement while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva were sold on.

Silvio Berlusconi had sanctioned the transfer of the club’s two most influential players to PSG, claiming he was making savings of €180m over the next three years taking into account the transfer fees and the on the pair’s combined salaries. However, there has been little or no on-field return, as far inferior quality players have had to follow in the footsteps of the legends.

Berlusconi is ever the optimist and now that his political career is on hold the Rossoneri owner has been back overseeing the running of his dearly beloved club. He dropped in on training a few weeks ago to give the players one of his famous motivational talks ahead of their trip to Napoli and subsequent Champions League tie at Anderlecht.

The results were deemed positive – after a draw in Naples where a brace from Stephan El Shaarawy helped the side come back from two down, and a win in Brussels to secure safe passage to the knock-out stages in Europe – that he decided to repeat the visit ahead of the Juventus game.

Berlusconi arrives at Milan for the Juve game

But the blades of his personal helicopter had barely stopped whirring before he was causing onlookers to wonder if perhaps he should keep a little more low-profile – or at least consider his answers before speaking.

When asked if Milan had been in talks with Pep Guardiola, Berlusconi almost cracked his make-up as he informed the salivating press that he would do everything possible to install the Catalan as the new coach for next season – but that he faced a bit of competition from the “English”, and in particular Manchester City.

Does he have some insider knowledge or was it the first Premier League name that came into his head? Anyway, it was not the sort of endorsement that Massimiliano Allegri would have been expecting ahead of such a crucial game, and he must feel a bit like Roberto Di Matteo did at Chelsea, knowing that the owner does not really want him around.

On the other hand, the big boss gave all the love he could to another Milan employee: a player that just about everyone associated with the club, including the bulk of fans, are despairing about.

Alexandre Pato was ruled out at the weekend with his umpteenth hamstring problem: to wincingly clutch the back of one's leg is now known as 'The Pato'. But the young Brazilian, who may or may not be dating Silvio’s daughter (and Milan board member) Barbara, continues to have the patron’s unfailing support.

Berlusconi informed everyone that his little favourite would not be used in swap deal with Manchester City for Mario Balotelli, which was no news to anyone anyway, as it had never been mooted until then. The owner also denied that Pato would be loaned back to Brazil in January, which may disappoint a player who believes he would receive much better medical treatment back in South America.

Having dispensed his words of wisdom to the press, it was time for Berlusconi to deliver another pep-talk to a bunch of players who knew that, in an ideal world, he wouldn't have given most of them the time of day.

El Sharaawy and Pato: Silvio favourites

One exception is Stephan El Shaarawy, who seems to have impressed the master by the fact that he had passed his high-school exams and had once thought of maybe going to university. But look at him now: on the cusp of becoming a footballer millionaire sporting a bird’s nest haircut.

While Berlusconi may not approve of someone having too much hair, he cannot deny that the club have unearthed a real star for the future and for now the 20-year-old has his mind focused solely on football.

His mum lives with him in Milan, he never goes out except to training and when he plays he runs himself into the ground and scores goal after goal – including one for Italy on his first start a few weeks ago against France.

So there was hope within the Milan ranks about the Juve game, even if recent statistics favour the Old Lady with 10 wins to Milan’s four, 29 goals scored to 10, only nine conceded compared to 18 and tellingly just one defeat to six.

But form books can be ignored and so it happened in a packed San Siro, on the back of a contentious decision which lead to the only goal of the game. Last season it was Sulley Muntari’s “ghost goal” and this time around Mauricio Isla’s “phantom arm” that was main talking point.

It was just past the half-hour in what had been a disjointed affair when Juve wing-back Isla threw his body in the way of Antonio Nocerino’s weak header and the ball cannoned off the side of his body – not his outstretched arm.

With three officials in close proximity and a mass of Milan players desperately appealing for a penalty there could only be one outcome: a spot-kick. The Juve players creditably accepted the decision with a sigh rather than a roar, and Gigi Buffon let Robinho’s low shot slip through his hands.

On any other evening you would have expected Antonio Conte’s side to charge back into the game, but a mixture of Milan's resolute defending and the fatigue Juve must have felt after their stirring win over Chelsea meant that the match became a series of misplaced passes and little movement in attack.

Marco van Basten was in the stands as a guest of Milan to commemorate his four goals in the Champions Cup against Goteborg in the same stadium on the exact same date in 1992. The Dutch master will have thought little of the Bianconeri frontline but might have been impressed by El Shaarawy’s all-round game.

However, Milan had matched Inter in defeating the team that had gone on a 49-game unbeaten run – and the man with the widest grin was the beaming Berlusconi, who will no doubt be popping to Milanello again soon.

Icardi stops the lights going out on Sampdoria in Derby della Lanterna

Richard Whittle — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:05:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 17 Nov Juventus 0-0 Lazio, Napoli 2-2 AC Milan Sun 18 Nov Bologna 3-0 Palermo, Catania 2-1 Chievo, Fiorentina 4-1 Atalanta, Inter 2-2 Cagliari, Udinese 2-2 Parma, Siena 1-0 Pescara, Sampdoria 3-1 Genoa.

There was a time when the Derby della Lanterna was the shining beacon of Italian football, but the lights have dimmed over the years as both Sampdoria and Genoa have fallen on hard times.

Samp were in Serie B last season, having been helped on their way by their rivals who came out on top in 2011 and whose fans then went on to hold a mock funeral for their neighbours through the streets of the port city.

The derby takes its name from the Lanterna (Lighthouse) that once guided ships into the harbor, and both sides found themselves floundering in the relegation zone coming into Sunday’s showdown, with the Blucerchiati a point ahead of the bottom-placed Rossoblu. There were more than bragging rights at stake. On the plus side, the match could not have come at a better time, as both teams had long forgotten how to pick up a point – somebody had to get something.

Doria’s coach Ciro Ferrara was feeling the pressure after overseeing a blistering start to the campaign which had produced three straight wins, but then slumping to seven consecutive defeats.

Last week’s loss at Palermo had seen the former Juventus defender take a ball straight in the face to add to his misery, and he would not be able to take another set-back on the chin – the derby was all or nothing for Ciro.

Across town, Luigi Delneri had more time on his side, having only recently switched colours via an unsuccessful spell at Juve to take over from the unconvincing Luigi De Canio; only to extend the Grifone’s losing streak to five matches.

The last win either side had celebrated at the Marassi was on September 2nd, when Sampdoria defeated Siena. Rossoblu fans had to cast their minds back to the opening day to recall a home success.

Something had to give - or did it? The aforementioned clash from 2011 had been the centre of the recent match-fixing investigations although that line of enquiry had led nowhere, but certainly for the neutral this meeting had ‘draw’ written all over it.

Like both teams, the Marassi is in need of a pick-me-up. But even if a lick of paint would not go amiss, its tight confines still provide the perfect backdrop to the stirring drama on the pitch.

The passionate backing for both clubs has played its part in driving their respective teams to victory sometime in the distant past, but of course there has been the negative side to having such ardent support.

Genoa found to their cost that bowing to the ultras only leads to humiliation when last season the players were forced to hand over their shirts when they were trailing 4-0 at home to Siena so when a Samp faction blocked the team bus as it left the airport following their return from Palermo to demanded a word or two, the players wisely declined.

In the recent past the likes of Antonio Cassano, Giampaolo Pazzini, Rodrigo Palacio and Diego Milito would sprinkle a little star dust among the raking challenges and chest thumping, but aside from Andrea Pioli’s 16th minute opener, the first 30 minutes of this weekend’s clash saw lumps being kicked out of anything that moved – as well as the recently re-laid pitch.

Poli’s quick turn and less-than-clean finish inside the area had given the game what it needed and Samp continued to create the better chances, helped in part by Genoa defender Cesare Bovo putting through his own net from close range on 36 minutes following a low cut-back by the lively Mauro Icardi.

The former Barcelona youth player, starting for the first time in Serie A, was a constant threat to the pedestrian Genoa backline, and the 19-year-old lone front man could have made it 3-0 just before the break when one-on-one with Sebastian Frey, but shot tamely at the goalkeeper.

Frey then dived at Gianni Munari’s feet to ensure the outcome was not beyond doubt before the referee had brought the first 45 minutes to a close.

It was difficult to say if Samp had actually performed impressively or Genoa had simply been woeful, but Delneri knew he could not send out the same eleven for the second half and the introduction of the experienced Juan Manuel Vargas at least provided some width and threat along the left flank.

It was the Peruvian’s miskick that found its way to another young striker Ciro Immobile who scored with just over fifteen minutes left to give Genoa hope of saving face.

Icardi ended any thoughts of a stirring comeback with Samp’s third with two minutes remaining to earn the man of the match award.

The Rosario-born youngster had run himself to a standstill and when it came to the Samp players running to celebrate in front of their fans he cramped up and had to get a piggyback from team-mate and fellow Argentine Fernando Tissone.

Perspiration is the inspiration for victory in derbies such as these, and there had been no better way for Ferrara to halt the downward spiral to give him some breathing space.

But Delneri knows it is now his turn to edge towards the precipice.

De Rossi's derby day slap could finally lead to a dash from Rome

Richard Whittle — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:50:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 10 Nov Cagliari 0-0 Catania, Pescara 1-6 Juventus Sun 11 Nov AC Milan 1-3 Fiorentina, Atalanta 3-2 Inter, Chievo 2-2 Udinese, Genoa 2-4 Napoli, Lazio 3-2 AS Roma, Palermo 2-0 Sampdoria, Parma 0-0 Siena, Torino 1-0 Bologna.

If Daniele De Rossi feels this is the time to get out of Rome, he made the perfect statement of his intent in Sunday's derby.

The flailing hand which left Lazio's Stefano Mauri sprawled on the deck saw the Roma man sent on the long walk of shame to the dressing room, and for many in the capital it is another step down the road of no return.

As the city woke up to a Monday of calm, blue skies after the deluge of rain which had played its part in what had already been a raucous Roman showdown, the chatter in the bars centred around the fall from grace of one of their favourite sons.

Roma coach Zdenek Zeman had been under been under immense pressure to pick De Rossi ahead of his preferred choice in the centre of midfield, Panagiotis Tachtsidis.

The local radio stations were demanding the selection on an hourly basis, and banners at the club’s training ground had made it clear that ‘DDR’ had to be in the starting line-up - and not on the right of midfield, but in the heart of the battle in the centre of the pitch.

There was a massive roar when his name was announced ahead of the game, but De Rossi undid all the love amongst his most fervent followers in the most spectacular fashion.

With the Giallorossi trailing 2-1 and the half-time whistle about to toot, all eyes were on a free-kick about to be delivered from Francesco Totti out on the left.

Inside the penalty area De Rossi and Lazio skipper Mauri were grappling for position, which led to the man who has been called the “future captain” throwing a right hook which was spotted by the referee’s assistant.

The skies had long darkened and through the driving rain the red card stood out like a beacon on a stormy night - but did it signal the end of De Rossi’s career at Roma?

He certainly had few springing to his defence, with the majority claiming he had let the fans down as never before, while Italy coach Cesare Prandelli promptly dropped him for the friendly against France as part of his “code ethics” clampdown on unsporting behaviour.

Zeman did not hold back in laying the blame at his player's door – and the rain of course which has become a bit of a mantra for the veteran coach who also saw his side fall to defeat in heavy conditions at Parma.

Zeman claimed that he had spoken to the players on their need to maintain a cool head but De Rossi is a man who has lived on his emotions throughout his career and of course had been sent off on a few occasions for swinging an elbow.

He recently complained that those self-same fans who had once encouraged him to be the on-field warrior have since turned their back on him.

Committing himself to the club for another five years has done little to allay the feeling that even though he may be earning something in the range of €6 million a year and is set up for life, the pressure of life in the capital has become too much to bear.

Rumours spread quickly in Rome, taking on a life of their own, and the player’s private life has been the centre of much fervent debate, with fact and fiction often merging.

It may be time to get out of the fish bowl and swim free in fresher waters. No doubt Manchester City have taken note of developments, especially with Roma general manager Franco Baldini claiming that the club would listen to offers, having turned down a reported approach from the English champions in the summer.

However, the rumour-mill now suggests it will not be England that will lure De Rossi away, but more likely Real Madrid or PSG. This would ensure the player is only an hour’s flight from his daughter, who remains with her mother after the couple’s divorce.

While the De Rossi incident grabbed all the headlines and kept everyone busily chattering away over their Monday-morning coffee, it should not be forgotten that the match itself was everything the Derby della Capitale is meant to be – a riotous occasion of colour and passion.

The torrential downpour and flashes of lightening were the perfect backdrop to the most heated local rivalry in Italian football. For many, the double-header is a league within a league and to finish top of the ‘Rome championship’ is more important than the final overall standings in Serie A.

Then there was the Zeman factor. The craggy, old Czech had coached both clubs in the past and his brand of free-flowing football was ripe for the more pragmatic Lazio to pick off which they duly did, with more than a little help from their opponents.

The heavens had opened less than ten minutes into the game, causing a power failure throughout the stadium which left only four sets of floodlights still functioning.

It may have been 3pm, but it felt more like 9pm as the players were encouraged to keep playing by the officials – and Roma duly scored through Erik Lamela.

However, with conditions under foot making it virtually impossible to do anything but boot the ball forward unless you were the quick-footed Hernanes, who still glided swan-like over the soggy surface as Lazio poured forward.

They were rewarded when Hernanes was upended and another Roman, Antonio Candreva, stepped up and hit a powerful free-kick that goalkeeper Mauro Goicoechea could only punch into the net. A slippery ball it may have been, but the young derby debutant should have turned the effort over the bar.

However Goicoechea, could do little to stop Miroslav Klose turning home from close range three minutes from the break. Then to compound Roma’s misery De Rossi got all slap happy just as the referee was totting up the added time.

A goal-down and a man-down, the last thing Roma wanted to do was give Lazio a further advantage but that was what they did just 90 seconds into the second half when Ivan Piris’ weak header fell into the path of Mauri who gleefully slammed the ball home.

Another player who feels marginised under Zeman, Miralem Pjanic, set up a dramatic finale with an audacious free-kick from all of 50 yards which caught goalkeeper Federico Marchetti out.

Marquinho then almost grabbed an equaliser, but as the final whistle blew and the Lazio players ran to celebrate in front of their fans all the talk at the other end of the ground was about a man who had long since left the stadium, and very possibly the club where he had started out.

Juventus' bid for 50-game unbeaten run denied by their greatest rival Inter

Richard Whittle — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:48:00 GMT

There were no reports that Andrea Stramaccioni was hit with a stray pizza, much in the manner that Sir Alex Ferguson allegedly suffered when Manchester United ended Arsenal’s 49-game undefeated league run.

Although it was difficult to digest for Juventus, they demonstrated good grace in public even if it was Inter of all teams that brought their impressive run to an end on Saturday evening.

Juve had started their own 49-match march back in the final match of the 2010-11 season under Antonio Conte’s predecessor Luigi Del Neri, but as they came into the “Derby d’Italia” they still had some work to do to overhaul the all-time record set by AC Milan.

In their 58-game run between May 1991 and March 1993, Fabio Capello’s ‘degli Invicibili’ not only remained undefeated – those who got in their way tended to get flattened. However, coming into this game there was the feeling that the Juventus machine was running out of steam.

In midweek they had only just crept past Bologna thanks to a late goal from Paul Pogba; the previous Sunday they had come away from Catania with a narrow win on the back of a controversial offside decision against the home side.

No match outside the Rome derby draws as much acrimony as Juventus vs Inter – the feuding northern rivals with the biggest support in the country. It is the one that both clubs want to win more than their respective city derbies; one where the perceived injustices of old have never healed.

Replays of Ronaldo being bundled over by Mark Iuliano in the 1998 pivotal title-deciding meeting in Turin, which became known to all Nerazzurri as the “great robbery”, were a staple of TV news programmes in the days building up to the game.

The last thing this latest match in the Juventus Stadium needed was any more controversy; of course, it arrived, although no one would have expected it after just 18 seconds.

Straight from the kick-off, Kwadwo Asamoah ran on to Mirko Vucinic's through-ball and sent his shot into the path of Arturo Vidal, who tapped home. TV replays showed that Asamoah was offside when he collected Vucinic's pass, although at the time the Inter players were too stunned to appeal.

For around 10 minutes it looked as if Juve were going to do to the Milanese what they had done to AS Roma: obliterate any resistance. They could have gone a further two goals up with Andrea Pirlo picking out Claudio Marchisio inside the area but goalkeeper Samir Handanovic did well to block on both occasions.

Inter finally came up for air and had a goal disallowed when Rodrigo Palacio headed home Esteban Cambiasso's free-kick and then Antonio Cassano went close with a curling effort.

By this time, referee Paolo Tagliavento had already booked Juve's Stephan Lichtsteiner. So when the same player scythed down Palacio just before the break there were worried faces among the home support, but the referee – at whom Jose Mourinho once made the handcuff gesture – elected not to produce a second yellow.

Lichtsteiner may not have been ejected by the referee but his day was done: Conte’s assistant Angelo Alessio immediately withdrew the hot-headed full-back for Martin Caceras. As the teams left the pitch at half-time, the referee and his officials were visibly shaken as the Inter players – and Antonio Cassano in particular – voiced a volley of protests.

It was Inter that needed the break, if only to allow Stramaccioni to get across to his players that he had fielded a front-three of Cassano, Palacio and Diego Milito for a reason: to rattle the Juve backline.

In the pre-game press conference, Stramaccioni had refused to reveal what formation he would play, his feigned indecisiveness leading the press to believe that he would pack the midfield with five players and go toe-to-toe with the champions from a defensive standpoint.

During the frantic first 45 minutes it looked as that the three-man attack was only an act of folly which would lead to ruin, but Inter had hung in there and Stramaccioni knew that his side, who after all were on a six-game unbeaten run, had the flair to unlock the home defence.

And so it proved. With two decisions falling in their favour, the Juve players were wary of committing any errors that might turn the tide in the opposite direction – but that is what they did.

A hesitant home side were definitely playing within themselves when on the hour-mark Claudio Marchisio tugged Milito’s shirt as the Argentine was about to shoot from just inside the area.

Tagliavento made sure he received an affirmative from his assistants before pointing to the spot and suddenly the air went out of a stadium that had been rocking up until then as Milito buried the spot-kick.

The old campaigners, Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Walter Samuel, were locked into what was needed from them as the challenges flew in but it was those in the black and white shirt who were late to every ball and started to pay for their edginess with yellow cards.

Stramaccioni could feel that the opposition midfield was struggling and sent on Fredy Guarin for a tiring Cassano, who had been the least effective of the Inter front three – and it was the substitute who raced through the wide open spaces in the centre of the pitch to hit a fierce shot which Gigi Buffon could only parry into the patch of the “Prince” Milito.

The citadel had been breached and the citizens in virtual surrender when Palacio put the matter beyond doubt after some excellent work from the tireless Yuto Nagatomo.

Zanetti is three years older than Stramaccioni but the pair were like teenagers enjoying their first night on the town as they danced and embraced on the touchline at the final whistle. By this time large swathes of the stadium were deserted as the unthinkable had happened and Juve’s greatest rival had ruined the party.

Officials under fire as the Old Lady trundle on in Italy

Richard Whittle — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:25:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 27 Oct Siena 0-0 Palermo, AC Milan 1-0 Genoa Sun 28 Oct Catania 0-1 Juventus, Bologna 1-3 Inter Milan, Fiorentina 2-0 Lazio, Pescara 0-0 Atalanta, Sampdoria 0-1 Cagliari, Torino 1-3 Parma, Napoli 1-0 Chievo, Roma 2-3 Udinese

We have become used to players attempting to gain an advantage by whatever means possible. But when the officials become compliant in failing to enforce the basic laws of the game, we have a problem.

Interruption of the rules is one thing, but failure to see whether a player is offside is becoming the bane of Italian football on a regular basis. There never seems to be a week that passes without some contentious decision or another, which makes one wonder what is going through the minds of those in charge.

There were a number of incidents in Serie A this weekend which highlighted that officials are losing control once more; those who used to be termed linesmen, the extra two “linesmen” behind each goal to rule on the ball crossing the goalline and the fourth official, there to hold up the board and tell-tale on coaches daring to wander out of their technical area.

There were senses of injustice from the San Siro to Sicily as offside decisions were either not given or rewarded when the replays clearly showed the opposite to what had occurred in the opinion of the referee or his assistant.

Leading the walk of shameful decisions was Andrea Gervasoni and his assistants in Catania where the home side had been celebrating for all of 44 seconds, long enough to restart the match again, before their joy turned to disbelief as Gonzalo Bergessio’s effort was chalked off.

The striker had Kwadwo Asamoah between him and the goal when Nicolas Spolli’s header clipped team-mate Francesco Lodi’s knee and the ball came back off the post for the Argentine to finish off the rebound. But all to no avail.

Gervasoni was heading back to the halfway line, as was his assistant Luca Maggiani (who has been officiating in Serie A since 2000), when the latter seemed to have a moment of doubt. It certainly did not go unnoticed by the Juventus substitutes and Simone Pepe in particular, who raised the issue that something was maybe amiss.

Juventus players appeal to referee Andrea Gervasoni

With the seed of doubt already planted, Maggiani, who was microphoned-up to the rest of the team, decided to have a word with the official inside the area, Nicola Rizzoli, on who had got the final touch from the cross. When he was informed it had been Lodi, he then decided that Bergessio had been offside which was completely incorrect.

If Maggiani had stuck with his initial instinct that there was no offside involved regardless of who got the final touch then he would not have left himself open to accusations from Catania president Antonio Pulvirenti, who claimed he had been swayed into changing his decision by mob rule from the Juve players. On reflection that was not the case.

Maggiani had already gone back on his initial decision by his hesitation and the fact that he was surrounded by the players was only a consequence.

If ruling out what was a legitimate goal was not bad enough, Maggiani compounded his own misery in the second half by failing to spot that Nicklas Bendtner was a leg and a torso offside when he received the ball inside the area. The former Arsenal man saw his shot saved but Arturo Vidal followed up to tap home for the only goal of the game.

In Italy the termed used to express that referees are in throe to the big clubs is “psychological slavery”. Knowing who holds ultimate power or is perceived to means that you will naturally be predisposed to favour them.

It is a well-held belief in Italy that referees will always be biased to the elite. The final whistle had barely been sounded than a Napoli fan site had posted a photograph of Gervasoni with the caption “Juve’s new top player.”

Bookmaker Paddy Power activated its “Justice Payout” system to pay back punters who had backed the Sicilians to win and in a statement made it clear what they thought of the outcome: “Sometimes a result is so unfair that it is a fair reimbursement.”

The referees’ designator Stefano Braschi is to quell growing unease with the standard of refereeing by accepting that the decision had been incorrect but that is was carried out in “good faith” and there was no agenda on the part of his officials.

In fact, they had been pretty inept all weekend. They failed to flag Ignazio Abate offside for his cross to set up Stephan El Shaarawy for AC Milan’s winner over Genoa and ruled Stefano Mauri offside when he was clearly not, thus chalking off a Lazio equalizer at Fiorentina.

Of course, the champions shrugged off the matter as another overblown storm in a espresso cup, with the club’s sporting director Beppe Marotta claiming with no hint of irony that although Catania’s goal should have stood, Juve would have won anyway such was their dominance throughout the game.

Rolling on to 48 Serie A games undefeated, it is no wonder that the Old Lady are so sure in their convictions and now it is up to officials to follow that lead and have courage in their own decisions.

Have-a-go hero Bonucci helps Juve to stamp their authority on Napoli

Richard Whittle — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:50:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 20 Oct Lazio 3-2 AC Milan, Juventus 2-0 Napoli Sun 21 Oct Genoa 2-4 AS Roma, Inter 2-0 Catania, Atalanta 2-1 Siena, Chievo 1-1 Fiorentina, Udinese 1-0 Pescara, Parma 2-1 Sampdoria, Palermo 0-0 Torino, Cagliari 1-0 Bologna

There is no messing with Juventus on or off the pitch as an unsuspecting robber found to his cost when he reportedly attempted to hold up Leonardo Bonucci.

The incident was reported to have taken place last Thursday as the defender was leaving a Ferrari dealership in Turin with his wife and young son, only to be approached by a man brandishing a pistol and demanding his watch.

Not one to back down, the Italy international punched the thief, who promptly scarpered, hopped onto a scooter and set off with his accomplice before any further harm could befall him.

The incident didn't appear to distract Bonucci, who later posted on his Facebook page that he wasn't superhero on or off the pitch, having also helped Juve lay down the law on Napoli on Saturday evening in what had been termed the new “classic” of Italian football.

The teams came into the encounter at the Juventus Stadium level on points at the top of the table, with the visitors having conceded just three goals to the home side’s four. But by the end of the evening the Azzurri were left black and blue in what at times was an ill-tempered game.

After all, Napoli were the only team to defeat Juve last term, and there had been some ill-feeling simmering from the Super Cup when Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis stopped his players from taking part in the medals’ ceremony due to what he perceived as some bias refereeing.

Kitted out in all-black as a mark of respect to former player Helmut Halle, who recently passed away, the defending champions were out to intimidate from the off and were as physical and clinical in dispatching their opponents as the rugby equivalent New Zealand are in hammering opponents into submission.

They may have been forced to wait until the final ten minutes to finally make the breakthrough, but however hard Napoli attempted to tough it out, there only ever looked to be one winner – and the gap between the title holders and the pretenders was plain to see.

Juve's players (including Bonucci - second left) celebrate victory

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri had decided that a conservative approach was the only way to keep Juve in check. Yet apart from Edinson Cavani hitting the bar with a free-kick, the Azzurri never got their counter-attacking groove on, mainly due to an inability to keep possession for more than two or three passes.

At times it only needed two or three touches, usually from the imperious Andrea Pirlo, for Juve to mass in and around the opposition area where even if their shot average was down they kept the visitors occupied in just clearing their lines.

There was a new coach on the bench for the home team, with Angelo Alessio back in the dugout after his suspension for not reporting possible match fixing was reduced.

Antonio Conte’s number two replaced Massimo Carrera, who returned to the shadows in which Conte will continue to lurk on matchdays until his ban ends in December. He may only be visible through a perplex screen high in the stands, but the mark of Conte is there in everything his side does - right down to the timing of the substitutes.

If press reports are to be believed, Napoli had demanded the dressing room area be swept for a concealed entrance in case Conte could enter and give a half-time team talk. However, there are many ways to get a message across and ultimately some timely tactical tinkering changed the course of the game.

The first may have been forced on the home side. Kwado Asamoah ran himself into the ground and was forced to limp off, but his replacement Martin Caceres came racing on to make a telling contribution with a powerful header from Pirlo’s precise corner to finally break the deadlock.

Just as AS Roma had discovered a few weeks ago, a rampant Juve are a difficult beast to tame, and moments later the third substitute of the evening Paul Pogba hit a stunning left-footed volley to put the matter beyond doubt.

Pogba’s goal saw the French youngster become the 13th different scorer for the Old Lady this season, and left Italian pundits wondering why Manchester United allowed him leave Old Trafford.

It was further evidence that this is a team that can overcome the lack of an out-and-out striker – both Fabio Quagliarella and Sebastian Giovinco started with Alessandro Matri introduced on the hour mark to little effect – and one with the battling spirit of true winners.

Have-a-go hero Bonucci looked to set to leave the fray on 17 minutes when he twisted his knee, but having faced down an armed mugger, all he needed was an old-fashioned bandage and he was back on his feet and in the thick of the action.

At the final whistle football’s very own All-Blacks ran to the fans behind the goal to celebrate their 47th Serie A match without defeat in the manner very reminiscent of the Haka – it was another statement of intent that Juve are not about to give up that unbeaten run.

For Napoli, it was a chastening experience and one which left Mazzarri reeling to such an extent that he did what anybody would after a heavy Saturday night - he took Sunday off. As for Conte, he was first out on the training pitch demanding even more his players.

Dropped duo get revenge for Roma rule-out

Richard Whittle — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:30:00 GMT

They may not have been deemed to be in acceptable form to play for AS Roma last weekend, but Daniele De Rossi and Pablo Osvaldo put their club problems behind them to produce goalscoring performances for Italy on Friday.

The pair were on the scoresheet in the Azzurri’s 3-1 win in Armenia and in doing so sent out a strong message to Roma coach Zdenek Zeman.

De Rossi and Osvaldo had both felt the wrath of the veteran gaffer following the Giallorossi’s 4-1 defeat at Juventus where Osvaldo had scored the side’s only goal, and were dropped to the bench for the following match at home to Atalanta.

Zeman had complained that the two established stars had not demonstrated the correct approach in training; De Rossi lost his place to Michael Bradley while Osvaldo was forced to watch Mattia Destro fill one of the attacking roles.

The Giallorossi may have beaten Atalanta 2-0 with goals from Erik Lamela and Bradley, but more galling for De Rossi and Osvaldo was the fact that they never moved from the bench throughout the whole 90 minutes and were naturally unhappy with their treatment.

De Rossi in particular expected more respect, having reportedly turned down a move to Manchester City in the summer to sign a long-term €6m-a-year deal with his hometown club, but instead the 30-year-old has lost his favoured role in the centre of midfield to new signing Panagiotis Tachsidis.

Touted as a Roma captain when Francesco Totti finally calls it a day, De Rossi bottled up his anger for Yerevan and turned in a majestic performance on his 81st Italy appearance, scoring his 12th international goal with a trademark flying header.

It was the perfect answer to Zeman’s doubts over the player’s commitment – and to add strength to the belief that a player such as De Rossi should never be left out, he then set up Osvaldo with a free-kick that his clubmate headed home for decisive third goal.

Having obviously felt he had made his point, De Rossi refused to dwell on the matter further but there could still be a frosty reception from Zeman, who many believed was only punishing the player for his comments after the defeat in Turin.

Maybe it was the heat of the moment or a calculated snub of the coach but in the live post-game interview De Rossi played down the team’s title hopes and questioned the tactics going into a game of such importance.

However, whispers coming from the dressing room suggested that a full-blown argument had ensued in which Zeman had been accused of preparing for the match as if it was a personal crusade rather than focusing on how the team should contain the in-form champions, who were just itching to rub his nose in the dirt for all those doping claims the craggy Bohemian had made against the Old Lady.

Dropped by Zeman, De Rossi and Osvaldo celebrate

Having made his own statement on the pitch, Osvaldo at least held out an olive branch of sorts to Zeman by conceding that both he and De Rossi had to earn their starting places and they would do that through hard work.

He may model himself on Johnny Depp but Osvaldo isn't much of an actor and when asked if he was dedicating the goal to anyone in particular, he replied that it was for all those who loved him and believed in him.

The Azzurri camp are certainly sided with the benched duo – not surprising, considering the black and white nature of the squad, not to mention a former Juve man in Cesare Prandelli at the helm.

Gigi Buffon claimed he never got involved with any other club’s treatment of players, but couldn't resist anyway when he added that he was happy to have such hardworking and diligent team-mates on international duty while Prandelli maintained he was not thanking Zeman for sending him two very motivated players.

Last season, Luis Enrique attempted to rule with an iron fist when he dropped De Rossi for turning up late to a team-talk and then exiled Osvaldo for a dressing room dust-up with Lamela.

On that occasion, Totti united the warring parties at one of the team dinners that he has seemed to hold each time Roma imploded – but De Rossi and Osvaldo may feel that they have already served up their own revenge.

Milan and Inter provide nothing but poor fare in 'Il Crash-ico'

Richard Whittle — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:49:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 6 Oct Chievo 2-1 Sampdoria, Genoa 1-1 Palermo Sun 7 Oct AC Milan 0-1 Inter, AS Roma 2-0 Atalanta, Catania 2-0 Parma, Fiorentina 1-0 Bologna, Napoli 2-1 Udinese, Pescara 0-3 Lazio, Siena 1-2 Juventus, Torino 0-1 Cagliari.

The stark reality of exactly where Serie A sits in the pecking order of European football was laid bare on Sunday evening.

While Barcelona and Real Madrid were producing thrills aplenty in El Clasico and Olymique de Marseille and Paris St. Germain were stirring Gallic emotions in their own Le Classique, in Milan the meeting of the Madonnina offered little in terms of fluid football or a spectacle.

Dubbed 'the Austerity Derby' or better still 'Il Crash-ico' – it certainly came across as the poor relation on the European football family.

So troubled by the thought of playing to another half-empty stadium while the Camp Nou and Stade Velodrome were full to capacity, Milan pleaded with their fans to turn up in a half-hearted video appeal in which their players woodenly read out cringe-worthy pleas to buy a ticket.

In fact, there was a healthy enough 60,000 inside the San Siro at kick-off and as always both sets of hardcore fans attempted to out-do each other on the choreography front.

The Rossoneri Curva Sud of the stadium was swamped with a giant Devil throttling the Inter snake. This was a repeat performance and judging by the state of the banner maybe it had been bought out of storage from sometime in the 1970s.

At the other end, there was at least some biting humour from the Nerazzurri ultras, who could not resist reminding their rivals about all those big names who had left in the summer.

Their offering came in the form of a giant postcard addressed 'Ciao Merde...' and then flipped over to reveal cartoon figures of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva sending their greetings from France, while Antonio Cassano shovelled mature and Rino Gattuso did something too rude to repeat in front of Adriano Galliani.

It was all very juvenile, but when the cameras panned to Milan chief executive Galliani, who had overseen the sale of the club’s star names, his shaken reaction was priceless.

It was no wonder Silvio Berlusconi had reportedly decided to fly to Saint Petersburg to celebrate Vladimir Putin’s 60th birthday rather than face the wrath of his own fans.

If the Milan owner had tuned in he would probably have turned off after four minutes, which was when his team’s defensive failings were first exposed. A deep free-kick was swung in to the back post, with goalkeeper Christian Abbiati – who was still carrying the bruises of keeping Zenit’s Hulk at bay in the Champions League - deciding it was too hot to handle, allowing Walter Samuel the chance to stoop to head home.

For such an experienced player and one captaining the side, Abbiati’s nerves were shot to pieces and moments later it really should have been 2-0, when he inexplicitly passed the ball to Diego Milito inside his own area. But so shocked was the Argentine, he dithered for an eternity and Philippe Mexes was able to get in to block.

The miss looked set to come back and haunt Inter as Milan finally mustered some life into their game and Riccardo Montolvio came close with a long-range effort and then hit the back of the net with a blistering shot but the whistle had already gone for Urby Emanuelson’s slight contact on goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

The midfielder had made the most telling statement post-game, when he called the opposition 'provincial' – a demeaning term signifying that they are nothing more than workman-like.
This certainly proved to be the case when they went down to ten men after Yuto Nagatomo was sent-off for a second yellow card for a needless hand ball at the start of the second half.

Dogged determination was the order of the day from there on in, as Andrea Stramaccioni replaced the peripheral figure of Antonio Cassano, who had been berated mercilessly through the first half by the Milan bench who were in no mood to forgive his scathing comments when he made the switch across town.

Samuel - or Il Muro (the Wall), as he is known - has won each of the ten derbies he has appeared in, and the Argentine marshalled the backline along with two other oldies in 39-year-old compatriot Javier Zanetti – in his 45th derby – and Esteban Cambiasso.

Massimiliano Allegri had promised that youth would be given its chance and in fairness he started two 19-year-olds in left-back Mattia De Sciglio and man of the moment Stephan El Shaarawy.

Neither impressed, but given El Shaarawy had scored four goals already in the league and opened his account in the Champions League in midweek, it was a surprise that the teenager was substituted for Giampaolo Pazzini who then missed a presentable chance before swivelling to play in Robinho who looked to have been body-checked by Samuel inside the area.

Milan were aggravated once more as Inter clung on to record their third consecutive derby success. It will be a long and difficult international break for Allegri, who needed a win more than his opposite number.

He has already received the dreaded vote of confidence from Galliani, but the table makes grim reading. While Inter are in touch with the top three, the once masters of Serie A are languishing 12 points behind joint-leaders Juventus and Napoli, and eight off third-placed Lazio.

Failure to qualify for the Champions League will ensure the sales of Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva were all for nothing as the financial repercussions will leave Milan feeling poorer than they were on the pitch on Sunday evening.

Imperious Juventus leave Roma in ruins and Zeman under pressure

Richard Whittle — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:52:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 29 Sep Juventus 4-1 AS Roma, Parma 1-1 AC Milan Sun 30 Sep Atalanta 1-5 Torino, Cagliari 1-2 Pescara, Inter 2-1 Fiorentina, Lazio 2-1 Siena, Palermo 4-1 Chievo, Sampdoria 0-1 Napoli, Udinese 0-0 Genoa

Rarely is a football match wrapped-up within the first quarter, but when Juventus striker Alessandro Matri was left completely free to blast his team's third goal past opposition keeper Maarten Stekelenburg in the 18th minute of their home fixture against AS Roma, it was effectively game over.

An eight-minute goal-blitz had all but put the defending champions out of sight. Andrea Pirlo opened the scoring with a free-kick, before Artur Vidal struck home a penalty to double the advantage. The home side even found time to hit the woodwork before Matri was wheeling away to celebrate making it 3-0. Few in attendance could believe what they were seeing.

Roma’s humiliation, and in particular that of coach Zdenek Zeman, was complete before they had even had the chance to offer a modicum of resistance in what had been touted as Juve’s first real test of the season. In reality, that had in fact come in midweek when they had laboured to a goalless draw at a revitalized Fiorentina.

This one-sided encounter was little more than a stroll on a damp Turin evening, and the perfect warm-up to the return of Champions League football to the city on Tuesday. But more than that, it was an absolute embarrassment for what was one of Europe’s biggest domestic matches of the season so far.

The hunched Zeman cut a despondent figure as the 65-year-old sloped away down the tunnel at the end of what had to be the darkest day of his coaching career. Roma had conceded four goals in the corresponding fixture last season, but at least they had the excuse of having played most of that match with only 10 men. This time around there was no defence for such a timid capitulation.

In fact, there was no defence at all, as the Bianconeri swept through the open spaces where the red shirts should have been and the flaws in the Zeman system were all too clear to see.

His teams have always played at a high tempo where the full-backs are encouraged to push as far up the pitch as possible – and even at the kick-off it has become a familiar sight for a Zeman side that has won the toss to line-up with eight players massed on the halfway line.

This game plan can only function when quantity and quality are employed in equal measure, and the latter was sorely missing. Even amongst die-hard Giallorossi there must be little faith that it will be restored any time soon, with the perception that the Romans could be considered title contenders already laid bare as an idle hope.

In short, it was carnage and had it not been for the unwritten rule in Italian football of not turning a heavy advantage into a complete rout - which this match already was in all but name - the scoreline could easily have been seven and no one would have batted an eyelid, with a torrent of shots rained in on the over-exposed Stekelenburg.

Pablo Osvaldo’s late strike was no consolation whatsoever after such a dispirited showing from the visitors, and the taunts were soon heading in the direction of the put-upon Zeman, whose ongoing war of words with Juventus over alleged doping in the 90s had overshadowed the build-up.

Having laid siege to the away goal in the first half, there was need for a pick-me-up after the interval, with Juve slipping back into cruise control. It wasn't until Sebastian Giovinco added the fourth that the carnival atmosphere returned.

In showing no mercy to their listless opponents, the Juventus players demonstrated that the competition for places has a particularly galvanizing effect - and when given their starting place no one wants to underperform.

Antonio Conte, once again watching from his lofty position in one of the executive suites as his assistant Massimo Carrera carried out the orders from the touchline, could afford to leave Fabio Quagliarella, Giovinco, Kwadwo Asamoah, Stephan Lichsteiner and Maurcio Isla on the bench.

Matri, who became Juve’s eighth different goalscorer this season, was drafted in along with Paolo De Ceglie and Martin Caceres, and all three answered the call in a manner which would leave any other coach with a selection headache.

Conte, of course, will mix things up for the visit of Shakhtar Donetsk well aware that the Ukrainins will not be swept aside so imperiously as Roma, but on Saturday’s performance, even taking away the dreadfulness of the opponents, the benchmark for the rest of the season has already been set.

El Matador Cavani cuts Lazio down to size as Napoli set Juve in their sights

Richard Whittle — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:17:00 GMT

Season ticket sales are down some 10,000 from last year at Napoli. It may be down to the harsh economic climate, the team’s poor finish to last season which saw them miss out the Champions League or perhaps the failure to bring in a star name to replace the departing Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Whatever the reasons for the sharp decrease in those attending matches at the San Paolo, those who haven't renewed are missing out on the treat of entertaining football, and more importantly a side capable of challenging Juventus for the title.

Wednesday saw Walter Mazzarri’s men entertain another team to have made a positive start to the campaign – Lazio – only to tear the visitors apart with a rapier-like attacking performance that brought Edinson Cavani a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory.

In fact, the striker could have bagged a fourth - or ‘a poker’ as it is known in Italy - if not for a penalty miss late on. But then nobody's perfect.

Diego Maradona probably came closest to perfection at the San Paolo, but Cavani is already closing in on the Argentine legend’s goal record of 115 for the Azzurri.

El Matador is now on 72 goals from 101 matches since arriving at the club in 2010, moving two ahead of two other former legends in Luis Vinicio and Faustinho Cané.

It was also Cavani’s sixth hat-trick, so no wonder owner Aurielo De Laurentiis added a €60 million buy-out clause to his star man’s current contract, which was signed after the first day of the new season – maybe that delay was another reason for failing season-ticket sales.

There had been plenty of speculation that Cavani would join Lavezzi in seeking a club playing in the Champions League, with Manchester City or possibly even PSG, where Lavezzi ended up, the likely destination.

However, there was plenty to persuade the Uruguayan that his future lay in the Bay area, which included not only a €4 million a year contract over the next five years, but also hero status almost on a par with Maradona from the adoring local support.

Napoli have been rewarded with their best start since De Laurentiis took control – 13 points from five games – and a run of seven consecutive victories at home in all competitions where, during which time those fans who have hung around have seen their team score 17 goals.

The win over Lazio was a boost following a lacklustre performance at Catania at the weekend, where despite the home side going down to ten men within the first two minutes, Mazzarri watched aghast as his star performances struggled to impose their numerical advantage and the match petered out to a goalless draw. Some harsh words were spoken on the trip back from Sicily but with his players refocused they were back to the brilliant best in what was dubbed “the match of the title pretenders”.

Juventus had already been held to a goalless draw at Fiorentina on Tuesday, so Napoli knew that three points would take level with the champions at the top of the table. Lazio, meanwhile, had fallen to a home defeat to Genoa over the weekend and were well aware they could not afford to slip further off the pace.

It had all the makings of an intriguing match-up, but the contest was over by the half-hour mark, with Lazio unable to cope with the movement of not only Cavani, but als Marek Hamsik who is beginning to thrive in the free role between the midfield and attack.

The Romans played their part in their own downfall by pushing their defence high up the pitch but not moving out in a line, enabling Cavani to peel off to the flanks and then speed into the open space – the second and third goals were both created in this manner.

The match got off to a potentially controversial start when Lazio’s only real threat Miroslav Klose punched the ball into the Napoli net from a corner.
After initially running off to celebrate, the German thought better of it and owed up to his misdemeanour when surrounded by the irate home players.

A potentially damaging moment for Klose and the game in general was avoided, and from there on Cavani used his feet to set Juventus firmly in Napoli’s sights – and maybe help bring some of those missing thousands back to the San Paolo.

Inzaghi bust-up pushes Milan coach Allegri closer to the edge

Richard Whittle — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:40:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 22 Sep Juventus 2-0 Chievo, Parma 1-1 Fiorentina Sun 23 Sep Atalanta 1-0 Palermo, Bologna 1-1 Pescara, Catania 0-0 Napoli, Inter 0-2 Siena, Lazio 0-1 Genoa, Sampdoria 1-1 Torino, Udinese 2-1 AC Milan

AC Milan have had better weeks than the one just gone. The team lost their opening two home games for the first time in 80 years when they went down to a 1-0 defeat to Atalanta, having fallen by the same score to Sampdoria on the opening day.

Then on Tuesday, a mere 28,000 turned up at the majestic San Siro to see their side play out a insipid goalless draw with Anderlecht in the Champions League, leaving Milan without a goal in front of their own fans so far this season.

As if that wasn't hard enough to take, there then came an absolute PR disaster in the shape of a reported training ground bust up between Massimiliano Allegri and Filippo Inzaghi.

It is an open secret that the pair have never seen eye-to-eye, with Allegri unceremoniously dropping the veteran from the team last season to usher out a glorious career in such rancorous fashion that the pair had stopped talking to each other.

Yet, if reports from witnesses at Milan's Vismara youth academy training centre are to be believed, the feuding duo had plenty to say to one another - and some of it not suitable for sensitive ears.

Having finally retired in the summer, Inzaghi was handed the job of coaching the Allievi Nazionali Under-17 side, a move clearly seen as a stepping stone towards one day landing the big job at the club.

In fact, in his first press conference as a new “Mister” he was asked if he had talked to Allegri about any tips on making the switch, his reply spoke volumes: “No, I spoke to someone I respect: Carlo Ancelotti.”

Allegri had informed the academy director and former Rossoneri defender Filippo Galli that he would paying his monthly visit to Vismara on Wednesday afternoon, but when Inzaghi heard his nemesis would be in attendance he curtly informed Galli that the first-team coach would under no circumstances be allowed to interrupt his session.

It's safe to say things haven't exactly got Allegri's way of late

Allegri was not made aware of the hostile reception awaiting him and when he cheerily breezed in Inzaghi called out for his former boss not to walk across the training pitch if he wanted to talk to the players at the end of the session, but instead go around the touchline.

The feisty Tuscan was in no mood to have his authority undermined and questioned whether Inzaghi wanted his job too, to which SuperPippo is said to have replied: “Of course, and I could do a better job than you.”

By this time the session was coming to an end and the parents who were hoping to maybe get a word with either coach were treated to what is termed 'a frank and open exchange', with Pippo calling Allegri an amateur and basically telling his senior to clear off.

A visibly embarrassed Galli was forced to step in to intervene and then had no choice but to inform Adriano Galliani of what had happened in front of the young players and their families.

Such was the apparent childish nature of the argument, the raging chief executive called them to his office for a headmaster-like dressing down as the club went into damage-limitation overdrive.

A hastily-arranged appearance by the chastened parties on Milan Channel on Friday witnessed a denial that was so contrived it would have embarrassed even Mitt Romney or Nick Clegg.

A forced handshake and rictus smiles only re-enforced the hollow nature of what was a basically a piece of theatre that only served to highlight the fact Allegri’s stock is falling day by day.

While Inzaghi went back to plotting his rise to the top job, Allegri was left to pick up his demoralised team for a trip to Udinese, who were themselves feeling down in the dumps after failing to make it through the Champions League qualifying stage.

There was little to suggest either side were anywhere near finding a way out of their early-season malaise, until Mathias Ranegie headed the Bianconeri ahead just before half-time, with Christian Abbiati and Philippe Mexes failing to tidy up on the edge of the six-yard area.

Milan were equally sloppy after the break, despite Stephan El Shaarawy’s long-range effort drawing them level: Cristian Zapata – back to face his old club – fouled the troublesome Ranegie inside the area, received a second yellow and Antonio Di Natale stepped up to score from the spot.

Down to ten men, Milan were down and out as they quickly became nine, with Kevin Prince Boateng, who looks a shadow of the player he was last year, also landing himself two yellow cards – and this after only coming on at half-time.

As the players trudged off, a pocket of Milan fans were chanting one man’s name, and those calls for Superpippo’s elevation will no doubt get stronger if Allegri fails to halt the slide at home to Cagliari on Wednesday.

Gila and Toni roll back the years, Lazio on the rise in Rome & Zamp sacks again

Richard Whittle — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 09:26:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 15 Sep AC Milan 0-1 Atalanta, Palermo 1-1 Cagliari Sun 16 Sep AS Roma 2-3 Bologna, Chievo 1-3 Lazio, Fiorentina 2-0 Catania, Genoa 1-3 Juventus, Napoli 3-1 Parma, Pescara 2-3 Sampdoria, Siena 2-2 Udinese, Torino 0-2 Inter

It was just like old times in Serie A this weekend: Alberto Gilardino and Luca Toni’s celebrating goals in familiar style, Zdenek Zeman watching his side throw away what seemed an unassailable lead and Palermo sacking another coach.

Where better to start than with the scourge of coaches, Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini, who took all of three matches to run out of patience with Giuseppe Sannino, despite the manager picking up his first, but ultimately also last point of the season on Saturday.

The fact that it came against Cagliari, who invariably lose on their travels, was too much for the volcanic Zamperini, who responded to post-match questioning as to whether the man on the bench was set to become number 18 for the chop by snapping; “I would rather get drunk than answer that.”

It soon became clear, perhaps a few glasses later, that Sannino would be packing his bags and be immediately replaced by Gian Pier Gasperini, who must be a glutton for punishment having been booted out of Inter last season after a mere five games.

The way Palermo are playing he might be back in his comfy armchair before long, but that’s life for a coach in Italy – 19 of them were shown the door last season, while Luis Enrique called it a day and headed back to the quiet life in Spain.

Had he been watching AS Roma on Sunday, he may have questioned whether there had been any improvement this season, as Zeman’s return to the capital swings from the sublime to ridiculous.

A couple of weeks ago they were tearing Inter apart, only to fall apart at home to Bologna after holding a 2-0 lead at half-time. A complete turnaround must have been the furthest thought from the 50,000 plus inside the Olympic stadium, but the old failings surfaced in the second half and the visitors somehow contrived to leave with a 3-2 victory thanks to a brace from Gilardino.

If Luis Enrique was still around they would have been calling for his head, but as it is the much-revered Bohemian he was let off with a line of questioning verging on sympathy. But that won't last too long, especially with city rivals Lazio starting the campaign with three straight wins.

The opportunity to crow was too good for Claudio Lotito to pass up, and the Lazio owner was quick to claim his club were the true representatives of the city.

“They have the wolf as their symbol, we have the Coliseum and we are Rome’s first club,” was his slightly confusing take - legend has it that the female wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus, the twins who would grow up to fall-out over where the city should be situated.

The Romans have been falling out ever since and although Lazio were formed some 20 years before Roma, they have had to live with being considered the city’s second team. However Lotito’s bright idea of incorporating the Coliseum into the club shirt and having the team photo taken in front the famous landmark is part of a strategy to change that perception.

Of course, on-field success will determine top dog in the Eternal City and under the virtually unknown Vladimir Petkovic, whose unruffled approach has seen Lazio equal their best ever start of the 1974-75 season and taken them joint-top of the pile, they are on the right road.

A solid team is sprinkled with a couple of star performers in Miroslav Klose and Hernanes, both of whom were on the scoresheet at Chievo. The latter grabbed a brace and is flourishing in a free role behind lone striker Klose.

Lazio face Tottenham in a high-profile Europa League encounter on Thursday, a fixture which could boost Lotito’s hopes that there will be a shift in power in the Italian capital.

There may be new beginnings for Lazio, but for two forgotten men of Italian football it was a happy reunion of sorts, with Gilardino and Toni back on centre stage to run through their old goal celebration routines.

While Gila had been kicking his heels at Fiorentina and Genoa for the last couple of seasons before popping up at Bologna, his one-time Italy team-mate Toni had all but disappeared off the radar – in fact he had decamped to Dubai for a couple of years.

Handed a return to Florence on a one-year contract, he tapped in Stevan Jovetic’s pass for the second goal in the win over Catania, and the hand to the ear signature celebration was quickly followed by a look to the heavens.

It was a heartening moment for a genuinely nice guy who has had to overcome personal tragedy of late, with the loss of his child in the summer.

Roma's Osvaldo gives Italy a little Jack Sparrow swagger

Richard Whittle — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 08:42:00 GMT

Italy are traditionally slow starters to World Cup qualifying campaigns, so with that in mind, the 2-2 draw in Bulgaria has to be seen as something of a positive opener.

The Azzurri have yet to win in Sofia in five visits and played out a goalless draw in the same stadium during qualification for South Africa 2010, however much more was expected from Cesare Prandelli’s side, which had performed so admirably at Euro 2012.

There was a completely different attack to the one that reached the final in Ukraine just two months back, with Antonio Cassano seemingly consigned to the sidelines once and for all, and Mario Balotelli still recovering from eye surgery.

However, it was the new-look attack that shone, with Pablo Daniel Osvaldo in particular taking his chance having been ignored in the summer. The AS Roma man scored a brace, and in truth could easily have had a hat-trick.

Osvaldo had previously been left out of Prandelli’s plans thanks in part to his poor disciplinary record, although that doesn't seem to have improved this season given he was sent off at Inter last weekend.

Yet the Argentine-born frontman has scored two contenders for goal of the season in the first two outings for the Giallorossi – a stunning bicycle-kick on the opening day against Catania and a sublime chip at Inter which would have sent the whole of the Europe potty had it been scored by Leo Messi.

Osvaldo certainly has a bit of a wild streak, and when he is not scoring divine goals or arguing with referees (or his own team-mates, as was the case with Erik Lamela last year), he is modeling himself on Johnny Depp.

Decked out in the same garb as the Pirates of the Caribbean star, right down to the goatee and dropdown spectacles, the too-cool-for-school 26-year-old was in danger of becoming something of a caricature on the pitch as well.

Osvaldo (centre) brings a swashbuckling swagger to the Italy side

There had been reports that Roma were growing tired of his boorish behaviour and were ready to offload him back to Spain where he had played at Espanyol following a stint at Fiorentina, but that threat and the snub from Prandelli seems to have been the wake up he needed.

The return of Zdenek Zeman to the Capital club and the physical demands the veteran coach enforces on his players have already paid dividends if Osvaldo’s first two outings of the season are anything to go by.

Italy can certainly benefit from such a naturally-talented finisher, as goals have been a problem for the national side ever since Christian Vieri called it a day, save an all too brief purple patch for Luca Toni – but on Friday evening Osvaldo give notice that he could finally fill that void in attack.

The untried partnership with Sebastian Giovinco was starved of support for most of the evening as Prandelli packed the midfield with five players who were all below-par – and their sluggish approach only exposed the three-man backline which looked ill-at-ease when they attempted to push forward.

Fortunately, after Gigi Buffon’s howler gifted the home side the lead, there was a response from the hard-working Juventus pair Claudio Marchisio and Emanuele Giaccherini to at least work the ball into the opposition penalty area, where Osvaldo coolly netted his first and then had the good fortune to see a header deflect home to put Italy ahead.

It may not have had the beauty of Osvaldo’s usual finishes, but no one was too concerned how the goals were coming. This encouraged Italy to push on, and they should have put the matter to rest before the break, only for Osvaldo to be denied his hat-trick when his cleanly-struck effort was well saved.

The second-half was a story of muddled defending, but for the first time under Prandelli a return to long, aimless balls played forward which only handed possession back to Bulgaria who in the end could have taken all three points if not for Buffon’s sharp reflexes although Marchisio had a chance late on.

Malta at home on Tuesday should provide Italy with the opportunity to get the ship back on course for Brazil – and in the Jack Sparrow of Italian football they have the sort of maverick swagger to make the trip an eventful one.

Pazzini's immediate impact inspires new belief in Milan title tilt

Richard Whittle — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 08:52:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 1 Sept Bologna 1-3 AC Milan, Torino 3-0 Pescara Sun 2 Sept Cagliari 1-1 Atalanta, Catania 3-2 Genoa, Inter 1-3 AS Roma, Lazio 3-0 Palermo, Napoli 2-1 Fiorentina, Parma 2-0 Chievo, Sampdoria 2-1 Siena, Udinese 1-4 Juventus.

AC Milan had made it clear to Massimiliano Allegri that he needed to stop playing down the team’s title chances and turned to the business of ensuring that the Rossoneri returned to wrestling the title away from Juventus.

Club chief executive Adriano Galliani had not taken too kindly to the coach more or less conceding that a top-three finish would be the height of it this year. The team, after all, had seen the old guard move on, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva also sold to off-lay the spiralling debts.

The new arrivals did not inspire great confidence that Milan would regain their Serie A crown of two seasons ago. Nigel De Jong arrived on the final day of the transfer window for an undisclosed fee from Manchester City to take over the in holding role, while Bojan Krkic will act as cover for the perennially injured Alexandre Pato, having been loaned from AS Roma.

Untried French youngster M’Baye Niang, who has been compared to a young Thierry Henry, slipped in under the radar, but there was at least one intriguing move that could yet see the former champions have a say in the outcome of the championship.

When Antonio Cassano’s complaints that the team were not competitive enough and he deserved a better contract became too much to suffer for Galliani the seed of a swap deal with Inter involving Giampaolo Pazzini was born.

The striker had already had a public spat with Inter when it became clear he didn't figure in their plans, so the move was a mere formality given the two clubs had have a very civil relationship when it comes to the transfer market, despite their on-field rivalry.

In the relatively recent past, the likes of Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo have made the switch across town, while Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo and Christian Vieri played in both team colours. In the grand scheme of things, it was not particularly ground-breaking news that the clubs should be discussing another deal.

The move certainly cleared the Milan dressing room of a potentially disruptive influence and ensured that Allegri could set out his tactics to fit the changing make-up of his playing staff, while also dampening fears he would be without a proven striker inside the area.

Pazzo - which, being the Italian for crazy, would perhaps be a better moniker for Cassano - was an Italy international as recently as five months ago, and throughout his career had found the net with regularity until he hit the rails at Inter, where he struggled to dovetail with Diego Milito. Even during this relatively barren period, he still managed to rustle up 19 goals over a season and a half.

Under Allegri, he would be given the freedom to play as the main striker, flanked by the speedy Stephan El Shaarawy, tricky Robinho – or Pato if he ever got fit long enough to last more than one game.

After a false start in their opening match at home to Sampdoria which saw team look completely disjointed and out of sorts, the pressure was on Allegri to obtain a positive result at Bologna.

With Kevin Prince Boateng the only foreigner in the starting line-up, there was at least no breakdown in communication on or off the pitch. Pazzini was given his first start and made an instant impact; a hat-trick reminiscent of the way Filippo Inzaghi used find the net - by any means possible.

He won a very soft penalty for the opener, dispatching the spot-kick with confidence before adding two more in true predatory style inside the area. He reacted quickly to lash home the ball after goalkeeper Federico Agliardi had fumbled a high cross, the nabbed his third when he stuck out a foot to defect home Antonio Nocerino’s mishit shot.

An excellent start then for the new man, who won an instant recall to Cesare Prandelli’s Italy squad, and one to raise confidence within the camp although Allegri claimed that self-belief had never been an issue despite all the turmoil of the summer.

“If did not believe in my players then I would have walked away,” he told reporters on the eve of the Bologna match.

Pazzini has certainly brought back the impetuous in attack, but there are still questions marks over the midfield and defence, and there will certainly be much tougher tests than a very weak-looking Bologna.

With Riccardo Montolivo limping off with a Pato Special - the thigh strain – and Boateng fracturing his hand, Allegri will be hoping Niang and De Jong, who was booked on his debut, adjust to the Italian game quickly, as Milan will need their whole squad in top form to target a Champions League place, never mind the title.

Conte rails, Cassano rants and Roma reel - Serie A roars back!

Richard Whittle — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:00:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 25 Aug Fiorentina 2-1 Udinese, Juventus 2-0 Parma Sun 26 Aug AC Milan 0-1 Sampdoria, Chievo 2-0 Bologna, Genoa 2-0 Cagliari, Palermo 0-3 Napoli, Pescara 0-3 Inter, AS Roma 2-2 Catania, Siena 0-0 Torino, Atalanta 0-1 Lazio.

The sight of an emotional Antonio Conte was common-place along the touchlines of Serie A last season, but for now the Juventus coach will have to content himself in taking his anger out in private.

Having not succeeded in overturning a 10-month ban for failing to report alleged illegal betting and by implication match-fixing at his former club, Siena, Conte has been left to rail against the perceived injustice of the legal system.

There is no doubt he feels his name has been dragged through the dirt to such an extent that he has lost all credibility within the game. Even though Juventus maintained the judgment was no more than a “witch-hunt”, a successful appeal - to be heard in September - will do little to change perceptions that he is damaged goods.

With the Italian game once more down in the dumps and seemingly unable to create a level playing field, there was a real need for the opening day to bring some late-summer warmth to to what was once described as the “most beautiful league in the world”.

Poorer, with the loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi, not to mention Alessandro Del Piero’s retirement, but potentially richer for the new generation including the likes of AC Milan striker Stephan El Shaarawy, Lorenzo Insigne of Napoli and the much sought-after Mattia Destro, who joined the ongoing AS Roma revolution.

However, round one saw the old guard grab the headlines: Diego Milito set up two and scored one as Inter cruised to a 3-0 victory at newly-promoted Pescara, although not even he could prevent Antonio Cassano from stealing the show with a virtuoso display.

FantAntonio had left a trail of bitterness across the city of Milan when he made his switch from Milan to the Nerazzurri last week, accusing the Rossoneri hierarchy and Adriano Galliani in particular of, amongst other things, going back on their word in offering him a new improved contract.

Never one to hold his tongue and let bygones be bygones, but without actually mentioning Galliani by name, he claimed the person in a position above the coach was “all mouth and no trousers” and that was why he was now at his childhood-favourite team.

Milan, for their part, were rightly ticked off by the outburst, having essentially resurrected the player’s career, standing by him through his heart scare and ensuring he was at Euro 2012 for Italy.

Massimiliano Allegri said as much in his press conference ahead of the Sampdoria match, but last season’s runners-up have much more pressing issues to deal with.

Going down one-nil at home to newly-promoted Samp highlighted the lack of cohesion, not to mention quality, within the team. No surprise, given they have lost not only Ibra, Cassano and Silva, but also the likes of Clarence Seedorf, Rino Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta.

Galliani will fly to Madrid this week in the hope of sealing a loan deal to bring Riccardo Kakà back to the San Siro, but the team needs more than a quick-fit big-name signing if they are to avoid falling off the pace in the race for the title, where Napoli have started in the sort of form that could see Walter Mazzarri’s side join Inter in pushing for the title.

The Azzurri also hit three goals without reply, in Palermo, where Marek Hamsik scored a cracking drive and Edinson Cavani netted the third, with the diminutive Insigne giving notice that Lavezzi’s departure may not be greatly damaging.

It is also a season of innovation in the Italian game, with 12 players allowed on the bench, which could well create some logistical problems at the smaller stadiums. However, only three changes can be made, which could leave for a few coaches in earshot of grumbling fringe players who in the past would have been sitting in the stands.

Another new advancement has seen the introduction of a fifth official, one of which was immediately called into action at Juventus, where he adjudged that Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante had dragged Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick over the line after initially blocking what had been no more than a side-footed effort.

The video replays were inconclusive so the official, who was only a few yards away, must have got it right. Juve were already ahead through Stephan Lichtsteiner – and even with a little help from the official they were never really extended.

The same could not be said of Zdenek Zeman’s new-look Roma, who at times made Luis Enrique’s side of last year seem an airtight defensive unit. Catania looked set to secure all three points, having twice taken the lead, but teenage substitute Nico Lopez popped up to nab a last-gasp equaliser.

Before that Pablo Osvaldo had scored a stunning scissor-kick to draw the Giallorossi level. With the home defence all over the place, Zemanlandia will never be for the faint-hearted and on the evidence of the first day that could well be the case right through the league.

Even without Conte on the touchline, Juve are still the team to beat

Richard Whittle — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 09:47:00 GMT

For many in Italy the true curtain-raiser to the new Serie A season is not the Italian SuperCoppa, but the Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi, which traditionally takes place between AC Milan and Juventus at the San Siro in the week leading up to the start of the new campaign.

The former fixture has been played in Beijing for three of the last four years and coming as it does on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of the holiday season, very few back home can raise themselves to follow it with any enthusiasm.

However, this year’s meeting between champions Juventus and Italian Cup winners Napoli was a raucous affair well worth leaving the sun lounger for, with Juve running out 4-2 winners in extra-time and Napoli having two players and coach Walter Mazzarri sent-off.

The event was meant to showcase the strengths of Italian football, so naturally conspiracy theories abounded, with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis calling foul and refusing to attend the awards ceremony, instead taking his players out for a champagne-filled evening and a bonus of €20,000 per head for being 'moral' winners.

The Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi, established by Silvio Berlusconi in 1991 in memory of his father, can be equally explosive, bringing together the two clubs that have dominated the modern Italian game. Sunday evening’s encounter was heavy with significance as it was the first time the sides had met since their league showdown and Sulley Muntari’s 'ghost goal' which was ruled out despite replays showing the ball was at least a metre over the line.

There were a few ghosts haunting the San Siro: Milan were still coming to terms with the sale of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris St Germain, while Juve were not only lamenting Alessandro Del Piero’s retirement, but also coming to terms with the 10-month ban enforced on Antonio Conte for failing to report alleged match-fixing amongst his players during his spell in charge of Siena.

The evidence which embroiled Conte and full-back Emanuele Pesoli, who only a few days ago was on hunger strike in protest at his three year suspension, came from a former Siena player Filippo Carobbio - and a guilty verdict, which has been appealed, has seen Conte banned from taking part in match-day preparations, leaving the inspirational touchline figure on the outside looking in.

Assistant coach and Conte’s former Juve team-mate Massimo Carrera had been handed the role of overseeing the match tactics and had got off to a winning start in China.

Juventus were hoping to announce their return to the upper echelons of European football with a big-name summer signing, and Robin Van Persie seemed to fit the bill, but the Dutch striker always favoured Manchester to Turin, leaving the new arrivals solid rather than spectacular.

After an impressive season at Parma, Sebastian Giovinco was bought back, while Udinese were raided for midfielders Mauricio Isla and Kwadwo Asamoah, with young prospect Paul Pogba arriving from Manchester United and Lucio bought out his Inter contract.

With Del Piero gone and Van Persie turning down the no.10 shirt, it was left to Del Piero’s one-time heir apparent Giovinco to lead the attack alongside Mirko Vucinic.

However, it was the key midfielders from the title-winning side, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal, who put the visitors into a 2-1 lead going into the break after Robinho had opened the scoring for Milan.

Alessandro Matri, who has been a reported target for Allegri, added a third around the hour mark while Robinho reduced the deficit from the penalty-spot with just over ten minutes remaining.

Antonio Cassano was left out of the Milan squad amid reports that the club have not taken too kindly to the player’s apparent grumbles that Massimiliano Allegri does not have a competitive squad at his disposal. A swap deal with Inter could see Giampaolo Pazzini replace the crabby Cassano, which would certainly add a bit of much-needed spice to the Milanese rivalry.

In any case, Sunday evening belonged to Juve, who may have found an ideal foil or even an eventual replacement for Andrea Pirlo, in Pogba. The French youngster settled into the game immediately and dominated the centre of the pitch in the manner Conte must have expected of him when he pried the 19-year-old away from Old Trafford.

The Trofeo Berlusconi has been something of an albatross around the necks of the winners, who generally fail to go on and lift the big prize but on last night’s performance Juventus will feel that they are still the team to beat with or without Conte on the sidelines.

Arrivederci Alessandro: Juventus legend Del Piero departs after 19 glorious years

Gareth McKnight — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:26:00 GMT

Italian champions Juventus have parted ways with their totemic captain after almost two decades. Gareth McKnight wishes him bon voyage

You couldn't blame Juventus fans for smiling. An unbeaten 2011-12 season in Antonio Conte’s first campaign in charge brought a Scudetto and the return of Champions League football; they have a gleaming new stadium and ambitious plans to strengthen the playing squad this summer.

However, behind the smiles there will be a sadness in the hearts of all true Bianconeri supporters this season, as they prepare for life after the exit of a club legend. Alessandro Del Piero has left the Turin giants after 19 years of unequivocal service, loyalty and scintillating performances.

Tears in Turin at his final Juve game

At 37 years old, the veteran attacker is now surplus to requirements at Juventus: a new world-class centre-forward is top of the club’s transfer wish-list this summer. Del Piero leaves the Bianconeri in slightly bitter circumstances after being refused a one-year contract to end his career; he will now instead leave the club for one last swansong elsewhere.

Looking back over almost two decades of compelling performances for the Serie A side, it's easy to see why Del Piero is a club legend. Having joined the club from Padova in 1993, he has been there ever since through thick and thin.

The high-points were many – Del Piero has been part of six Scudetto triumphs, a Coppa Italia and four Supercopa Italiana wins, plus continental glory in the 1995-96 Champions League campaign. He also stuck around after his beloved club’s first-ever relegation to Serie B in the wake of Calcipoli – and was the league's top scorer as Juve came straight back up. In a sport which no longer demands loyalty over ambition and financial gain, he is a shining light to all youngsters.

In his prime, Del Piero had no shortage of suitors, and he has openly admitted that the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona made attempts to lure him away. However, despite the proposed transfer fees and wages, nothing could tempt him from Turin.

However, he now has to seek pastures new. The evergreen attacker has stated that his hunger and love for the game has not diminished and is eager to find a new challenge, one that he can commit himself to for the next year or two. He will hope to follow the example of Real Madrid legend Raul, who left the Santiago Bernabeu after 16 years to star at Schalke and bring joy to a different group of fans.

Del Piero has already stated that he will not join another Italian club, but his choice of destinations seems to grow by the day: he has been linked with moves to England, Germany, United States, Mexico, China, the Middle East and even Argentina.

The stylish frontman will not be prioritising one final payday; instead he will be eager to find a footballing project that he can get his teeth into and showcase his abilities. Although the years are starting to take their toll, Del Piero will still prove a difficult opponent wherever he ends up: he scored some important goals for Juve last term in cameo appearances.

At his peak Del Piero was virtually unplayable, with a guile and poise that tortured defenders all over Italy and throughout Europe for the best part of two decades. He holds the Juventus goalscoring record with 289 goals in 705 games, while winning 91 caps for his country, scoring 27 times and winning the 2006 World Cup.

Juventus fans have lost a hero, an icon and a fine player – but as Del Piero has admitted in the following open letter to the club's faithful, he will always be one of them. Addio e buona fortuna, Alessandro.

A fitting ending: Del Piero lifts the league trophy again on May 13

Del Piero's open letter to the Juve faithful

"It ends here: my contract with Juventus expires today.

“It’s not news, but knowing it is ‘official’ still has an effect on me. It is not a sad moment for me, there are no regrets or nostalgia. Not anymore.

"That’s because I’ve had time to think back over everything that happened in my last Bianconeri season, going further back and reliving the greatest dream I could have dreamed.

"All the memories, the joys, the triumphs and – to be honest – a few recent moments of bitterness... Today all these images flash in front of my eyes and at a certain point blur into one marvellous embrace of my final game in Turin.

“That is the photograph that encapsulates everything, the instant I want to bring with me always, the one that since May 13 has been printed on my heart. It cannot be cancelled.

“A while ago, before going on vacation, I emptied out my locker at Vinovo and walking out of the training ground I stopped where for many months you waited for me hoping for a photo, an autograph or just a hello... under the snow, the ice, the rain, the burning sun. But this time I am the one saluting and thanking you, just as you did with me.

“The players pass by, but Juventus remains. My team-mates remain, who I wish the best and will always cheer them on.

“Above all what remains is the fans, you who are Juventus. That jersey that I loved and will always love, that I desired and respected, without breaks or discounts.

"I am happy that others after me can wear the shirt and above all the ‘10’ that has always had my name on it since they started printing names on the Bianconeri jerseys.

“I am happy for whoever will wear it next year and happy that somewhere – in Italy and all over the world – someone is dreaming of wearing it.

“I would be proud of someone wanting to follow my path, just as I dreamed of doing so with other champions, other examples, other legends.

“From tomorrow I will no longer be a Juventus player, but I will always be one of you. Now a new adventure begins and I am as fired up as I was 19 summers ago.

“Arrivederci. Thanks for everything.

"Alessandro."

Italy's attack finally clicks as Balotelli keeps the party going

Richard Whittle — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:16:00 GMT

If Thursday night’s street celebrations are anything to go by, overcoming Spain in the final of Euro 2012 would see Italy greet Monday morning in bleary-eyed fashion.

In truth, few expected the party to continue this long, but Croatia, Ireland, England and Germany have all been sent packing, leaving the Azzurrri where they always aim to be a major tournament, with the trophy there for the taking.

Throughout a month in which belief has grown slowly, Cesare Prandelli has had to tailor his starting line-up for every game, responding to injury or the need for some tactical fine retuning.

The semi-final against the much-fancied Germans, who had won 15 consecutive matches, brought a new set of problems for the coach, with right-back Ignazio Abate injured in the win over England and the obvious replacement Christian Maggio suspended.

Rather than return to the back three of the first two fixtures, Federico Balzaretti was switched from left of the back four to the right, with Giorgio Chiellini restored to the left back spot - a position the Juventus man had played most of his career in until recent seasons.

Rather than look unbalanced, the defence had the extra security of having the left-footed Balzaretti able to come in from the flank and make a number of timely clearances on his favoured foot – with one early in the encounter ensuring the score remained goalless just when the Germans were enjoying a period of dominance.

In fact, a Juve-heavy backline also featuring the imperious Gigi Buffon and two pillars of strength in Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci was the launching pad for Italy’s quick and decisive breaks that tore the Germans apart.

Mario gives it some welly to send Italy on their way to Kiev

Against England, Italy had dominated possession, but that was never going to happen in Warsaw, against opponents who based their game plan around control of the ball.

Italy also had two fewer days to recover from their 120 minute quarter-final, but Prandelli had promised that his team would remain true to his attacking ideals – and with Andrea Pirlo a serious contender for player of the tournament, there was no reason to fear it would be one-way traffic on Buffon’s goal.

Pirlo was once again an immense presence in the centre of the pitch, flanked by the ever-willing Daniele De Rossi and Claudio Marchisio, who had been complaining of tiredness, but both players were non-stop in their willingness not only to cover back but get forward to support the front two.

The defence and midfield had been sound throughout the tournament but now it was the turn of the attack to show what they could do – and how they responded.

Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli, in particular, had been wasteful in previous matches where the statistics had demonstrated that Italy had only take advantage of 12% of their goalscoring chances compared to nearly 30% when it came to the Germans.

Having weathered the early storm which had seen Pirlo clear off the line, the midfield came into their own to set the platform for Cassano to turn the German defence this way and that with a series of mazy runs which culminated on 20 minutes with the precise cross for Balotelli to head home the opener.

It was the moment where the pair finally clicked and from there on Balotelli was leading the line in a manner that Prandelli had been demanding from the moment he put his faith in the Manchester City youngster.

The second goal, following a simple long ball over the top from Riccardo Montolivo, had the mark of everything one expects from a world-class finisher: power, precision and not another thought than seeing the ball fly into the back of the net.

It was moment of sheer beauty that he had to spoil to some extent by removing his shirt thus gaining a yellow card – however, the nation forgave him, with chants of "bellissimo Balo" ringing out as he showed off his impressive pecs.

From there, muscle was needed by the whole team as Germany drove forward but the weight of history also laid heavily on them, having lost four and drawn the same amount against Italy when it really mattered.

The referee may have given Germany some faint hope, with a late penalty awarded when the ball struck Balzaretti’s arm, but it was all in vain – and now Spain await in the final.

The Spanish press had mocked Italy after the draw in the group meeting, with their 'see you in the final' headlines and then the biscotto taunts when the match against Croatia could have led a different outcome in settling qualification to the knock-out.

It may well come back to haunt them as Italy prepares to party like its 2006 all over again.

Prandelli's failure to make the changes leaves Italy facing a repeat of 2004

Richard Whittle — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 11:03:00 GMT

Italy are where they were in Portugal 2004, knowing that a win may not be enough in their final group game to ensure progress to the quarter-finals.

To maintain the momentum at these European Championships, the draw against Spain needed to be followed by a win over Croatia.

NEWS 14 Jun 2012 Tiring Italy let Croatia off the hook

Instead, Cesare Prandelli is staring at the nightmare scenario of exiting the tournament without losing a game. For the record, a 2-2 draw between Spain and Croatia will see them both through even if Italy overcome Ireland, as goals scored in the head-to-heads become decisive when the teams are level on points.

That distinct possibility was brought about by Prandelli getting what he had got right against Spain completely wrong against Croatia: the substitutions.

There would come a point in the second half at which the coach would need to turn to the bench, with the opposition pushing hard for an equaliser. But where grit and determination were needed in midfield, the coach went for some extra guile and brought on Riccardo Montolivo for Thiago Motta just after the hour-mark.

Rather than help Andrea Pirlo, who once again faded badly despite scoring a wonderful free-kick to put the Azzurri ahead midway through the first half, the new AC Milan man drifted out wide to the left to fill any gaps left by the hard-working Emanuele Giaccherini.

If the case for the defence was to halt Croatia’s dangerous exertions down the flanks, then a better option would have been Antonio Nocerino, who is more comfortable in that role and is used to supporting the attack with runs from deep as he does at Milan.

The right side of the Italy midfield was equally timid in getting forward or containing Croatia after the break, and with Prandelli knowing that only victory over Ireland will do, it must be time to introduce the pacy Ignazio Abate in place of the pedestrian Christian Maggio. The Napoli man left space for the cross that led to Mario Mandzukic’s equaliser, though Giorgio Chiellini was also culpable, allowing the striker to get behind him at the far post.

However, Prandelli’s biggest failing this time around was withdrawing Mario Balotelli. The striker had a couple of half chances in the first half, but after the break, even with his team-mates seeing little of the ball, the Manchester City man still seemed to have more energy than Antonio Cassano in getting beyond the defence.

Cassano had worked hard, but could not cope with the physical attentions of the Croatia defenders, while Balotelli looked at home taking on a robust defence – and would have probably presented the more direct Antonio Di Natale with at least one goalscoring chance.

When Balotelli’s number came up on 67 minutes, the player was visibly disappointed but knew that seniority had won out even if Cassano’s movement continued to hold up the ball in enclosed spaces in the left corner, leaving Di Natale even more isolated than Balotelli had been.

Prandelli mirrored the changes he had made against Spain by introducing Sebastian Giovinco for the tiring Cassano. But while defending had been the priority against the Spanish, a draw was never going to be enough in this encounter.

With Croatia forcing Maggio and Giaccherini back, Italy shape was more 5-3-2, which left the midfield unable to get a hold of the ball and feed the front-two.

It was a miracle of sorts that arguably the team’s best player on the day, Claudio Marchisio, could keep going to the end. The Juventus midfielder had expended enough energy for two matches and almost found the net in the first half, only to be denied twice in quick succession by goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa.

It will be interesting to see if Marchisio, and indeed the rest of the worn-out team, can recover in time and have the same influence against the Irish, who will play a style more akin to that of Croatia than Spain.

Prandelli will need Marchisio to drive forward, but more than anything the coach may have to shake things up from the start, rather than wait for events to dictate his tweaking or he could face the same fate as Giovanni Trapattoni in 2004.

Prandelli mixes methods masterfully to confound the champions

Richard Whittle — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:59:00 GMT

Never bet against Italy confounding the odds when it is least expected. This was certainly the case in Gdansk, where not only did they keep holders Spain at bay – they did so in a confident manner.

NEWS Sun 10 Jun: Spain escape with a point after Italian job

Cesare Prandelli arrived in Poland with the shadow of an ever-developing investigation into a betting scandal, which had engulfed Domenico Criscito and Leonardo Bonucci, hanging over the squad. Meanwhile a less-than-satisfactory on-pitch build-up had seen a friendly against Luxembourg postponed due to an earthquake back home followed by a 3-0 drubbing by Russia on the eve of the competition.

The coach was then left with a defensive headache when Andrea Barzagli suffered a calf injury, leaving the Azzurri looking porous in what had promised to be a watertight Juventus backline.

However, Prandelli has become used making do with what resources he has at hand. Using the only positive note of Luis Enrique’s time at AS Roma, Daniele De Rossi was dropped back from midfield into the centre of defence, flanked by Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.

At Roma, De Rossi had played in a back four of sorts, but parked solidly in the middle against a Spanish team bent on walking the ball into the net, he kept Italy in the game in the first half with timely interceptions – and as confidence grew, so his quick and decisive passing helped open space for the wide players in the five-man midfield.

Prandelli had claimed that De Rossi could develop into a modern-day Franz Beckenbauer but in truth his more robust style draws closer comparisons to Javier Mascherano, especially when it comes to driving forward to bring the midfield into the game.

It wasn't as if Italy lost that competitiveness in the middle, where Thiago Motta and Claudio Marchisio were encouraged to pressure the opposition as high up the pitch as they could, leaving Andrea Pirlo to sit further back – although Serie A’s player of the year-elect was less effective having to wait for the action to come to him, rather than being the focal point as he had been all season with the champions.

Another Juve man, Emanuuele Giaccherini, who only four seasons ago had been playing in Serie C, and Christian Maggio worked diligently along the flanks – only to suffer when Spain brought on Jesus Navas and Andres Iniesta began to carry the ball forward into dangerous areas.

None shall pass: Italy get it together at the back

However, this was no rearguard performance of old. Rather it highlighted Prandelli’s ability to mould together the various tactics employed in Serie A this season, beginning with Juve’s power base but then morphing into Napoli’s fast-breaking counter-attack – and it is getting men forward into goalscoring positions where Italy could really spring a surprise on the opposition to come in this tournament.

The starting front two of Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli were willing runners in the first half and the latter demonstrated that he had taken the coach’s orders to make life difficult for the Spanish backline by robbing Sergio Ramos of the ball near the touchline. Sadly, the Manchester City man was then much too casual when left one on one with Iker Casillas, which enabled Ramos to scamper back and make a decisive tackle.

When Prandelli saw that his starters in attack were fading both mentally and physically – not surprising considering that both Cassano and Balotelli had seen little playing time for their clubs – he immediately went to the bench, and this was where further dividends were to be found.

Antonio Di Natale, with his first touch, took his chance in the manner he had been all season with Udinese and at the same time wiped out his torment at missing one of the penalties in the quarter-final defeat to Spain at Euro 2008. Totò, who had flattered to deceive at international level in the past, nearly found a second when Cassano’s replacement Sebastian Giovinco picked him out with a perfectly weighted chipped cross, but he could only stretch to put his volley wide.

Spain had equalised by then and were turning up the pressure, but this new iron-willed Italy never wilted. As Prandelli pointed out on the eve of the encounter, pessimism motivates the national side – and few would bet against them leaving some more nations feeling blue along the way this month.

Scandal and disaster undermine Italy's Euro preparations

Richard Whittle — Wed, 30 May 2012 11:13:00 GMT

Italy head to Euro 2012 with the weight of the world on their shoulders, and Cesare Prandelli’s considerable man management skills will be put to the test as the Azzurri look to avoid a repeat of their humiliating performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The spectre of the ongoing investigation into match fixing and betting rings hangs over the squad. A dawn raid on the national training facility at Coverciano saw Domenico Criscito served with notice that he was under investigation after photographs were published of the left-back standing outside a restaurant along with suspects in the case.

The Zenit St. Petersburg full-back, who was a Genoa player when the photos were taken, had his laptop, iPad and mobile phone confiscated by police working under the orders of prosecutors leading the Last Bet operation. The investigation has spanned the length and breadth of the country, from Cremona in Italy’s north to Bari in the south, and within the next 48 hours the findings from Naples should be made public.

By all accounts, Prandelli was not in the loop with regards to what proved to be a fast-moving series of events, but it seems that Italian Football Federation vice-president Demetrio Albertini was aware of what was afoot, as he was among the first on the scene when the police arrived at the training ground shortly after dawn.

Criscito, who was rooming with Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia, was definitely taken by surprise and had to be calmed from his agitated state by Prandelli before being issued with the news that he would be excluded from the squad.

There was no other option as the player could have been called to testify at any time during the month he was due in Poland and Ukraine, but Prandelli still had to sweat on whether another vital member of his team, Leonardo Bonucci, would also be cited.

Police arrive at Italy's training centre on Monday morning

However, the Juventus defender had already given his evidence surrounding his time at Bari and in particular the match against Lecce where captain Andrea Maisella claimed he had helped throw the game by scoring an own-goal.

With high profile arrests of Lazio vice-captain Stefano Mauri, former Genoa midfielder Omar Milanetto and Juventus coach Antonio Conte – the latter in relation to two matches during his spell in charge of Siena in Serie B last season - some of the heat was deflected from the national team.

However, events well away from the shady world of match fixing would further hinder Prandelli’s preparations, when a major earthquake hit the Emilia Romagna area on Tuesday morning.

Italy were due to play Luxembourg in Parma later in the evening, but the decision was taken to cancel the game following further tremors and aftershocks which were also felt in the team hotel.

At the time of writing, 17 people are believed to have been killed, with 300 injured. It was the second quake in the region in just over a week.

Having omitted Ranocchia and Siena striker Mattia Destro from his final 23-man squad, Prandelli will be hoping he can start his preparations in earnest when the team arrive in Zurich on Friday evening, where he will look to finally gave his players a semi-competitive run-out against Russia, before heading to Poland to face a daunting group opener against defending champions Spain.

However, the long shadow of match fixing will not pass quickly, and Gianluigi Buffon’s unfortunate turn of phrase in a recent interview has not helped matters, drawing the spotlight back to the national team.

"Better two injured than one dead," was the goalkeeper’s less than cryptic response to whether it was really organised crime controlling matches or that teams conspired to ensure that a certain result suited both teams.

Prandelli knows he cannot shelter his players from the events unravelling back home, but as with Marcello Lippi when the Calciopoli scandal broke ahead of the 2006 World Cup, he will call for an act of faith from his players that football is really won on the pitch.

Napoli ready for summer long party after Italian Cup triumph

Richard Whittle — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:17:00 GMT

Napoli brought the curtain down on the Italian season with a stirring Italian Cup final victory, ending what had up until that point been an unbeaten campaign for Juventus.

The 2-0 scoreline denied the Turin club the double, but it was a perfect way to celebrate a year which had seen Walter Mazzarri's Napoli bring an attack-minded approach to both the domestic and continental stage, winning them plenty of admirers both home and abroad.

Inconsistency in the league cost the Azzurri a return to Europe’s premier competition, but hoisting aloft the cup for the first time since the Diego Maradona era was more than adequate reward – and how the Partenopei enjoyed their evening in Rome.

Over 30,000 Napoli fans danced and sang in the rain inside the Olympic stadium, while back in the Bay area the mother of all parties was well under way even before the final whistle sounded.

Success was built around stifling Juventus at source, with Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi closing down the Bianconeri back-three, thus denying Leonardo Bonucci in particular the space to bring the ball out towards the halfway line.

There is no doubt Mazzarri outwitted Antonio Conte tactically, and when Juve were forced to hit the ball long, Hamsik was already shadowing Andrea Pirlo in the centre of the pitch.

With the Swiss pairing of Gokhan Inler and Blerim Dzemaili forming a formidable defensive wall through the centre, Pirlo was forced into ever more risky passes. When he turned to the flanks, Christian Maggio and the very impressive Juan Zuniga were quick to press forward, leaving Napoli’s back three relatively unscathed apart from a late Salvatore Aronica challenge on Claudio Marchisio inside the area which went unpunished.

Winning the ball higher up the pitch unleashed Napoli’s best weapon: the counter-attack, with Inler and Dzemaili taking it in turns to break forward to support the attack while Zuniga and Maggio kept their opposite wing-backs Stephan Lichtsteiner and Marcelo Estigarriba pinned back - and more times than often forced to track back, leaving Napoli with superior numbers to repel any Juve counter.

It was the perfect strategy to make the champions look almost ordinary, but the night belonged to the men dubbed ‘The Three Tenors’: Cavani, Lavezzi and Hamsik.

It was a much-used routine that broke the deadlock just after the hour-mark, when Hugo Campagnaro’s long throw was flicked on by Cavani for Lavezzi to burst into the area where goalkeeper Marco Storari could do nothing but bring the Argentine crashing to the floor.

In the stands, owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, who had dragged the club out of the third tier some eight years ago, could not watch as Cavani stepped up to dispatch the penalty in a manner befitting his moniker ‘The Matador’.

From that moment, Napoli as a whole were equally clinical in everything they did, as Juventus, as was to be expected, poured forward in search of an equaliser.

The gaps were there to be exploited, and after Mazzarri withdrew Lavezzi, who had run himself into the ground on what was more than likely to be his last appearance for the club,. El Pocho’s replacement, Goran Pandev, took up the mantle to play Hamsik in for the all-important second goal seven minutes from time.

Juventus may have fought back from 2-0 and then 3-1 down at the San Paolo earlier in the season, but there was little time left to mount another comeback - The Invincibles were vanquished, with Fabio Quagliarella shown a straight red card in added-time for elbowing Aronica.

The Napoli team and its travelling support could not wait for the final whistle to go as they crowded around the edge of the pitch; Lavezzi was so overcome by the moment that he broke down in tears and missed out joining his team-mates in tossing Mazzarri up into the air.

De Laurentiis strode around the pitch like a conquering Cesar while Hamsik made good on his promise by allowing his team-mates to shave off his Mohawk – it was one of those evening where you knew would end in volcanic emotions.

And what of Alessandro Del Piero on his final appearance in a Juventus shirt? Well, it was a low-key evening, ending earlier than expected when he was substituted with 22 minutes still remaining, but in truth his parting gift had come last weekend back in Turin during the title celebrations.

As ever, he was gracious in defeat, as were Juventus, who left the stage for Napoli to party the night away. Knowing Naples, the party will continue right up until the two sides meet again in the Italian Super Cup in August.

Tearful farewells take centre stage on final day in Serie A

Richard Whittle — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:44:00 GMT

RESULTS Sun 13 May Catania 0-2 Udinese, Cesena 2-3 Roma, Chievo 1-0 Lecce, Fiorentina 0-0 Cagliari, Genoa 2-0 Palermo, Juventus 3-1 Atalanta, Lazio 3-1 Inter, Milan 2-1 Novara, Napoli 2-1 Siena, Parma 1-0 Bologna.

With the top two and bottom two places already sorted, attention on the final day of the season turned to third, with third from the top offering a place in the Champions League preliminary round, and third from the bottom offering a place in Serie B.

While Lecce and Genoa nervously eyed the score from each other’s match to see who would join Novara and Cesena in relegation, there were four teams in the chase to join AC Milan and champions Juventus in having their eardrums troubled by the belting out of the Champions League anthem from a stadium PA system next season, a couple of times at least.

The permutations were bountiful, so it seemed we would be in for a day of typical Italian intrigue and excitement. But sadly it was a little more straightforward.

While high drama seemed in the offing, the reality was very different: Udinese secured third spot with a routine win at Catania, while Lecce were condemned to the drop by their own failings at Chievo, leaving Genoa and Palermo to half-heartedly kick the ball around inside an empty Luigi Ferraris stadium.

Grooooooooup huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuug!!!

Udinese can be genuinely proud of their achievement of going one better than last season, considering that each year they can expect to lose their star players - as happened with Alexis Sanchez and Gokhan Inler last summer - with Mauricio Isla widely tipped to be heading for the exit door.

In fact, Francesco Guidolin is well aware that making the group stages of the Champions League will be quite an achievement – last season the Bianconeri ran into Arsenal in the preliminaries – and the coach is now seriously considering stepping down, unsure that he can cope with another year of keeping such a small squad competitive on two fronts.

Most of the other top clubs pay their star performers more than Udinese’s overall wage bill, so attempting to overcome the likes of Napoli and Inter next season will become even more taxing.

Even Lazio will find it difficult to keep pace with Napoli and Inter, despite finishing ahead of them in qualifying for the Europa League, which sparked mass indifference, such is the prospect of Thursday evening in Minsk. No wonder Biancocelesti coach Edy Reja is not committing anything to paper just yet…

There were certainly groans of despair within the Inter ranks, with their final-day defeat to Lazio meaning they will start next season’s European campaign in early August.

But there are some who can bask in the sun for as long as they want, as the real emotional highlight of the final day was produced by a smattering of fond farewells up and down the country. Unsurprisingly, many of them dragged on a bit – at times it was like watching a whole room of pre-schoolers who had scuffed their knees, such was the uncontrollable bawling.

Alessandro Del Piero bids farewell to Juventus after 19 years' service

There wasn’t a dry eye in the San Siro, with a third of the squad finally calling it a day - and they made sure that everyone knew it.

When Paolo Maldini retired a few years back, the legendary defender ran around the pitch, waved to the fans and disappeared down the tunnel without a second glance, but Filippo Inzaghi, Rino Gattuso and Gianluca Zambrotta were more like overcome Oscar winners as they blubbed away even after everyone had left and the grounds staff were trying to close up.

Mark van Bommel had embarrassed himself on the Milan Channel a few days earlier, with a farewell performance that included dabbing his eyes with a hankie, but in keeping with their truly classy performances on the pitch, Alessandro Nesta and Alex Del Piero called it a day in a more tasteful manner.

Nesta had told everyone he was off because he couldn’t face trying to keep up with the likes of Leo Messi, while Del Piero turned the kick-around with Atalanta at the Juventus Stadium into a sideshow, with an impromptu lap of honour after he was substituted on the hour-mark.

Del Piero’s beaming grin was nearly as wide as Luis Enrique’s when he announced he was too “tired” to face another year at AS Roma, but at least Juve captain’s exit was a fitting centrepiece to a final day that failed to provide much on-field drama.

Juventus return to their roots to land title

Richard Whittle — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:57:00 GMT

It has taken six years and many a heartbreak, but Juventus are finally back top of the pile in Italian football.

The club has come a long way in rebuilding its tattered reputation, from that 1-1 draw at Rimini on the opening day of the 2006-07 season, to the 2-0 win at Cagliari which, coupled with AC Milan’s derby defeat, ensured the Bianconeri could not be caught at the top with one game remaining.

Who knows how many honours the club would have collected in the meantime if the heart of the team had not been torn out following the events of Calciopoli and the subsequent demotion to Serie B, even if it their spell in the second tier only lasted one year.

One of the secrets of the Old Lady’s success through the 90s and into the new millennium was the rationale of not being afraid to allow a big name to leave as long as the sound foundations of the team – built through astute management and, of course, major investment – were not undermined.

The roll-call of star names passing through the vaulted headquarters in Turin included the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Gianluigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved, Lilian Thuram, David Trezeguet and the two Fabios, Cannavaro and Capello.

When the bombshell hit in 2006, the name Juventus alone could not guarantee an instant return to the heights of previous decades, as the likes of Real Madrid and Inter cherry-picked the major assets, including title-winning coach Capello.

It has taken three presidents and six coaches to achieve this crowning moment, and although there was a third place finish on their return in 2007-08, and a runners-up spot in 2008-09 there seemed little in the way of continuity to suggest that a league title was in the offing.

At the higher management level, Giovaani Coboli Gigli arrived from a business background to lead from the boardroom, while the urbane Jean Claude Blanc put his business degree from Harvard to good use.

The Luciano Moggi-Roberto Bettega era would be erased from history, but the new line-up were mere babes in the murky world of Italian football. After a host of coaches came and left, having failed, it took a return to the past to finally get Juve back on an even keel.

It seems incredible that a club whose watch-word was once ‘stability’ would take so long to return to its roots, with the arrival of Umberto’s son, Andrea, the last male member of the clan.

The masterstroke was, of course, bringing Antonio Conte back in to the fold. As a player, the battling midfielder may not have shined as brightly as the likes of Alex Del Piero and Zidane, but he was a guardian of the Juve flame and knew what values he needed to reinstall within the playing staff.

Not only are the team unbeaten in all competitions, with an Italian Cup Final to look forward to, but they have also set a club record 21 clean sheets. Victory was built from the back in the best traditions of Italian football, while sporting director Giuseppe Marotta enabled Conte to sprinkle the side with a few sparkling diamonds.

Andrea Pirlo must be in the running for the player of the year award, proving that Milan were mistaken in not offering the playmaker a further two-year deal, while Mirko Vucinic was ripe to show off his talents in a new environment.

A return to the Champions League opens a new chapter, but it also brings with it a new set of difficulties, as Milan found to their cost this season.

But the Old Lady has at least re-applied her foundation, and she is finally back in style.

Fiorentina coach Delio Rossi pays the price for his 'Falling Down' moment

Richard Whittle — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:40:00 GMT

There seems to be no depth to which Italian football will not plunge in order to maintain its position as Europe’s, if not the world’s, wackiest league.

We have had Genoa players forced to hand over their shirts on the orders of fans, the man-handling of the referee by Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti and now Fiorentina coach Delio Rossi topping it all by delivering a couple of solid punches to one his own players.

Many a coach must have dreamt of taking their frustrations out on a player with a few well-aimed blows, but it is rare to see it actually happen, rarer still in the middle of a match.

Fiorentina were trailing Novara 2-0 in what was something of a relegation tussle when, with just over 30 minutes gone, home coach Rossi decided he had seen enough of what he perceived was under-performing from Adem Ljaijc and removed the striker from the fray.

Naturally the Serb did not take too kindly to being substituted so early in the game and sarcastically applauded the decision as he made his way to the bench. Unfortunately, Rossi’s frayed nerves snapped and the coach stormed over to first grab the player by the throat and then deliver a couple of right hooks.

Only the intervention of the technical staff (so that’s what they are there for…) saved the former Manchester United target from receiving the hiding of his life from a middle-aged man who had allowed the pressures of the moment to get to him.

There is an old saying in Italy that goes something along the lines of “when everyone else is losing their heads, you might as well join in.”

However, Rossi crossed a line from which there was no way back. By the end of the evening, club owner Andrea Della Valle had sacked his coach and promised further punishment for the player, as if the 20-year-old had not suffered enough humiliation.

The most bizarre moment came when Rossi exited the dugout to indicate to the referee that there was nothing to see here, as if he had done nothing more than lose his footing for a moment.

The officials had not seen the incident, otherwise Rossi would have been making the long walk to career ruin much sooner. Instead, he was still able to be in the dressing room at half-time, where he no doubt jolted the rest of the team into producing a two-goal comeback to earn a point which should be enough to keep the Viola in the top flight.

We will probably not see Rossi back in football for some time - certainly not in the next three months, with the Italian FA this morning confirming that as the length of his ban - but he is not the first coach to lose his head and attack one of his own players during the course of a game.

Back in the 1983-84 campaign, Pescara coach Tom Rosati slapped Vittorio Cozzella during a league match against Como. The striker took it on the chin, so to speak, and the following week the pair were seen joking away as if nothing had happened.

In fact, Cozzella admitted he had been a bit of an annoying sort and the episode had helped him develop into a more mature player.

It is doubtful Ljajic will be feeling quite so forgiving as he nurses a sore jaw and bruised ego this morning. For Rossi, this “Falling Down” moment will prove far more costly.

Chase for third brings out plenty of erratic behaviour in Serie A

Richard Whittle — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:01:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat 28 Apr Palermo 1-1 Catania, Cagliari 0-0 Chievo, AS Roma 2-2 Napoli Sun 29 Apr Bologna 3-2 Genoa, Siena 1-4 AC Milan, Novara 0-4 Juventus, Lecce 1-2 Parma, Atalanta 2-0 Fiorentina, Inter 2-1 Cesena, Udinese 2-0 Lazio.

With just five points between third and seventh heading into the weekend’s fixtures as the race for Serie A’s third and final Champions League spot intensifies, anxiety was always likely to be at a premium. Sure enough, from Rome to Udine, there were some surreal moments.

The barmiest came in the Sunday evening showdown at the Friuli stadium, where the two sides to have made most of the running for that coveted third spot – Udinese and Lazio – went head to head.

For a long time things were flat, with neither team showing great desire to return early for pre-season training in order to prepare for the Champions League qualifying round. Udinese talisman Antonio Di Natale scored the decisive goal on 69 minutes, with Roberto Pereyra adding a second in the dying seconds.

The away team immediately kicked off – but not in the traditional, centre-circle-based sense. The Lazio players had a heard a whistle and promptly stopped chasing a long clearance into their half. But the noise had come from the stands, and the ensuing confusion enabled Pereyra to sprint down the touchline and score from a tight angle.

Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti had fallen to his knees in despair at hearing the “phantom” whistle and when he saw that the referee was waving play on; was unable to get back in time to cover his line.

He did, however, find a good change of pace to join in with the touchline melee, where there were unsurprisingly few cool heads, with the Lazio camp fuming at this perceived injustice.

Andre Dias was shown a straight red card, the club ‘suits’ - who for some unfathomable reason are allowed on the bench - got involved in a bout of pushing and shoving, while Lionel Scaloni got up close and personal with the fourth official.

Further sanctions will no doubt follow after Marchetti was seen to push the referee, who was attempting to explain to an irate bunch of troubled souls that there was little he could do, simply because he hadn’t blown his whistle.

The Lazio players wanted the goal ruled out and the final ten seconds resumed with a drop ball in the middle of the pitch – and it seemed for a moment that the referee was going to oblige but stood by the ruling that only the man in charge can bring the game to a halt.

Napoli are currently sat in third and have the edge over their rivals thanks to a superior head-to-head record and arguably more favourable fixtures, but they could have held a more substantial advantage.

They looked to be cruising to victory at AS Roma, where they had the full backing of most of the Olympic Stadium as the home fans turned their back on their own team.

However, with the clock ticking down and the away side 2-1 up and looking like extending their lead, Roma substitute Fabio Simplicio scored an unlikely equalizer, before haring off into the stands to hug his wife and child – and it wasn’t as if they were sitting in the first row.

It was so off-kilter that even the locals stopped verbally abusing Luis Enrique for a moment to enjoy the spectacle, but at the final whistle the Curva Sud – home to the diehard support – demanded that Francesco Totti follow his crest-fallen team-mates over for a good dressing down, before urging the captain to have the coach sacked forthwith: cue quick exit.

Weirdness of a different kind was unfolding at the San Siro, where Inter had not so long along seemingly given up any hope of getting into Europe at all when Andrea Stramaccioni was promoted from the youth team to replace Claudio Ranieri.

But the coach, who is a couple of years younger than Javier Zanetti, has overseen a run of six games unbeaten, culminating in a 2-1 win over Cesena.

However, the Nerazzurri have the toughest fixture list ahead, with a trip to Parma on Wednesday evening, a derby – a nice little quirk considering AC Milan are trailing Inter’s least favourite club, Juventus, at the top - and then a trip to Lazio.

There is little time to settle nerves with another midweek round looming and with Napoli, Udinese, Inter and Lazio level on 55 points, the chase for third looks guaranteed to bring out plenty of more erratic behaviour.

Proud of Turin: Juventus and Torino top the bill (again)

Adam Digby — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:54:00 GMT

As Turin's two clubs - Torino and Juventus - sit atop Serie B and Serie A respectively, Adam Digby looks at what the clubs' rivalry means to the city...

The Mole Antonelliana is a major landmark in the northern Italian city of Turin. It is named after the architect who built it, Alessandro Antonelli, and stands tall above its surroundings, its distinctive spire every inch as synonymous with the town below as the world famous Shroud housed just a mile away.

In the Italian language, the word mole literally means 'size', and is often used to denote a building of lavish proportions. As such, it is perhaps fitting that the derby encounter between the city's two clubs derives its name from the term.

Juventus and Torino contest what is known as Il Derby della Mole and, thanks to them currently leading the top two divisions, Turin is once again becoming a major force in Italian football, having spent the last few years in the shadows of Rome and then Milan.

The cross-city encounter has been one of Italian football's fiercest rivalries since Torino were founded by former Juve President Alfredo Dick in December 1906 following a less than amicable split.

The divide between the two sets of supporters was often seen as a symbol of the class divide of those pre-Second World War days. Juventus were closely associated with the wealthy Agnelli family - owners of car manufacturers FIAT, with Torinese novelist Mario Soldati remarking that the Bianconeri were "the team of gentlemen, industrial pioneers, Jesuits, conservatives and the wealthy bourgeois". Torino were, according to Soldati, "the team of the working class, migrant workers from the provinces or neighbouring countries, the lower middle-class and the poor".

There have also been comparisons with another northern industrial town, Manchester, with Juve's widespread support across the country compared to that of United, while Torino's more localised fan base draws parallels with City.

Looking at results of their 227 encounters to date, Juventus are the side in the ascendancy, with 91 wins and 62 draws, but il Toro (74 wins) have enjoyed their own spells of dominance, particularly before the tragedy of Superga in 1949 when they were undeniably Europe’s premier club.

During the 1970’s Torino went over five years unbeaten against their neighbours, while they also overcame them in the 1938 Italian Cup final by an aggregate score of 5-2.

Yet since Torino's last win – a 2-1 Serie A triumph in April 1995 – Juventus have taken control, with eight wins and four draws.

Throughout their 106 year history, Torino have only spent twelve seasons outside the top flight and ten of those have come in the years since that last derby triumph. Strangely, one of their two seasons in Serie A in that intervening period coincided with Juve's year of exile in the second tier, much to the delight of their fans, who took great pleasure in seeing their rivals finally take a turn below them in the lower tier.

Giorgio Chiellini celebrates scoring the winner in the most recent Turin derby

Fast forward to today, however, and the Granata are enjoying a superb season, sitting first in Serie B after 35 games, boasting the best defensive record in the division and having suffered just five defeats.

Coach Giampiero Ventura has a squad built specifically to win promotion, blending veteran campaigners such as Alessandro Parisi and Ferdinando Coppola, with promising young players such as Matteo Darmian and current Italy International Angelo Ogbonna.

Across town, having moved out of the Stadio Olimpico – which the two clubs previously shared – Juventus are three points clear of Milan at the top of Serie A, and amazingly still undefeated after 34 league matches.

That Ventura is the Torino coach is one of many links between the two clubs and, given the style and philosophy he seemingly shares with his Juve counterpart Antonio Conte, the one which echoes with greatest resonance.

When their paths first crossed, Conte was at Bari and Ventura in charge of Pisa. The future Juventus boss was left hugely impressed by his opposite number's tactical approach, and would go on to mimic the 4-2-4 system used by the Tuscan side that day, making it his first choice formation until his arrival in Turin last summer.

This made it relatively easy for Ventura to replace Conte when the latter left Bari for Atalanta in 2009, although both men retain an open outlook and have since developed far greater tactical flexibility.

But the similarities run far deeper than that and the fact both currently have two Serie A promotions to their name.

Both extol the team ideal over individual qualities as the relatively low tally of each sides’ top scorer attests; Mirco Antenucci has just nine for the Granata while Alessandro Matri has ten for Juve.

They both also maintain, despite the effort demanded by their defensive strategies – in each case based on almost relentless pressing – a small turnover of players. Both squads contain eleven men who have started at least twenty-two games as the two men continue to concentrate on a small core of key players who have earned their trust.

With a league title still far from guaranteed for either team, perhaps even hoping for a return of the derby is a stretch, given Torino's woes in recent seasons.

They have established a strong lead atop the Serie B table but losing in the playoffs hit the side hard last season and ensuring automatic promotion must be the first objective for Ventura and his team.

Across town, both the fans and the financial position of the club make a Champions League berth the absolute minimum required return from a season which has already promised so much.
Supporters on both sides will watch and hope their teams end the campaign as strongly as they began it. Their city awaits.

Luis Enrique's Roma experiment going up in smoke

Richard Whittle — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:31:00 GMT

Luis Enrique arrived at AS Roma in the summer with dark hair on his 41-year-old head and a reputation for being a no-nonsense coach. Nearly nine months on he has grayed considerably and for many in the Italian capital he has stopped making any sense at all.

When he turned up at the club's Trigoria training centre for his first session in August wielding an iPad, he was immediately dubbed Zichichi, after Antonino Zichichi, the silver-haired doyen of nuclear physics. But in recent weeks he has been acting more like the nutty professor.

The latest experiment to go up in smoke came in Wednesday’s rearranged fixture home fixture with lowly Fiorentina, a match which ended in a frustrating 2-1 defeat. In truth the damage had been done last weekend at Juventus, when the Spaniard had decided to start Simone Perrotta, who had not played since December, leave the in-form Francesco Totti on the bench and once more deploy Daniele De Rossi out of position in central defence.

The gossamer-thin line-up was torn apart by a marauding Juve to the tune of four goals. However it was not just the defence which was shredded, but also the whole camp’s fragile confidence

The cold shouldering of the captain turned into a full-blown bout of flu which had the Romans fretting that their inspirational leader would miss the midweek fixture, yet it was Enrique’s pre-match press conference which caused most distress in the Capital.

Asked to explain how the team had failed to provide Juventus with any semblance of a competitive run-out, silence ensued. And ensued. And ensued, before being briefly broken by a muttered, “I am thinking.”

Nearly a minute passed before he launched into a long, meandering and at times incoherent explanation, one which was more awkward than the silence that had proceeded it.

Among the topics touched upon were 'taking responsibility', 'believing in the team' and 'not always relying on Totti'. One couldn’t help but wonder if the team talk had been equally as rambling.

Having gone a goal down to Fiorentina after only two minutes, it seemed Roma had rescued a point when Totti stuck out a foot to fortuitously divert Fernando Gago’s wayward effort home with 12 minutes remaining.

But the rest of the match had been a similar to the debacle in Turin: a mish-mash of misplaced passes and nervy defending, so it was no real surprise when the visitors scored a winner two minutes into added time.

Roma’s soft centre was exposed once again, as was the team’s ill-discipline. Forward Pablo Osvaldo was shown a straight red card for dissent and joins Erik Lamela - caught spitting at Juve’s Stephan Lichtsteiner in Sunday's defeat - and De Rossi in being banned for this weekend’s match against Napoli.

Enrique has been strict with his code of ethics off the pitch, banning Osvaldo for a dressing-room dust-up with Lamela and dropping De Rossi for turning up late to a team meeting. However, once they cross the white line, the players seem to lose all respect for the team ethic.

At least the coach was willing to accept this most recent set-back had been his fault, and thought better than to mention the “project” which the local media firmly believe isn’t going to make it past the blackboard stage.

He still couldn’t let go of his growing bitterness towards the press, claiming they should be pleased to see he was only four games away from leaving the club, with the season drawing to a close. However, in doing so he fed himself to the lions, which now include a growing number of the fans: a giant banner on Wednesday read: “If you are a real man Luis then leave now.”

In fairness, a foreign coach taking on his first major job with the plan of changing the philosophy of the Italian game was never going to have an easy time of it, especially in the high-pressure environment of Rome.

Patience is something generally in short supply among the media and fans in Rome, but not within the club, it would seem. Sporting director Franco Baldini reiterated that Enrique would be in charge next season – a stance unlikely to change over the course of the run-in, even if the team does fail to qualify for Europe.

But if Enrique is still around in August, he better have a new formula stored in that iPad.

Genoa fans get shirty as players left humbled and humiliated

Richard Whittle — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:08:00 GMT

The run-in to the end of any season calls for cool heads, but there were few in evidence at Genoa on Sunday.

As if trailing Siena 4-0 with only 50 minutes played of what was a vital relegation encounter may have been bad enough, further humiliation was heaped upon the home players by their own fans in whar could be the moment that sends this proud club into freefall.

Not only did a section of the home support disrupt the match by throwing flares on to the pitch and climbing atop the protective covering above the tunnel, they then demanded those they deemed not worthy of wearing the shirt remove them.

The majority of the players duly obliged to do so, rolling over in submission much as they had done to the visiting team.

Team captain Marco Rossi had gone over to discuss the situation with the main ultras group, numbering 70-odd supporters, before trudging back to his team-mates to inform them they would have to de-robe.

There were a fair few long faces among the players as Rossi turned kit-man and gathered the sweat-soaked shirts, to parade them in front of the triumphant tormentors.

In that instant inside the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, it seemed the team bond was broken, and for many looking in from the outside it was a reflection of each player’s own character that they meekly succumbed to the demands of the masses.

However, there were two players who refused to hand over their work clothes: Giuseppe Sculli and Sebastien Frey.

The incredulous look Frey gave the ultras should be cherished by anyone who ever needs to stand up to a bully. “This is my shirt and I am not giving it to anyone,” was the French goalkeeper’s response as he stood in front of the stands.

Sculli is another who does not like to be messed with, and the midfielder marched right into the crowd to explain that he too was in no mood to show off his bare chest.

Although it was certainly a primal demonstration of breast beating, there was not a dry eye in the house as footballer and burly fan embraced across the fencing thus enabling the match to proceed without further incident.

No one had seen so few hold so many to ransom since, well, since Serbia had been in town. As with the events which lead to the Euro 2012 qualifier of October 2010 being abandoned, some may well ask where the officials and the forces of law and order were while the madness was unfolding.

While the police stood by and monitored the situation from a safe distance, gathering video evidence and blaming the Genoa players for bowing to the ultras’ demands, club president Enrico Preziosi was left equally impotent, taking his ire out on coach Alberto Malesani, sacking him for the second time in four months.

The team will be forced to play their remaining two ‘home’ matches at least 250km from Genoa and behind closed doors – which will probably be a welcome relief for the players.

Luigi De Canio has been handed the task of ensuring Genoa do not go the way of city rivals Sampdoria and drop down into Serie B. But after the events of Sunday, few would put their shirt on it.

Italy falls silent for Piermario Morosini

Richard Whittle — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:15:00 GMT

The death of Piermario Morosini has naturally left the world of Italian football and sport in general reeling.

The official announcement that the Livorno midfielder had lost his life during the Serie B game at Pescara was swiftly followed by the decision to postpone all matches over the weekend.

At the San Siro, AC Milan and Genoa players were warming up for their late afternoon game and the stadium was slowly filling up as the players went through their paces.

In the press room, the journalists were already in possession of the shocking news and few had drifted out to the stand, leaving the international television commentators to inform their viewers that there would be no football.

Down on the pitch, the players were taking the news in and as the team officials explained the situation, they slowly walked off in pairs or alone, some of them shaking their heads, others looking up to the stands seemingly for further confirmation that such a tragic event was in fact true.

There was a muted exit from the stands as fans made their way into the early evening and 45 minutes after the announcement the San Siro was left in eerie silence – as all stadiums up and down the country would remain.

In a country where footage of car-crash victims is flashed across prime-time news screens, replays of the moment the 25-year-old collapsed on the pitch were re-shown through the evening – not through any morbid fascination, but that is how Italians deal with death: in a very open way for all the world to see.

The Livorno players arrived at the hospital in stunned silence and left emotionally drained and in tears of genuine grief.
Tributes flooded in from the whole world of football, from former team-mates to those who had never met the player; in Spain and England a minute’s silence was held ahead of their late Saturday and Sunday games.

Morosini may not have been one of the big names of the Italian game but he was a popular figure who had been building a solid career after having come through the Atalanta youth ranks before joining Udinese where he made five appearances, and was still under contract.

He also had spells at Bologna, Vicenza on two occasions, Reggina and Padova, and had represented his country from under-17 to under-21 level. Many of those players preparing for the Euros this summer – such as Domenico Criscito, who had been his room-mate at under-17 level and described him as “a brother” – had played alongside him at international level.

Morosini had known enough tragedy in his short life. Both of his parents had died when he was a teenager, his disabled brother had committed suicide and his elder sister, who will now be supported by Udinese and Livorno, is handicapped. He was active in the footballers’ union, especially in helping players who had difficulties of their own.

Morosini’s death immediately drew comparisons to the case of Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba. As at White Lane so inside the Stadio Adriatico there was a doctor in the stands who happened to be head of cardiology at the nearby Santo Spirito hospital.

The doctor, Leonardo Paloscia, raced on to the pitch in an attempt to revive the player and although there were reports, backed up by photographs, of a traffic police car blocking the emergency entrance – Pescara players Marco Verratti and Damiano Vanon sprinted to the stranded ambulance to retrieve the stretcher – ahead of the autopsy Paloscia maintained that everyone had done all they could and carried out their duties in a professional manner.

No one could deny this was the case, but with former Italy volleyball international Victor Bovolenta collapsing and dying during a match last month, there have been calls for great prevention of life-threatening incidents, with every sports club forced to have a defibrillator on site and someone trained in its use.

Italy is proud of its screening for those participating in sports at all levels and can point to the check-up that discovered Nwankwo Kanu’s heart defect, while Antonio Cassano is back playing after having a heart malformation diagnosed and corrected.

As the Italian Medical Sports Federation head Maurizio Casasco pointed out, even the most intense screening cannot always prevent cases such as this – and most times only a rapid response can help save lives.

In one of the many eulogies through Saturday evening, former Udinese coach Giovanni Galeone, who was in charge of Morosini for a season, recalled that the player had a real sadness in eyes but his face was always lit up by a wonderful smile.

Morosini had been popular for many reasons and that more than anything was why the stadiums were rightly silent this weekend.

Del Piero and Totti grab the perfect wave on Big Wednesday in Serie A

Richard Whittle — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:33:00 GMT

RESULTS Tue 10 Apr Chievo 0-1 AC Milan Wed 11 Apr AS Roma 3-1 Udinese, Catania 1-2 Lecce, Napoli 1-3 Atalanta, Parma 2-0 Novara, Fiorentina 0-0 Palermo, Inter 2-1 Siena, Genoa 1-1 Cesena, Juventus 2-1 Lazio.

Wednesday evening was an emotional one for two players whose careers have basically been a window into the true heart of Italian football over the last two decades.

It was 'Big Wednesday' in Serie A and two veterans caught the perfect wave. Alessandro Del Piero scored the winner for Juventus against Lazio and Francesco Totti netted the goal that put AS Roma 2-1 up at home to Udinese.

Both players are coming to the end of their illustrious careers, but still possess the ability to grab the limelight away from any young pretender – and retain the title of genuine fuoriclasse.

Del Piero was making his 700th appearance for Juve when he trotted on to replace Mirko Vucinic with just over 15 minutes remaining in the perfect setting of the Juventus Arena.

Suddenly the volume was amplified to such levels that even Antonio Conte was forced to give up screaming at the top of his lungs and instead settled for some manic arm-waving from the sidelines.

With the home side encamped in the Lazio half, but with Vucinic giving the ball away at every turn, the match was evenly poised at 1-1 – a scoreline which would have left Juve a point shy of AC Milan at the top of the table after the champions had sneaked a 1-0 victory at Chievo 24 hours earlier.

But the stage was set for Del Piero to once more roll back the years and produce a moment of sheer drama, with one of his trademark curling free-kicks with just eight minutes remaining.

It looked as if Andrea Pirlo was set to try his luck but, with the visitors unable to get their wall set up, the referee gave Del Boy the nod. With Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti rooted to the spot, the ball was in the net before he could move, and the stadium was soon in a state of delirium.

An instant poll among Bianconeri fans demanded club president Andrea Agnelli reverse his decision to make this the 37-year-old club legend’s last season, but it seems there is no going back.

Conte has only given Del Piero three starts throughout the campaign, but he has scored against Inter in the league and Milan in the Cup in the new stadium.

Having made his debut for the Old Lady as an 18-year-old mop-haired youth at Foggia back in September 1993, he has now scored 187 Serie A goals, taking him into the top ten in the all-time goalscoring charts.

Before last night’s game, Totti had scored 211 league goals to put him fifth amongst the greats. Just moments after Del Piero reeled away with his familiar tongue-out celebration, down in the Capital the Roma captain was sticking his thumb in his mouth to indicate he had moved on to 212.

Roma were desperately searching for a win against Udinese in order to keep their hopes of holding on to third place alive, but much like Juve, the Giallorossi had dominated their opponents only to be left labouring with the scores locked at 1-1.

Totti’s vital goal may have been a tap-in, but it lifted the Romans after the debacle that was their 4-2 defeat to relegation-threatened Lecce at the weekend, and they would ultimately go on to secure a 3-1 victory.

Two years Del Piero’s junior, Totti, much like his old friend, can still unlock any defence with his movement and quickness of – and of course he too is a leader and team player.

While his team-mates and coach Luis Enrique had to listen to jeers as their names were announced, one name received only cheers and applause. However, in the post-game melee with the press, Totti’s first words were “we win as a team and lose as one.” Almost at the exact same moment back in Turin, Del Piero was saying much the same thing.

Class, as they say, is permanent, and these two greats of the Italian game are still on the crest of a wave.

Amauri finally comes good as Juve take control at the top of Serie A

Richard Whittle — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:15:00 GMT

RESULTS Sat Apr 7 Atalanta 1-2 Siena, Cagliari 2-2 Inter, Cesena 0-0 Bologna, Chievo 3-2 Catania, Lecce 4-2 AS Roma, AC Milan 1-2 Fiorentina, Novara 1-1 Genoa, Udinese 3-1 Parma, Palermo 0-2 Juventus, Lazio 3-1 Napoli

It was a weekend of shocks and surprises around Serie A, with the biggest coming at the San Siro, where Amauri scored his most important goal yet for Juventus.

Sure, the striker happened to be wearing a Fiorentina shirt at the time, but although his late winner against AC Milan helped ease the Viola’s relegation worries, it was the club who had previously discarded him that benefited most.

The Ital-Brazilian had been shown the door in the most acrimonious of circumstances by the Turin club at the start of the season, after returning from a loan spell at Parma. He had hung around like a bad smell until January, training with the youth team, until a window of opportunity finally opened in Florence.

Having failed to score since April 2011, the gangly front man broke his duck in the most unlikely of surroundings and in the most unlikely manner, having only charged on to the pitch like a bolting horse in the final quarter of a match from which the visitors had been more than willing to take home a point.

Even if Juventus had not been preoccupied with the preparations for their early evening match at Palermo, there was little chance of Antonio Conte or anyone else from the Turin club calling the 31-year-old to offer their congratulations and thanks.

Not that Amauri would have cared that much after his fractious break from the Bianconeri, and who better to enjoy the moment with than the missus, who was straight on the phone to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary.

But you can rely on Sky Italia to take the shine off anyone’s day, and one of their reporters was quick to ask the tousled-haired forward how good it was to have done Juve a favour.

Although he may have lost his beaming smile for a moment, he bounced back by chirpily insisting all he was interested in was helping Fiorentina.

Amauri is all too aware of how football can turn against you, and Massimiliano Allegri is beginning to learn the same lesson. With the Champions League now gone by the wayside, the Milan coach is duty bound to defend the club’s Serie A title, but his side looked completely spent after their exertions at the Camp Nou last week.

It was the first time the time Milan had lost two in a row under Allegri, and he was at a loss to put together a compelling defence for his side’s below-par performance, one which saw the champions blow a 1-0 lead.

The only bright note on an otherwise listless afternoon was the return of Antonio Cassano, who was given a ten minute run-out after receiving the all-clear to at last resume playing. The forward almost produced something out of nothing late on with a darting run into the area.

However, even with his cardiac problems hopefully behind him, it will take time for the 29-year-old to rediscover his match fitness, and with it the sort of form that can give Milan a much-needed fillip in the run-in.

Impetus is something Juve do not need and with the positive news arriving from the north, down in Sicily they then tore into Palermo to take command at the top of the table.

Conte has been chipping away at Rossoneri confidence for some time and last week he led a 12-minute motivational speech in the centre of the training pitch, tellingly in full view of the TV cameras.

It was almost akin to Al Pacino’s rousing pre-game team talk in ‘Any Given Sunday’ - a loud and clear battle cry of intent and one that Allegri would do well to heed.

There is little time to be introspective, however, with a full midweek round to face: so confident are Juventus that even the arrival of third-placed Lazio, who saw of a very tired looking Napoli on Saturday, looks unlikely to knock them off their stride.

Milan, on the other hand, with injuries and suspensions mounting, will travel to Chievo knowing they need to bounce back immediately or risk handing the physiological advantage to the Old Lady once and for all.

Little Aeroplane's managerial career taking off as Catania aim for Europe

Richard Whittle — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:06:00 GMT

This time last year Vincenzo Montella was in the middle of his spell as caretaker period at AS Roma, attempting to keep the team on course for a European place in the dog-end days of the Sensi family ownership.

A sixth place finish and a ‘thanks but no thanks’ from the incoming owners from across the Atlantic brought an end to his eleven-year on-and-off association with the Giallorossi, with a loan period at Fulham at the tail-end of his playing days leading to his first steps in coaching with Roma’s under-15 side.

The Little Aeroplane’s career in the dug-out has really taken off since being offered the job at Catania soon after leaving the capital, where he has brought all that experience of a big-name club to the more homely surroundings of Sicily.

The good citizens of Catania have never known a season like it, and another sixth place finish is not beyond the realms of possibility for Montella, but this time it will be beyond expectations of his employers, a club whose annual wage bill would hardly cover the Roma reserves.

With the freedom to apply the ideas and methods he has gleaned from the likes of Luciano Spalletti, Fabio Capello, Sven Goran Eriksson and Walter Mazzarri down the years, Montella has turned the unheralded Elephanti into a fearsome beast.

At just 37, he is at the forefront of a new generation of tacticians – Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri and Luis Enrique - who make sure the ball does the work, but that the players do not stand around and admire their craft.

Last week a 2-2 draw at Napoli extended Catania’s unbeaten run to seven games and just two points behind Roma who were in the final Europa League spot.

Leaders AC Milan were the most recent to feel the heat of the Massimino stadium when they arrived for the early kick-off on Saturday. The match had been sold-out a week in advance and almost full two hours beforehand as the fans awaited their fortnightly treat of seeing their local heroes take on the mainland.

In a first half in which the visitors showed no ill effects of their tussle with Barcelona, it seemed Catania had accepted their place in the pecking order as they fell behind to a Robinho goal. But half-time is when the coach has that precious opportunity to get his ideas across – quickly and no doubt simply.

Catania’s problem was failing to get the best out of their key men in midfield, with Sergio Almiron, Francesco Lodi and Mariano Izco unable to get forward to support the front-three which included Pablo Barrientos.

Dropping the latter further back on the right flank and pushing the fleet-footed Alejandro Gomez even further out to the left wing brought the midfield further up the pitch to support the hard-working central striker Gonzalo Bergessio.

With Milan once again hitting the long ball towards the imposing figure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Montella could afford to play three at the back, thus pushing the full-backs up where they could deliver the ball quickly into advanced positions.

The equalizer may have come from a corner, but a sustained period of pressure had stretched Milan to the limit. It is this high-intensity style of play that is ensuring that Catania’s journeymen, many of them Argentine, are travelling in the right direction. In doing so, they are also causing Montella’s own stock to rise.

There have been reports that his next destination will could be either Inter or Napoli, with both clubs in need of a revamp in the summer.

The Nerazzurri would seem a perfect destination for Montella’s burgeoning talents, with Massimo Moratti stumbling around in the dark since Jose Mourinho’s departure in the summer of 2010.

He got rid of Claudio Ranieri at the start of last week, turning to youth team coach Andrea Stramaccioni, whose tenuous qualification for the post was having won the NextGen Series the day before.

Stramaccioni - a year younger than Montella and also a former coach in Roma’s junior sector - certainly brought some school-yard football to his first game in charge. Inter held on to beat Genoa 5-4, but if Moratti wants to see his team play in a grown-up fashion again, he should head south and land the leading candidate for the coach of the year.

Milan put bodies on the line to keep Barça at bay

Richard Whittle — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:52:00 GMT

AC Milan will head to the Camp Nou next week knowing that they will once again have to exert every sinew and fibre of their bodies to deny Barcelona progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

What Massimiliano Allegri’s side will probably need to add to all that effort will be a goal from open play – something they could have had after just two minutes if Robinho had kept his head when left free inside the area, but the Brazilian could only volley high over the bar.

It was certainly not an evening for artists at the San Siro, where once again the pitch was well below the standards of a top-class European venue: in fact, a few hours before kick-off the sprinklers had been on maximum. The soggy top surface was perfect for all those last-ditch sliding tackles that the Milan players would have to put in – and on two occasions Luca Antonini aquaplaned in to deny goal-bound chances.

"No…"

Pep Guardiola had pointed out in the pre-game press conference that he was expecting the opposition to defend in strength through the middle – but if he was hoping to exploit the flanks, then he was sorely disappointed.

Antonini was hardly beaten on either flank, switching from the left to the right when the equally impressive Daniele Bonera moved into the centre to replace the imperious Alessandro Nesta after the veteran’s back finally gave out.

Allegri had made some crowd-pleasing promises that his side would take the game to the Catalans, but having already conceded three goals to the same opposition at the same venue in the group stages there was no way Milan were going to play an open, expansive game.

"…no…"

It wasn’t exactly catenaccio, but as it had been against AS Roma at the weekend it wasn’t free-flowing football going forward. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was once again left to battle for long balls, although the Swede could have scored early on – but while one part of the gameplan didn't flourish, the other excelled.

SERIE AAAAARGH!, Mon 26 Mar: Milan go Route One on Roma

If at times it looked like a training exercise, with Barça patiently passing the ball around in midfield, then Allegri can take credit for schooling his players in the art of defending in the build-up to the encounter.

In front of the back four – which after all was missing regulars Ignazio Abate at right-back and probably the world’s best central defender Thiago Silva – Massimo Ambrosini was another imposing figure.

The club captain might not have played if Mark van Bommel hadn't been suspended, but his harrying of Leo Messi was a key element in keeping the visitors as far away from the penalty area as possible.

"…no!"

Clarence Seedorf – not normally noted for his defensive abilities – and the equally hard-working Antonio Nocerino helped to seal up the centre, forcing the ball to be moved wide where Antonini and Bonera were rarely troubled.

And when the first and second lines of defence were breached, goalkeeper Christian Abbiati smothered the efforts – and in truth there were only two – thrown his way. Only once did the stopper fail to move quickly enough, when Alexis Sanchez burst into the six-yard area only to exaggerate his fall – otherwise it may well have been a penalty.

It was one lapse but it could have been costly and any lack of discipline and organisation in the Nou Camp will surely be punished. The Rossoneri will tackle the return leg with an even more hardened None Shall Pass attitude – but finding an away goal will be just as important.

Milan go Route One on Roma – and Mr Juventus comes up trumps

Richard Whittle — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:40:00 GMT

As a general rule in the final third of the Serie A season, league titles aren't won by playing pretty football but ground out game after game. AC Milan certainly proved that point against AS Roma on Saturday.

After being outpassed by their visitors for most of the game, Massimiliano Allegri’s teak-tough title-holders dragged themselves back into the contest via an aerial assault on the visitors' backline to complete a stirring 2-1 comeback victory.

The sight of Zlatan Ibrahimovic chasing down one long ball after another or pulling down another hoofed clearance was contrary to what we have come to expect of a club that likes to put style before steel.

RESULTS Sat 24 Mar Milan 2-1 Roma; Palermo 1-1 Udinese Sun 25 Mar Atalanta 2-0 Bologna; Lazio 1-0 Cagliari; Napoli 2-2 Catania; Genoa 2-2 Fiorentina; Novara 0-0 Lecce; Cesena 2-2 Parma; Chievo 1-1 Siena; Juventus 2-0 Internazionale

However, Allegri had to tailor his gameplan to the resources at his disposal – especially after Thiago Silva limped off in the opening 10 minutes with a thigh problem.

Allegri had taken a major gamble with his influential Brazilian, who had gone through a personalised pre-game warm-up. Once he had to change gear into a sprint, pulled up immediately and will miss both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona.

With a midfield of hard-hats like Massimo Ambrosini, Sully Ali Muntari and Antonio Nocerino, subtlety was never going to figure that highly; instead, Milan expertly used Ibra’s power and Stephan El-Shaarawy’s pace.

Wednesday’s San Siro showdown against the La Liga champions will be a world away from the Route One approach employed by Milan against the Giallorossi. Despite their neat possession football, the Romans created a grand total of two clear-cut chances; Pablo Osvaldo scored one and Francesco Totti attempted his trademark chipped finish when a straightforward drive would have done the trick.

Such pussyfooting was steamrolled at the other end by Ibrahimovic. The Swedish wrecking ball had one of those evenings where he lumbered around crashing into opponents and falling over himself – but still stumbled away with the man-of-the-match award and two goals to take his tally to 22 in the league.

Still chasing fifth place and therefore Europe, Roma gained more than pat on the back; it was more like a size-13 boot imprinted on their fragile backline.

If Milan were dogged, Juventus were dominant against Inter 24 hours later. Knowing that they couldn't afford to allow the leaders to maintain their overnight seven-point advantage, Antonio Conte’s men tore their old nemesis apart in a second half full of guile and craft.

With the visitors doing little more than aiming long hopeful balls towards Diego Milito or Diego Forlan, with Gianluigi Buffon foiling the former twice, Conte dispensed with a defender, bringing on Leandro Bonucci for three at the back, flooding the midfield with five and introducing Alessandro del Piero.

Not only did the veteran’s entry suddenly lift the crowd, his goal to make it 2-0 nearly took the roof off at the Juventus Stadium such was the delirium in the stands – not to mention on the home bench.

Juve had opened the scoring in a more routine manner when Martin Càceres headed home from Andrea Pirlo’s corner and the alarming lack of concentration in the away defence was further exposed when Arturo Vidal worked a neat pass into the area for “Mr Juventus” to finish with a low angled shot.

The old maestro will bring to a close his glittering career with the Old Lady at the end of the season, and having played a mere bit-part throughout the campaign it was fitting that his first goal in the league should come against Inter in front of his adoring public.

Unbeaten Juve and underimpressive Vucinic finally show class to fire five past Fiorentina

Richard Whittle — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:55:00 GMT

After a week's media blackout from a club convinced there is a plot to stop them returning to the summit of the Italian game, Juventus locked away their conspiracy theories to turn in a dominant performance at Fiorentina.

The 5-0 trouncing of the feeble Viola, who played 70 minutes with 10 men after Alessio Cerci booted Paolo De Ceglie off the ball, was the Bianconeri’s highest score of the season and came after four consecutive draws had handed the advantage to AC Milan at the top of the table.

RESULTS Sat 17 Mar Parma 0-2 Milan; Fiorentina 0-5 Juventus Sun 18 Mar Cagliari 3-0 Cesena; Internazionale 0-0 Atalanta; Bologna 2-2 Chievo; Catania 1-0 Lazio; Siena 0-2 Novara; Lecce 1-1 Palermo; Udinese 2-2 Napoli Mon 19 Mar Roma v Genoa (ko 1945)

The feeling is that even if Antonio Conte’s men let their football doing the talking, the title is still Milan’s to lose – and the way the champions are going about picking off opponents, that four-point lead might as well be 10.

However, it was pleasing to see the Bianconeri enjoying themselves and especially the goal celebrations between Artur Vidal and Leonardo Bonucci who re-enacted their supposed punch-up at a nightclub following last week’s draw at Genoa.

Conte watches his men get physical

Having scored just three goals in the last four games, they managed five from just seven shots on target. Such clinical finishing was built around the mercurial talents of Mirko Vucinic, who opened the scoring with a stunning strike from the edge of the area.

Since his €15 million summer move from AS Roma, Vucinic has struggled to justify his price tag – but the Montenegrin finally broke loose of the malaise that has been hanging over his game, displaying the masterclass of movement, passing and general forward play that his coach had been demanding.

Setting up Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo – the latter dedicating the win to Fabrice Muamba – Vucinic was reminiscent of the reason why Milan take to the pitch in such confident manner: Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Like the Swede, Vucinic can be unstoppable when he decides to turn it on and he's just as adroit at taking up positions from which he can play his midfielders into goal-scoring positions, as demonstrated at the Artemio Franchi.

Only fifth goal-scorer Simone Padoin wasn't a recipient of a pinpoint delivery – and probably only because Vucinic had left to a standing ovation, his work well and truly done.

Conte knew his side needed to make a major statement on the pitch after Milan had strolled to a routine 2-0 win at Parma, although there were the now-typical complaints that a Rossoneri goal shouldn't have stood after Urby Emanuelson raced through from the halfway line and almost right through Ibra, who was trotting back from an offside position although adjudged not to be interfering with play.

Silvio Berlusconi was in the stands for his first away match in 18 years, but whether the returning president will be present at the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday evening is another matter.

The Italian Cup semi-final return leg has been given even more significance, coming at such a crucial stage of the season with relations between the clubs at an all-time low.

In order to progress, Milan must become the first team to defeat Juventus this season – and by two goals, considering the Old Lady's 2-1 win at the San Siro last month – which would make the encounter more than a sideshow to the title race.

However, it could end up being the highlight of the campaign for Juve if they can keep their 100% record intact.

Napoli bow out with heads held high, but it's the final curtain for Inter

Richard Whittle — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:10:00 GMT

It had all the makings of Napoli’s greatest evening in European football. They hoped the party would go on forever, but it all went flat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The final 4-1 scoreline was more than harsh on Walter Mazzarri’s men, but in truth they were well below their vibrant best – the form which had seen them take a 3-1 advantage into the tie.

There were early chances for Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani, which may have given the team impetus to push on and put the contest beyond doubt, but it all started to go wrong when Christian Maggio limped off with an ankle injury just after the half-hour mark.

In Napoli’s five-man midfield going forward, the Italy international provides extra support and telling crosses from the right – as he had already demonstrated in the opening moments with a curling ball to the back post, which Cavani slid into the side-netting.

In fact, the opening goal of the evening came in part from Maggio's inability to run freely and close down Ramires, who had time to come inside and whip in a pinpoint cross for Didier Drogba to head home.

With Maggio off and a reshuffle requiring Juan Zungia to move over to the right to accommodate left-footed substitute Andrea Dossena, Chelsea began to find more space down both wings – and in particular Branislav Ivanovic was given far too much time to bring the ball forward down Napoli's left flank.

Maggio: midfielder much missed by Mazzarri's men

Napoli were always prone to Chelsea's aerial threat – and with the wide positions exposed, the back three dropped ever deeper into their own area. Unsurprisingly, the second and third goals came from the centre-halves having to back-pedal and concede corners.

Undoubtedly the Azzurri's best period came they were two goals down and played much further up the pitch, using the flanks to their advantage. Again, it was a deep cross that saw Gokhan Inler react quickest to fire home a stunning half-volley from the edge of the area.

However, partly through choice and partly through force they again dropped too deep, leaving Cavani and Lavezzi too isolated to become the decisive factors everyone back in Naples had hoped.

Surrendering a two-goal lead and conceding four may not happen in the future, with Mazzarri’s men gathering valuable experience against a Chelsea side who are well used to such tense European nights – and at times it seemed as if Roberto di Matteo's home team were cast out of the Italian mould.

There was plenty of falling on the ground and precious seconds taken at set-pieces, especially in extra-time, and maybe for the neutral the thought of another packed house at the San Paolo with Cavani and Lavezzi rampaging forward would have made for an more entertaining quarter-final than watching the more pragmatic Blues.

As it stands, Serie A joins the Premier League in having just one representative in the last eight – that being AC Milan, who will be hoping not to draw Chelsea in light of their most recent performance in London.

SERIE AAAAARGH!, Wed 7 Mar: Milan sober up in time to avoid embarrassment at Arsenal

Inter exited the tournament on Tuesday after a half-spirited effort against a very average Marseilles side. Going out to the away goal finally brings the curtain down on the Nerazzuri's ageing stars, who had in truth made one too many encores.

The former Treble winners will finish the season without a trophy but more damning is the fact that while Napoli ended their European adventure with their heads held high, Inter could only bow theirs in shame.

Goal-fest could spell good news and bad for Napoli ahead of Chelsea showdown

Richard Whittle — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:25:00 GMT

RESULTS Fri 9 March Napoli 6-3 Cagliari, Chievo 0-2 Inter Sat 10 March Palermo 0-1 Roma Sun 11 March Cesena 0-2 Siena, Atalanta 1-1 Parma, AC Milan 2-0 Lecce, Genoa 0-0 Juventus, Catania 1-0 Fiorentina, Novara 1-0 Udinese, Lazio 1-3 Bologna

Napoli may have warmed up for their Champions League showdown at Chelsea with a 6-3 rout of Cagliari, but given AC Milan put four past Palermo prior to their embarrassing narrow escape at Arsenal, Walter Mazzarri’s side will still be more than a little cautious ahead of their trip to London.

The Azzurri hold a narrower lead than Milan did heading into the second leg of their last-16 tie, and although they have demonstrated that scoring goals comes easily to them, they have also shown that conceding goals does too. With the tie delicately poised at 3-1 in their favour, there is still plenty of work to be done.

Cagliari forward Joaquin Larrivey’s hat-trick may have been little more than a personal triumph, with each goal ultimately proving a mere consolation, but worryingly for Walter Mazzarri all three were simple headers from routine crosses.

The first came with Napoli already leading 3-0, when an in-swinging free-kick from wide on the right put the home defence on the back foot; enabling Larrivey to guide his header home unmarked.

The second and third were both the result of chipped crosses into the six-yard box, where once again the back-line were out of position and goalkeeper Morgan De Santcis rooted to his line.

Chelsea will no doubt attempt to pepper the Napoli box with a few high balls in the early stages, but the visitors will also need to prevent their opposition from getting to the by-line to deliver crosses under the crossbar of a keeper who is less than secure with his handling.

Much will depend on the back-three of Hugo Campanaro, Salvatore Aronica and the commanding figure of captain Paolo Cannavaro maintaining a tight line to ensure that they no one is left isolated one-on-one.

However, the wing-backs will have an equally crucial role on closing down the space along the flanks, and if the team can repel Cheslea through the first half an hour then space will open up for Ezequiel Lavezzi, Edison Cavani and Marek Hamsik to work their magic on the counter-attack.

Lavezzi and Cavani in particular have been in breathtaking form, with the Argentine scoring for the sixth consecutive game in all competitions on Friday to equal a club record set by compatriot Diego Maradona back in the 1987/88 season. For many, El Pocho is the man who can take Napoli all the way in Europe.

Cavani, of course, has been bubbling over nicely in front of goal, but Hamsik has been a little quiet of late, despite the spikey-haired playmaker being back on the scoresheet against Cagliari.

With Lavezzi free to attack from wherever he feels he can do the most damage and Cavani drifting out to either flank, Hamsik has been restricted into playing a more withdrawn role. Although he doesn’t get into the opposition penalty area as much as did last season, the Slovak is developing into something of an all-rounder – and a very good one, at that.

He could be the key to stemming the Chelsea side higher up the pitch, while also acting as the launch pad for attacks involving the pacy front-two as they search for that vital away goal.

Napoli’s trip to Stamford Bridge promises to be another emotional European night for Serie A, with most involved in Italian football hoping the only tears shed by the visitors will be those of joy, which was how exactly Claudio Ranieri greeted Inter’s win over Chievo.

Such has been the pressure on the ever personable Roman to halt the Nerazzurri’s recent slump that when Walter Samuel and then Diego Milito struck to secure a first league victory in seven, it all became just a little too much.

The result, which just happened to come on the club’s 104th birthday, and the coach’s misty-eyed reaction certainly gives the much put-upon side and its weary fans a massive lift ahead of their European encounter with Marseille.

With Inter trailing 1-0 from the first leg, the San Siro should finally resound to some genuine cup-tie atmosphere, but even qualification to the quarter-finals is unlikely to save Ranieri’s bacon in the longer term.

As he was drying his tears and calming his nerves, reports were filtering through that Moratti had already met with Andre Villas-Boas to sound out the recently-sacked Chelsea manager about taking charge next season.

In the meantime it would be a crying shame if Serie A does not have three representatives in the quarter-finals come Wednesday evening.

Milan sober up in time to avoid embarrassment at hands of Arsenal

Richard Whittle — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:44:00 GMT

Winning a European tie by a goal over two legs has long been the stable of Italian clubs. But when it's achieved after holding a 4-0 advantage from the first, then it's certainly not living up the best traditions of Serie A sides: closing up shop and playing out the dullest of goalless draws.

AC Milan are no ordinary Italian side. Having all but put the matter beyond doubt at the San Siro without conceding a goal, their decision to go to Arsenal with a trident attack had been questioned by many back home.

However, Massimiliano Allegri is in his job because he follows the club mandate etched into every coach’s mind by president Silvio Berlusconi: Milan always line up to attack and entertain.

The Gunners’ tormentors from a fortnight ago, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho, were joined up front by inexperienced Stephan El Shaarawy on his Champions League debut – but apart from the young striker and winger-turned-left-back Djamel Mesbah, the rest of the team had plenty of European big-match experience.

We can confidently assume that Berlusconi, or anyone anybody else with Rossoneri leanings for that matter, failed to enjoy the first half at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal not only restored some much-needed pride but scored three unanswered goals to set up what looked likely to be a grandstand second period.

However, to misquote an old Italian saying of knowing when to put the wine bottle down, Milan sobered up during break when it became clear that they were close to embarrassing themselves by crashing out of the competition in a style they had managed before.

Back in 2004 they had also scored four at home to Deportivo La Coruna, but tellingly conceded one; in the return leg, Carlo Ancelotti’s men – Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf and all – let in four but could not find the vital away goal.

Just when they thought such a capitulation would never happen again, along came that evening in Istanbul where they gave up a 3-0 lead against Liverpool – so Milan have form of throwing it away in the one-off occasion.

An early goal in the Gunners net was what was needed, but instead Thiago Silva & Co. conceded one after six minutes – and then a second and a third. Even so, they could have gone into the dressing room with at least one away goal if El Shaarawy had a cooler head when faced with a presentable chance.

The second half was much more in keeping with a team with genuine hopes of making the latter stages, if not the final, with the midfield closing space up and then spreading the ball wide to good effect.

In fact, Milan probably had the better chances in the second 45 minutes – apart from one moment when Christian Abbiati stuck up an arm to deny Robin van Persie from right in front of the goal. His full-length save from the same player in the first leg was wonderful, but this time his intervention was vital.

Soon after, Antonio Nocerino missed an open goal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was far below his majestic best but still better than most, fired wide when presented with the ball just outside the area and the goalkeeper out of position.

There's no doubt that the events of the first leg had a bearing on how the players approached the return, but at least they can come back down to earth again and understand that this is a team that will need a very a favourable draw to get anywhere near Munich come May.

They could end up facing either Napoli or city rivals Inter, which would take us back to the tensions of previous one-country meetings, but at least there would be few surprises. Alternatively, they could run into the Spanish – and run the risk of being carved open, as they were last night.

It was a sobering experience for Allegri and maybe in the future he won't want his side to have a seemingly unassailable lead going into a second leg.

Ten-man Roma lose derby as Lazio boss Reja has the final word

Richard Whittle — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:33:00 GMT

Attempting to win a derby with eleven men is difficult enough, but when your team is reduced to ten after a mere seven minutes, the feat becomes nigh on impossible.

Not only did AS Roma find themselves in that very situation against bitter rivals Lazio, but the man dismissed was goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, who also conceded a penalty following a last ditch foul on Mirsolav Klose.

Forced into a change a little earlier than anyone could have reasonably expected, Luis Enrique withdrew birthday boy Erik Lamela and threw on reserve keeper Bogdan Lobont, who was immediately picking the ball from his net having been sent the wrong way by Hernanes from the spot-kick.

From that point it should have been plain sailing for the Biancoclesti, but the Rome dust-up is not known as ‘the derby of derbies’ for nothing. With nothing to lose and pumped full of the adrenaline of the occasion, Roma equalised less than ten minutes later through Fabio Borini.

At that stage it seemed that perhaps the unlikely would happen, but with tiring limbs came tiring minds and Lazio were able to exploit some slack defending, with Stefano Mauri sliding home the decisive second goal midway through the second half.

Roma’s perilous position was borne out of the kind of mistake that has plagued Luis Enrique’s side all season: giving away possession in midfield and then being caught short at the back.

Opposition teams have learnt that the Spaniard has basically done away with a four-man defence, with the full-backs encouraged - perhaps even contract bound - to push well beyond the two central defenders, who are expected to sally out wide to leave space for a midfielder, generally Daniele De Rossi, to drop deep.

However, if one of the central defenders - and in this case it was Gabriel Heinz -needlessly gives the ball away, their opponents have advantage high enough up the pitch and with everyone caught out of position the back line is swept away like a paper umbrella in a storm.

It has happened against lesser teams than Lazio, including Cagliari, Siena and most recently Atalanta – and all it took was one stray pass to undo all of Enrique’s planning for a match which represented the Giallorossi’s best chance of staking a claim for third.

Lazio came into the game seven points ahead of their city rivals and level with Udinese for that final Champions League spot. This meant that, in theory, the pressure should have been eased, but a derby in the Capital brings with it a very unique set of strains and demands.

Both Curvas were full a good ninety minutes before kick-off, while the streets of the Eternal City had been left to the tourists to roam in the warm early Spring sunshine.

The Olympic stadium is a cauldron all of its own, but the two teams had done their best to keep the heat at manageable levels. There had been little or no major proclamations of intent in the week leading up to the big day, or any pre-game fist pumping, though certain elements of the Lazio support spoiled that somewhat with their unsavoury chanting towards Juan.

This was perhaps as the teams had other things on their minds. Roma warmed up for the derby by going down to nine men in a 4-1 defeat at Atalanta, while Lazio were busy attempting to calm the internal dispute which had seen coach Edy Reja temporarily resign via fax a week previously.

The veteran was back pacing the technical area after what he described as merely a ‘misunderstanding’. That ‘misunderstanding’ being one between steady Edy, club president Claudio Lotito and sporting director Ilgi Tare over January transfer activity (or a lack of it) following the recent 5-1 defeat at Palermo.

A second derby win of the season and a first in which Roma were the designated ‘home’ side since 1997 should have been enough to ease the tensions within the Lazio hierarchy, but instead Reja used the post-game press conference to perhaps sarcastically applaud the winter transfer moves Emiliano Alfaro - a lightweight striker from Uruguay - and rent-a-midfielder Antonio Candreva.

Neither player made the starting line-up, though the former did come on as a late substitute. Reja was also quick to appoint Gianfranco Zola – linked with the Lazio post during the recent times of uncertainty - as his successor, but his tongue was once again firmly in his cheek. By Monday morning he was making reconciliatory tones that maybe he would like to remain.

There is no doubt that the 66-year-old has worked a small miracle with the players he has at his disposal. Granted, Klose is having something of a swansong in Serie A with 12 goals to his name, while Hernanes can at times be inspiring, but the rest of his charges are no more than workmanlike.

The fact that they could not kill off the match when they were a goal and a man up points to a lack of strength in depth and although they currently reside in third place would be a poor reflection on Serie A if Lazio finish ahead of either Udinese or Napoli.

But the way things are going they may even feel that second place is not out of the question, with Juventus dropping two points at home to Chievo, though the Turin side do have a game in hand to extend their current three-point advantage.

Such a situation makes Roma’s position even more puzzling. In terms of individual quality they outshine Lazio and Juventus but their followers are beginning to wonder whether the “project” the club have embarked on will ever come to fruition.

Luis Enrique lamented the fact that he his side had finished another game with ten men after what was their eighth sending off of the season).

“What have I done to deserve this s**t?” he asked, to which one media wag joked that it was a better standard of stool than the punters were subjected to most weeks.

Even the usually loquacious Enrique was at a loss for another comeback on a day where Edy Reja had the final word.

Bizarre decisions in crucial San Siro clash highlight pressure on officials

Richard Whittle — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:54:00 GMT

Nothing gets the football fraternity’s blood boiling more than bad refereeing. So if Paolo Tagliavento’s performance during the top-of-the-table clash between AC Milan and Juventus is anything to go by, those watching would have been in need of a quiet lie-down in a darkened room.

It was certainly all too much for Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani, who reportedly had to leave the stadium at half-time such was his distress at witnessing his side have a perfectly good goal disallowed – that and the fact he apparently confronted the official in the referee’s dressing room before having an ungentlemanly set-to with Juventus coach Antonio Conte.

Conte would later go ten rounds of verbal sparring with former former Milan midfielder-turned TV pundit Zvonimir Boban over whether a second-half equalizer from Alessandro Matri - which was also ruled out - merited greater complaint.

The off-field discord was a by-product of a highly dramatic match, living up to the best traditions of Serie A’s ability to court controversy at just about every turn.

The home side were already leading one-nil and basically outplaying a timid Juventus, when just before the half-hour mark Sulley Muntari headed the ball across the line from close range, only for Gianluigi Buffon to scoop it back from at least a yard over the goal line.

The Rossoneri players peeled away in mass celebrations as the majority of the opposition bowed their heads in resignation, only for the referee to wave play on. The official was aided and abetted by his assistant, who decided it hadn’t crossed the line, or perhaps suffered a complete mental blackout and couldn’t engage in any decision making process.

Passengers on passing jets who happened to be peering out the cabin window at that very moment would have vouched that the ball had crossed the line, but the men who mattered didn’t, leaving the hundreds of thousands watching from the stands or their sofas gawping in disbelief.

The fact Buffon didn’t miss a heartbeat and threw the ball to the free Marcelo Estigarriba, who raced away and nearly scored at the other end, only added a surreal coda to one of the most bizarre incidents seen on a football pitch in recent memory.

Juve had been droning on about ‘events’ going against them for the last few weeks and another talking point ensured that they could continue to do so: Matri had what replays clearly showed was a good goal ruled out for offside when he was level with the defence, but the striker and his employers still had the last laugh when he fired home the equalizer with seven minutes remaining.

Naturally, both camps had their own spin on the two disallowed goals. Milan believed that at two-nil they would have been out of sight, while Gigi Buffon countered that the match should have finished 2-2, but stated he would have never owned up to the ball having crossed the line. In which case, if Italy coach Cesare Prandelli was to follow his ‘sporting ethics code’ to the letter, the veteran would have to be dropped from the Italy squad for this week’s friendly against USA.

That will not come to pass, but once again there have been renewed calls for the introduction of goal-line technology in the wake of what La Gazzetta dello Sport called: ‘The Ghost Goal’.

However, the real problem rests with the referees and the crushing pressure they are under from the clubs, the media and of course their own federation, which has unfortunately led to officials wilting on quite a few occasions this season.

The general unruliness of Saturday evening spilled over into the Sunday fixtures, which were overseen from the fussy to the downright dictatorial. AS Roma finished their match at Atalanta with nine men, while Palermo full-back Federico Balzaretti was sent off within the first minute at Siena.

There could be further fall-out from Saturday evening: TV replays caught Philippe Mexes throwing a kidney punch at Marco Borriello, while Muntari took his frustrations out on Stephan Lichtsteiner’s jaw line.

Massimo Ambrosini had to be dragged away from confronting Georgio Chiellini as the players headed to the tunnel at the final whistle when cool heads were in short supply.

As long as this ill-tempered state of affairs persists then referees will continue to commit errors that will come back to haunt not only them but also those on the receiving end of the decisions – just ask the spooked Galliani.

Old Lady's leading man Matri building a big reputation

Adam Digby — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:12:00 GMT

From the moment David Trezeguet departed for Alicante, fans and journalists bemoaned the lack of a true goal scorer in the Juventus attack.

When Fabio Quagliarella arrived, the club's fans were understandably disappointed. The physical embodiment of the oft-used 'scorer of great goals but not a great goal scorer' cliché, the Italian international was viewed more as a member of an eventual supporting cast rather than a leading man in his own right.

However, once settled, he quickly established himself in the second striker role, showing attributes rarely seen at his former clubs. Of course his penchant for the spectacular remained, but the 'PlayStation player' became something of a predator too. Headers - never previously a strong feature of his game - and even a few scrappy strikes (relatively speaking, of course) saw the ex-Fiorentina man reach nine goals before the winter break at an impressive 145.67 minutes per goal.

Then came the injury, ruptured knee ligaments ruling him out initially until April, eventually seeing him miss the entire remainder of the season.

The rumour mill once again sparked into life, this time bereft of the Edin Džeko story it created a 'shortlist' that was seemingly endless. Luis Fabiano, Giuseppe Rossi, Diego Forlan, Karim Benzema and Emmanuel Adebayor appeared to be on a rota system at Turin-based sports daily Tuttosport's front page. One name featured ever more increasingly, that of Sampdoria's Giampaolo Pazzini who became an obsession, particularly among the more realistic of the clubs fans who could see past the fanta-Calcio of the other candidates and find logical, intelligent reasons as to why he was a far more viable target.

When the then Sampdoria striker did indeed move, a €13 million deal saw him leave the Ligurian club for something of a bargain fee, but sadly for Juve (at the time, at least) it was not to Turin, but instead to rivals Inter. Juve did eventually make a move in the market, but the man they acquired was initially viewed as thoroughly underwhelming.

'Juventus Shock' was the Gazzetta dello Sport headline that greeted the arrival of Cagliari's Alessandro Matri on completing a move to the Bianconeri.

A product of Milan's youth system, Matri joined the Rossoneri in 1996 at the tender age of 12. Finally progressing to the first team in 2003, Matri eventually made his only appearance for the San Siro side in May of that year.

He then bounced around on loan in the lower leagues at Prato, Lumezzane and Rimini before joining Cagliari in co-ownership where then-coach Massimiliano Allegri made him the focal point of his attack. During a spell in 2009 he notched in seven consecutive games - a feat only bettered at Stadio Sant'Elia by the great Gigi Riva - and he ended the 2009/10 season with a total of 13 goals. He started 2010/11 in much the same vein, with eleven goals already prior to his winter move to Turin.

The fact Matri was playing so regularly - he featured in all thirty-eight games during 2009/10 - was also a good sign for this Juventus, who at that time had a reputation as being a club with serious injury issues.

Despite standing just 1.83m Matri is a classic 'number 9', strong enough to hold off defenders and surprisingly quick, as many of his Cagliari goals prove. He is excellent in the air, a trait he uses not only in building attacks and scoring goals but also to help his team defensively at set-pieces.

During his time in Sardinia he showed his suitability playing as both first and second striker in a two-man attack and as the target man in a 4-3-3 formation. This sees him able to form effective partnerships with each of the other forwards on Juve's books despite their vastly different characteristics. His first appearance saw him misfire on a number of occasions, but he brought a positive attitude to the side, something the man he replaced was clearly not doing. Getting into the right positions, making intelligent runs and linking with those around him were all good signs despite the an eventual 2-1 win for Palermo.

After that torrid debut he quickly became a vital component in the team and one of few bright spots in the end of season slump. Scoring five goals in just seven games since that encounter in Sicily quickly endeared him to the clubs fans, and by season's end he would reach the traditional striker's benchmark of 20. This impressive tally had him in fourth place in the Capocannoniere chart, ahead of players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alberto Gilardino and, most pertinently, Pazzini.

What is also notable is that his strike-rate improved at a Juve side perceived to be struggling, down to a goal every 139 minutes compared to his 153-minute average at Cagliari. Not only was that better than Quagliarella, but it also beat new teammates Alessandro Del Piero (227.75) and Luca Toni (263.5). Yet the summer of 2011 was filled with rumours of another big name striker arriving, as the club were linked once again with a lengthy list of names touted to become the next headline act in Turin.

Mirko Vučinić did arrive, followed this January by fellow former Roma front-man Marco Borriello, but still Matri remains in the lead role. Currently eleventh highest scorer in Serie A with nine goals, criticism has never been too far away, with knocks on his strike-rate a constant, particularly after any of the club's ten draws. But once again, the numbers are on his side. His goals have come from just 54 shots, far fewer than the big name strikers ahead of him such as Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani and nowhere near the wastefulness around him, as Vučinić’s three goals from the same number of attempts prove.

While flaws to his game remain - he is still learning what it takes to play for a club battling for titles rather than survival - it is often not to those peers he is being analysed against. Instead fans of the Old Lady look to their recent history and once again the name Trezeguet is never too far away who three times in his Juve career - remember he is the clubs all-time leading foreign goal scorer - broke the magic twenty goal barrier. In 2001-02 he was named joint top scorer in Serie A with 24, in 2005-06 he netted 23 and in 2007-08 exactly 20.

In doing so he took 112, 108 and 104 shots, a rate far worse than that of Matri, who required just 79 attempts to reach his tally of 20 last season. While longevity and consistency must be added to that lethal touch in order to ever favourably compare with the man known as TrezeGol, the figures prove that the sniping at Matri's finishing is misplaced.

His form in Turin has seen him become an increasingly regular fixture in recent Italy squads and Cesare Prandelli's team, playing a style closely resembling that of Conte's Juve, is ideally set-up to take advantage of the 27 year olds skill-set. With Juventus atop the Serie A table and Euro 2012 looming large, perhaps Alessandro Matri will soon have the reputation and recognition his talent deserves.

Napoli limber up for Chelsea while Inter curl up and die

Richard Whittle — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:15:00 GMT

RESULTS Fri 17 Feb Internazionale 0-3 Bologna; Fiorentina 0-3 Napoli Sat 18 Feb Juventus 3-1 Catania Sun 19 Feb Lecce 4-1 Siena; Novara 0-0 Atalanta; Genoa 0-1 Chievo; Cesena 1-3 Milan; Roma 1-0 Parma; Udinese 0-0 Cagliari

Napoli have had one thing on their minds all year: the Champions League. Their first aim was to put in a decent display in the group stages, but drawing at Manchester City and holding Bayern Munich at home gave them the belief that in a one-off situation they could make waves in the competition.

And so it proved: beating City at the San Paolo all but saw Walter Mazzarri’s side through to the knock-out round, with qualification mathematically secured at Villarreal in a routine win – although routine may not be the right word, what with Mazzarri getting sent to the stands for impeding a home player inside the Napoli technical area.

That crime means the jack-in-the-box coach is suspended for both legs of the last–16 meeting with Chelsea, which might mean his players drop their standards: never content with what he sees, the tetchy Tuscan is constantly berating anyone in earshot just to keep them on their toes. However, even he must have allowed himself to take some satisfaction from Friday’s league performance.

It's only two years since their opponents Fiorentina were in a similar position to Napoli – preparing for a glamour Champions League knock-out tie, in their case with with Bayern Munich. They've since fallen on hard times and Napoli hardly had to break sweat to run out 3-0 winners.

The Viola are no more than workmanlike, but Napoli took few chances after going ahead inside three minutes. Using the match as a dress rehearsal in the defensive duties they may have to employ on Tuesday, they recorded a fourth consecutive clean sheet.

However, it was the form of the Holy Trinity of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi that would have raised the hopes of the Neapolitan support days before meeting the Blues. Cavani had a 100% hit-rate with his two shots, bringing his tally to 15 in the league for the season – while after missing an open goal from a diving header, Lavezzi found redemption with a snaking and then powerful run before dispatching the third late on.

Obviously the colour purple has a galvanising effect on Cavani. When he was at Palermo back in 2007, he scored his first Serie A goal against Fiorentina; then on the opening day of the 2010-11 season he repeated the feat on his Napoli debut at the Artemio Franchi stadium.

The opening goal highlighted the importance of Mazzarri’s three stars remaining in perfect sync: Lavezzi turned inside on the edge of the area to find Hamsik, who in turn flicked a perfect pass into the path of El Matador to deliver the coup de grace. Hamsik and Cavani then combined to produce the second – this time the spiky-haired Slovak's raking crossfield pass meant the Uruguayan needed only to look up and drive home a low shot.

Mazzari wasn’t showing it, but he couldn’t wait to withdraw the pair from the fray and from then on it was left to Lavezzi to run amok: El Pocho's quick movement and mazy runs will worry Chelsea in the San Paolo bear-pit.

It's not even as if Napoli are a three-man show: Gokham Inler has rediscovered his form in the centre of the pitch, not only offering some neat passing but also tidying up in front of the back three.

With the attacking trident on its game, Mazzarri might have worried about his defence, but captain Paolo Cannavaro was as secure as his elder brother Fabio ever was. Miguel Britos offers a calm head in place of the erratic Salvatore Aronica. Third backline boy Hugo Campaganaro limped off in the early stages in Florence, but the Argentine was replaced by Gianluca Grava whose very existence on the pitch is to win the ball and clear his lines. This no-frills approach at the back, allied to a rich vein of extravagance in attack, could make it another memorable night at the San Paolo.

While Napoli were walking it at Fiorentina and looking forward to continental competition, Inter were sliding down the league past them as their season continues to crumble.

On another evening of listening to the San Siro chanting Jose Mourinho’s name, president Massimo Moratti legged it with 25 minutes remaining rather than stand another minute of a disjointed, listless display. While Claudio Ranieri’s tactics baffled, 16th-placed Bologna scored two unanswered first-half goals before cantering to a 3-0 result.

After losing to bottom-placed Novara the previous week, Ranieri had confidently announced that he could finally play the system he had always wanted to as he ordered the players to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

However, with Diego Forlan and Wesley Sneijder confused as to whether they were required to provide any defensive cover or remain in advanced positions, the coach solved that problem by pushing both of them out to the wings – which led to Sneijder sulking on the right flank and Forlan lost in a cloud of self-doubt on the left.

It was painful to watch, not only for Moratti but the disgruntled fans, who needed little encouragement to provide a vocal pointer to whom they think should be on the bench.

The first question is, would Mourinho want a return to the club of the walking dead? The second questions is, would Moratti actually green-light some decent signings? New faces are desperately needed, as anyone under the age of 30 – such as Sneijder – wants out, while the rest should be shown the door.

Less than two years after Mourinho's groundbreaking treble, it's time to start all over again for the former masters of Serie A and Europe, and now their only realistic hope is not to suffer further humiliation at Marseille on Wednesday. If not, then Moratti will looking at hiring a fifth man to banish the sound of the only name the fans love to sing.

Milan and Ibra prove a point to rivals across Europe

Richard Whittle — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:38:00 GMT

Wednesday turned into a double evening of delight for AC Milan – a demolition of Arsenal in the Champions League on the back of Juventus failing to regain top spot in the league following their goalless draw at Parma.

No Italian team had won by such a wide margin against an English club since Milan recorded the same 4-0 scoreline against Manchester United back in 1958.

The Rossoneri have always felt that they are the true representatives of all that is good about Italian football and they certainly proved that against what the local press en masse felt was a “timid” Arsenal. But in a country where few youngsters get the chance to shine in Europe – Stephan El Shaarawy was left on the bench throughout the 90 minutes – they did applaud Arsene Wenger for fielding such a youthful side, although they questioned why weren’t there more English players in the team.

FEATURE: Fear the Pharoah, not the Duck

Maybe he had little other choice and despite Arsenal lacking that renowned English spirit of never giving up, it was a Milan performance of another era and the victory ranks up there with the 3-0 mauling of Manchester United in 2007, although nowhere near the 5-0 humiliation of Real Madrid in 1989.

These memorable results all came in the European Cup/Champions League and for one player in particular letting go of what he described as his “obsession” in lifting the trophy may well lead to getting closer to actually getting his hands on it after all.

We're talking of course about Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who produced his best-ever European display taking into account the supposed quality of the opposition.

The Swede hasn't been in the best of moods in a domestic league where opponents like Napoli and Juventus know how to get under his skin. However, against what could be termed more “sporting” opposition, who were less inclined to indulge in shirt-pulling and verbal abuse, he was left free to get on with the top of terrorising them at every turn.

Virtually impossible to mark as he dropped deep or drifted out wide, Ibra set up two and deservedly bagged one after winning a penalty for the fourth and final goal. It could have been six if Alexandre Pato had not been wasteful on two occasions late on.

AbracadIbra: head and shoulders above Van Persie and Henry

The Brazilian was introduced as a late substitute but the damage had already been done – and a clear message sent out to Massimiliano Allegri: you'll get even more from Ibra if he is paired alongside Robinho and Kevin Prince Boateng.

The two Premier League rejects showed England that their careers had moved on seamlessly since leaving Manchester City and Portsmouth. In fact, Robinho surprised even the home support by scoring twice and generally toying with the Gunners’ defence.

However, it was the sharp interplay between the three that really provided the launching pad for this impressive display, with Boateng’s stunning volley getting proceedings off with a bang.

From there Robinho was wriggling his way all over the frontline, but always looking out for the towering figure of Ibra – who returned the favour by setting up the Brazilian twice.

The plaudits in the Italian press were mainly for those two stars, but at the back Thiago Silva must have finally won over everyone that he is the best defender in Europe, if not the world. Milan must do everything now to ensure that Barcelona’s reported interest does not start to gather momentum.

If the seven-time continental champions want to continue holding their own among Europe’s elite then they need to retain such start quality. Certainly that's what they did on Wednesday, banishing the memories of last year's Tottenham defeat and sending out a warning to their rivals that the old Devil is on the prowl again.

FEATURE: Milan's teenage Pharoah so much more than a new Pato

Milan's teenage Pharaoh so much more than a new Pato

Richard Whittle — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

AC Milan were standing at the crossroads of their season on Saturday evening: one route led down a frozen path as Juventus disappeared into the distance, the other a charge to the top of the table.

Being Milan, they did what one would expect of them. The Rossoneri found a bit of that old devil that had been missing from their play for the last few weeks to come away from the frigid tundra of Udine with all three points, and move back to the top of the table (Juve were once again left out in the cold when their match at Bologna was postponed due to snow).

It was a show of real character from the defending champions, who were without 13 first-team regulars through either injury or suspension. The latter could potentially keep Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of a further two matches if the slappy Swede does not have his three-game ban reduced on appeal – an important issue as the third would mean missing the crucial match against Juventus at the end of the month.

No need to be duly concerned, however: Milan have a new star to fawn over in the shape of Stephan El Shaarawy. He is proving the old adage that if the talent is there, your age doesn't matter – unless you happen to be Filippo Inzaghi, 38, who has been usurped by the 19-year-old.

With Milan producing a performance in keeping with the glacial temperatures to leave them trailing to Antonio Di Natale’s goal, a half-time blast from Massimiliano Allegri produced the desired effect.

That, and the fact that Marco Amelia made a couple of crucial saves, kept the visitors in the contest until Maxi Lopez – another striker pushing poor old Pippo further down the Milan pecking order – was introduced to hand El Shaarawy some much-needed support.

Having laboured against the giants in the home defence, the youngster drifted out to the left flank, and it was from there that he produced a darting diagonal run before driving in a low shot-cross that goalkeeper Samir Handanovic could only push back into the path of Lopez, who grabbed his first goal for the club.

It was a case of “Carlos who?” as the new signing had waited a whole week in a Milan hotel room while Adriano Galliani tried in vain to sign Carlos Tevez on loan, with the promise to Manchester City that if he were to sell either Pato or Robinho in the summer then he might hand City some money for a permanent move.

The fact that Tevez’s Argentine compatriot Lopez went on to set up El Shaarawy for the winner, then, could well have saved Milan the bother of having to enter any more protracted negotiations with the English club.

The pair will have more time to build their budding partnership, but the feeling is El Shaarawy could even get Inzaghi scoring again, such is the ease with which he brings his team-mates into the build-up. What's more, his near-post finish for the winner had SuperPippo written all over it.

Handed the moniker 'The Pharoah' for no other reason than his father is Egyptian, the Savona-born teenager has always been destined to climb to the top of the pyramid. He has represented Italy at every level through to the under-21s – and as this blog has said before, he could yet make Cesare Prandelli’s Italy squad for Euro 2012.

Coming through the youth ranks at Genoa to become the fourth-youngest player ever to make his Serie A debut (at 16 years and 55 days), it was his player-of-the-season performances at Padova in Serie B last term that persuaded Milan they could pick up a cut-price gem.

Being a fan of the club may also have smoothed the move, and after a summer of bedding in at Milanello, where he developed some muscle for his slight frame, El Shaarawy was given his debut as a late substitute in the 3-1 defeat at Napoli in mid-September. In the following game, he came off the bench at the San Siro to announce his arrival as a genuine finisher, notching the equaliser against Udinese.

Scoring against the same opposition twice in a season will no doubt become a common occurrence for the spiky-haired wonderkid – he also found the net against Juventus in the Italian Cup in midweek – but Massimiliano Allegri will be well aware that he needs to nurture such talent.

The last thing Milan want is for him to end up like Pato, who burst on to the scene in similar fashion before succumbing to trappings of early stardom, where he was reportedly pulling much more than his hamstring.

The early signs are that, despite his extravagant hair-cut, El Shaarawy is a level-headed young man who has come a long way in the last few months.

He has scored the same number of goals as Pato this season but his four have come from two fewer starts, even though both players have appeared in 14 games overall. With the Brazilian back in full training, Allegri must decided whether to return the seemingly fragile 22-year-old to the starting line-up for the Champions League tie with Arsenal on Wednesday.

The problem, if one can call it that, is that Ibrahimovic will be back for the European tussle, and the perceived wisdom is that he and Pato are like oil and water. However, although El Shaarawy mirrors Pato with his raw pace, close control and finishing, he seems to have more awareness of what is going on around him, and so far his decision-making has been spot on.

Allegri should make the right choice on Wednesday and allow the rest of Europe to get a glimpse of this exciting new star of Italian football.

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.

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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.