Features news coverage of Serie A and member clubs, including match reports, transfer rumours and club news.
Today’s transfer roundup starts with transfer-related news, but not a big rumor. Instead, I give two thumbs-up to Real Madrid’s Wesley Sneijder for looking out for his brother’s best interests, as he stepped in to prevent Real from making an offer to former club Ajax for his brother Rodney, a promising youth team player.
Written by Eddie Griffin. Leave a response
So, what’s going on in the world of transfer rumors today? As always, chime in and chip in with opinions - and with rumors!
Written by Eddie Griffin. One comment
Three weeks ago, at the end of the 3-2 match lost to Juventus (Matchday 33) Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti had declared: “Our objective for the rest of the season, in order to qualify for Champions League, will be to win all of our next 5 matches“. With the important fixture vs. Inter in the Rossoneri’s calendar, this was much easier said than done… but what do you know? AC Milan might just have achieved their objective.
To quote Gazzetta, some people had already nicknamed this title ‘The Scudetto of Hardships’ (more or less a translation of Lo Scudetto della fatica), and that may be why Inter continue to make things harder for them. 2 years and 18 days since their last derby victory, AC Milan have reclaimed the “Derby della Madonnina” and made a key step towards Champions League qualification. Indeed with the concurrent loss of Fiorentina at Cagliari, the Rossoneri now find themselves in 4th spot with a 1-point advantage over La Viola. In other words: their destiny is entirely in their own hands.
As for Inter well… it will take nothing short of a Roman miracle for the Nerazzurri to lose their grip on the Scudetto (on account of their head-to-head record with AS Roma, a win to Siena next week will effectively seal the deal for Roberto Mancini’s team), but today’s loss is certainly very sour. Is it a coincidence that when Filippo Inzaghi scores on Inter (today was the 4th time it happened), Il Diavolo always ends up victorious?
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Written by Marco Pantanella. 5 comments
Both Internazionale and Milan have balked at Barcelona’s asking price for the former World Player of the Year - supposedly valued at 30 million Euros by the Catalan club whereas the Italians are rumoured to offering 16-20 million euros (reasonable, if you factor in that he is ‘damaged goods’ and commands high wages).
However, Ronaldinho is more than just a player. According to Forbes.com he is the second richest footballer (Goldenballs has the #1 position locked in again) and his brand value, regardless of his injuries and form, is high enough for a club to throw a few extra million Barcelona’s way.
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 23 comments
According to Forbes.com Manchester United have been valued at $1.8 billion, ahead of the club traditionally known as the richest club in football (Real Madrid, $1.285 billion) and their chief domestic rivals Arsenal ($1.2 billion), Liverpool ($1.05 billion) and Chelsea ($764 million).
Have fun sorting the lists according to different criteria. Here are some highlights:
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 3 comments
In US sports they call it the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award, but there doesn’t appear to be an equivalent honour in European football. I know the PFA have their ‘Young Player of the Year’ award – but when you’ve got seasoned veterans like Cesc Fabregas and Cristiano Ronaldo in the running it hardly stacks up.
So I’ve created a list of ten authentic rookies, all young but also inexperienced before the 2007-08 season began back in August. All of them have impressed us this season – but do any deserve to be called the ‘Breakthrough Player of the Year’ ? Or did I forget someone ?
Written by Betfair. 20 comments
Steve Amoia returns with his preview of Week 35 in the Serie A - with a look at Adriana Lima, transfer rumours involving Milan and highlights from last weekend in Italy.
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Quotes of the Week in Italian Calcio
You didn’t know that Salma likes Italian football? Or can quote the great masters of literature? Do you really care? 
“I wouldn’t repeat the same gesture that cost me a five-game ban. It was a big mistake, especially for the example that I set the children who were watching.” — Antonio Cassano of Sampdoria
Were the children he was talking about one of the jewels of Bari Vecchia? Maybe he needs to tell himself “Vai a fan****!” the next time a Cassanate is on the horizon? Can a referee card him for that? “Mister Collina, the player was cursing himself. Repeatedly. Then he threw his shirt at himself. Should we fine him? No, his behavior has improved markedly. We should buy him another shirt, and call Donadoni…”
“Inter have some tough games coming up and we have been chasing them for two years.” — Daniele De Rossi of AS Roma. Speaking of chasing, some supporters behind the goal are still looking for the spot kick he sailed over Van Der Sar.
“If I have to analyse this game, then I say Palermo had three shots on goal and Gigi Buffon did not make a single save.” — Claudio Ranieri of Juventus
Mister Ranieri with his usual concise, creative, and confounding analysis. Maybe the Americans should hire him for political commentary. “Hillary sounds like Caesar’s wife. Barack sounds like Caligula. John sounds like Mr. Abramovich.”
“Walter will do well because he has lost the short fuse of a player and reasons like a Coach. To be honest, he has surprised me. I remembered him as being brash and also a loudmouth. The day that I left Inter, I didn’t think that he would have a future as a Coach.” — Giovanni Trapattoni of Red Bull Salzburg and soon to be manager of Eire. He was also born on 17 March.
Speaking of short fuses, Mister Trap had a famous video during his time with Bayern Munich. Walter Zenga must have studied that before his first game on the Catania bench. Brash and a loudmouth? Walter? A former goalkeeper? A Northern Italian?
Quotes courtesy of Football Italia.
Video Highlights
Image courtesy of Goalvideoz. Please click the image to view a video highlights menu after the game.
Image courtesy of Serie A TV. Please click the image for free video previews and selected clips after the games.
Giornata/Week 34:
For live scores during the games, please click here.
For an ESPN Matchtracker of Serie A games, please click here.
For a live game tracker called Match View, in Italian, from the Gazzetta dello Sport, which has very detailed statistics and graphical displays, please click here. You may have to click on the number of the week to see a full fixture list.
Saturday, 19 April
AS Roma x Livorno at 1300 GMT.
Fiorentina x Palermo at 1830.
Sunday, 20 April
Cagliari x Empoli: A relegation derby at 1300 GMT.
Siena x Genoa
Atalanta x Juventus
Catania x Lazio
Parma x Napoli
AC Milan x Reggina
Sampdoria x Udinese
Torino x Internazionale at 1830.
For more news in English about Italian football, please visit mCalcio.
For a live radio stream (subject to availability) from RAI, please click here.
If you are new to calcio and the Italian language, I wrote an article called “Soccer Terminology in the Mother Tongue.” Unfortunately, you will not learn the actual chants (i cori) from the stadiums, useful terms to describe rival players and fans (gli avversari), or how to compliment your favorite referee (l’arbitro). For those, you will need to make a visit to bella Italia…
Place your predictions below and may Gerry McDonnell grace us with his odds. And may Salma grace you with, well, I will leave that to your imaginations.
“I could never die on Sunday. Then I would miss my Italian football.”
Steve Amoia is a featured author on Soccerlens. He is the author and editor of World Football Commentaries, and also writes for Keeper Skool.
Written by Steve Amoia. One comment
In my eyes, Juventus is the greatest team to have ever graced the pitch. Obviously, this is questionable. But I am on a mission to clear the cheating, horrible and dishonest view people have of the better club from Turin. Now get ready for five hopefully convincing reasons to not hate Juventus….
Written by GT. 7 comments
This can be a difficult time of the season for strong recommendations as title hopes evaporate; teams get lost in mid-table mediocrity with little to play for and those resigned to their fate fail to perform to expectation.
But there are some interesting clashes this weekend as in Serie A six of the top seven take each other on. In the Premier League, Arsenal’s season will finish early unless they can win at Old Trafford. There’s much to be decided at the bottom of the Bundesliga as any three from five could still be relegated and two of them meet this weekend. Ligue 1 is even less defined as only six points separates 12th from 19th and four of the bottom five have the same number of points. Only in Spain could nearly everything top and bottom of the table be resolved this weekend.
Written by Soccerlens. Leave a response
Amidst a week of hectic Champions League and UEFA Cup matches, this piece of news almost slipped past me.
According to TODAY newspaper, Milan have plans to set up a football school in Singapore. The camp, set to be called AC Milan Junior Camp, will provide training for youngsters between the ages of 6 and 18. TODAY also reported that officials from Milan could be in Singapore as early as next week to meet local officials and discuss plans for the camp.
Milan are obviously trying to extend their sphere of influence (Editor: Milan already have a youth talent initiative in North America) and this can only be good news for Singapore Rossoneri fans and local football. I’m eagerly waiting for developments on this.
Kenny maintains a personal blog called ‘The Meditation Chamber‘.
Written by Kenny. One comment
Manchester City and Juventus will play exhibition matches in Hong Kong next month against a South China invitational XI, a report said Thursday.
Written by Soccerlens. Leave a response
At the beginning of the season, no one expected Juventus to achieve UCL qualification. All the critics (some of them were even Juve fans!!) predicted that La Vecchia Signora would only manage the UEFA Cup.
But they’ve been proven wrong. The question is: can the bianconeri rise from the mist and mount a season-ending title surge against an increasing Roma and a declining Inter? Let’s take a look at the stats:
Written by GT. 2 comments
In recent seasons, we have witnessed (and continue to witness), slowly but surely, the elegant destruction of what we know as the ‘big’ teams. Spain, Italy, France, England, Scotland, Germany, Holland, Russia, Greece, and Turkey have all fallen to the inevitable rise of the ‘middle’ teams. Let’s review the movers and shakers:
Written by GT. 5 comments
Juventus’s Serie A clash at home to Parma today has been called off following the death of a visiting Parma fan who was run over and killed by a bus at a highway rest stop. According to the ANSA news agency, the bus was empty at the time of the incident but was being used to transport Juventus fans to the game in Turin.
The incident occurred at a service area outside Turin on the A21 highway. The fan has been identified 28-year-old Matteo Bagnaresi. The incident reportedly followed scuffles or shouting between fans, and the bus driver was moving the vehicle around when the incident occurred.
The bus driver was not aware he had run someone over, he told the highway police after being pulled over a few kilometers (miles) from the scene of the incident. Police in Asti, near the highway rest stop, said they were still verifying the details of the incident.
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 2 comments
Update: Jose Mourinho has denied any meeting with Inter. In an official statement:
“I say categorically that it is not true that I went to Milan, that I met with Massimo Moratti (the Inter president), who I do not have the pleasure of knowing personally.
It is false to say that I am on the point of signing a contract with Inter Milan.”
So much for that…
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 4 comments
Five of last season’s champions in Europe’s six major leagues look like defending their titles successfully this season. The exception is Germany where last season’s champions VfB Stuttgart are currently sixth. If the other five win their domestic titles, it will equal the record set in 2005/2006.
Two years ago, it appeared that all six of these countries had repeat champions, but Juventus have since been stripped of both their 2005/2006 title and their title from the season before.
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 3 comments
Having lost to Arsenal a couple of weeks ago a lot of journalists went on ‘Milan are old, its the end of an era’ rants which personally I think is just a lazy theme that they can knock out quickly and painlessly - this same theme could quite easily have been said when they lost to Liverpool or even when they beat Liverpool – they were still old bastards then!
In my opinion, although Arsenal deserved to win, I don’t think Milan were as outplayed as the press said. Seedorf was hugely missed. I also thought the Fabregas goal was quite lucky but inevitably secured the game considering the timing of it (I await the tirade of Gooners completely disagreeing with me). Don’t get me wrong, Fab and Flamini bossed Kaka out of the game which was the key. I just think Seedorf would have made a real difference to that game, regardless of the ‘one man doesn’t make a team’ comments that some will send in reply.
But alas back to the point, old Milan. Yes they are old, ridiculously old when you think about it but how have they managed to play together for so long? Paolo Maldini is coming up to 40 and has floated the possibility of playing another season. A lot of this has been put down to the Milan Lab. Since its introduction in 2002 the praise showered on this elusive institution has been endless – some have even credited it with giving players 5 extra playing years to their careers. But what is it and are these accolades completely justifiable? Can a glorfied physio room really make the difference to a players career?
Written by Ben Fawkes. 3 comments
Someone played a bad joke on Inter Saturday night, and Roberto Mancini wasn’t laughing. And who can blame him? Juventus waited until the return leg of the Derby d’Italia to come back to greatness: true greatness, the kind that makes you feel part of European football’s Elite.
The Evidence? The players. From Gianluigi Buffon (proving once again why he’s considered to be the best goalkeeper on Earth) through to Giorgio Chiellini (who is slowly achieving superstar status as a center-back) and Mauro Camoranesi (Juve just can’t do without him), all the way to David Trezeguet (another vital goal to maintain the lead of the Serie A scoring charts), every man on Claudio Ranieri’s team was almost perfect. The only one coming a little bit short: Alessandro Del Piero, failing to finish two key 3-0 chances that’d have put the game on ice for the Bianconeri, but the author of an otherwise A+ performance.
On Saturday night, in a 58,000 spectactor-laden Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, the Bianconeri achieved what no other Serie A team has managed to do this season: beat Inter Milan at home, in the temple of Italian football.
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Written by Marco Pantanella. 10 comments
To quote Guardian blogger Paolo Baldini, this fixture represents a match between “the Proud and the Usurpers; the Honest against the Defrauded; the Champions against the… eh… actual Champions. Don’t let those pretenders from AC Milan or Roma tell you otherwise - from the moment Juventus sealed promotion back to the top flight […] Italy has been counting down towards one game, and one game only“.
After the first round last November, which ended 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico of Turin, the Derby d’Italia between Juventus and Internazionale is back. Saturday, the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza of Milan will be the host to one of the most intense derby matches in Italy. Two teams not from the same city but who are very much bitter rivals, and also have the highest goals total in Serie A history.
Written by Marco Pantanella. 6 comments
Ahh… Lazio-Roma. Traditionally called “Stracittadina” (or conventionally “Derby della Capitale“), these derbies are always full of excitement: Laziali and Romanisti go crazy for them, because on top of providing plenty of entertainment (to neutral watchers as well), Stadio Olimpico bragging rights for the entire season are at stake. Last night’s derby however, was particularly important to the Giallorossi because it was meant to maintain Roma’s 5-match unbeaten streak (since the Juventus loss) and keep them close to Inter for the Scudetto race, something which (unlike what Totti may think) is still important to Roma supporters.
Before the match, there was a 24-point difference in the Serie A standings between Lazio and Roma: the teams who stepped onto the Stadio Olimpico of Rome tonight can be said to have very different season objectives at the moment. For the Giallorossi, with Champions League qualification almost guaranteed, the Scudetto race is still very much alive despite the 6-point differential between them and league leaders Inter. For Lazio however, the possibility of remaining out of Europe next season very much a reality, the Biancocelesti are currently left struggling even for a tiny UEFA Cup spot. In derbies however, everyone knows that league standings don’t mean squat and indeed, the victor tonight was not the strongest team on paper.
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Written by Marco Pantanella. 8 comments
I write a lot about the English Championship and in that league the top four, Stoke City, Bristol City, Watford and West Brom, are all doing their level best not to get automatic promotion. Only Stoke have won in their last two games, and that is one in five for them. The rest of the teams can’t buy a win. Despite that, the chasing pack are making no inroads because they can’t win either.
I thought this was because it was a tough league and there were no outstanding teams in it. However, a glance around the top leagues in Europe will show that teams at the top everywhere are trying not to win their leagues.
What is going on? Worldwide corruption? Teams unable to handle the pressure?
Written by Graham Fisher. 21 comments
In French they would say: “Sortie par la petite porte” (exit through the small door). The hypothetical Grande Inter who has been utterly dominating the Serie A for the past 3 seasons will, for another year, remain but only a mirage in European context: an unachieved dream which the millions of Nerazzurri fans will look at nostalgically from afar, as they enjoy the success of yet another domestic league Scudetto at the end of the year. Wondering: what could have been…
Today, Inter Milan were simply insufficient. Insufficient to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg, insufficient (for their most important match of the year) at maintaining the entirety of their troops focused, insufficient at challenging the Reds of Liverpool. Inter manager Roberto Mancini had said this needed to be a “perfect night” and frankly, had the Nerazzurri capitalized on a few of their enormous first half chances, it might very well have been. In the end however, the goal by Fernando Torres brought an end to the Italian dreams of perfection, and together with the card shown to Nicolas Burdisso, contributed in painting this Milan night with colours of very bright Red.
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Written by Marco Pantanella. 9 comments
24 hours before the Inter Milan vs. Liverpool clash, there are mainly two ideas expressed by Inter manager Roberto Mancini. Number 1: “Whatever the result tonight, I don’t believe the whole season should be based on this game“. Number 2: “We are not at our best, we have players who are still recovering and others out for the long-term. Only those who can give 100% and run for 120 minutes will be allowed to play”.
These last few days, the Nerazzurri coach has been gathering his drawing tools, readying his ink, preparing his brushes and varnish, the whole nine yards necessary to paint Inter’s ‘perfect Champions League night’ on the canvas of Stadio Giuseppe Meazza ‘San Siro’. Leonardo Da Vinci was born in Florence, and Michelangelo’s Sixtine Chapel is in Rome, but it will be in Milan where true artistry will take place on Tuesday night: as only a masterpiece of gigantic proportions will be able to save Inter from European anonymity, and make their work stand out from that of Liverpool’s Red artists army.
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Written by Marco Pantanella. 8 comments
Lurking crisis shadows begone. Inter Milan are back on the winning track, obtaining their first victory after 3 winless matches in the Serie A (4 if you count their little mishap at Anfield two weeks ago), and making the party all the more special is the celebration for the Nerazzurri’s 100 years anniversary, or “Il Centenario” as they call it back in Milan (by the way, La Repubblica and La Gazzetta dello Sport have great websites dedicated to that, if you can read Italian).
In a San Siro stadium full of old Nerazzurri glories and the mind already wandering to Tuesday’s match vs. Liverpool, one might have foreseen that maintaining concentration wasn’t going to be easy for Inter today. However Mancini’s men rallied together, reversed their negative trend against a determined Reggina side, and brought home the win thanks to the goals by Ibrahimovic and Burdisso… with a little help from the referee. It’s reassuring to notice everything is still proceeding as ‘normal’ in the Serie A. 
Meanwhile, Juventus have finally brought an end to their streak of 3 winless consecutive games, and played a great match of strong personality and tactical cohesion against Genoa, a match also highlighting the top-notch performance of an absolutely storming Zdenek Grygera.
Bringing you the latest news from the Italy, mCalcio.com’s Marco Pantanella looks at Serie A’s evening matches from the week-end.
Written by Marco Pantanella. Leave a response
“We are top of the Premier League and through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. We beat the holders at home, so why can’t we win them both?” The words of an understandably excited Cesc Fabrigas after Arsenal’s wonderful victory in the San Siro.
Arsenal are far from the only team looking to do a League and European double this season. Is it likely, or even possible, to win both? If it is, which teams are in pole position?
Written by Graham Fisher. 7 comments
It finally happened. After 31 straight matches without a loss, Inter were eventually forced raise the white flag on Sunday, courtesy of a near-perfect Napoli team galvanized by the atmosphere of their home stadium. Seems hard to believe doesn’t it? The Nerazzurri had not lost a game since April 18th 2007 (a 3-1 home loss at the hands of Roma) but from then on, Mancini’s boys had accumulated a record of 23 wins and 8 draws, going on to win the 15th Scudetto of their history. Until today, it seemed as if nº16 was pretty much a done deal, but Napoli had other plans.
Meanwhile, things have gone from bad to worse at Juve: after losing against Reggina and tying the important derby vs. Torino, the Bianconeri suffered a come-from-behind victory at the hands of archrivals Fiorentina.
Bringing you the latest news from the Italy, mCalcio.com’s Marco Pantanella looks at Serie A’s two important matches from Sunday.
