De Rossi warns Inter and praises Ranieri

February 3, 2010

Daniele De Rossi still believes Roma can mount a title challenge despite an eight-point gap with league leaders Internazionale.

Roma are back on track after a struggling start of the season and are unbeaten in seventeen games.

“It’s an incredible thing,” Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Many factors have tied in together: a maturation of character, serenity, results. It’s credit to the group.

“Other teams would have beaten someone up in the dressing room. Instead we always remained united. We are healthy. Sure, Inter are too, but the Champions League could bother them later on.

“The table says that, together with Milan, we are the anti-Inter. Let six or seven games pass and then we’ll see. Also because there is still a match to play against them at home.”

Asked to explain the difference Claudio Ranieri made since he took over from Luciano Spalletti De Rossi said: “He is an expert. He never gives up the charge.

“Claudio has given us the compactness that we needed. And it’s not true that he doesn’t love good football. Look at the games against Fiorentina and Genoa.”

Finally, De Rossi outlined his ambitions this season: “I would like to win the Europa League, but our objective now is to finish third and return to the Champions League without the preliminaries.

“It’s too important for us as a window and for the club on an economic level.”

Tags: ambitions, champions league, claudio, Claudio Ranieri, compactness, daniele de rossi, dello, dressing room, economic level, fiorentina, gazzetta dello sport, genoa, internazionale, la gazzetta dello sport, league leaders, luciano spalletti, midfielder, point gap, preliminaries, Rossi, serenity, seven games, title challenge

Brazilian duo extend deals at Bordeaux

February 2, 2010

Brazilian midfielders Fernando Menegazzo and Jussie have extended their current deals with French league champions Bordeaux, the club said on Tuesday.

Fernando had been courted by several Italian clubs, including Genoa, during the close season, but he has negotiated a three-year extension and will now stay in south-west France until 2014.

Jussie, formerly of Cruzeiro and Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol, agreed a four-year extension that will see him stay with Laurent Blanc’s side until 2015.

BORDEAUX, France (AFP)

Tags: Bordeaux, bordeaux france, Fernando, Fernando Menegazzo, France, french league, genoa, italian clubs, japanese side, laurent blanc, league champions, midfielders, south west france, west France

Crespo makes Parma return

January 30, 2010

Former Genoa striker Hernan Crespo has returned to Parma in a deal which has seen two further moves brokered.

Crespo originally moved to Parma, his first ever club in Europe, in 1996 and he enjoyed four years at the Ennio Tardini before moving on to to play for Lazio, Inter Milan, Chelsea and AC Milan.

His last club was Genoa but he failed to make the expected impact with them and now Parma have moved to snap him up.

“I’ve always supported Parma and to come back is an incredible emotion,” the 34-year-old said.

Following Crespo’s arrival Parma sold Nicola Amoruso to Atalanta – who in-turn have allowed Robert Acquafresca to return to Genoa to replace Crespo.

Tags: ac milan, amoruso, CHELSEA, crespo, emotion, Ennio Tardini, Europe, Former, genoa, Hernan, Inter, inter milan, lazio, lazio inter, Milan, nicola amoruso, parma, robert acquafresca, tardini

Juve´s ´dead coach walking´ looks doomed

January 30, 2010

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

Milan´s title chances on line against Inter

January 23, 2010

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

Huntelaar set to leave Milan

January 19, 2010

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar hopes to leave AC Milan during January’s transfer window. The Dutch striker was told several times that the club wants to keep him at Milan and he got playing time against Genoa and Juventus.

But that’s not enough for Huntelaar: the former Real Madrid forward has told his agent to look for another club.

“They told me this month that they insisted on keeping me at Milan and that they have much confidence in me,” Huntelaar told Dutch paper De Telegraaf.

“Since then I moved up in the pecking order from third striker to second striker. I also got more match action but it’s still not enough for me. I simply want more.”

Now, it seems like Milan is also convinced that an exit from the San Siro is the best solution for both.

“It looks like the club only wants to sell me but I prefer a move on loan because I still want to succeed at Milan,” said Huntelaar who has rejected a move to Shakhtar Donetsk, because he doesn’t want to play in Ukrain.

Huntelaar also excluded a return to Ajax. “I already spoke German and English and my Spanish and Italian is also pretty good. I prefer a move to one of the big four leagues,” added ‘The Hunter’ who said that there have already been six clubs that contacted his agent about a possible move.

Huntelaar joined Milan from Real Madrid this summer for €15 million. He failed to make an impact for the Rossoneri and has been warming the bench most of the time. Milan boss Leonardo prefers Marco Borriello at the striker position.

Tags: Ajax, bench, best solution, Borriello, de telegraaf, donetsk, dutch paper, genoa, juventus, klaas jan huntelaar, leonardo, MADRID, Marco Borriello, match, Milan, pecking order, playing time, real madrid, rossoneri, San, several times, striker

Toni sends out reminder to Lippi

January 18, 2010

Italy’s forgotten man Luca Toni scored a brace in AS Roma’s 3-0 defeat of Genoa to send out a timely reminder to national team boss Marcello Lippi.

Toni has hardly featured since Lippi returned to the Italy helm 18 months ago after Roberto Donadoni was fired as his team crashed out in the quarter-finals of the European Championships.

This season has been particularly poor for Toni who failed to impress Bayern Munich coach Luis van Gaal and found himself out of favour.

But a loan move to the Italian capital has transformed him.

And two goals from Mirko Vucinic crosses will surely have made Lippi sit up and take notice.

“Lippi knows what I can do for the national team, I’ve already had a lot of satisfaction from wearing that shirt,” said the World Cup winner from 2006 under Lippi.

“I know that the better I do with Roma the more chance I’ll have of returning to the national team.

“For me right now it’s important to score many goals to keep Roma heading upwards.”

His new coach Claudio Ranieri, who wasted no time in starting him despite his lack of recent match-time, paid tribute to the forward’s strength in the air.

“He was a player we needed, he’s good with his head,” said Ranieri.

Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Taddei has also been impressed with the team’s new acquisition.

“He’s a great centre forward who scores important goals. He’s a target up front for everyone on the team.

“He wins all the high balls and earns many free-kicks.”

ROME (AFP)

Tags: Bayern, bayern munich, Claudio Ranieri, coach claudio, crosses, favour, free kicks, genoa, helm, italian capital, Italy, Luis van Gaal, marcello lippi, midfielder, Mirko Vucinic, quarter finals, Roberto Donadoni, rodrigo taddei, Roma, ROME, target, team boss, timely reminder, Toni, Van Gaal, world cup winner

Buffon boost as Juve seek to salvage season

January 16, 2010

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

Milan loans Storari to Sampdoria

January 15, 2010

Sampdoria will have Milan’s Marco Storari on their squad for the next couple of months. The 32-year-old goalkeeper will finish the season on loan at the Genoa based side.

Storari will replace first choice goalie Luca Castellazzi, who wil be sidelined for the next six weeks.

Castellazzi sustained a knee injury during last Sunday’s match against Napoli (1-0 loss) and will have to undergo surgery.

Storari only was third choice at the San Siro behind Dida and Christian Abbiati despite a string of fine displays at the start of the season.

Tags: christian abbiati, dida, first choice, genoa, Goalkeeper, knee injury, last sunday, loans, Marco Storari, match, Milan, napoli, San, san siro, six weeks, third choice

Milan edge minnows Novara as Juve bounce back

January 14, 2010

Mathieu Flamini scored the winner nine minutes from time as a second-string AC Milan team beat third division Novara 2-1 at the San Siro on Wednesday to reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.

The rossoneri were joined by Juventus and Catania after they recorded victories over Napoli and Genoa respectively.

Milan coach Leonardo made 11 changes to the team that won 3-0 at Juventus on Sunday with Ronaldinho, loan signing David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Nesta not even included on the bench.

Veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi opened the scoring on 12 minutes but in the first minute of the second period Pablo Gonzalez stunned the San Siro by drawing Novara level.

Flamini had the last word, though, and Milan will play Udinese or Lumezzane in the next round.

Eight people, amongst them two children, were taken to hospital after 20 people were injured in a motorway crash between a lorry and a coach carrying Novara supporters to the game – Novara lies just 40km west of Milan.

Juventus bounced back from their weekend humbling as an Alessandro Del Piero brace, one from the spot, helped them to a 3-0 victory in Turin.

Diego scored the first as a full-strength and attacking Juve blew away Napoli’s 14-match unbeaten run under coach Walter Mazzarri, although he did rest many first team regulars in a competition few teams take seriously in Italy.

Catania recorded an impressive 2-1 win away to Genoa to reach the last eight. Inter Milan and AS Roma had previously also qualified for the quarters, with the final three qualifiers to be decided on Thursday.

ROME (AFP)