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Udinese coach sacked

Italian Serie A side Udinese sacked coach Gianni de Biasi on Sunday, replacing him with Pasquale Marino, a former coach who was fired to make way for de Biasi just two months ago.

De Biasi is paying the price for Udinese’s poor form this year. Despite having the most prolific striker in the Italian division — Italian international Antonio Di Natale — Udinese are in 16th place after winning just once under de Biasi who took over in December.

After Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to seventh-placed Genoa he become the 14th Serie A coach to lose his job this season.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: Antonio Di Natale, de biasi, former coach, gianni, Gianni De Biasi, italian serie, job, pasquale marino, ROME, striker, udinese

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Inter march on as Sampdoria stumble

Inter Milan continued their inexorable march towards a fifth straight Italian Serie A title with a 2-0 victory away to lowly Livorno on Sunday.

There may only be 11 games gone in the championship but Inter have already opened up a seven-point lead over second-placed Juventus after the Turin giants were beaten 3-2 at home to Napoli on Saturday.

Sampdoria also failed to keep pace with Inter as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home to newly-promoted Bari on Sunday, leaving them third on goal difference behind Juve.

Inter were far from their sparkling best against a team who had won their previous two matches under new boss Serse Cosmi, but they always looked capable of doing enough to win.

Livorno, who lost on-loan Inter centre-back Nelson Rivas to injury in the warm-up, had the best chance of the opening period as Antonio Candreva brought a fine save out of Julio Cesar from a free-kick.

The opener came just four minutes into the second half as Diego Milito, restored to the starting line-up after making a substitute appearance in midweek on his return from injury, twisted and turned on the edge of the box before shooting low through a crowd of legs into the bottom corner.

Brazilian full-back Maicon then set the seal on the victory 10 minutes from time as he burst forward from his half, played a one-two with Patrick Vieira and reached the edge of the box unchallenged before slotting home left-footed into the bottom corner.

This relatively comfortable stroll in the park was ideal preparation for Inter ahead of their midweek trip to Ukraine to face Dynamo Kiev in a crucial Champions League match.

Coach Jose Mourinho gave rare starts to young Slovenian midfielder Rene Krhin and Brazilian misfit Mancini whilst leaving the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Walter Samuel and Esteban Cambiasso on the bench, although all three came on as substitutes.

But Mourinho was counting the cost of more injuries to his team after the game as Muntari Sulley limped off during the first half.

“Unfortunately we’re a team that always has injuries, I can never play the team I want,” said Mourinho who was already without Thiago Motta, Mario Balotelli, Cristian Chivu and Wesley Sneijder.

“Muntari can’t walk and I don’t think 48 hours will be enough (to recover), I think it will be difficult as well for Thiago Motta to be ready for Wednesday.”

In Genoa Sampdoria were in uninspired form as they failed to break down a stubborn Bari.

Sampdoria playmaker Antonio Cassano, playing against the club where he began his career, had a goal ruled out for offside three minutes from time in an otherwise anonymous performance.

It could have been worse for Sampdoria, though, as Bari’s Paulo Barreto put an injury-time penalty wide while Leonardo Bonucci then had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside.

AS Roma ended a three-game losing streak as they came from behind to beat Bologna 2-1 in the capital.

Brazilian Adailton gave Bologna the lead on 32 minutes but Mirko Vucinic benefited from a kind ricochet to equalise three minutes later before Simone Perrotta scored the winner in the 52nd minute.

Marco Marchionni scored a brace as Fiorentina got back to winning ways after two straight defeats with a 3-1 success at home to Catania in a match that ended 10-men apiece.

Alberto Gilardino scored the third goal for ‘La Viola’ while Giuseppe Mascara netted for Catania.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: alberto gilardino, Antonio Candreva, antonio cassano, Bologna, bottom corner, cambiasso, catania, cosmi, Esteban Cambiasso, free kick, Giuseppe Mascara, goal difference, inexorable march, inter milan, italian serie, Jose, jose mourinho, julio cesar, juve inter, Kiev, midweek, Milan, napoli, Nelson Rivas, new boss, patrick vieira, Paulo, Roma, ROME, samuel eto, samuel eto o, Simone Perrotta, starting line, stroll in the park, turin, ukraine, walter samuel

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Spalletti calls time on Roma career

AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has announced his resignation from the Italian Serie A side, the Ansa news agency reported on Tuesday.

“I submitted my resignation and the club accepted it,” said Spalletti after a 30-minute meeting with club president Rosella Sensi.

Roma lost 3-1 at home to likely title contenders Juventus on Sunday to leave them bottom of the Serie A table, having lost their opening game of the season 3-2 at Genoa.

Spalletti, 50, joined the ‘Giallorossi’ in 2005 from Udinese. His contract was due to expire in 2011.

He initially enjoyed success at the Stadio Olimpico, taking the side to second-placed league finishes in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and back-to-back triumphs in the Italian Cup in 2007 and 2008.

Roma also made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2007 and 2008, but they never recovered from a terrible start to last season and finished the campaign in a disappointing sixth place.

Spalletti had previously expressed his frustration at Roma’s lack of activity during the summer transfer window.

Young striker Fabio Zamblera, veteran Romanian goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont and Argentine defender Nicolas Burdisso, a loan signing from Inter Milan, were the only arrivals, while home-grown midfielder Alberto Aquilani was allowed to join Liverpool.

Spalletti was also rumoured to have fallen out with Roma’s iconic captain Francesco Totti, who has been at the club since 1989.

Spalletti is the first coach or manager to quit or be sacked from Italy’s top flight this season.

The Italian media have identified Claudio Ranieri as Spalletti’s potential successor. The 57-year-old was sacked as coach of Juventus prior to the end of last season.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: alberto aquilani, ansa news agency, Argentine, bogdan lobont, captain Francesco Totti, Claudio Ranieri, club president, Fabio Zamblera, francesco totti, genoa, giallorossi, Goalkeeper, italian cup, italian serie, juventus, luciano spalletti, Milan, nicolas burdisso, quarter finals, Roma, ROME, rosella sensi, serie a table, stadio olimpico, terrible start, title contenders

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Kuzmanovic joins VfB Stuttgart

German side VfB Stuttgart have signed Serbian midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic from Italian Serie A side Fiorentina.

The 21-year-old reportedly signed a four-year deal with the Bundesliga outfit, who according to rumors, pay around 8 million Euros for the player.

“Zdravko Kuzmanovic is the epitomy of the modern midfielder: he reads the game very well, he can handle himself in the duels and despite his age he’s got plenty of experience,” said Stuttgart manager Markus Babbel.

Kuzmanovic joined Fiorentina in 2007, after two years at Swiss side FC Basel.

Jonathan Roorda

Tags: duels, Euros, game, german side, italian serie, Kuzmanovic, manager, markus babbel, midfielder, outfit, player, plenty, stuttgart, swiss side, Zdravko, zdravko kuzmanovic

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Will Juventus get signings right this time?

Ever since returning to Serie A following their demotion for match-fixing, Juventus have had a terrible run in the transfer market.

Third and second-placed finishes in their two years back in the top flight are largely thanks to players who stuck with Juve during their season in Serie B such as Alessandro Del Piero and Giorgio Chiellini.

In contrast, new recruits such as midfielders Tiago and Christian Poulsen have been frustrating at best while former Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg lasted just a season before being shipped off to Olympiakos.

Juve have also tried to sell Poulsen and Tiago but both players have said they would rather stay.

Right back Zdenek Grygera has not convinced all the Juve faithful while striker Amauri had a good start to last term following a big move from Palermo but his form fizzled out towards the end of the campaign.

For this season Juve have re-signed Fabio Cannavaro from Real Madrid, a move which has angered fans who have not forgiven him for leaving the club following their demotion. (Cannavaro argues it was Juve’s economic decision to sell).

Brazilian playmaker Diego, who has arrived from Werder Bremen, obviously has the skill but supporters worry his style of play will not suit Juve’s traditional 4-4-2 formation and may upset the apple cart.

Juve’s bid for Udinese midfielder Gaetana D’Agostino looks to have failed and media reports say they are now targeting Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso having surprisingly opted to pursue Poulsen last year rather than the technically superior Spaniard.

Can they get it right this time and really challenge Inter Milan for the scudetto?

PHOTO: Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen (R) fights for the ball with Inter Milan’s Luis Figo during their Italian Serie A match in Turin April 18, 2009. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

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Tags: Alessandro Del Piero, alessandro garofalo, Alonso, amauri, apple cart, aston villa, Bremen, christian poulsen, Diego, economic decision, fabio cannavaro, Giorgio, giorgio chiellini, Inter, inter milan, italian serie, juve, Liverpool, luis figo, MADRID, Milan, olof mellberg, Palermo, photo juventus, playmaker, real madrid, reuters, Serie A, turin, udinese, werder bremen, Zdenek

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Malouda rewarded with new contract

LONDON (AFP) – Chelsea’s French international midfielder Florent Malouda signed on Tuesday a four-year contract extension with the FA Cup winners.

The 29-year-old, who had two years remaining on his current contract, had been linked with a move to Italian Serie A giants AC Milan despite a generally hugely disappointing spell at Chelsea since joining for 13.5million pounds from French champions Lyon in 2007.

“I am staying. I have four years left on my contract,” commented Malouda, whose performances improved once Guus Hiddink replaced Luis Felipe Scolari at the club earlier this year.

“Every time the transfer window opens there are rumours and I hope in this one people will know what happened,” added Malouda, who was part of the France team that reached the 2006 World Cup final.

Malouda had been widely expected to move on after Chelsea were linked earlier this year with a move for Russia’s far more impressive attacking midfielder Yuri Zhirkov, who plays for CSKA Moscow.

But Malouda found his form under Hiddink and eventually started 31 games for the Blues last season, scoring nine goals.

Tags: ac milan, attacking, CHELSEA, contract extension, cska moscow, English Premier League, fa cup winners, florent, France, france team, french international, giants, italian serie, london, luis felipe scolari, Lyon, malouda, midfielder, Milan, Moscow, new contract, one people, russia, World Cup, yuri, Yuri Zhirkov

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And then there was one… the Special One

Sir Alex Ferguson wrote off Chelsea’s title hopes in the middle of last week and what the Scot was charitably calling a two-horse race was down to one on Sunday, as Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City.

Strange things happen in football — look to the Spanish League, where Real Madrid suddenly look like giving Barcelona a run for their money – but surely nothing will stop Manchester United now.

So I think we can legitimately look beyond the Premier League and ahead to the prize Ferguson really wants this season.

Ferguson has often spoken of the frustration he felt that the great team that won the Champions League in 1999 did not go on and really dominate Europe.

That surprising defeat by Real Madrid in 2000 ended their reign as champions and set the tone for the next few years, as United would qualify for the knock-out rounds with some style only to come unstuck against often inferior teams.

One of those was Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto, who stunned United with a last-minute away goal from Costinha and went on to win the competition.

Mourinho is now in charge of Inter Milan, United’s opponents in the first knock-out round on Tuesday, and the presence of the Portuguese makes this a more treacherous tie for United than might otherwise have been the case.

Win this one, and I wouldn’t bet on anyone depriving United of a second successive Champions League title, not even Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Can Mourinho do it again against Ferguson? If he does, he would put himself right at the front of the queue to be the next United boss … should his ambitions lie in that direction.

PHOTO (TOP): Inter Milan’s coach Jose Mourinho gestures during their Italian Serie A match against Torino at the San Siro in Milan, Feb. 1, 2009. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

PHOTO (BOTTOM): Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring against Blackburn Rovers during their Premier League match at Old Trafford, Feb. 21, 2009. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis

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Tags: alessandro garofalo, Barcelona, CHELSEA, costinha, cristiano ronaldo, English Premier League, Europe, fc porto, horse race, inter milan, italian serie, Jose, jose mourinho, knock out, Liverpool, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, Nigel RoddisGo, old trafford, photo bottom, PORTO, real madrid, reuters, ronaldo, San, san siro, sir alex ferguson, spanish league, strange things

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Now Mourinho wants success in Spanish Primera Division

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho said that he relishes the thought of winning the Spanish Primera Division.

He referred to the Spanish League as being one of the most prominent in the world.

Mourinho rose to prominence when he won the Portuguese League in consecutive seasons with Porto as well as the UEFA Champions League in his second year with the club. He followed that up with two consecutive English Premier League titles with Chelsea.

He is currently manager of Inter Milan and they are in pole position to with the Italian Serie A.

He told interviewers that if the offer of a club in Spain were to come his way he would enjoy the challenge.

Written by: Dave Cohen

Tags: A. He, CHELSEA, Club, coach, consecutive seasons, dave cohen, Division, English Premier League, inter milan, interviewers, italian serie, jose mourinho, LA Liga, league titles, LigaBwin, Milan, pole position, PORTO, portuguese league, prominence, Serie A, Spain, spanish league, spanish primera division, uefa, UEFA Champions League

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