‘Gentile set to replace Ferrara’

January 29, 2010

It looks like Juventus have found a new coach. Claudio Gentile has accepted an offer to replace Ciro Ferrara after tonight’s Coppa Italia match against Internazionale, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Italian sports paper reports that Gentile left his home in Como yesterday morning for a two-hour meeting with director Roberto Bettega in Turin.

They discussed technical and tactical aspects of the team as well as the club’s current economic situation. Gentile’s criticism of Juventus in recent months was also conveniently forgotten.

It’s reported that Juve turned to Gentile after Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni refused to return to Turin for a third stint in charge of the Bianconeri.

La Gazzetta dello Sport understands that Juventus have offered Gentile €250,000 for four months work plus bonuses for success in the Europa League and qualification for the Champions League.

Gentile’s last job was as coach of Italy’s Under-21’s. He has never coached a club side before.

The length of prospective contract suggests Juve wants to make a big name appointment in the summer with Rafael Benitez or Marcello Lippi at the top of the list.

Tags: bianconeri, claudio gentile, coach claudio, coppa italia, current economic situation, gazzetta dello sport, giovanni trapattoni, Ireland, italian sports, Italy, juventus, la gazzetta dello, la gazzetta dello sport, last job, marcello lippi, rafael benitez, Roberto Bettega, sports paper, tactical aspects, turin, yesterday morning

‘Seedorf is probably the best player I’ve ever played against’

January 26, 2010

Wayne Rooney has warned his teammates to keep an eye on Clarence Seedorf when Manchester United faces Milan for the Champions League in February. The England striker said that he fears Seedorf more than any other Milan player.

“He’s probably the best player I’ve ever played against,” Rooney told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Rarely have I seen a player do what he does on the field. You can’t leave him out.”

Milan knocked Man United out of the competition in the 2004-2005 and 2006-2007 campaigns.

Rooney added that he was looking forward to taking on his England team mate David Beckham on the former United player’s return to Old Trafford.

“David is a champion and he represents United’s history,” he said. “I hope he gets a great welcome. It’ll be exciting to play against him.”

Tags: best player, campaigns, champion, clarence seedorf, David, David Beckham, England, england team, la gazzetta dello, la gazzetta dello sport, Manchester, manchester united, Milan, old trafford, striker, team mate, teammates, wayne rooney

Balotelli: “Leave me in peace”

December 12, 2009

On Friday, Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli blasted his critics. The Italian player with Ghanaian roots has been controversial ever since he made his debut for Inter and has been involved in several incidents both with players as well as with his coach.

Balotelli has also been the subject of racial rows in the recent past. The 19-year-old forward is often the target of racist chants, especially by Juventus fans although they claim that they target Balotelli because of his behaviour and not because of the colour of his skin.

Jose Mourinho also showed his discontent over the attitude of the youngster, who seems to be not that keen on rules and disciplin. Balotelli is fed up with being the centre of (negative) attention all the time. “I let all the bad talk around slide off me,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Sometimes I just want to say leave me in peace and let me live my life.

“Sometimes you just get bored with all the negative headlines. You cannot read bad press about you and negative things everyday,” he added. On Wednesday, Balotelli let his feet do the talking in the Champions league match with Rubin Kazan (2-0 win) when his back-heel assist and a wonder free-kick gave Inter the win and left the footballing press drooling.

Tags: champions league, chants, discontent, free kick, inter milan, italian player, Jose, jose mourinho, juventus fans, Kazan, keen, la gazzetta dello, la gazzetta dello sport, mario, Mario Balotelli, match, Milan, negative attention, negative headlines, rubin kazan, striker, target, youngster

Ibrahimovic criticises Serie A

November 18, 2009

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is satisfied with his move from Inter Milan to Barcelona. The Swedish striker believes that the Spanish football mentality fits him better than the Italian while he also thinks that the Serie A is too politicised.

“In Italy, the league is very hard. It’s very difficult to play in as an attacker,” Ibrahimovic told La Vanguardia. It’s another game, another mentality.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s 100 per cent focused on defence, but they want to be certain before attacking and generally run less risks,” the 28-year-old hitman added. “In Spain you take more risks, because you want to score more goals. It’s another culture. The spectacle comes first here.”

In Italy, Ibrahimovic was bothered by the media, who have their own, preferred teams. “When I won the scudetto with Juventus, Tuttosport was very happy and La Gazzetta dello Sport was angry.

“When I won it with Inter, the opposite happened. It’s all politics.”

Paul Haring

Tags: attacker, Barcelona, game, hitman, inter milan, Italy, la gazzetta dello, la gazzetta dello sport, la vanguardia, mentality, scudetto, Spain, spanish football, spectacle, striker, tuttosport

Dzeko: “Next year i’ll play for Milan”

November 17, 2009

VfL Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko expects to play for AC Milan next season. The Bosnia-Herzegovina international has already informed his German club.

“I recently spoke to Wolfsburg executives about it and they know that I would like a transfer next summer,” Dzeko told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “The story with AC Milan is not over.”

The 23-year-old, who is currently on international duty with Bosnia, was Milan’s No 1 transfer target last summer but Wolfsburg blocked the transfer claiming they didn’t need the money.

Milan eventually signed Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but the Dutchman hasn’t impressed at San Siro, making the Rossoneri consider another offer for Dzeko.

Dzeko is under contract with Wolfsburg until June 2013, but assured the Italian sports paper he has no doubts about a future move to the Serie A. “I have been a fan of Milan since I was a child, when I watched their games on TV. It’s for that reason that I really hope I can play next season there.”

Paul Haring

Tags: ac milan, games, gazzetta dello sport, german club, italian sports, klaas jan huntelaar, la gazzetta dello, la gazzetta dello sport, money, no doubts, sports paper, target

Serie A TV rights sold for €181.5 m

November 7, 2009

Serie A’s worldwide broadcasting rights for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons have been sold to the MP & Silva international sports media company for €181.5 m, the Italian Football League said on Friday.

Acceptance of the bid is pending approval by Italy’s competition watchdog, the league said in a statement on its website (www.lega-calcio.it).

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis said the decision was taken despite opposition from his club and Turin giants Juventus.

“Only we and Juventus voted against. Our (TV) rights are worth much more,” de Laurentiis was quoted as saying on La Gazzetta dello Sport’s website (www.gazzetta.it)

“Unfortunately, a little egg today was preferred to a goose with a golden egg, which could have been today too, not tomorrow.”

The Serie A highlights package and radio rights in Italy have been sold to state broadcaster Rai for €28.5m for the 2010-11 season and €30m for 2011-12.

The league said it would contest a Milan court decision to stop it assigning the live satellite broadcasting rights for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons to Sky, while an appeal against this move by a small network is considered.

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: 30m, 5m, aurelio de laurentiis, Calcio, competition watchdog, court decision, golden egg, international sports, italian football league, la gazzetta dello, la gazzetta dello sport, live satellite, milan court, radio rights, rajput, satellite broadcasting, sports media, state broadcaster, tv rights

Sneijder Inter signing imminent: press

August 25, 2009

Wesley Sneijder is on the verge of joining Inter Milan, according to Italian press reports on Tuesday.

The Dutch attacking midfielder is surplus to requirements at Real Madrid following the big-money signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka and has been linked with a move to the Italian champions for several weeks.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho is known to be in the market for an attacking midfielder who can play at the head of his midfield diamond formation and now seems to have got his man.

“The agreement between Inter and Sneijder is imminent,” said La Gazzetta dello Sport on its website.

“Real Madrid’s Dutch midfielder is expected in Italy in the afternoon to finalise the deal’s last details and then the nerazzurro will be able to make the official announcement.”

If Sneijder, 25, does join he will complete an impressive set of aquisitions during the off-season by Mourinho, who has already added Samuel Eto’o, Diego Milito, Thiago Motta, Lucio and Marco Arnautovic to his squad.

The first four of those all started as Inter were held to a disappointing 1-1 home draw against newly-promoted Bari on Sunday.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: aquisitions, Bari, diamond formation, diego milito, inter milan, italian champions, italian press, Italy, jose mourinho, kaka, la gazzetta dello, la gazzetta dello sport, lucio, MADRID, Marco Arnautovic, midfielder, real madrid, ROME, ronaldo, samuel eto, samuel eto o, Thiago Motta, verge, Wesley Sneijder

Ronaldinho ready to lead Milan to glory

July 18, 2009

AC Milan playmaker Ronaldinho has insisted he is ready to fill the boots left by departed Brazilian compatriot Kaka during the coming season.

Ronaldinho will begin his second season in Italy with memories of a disappointing first campaign fresh in his mind but with Kaka having moved on to Real Madrid, he knows there will be added responsability on him this time around.

Having begun well during his first season at Milan, Ronaldinho fell out of favour with former coach Carlo Ancelotti over the second half of the campaign as the now-Chelsea boss preferred an attacking triumvirate comprising Kaka, Pato and Filippo Inzaghi.

But with Kaka gone and Brazil compatriot Leonardo the new coach, Ronaldinho believes his time has come to shine once again and try to reproduce the form he showed at Barcelona when earning world player of the year awards in 2004 and 2005.

“I’ve naturally become the leader of this group, day after day,” he told the Saturday edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, insisting though that he does not feel any added responsibility.

“I feel something much more important: faith, from my team-mates, the club, the atmosphere.

“Responsibility is just a consequence and that’s a pleasure and not a concern in any way.

“Last year I started well and then things took a down turn because I got injured and Ancelotti stopped playing me.

“This time I want to have a great season, from the first game to the last.

“Aims develop, a bit like Milan. Last year our aim was to qualify for the Champions League, now we want to win it.”

And as the 28-year-old tries to recapture his Barcelona form, he insists he has a good chance as he is also nearing his Barcelona weight, an issue that has been a source of criticism against the former Paris St Germain player these last two seasons due to an expanding waist-line.

“I feel good, I’m very committed, I’m motivated. I’ve lost a few kilos and I’m close to my fight-weight at Barcelona,” he said.

“And with respects to last season I’m more adapted to life in Italy, the language, the way of life, friendships. I feel happy here.”

ROME (AFP)

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Mourinho wants Carvalho and Deco

June 15, 2009

ROME (AFP) – Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho is eager to sign Portuguese duo Ricardo Carvalho and Deco from Chelsea, according to the Italian club’s president.

“The coach has asked for Deco and Carvalho and we have started talks,” Massimo Moratti told La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

“We want to sign the two of them and I’m delighted to have seen that the two players want to come here.

“We still haven’t got the nod from Chelsea but I think we’ll manage to find that quickly.”

Central defender Carvalho and Brazilian-born midfielder Deco, both 31, have played under Mourinho at Porto, winning the 2004 Champions League. Carvalho also played for the Portuguese coach when he was in charge at Chelsea.

Moratti added that Inter had as yet received no offers for star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a possible off-season signing target for Barcelona.

Tags: Barcelona, central defender, champions league, CHELSEA, deco, gazzetta dello sport, inter milan, jose mourinho, la gazzetta dello, la gazzetta dello sport, massimo moratti, midfielder, Milan, nod, PORTO, ricardo carvalho, ROME, Serie A, star striker, target, zlatan ibrahimovic

Kaka wants to stay at AC Milan

June 3, 2009

ROME (AFP) – Brazilian playmaker Kaka says he wants to stay at AC Milan despite speculation he might either follow coach Carlo Ancellotti to Chelsea or join Real Madrid.

“I’ll tell you this for the last time, the very last. I don’t want to leave Milan. To the millions of Milan fans, I tell you that I’ve made my choice. I’ve said I want to stay. Leave me in peace, please,” Kaka told La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

“I want to continue to win with Milan. And from today, all discussion is over.”

Manuel Pellegrini took over as coach of Real Madrid on Monday and will be under considerable pressure to achieve some early success for new president Florentino Perez.

The Chilean coach has vowed to build the “best club of the 21st century” and Kaka could figure in a big-money transfer, according to Spanish media.

But then there is also the draw of Roman Abramovich-backed Chelsea, who on Monday appointed former AC Milan handler Ancelotti as coach.

The pressure will be on Ancelotti to ensure the Blues are serious challengers for the Premier League title and in the Champions League, the final of which the Italian reached three times with AC Milan, winning twice.