Watched by a global TV audience of around 650 million, it’s been described as ‘the mother of all derbies’ and the second most important game in the world (after El Clasico) – but is the Manchester derby the biggest derby in Europe?

This all depends on two things: (a) how do we define a derby? (b) how do we compare all the derbies objectively?

The first question is arguably the more difficult one. Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, Inter Milan vs. Juventus, and Liverpool vs. Manchester United are all examples of intense rivalries rather than derbies. We could define a derby as the match between two clubs from the same city, but this would exclude Newcastle United vs. Sunderland, Borussia Dortmund vs. Schalke 04, Ajax vs. Feyenoord and Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Sociedad to give just a few examples.

Even within the same city, Fulham’s main local derby is with Chelsea, whereas Chelsea’s is with Spurs, whose derby is with Arsenal. So even if we were able to compare all European derbies objectively, the very idea of a derby would always be problematic.

Of course, in terms of European footballing success, all one-city derbies pale in comparison to Milan, a city whose two teams have amassed a grand total of ten European Cups/Champions League titles between them (Real Madrid alone are not far behind with nine, whilst Manchester/Liverpool have eight). In fact Milan is the only city in Europe with more than one winner of the competition, making any objective success-based comparisons of European footballing derbies difficult.

An easier and in many ways more appropriate method for comparison would be to combine the average attendances of each derby team throughout the 2010-11 season and list them accordingly. Bear in mind that this is not a list of the fiercest rivalries (which would always be subjective) and that the attendance figure is for all games throughout the season (not just the derby games themselves).

The top 20 derbies in Europe based on combined average attendance

Notes

All figures are based on Wikipedia’s top 70 clubs by average attendance. I haven’t included any clubs that are outside the top 70, e.g. 1860 Munchen (whose average attendance of 20,000 would put the Munich derby in the top ten). This is because I’d like to source all the figures from the same place. However I don’t think the list would change dramatically if this was the case. Fenerbahce (39,542) vs. Besiktas (26,249) would have made the list but the figures given are not for the 2010-11 season (and the Besiktas figures is unsourced).

The top ten teams without representation in the list are Marseilles (51,081), Eintracht Frankfurt (47,335), Napoli (47,210), FC Kaiserslautern (46,378), Hertha Berlin (45,761), Hannover 96 (43,948), Valencia (41,599), VfB Stuttgart (38,847), Porto (36,404) and Shakhtar Donetsk (33,897). I considered classifying Eintracht Frankfurt vs. FC Kaiserslautern as a derby (which with a combined total of 93,713 would’ve made the top ten) but decided not to (see below).

Any list of teams based on average attendance will always be dominated by Germany, where competetive one-city derbies are uncommon. I’ve chosen to include the four biggest regional ‘derbies’ and exclude all the others – although I think the Ruhrgebiet still has to be classed as a single agglomeration (as of course does Greater Manchester).

No team has been included twice. This means that Arsenal vs. Spurs is classed as the biggest London derby, with Chelsea vs. Fulham second. It should be stressed that there is a lot of overlap when it comes to the London derbies. These four teams have been chosen purely because they have the highest average attendances, not (at least in the case of the West London derby) because they have the fiercest rivalry.

The closest distance between two stadiums is of course Milan vs. Inter, where the two teams share the San Siro. The distance between Anfield and Goodison Park is 0.6 miles; between Estadio Da Luz and Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon it is 1.4 miles. The longest distance between two clubs in the list is between Munich and Nuremburg (the two largest cities in Bavaria), which are around 100 miles apart, raising inevitable questions about how we define a derby. The distance between Hamburg and Bremen is around 60 miles, between Bilbao and San Sebastian around 50 miles, between Amsterdam and Rotterdam around 35 miles, between Lyon and Saint-Etienne around 30 miles. The distance between the Westfalenstadion and the Veltins Arena is exactly 17 miles, whilst there are exactly ten miles between St. James’ Park and the Stadium of Light.

The smallest difference in ratio between the two average attendances are those between Milan vs. Inter, Köln vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach and Celtic vs. Rangers. The largest by a long way is Barcelona vs. Espanyol (although the difference between Bayern Munich vs. 1860 Munchen would have been bigger still).

Whilst it isn’t perfect for all the reasons mentioned, the list above arguably gives us a better insight into European football than the list of average attendances itself or the infamous Deloitte Football League, in showing where the real football powerhouses of Europe lie. It’s no surprise to see the Revierderby topping the list with Manchester, Madrid, Munich (Bavaria), Barcelona and Milan all close behind. Manchester’s success on-the-field this season is clearly a reflection of the city’s status as one of the six football capitals of European club football.

More Football Derbies

• The World’s Most Violent Football Derbies.
• Major Football Derbies (with sub-articles for each continent).

The author, Tom Riley, writes about football, music and the history of Manchester at http://ascentofmanchester.blogspot.co.uk.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Real Madrid wrapped up the La Liga title last weekend, with Jose Mourinho leading the Santiago Bernabeu outfit to their first Spanish top-flight success in four years. A convincing 3-0 away win over Europa League finalists Athletic Bilbao sealed the triumph, and broke Barcelona’s stranglehold over the game in Spain.

The achievement has not gone unnoticed in west London, as former employer Roman Abramovich is reportedly eager to bring ‘The Special One’ back to Chelsea. The latest success is Mourinho’s 19th trophy in his managerial career, a quite unbelievable achievement.

2002-03

From taking over at Portuguese giants Porto in 2002 until now, Mourinho’s record has been exemplary. The Setubal-born trainer started as he intended to carry on in his first season at the Estadio da Dragao, winning the Primeira Division at a canter, the Taca de Portugal and the UEFA Cup in a momentous season. In the league the total of 86 points out of the possible maximum of 102 was a Portuguese record, whilst Mourinho’s men beat his former club Leiria in the cup final and Celtic in the European finale.

2003-04

Mourinho and his Porto team really shot into the limelight the following season, by retaining their Primeira Division title and against the odds lifting the Champions League. Porto sealed their domestic title with five weeks of the season still to play, and after eliminating Manchester United in Europe, lifted the Champions League crown with a 3-0 win over Monaco.

2004-05

Porto’s elimination of United drew English attention to Mourinho’s achievements, and the successful trainer took over the Chelsea managerial position. After proclaiming himself ‘The Special One’ in his first press conference, Mourinho went on to put his money where his mouth is, lifting the Premier League crown in his debut season, the Blues’ first in 50 years. Chelsea also beat Liverpool to lift the Carling Cup.

2005-06

With the Blues team given self-belief by boss Mourinho, Chelsea went on to retain their Premier League title the following season, with a 3-0 win over Manchester United proving their dominance. They also lifted the Community Shield by beating Arsenal 2-1, but the Champions League remained all-elusive.

2006-07

Mourinho’ last full season at Chelsea saw his men relinquish their Premier League crown to Manchester United, and they were eliminated from the Champions League by Liverpool. Despite this, the Blues still lifted the FA Cup and League Cup in a domestic double.

2008-09

After being shown the door by Abramovich in the 2007-08 season, Mourinho took over at Inter after an eight-month spell away from the game. Similar to his time at Chelsea, he wasted no time in laying down a landmark, and won the Serie A title at the first time of asking and the Supercoppa Italiana. Despite winning the Scudetto by a ten-point margin, elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Manchester United was a major frustration for the perfectionist coach.

2009-10

Arguably Mourinho’s most successful season in management, Inter were unstoppable in 2009-10. The Nerazzurri retained their Serie A crown in impressive form, beat Roma to claim the Coppa Italia trophy and after defeating Barcelona in the semi-finals, lifted the Champions League crown with victory over Bayern Munich. The next day Mourinho admitted that the win would be the last game in charge of the Italian giants.

2010-11

Mourinho was announced as the replacement for Manuel Pellegrini at Real Madrid for the 2010-11 season, with the capital-city side looking for a solution to Barcelona’s dominance at home and on the continent. In this first campaign in Spain the Portuguese coach failed to stop Pep Guardiola’s men achieve glory in La Liga and the Champions League, but did beat the Catalan giants in the Copa del Rey final.

2011-12

This season has been a different story for Madrid, who have been comprehensive and deserved winners of La Liga. The main criticism aimed at Mourinho’s men was their inability to beat Barcelona in a clash between the sides, but a 2-1 victory at Camp Nou got this monkey of the team’s back and all-but secured the division title. Although Champions League still eludes Mourinho at Madrid, the Portuguese coach will look to dominate all competitions next season.

There are increased rumours over Mourinho’s future and a potential move back to England, but this is unlikely, as the proud coach will feel that he has unfinished business in Spain. Next term Madrid will have a transitional Barcelona side to deal with, and the Santiago Bernabeu fans will crave that Mourinho deliver the Champions League back to this great club.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The Netherlands international team go into this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament as one of the favourites and frontrunners, with quality throughout Bert van Marwijk’s side.

However, unfortunately the Eredivisie has lost its ability to keep the best homegrown players in the country and Ajax’s UEFA Champions League glory of 1995 seems like an eternity ago.

For the national team’s last game, a friendly against Germany, only seven of the 21-man squad ply their club trade in the Dutch homeland, and this was without a number of big-name exports who were rested.

Holland certainly has produced a raft of great players over the last ten years that have graced other European leagues, with the ten best as follows:

Rafael van der Vaart

Rafael VDV for Spurs

Rafael van der Vaart left Ajax in 2005 to join Real Madrid, before moving on to Hamburg; he now plays in England for Tottenham. The playmaker has amassed 93 international caps despite only being 28, and is a key player in Harry Redknapp’s revitalised Spurs team.

Jaap Stam

Stam for Ajax

Netherlands is known for its attacking players who play total football, but Jaap Stam epitomises a fantastic defensive combatant from the nation. A rock of a central defender, Stam left PSV in the late 1990′s and enjoyed playing at the highest level for Manchester United, Lazio and AC Milan. Famed for his no-nonsense approach, Stam won 67 caps for his nation before retiring in 2007.

Arjen Robben

Robben for Bayern Munich

The skilful winger left PSV in 2004 and has since been an important player for Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, as well as the national side. Robben is one of the best dribblers in recent memory, with his trickery, pace and eye for goal an asset for every team he has represented. Robben has won top flight titles in Holland, England, Spain and Germany, but is yet to win the Champions League.

Robin van Persie

RVP for the Gunners

A product of the Feyenoord academy, Van Persie left Netherlands in 2004 to join Arsenal, and he is currently their captain and talisman. The in-form striker is currently the Premier League’s top goalscorer this term, the winner of the PFA Player of the Year award and undoubtedly one of the most dangerous and prolific attackers in the European game.

Edgar Davids

Davids for the Dutch

One of the most iconic footballers of his generation, Davids’ will to win and determination set a precedent for the rest of Europe in the 2000′s. Played at the highest level for AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and Inter Milan, before stepping out for Tottenham and Crystal Palace in the latter days of his career.

Part of Ajax’s golden generation and the Champions League winning side of 1995. Davids won three Serie A titles but never lifted Europe’s top club trophy again after leaving Amsterdam.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud for Man Utd

Ten years playing for Manchester United and Real Madrid show Van Nistelrooy’s undoubted quality, with a goal record to envy. The Dutch marksman has also played for Hamburg and Malaga since leaving his homeland, and still continues to be a goal threat in La Liga despite being 35-years-old.

35 international goals and three top flight titles ensure that Van Nistlerooy will be remembered as one of the country’s top centre forwards.

Mark van Bommel

van Bommel for Milan

Former PSV midfielder Mark van Bommel has played at the very highest level since leaving Holland in 2005, having worn the colours of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan. The current Holland captain has one last international tournament in him this summer, and will look to add to his medal collection of four Eredivisie titles, one La Liga title, one Serie A title, two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League victory.

Edwin van der Sar

van der Sar for Man Utd

The now-retired goalkeeper plied his trade in Italy for Juventus, before representing Fulham and Manchester United in England. Four Premier League titles and a Champions League medal are just reward for the 41-year-old, who hung up his boots last summer. Sir Alex Ferguson is yet to fully replace Van der Sar, who himself stepped into the massive shoes of Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford, and excelled.

Wesley Sneijder

Sneijder for Inter

Arguably one of the best playmakers in the modern game, Sneijder left Ajax in 2007 after five years with the senior side to join Real Madrid. After two seasons the attacking midfielder departed the Santiago Bernabeu to join Inter, and was the subject of a protracted transfer saga over a potential move to Manchester United last summer.

League titles in Italy and Spain have been backed up by Champions League success; Sneijder is truly one of Holland’s best recent exports.

Clarence Seedorf

Seedorf for Milan

One of Holland’s greatest ever players, Clarence Seedorf is still an integral player for Italian champions AC Milan at 35-years-old. The veteran midfielder has an unbelievable trophy haul at club level, with Champions League titles with Ajax, Real Madrid and twice with AC Milan. 87 international caps and over a decade of playing at the highest level, Clarence Seedorf is Netherlands top export.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The study of football, and its players, is perhaps best accomplished by evaluating efficiency. Of course there are many methods of such evaluation – ranging from weekly player ratings on the typical “start at 6” scale to full scale statistical analysis.

In this article we look at football clubs in Europe’s top four leagues – the English Premiership, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga – and analyse their offensive and defensive efficiency so far this season.

This is done by plotting each club’s defensive efficiency (measured in shots faced per goal conceded) versus their offensive efficiency (measured in shots per goal) on an XY axis.

Here’s the chart (click on the image to fully enlarge):

Attacking v Defensive Efficiency

Talking Points:

• Somewhat surprisingly (1-6!) Manchester United have most successfully combined attack with defense in their home league this season.  While others may attack or defend better, no-one has managed their level of resilience and accuracy. United’s high defensive efficiency can also be explained in part by the ridiculous amount of long-range punts by opposition players at David De Gea, helping him make more saves than usual.
• There is a stereotypical Italian stolidity to defending, as the worst team in Serie A in terms of shots faced per goal conceded is the normally resolute Internazionale.  There is also less variation in Italian defensive efficacy, with Juventus leading the way riding a defensive wall back into the Champions League next season.
• In Spain, the difference between Madrid and Barcelona is one of thin margins, showing that marginal improvements in defence and attack can turn the title race around, while Valencia show why they’ve so frustrated their fans this season – they can’t seem to hold a lead.

There’s quite a lot of data here that you can review and interpret – some that is league-specific and other that can be used to better illustrate the problems individual teams have had this season. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Research done by Matthew Wood. You can find more of Matthew’s statistical work at Balanced Sports.

Also See: Most efficient Premier League clubs in the last three seasons (2009 to 2012).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With Gian Piero Gasperini’s dismissal as Inter Milan manager, the Mourinho’s Curse has claimed it’s latest victim. Since his appointment at FC Porto, full-time successors have struggled to cope with the expectations of a Mourinho coached side. Almost all have failed.

It’s not necessarily a lack of results that drives the replacement of his replacements, either. Poor manager selection, bad luck, personal issues or presidential impatience has contributed to the carnage he inadvertantly leaves in his wake.

After his last exit – fresh off claiming the treble with Inter Milan – there have been four managers appointed within sixteen months. Big name Rafael Benitez wasn’t backed to his satisfaction in the transfer window and failed to impose his tactical will on his charges. Leonardo had more success, but was not thought of by many (probably including himself) as a permanent manager and now leads the PSG football department. Gasperini efffectively signed his own pink slip with the ill-fated acquisition of Diego Forlan and a preference for 3-4-3.

To examine the records of his immediate successors at each of his first two big club jobs (Porto and Chelsea), Mourinho’s record doesn’t necessarily overshadow those of his replacements. In fact, in the first season after Mourinho moved to London, the Portuguese champions employed three managers, though Luigi Del Neri didn’t even make the start of the season, citing homesickness.

It is seven years post-Mourinho at Porto. Six men have had their names on the manager’s office. It’s now four years now since Roman Abramovich let him walk and he has employed five managers. As you can see from the table below, it’s hardly because of results: though Jose boasts a better record than his collective replacements, it’s a matter of around 10%. (Having said that, 10% is often the distance at which a team wins or loses the title).  At Inter Milan, you can see the vast difference between Mourinho and his successors – the 56.1% includes Leonardo’s winning percentage, which was significantly higher than Jose’s.

Of course though results are usually the ultimate arbiter, there are further reasons for such management turnover. Mourinho’s last four stops have placed remarkably high expectations on the team and manager. Co Adriaanse – the fourth of five managers at Porto within a five-year period – moved back to his homeland (to take over AZ Alkmaar) of his own volition.

You can’t deny the importance of results. But it’s his personality that allows Jose to get such tactically disciplined teams; replacements apparently have difficulty getting their message across. There are very few in football with Mourinho’s strength of personality. Those managers who have attempted to impose their tactical will on a Jose-ified team (Scolari, Benitez and Gasperini) have failed miserably, each lasting incrementally less time than the last.

That caretakers Leonardo and Hiddink both bettered Mourinho’s winning percentage is telling. Both have a style that empowers players and allows each to do what they do best. Given Mourinho’s propensity for talent-spotting – favouring “power”-type players who are adept defensively – and the resuls of his tactics and training, what those players usually do best is either play Jose-ball or their own style.

For players so used to one style (and message), adapting to another method – especially when noted straight-man Benitez delivers the message – could prove difficult. Gasperini’s 3-4-3 was a mistake just because of a defence that looked like it was running through treacle. Imposing one’s will on a veteran team who have spent years being told “No one can beat us if we stay together and play this way” is a tough sell for anyone, let alone someone who has often moved internationally and is communicating in a second/third/seventh language.

With Gasperini’s firing, Mourinho’s Curse cements itself more firmly into football folklore. When he eventually leaves Real Madrid (who employed ten managers in the decade before Mourinho), his replacement will have to work in arguably a more intense environment. The results bear watching, as they do for the next four years at Inter Milan.

Matthew Wood regularly contributes to Soccerlens.  You can read more of his analysis and commentary at Balanced Sports or follow him on Twitter @balanced_sports

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The season hasn’t started yet, but Arsenal are already contemplating a tough month ahead with matches against Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle and Udinese to start their season with, plus trouble in the transfer market with Fabregas and Nasri pushing for moves away and a lack of incoming talent.

There’s a strong temptation to categorise Arsenal’s upcoming Champions League qualifying playoffs against Serie A side Udinese as another sign of incredibly difficult times at the Emirates – but it might be the best thing to happen to Arsenal the whole of August.

For starters, Udinese will still be in pre-season – their first league outing is against Juventus on the 28th, but the kicker will be the loss of three key players for Udinese during the summer – Sanchez (Barcelona), Inler (Napoli) and Zapata (Villareal). ‘Selling your way to the top’, as Swiss Ramble puts it, has the unfortunate consequence of requiring the management to constantly rebuild the team.

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The first leg will be at home, another blessing as Wenger will be serving his touchline ban (courtesy of his outrage post-Barcelona last season) and RVP and Nasri are suspended as well. Quite simply, getting knocked out from the Champions League this early in the season would be disastrous for Arsenal, and you can expect Wenger to drill into his team the importance of controlling the tie at the Emirates and making the return leg a formality.

It’s a measure of Arsenal’s troubles on and off the pitch that a tricky knock-out tie worth at least £17.4m (the sum Arsenal will get for playing in the Champions League group stages) is the least of their worries in August.

Today, Arsenal and Barcelona are expected to meet in London to further discuss the transfer of Cesc Fabregas, with 2 bids already rejected and Arsenal holding out for 40m, with Barcelona offering 35m. Samir Nasri is also ready to go, with Wenger refusing to accept a reported 22m transfer fee for a player likely to leave on a free transfer next summer.

I’ve already said it makes no sense for Arsenal to keep Nasri, and why Arsenal should keep hold of Fabregas for one more year, but the more you wait, the more it looks like Arsenal will do the exact opposite.

Only if Arsenal were able to ship out the players they wanted to get rid off with as much as ease as their wantaway stars. Bendtner and Almunia are still at Arsenal, with talks seemingly taking forever, while there are no takers for Squillaci. High wages are a sticking point for all three. Wenger is also refusing to pay more than £10m on a defender, a strategy that leaves Arsenal without any defensive additions in a squad that desperately needs them (regardless of Vermaelen’s return to fitness).

And then there’s the Premier League. A quick look at Arsenal’s Premier League fixtures for August 2011 shows enough challenges to derail their title hopes at any point of the season – Arsenal are away to Newcastle, host Udinese in their Champions League qualifier before hosting Liverpool in the league, then travel away to Udine for the second leg before ending the month with an away trip to play the Premier League champions Manchester United.

Traditionally, Arsenal are strong starters to the season, and how they start their 2011/2012 Premier League campaign – both on the pitch and in the transfer window – will determine whether they are fit for a title challenge this season or if they will be chasing the Champions League qualifying spot.

Sign up for Sky Sports HD (under £40 / month) and watch Arsenal in the Champions League and the Premier League all season long.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

AC Milan and adidas have revealed their 2011/2012 third shirt.

We have already shown you the Milan away shirt for next season and how well that has turned out.

The third shirt is going to be black with red adidas pin-stripes on the shoulders, black collar and a green, white and red stripe on the chest.

Alongside the club crest, manufacturer and sponsor logo, Milan will bear a crest of the flag of Italy because they are the Serie A champions.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The hunt is on for creative midfielders this summer as managers across England look for the perfect solution to unlocking packed defences. With Paul Scholes retiring, Frank Lampard ageing and Carlos Tevez agitating for a move, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City are all looking for a player to shoulder attacking responsibility on the pitch and ‘deliver magic’.

On the other hand, you have Samir Nasri at Arsenal who is in the final year of his contract and has made a quite public stance of ‘wait and see’ this summer, courting United and City while keeping an eye on Arsenal’s transfer policies and of course, whether Fabregas finally leaves Arsenal or not. There were reports at the start of the summer that if Fabregas went Nasri would stay (i.e. Arsenal could afford to break the bank to keep him), but it’s more likely that his future will be independent of Cesc’s.

Then there is Luka Modric at Tottenham, the picture of politeness, who spoke through his agent about wanting to play in the Champions League right after it was clear that Tottenham would NOT qualify for the Champions League next season. He’s also spoken about wanting to play for Chelsea, and despite Ferguson’s interest the option of staying in London and getting a massive pay hike seems to appeal to the Tottenham midfielder. However, Spurs (justifiably) hold all the aces, and may increase his wages but not sell him this summer.

And finally you have Wesley Sneijder at Inter Milan – an ageing Inter Milan that is not only being dragged back into Calciopoli but also desperate to recover their footing after ruling Italy (and at one point Europe and the World) for a few years. Reports from Netherlands strongly suggest that Sneijder has his heart set at a move to United and the only stumbling block remains the transfer fee. Inter want 35m, and if United were to buy Sneijder it would probably be a player + cash deal. Which player? Well, Samuel Eto’o wants to play in the Premier League as well, so maybe there’s a striker going the other way?

It’s still the first week of July, so there’s plenty more to go in the transfer stories for these three players. What I’d like to do is to compare the stats for Modric, Nasri and Sneijder and look at who is, statistically speaking, the most valuable of them all.

Modric v Nasri v Sneijder – 2010/2011 League Stats

NASRI AND SNEIJDER LEAD THE WAY IN ATTACK

Stats show that while Luka Modric excels in his role as a deep-laying playmaker and actually wins more one-on-one duels than his more attacking peers, Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder dominated their respective leagues last season when it came to delivering balls in the final third.

Luka Modric also managed to make it into the top five in the Premier League rankings, completing 528 passes in the last third of the pitch.

Most successful passes in the final third – 2010/11 Premier League

Most successful passes in the final third – 2010/11 Serie A

For a team like City and United, both of whom need more creativity higher up the pitch, Nasri and Sneijder look to be the ideal recruits. On the other hand, United may look at their squad and think that Modric’s arrival would still leave them needing a more attacking midfielder (unless they press Modric higher up the pitch), while Chelsea would look at Modric as the ideal foil for Lampard in the center of the pitch and would be happy to have him sit back and run the show while Torres, Drogba, Malouda and co ran amok up front.

If you were managing United, City or Chelsea, which player would you buy and why?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

New Inter coach Gian Piero Gasperini was introduced to the world’s media for the first time and claimed he knows his side will improve on their second placed finish last season. Gasperini was flanked at the press conference by technical director Marco Branca and vice managing director Stefano Filucchi and the former Genoa manager is desperate to impress.

Gasperini stated: ‘I’ve tried to get stuck straight into my new job and right from the start my impression was that this training centre has everything we need to be able to work to the best of our abilities. Training won’t start until next Sunday but we’re ready now.’

The 53 year old will take charge of his first training session in four days time and has disclosed some information about how he plans to set the Nerazzurri up tactically. Gasperini revealed that he is prepared to try a three man defence, but will hold further alternatives to change the outlook of an Inter side, which had been dramatically stabilised and improved under former coach Leonardo. The Brazilian revitalised the squad after a difficult time under Rafael Benitez, but left to join wealthy French side PSG and Gasperini was drafted in as his immediate replacement. Gasperini himself has not revealed all the tactics he would use, stating that ‘the team is full of great players capable of performing in different positions‘.

Former Inter boss and now Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho will forever be imprinted in the minds and hearts of Inter fans following his treble-winning heroics in the 2009/2010 season, but Gasperini is not overawed by the task facing him at the Stadio Guiseppe Meazza. ‘There have been generations of important Inter coaches and players. I will become a part of that starting from now and I must concentrate on the immediate future.’

Gasperini’s first competitive match as part of the Nerazzurri will come on the 6th of August in the Italian Super Cup and the Italian will field the players who have been able to take part in the pre-season preparations and not those players who have been with their South American sides as part of the Copa America. ‘What we must show right from the beginning is a strong mentality and a desire to achieve new targets‘, Gasperini revealed.

Speculation has been rife in the media over the rumoured incomings and outgoings at Inter this season. Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez’ recent admission that he would like to leave Eastlands may have alerted Inter, who had been the frontrunners in the race for the Argentinian’s signature. Gasperini did not discuss the possibility of bringing in Tevez, but revealed that the club hold a firm interest in Velez Sarsfield playmaker Ricky Alvarez.

The new Inter coach said: ‘Alvarez is a great player. If he came to Inter, he would be a major reinforcement.’ Gasperini also spoke about the speculation surrounding Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder, stating that they would love to keep the 27 year old at Stadio Guiseppe Meazza, but revealed that just like when Inter sold striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona two years ago, the exit of a star player would not result in the team lacking in quality. Gasperini believes that there will be reinforcements, if they receive a good offer for Sneijder, but his first thought is keeping the side as strong as last season and adding to the current crop of players.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The new Nike T90 Seitiro footballs will be used in Europe’s top three football leagues – English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and Serie A for the upcoming 2011/2012 season.

The new Nike Seitiro will replace the T90 Tracer, and is based on two driving philosophies -to enable the player to spot the ball immediately, and to deliver perfect aerodynamic stability so that the ball performs as intended by the controlling player.

The T90 Seitiro ball’s casing color, graphic design and contrast creates an optimal visual signal on the pitch, allowing for players to rapidly and intuitively spot the ball anywhere on the pitch. Nike claim that the Seitiro’s touch, stability and visibility make it the best ball on the planet, and it comes heavily endorsed by the likes of Wayne Rooney, Andrés Iniesta and Wesley Sneijder, but you only have to cast your mind back to the 2010 World Cup where Adidas rolled out 3 Adidas sponsored goalkeepers to talk about how good the Jabulani was when everyone was complaining about how they couldn’t work with it.

The bottom line is, a new football with an evolved touch and aerodynamics will need time getting used to. As Nike and Adidas try to build rounder, lighter and ‘truer’ balls, it eventually comes down to how well they perform on the pitch. For Nike, they have the comfort of a) the best marketing in world football behind their products and b) the ability to launch the ball across major domestic leagues giving players time to train with it in pre-season.

In other words, no matter how good or how bad the ball is, timing is everything.

The Nike T90 Seitiro is available at retailers worldwide and at www.nikestore.com from July 1st.

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The World's Best Ball: Nike Seitiro

Nike T90 Seitiro NikeTown Video

Featuring Jack Wilshere, Ashley Cole, James Milner, Rafael Da Silva and more.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News