Features news coverage of Italy and its players, including match reports and general football news.
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
Euro 2008 kicks off on Saturday 7 June 2008 and Soccerlens will be covering it every step of the way, from the on-pitch action to team news to the wonderful fans that will be traveling to Austria / Switzerland.
Here’s the full list of Euro 2008 fixtures, bookmark and share away. Once the tournament starts, we’ll use this page to list results as well.
Written by Marco Pantanella. 4 comments
Euro 2008 promises to be massive - with or without England. Along with team beer and several exciting stars expected to leave a mark on the event, there’s also the small matter of football fans (if anyone forgets, this is what we had in Germany 2006).
I know a lot of bloggers will be covering Euro 2008, so this post is for them - while preparing Soccerlens for Euro 2008 coverage, I realised that there was no one place to get all the team flags (we already have the Euro 2008 kits, if anyone’s interested). Don’t know about you guys but I like to have images on my posts and flags / team crests are quite useful to have when you’re covering an event, even if some of them look the same (damned Europeans).
Alright then, here we go:
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 2 comments
Spain 1-0 Italy
Wednesday 26 March 2008, Elche, Spain
David Villa’s 78th minute strike helped Spain to a friendly win over Italy.
Full match report and video highlights here.
.
Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Ahmed Bilal. Leave a response
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
In June, 16 of Europe’s best national sides will descend upon Austria and Switzerland for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, or as most people call it, Euro 2008. While many of the continent’s top teams will be on display, some of Europe’s - and the world’s - best will be as well, so even if your team isn’t in it, you still have plenty reason to watch.
With that in mind and before the tournament begins, we (as in I) have conjured up the juggernaut of juggernauts, an All-Star Euro 2008 Starting XI.
There are several players you won’t see on this list, like Francesco Totti, Fernando Torres, and others, but I compiled this list with one major rule - no more than two players from one country, for the sake of diversity. Keeping that rule in mind, I did try to include the best players, both promising youngsters and experienced stalwarts alike. So, while all of the names below are recognizable, you may not agree with all of the selections. Then again, you’re not supposed to.
.
Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Eddie Griffin. 18 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.
.
Read the rest of this entry »
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
Everything is ready for Real Madrid vs. Roma. Giallorossi supporters have arrived in the Spanish capital, ready to face off against their Merengues opponents in a battle stadium chants. Meanwhile, the two managers Bernd Schuster and Luciano Spalletti have already begun their ‘battle of the mind’: a tactical showdown which will determine who holds the key to this game, whose nerves will fail and whose will prevail, who will be left standing at the end of the second leg. Roma was victorious in the first encounter at Stadio Olimpico, but the away goal scored by Real may prove very costly to the Giallorossi… which of the two clubs will reign supreme?
Meanwhile players, Real Madrid’s and Roma’s alike, have been training hard and are fretting in anticipation of the big match. I am talking about all players of course, but in particular two of them: Francesco Totti and Fabio Cannavaro, will will be the protagonists on a veritable ‘match-within-a-match’ on Wednesday night. Riccardo Pratesi of La Gazzetta dello Sport introduces us to this epic battle.
Written by Marco Pantanella. 6 comments
Image courtesy of Eddie Marles and AC Milan.
Last Saturday night in Parma (0 x 0), the legendary AC Milan captain, Paolo Maldini, celebrated his 1000th appearance for club and country. He came on as a 70th minute substitute for Marek Jankulovski.
“I hope my legacy will be one of absolute respect for the sport and opposition. This respect has been recognised by the fans, as I have never been insulted or jeered in any particular fashion.
I did not create a personality or character that is separate from how I am in real life and this was appreciated by fans.”
Written by Steve Amoia. 3 comments
In today’s video roundup we look at yesterday’s friendlies.
Written by ifutbal. One comment
Results, goals, and fine spectacle in Switzerland! At the Letzigrund Stadium of Zurich, the field which will host (among others) the Italy matches vs. Romania and France this summer, Roberto Donadoni’s team took Portugal out for a little joyride on Wednesday night. Only, the evening didn’t quite turn out the same way for each passenger: while the Azzurri broke a few speed limits without getting caught, honked at the pretty ladies on the sidewalk, and otherwise had tons of fun… Portugal crashed and burned. Quite simply. Scolari will have to spend quite some time at the repair shop this week…
.
Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Marco Pantanella. 5 comments
Whilst the whole world and his mother are hypothesizing about Don Fabio and his crew, I thought it might be a good idea to look at some of the other fixtures in what looks like a (dare I say it) appetising week of international friendly football, with fifteen of the sixteen Euro 2008 qualifiers in action, including six ties between the Euro 2008 competitors.
Here’s hoping that there are no injuries to top players, and no compensation paid out – although these days, so tight is the dialogue between club and national managers (a perquisite not available in days gone by) that players may be rested or asked by royal decree to play just half a match. That said, as a Spurs fan, I wouldn’t be too miffed if some divine force threw a lightning bolt or two at Cesc.
.
.
Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Hugo Steckelmacher. 5 comments
Soccerlens is extremely honored to welcome one of the best defenders ever to play the game to our column: AC Milan and Italy legend Mr. Franco Baresi.
Mr. Baresi enjoyed a distinguished and enviable career at Milan, winning 6 Serie A titles and 3 European Cups. He also featured for the Italian national team in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, taking his team to the semi-finals (3rd place) and finals respectively. He played for AC Milan throughout, and the club retired the number 6 jersey in his honor when he finally called an end to a glittering career in 1997. After retirement Mr. Baresi got involved in player coaching, and currently coaches the Milan Under-19 squad.
Fabio Capello was Mr. Franco Baresi’s manager at AC Milan and this relationship gave him special insight on Capello’s management techniques and personality. In this interview Mr. Baresi talks about Capello’s appointment as England manager and what fans and players can expect from Capello’s England.
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 3 comments
Soccerlens is excited to welcome former Italy and AC Milan manager Mr. Arrigo Sacchi to our column.
Mr. Sacchi managed several clubs - most notably Milan - and Italy, with notable success (he led Italy to the 1994 World Cup final) as his Milan team won league and European titles. He had no prior footballing background but as manager was renowned for his professionalism, man-management skills and his appreciation of beautiful football.
The rivalry between Mr. Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello - both former Milan managers - is deep and well-known, but it is a mark of their respect for each other that Mr. Sacchi chooses to praise Capello’s footballing knowledge and managerial ability and avoids commenting on personal differences.
In this interview Mr. Sacchi talks about Fabio Capello and his appointment as England manager.
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 2 comments
“Messieurs, rien ne va plus“! Scouts/negotiatiors/investors/sporting directors/club presidents have been working their ass off this past month, jumping from table to table in their endless quest for a last-minute star buy, in the traditional carousel that brings players, agents, and club owners all together in a merry-go-round dance. All bets are off now however, because what is known as the “CALCIOMERCATO” back in the old country (or, the January transfer window if your prefer) has officially come to an end as of Wednesday evening.
So for your viewing pleasure, mCalcio.com has arranged a practical table summary for all Serie A INGOING and OUTGOING TRANSFERS of the Winter break, with some great help from La Gazzetta dello Sport. If you’re curious about what other players all these clubs were targeting during this past month (i.e. the “near misses” category), have a look at this post which also includes the PLAYER NEGOTIATIONS.
Written by Marco Pantanella. 4 comments
Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
He is forever remembered for the wrong reason. His penalty kick miss at the final of World Cup 1994 against Brazil. Before that kick, he had never missed one for the Azzurri in seven attempts. In his Serie A career through 2001 (he retired in 2004), Baggio converted 71 out of 79 attempts.
Written by Steve Amoia. 14 comments
For many teams across Europe, the second biggest tournament to qualify and win would be the Euro. Behind the World Cup, of course. So it is a big time for all teams across the continent to unveil kits that will be worn for this event only, or for a couple years following. Though some of the kits have not changed since the 2006 World Cup, there are some that have, so I have created a collection of the kits here.
However if you want a brief synopsis of the teams kits, here you go:
Written by Brad Barnett. 3 comments
This might be El Clasico weekend in Spain but you wouldn’t be able to sell that to the Italians. Just like La Liga, the Italian Serie A too batters itself into a Christmas and New Year hibernation after this weekend’s round of matches but for Italy, this is Derby della Madonnina weekend.
Yes, it’s Internazionale versus AC Milan, or rather in affectionate terms, Inter Milan verus AC Milan and the fashion capital of the world (well, to the Italians at least) Milan will be ripped apart into two distinctly opposite halves. On one side there will be the Inter fans clad in blue and black colors while on the other side of the divide there will be the Milan fanatics clothed in red and black. Milan could be entirely dressed in mourning black by the end of the weekend should they fail to register a win at the San Siro.
Written by Subhankar Mondal. Leave a response
Matchday 6 of the UEFA Champions League wrapped up this week, in an atmosphere of semi-indifference for 3 of the 4 Serie A teams still in contention. Indeed, with AC Milan, Inter Milan, and AS Roma already through to the next round, the only team left fighting for their lives were Lazio, hanging by a very thin thread and hoping in an unlikely win on away soil at the Santiago Bernabéu. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be for the Biancocelesti who were forced to concede a 3-1 victory to the Spaniards, and by the same token were eliminated from Europe completely (not even a UEFA Cup consolation).
In the other matches, Group F still provided a bit of suspense somewhat. Firstly because despite both teams were already qualified, Roma and Man Utd were fighting for the lead of the group. But more importantly (as everyone will surely remember), the Giallorossi were trying to erase that 7-1 defeat in the 2006-07 season at Old Trafford, which still felt like an open wound in the eyes of many Roma supporters, and provided an easy argument for mockery for many Man Utd fans.
Written by Marco Pantanella. Leave a response
This article is a submission for the Soccerlens ‘Share Your Football Experiences’ Contest; to participate, please read the details here.
Well, before the competition ended, I thought I’d add my little contribution to our “Share Your Football Experiences” theme this month. I apologize in advance for the piece’s length, I do tend to get carried away sometimes. So feel free to consider this “outside of the competition”. 
I also apologize for the quality of the pictures, but that’s the best I could do with short notice. I’ll try to get my friend Mario to provide me with some better ones later.
Written by Marco Pantanella. 5 comments
The odds have been set for next summer’s Euro 2008. The favourites out of the 16 nations to win the tournament are Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland and France. Co-hosts Austria and Switzerland have been seeded first along with defending champions Greece as the race for the final in Vienna on June 29th begins.
Written by James Massoud. 7 comments
Such a shame for Italy! The Azzurri Futsal team did all they could against current World and European Champions Spain, but in the end the Furia Roja proved to be too strong in the Euro 2007 Futsal UEFA Championship final game. For those of you who are wondering, FUTSAL is an indoor version of football (soccer) whose name is derived from the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol sala/de salón, a.k.a. ‘indoor football’.
It is decidedly a Spanish curse the Azzurri are under: just like in the 2004 World Cup, the clash between Italy and Spain turned to the advantage of the Iberians. In the end a deserved result for a team which, perhaps, was better able to deal with difficult key moments of the match. Italy, contrary to their performance in the tournament so far, committed a few mistakes and was immediately punished by the Spaniards, who kept a tight lock on their own goal thanks to a near perfect performance of goalkeeper Luis Amado Carballo.
.
Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Marco Pantanella. 3 comments
“Come on” Italia, Euro 2008 is served!!!! After a match of incredible suffering the Azzurri managed to beat a valiant Scottish team at Hampden Park, and earned a well-deserved qualification to the European championships. After a first half of masterful display (rewarded by the very early goal of Luca Toni), the Italians had their breath cut out by the Scots’ physical strength (and Barry Ferguson’s tally) in the second. However in the last quarter of the game (following an excellent scoring chance for either side) the Azzurri stuck their knife into the Scottish hearts when Christian Panucci placed his header past Craig Gordon in stoppage time, sending Italy through to Austria/Switzerland.
Written by Marco Pantanella. 11 comments
The wife is easily influenced by the mainstream media. Ever since the BBC first aired ‘Heroes’, she believes she has supernatural abilities. I’ve tried to explain that ‘sensing’ I’m not in a romantic mood does not equate to a ‘power’; she’s merely deduced that I haven’t been drinking heavily.
I, however, have a genuine gift. I can make kitchen appliances spring to life just by talking to them. Just last night, I switched the oven on by staring it and growling, “Cook…Cook now…Cook now or else.” It was a pressure cooker.
Written by Gerry McDonnell. 7 comments
It’s that time of the year again. The time when a random (ok, let’s call it ‘well-respected’ if you prefer) football publication makes an “All Time Best” ranking that never fails to create controversy and offend a few people.
FourFourTwo did one of those last month, this time it’s the turn of the ‘Association of Football Statisticians’ to make its Top 100, after studying every fact and figure from the beautiful game over the past 100 years.
Points are given for goals scored by forwards and clean sheets for defenders. Players also get awarded marks for trophies won, captaincy and the level they played at throughout their career.
Written by Marco Pantanella. 101 comments
In soccer, there are two kind of supporters: the first type watches the sport because of love for the beautiful game, and thus doesn’t care who wins or loses for as long as the matches are entertaining. And then there’s the type who above all wants its favorite team to win, and if they also play spectacular soccer, that’s a bonus. The Italy-Georgia match of Saturday evening will have no doubt pleased the latter type, but deeply disappointed the former.
Written by Marco Pantanella. One comment
