Features news coverage of Roma and its players, including match reports, transfer rumours and general football news.
Today’s transfer roundup won’t be too long, because I’m being generous. I’m sure you all have much better things to do than to sit and read for an extended period of time…right?
Written by Eddie Griffin. One comment
Today’s transfer roundup starts up as the last one did, so Arsenal fans, feel free to jump a couple of paragraphs.
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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:
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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
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.
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Highlights from last night’s Champions League quarter-final ties:
Even with Ronaldo and Rooney on the bench, United were just too strong for Roma. Turning point of the game, Del Rossi’s penalty miss for Roma.
Barcelona 1-0 Schalke
Early aggression by Schalke could not turn into goals. In the end, the Catalans strolled past the Germans with a Yaya Toure winner.
Brought to you by goalcentre.com.
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A controlled performance at Stadio Olimpico and another European class act at Old Trafford secured passage to the Champions League semi-finals for Manchester United for a second year in a row. Roma go home humbled (and tired of playing United) but while they actually showed up this time around at Old Trafford, so did United’s injury-struck squad.
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 12 comments
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:
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Roma midfielder David Pizarro has hit out at Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo saying that his tricks are unnecessary and show a lack of respect for the opposition. He says Ronaldo is a show off and big headed. Whilst this comment has all the hallmarks of being a great big dish of sour grapes, I wonder if he has a point.
I know that if Ronaldo was performing needless step-overs in the middle of the field against the team I support, I would be upset, frustrated and probably yell at my team encouraging someone to ‘put him under’. That’s human nature and I think everyone could understand that.
This is the second time this season that this issue has come up in relation to Manchester United players. In the FA Cup tie with Arsenal which United won comfortably there was a passage of play where Nani had a little game of ‘keepy-ups’. This incensed the Arsenal players and two or three of them tried to exact immediate revenge. Indeed, Gallas was seen kicking Nani from behind off the ball a few minutes later.
So is what has become known as showboating a great piece of skill and entertainment or the demonstration of a lack of respect for the opposition and something that should be frowned upon?
Written by Graham Fisher. 24 comments
The R-R show again. Ronaldo and Rooney destroyed Rome in the UEFA Champions League 1st leg quarter finals.
Bojan Krkic the toast for Barcelona in Germany as Barcelona come out tops.
brought to you by goalcentre.com.
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Before this game (and indeed, before any away game Manchester United have played in the last couple of seasons) the media trotted out figures to suggest that United were abysmal away in Europe - and few United fans would have argued against it after 4 away defeats last season (Celtic, Copenhagen, Roma and Milan) in the Champions League.
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European football is around the corner (as soon as we deal with today’s Sunday fixtures - Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham for the win, btw) and it’s time for us (you and me) to predict the future with all the confidence that being arm-chair critics gives us.
Here are my predictions (that’s my crystal ball up top) - let me know yours in the comments:
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 32 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
With now only 8 teams remaining in each respective tournament, UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon (Switzerland) will host the draws on Friday afternoon for the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals of the 2007/08 UEFA club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup.
The UEFA Champions League draw will be made at 13.00CET and conducted by the UEFA General Secretary (David Taylor) and the ambassador for the final in Moscow on May 21st (Russian goalkeeping legend Rinat Dasaev). The UEFA Cup draw will follow at 14.00CET and will be conducted by Mr Taylor and the ambassador for the May 14th final in Manchester (1964 European Footballer of the Year Denis Law).
Soccerlens brought to you the draw LIVE as each of the 4 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup matches were drawn. FULL RESULTS after the jump
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Written by Marco Pantanella. 30 comments
“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
There are some occasions when a big performance from the referee is needed. Of course it would be more pleasant if referees did their jobs well every match, but that is not possible. That being said you would expect that Europe’s top club competition, where Europe’s top players, top managers, best stadiums and on occasion the best crowds are showcased, would also be home to the best referees. Unfortunately that is hardly the case as we saw last night at the Santiago Bernabeu.
With AS Roma taking a 2-1 lead to Madrid for the second leg, they were looking to hold on to it (we all know…); Real Madrid on the other hand were desperate to avoid another premature exit from the Champions League. This ensured that the game would be scrappy and with dirty tactics employed by both sides. The referee needed to be on top of his game to give Real Madrid a fair chance at qualification or AS Roma a way back into the match in case Los Blancos scored. Here is what happened:
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Well, that was a surprise. No, not Real Madrid losing at home to Roma (bye bye Schuster, hello Jose?), although Roma must be commended for their excellent efforts (for full coverage, read Chris’s live blog / report).
No, the surprise was seeing Liverpool fans searching on Google for information on the 2nd leg game against Inter (easily outstripping the search efforts of Chelsea fans, so there’s one debate settled about which club has more fans) - apparently a large contingent of Reds thought that Liverpool were playing this Wednesday. What, Hicks and Gillett are too busy dragging the club through mud to send you guys a memo?
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 2 comments
It’s a night of magic in Madrid. Magic like the touches of Totti, magic like the saves of Doni and the tackles of Juan, magic like the goals of Taddei and Vucinic, magic like only Roma can be (they’re nicknamed “La Maggica” in the Italian capital). The home factor of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu did not work this time: what the Spanish call “miedo escénico” (scenic fear) did not even graze the Giallorossi as they stepped into the footballing heart of Madrid. No sir, Francesco Totti & friends travelled to Spain with the firm belief that an exploit was possible, that beating the team with the most UEFA Champions League titles (in their home stadium!) was not a pipe dream.
Tonight’s victory is in large part the merit of Luciano Spalletti, firm believer of his team’s potential, uncompromising in modifying their attacking style, and proving dead wrong those who said that playing in such a way will never get you significant results. It is also the victory of everyone else on the Roma roster, but in particular Juan, Daniele De Rossi, Alberto Aquilani, and Mirko Vucinic, absolutely royal in their performance. Yes, royal, because there was only one king in Spain tonight and it wasn’t Madrid: the Giallorossi traveled to the big monster’s lair, brought the Spanish giant down to its knees, and returned pride to Italian football. Grazie Roma.
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Written by Marco Pantanella. One comment
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
With Europe coming to a standstill (or the whole world, if you believe Scudamore) for the 2nd leg of the Champions League round of 16, we’re not doing the daily news today, just a wrap-up of Champions League action. Of course, there’s the small matter of Liverpool being taken over (ok, I mean under discussions), but let’s save that for a different article.
On to the review / preview:
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Champions League preparation wasn’t the same ballpark game for Milan as it was for Roma on Saturday. While the Giallorossi will be travelling to Madrid with a confident feeling (Roma put on a brilliant display of footy today, winning their home game vs. Parma 4-0), the Rossoneri will be coming from a rather bleak week of Serie A matches: 1-1 vs. Catania Wednesday, same score vs. Lazio today. Granted, Milan will be playing their second leg vs. Arsenal at home, defending a good 0-0 result obtained at Emirates stadium (while Roma will have to keep a potentially troublesome Madrid away goal in mind), but absences in the roster may be starting to take their toll on Ancelotti’s team. They certainly did today.
Bringing you the latest news from the Italian Serie A, mCalcio.com’s Marco Pantanella looks at Saturday’s matches.
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You know, if there is someone who I’ve always had the utmost respect for, throughout all these winless years (let’s face it, until 2006 Inter Milan hadn’t won squat for the past two decades, save for a measley UEFA Cup in 1998), it’s Javier Zanetti. He’s been the heart of the Nerazzurri ever since he transferred from Banfield in 1995, and Wednesday he had the occasion to prove it yet again, by saving his team from their first Serie A loss of the season. Not only that, but losing against Roma would have meant the onset of a mini-crisis among Inter ranks, especially after the draw vs. Sampdoria and the Liverpool catastrophe.
Speaking of Roma though, yesterday night proved one thing: 17 matches after the Supercoppa Italiana and 10 months after their 3-1 away victory at Giuseppe Meazza, if there’s one team Inter have a tough time tackling it’s the Giallorossi.
Written by Marco Pantanella. 3 comments
With the competition now reaching its vital playoff stage, things didn’t debut in quite the same way for the three Italian teams still in European contention. Inter Milan, Roma, and AC Milan shared the three thirds that make a whole in football: a loss, a win, and a draw.
Marco Pantanella takes a look at how each protagonist from Serie A did this week, for the first leg of UEFA Champions League’s Round of 16. Courtesy of mCalcio.com, the blog for Italian Serie A news.
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Written by Marco Pantanella. 7 comments
The Champions League finally got back underway on Tuesday night, with the round of 16 kicking off with the first four first-leg ties. Here are the highlights (and lowlights) of last night’s action.
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Fly, little bird, fly.. high in the Serie A sky. That little bird my friends, is Inter Milan, who thanks to the defeat of Roma at the hands of Juventus, now have an 11-point lead on their 2nd-ranked Giallorossi rivals. In other words, chalk up another Scudetto for the Nerazzurri… what remains is the bid for Champions League qualification, something for which Juventus, authors of an excellent performance at the Stadio Olimpico of Turin, scored big points tonight. Attentive, determined, and eager to get a result on their home stadium, Claudio Ranieri’s men really battled it out on the field, grabbing the lead and managing to conserve it in pure Juventus fashion: by tying down the plays of their opponents and relying on their nº1 keeper Gigi Buffon. The Scudetto race may well be over, but the 2nd spot is all up for grabs now.
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