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Juve´s ´dead coach walking´ looks doomed

Ciro Ferrara’s troubled reign as Juventus coach could end this weekend, even before Sunday’s Serie A home clash against Lazio.

Ferrara’s position has looked increasingly untenable in recent weeks as his side have slipped to sixth in the standings after losing five of their last six league games.

They have also been knocked out of the Champions League and exited the Italian Cup.

Some commentators even used the term “dead coach walking” to describe his situation ahead of Thursday’s Italian Cup quarter-final at league leaders Inter Milan, which they lost 2-1.

The former Italy and Juventus defender, who was handed the job despite his lack of experience just before the end of last season when Claudio Ranieri was fired, has accepted his time in charge may be up.

“This experience will be useful for me in the future,” he told a press conference.

“Six months at Juve are worth 10 years elsewhere. When, and if, someone says something (about my position) I’ll accept it serenely. Even if the club bring in another coach, I’ll always be grateful to them.”

Former Italy Under 21 coach Claudio Gentile is the favourite to take over until the end of the season, when the Turin giants reportedly hope to lure Rafael Benitez from Liverpool.

Whoever is in charge on Sunday will have to cope without a long list of injured players, including forward David Trezeguet and Italy winger Mauro Camoranesi, while keeper Gianluigi Buffon and defender Fabio Grosso are suspended.

Lazio are also in the doldrums after last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Chievo left the Roman club just two points above the relegation zone in 15th.

It is a big change from the build-up to the early-season fixture between the sides after two league games, when they both had perfect records before a match that Juve won 2-0.

Second-placed AC Milan are looking for a response against Livorno on Sunday after their title ambitions suffered a massive blow with last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Inter.

They also went out of the Italian Cup with a 1-0 loss to Udinese on Wednesday.

Brazil forward Pato is still unavailable with a thigh problem while influential centre back Alessandro Nesta, badly missed against Inter, is fighting to shake off a leg muscle strain.

Struggling Livorno will visit the San Siro under Serse Cosmi, who made peace with club president Aldo Spinelli on Tuesday having resigned as coach after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Napoli.

But they cannot count on first-choice goalkeeper Alfonso De Lucia and Brazilian midfielder Mozart because of suspensions.

Inter, who are nine points clear after having played one game more than their city rivals, will be without Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder and Brazil defender Lucio at Parma on Sunday after their red cards in the derby.

But coach Jose Mourinho may be able to field Samuel Eto’o, who has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon, if an ankle knock is not too bad.

AS Roma, who are two points behind Milan in third, face Siena at home on Sunday.

Fourth-placed Napoli, who, like Roma, are in excellent form, entertain Genoa on Saturday with fifth-placed Palermo visiting Bari earlier that day.

Fiorentina, who have slipped down to ninth after some poor recent performances, are unlikely to be able to field Adrian Mutu at Cagliari after it was announced on Thursday that the Romania striker had failed a drugs test.

Saturday

Bari v Palermo, Napoli v Genoa

Sunday

AC Milan v Livorno, Cagliari v Fiorentina, Catania v Udinese, Chievo v Bologna, Juventus v Lazio, Parma v Inter Milan, Roma v Siena, Sampdoria v Atalanta

ROME (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, adrian mutu, Africa, Aldo Spinelli, Alessandro, Bari, Bologna, cameroon, catania, ciro ferrara, claudio gentile, Claudio Ranieri, coach claudio, commentators, David, david trezeguet, doldrums, Fabio Grosso, genoa, gianluigi buffon, inter milan, italian cup, Italy, jose mourinho, juve, juventus, league games, Liverpool, livorno, massive blow, mauro camoranesi, Milan, napoli, Palermo, relegation zone, Romania, ROME, San, season fixture, trezeguet, winger

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Mutu banned after failing drug test

Italy’s National Anti-doping Tribunal (TNA) on Friday provisionally suspended Fiorentina’s Romanian striker Adrian Mutu after he tested positive for the banned substance sibutramine.

The tribunal announced in a press release that it had “suspended the player according to the demand made by the office of the anti-doping prosecutor on January 28″.

Mutu, 31, tested positive for sibutramine after scoring in his side’s 2-1 home win over Bari in the league on January 10. He risks a suspension of between one and four years.

In a statement, the Tuscan club said their medical staff had had nothing to do with the administration of a banned substance and expressed their belief in “the good faith” of the player.

The club added that they wanted to see “the affair cleared up as quickly as possible”.

Sibutramine is a medicine principally used in the treatment of obesity.

According to the ANSA news agency, who spoke to a pharmacologist, the substance would enable an athlete to increase his level of aggression.

Media reports in Romania on Friday, meanwhile, speculated that Mutu could have accidentally been given the drug by his mother.

Interviewed by the TV channel Telesport, Mutu’s mother, Rodica Mutu, admitted to having taken slimming tablets and said she had “definitely left some of them in Italy” while visiting her son.

“Maybe he took them out of curiosity as I had boasted about losing weight,” she said. “But in any case, the box says that they’re a natural product that contains no banned substances.”

Friends and relatives have rallied round the star, asserting that he would not have taken doping products on purpose.

Inter Milan defender Cristian Chivu, the Romania captain, also defended his “friend”, saying that he was “obsessed by his figure”.

“I know that he was always taking tablets to stay in shape,” Chivu said.

“This time he must have just taken the wrong pill. I don’t believe it was an intentional thing.”

Mutu was fired by Chelsea after a positive test for cocaine in 2004, not long after joining the English Premier League club. He subsequently served a seven-month ban for use of a banned substance.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport last year upheld the 17.17-million-euro fine handed to Mutu by FIFA as a punishment for breaching his contract with Chelsea.

The Romanian says he is unable to pay the fine but has offered to make a donation to a charity in its place.

Mutu arrived in Florence in 2006 after a year and a half at Juventus, and this season he has played in 11 Serie A and six Champions League matches, scoring four and three goals in each competition respectively.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: adrian mutu, aggression, ansa news agency, Bari, CHELSEA, cocaine, cristian chivu, curiosity, good faith, inter milan, Italy, losing weight, medical staff, Milan, pharmacologist, premier league, prosecutor, Romania, ROME, sibutramine, slimming tablets, striker, telesport, treatment of obesity, tuscan, tv channel

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Milan´s title chances on line against Inter

AC Milan head into this weekend’s top of the table derby clash with Inter Milan knowing defeat could spell the end of their Serie A title hopes.

Champions Inter have a six-point lead at the top although Milan, in second, have a game in hand, away to Fiorentina in February.

In-form Milan head into this match with eight wins from their last nine Serie A clashes while Inter have stumbled several times recently, particularly on their travels.

They have won only one of their last four away matches in the league and even needed two late strikes to earn a 4-3 victory at home to rock bottom Catania in their last home match.

They will be the hosts at the San Siro on Sunday, although the stadium is also Milan’s home.

The nominal visitors know that while a draw would not be a disaster, the loss of all three points would be.

“The table says we are six points back with a game in hand although that is away to Fiorentina and will be very difficult,” said combative midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.

“But we cannot afford to lose the derby, even with a draw we’d still be in with a chance. We’d still be six points back but with a game in hand and the fight would be open.”

Gattuso, though, admitted to being worried about Inter’s amazing powers of recovery.

“Inter cause fear because many times they go behind but still pull out incredible recoveries,” he said.

“I’m thinking of the match against Siena or the one at San Nicola (stadium) when they were 2-0 down to Bari and only narrowly failed to come home with the three points.

“Inter have a strength and a squad that worries you. There’s (Wesley) Sneijder and (Diego) Milito who have great quality but it’s (coach Jose) Mourinho himself who worries me the most because he’s one who certainly won’t go to sleep until he’s found a solution to stop us.

“I know that right now he’s watching many videos to study and see how to stop us.”

Mourinho is going to have to come up with something as he is likely to be without three important midfielders in Dejan Stankovic, Thiago Motta and Sulley Muntari, all stuggling with muscle problems.

Things are little better in their neighbours’ treatment room where striker Pato and full-back Gianluca Zambrotta have been ruled out while centre-back Alessandro Nesta is struggling to be fit.

Further down the table crisis-club Juventus host AS Roma with Claudio Ranieri coming back to face the club that fired him two games before the end of last season.

Ironically, it was following a 3-1 home defeat to Juve at the beginning of the season that saw Luciano Spalletti leave Roma and replaced by Ranieri.

Juve looked set for a great season back then as they won their first four league matches while Roma struggled.

However, Roma have won seven and drawn three of their last 10 league games while Juve have lost seven of their last 10 in all comeptitions and Ranieri’s replacement Ciro Ferrara is under extreme pressure.

Roma are third with Juve down in fifth, although they could be overtaken by both Fiorentina and Cagliari if they win their games in hand.

Fixtures:

Saturday

Catania v Parma, Juventus v AS Roma

Sunday

Bologna v Bari, Genoa v Atalanta, Inter Milan v AC Milan, Lazio v Chievo, Livorno v Napoli, Palermo v Fiorentina, Siena v Cagliari, Udinese v Sampdoria

ROME (AFP)

Tags: Alessandro Nesta, Bari, catania, cause fear, clashes, Claudio Ranieri, Diego, diego milito, gennaro gattuso, genoa, home match, inter milan, Jose, lazio, livorno, luciano spalletti, midfielder, napoli, Palermo, rock bottom, ROME, san siro, several times, Siena, six points, strikes, Thiago Motta, Wesley, Wesley Sneijder, zambrotta

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Ronaldinho hat-trick puts the heat on Inter

Hat-trick hero Ronaldinho inspired AC Milan to a crushing 4-0 thumping of 10-man Siena to close the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan to just six points with the Milan derby to come next week.

Milan also have a game in hand meaning they could potentially draw level with the four-in-a-row champions if they were to win next weekend’s crunch clash.

Playing the league’s basement sitters Milan hardly needed a helping hand but they got exactly that as Siena goalkeeper Gianluca Curci was harshly sent off on 10 minutes.

Ronaldinho despatched the resulting penalty and Marco Borriello scored on 28 minutes to put the game to bed before half-time before the Brazilian rounded off the scoring in the second period.

Milan coach Leonardo paid tribute to his Brazilian compatriot and looked forward to the derby.

“It’s normal when someone feels the love, he responds. He’s entertaining everyone, he’s a great player,” he said of Ronaldinho.

“He’s having a great season, he’s rediscovered his taste for playing well and scoring goals.

“It’s a great time in a great title race (for the derby) and it will create interest because we are closer (to Inter).

“There will be a lot of expectation and attention and I’m delighted to be a part of that.”

Milan started in determined mood following Inter’s 2-2 draw at Bari on Saturday night and Ronaldinho took an Alessandro Nesta cross on his chest on three minutes before sending a spectacular overhead bicycle kick just off target.

But on 10 minutes the referee took the decision that essentially ended the game as a contest.

Jardim Brandao dithered on the ball in his own box and Borriello dispossessed him before trying to round Curci.

There was minimal contact between the pair and Borriello crumpled to the ground but the striker’s last touch had been too heavy anyway and left him no chance of reaching the ball before a back-tracking defender.

Even so, the referee pointed to the spot and showed Curci a straight red card.

Substitute goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo’s first task was to pick the ball out of his net.

Siena battled on gamely and on 26 minutes Massimo Maccarone someone escaped from a crowd of three defenders on the edge of the Milan box to bundle through before firing over on the stretch as Thiago Silva came across to put him under pressure.

Yet just two minutes later the lead was doubled as Andrea Pirlo curled a cross into the near post and Borriello hooked a brilliant volley over his shoulder and into the top corner.

Ronaldinho proved a constant menace and had two early second half chances, flicking the ball over the bar with the first and being denied by Pegalo with the second.

But 18 minutes from time he rose unmarked in the box to head home a David Beckham corner.

Then, having tricked his way into the area Ronaldinho flicked the ball wide of the far post, but the Brazilian finally sealed his first Milan hat-trick with a rocket into the top corner from outside the area a minute from time.

Juventus slumped to their seventh defeat in 10-games with a 1-0 reverse at Chievo that is sure to increase the pressure on under-fire coach Ciro Ferrara.

Juve dropped to fourth but will tumble out of the Champions League places if Napoli avoid defeat at home to Palermo in the day’s late game.

AS Roma moved up to third as on-loan striker Luca Toni scored his first goals for the club in a 3-0 win over free-falling Genoa.

Simone Perrotta opened the scoring on 17 minutes after a scramble at a corner and then Toni turned home Mirko Vucinic’s cross on the stroke of half-time.

And on the hour mark Vucinic turned provider again for Toni to head home his second.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, Bari, bicycle kick, compatriot, crunch, gianluca curci, hat trick hero, helping hand, inter milan, Marco Borriello, referee, ronaldinho, scoring goals, second period, Siena, striker, three minutes

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Bari hold Inter again to boost Milan hopes

Bari breathed new life into the Serie A title race by holding champions Inter Milan to a draw for the second time this season after a 2-2 stalemate that included three penalties.

Inter, who were 2-0 down at one stage, now lead city rivals AC Milan by nine points, but the Rossonero have two games in hand with the derby to come next weekend.

But while Inter coach Jose Mourinho may feel this was two points dropped, as was the case when Inter hosted the southerners on the opening day of the season, this result was testament to Inter’s powers of recovery.

Two Paulo Baretto penalties looked to have given Bari victory but Macedonia striker Goran Pandev pulled a goal back before Argentine strike partner Diego Milito’s penalty earned the champions a share of the spoils.

Mourinho was not entirely happy with the result and pointed to his side’s penalty claiming Bari should have had Leonardo Bonucci dismissed.

“Obviously I’m satisfied with the comeback because if you’re losing 2-0 away against a side of this quality, it’s not easy to get a draw but obviously I’m not satisfied we conceded two goals,” said Mourinho.

“After conceding two penalties in five minutes the game seemed lost but the lads showed great character to earn a point that seemed lost.

“You can never say if in football but if Bari had played with 10 men at the end and with no centre-back left on the bench, there would have been a different result.”

Few clear-cut chances were created in the first half but Bari clearly had the better of things with Honduran winger Edgar Alvarez’s pace causing considerable problems for makeshift left-back Ivan Cordoba.

And it was Alvarez who had the first clear sight of goal on 28 minutes as Massimo Donati’s pass found a gap between Cordoba and centre-back Lucio with the Honduran racing on to the ball but with only Julio Cesar to beat he fired against the goalkeeper’s legs.

Four minutes later Hungarian Vladimir Koman slipped the ball wide to overlapping left-back Alessandro Parisi and his fierce drive was beaten away by Julio Cesar.

Inter seemed to be coming back into the match early in the second period as Wesley Sneijder struck a powerful free-kick from distance wide out on the left only for Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet to tip the ball around the post.

From the resulting corner Milito’s shot was blocked and Cordoba sliced the rebound wide.

But the game changed on two penalties, the first given when Riccardo Meggiorini’s cross from the left hit Walter Samuel’s arm.

Baretto sent Julio Cesar the wrong way to open the scoring on the hour.

And just three minutes later Lucio gave away another penalty after clumsily bundling Parisi over in the box.

Baretto shot to the other corner this time, again sending Julio Cesar the wrong way.

Mourinho’s response was immediate, throwing on winger Ricardo Quaresma and full-back Davide Santon.

Inter were soon level after some shoddy Bari defending.

A Mario Balotelli shot from distance on 69 minutes hit Andrea Masiello and Pandev was quickest to react to the loose ball to slot home.

Five minutes later a ricochet played Pandev in behind the Bari defence and Bonucci brought him down with Milito despatching the third spot-kick of the game.

Mourinho wasn’t happy that Bonucci wasn’t sent off and disputed the penalty against Samuel.

“I haven’t seen a TV replay but it seems to me that there were many questions on the first penalty,” he said.

“And then there seems to be a special rule for us. Early in the season against Milan (Gennaro) Gattuso didn’t get a red card for a foul as the last man and again here if this isn’t a red card then I’ve nothing to say.

“If Pandev is behind the defence and Bonucci is the last man then why isn’t it a red card?”

Alvarez had a chance to win the game when played in by Baretto but his first touch was far too heavy and Julio Cesar cleared.

Earlier in the day Cagliari went sixth, just three points off a Champions League position, with a 3-0 defeat of Livorno.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, Bari, city rivals, diego milito, Goalkeeper, Goran Pandev, inter milan, ivan cordoba, jose mourinho, koman, lucio, massimo donati, opening day, parisi, rossonero, s pass, southerners, spoils, stalemate, winger

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Buffon boost as Juve seek to salvage season

Juventus have received two important boosts ahead of their tricky trip to Chievo on Sunday as they bid to salvage their dismal season.

Last week Juve crashed 3-0 at home to AC Milan to slip 12 points behind leaders Inter Milan.

The defeat, a sixth in eight games in all competitions during which time they also slumped out of the Champions League, also left Juventus embroiled in a tense race for a place in Europe’s top competition next season.

Napoli in fourth are level on points with them, AS Roma are one point behind and both Palermo and Fiorentina, who have a game in hand, are within one victory of the Turin giants.

On Wednesday, Juventus earned a confidence boost in beating Napoli 3-0 in the Coppa Italia while Italy’s number one goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has declared himself fit for Sunday’s trip.

But while that may seem like a double boost, the truth is that Buffon only missed four matches and was between the sticks during most of Juve’s troubles.

Little should be read into the defeat of Napoli either as the southerners rested all their top players, and unlike Juve they don’t have a huge squad with a bench full of international players.

Even so, Juve coach Ciro Ferrara has been happy to see a little of the pressure on his position ease.

“It was a very, very important match for all of us, for me but for everyone else as well,” he said after that victory.

“We played with humility and determination, we deserved to win.

“Lots has gone wrong recently but we absolutely must buy someone. Many players have gone away and we have some injuries.”

However, Buffon was more reserved in his assessment of Juve’s position.

“The win over Napoli in the Cup served to restore our morale but we all know that’s not enough to bring some consistency to our results,” he warned.

Ahead of Juve, Milan are eight points behind Inter, although they do have a game in hand and the Milan derby to come in a week’s time.

Inter also face a tricky clash away to Bari on Saturday with the southerners having only lost once at home all season.

They also held Inter to a 1-1 draw at the San Siro on the opening day of the campaign and are in the mix for a top four finish, six points behind Juve and Napoli but with a game in hand.

Bari captain, the Belgian goalkeeper Jean Francois Gillet vowed to give Jose Mourinho as many problems as they did earlier in the season.

“Against Inter in the worst case scenario we hope to repeat the result we previously got against them when we had the Italian champions on the ropes,” he said.

Inter have problems as Samuel Eto’o is away on African Cup of Nations duty while the likes of Esteban Cambiasso and Dejan Stankovic are stuggling to be fit and Cristian Chivu is definitely out.

If Inter do slip up, Milan will be expecting to capitalise given they are playing at home to rock bottom Siena.

Alongside Napoli, Milan are probably the form team in Serie A and combative midfielder Gennaro Gattuso says a lot of that is down to rookie coach Leonardo.

“He’s doing a great job with the group and manages to get himself understood in the dressing room,” he said.

“It’s not easy managing such a group with many star players but he’s great at speaking to everyone individually and making them understand the needs of the team.”

It won’t be all plain-sailing for Milan, though, as last week Siena were two minutes away from escaping the San Siro with three points until two late Inter goals gave the champions a 4-3 win.

Fixtures

Saturday

Bari v Inter Milan, Cagliari v Livorno

Sunday

AC Milan v Siena, Atalanta v Lazio, Chievo v Juventus, Fiorentina v Bologna, Napoli v Palermo, Parma v Udinese, AS Roma v Genoa, Sampdoria v Catania

ROME (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, Bari, Bologna, boosts, catania, champions league, clash, consistency, cristian chivu, Esteban Cambiasso, Europe, Ferrara, gennaro gattuso, genoa, gianluigi buffon, inter milan, Italy, juve, juve milan, lazio, leonardo, Milan, napoli, Palermo, Roma, salvage, samuel eto, San, southerners, turin

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Atalanta manager Conte resigns

Antonio Conte’s first Serie A job has ended as a disappointment. The Atalanta coach handed in his resignation during a meeting with club officials Thursday morning. The Nerazzurri are yet to appoint a successor to Conte.

Atalanta only earned thirteen points from their first seventeen league matches and they are just one point above last-place Siena.

The Nerazzurri slipped to a 2-0 home defeat against Napoli yesterday, sparking a wave of protests outside the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia. Conte tried to present his resignation last night but it was rejected by the Atalanta directors.

However, the former Juventus captain announced today that he has become the second coach this season to leave the relegation-threatened team.

“This is right at this time,” said Conte as he left Atalanta’s training ground. “It’s me who’s decided to leave. “I already presented my resignation last night, but I was rejected. Having reflected on it all night, I then decided to present it again.

“My regret is that I couldn’t do all that I had in mind, but I leave a lively squad, very lively, with which I got 13 points, so it’s not a disaster. Is it a black mark in my career? No, if anything the black mark is that what happened yesterday with the fans.”

Conte only worked for six months at Atalanta. He joined the Nerazzurri after he left Bari, last summer.

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Under-pressure Ferrara vows to fight on at Juventus

Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara has vowed to fight on despite his team’s fifth defeat in six matches leaving their season in tatters.

Juve and near-novice coach Ferrara came into this campaign with lofty expectations in both Serie A and the Champions League but these last six matches have changed all that.

The Italian giants lost their last two European games against Bordeaux and Bayern Munich to leave them with Europa League football to looked forward to next year.

And three defeats in their last four league matches against minnows Cagliari, Bari and Catania has left them nine points behind champions Inter Milan and with little hope of landing a first league title since 2003.

But despite his team’s dire results, Ferrara insists he will stick things out.

“Ours is a boat in a storm and to get through this we have to stick together, not for one moment have I thought about abandoning ship,” he said.

In his first senior coaching job, Ferrara took over the Juve reins two matches before the end of last season after Claudio Ranieri was sacked but since winning his first six league matches he has won only seven of the last 18 in all competitions.

Juve have picked up just 18 points from their last 13 league games, a points to games ratio that would see them below 13th placed Cagliari if they’d done that since the start of the season.

But for their four straight wins at the beginning they would be in crisis.

“It’s a difficult time for everyone, we’re desperately disappointed, we’re struggling and our opponents are making the most of it,” added Ferrara.

“Strong men and strong teams need to react but it’s not easy because morale is low. However, those who are used to and work in sport know that there are difficult times that need to be overcome.”

The problem is that the fans are increasingly turning against both Ferrara and the team.

They were jeered throughout Sunday’s shocking 2-1 home defeat to rock-bottom Catania and several hundred fans staged an angry protest outside the ground after the final whistle.

“The dressing room shares their disappointment as does everyone going through this difficult time in which we are not achieving results worthy of this club,” said Ferrara.

“We can’t be happy. If there was just one problem we would already have resolved it. There are many things that aren’t working … but the answer lies not in the transfer market.”

Ferrara is under pressure with rumours abound that he may soon be given the boot, with Guus Hiddink allegedly on the Old Lady of Turin’s wanted list, although the Dutchman’s agent poured cold water over that speculation.

“It’s not true, no-one from Juve has contacted me,” said Cees Van Niewenhuizen.

“I’ve also read that we were seen at (Milan’s) Malpensa airport but that’s not true either, it’s ridiculous.”

Ferrara has found an unlikely ally, though, in predecessor Ranieri who explained how tough the Juve job can be.

“There you have to win so it’s normal that fans protest. I did what was asked of me and I was still sent packing,” he said.

For now, though, Juventus are publically backing their coach.

“We believe in him and his staff. We all need to work harder and look at ourselves,” said president Jean-Claude Blanc.

“The winter break has come at just the right time to reflect so that we can come back afterwards with better morale so that we can improve our results.”

ROME (AFP)

Tags: Bari, Bayern, bayern munich, Bordeaux, cagliari, catania, champions league, ciro ferrara, Claudio Ranieri, coaching job, difficult times, inter milan, Jean-Claude, juventus, league football, league games, little hope, lofty expectations, Malpensa, Milan, reins, rock bottom, ROME, strong men, turin, Van Niewenhuizen

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Inter held by Atalanta as title rivals flounder

Italian league leaders Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw at Atalanta on Sunday that prevented them from fully capitalising on slips-up by their main title rivals, Juventus and AC Milan.

Inter, the four-time defending champions, were looking to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat at Juventus last weekend and they took a 15th-minute lead when their 10-goal top scorer Diego Milito outfoxed three defenders to score.

Jose Mourinho’s side were made to toil in the second period following the 65th-minute dismissal of midfielder Wesley Sneijder for two bookable offences and they allowed Atalanta to snatch a point through substitute Simone Tiribocchi with nine minutes to play.

Inter lead the table with 36 points from 16 games. Milan are five points back in second place after losing 2-0 at home to Palermo, while Juve trail Milan by a point after their 3-1 loss at Bari on Saturday.

Milan went into their meeting with Palermo on the back of five straight Serie A victories but they were undone by two goals early in the second half that owed much to the brilliance of Fabrizio Miccoli.

Miccoli cut in from the left flank before bending a fine finish around Dida in the 49th minute and he provided the spark for the visitors’ second goal shortly after the hour mark when he sped down the left before finding Javier Pastore, who in turn fed Mark Bresciano to slam home from close range.

Elsewhere, Fiorentina’s recent dismal run continued with a 2-1 defeat at Chievo, while Parma kept pace with the top three by winning 2-1 at home to Bologna and under-performing Lazio won 1-0 at home to Genoa.

Roma travel to Sampdoria in Sunday’s late match and the club from the capital will move up to fifth place, a point behind Parma, if they win.

Juventus’s week went from bad to worse on Saturday, when they followed up their mid-week Champions League elimination at the hands of Bayern Munich by losing 3-1 at promoted Bari.

Ciro Ferrara’s team were second-best throughout and their performance was symbolised by a missed penalty in the 68th minute by misfiring summer signing Diego.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, atalanta, Bari, Bayern, bayern munich, Bologna, ciro ferrara, close range, dida, diego milito, dismal run, five points, genoa, inter milan, italian league, Javier Pastore, Jose, jose mourinho, juve, juventus, lazio, league leaders, left flank, Mark Bresciano, Milan, Roma, ROME, Simone Tiribocchi, top scorer, Wesley Sneijder

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Struggling Romans tackle high-flying Milanese

Champions Inter Milan host AS Roma at the San Siro at the weekend while AC Milan travel to the capital to take on Lazio as the Serie A title race reaches a key stage.

In the not so distant past these would have been two top-of-the-table clashes between teams fighting for the title.

But that’s not the way things have been going this season. Inter are top and, despite a indifferent start, Milan are up and running and up to fourth.

In Rome, however, this season has gone from bad to worse. Roma and Lazio sit 14th and 15th with just six wins between them in a combined 22 matches.

Roma were expecting to get back to challenging for the scudetto after finishing a disappointing sixth in the last campaign following three runners-up finishes in a row.

And cup holders Lazio would have been expecting to make a run at a top four finish.

Instead, they are both in disarray. Luciano Spalletti quit as Roma boss after just two games and despite beginning his Roma career well with successive victories, Claudio Ranieri’s team lost three on the bounce before last weekend’s narrow 2-1 success against Bologna.

A title challenge is out of the question — they have only half the points of Inter — and even a fight for a top four finish and Champions League football next season looks unlikely.

Lazio look more likely to be involved in a relegation dog-fight, sitting currently only two points above the drop zone.

And this weekend neither of them can even rely on their opponents being fatigued from their Champions League exertions as both Roma and Lazio played in the Europa League on Thursday and will have had less rest than the two Milan clubs.

Roma’s task is the most daunting against a team already seven points clear at the top and who went to the head of a Champions League group containing holders Barcelona on Wednesday after a stunning late comeback to beat Dynamo Kiev 2-1.

It was Inter’s first win in Europe in a year and according to Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntariit has been a big boost to their confidence, something Roma won’t be wanting to hear.

“This victory can give us a huge psychological boost, it sends our morale to the stars,” he said.

“We hadn’t won in the Champions League for a long time and we’re really happy. Now we have to be careful in the next games, both in the league and in the cups.”

Milan meanwhile need to keep their recent improvement going if they are to continue to cling gingerly onto Inter’s coat-tails.

They trail their city rivals by nine points and although they are unbeaten in six league games, they drew three of those.

Lazio may be struggling but Milan have hardly impressed against the minnows this season.

They drew away to both Atalanta and Livorno and needed an Alessandro Nesta winner deep into injury time — just moments after a stunning Dida save prevented them from losing — to beat Chievo.

Full-back Ignazio Abate insists his team won’t be taking the Sky Blues lightly.

“We have to go to the Stadio Olimpico to try to take home three points,” he said.

“We’re in good shape, we’re playing good football but we want to improve our position in the table.”

Elsewhere second-placed Juventus travel to Atalanta while Napoli can go fourth, for a day at least, if they win at Catania on Saturday.

Fixtures

Saturday

Atalanta v Juventus, Catania v Napoli

Sunday

Bari v Livorno, Bologna v Palermo, Cagliari v Sampdoria, Genoa v Siena, Inter Milan v AS Roma, Lazio v AC Milan, Parma v Chievo, Udinese v Fiorentina

ROME (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, Barcelona, Bari, champions league football, champions league group, Claudio Ranieri, disarray, drop zone, dynamo kiev, exertions, inter milan, Kiev, last campaign, lazio, luciano spalletti, milan clubs, milan travel, Palermo, ROME, san siro, scudetto, seven points, sulley

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