Juventus FC Forum (Stadio Delle Alpi)

[dreamer75]

Sampdoria were held by Siena on Sunday and this week they face an in form Juventus who have knocked any idea of crisis out of contention.
BACKGROUND

The two teams met before in on the 20/09/04 with Juventus taking the spoils and showing their title intentions by defeating Sampdoria 3-0. At that time a mini crisis hit the club for they lost their first three games. Sampdoria have since recovered from that slump and have put forth excellent displays of football. They are in 5th place and are in the hunt to play European football. With quality players they are sure to clinch A UEFA Cup place, if not a Champions League position.

Juventus will have a harder task to defeat Sampdoria for they are a much more solid side than Atalanta and the Achilles Tendon of Juventus being that Nedved is injured they may suffer that spark in midfield. Moreover, many defenders have left Juventus such as Tudor who is at Siena, Iuliano at Mallorca and Legrotaglie at Bologna, the central part of defense could also be at risk. Sampdoria are capable of beating Juventus and putting goals in the net, but their defense is also shady (remember Inter’s 3-2 comeback) and Antonioli being known to buckle under pressure could also inhibit Sampdorias European ambitions.


TEAM NEWS

Nedved is out with a knee injury, which could cause a problem for Juve and their Scudetto and CL hopes. Anyhow, his ingenuity will be missed but Juve have the quality to win without him. Zambritta is out with a thigh injury as Pessotto is also injured (he is not a starter anyway). As for Sampadoria Doni is out for two months with a ruptured thigh, and theur new striker Inzaghi, is out with a pinched nerve.

As for suspensions, Blasi is suspended for Juventus, as for Sampdoria Flachi and Bettarini are suspended. Camoranesi, Zebina and Appiah bring yellow cards to this game as for Sampadoria: Palombo, Pavan and Flachi carry cards form previous games.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Trezeguet (Juventus)
Trezegol is back form injury and he would like to leave his mark and contribute to Juve’s title ambitions. When healthy he is on of the best strikers in Europe. There may be a problem for him to get service but I expect Camoraniesi and other midfielders to carry the responsibility that Nedved would have done otherwise.

Antonioli (Sampdoria)
Last match, 3 goals slipped past him. He is known to be inconsistent and he must be at his best if his team would like to progress and play in European competition. He will be the last line of defense when Ibra or Trezegol get past the defense.


PROBABLE STARTING XI

Juventus (4-4-2):
Buffon, Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Birindelli, Camoranesi, Appiah, Tacchinardi, Olivera, Del Piero, Trezeguet. Coach: Capello.

Sampdoria (4-4-2):
Antonioli, Zenini, Castellini, Falcone, Pisano, Diana, Palombo, Volpi, Tonetto, Kuruzov, Rossini. Coach: Novellino.


PREDICTION

Sampdoria have put forth a string of good results and have played exciting soccer, but at the end of the day expect Juventus to gain three points. They have the quality and they cannot afford any mistakes for if they do Milan will be back in contention. All victories in Italy will bring them confidence when they play Madrid in three weeks time.

Bruno Cardile

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=45184

[dreamer75]

A new war of words has erupted between Roma ace Francesco Totti and Juventus boss Fabio Capello.

The two men have exchanged comments since Capello walked out on the Giallorossi in the summer, and a new spat has developed after the publication of Totti’s latest column today.

The No 10 took a swipe at Capello after he was asked to comment on the quality of the club’s youth system.

"Many people claim merit for the development of our youngsters but the unearthing and development of them is exclusively down to (youth team co-ordinator) Bruno Conti and the people who work with him," he wrote in the Corriere dello Sport.

The former Milan and Roma boss wasted little time in responding to the Italian international.

"Before Totti writes, he must read," stated Capello. "I’ve never said that Conti didn’t do a good job.

"But it must be noted that a lot of the younger players regularly trained with the first team squad in the capital.

"Perhaps Totti is unaware of this fact as when others were working on the pitch, he was already back in the changing rooms."

Totti had previously hit out at Capello earlier this season for the way he ‘controlled’ Antonio Cassano during his time at the Olimpico.

[dreamer75]

we stumbled 0-1 against Samp, now lead cut to 5 pts.

[dreamer75]

Juventus gifted AC Milan a way back into the race for the Scudetto by going down to a disappointing defeat at home to Champions League-chasing Sampdoria.

Two surprise losses in a row by the Rossoneri had handed Juve an eight-point cushion at the top of Serie A.

But it was the Bianconeri's turn to slip on a banana skin as they suffered their first league reverse at home at the hands of Walter Novellino's side, allowing Milan to trim the gap to five points.

Aimo Diana was the match-winner in the first half for Samp, the defender providing the killer finish after Marcello Castellini's forceful header had been palmed onto the bar by Gianluigi Buffon.

A turgid display by the club known in Italy as "the old lady" was lit up by the arrival in the second half of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had started on the bench with the out-of-favour Alessandro Del Piero given an opportunity up front.

But even the Swede's impudence could not rouse the hosts, who fell to only their second league loss of the campaign to a Sampdoria outfit who proved that their tag of away specialists - it was their sixth away win this season - was fully merited.

The hosts had the first chance when Del Piero laid on Trezeguet, who scuffed his shot from six yards out into the path of the incoming Olivier Kapo. But the former Auxerre wideman's effort was smothered away by keeper Francesco Antonioli.

Minutes later, Del Piero blazed a shot over from 25 yards after a Juve corner was poorly cleared as the hosts took the whip hand.

But their attacking play was far from fluent as Samp managed to frustrate their opponents in the middle third.

Juve's hopes were dealt a blow in the 20th minute when Kapo, who had started brightly, was forced off with what appeared to be a leg injury, to be replaced by Manuele Blasi.

On the half-hour, another half-chance fell to the feet of playmaker Del Piero who, having been played in by forward partner Trezeguet, rather mis-hit his shot into the hands of Antonioli from 15 yards.

Amazingly, without having threatened Gianluigi Buffon's goal, Sampdoria took the lead in the 34th minute.

After a corner was taken short, Cristian Zenoni whipped a ball onto the head of Castellini, whose header was tipped onto the bar by the Italy international keeper.

Diana was first to react, however, and prodded the ball home to score only the sixth goal against Juve at the Delle Alpi this season.

The goal thrust Juve into action. But the Samp defence were dealing quite comfortably with the ponderous football being played in front of them as they went into the interval a goal up.

Manager Fabio Capello brought Ibrahimovic into the fray at the start of the second period - and it almost had an immediate effect.

The Swedish marksman swung in a devilish centre and Trezeguet's header was tipped away. The resulting corner found the unmarked Ibrahimovic, who powered his header wide.

Blasi was next to threaten the visitors' goal. The substitute found space outside the area and unleashed a rasping effort that flew past an immobile Antonioli - but just wide of his left-hand post.

Del Piero then brought a superb save out of the Sampdoria keeper following a fierce shot from 12 yards as Novellino's defence fell deeper and deeper.

Two lovely pieces of skill by Ibrahimovic forced Antonioli into two further saves while at the other end, Juventus' backline was looking shaky as Francesco Flachi and Fausto Rossini caused problems.

Ibrahimovic and Trezeguet had yet more late strikes saves - but Sampdoria held out for the three points that strengthens their challenge for the Champions League places.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/italy/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=international_feed/05/02/02/SOCCER_Ita-Juventus_Nightlead.html&TEAMHD=italy

[dreamer75]

Serie A Week 22 - 2/2/05 (20.30)


Juventus 0 - 1 Sampdoria
Diana 34 (S)
Stadio Delle Alpi

Walter Novellino beats Juventus for the first time in his career as the Bianconeri suffer their first home defeat and see their lead cut to five points.

The Bianconeri were already eight points clear of nearest Scudetto contenders Milan going into this game and could afford to rest a few of their top stars. Alessandro Del Piero returned to the starting eleven following his goal against Atalanta at the weekend, while Ruben Olivera and Jonathan Zebina were both suspended and Pavel Nedved injured.

Sampdoria have only won here three times in their history and had Simone Inzaghi out with a one-match ban, so Francesco Flachi returned from suspension to start upfront.

Juve should have taken the lead after six minutes when a Mauro Camoranesi backheel found David Trezeguet, but his shot and an Olivier Kapo follow-up were charged down.

Olivier Kapo was set to replace Nedved out wide on the left, but his match lasted just 20 minutes before he made way for Manuele Blasi.

Sampdoria took a shock lead after 33 minutes. Castellini's header from a Zenoni corner kick thumped the crossbar and Aimo Diana was first to react and tap in from six yards. The midfielder was kept onside by Camoranesi.

Juve made changes in the second half, introducing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and moving Del Piero back into a Trequartista role behind the two strikers. They were more aggressive after the break and Trezeguet's glancing header skimmed the woodwork, while Ibrahimovic had a similar effort.

Substitute Blasi's curling right-foot strike shaved the far post with Francesco Antonioli frozen to the spot. The goalkeeper was certainly more active soon after, tipping Del Piero's shot over the bar and getting down to the floor to turn an Ibrahimovic header round the post from the corner.

Sampdoria nearly doubled their lead, as first Fausto Rossini failed to make the most of a botched Ibrahimovic clearance, then Max Tonetto's looping header dropped inches past a helpless Buffon.

Antonioli was man of the match and performed a stunning save on Ibrahimovic's turn and volley from seven yards.

Juventus: Buffon, Birindelli (Montero 75), Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Tacchinardi (Ibrahimovic 46), Kapo (Blasi 20); Del Piero, Trezeguet

Sampdoria: Antonioli; Zenoni, Castellini, Falcone, Pisano; Diana (Edusei 84), Volpi, Palombo, Tonetto; Flachi, Rossini (Kutuzov 88)

Ref: Messina

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/juv-sam.html

[dreamer75]

Juventus boss Fabio Capello hailed his team’s effort despite the Bianconeri lost at home to Sampdoria.

“I think Juve played a nice game. We created many scoring opportunities, but found a great Antonioli in-front of us. Our adversaries shot twice, and scored once instead,” said Capello.

“The team showed great character, but Antonioli, who I know well, demonstrated to be a fantastic keeper,” he added.

Juve’s unexpected home loss allowed Milan to close the gap to five points again.

[Ultimate10002000]

which club do u support actually?

Why do you ask this ? Did i say something wrong ? I am a Chelsea Supporter for EPL. Quite like Juventus of series A but not say a die hard hard.

[Ultimate10002000]

'Juve wanted Mutu in the summer'


Juventus general director Luciano Moggi has revealed they came very close to signing striker Adrian Mutu last summer.
The Romanian international had been a target of the Bianconeri for some time and could have arrived in Turin last summer had Chelsea and Juve reached an agreement.


'We had asked for Mutu to be loaned to us in the summer,' said Moggi.

'Everything was done, but then Chelsea didn't respect the verbal agreement and wanted the money to be paid in sterling and in cash.'

Things have worked out well for Juve, with the 25-year-old having joined the Bianconeri on a free transfer after being sacked by Chelsea last year following a positive drugs test for cocaine.

[Ultimate10002000]

Serie A: AC Milan cut Juve's lead


ROME, Feb 2 (Reuters) - AC Milan cut Juventus's lead at the top of Serie A to five points when they won 4-1 at Messina and Juve lost 1-0 at home to Sampdoria on Wednesday.
Juventus's second Serie A defeat of the season left them on 50 points from 22 matches with champions Milan on 45 from the same number of games played.


Inter Milan held on to third place with a 1-0 home win over bottom club Atalanta. Fourth-placed Udinese ended a run of three defeats with a comfortable 3-0 victory against Chievo Verona.

Juventus's smooth progress at the top faltered as Sampdoria midfielder Aimo Diana grabbed the only goal with the simplest of tap-ins after 33 minutes at the Delle Alpi stadium.

Juve found themselves ba-ttling against a well-organised Sampdoria side inspired by a superb individual performance from goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli.

The leaders almost grabbed an early advantage, when David Trezeguet narrowly failed to connect with a ball that rolled across the face of the visitors' goal.

Though second best in open play, Sampdoria took full advantage from a free kick when Aimo Diana was presented with a goal after Cristian Zenoni's header rebounded off the bar.

Juve piled on the pressure after the break but could not find a way past Antonioli, who tipped a Trezeguet shot round his post and then twice denied Zlatan Ibrahimovic from close range to preserve his side's lead.

The main beneficiaries of Juve's defeat were Milan, who put the disappointment of back-to-back defeats against Livorno and Bologna behind them with a 4-1 demolition of Messina.

The first 20 minutes were one-way traffic. A Kaka backheel freed Hernan Crespo to open the scoring after nine minutes and then Messina keeper Marco Storari pushed a Cafu cross into the path of striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, who stroked the ball home.

Riccardo Zampagna pulled one back for the hosts with an overhead kick on the half-hour but his failure to beat Milan keeper Dida from close range just before the interval cost Messina dear.

Milan grew in confidence as the second half progressed. Crespo combined again with Kaka to make it 3-1 just after the hour mark and midfielder Andrea Pirlo had a penalty saved by Storari, though by then the visitors had the game under control.

Tomasson completed the rout in stoppage time, when he ran onto Clarence Seedorf's pass, turned his marker and slipped the ball into the net.

At the San Siro stadium, Inter striker Obafemi Martins again proved Atalanta's undoing.

The 20-year-old Nigerian international, who last week scored the winner in a 1-0 Italian Cup victory over Atalanta, struck in the 33rd minute, swerving round defender Giampaolo Bellini to angle a shot past goalkeeper Alex Calderoni.

Fourth-placed Udinese are a point behind Inter on 37 points after ending a run of three straight defeats with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Chievo Verona.

It was a less happy night for the Rome-based clubs, with Lazio's match against lowly Brescia finishing goalless.

AS Roma's charge for a Champions League place stumbled as a late goal by Lecce's Mirko Vucinic cancelled out an earlier own goal by defender Guillermo Giacomazzi in a 1-1 draw.

[dreamer75]

Why do you ask this ? Did i say something wrong ? I am a Chelsea Supporter for EPL. Quite like Juventus of series A but not say a die hard hard.

Cos i dunno which club u support mah :)

[Ultimate10002000]

Ya la perhaps i am too active in all the team thread so it cause a confusion for you. But nonetheless i will continue to support your thread cheers...Hope you can come and support my Chelsea thread too.

[dreamer75]

ong time nvr update here laio..

[dreamer75]

Messina held Italian league leaders Juventus to a scoreless draw on Saturday night after both sides hit the woodwork but failed to find the back of the net.

Scudetto holders AC Milan are breathing down Juve's neck and can join them at the top of the Serie A standings if they win at home against Cagliari.

With their Champions League showdown at Real Madrid looming, Juve coach Fabio Capello gambled without star striker David Trezeguet.

As for Messina, it was only their second point in four league matches but it should help them cling to 14th position.

Juventus players wore black arm bands in memory of one of their all-time greats, Omar Sivori, who died on Thursday.

Messina were the better attacking team in the first half. They came closest to scoring when Gaetano D'Agostino hit the frame of the goal.

Messina's Massimo Donati, back in the side after a bout of flu, shot wide in the fourth minute after pouncing on a loose ball.

Juve replied after eight minutes when Alessandro Del Piero curled a 30-yard free-kick just over the bar.

D'Agostino put Arturo Di Napoli in on goal in the 14th minute.

Well marked by Paolo Montero, he shot weakly on the turn, straight at Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon.

A minute later and Alessandro Parisi troubled Buffon, who could only parry the well-hit shot. D'Agostino then shot high and wide over the bar.

The visitors from Turin relied heavily on Del Piero who forced Marco Storari into a fine save with a right-foot shot from outside the area after 25 minutes.

The ball fell to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose weak effort failed to trouble Storari.

Riccardo Zampagna then had the best chance of the game in the 29th minute, diving to head D'Agostino's header against the post, with Buffon beaten.

A minute before half-time and it looked as if Del Piero, Juve's lone striker for most of the first half, would scored as he seized on a defensive error by Rahman Rezaei.

He controlled the ball on his chest but blasted over the bar with his left foot.

Shut out in the first half, Juventus had the better of the second half.

They looked more determined, and went closest to scoring when Swedish international striker Ibrahimovic hit the post.

Gianluca Zambrotta showed good control in the Messina area two minutes after the re-start, but then dragged his diagonal shot wide.

Di Napoli hit back for Messina after 50 minutes, sending Ivica Iliev away, but he volleyed high over the bar with his right foot.

The best chances then fell to the visitors but they failed to take them.

From a quickly taken free-kick, Zambrotta crossed from the left to Ibrahimovic, who hit the post from close range.

With nine minutes left, Ibrahimovic forced Storari into a point-blank save with a right-foot shot.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/italy/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=international_feed/05/02/19/SOCCER_Ita-Messina_Nightlead.html&TEAMHD=italy

[dreamer75]

we have the same pts as Milan now but they are on top becos of better goal diff...:(

[hwmook]

we have the same pts as Milan now but they are on top becos of better goal diff...:(

:D my heart almost came out of my mouth when serginho scored. dominating for 90 mins and not getting a goal is stressful.

but good luck for the CL, take heart from the fact that real madrid lost at home. :s13:

[dreamer75]

:D my heart almost came out of my mouth when serginho scored. dominating for 90 mins and not getting a goal is stressful.

but good luck for the CL, take heart from the fact that real madrid lost at home. :s13:

ya lor...u happy and me sad here..:(

ya lor..hope we can give Real a real beating too :s13:

[hwmook]

ya lor...u happy and me sad here..:(

ya lor..hope we can give Real a real beating too :s13:

must thrash the s*it out of real madrid and make them realise that defense is just as important. its so arrogant thinking they can outscore any teams. teach them a lesson like ac milan did 2 years ago.

[dreamer75]

must thrash the s*it out of real madrid and make them realise that defense is just as important. its so arrogant thinking they can outscore any teams. teach them a lesson like ac milan did 2 years ago.

hahahaa....gd luck to ur team too...:D
goo goo thrash Man U..:D

[hwmook]

hahahaa....gd luck to ur team too...:D
goo goo thrash Man U..:D

but man u seem to be on form recently and we lost the all important sheva. ancelotti better listen to me this time or else. :s27:

i am putting my money on juve to win especially at home.......

[dreamer75]

but man u seem to be on form recently and we lost the all important sheva. ancelotti better listen to me this time or else. :s27:

i am putting my money on juve to win especially at home.......

ya lor, its sad to see Shev got injured..

[dreamer75]

match starting soon..

[dreamer75]

Games do not come much bigger than this. Two giants of the European game come head to head this week in what looks like being an epic encounter. As soon as the draw for the second round of the Champions League was made, fans and pundits around Europe were licking their lips at the prospect of Real Madrid vs. Juventus. The first leg takes place this week at the Bernabeu.

BACKGROUND

These two giants have met a number of times in the last decade, most notably in the 1998 Champions League final where Real came out on top 1-0 thanks to a Mijatovic goal. Five years later Juve got their revenge - this time in the Champions League semi-final. After losing the first leg 2-1 in Spain, Juve had the night of their lives in the second leg in Turin. Goals from Trezeguet, Del Piero and a stunner from Nedved meant Juve won the match 3-1 and reached the Final 4-3 on aggregate.


CURRENT FORM

No doubts on this score: Real Madrid are the form side going in to this game. Since the arrival of new coach Vanderlie Luxemburgo Real have lost just one of their last eight games (closing the gap on Barcelona at the summit of La Liga to seven points) and have looked much more hungry for success. Juve on the other hand have struggled since the turn of the year (Juve have picked up only four points from their last four games) allowing Milan back in to the race for lo scudetto.


TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid are sweating on the fitness of star forward Ronaldo who hurt his foot dancing at his engagement party. Michel Owen will replace the Brazilian if he is ruled out.

Juve’s main worry is the fitness of Czech ace Pavel Nedved (knee) who is rated only 50/50 to take part in this game. David Trezeguet, who missed the weekend trip to Messina with flu, is again out. Kapo and Montero also miss out.

Real Madrid could play a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-4, with David Beckham and Thomas Gravesen the two holders allowing the front four of Zidane, Figo, Raul, Ronaldo/Owen the freedom to attack

Juve’s line up and formation would seem to depend on Pavel Nedved; if he plays Juve are likely to go with a 4-4-2 while if he is ruled out it could be a 4-3-3 or even a 3-5-2 for the Old Lady. Another big decision has been taken away from Fabio Capello: with Trezeguet out he will go with Del Piero and Ibrahimovic at the Bernabeu.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

There will be a number of key battles in this much-anticipated game. Many believe that Buffon and Casillas are the two best goal keepers in Europe and they will be key in this tie. Will Buffon be able to keep out Madrid s galacticos? And will Casillas be a match for Del Piero, Nedved and Ibra? The answers could well decide the tie.

The battle for midfield will be Beckham vs. Emerson, the England captain against his Brazilian counterpart. Both are strong and have a lot of energy but who will be able to get the upper hand going forward - Beckham with his range of passing and free kicks or Emerson with his powerful forward runs and long range shooting?

Zebina vs. Roberto Carlos will also be a key battle. Both are good going forward but not so good when having to defend; should be fascinating.


PROBABLE STARTING XIs

Real Madrid (probable): Casillas, Salgado, Helguera, Samuel, Roberto Carlos, Beckham, Gravesen, Figo, Zidane, Raul, Ronaldo.

Juventus (probable): Buffon, Zebina, Cannavaro, Thuram, Zambrotta, Camoranesi, Emerson, Blasi, Nedved, Del Piero, Ibrahimovic.


PREDICTION

The tie is too tight to call and it may well come down to which side can perform best on their travels. An away goal will be vital for Juve while Real Madrid will be looking for a lead to take to Turin. It may also take one of the stars on show to do something a little special. Zidane will be looking to impress against his form club, while Del Piero wants to silence his many critics. Should be a great game Enjoy!


Steve Lamb

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=48383

[dreamer75]

After the draw for second round of CL match between Real and Juventus was dubbed as “battle of giants”.

Some media also predicted that winner of this tie will have great chance to win CL in current season. But to be honest, even if we talk about match between probably two of the biggest European clubs, I must say I don’t see Real or Juventus as serious contenders for European glory this season.

Both team have tiny squads, great players… but very “short bench” and both showed weakness but in different parts of season.

If we talk about results Real looks in better shape at the moment, but I saw Real many times in last 2 months, yes - they won 7 in a row before Bilbao humiliation but played average in most of the games.

Let’s talk about win in Pamplona, there Real Madrid looked very bad whole game, then host keeper slips two balls and Real won from nothing. It is possible in Spain against most of the clubs, but when you play vs Italian team, it is another level of quality.

Luckily for Real, Juventus is out of form. Week by week, we see my team strugling vs lower opponents, in fact Juve won only 4 points from last 4 games, lost vs Samp and Palermo, drew in Messina and beat Udinese.

Our coach constantly repeating ”we run out of luck” but believe me it is not true, simply it is that without Paval Nedved then Juve has no self-confidence and real leader on the pitch.

Also Capello clashed with 2 big stars, gk Gigi Buffon and captain Del Piero I think it was big mistake. The team has lost best weapon - fighting spirit and without it, Juve can’t match best European teams.

I must also say I am not big fan of Real Madrid or Spanish football. They play careless, practically without real defence, they have some twisted logic that game are decided by individuals not team effort. Sometimes it can be winning formula but vs Italian teams, who are defensively minded, it is very risky (last encounters between Juve and Real two years ago showed it).

However, with coach Luxemburgo who proved himself in many occasions in erratic Brasilian football, Real looked more serious than in first 5 months of the season. Also, Gravesen was very smart move on transfer market, but Real needs something else, change in heads of star players.

You know, I don’t think that there is coach in the world who will make “star” players like Ronaldo, Raul, or Figo to fight for every ball - it is major problem as the midfield players don’t help defence.

Look at Walter Samuel, he was one of the best defenders in modern soccer, he is still great but in Real he can’t do anything so exposed from midfield if you know what I think.

On the other side, Juve has different problems, very steady defence but little flair in the midfield and no prolific goalscorer.

Ibrahimovic is great, but he is better as passer than last touch man (Messina game showed it). Same can be said for Del Piero.

Midfield is very strong, but consists of fighters not artists (since Zidane departure , Juve has problems with creativity).

Capello didn’t include Trezegue (he has flu) in squad. Good news for all Juve fans is that Nedved will travel to Madrid and be on the bench, but I don’t believe he will play because I expect winner to be decided in Turin, and Juve coach will not risk anything.

Capello experimented in last 2 games, but I don’t think we will see surprise in line up. So Juve will field :


Buffon
Zambrotta. Thuram. Cannavaro. Zebina
Olivera, Emerson, Blasi, Camoranesi
Del Piero, Ibrahimovic


Only posible change would be Pessotto instead of Olivera (in that case Zambrotta will be pushed in midfield) - anything else is not likely, as I said Capello has very limited choice.

I am not informed in Real line up but as I heard Michel Salgado is out - it will be very interesting to see will Luxemburgo give another chance to Ronaldo – Raul in attack or eventually Michael Owen will be in starting XI.

Let’s talk about tradition. Juve and Real played each other 10 times, 6 wins for Real, 4 for Juventus (there was no draws at all).

Also best Real win was the CL final in Amsterdam 1998. Juve had some sort of revenge two years ago in CL semifinal.

Interesting, both teams were dominant on home soil…according to it, we must rate Real as slight favourite in Madrid…

There are two possible scenarios we might see in Madrid

FIRST (I would like it , but I think there is small chance for it) – Real to attack form the start. And try to decide everything in first game, by winning with bigger margin. But don’t see Luxemburgo naïve coach also he has Sacchi with him.

And so I expect SECOND scenario : cautious game. Real will wait for chance, Juve will defend like hell - big games usually don’t bring so many excitement and I think both rivals want to keep chances for second leg.

[dreamer75]

altho we lost to Real 1-0 away but we still have the return leg to play for :)

[dreamer75]

Juv : [HF] 9-2-1 [L5] WLLWD
Sie : [AF] 2-5-5 [L5] DDDDW

Siena game comes in right time for Juventus, after very hard encounter vs Real Madrid in midweek, Juve will face easier opponent

I think the home win is not the question, firstly after their draw against Messina it means that Juventus must win.

Secondly, the Real Madrid game showed team is improved, and thirdly this is a game vs a lesser opponent and Juventus is usually very strong against “small” clubs.

I remind you that my club won 9 out of 12 encounters at home whole season, only Palermo, Samp and mighty Milan remain undefeated vs Juve.

Siena is not type of team who can pose a threat Juve and they will be satisfied with small margin defeat (something like 0-1),

Las year, thisgame finished in an easy 4-2 for Juve and in the first half of championship bianconeri won 3-0 in Siena.


I think Capello will give chance players like Zalayeta , it is right time to rest some key players Ibrahimovic for example.

In next 2 games Juve will travel to Rome than there is rematch with Real so there is no need to risk some injury of key players.

Nedved is out, Kapo and Trezeguet will not play

Maybe we can see some another regular to be rested but Capello will make decision before the game.

What to say about Siena…obviously I liked them after winter break and they brought good players and improved form as well as changing their coach so good results in last month are not surprise at all.

Siena won against Fiorentina last week after 6 straight draws and I think they have better chance to achieve survival this year.

However teams like Siena suits Juve very well, they are not “ giants killer” they have another relegation candidate next weekend (Brescia at home) and I think they will concetrate on next match.

So I have nothing to add.

This should be an easy win for Juve, but only as a fixed odds pick - I am not sure Juve will beat handicap because it is stage of season when you have hard matches in a row and there is no need to press hard vs teams like Siena

[dreamer75]

i predict a 2-0 win for us :)

[dreamer75]

YES!!

ADP scored!!

1-0 to us :)

[dreamer75]

woohoo..we won 3-0 :D

FT Juventus [3 - 0] Siena

35' [1 - 0] A.D. Piero
50' [2 - 0] Emerson
63' [3 - 0] A.D. Piero (pen.)

[dreamer75]

hope Milan slips up later =:p

but i doubt so...they are quite strong even against Inter :)

[hwmook]

hope Milan slips up later =:p

but i doubt so...they are quite strong even against Inter :)


we smash yet another record. another victory, killing inter hopes of an unbeaten record. :s13:

lady luck is smiling on milan yet again. =:p

[dreamer75]

we smash yet another record. another victory, killing inter hopes of an unbeaten record. :s13:

lady luck is smiling on milan yet again. =:p

Milan normally have gd records against Inter..nothing new...:D

[dreamer75]

Big match coming up!

We are up against Roma @ Stadio Olimpico

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/delnerinews.jpg

Roma were crushed when they last faced Juventus, but Gigi Del Neri has promised a radically different performance this evening.


“We have improved in our whole way of spreading out on the pitch,” assured the Coach who was defeated 2-0 in Turin back in October. “It will be a very important test for us, above all so we can prove that Roma can be on a par with any team.”


The Giallorossi slipped down to seventh place in the Serie A standings following last Sunday’s surprise defeat at Palermo and must get a result to stay in the hunt for European places.


But there is so much more to this tie than three points, as the summer departure of Fabio Capello, Emerson and Jonathan Zebina make it second only to the Rome derby in terms of passion.


“Roma want to make their fans celebrate and will fight until the death to win this match,” reassured the tactician. “If the players are still battling away at the final whistle, then that would already be an important result.”


Nonetheless, the former Chievo boss was eager to calm the storm surrounding Capello’s comeback amid fears of crowd trouble.


“This is set to be a spectacular game of football and nothing more. I am sure that the fans will support us with the right attitude. Capello left in a bit of a rush, which created some bitterness among those he left behind, but Roma must never forget he helped them win the Scudetto.”


Capello also made the move to Turin less than three months after stating in a Press conference that he would “never join Juventus.”


“In football and in life, one must never say never,” smiled Del Neri when asked the same question. “You can’t tell what will happen, so I could stay here for five years or quit Coaching altogether.”


No major changes are expected to the line-up, though Francesco Totti returns from suspension to complete the trident attack with Vincenzo Montella and Antonio Cassano. The one doubt appears to be between Alberto Aquilani and Daniele De Rossi for the midfield spot, with Amantino Mancini relegated to the bench.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar5a.html

[dreamer75]

One of the most hated rivalries in football will clash this saturday evening at the Stadio Olimpico. Juve will look to get further revenge on Roma after their four-nil defeat at this stadium last season while Roma will be looking to get their season back on track.
BACKGROUND

There will also be an added ingredient to this clash as Emerson, Jonathan Zebina and Fabio Capello go back to the place where they had so much success. It will be hard for the Romanisti to contain themselves as Fabio Capello and Emerson walk back onto the pitch at the Olimpico. In recent years this match has bought up so much emotion including the four-nil victory last year where Cassano and Totti played the best matches of their lives and also when Hidetoshi Nakata struck an equalizer at the Delle Alpi in Roma’s Scudetto winning year. Juve have also had their moments in this tie and their two-nil victory earlier on in the season may have rested some demons from their shattering performance at the Olimpico last year. Yet for Juve to put all their haunted memories to rest they will need a similar outcome in Rome in front of the Romanisti, the most passionate and some may say violent fans in the country.

The fans are not the only thing which makes this match exciting. Both clubs have a lot to play for in the league and there will be many stars on display. Juve are joint top in the race for the title with AC Milan. Considering Milan’s comparatively easy match with Atalanta, Juve may well need to pick up a result in this match to keep up with Milan. Roma themselves are in big trouble. Their recent form has been poor and they now find themselves in seventh place, five points behind the top four. With the tough fixture list awaiting Roma in the next month or so, a victory at home to Juventus is vital and may give them the confidence to face their problems.

There will also be some key battles on display. Francesco Totti versus Alessandro Del Piero is the main one. Despite Del Piero’s downfall in recent years he has put in a recent run of good form and will look to outshine his rival Italian number ten on saturday night. Although it will be hard for Del Piero to live up to Francesco Totti who has scored thirteen goals this season and has been one Roma player who can keep his head held high.

Oliver Dacourt versus Emerson is also an interesting match-up. The two of them out-battled every midfield in Italy last year, but now they will face off against each other to prove which one is better. Both are very similar although Emerson is respected as the better of two, Dacourt will look to prove those critics wrong.

Antonio Cassano versus Lillian Thuram. The highly talented youngster will look to prove his worth once more against Juve. There is no doubt that the win against Juve last year was his best performance but Roma will need more of the same as Thuram will try his best to stop one of the Roma danger men.

Matteo Ferrari versus Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The dodgy Roma defender has been a weak member of the Roma squad this year. He has allowed many strikers do what they want against Roma and despite Zlatan’s recent disastrous form, there is no doubt that if the former Inter and Parma stopper allows the Swede as much room, there could be huge consequences for the Giallorossi.

Despite the huge gap between the teams this season, Roma on paper have a hugely talented line-up and one that is waiting to exploded against a big team. Roma have yet to beat a top six team this year and it is hard to see this last for the season. Juve on the other hand will feel more confident than ever this year as they go to the Olimpico looking for the three points.


TEAM NEWS

Roma
Mexes is still suspended after Roma’s illegal approach. This means that Roma will keep basically the same team as against Palermo. The main difference will be the needed return of Totti after he missed the Palermo match through suspension. Mancini is likely to drop to the bench in a similar 4-3-3 formation to recent weeks. Aquilani could also feature in front of De Rossi but this decision will be made just before the match.

Juventus
Zebina and Emerson return to the Olimpico and both will start on Saturday evening. Capello could well go for a three man attack just like Del Neri involving Zalayeta, Del Piero and Zlatan although Kapo could play ahead of Zalayeta. David Trezeguet is going to be back on the bench while Pavel Nedved is still injured for Juve.


PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Roma: (4-3-3)
Pelizzoli; Panucci, Dellas, Ferrari, Cufre; Perrotta, Dacourt, De Rossi; Totti, Cassano, Montella

Juventus: (4-3-3)
Buffon; Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Blasi; Del Piero, Zalayeta, Zlatan.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Francesco Totti
The Roma captain has been in great form since January and even though some of his team mates have not showed the same passion, he is the one man who can lead Roma to victory here. The link up play between Totti, Cassano and Montella could well decide the outcome of this fascinating encounter.

Alessandro Del Piero
He has played well in his last two Serie A matches against Messina and Siena. Questions still remain on whether he is up to the task against the big guns after his miserable performance against Real Madrid. Roma may not be what they were, but this is still a huge match and Del Piero can prove a lot here against a shaky defence.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=50155

[dreamer75]

One of the classic encounters of any Italian season takes place in the Eternal City tonight when Roma host Juventus in a much-anticipated Serie A clash. The meeting of these two clubs in Rome will be lent added spice by the return of Fabio Capello. In the minds of most Romanisti, the renowned coach undid all the goodwill he’d earned during a successful spell as Roma coach by defecting to Turin in the Summer. His seduction by the Old Lady is regarded as an act of treason in the capital, and Capello is no doubt braced for a lively reception on Saturday. On the pitch, his team are riding high – but certainly not as comfortably as they were – while Roma have suffered all season and will see this game as a bit of a cup final in the current campaign. Off the pitch, Goal.com asked fans of both clubs to stoke up the atmosphere. Dean Fiori tells it like it is from Roma’s perspective; Jamie Obertelli counters for Juve…
GOAL: First of all, how do you feel about your side’s campaign so far? Have you been delighted or dismayed by it?

DEAN (Roma): The obvious answer here is that I’ve been dismayed. Despite some important sales in the summer, the squad promised much but has not delivered. Though the important thing for all Romanisti to remember is that this is a very young Roma team at the moment.

JAMIE (Juve): Last year was amazing. Juve looked unbeatable up until they played Milan. Since that game they have struggled to control a game the way they did in the first half of the season. I’m still happy with the team’s performance this season, but we just need to become a bit more ruthless in front of goal if we are to kill teams off.


GOAL: Tactically, where do you think this match may be won or lost?

DEAN (Roma): It will all depend on whether Roma’s tridente attend the match. If they can break Juve down they can win. Totti and Cassano were on fire last year and we won four-nil although Cannavaro is a huge improvement to the Juve backline.

JAMIE (Juve): In defence. Much is made of Juve’s good defence and slightly less potent attack but against Roma, our defenders will be key. Totti, Montella and Cassano have hurt us in the past and can open up any defence so we need to be focussed.


GOAL: Which opposition player do you consider to be the greatest threat to your team in this clash?

DEAN (Roma): Not exactly a player, but Fabio Capello. Tactically he is two steps ahead of Del Neri. Despite my hate towards Capello for leaving us, there is no doubt that he is one of the best managers in world football and no one can argue with this.

JAMIE (Juve): Totti without a doubt. Roma’s captain is one of the most gifted players in the world and will be a massive threat if he is allowed to pull Roma’s strings.


GOAL: Would you want him in your team?

DEAN (Roma): After the betrayal in the summer I will never want Capello back in Rome, despite the success he bought us.

JAMIE (Juve): No! Totti does not possess the correct mentality for the Bianconeri and is often guilty of petulant acts and petty rivalries. With the comments he has made about Juventus and Fabio Capello this season not many people would welcome him to Turin. I would much rather have Cassano who will develop into a far greater player than Totti.


GOAL: Who from your team should we keep a particular eye on here?

DEAN (Roma): The player to watch for Roma will have to be Francesco Totti. Like many Roma fans he despises Juve and he will be at his very best to beat them once more. Last year it was 4-0 thanks to the inspiration of Totti and Cassano, hopefully the same can happen here.

JAMIE (Juve): Del Piero seems to be coming back to his best form and was outstanding last weekend. Much has been said about his relationship with the manager and he has been labelled past it countless times. When Del Piero hits this kind of form he is breathtaking to watch.


GOAL: What are your side’s greatest strengths?

DEAN (Roma): On form there is no doubt that our greatest strength is the tridente. Apart from this our team is weaker than Juventus.

JAMIE (Juve): Juve are solid and do not allow much past them. If Roma are to beat us they will first need to break us down and that will be difficult. With champions such as Emerson in the middle of the park we are solid.


GOAL: And weaknesses?

DEAN (Roma): At the moment our goalkeeper situation is a massive weakness. Zotti has performed well when he’s played but is still very insecure. Pelizzoli has completely lost the plot since the start of the season. Matteo Ferrari has also been very weak mentally this year.

JAMIE (Juve): At the moment we are not efficient enough in front of goal. This is something we need to work on because we cannot win every game 1-0.


GOAL: What do your lot typically think of their lot?

DEAN (Roma): That Juve are a dull and boring team, especially this year. They have also had a few refs help them in their time.

JAMIE (Juve): I have admired Roma in recent years because of the flair and attacking football that former boss Capello had them playing.


GOAL: What single thing irritates you most about them?

DEAN (Roma): That they have no passion to play good football, but instead bring back the old calcio stereotype and to defend. Defensive organisation is an important aspect of the game and a good defence is admirable, but Juve take it a step too far under Capello.

JAMIE (Juve): Francesco Totti. Always threatening to leave the club seems to me a very petulant thing to do. As an Italy fan I have still not forgiven the Romanista for his spitting display in Portugal. Totti has the ability of a champion, but certainly not the mentality of one.


GOAL: And what do you grudgingly admire?

DEAN (Roma): That even though I hate their defence, they do have the best goalkeeper in the world along with three of the best defenders on the planet.

JAMIE (Juve): They have some good players that I would like to see in a black and white shirt. Chivu and Cassano would do well for us in Turin.


GOAL: Who is your all-time number one hate figure (or object of amusement) from their lot?

DEAN (Roma): Alessandro Del Piero. In the mid 90’s the guy had serious talent and was surely the second best footballer in the world at the time, but since he has only lived off reputation. He will have the odd good game which immediately means people jump to the wrong conclusions and say he’s back. Though he has never consistently been himself and now it is too late for him.

JAMIE (Juve): Once again Totti. I cannot emphasise enough how strongly I feel against him.


GOAL: What’s the best of business ever done between the two clubs?

DEAN (Roma): I cannot say, although Jonathan Zebina being taken off our hands was a great deal.

JAMIE (Juve): Stealing their manager was pretty good business, as was the capture of Emerson and Zebina. Thank you Roma!


GOAL: What’s your fondest memory of past clashes against them?

DEAN (Roma): My fondest memory is the four-nil victory last year and the four-finger salute of Totti. The goal of Hidetoshi Nakata which tied the match between the two sides in our scudetto year ranks highly also.

JAMIE (Juve): I was happy with our win earlier on in the season. We looked good and were playing some efficient football at the time.


GOAL: What do you think the score of this match will be, and how will it affect your week?

DEAN (Roma): I predict a 2-1 win for Roma with L’Aeroplanino, Vincenzo Montella, scoring the winner. The outcome of this result will set the tone for my week.

JAMIE (Juve): I think Juve will scrape through 2-1 and that will put me in a good mood for the rest of the week.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=50170

[dreamer75]

Chelsea have filed a claim to sue Adrian Mutu for £8 million after his drug ban and subsequent free transfer to Juventus.
The club sacked the Romanian after he failed a routine drugs test, but claim they are owed £8 million in compensation based on his transfer value and the current sanctions against him.

The former Parma star is suspended until May 18 but has already signed a contract with the Bianconeri.

The case will be looked at by the FA Premier League appeal committee at the end of March.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=50173&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

By European Football - March 5 2005

Adrian Mutu is set to become the target of an eight million pound law suit by Chelsea. The London side are taking this action following his sacking for failing a random drugs test and his subsequent free transfer to Juventus.

Although Mutu is banned until May 18th, Juventus are appealing the ban and hope to have the player return earlier, and Chelsea may not be content with a law suit against just Mutu, there have been strong hints that they may sue his new club Juventus for some compensation as well.

Juve director general Luciano Moggi was asked about a potential law suit during his presentation Press conference last month and insisted, “The terms of this contract ensure that the club is not liable for compensation. It is a matter between Chelsea and Mutu.”

Whatever happens, Mutu must be hoping that it can happen quickly, so he can put the whole sorry mess that was his Chelsea career behind him and move on.

http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s342/st68311.htm?fromrss=1

[dreamer75]

Chelsea have filed a claim to sue Adrian Mutu for £8m following his drug ban and free transfer to Juventus.


The Romanian was sacked by the club after failing a routine drugs test for cocaine, but insist they are owed £8m compensation based on his transfer value and sporting sanctions against the player.


The 26-year-old is suspended worldwide until May 18, but has already penned a contract with Juventus and could return early if the Bianconeri’s appeal is successful.


Chelsea had already hinted at seeking compensation from his next club, but the matter is now official and the FA Premier League appeal committee will evaluate the situation at the end of March.


Juve director general Luciano Moggi was asked about this claim during his presentation Press conference last month and insisted, “The terms of this contract ensure that the club is not liable for compensation. It is a matter between Chelsea and Mutu.”


Ex-Parma star Mutu joined the Stamford Bridge outfit for £15.8m in 2003 and the legal precedent they hope to apply here is of another former Serie A star – Samp and Parma midfielder Ariel Ortega.


The Argentine was sacked by Turks Fenerbahce after failing to return on time from an international friendly. He was prevented from signing for Newell’s Old Boys during the appeal and was ordered to pay his former club £6m by FIFA.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar5d.html

[dreamer75]

p predict a 1-0 win for us :)

[dreamer75]

yes we won 2-1!!! :D

[dreamer75]

Roma 1 - 2 Juventus
Cannavaro 12 (J), Cassano 39 (R), Del Piero pen 44 (J)

Stadio Olimpico

An extremely controversial Alex Del Piero penalty gave Juve the victory at the Olimpico and Roma are furious as Fabio Capello gets his revenge.

This has always been a fiery encounter, but it went into overdrive following the controversial events of the summer. Emerson, Jonathan Zebina and Coach Fabio Capello joined rivals Juventus and have since been dubbed 'traitors' by the Roma faithful.

The Bianconeri opted for a trident attack with Marcelo Zalayeta joining Alessandro Del Piero and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while Lilian Thuram was able to start despite suffering from flu.

Roma kept faith with Daniele De Rossi in midfield, while Francesco Totti returned from suspension to bolster their strike force. The pressure was on Gigi Del Neri's men following their 2-0 defeat at Palermo, while the visitors needed a victory to maintain Milan's pace at the top of the table.

Vincenzo Montella thought he had opened the scoring after two minutes, but it was correctly disallowed for an offside position. Moments later, Gianluigi Buffon could only punch out a Totti free kick and Matteo Ferrari's follow-up was charged down by Emerson.

However, it was Juventus who took the lead with their first chance of the game. A Mauro German Camoranesi free kick found Ibrahimovic for a free header that was only pushed into Fabio Cannavaro's path by goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli. Notably, both Bianconeri stars were unmarked when the set-piece was floated in, though Cannavaro was probably offside when Ibrahimovic made contact.

Totti was able to carry on after treatment for a painful nudge in the ribs, then Zebina was felled by Leandro Cufre clattering into his back after the ball had already been released.

A scuffle broke out after 21 minutes with former teammates Totti and Zebina both booked with the Roma captain going in high and the Frenchman reacting. Olivier Dacourt was also shown the yellow card for a dreadful challenge on Ibrahimovic.

Zebina did well to prevent Cassano's through ball reaching Montella in the six-yard box, and Buffon stuck out a hand as Christian Panucci nutmegged Cannavaro, but the first half was increasingly tense and choppy with repeated fouls.

Just before half-time, Roma finally found a breakthrough. Manuele Blasi's pass was intercepted and Totti quickly slipped the ball through to Cassano. The ex-Bari youngster was onside and two of his teammates were considered to be in passive positions, so Cassano stroked his finish past a helpless Buffon from eight yards. The Giallorossi star was booked for his celebration, having kicked down the corner flag.

However, less than two minutes later Zalayeta was tripped by Traianos Dellas and the referee pointed to the spot. It was on the very edge of the penalty area and replays suggest it was outside, prompting furious protests from the Roma players - especially Montella, who was practically restrained by his teammates. Alessandro Del Piero stepped up and slammed a confident spot-kick past an immobile Pelizzoli to restore Juve's extremely controversial lead.

On the stroke of half-time there was an off the ball incident that could lead to a ban for Cufre' as he was caught on camera slapping Del Piero.

After the restart, Emerson's long-range strike whistled over the bar, while Amantino Mancini replaced De Rossi for a more attacking Roma outfit.

Juve went close to extending their lead when Zalayeta fought his way past one challenge and Pelizzoli did well to hold his position and block with his feet.

Del Piero was surprisingly substituted and replaced by defender Gianluca Pessotto as Capello tried to make them a more solid line-up under increasing pressure from the home side.

Cannavaro needed a great tackle to prevent Cassano from skipping his way into the area, then at the other end Ibrahimovic had a goal disallowed for offside, although the Swede was level with Camoranesi's pass and therefore it was an incorrect decision.

Juve were extremely lucky not to conceded an equaliser on 67 minutes, as Thuram dived in to take the ball off Montella's feet from close range with only Buffon to beat and a deflected clearance whistled just wide of the empty net.

The Bianconeri were increasingly desperate and flung bodies at shots from Totti, Montella and Cassano. Totti's free header floated just past the woodwork, then Ibrahimovic picked the wrong pass on the counter-attack with Gianluca Pessotto unmarked in the centre.

Pelizzoli needed two touches to keep a Blasi piledriver under control, but the second half was almost entirely one-way traffic directed at Buffon's net.

David Trezeguet made an appearance late on, as he has missed the last three games with a flu virus, but Roma kept on pushing and Montella fired just wide of the near post with his weaker right foot.

There was panic in the area when Totti's sweeping pass took a touch off Zebina and into the grateful arms of Buffon, but it could so easily have been an own goal.

Del Neri went for broke and threw on teenage striker Daniele Corvia, so there were four strikers on the pitch plus Amantino Mancini for the final stages. Totti's free kick took a deflection off the defensive wall and bounced just past the post with Buffon stranded.

Another big scuffle broke out in stoppages as Cassano had to be dragged away from Camoranesi, who he accused of wasting time. The final whistle also saw some problems between opposition players as they left the field.

Roma: Pelizzoli; Panucci, Dellas, Ferrari, Cufre (Corvia 85); Perrotta, Dacourt (Aquilani 69), De Rossi (Mancini 53); Totti, Montella, Cassano

Juventus: Buffon; Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Blasi, Emerson; Zalayeta, Del Piero (Pessotto 56), Ibrahimovic (Trezeguet 78)

Ref: Racalbuto

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/rom-juv.html

[dreamer75]

Fabio Capello returned in style to the Stadio Olimpico as Juventus beat his former club Roma 2-1 in a stormy game on Saturday evening.

Alessandro Del Piero's penalty shortly before the interval allowed Juve to join AC Milan at the top of the standings, after the Rossoneri clinched a late victory over Atalanta earlier in the day.

But Italian referee Salvatore Racalbuto's decision to award the spot-kick was furiously contested by the Roma players with Marcelo Zalayeta looking to have gone to ground too easily on the edge of the area while Zlatan Ibrahimovic had previously been in an offside position.

Two minutes earlier Antonio Cassano's strike had cancelled out Fabio Cannavaro's 10th-minute goal.

The crowd may have anticipated a heated encounter and they certainly got it, with a total of 10 yellow cards shown by the official and 71 fouls committed.

Capello may have guided Roma to their third Scudetto four years ago, but that didn't save him from getting a frosty reception by the Giallorossi fans. Capello left the club last summer to join enemies Juve taking with him players Jonathan Zebina and Emerson.

"Judas did nothing in comparison to Capello," was the message from one of the numerous banners that hung in the stands directed at the former coach.

Somewhat surprisingly, Capello left out rested French striker David Trezeguet in favour of playing Del Piero, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Zalayeta together in attack, but his tactics proved successful.

A one-minute silence was observed prior to the encounter following the death of Italian secret service agent Nicola Calipari in Iraq on Friday.

The hosts got off to a good start and should have taken the lead in the fourth minute.

Gianluigi Buffon struggled to hold onto Francesco Totti's powerful free-kick and the ball fell to Olivier Dacourt whose close-range strike on target was blocked by Emerson. Juve replied in style six minutes later, with Cannavaro giving his team the lead.

Ivan Pelizzoli did well to clear Ibrahimovic's bouncing header from Mauro Camoranesi's free-kick, but the ball remained in the area and Cannavaro's angled header went inside the net.

As the minutes passed the game got more violent, and a confrontation between Totti and Zebina led to both players being showed the yellow card by referee Racalbuto.

Roma's frustration continued to grow with Juve's man-to-man marking hindering the Giallorossi's play, who failed to find the all-important passes.

But just when Roma were playing at their worst they equalised in the 38th minute courtesy of Cassano.

A mistake from Lilian Thuram, who gave the ball away in his own half, allowed Totti to strike the ball forward towards team-mates Montella and Simone Perrotta, but both were clever not to get involved in the action as they were in an offside position and left the ball to Cassano who anticipated Buffon's move and scored.

But Roma's joy lasted just two minutes, as the referee pointed to the spot after Zalayeta had gone down under a a challenge from Traianos Dellas.

The incident was right on the edge of the area and the game was interrupted for three minutes as angry Roma players argued with the match officials before Del Piero placed the ball to the top left-hand corner to give Juve a half-time lead.

Del Neri made his first substitution six minutes after the re-start with Mancini replacing Daniele De Rossi.

But even with the alteration, it was Juve who looked more dangerous and they would have extended the lead had Pelizzoli not made a vital stop from Zalayeta's close-range strike.

In the 67th minute, Roma could have gone level had Zebina not blocked Montella's powerful shot on target.

Roma kept up the pressure on Juve but their continuous advances proved fruitless.

With 15 minutes remaining, Totti headed inches wide of Buffon's right post while shortly after, Montella shot wide, much to the disappointment of the home fans.

Juve replied with Ibrahimovic's effort from the distance forcing Pelizzoli to dive to his right, before he left the pitch to give way to Trezeguet.

Del Neri played his last card with five minutes remaining, with young striker Daniele Corvia replacing Leandro Cufre.

And Roma's efforts nearly paid off with Totti's free-kick rebounding off a Juve defender just inches wide of Buffon's right post but time ran out for the hosts.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/italy/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=international_feed/05/03/05/SOCCER_Ita-Roma_Nightlead.html

[dreamer75]

no use whining...

Traianos Dellas has spiced up the controversy surrounding Juve’s victory by claiming the referee’s 'mission' was to favour the visitors.


“The referee had to help out Juventus. That was his mission,” slammed the Roma defender. “Milan had already won earlier in the day, so the Turin team also needed a victory to stay top.”


It was clear that the Saturday evening clash at the Stadio Olimpico would cause controversy, but with both of Juve’s goals stirring up debate the 2-1 result is set to hit the headlines for some time.


Dellas was at the centre of the most contested incident, as he tripped Marcelo Zalayeta for the winning penalty. Replays clearly showed the foul took place outside the area, but Alessandro Del Piero converted to give Juve the three points.


“It was all too clear that Referee Salvatore Racalbuto was favouring Juventus,” added the Euro 2004 winner. “The penalty was definitely outside the area, and Zalayeta also admitted as much to me afterwards.”


The Greek defender saved his most damaging blast to the ‘powers that be’ which run the Italian game, suggesting that there was a conspiracy against Roma.


“Seeing as Milan had won at the 94th minute against Atalanta, it was obvious that Juventus also had to get the three points and it was the referee’s mission to ensure that happened."


"If the Scudetto has already been assigned in advance, I’d appreciate it if they told us so we wouldn’t waste our energy trying to win games.”


The rest of the team was not quite so vicious in its reaction, although on the field Vincenzo Montella and Antonio Cassano were repeatedly restrained from arguing with the officials.


“Both of Juve’s goals should have been disallowed,” noted Olivier Dacourt. “They are such a strong team that they really don’t need these favours.”


Coach Gigi Del Neri insisted he would not talk about the refereeing errors, but did make an intriguing comment. “The images are clear for all to see. In my view, we won 1-0.”

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar6f.html

[dreamer75]

Fabio Capello and Gigi Del Neri refused to discuss the controversial refereeing decisions that marred tonight’s showdown at the Stadio Olimpico.


“The images are clear and therefore I don’t need to say anything about the refereeing errors,” stated an ironic Del Neri after their 2-1 defeat. “The team played on level terms with Juventus and went behind on their first chance, but it was always going to be a masculine match.”


The tactician has now faced Juve twice and lost in both encounters, although it was an improvement upon their sluggish 2-0 loss in October.


“We certainly suffered a lot less than in Turin, so if we continue to play with this intensity and determination then we’ll go far. We had our opportunities and did everything we could to beat Gianluigi Buffon, so Roma proved that they deserve to aim for a Champions’ League place.”


Capello returned to the Capital for the first time since his unexpected summer exit and gave the Roma fans something else to rage about with this result.


“I do not wish to comment on the reception I received here, as there is no point offending people or hitting back. I just want to talk about football. It was my comeback to a place where I had earned some great results and was happy.”


“I think that we played a great first half, then Antonio Cassano’s goal gave Roma belief and both sides were very determined,” noted the ex-Roma boss. “Perhaps our mistakes in the second period when on promising counter-attacks let us down, as we could have easily won by more goals.”


This win keeps Juve on top of the table on level terms with reigning Italian Champions Milan and the Scudetto race remains incredibly tight.


“We knew that Milan had won, so it was even more crucial to get past this obstacle. If the Rossoneri get more points and are better than us by the end of the season, then we take our hats off to a side that never gives up.”


Real Madrid drew with 1-1 with Valencia tonight and fell off the Liga pace, so Juve’s confidence is boosted going into Tuesday’s second leg tie.


“Real are very similar to Roma in terms of their style and quality, so we need the same determination and humility as tonight,” insisted Capello. “The most important thing is to be concentrated and not concede a goal, which means being focused until the final whistle.”


Alessandro Del Piero netted his third goal in two games, but the captain was substituted early into the second half.


“Del Piero’s replacement was a tactical choice, as he couldn’t chase after Mancini and the team was overall rather tired, so I needed someone more defensive in that role.”


Antonio Cassano has already been linked with Juventus in the past and before the game admitted he missed Capello and wanted to work with him again.


“Cassano said what he was thinking and in my book we should all respect those who speak their mind in an honest fashion,” he concluded.


Giallorossi director Rossella Sensi, the daughter of ageing President Franco Sensi, also hit hard at the controversial refereeing decisions that were made during this game.


“Roma deserve respect and although I accept that the errors were made in good faith, they should be more professional in these situations. These were serious mistakes that damage our campaign and our chances of qualifying for the Champions’ League.”


Fabio Cannavaro opened the scoring from close range and laughed off the Giallorossi’s complaints of pro-Juventus favouritism.


“There are refereeing errors for both sides and it is part of the game, but when there is a mistake that favours Juve it’s as if the sky is caving in,” noted the defender.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar5j.html

[dreamer75]

ROMA fans are really spoilt brats!!

Associated Press
Posted: 13 hours ago
ROME (AP) - Five supporters of Italian league-leading Juventus were stabbed in the legs and beaten by rival fans ouside Stadio Olimpico Saturday before kickoff of the Serie A match against AS Roma.

Police reported that the five youngsters were hospitalized. Their condition was not serious.

Juventus eventually won the match 2-1.

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/3441730

[dreamer75]

Here's what Cannavaro, Delneri and Capello declared at the end of the controversial encounter between Roma and Juve.

Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus): “What was important tonight was to win and we succeeded. If my goal was offside or not I don’t know, these are things which happen in football. The fact is that whenever they happen to Juve, it’s the end of the world. This is a win which boosts our morale for the Champions League match against Real Madrid.”

Gigi Delneri (Roma): “We played on the same level of Juventus and maybe deserved something more; I have nothing to complain about with my players. We lost differently than in the first leg, where we had suffered. We are improving, the season is long, and the road is the right one. We had our goal scoring chances, but in front of us there was a super Buffon.”

Fabio Capello (Juventus): “The squad showed attention and determination till the end; you cannot concede anything to a team like Roma. It was difficult as we knew Milan’s result. We continue on our road, and then if Milan will be better than us we shall compliment them: if they score in the last minute it means they never give up.”

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=50262

[dreamer75]

ENGLAND captain David Beckham believes he could be doubtful for Real Madrid’s decisive Champions League clash against Juventus. We can beat Real at Turin!!! Their performance not v gd recently.

[dreamer75]

March 7, 2005

BERLIN (AFP) - The agent of Bayern Munich defender Robert Kovac, Jurgen Milewski, has confirmed that Italian giants Juventus are interested in poaching the Croatian international defender.

Juventus were impressed by Kovac, 30, during the two meetings with Bayern in the Champions League group phase and are prepared to put together a lucrative financial package with the player out of contract at the end of the season.

"There is an offer from Juventus on the table," Milewski told Bild am Sonntag.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bayern have offered Kovac a two-year extension at the Olympic Stadium but are unwilling to match his salary demands as they continue to cut the wage bill throughout the club.

Kovac cost Bayern 8.5 million euros from Bayer Leverkusen in 2001 and has been a permanent fixture in the team this season.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fbleurc1gerita&prov=afp&type=lgns

[dreamer75]

Saturday night’s match between the Giallorossi and Bianconeri resulted with the highest number of fouls for a single Serie A game this season.
Referee Racalbuto sanctioned 72 fouls during the whole game, 33 more fouls than an average Serie A game. This resulted in the encounter being interrupted very often for a total of just 41 effective minutes played (only 16 minutes in the whole first half), 13 minutes less than an average league match.

Statistics also show that Capello’s side was involved in the top three Serie A matches with most fouls this season as apart from Roma-Juventus, the other games were Brescia-Juventus (62 fouls) and Atalanta-Juventus (61 fouls).

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=50470&progr=0

[dreamer75]

Juventus are looking to play the perfect game on Wednesday evening in order to knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League.

The Bianconeri enter the clash believing they can overturn the Spaniards' 1-0 lead in order to keep their European dream alive and they will do so in front of a sell-out Stadio Delle Alpi crowd.

Indeed not since Juve eliminated Madrid in the 2002-03 Champions League semi-final has the stadium been sold out.

But the return of the Galacticos, who will be guided on the pitch by former Juve star Zinedine Zidane, will once again see the unusual scene of a packed venue.

Madrid may have lost that magical touch they had two years ago, having failed to clinch any silverware in recent seasons but the nine-times European champions are always a rival that demands respect.

With the likes of David Beckham, Ronaldo and Zidane among their top stars, the Bianconeri know they will have to give their best if they wish to progress through to the next round.

"Against Real Madrid we have to play the perfect game," confirmed captain Alessandro Del Piero.

Zidane certainly agrees with the Italian striker, as Madrid's main priority remains the European competition with the league title an uncertainty.

Madrid now trail Primera Liga leaders Barcelona by eight points following the weekend's draw against Valencia, and the mercurial Frenchman believes defeat is not an option for his side.

Zidane declared: "We are going to Turin to win and we will succeed. The Champions League is now our main objective and to be eliminated will be a disaster."

It is for such a reason that the midfielder will show no mercy against his former side.

Zidane added: "I want to do something great. Not because I will be playing against my ex-club or because I will be in front of my former fans but due to the fact that I want to give some joy to Madrid and to myself.

"Two years ago when I stepped out at the Delle Alpi my legs were trembling. Now the memory of Juve is a long way away."

But Wanderley Luxemburgo's men could commit the biggest mistake if they underestimate 'The Old Lady'.

Fabio Capello's outfit may not display the skilful game that they once did but when it comes to handling pressure and being practical, Juve are the masters.

Juve warmed up for Wednesday's encounter by beating Roma 2-1 at the weekend in a high-tension game at the Stadio Olimpico that gave Capello a victory against his old club.

The win kept up the pressure on leaders AC Milan at the top of Serie A and for the second time in less than a week, Capello will be hoping to beat another of his former sides, a team he knows very well having guided Madrid to the Primera Liga title.

As long as his team show the same level of concentration they displayed in Rome, Capello believes his team can come out victorious.

"We can score at any time," said Capello.

"We just have to be patient and think that the game is long.

"What we cannot do is to give a goal away in the first minutes because that could be the worst thing that could happen to us."

He will rely on his defence to stop the advances of Ronaldo and Raul as Juve have the best backline in Serie A having conceded only 16 goals in 26 games.

But the absence of midfielder Pavel Nedved, who is recovering from a head injury, may be a blow for the hosts and a blessing for Madrid.

"I am happy that Nedved will not be available as he was fantastic two years ago," admitted Zidane.

"He really destroyed us."

Capello will also have to do without midfielder Emanuele Blasi who will serve a one-match ban and is set to be substituted by Alessio Tacchinardi.

Once again, Capello is set to leave French forward David Trezeguet on the bench in preference of attacking trio Marcelo Zalayeta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and in-form Del Piero.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/italy/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=international_feed/05/03/08/SOCCER_Ita-Juventus_Preview.html&TEAMHD=italy

[dreamer75]

Juventus boss Fabio Capello is still pondering which starting XI to select for Wednesday’s Champions’ League tie against Real Madrid.

The tactician was expected to play with a 4-3-3 system as the Italians look to overturn the 1-0 first leg defeat.

But Capello could opt for a more traditional 4-4-2, given the fitness concerns regarding both Alessio Tacchinardi and David Trezeguet.

"I still have a few doubts in midfield and in attack, the only thing I’m certain about at the moment is my defence," he explained.

"Tacchinardi didn’t complete training on Monday and we’ll need to keep a close eye on him. I also need to look at Trezeguet who still hasn’t got 90 minutes in his legs."

The Frenchman is set to start on the bench, while Tacchinardi is needed as both Manuele Blasi (suspension) and Pavel Nedved (injury) are unavailable.

"We need to be fully concentrated in order to not give Real any opportunities on the counter-attack," continued the tactician.

"It is such an important game that I’ve hardly had to say anything to my side. It will be like a Cup Final.

"My players have been concentrating fully since the start of the week. None of the teams will be thinking about Serie A or La Liga, but just the Champions’ League."

Real are in confident mood ahead of the tie, with Roberto Carlos even claiming that Ronaldo will find the target.

"Ronaldo could be a key figure but Real have so many," added Capello. "Prior to the first game, everyone was talking about Raul, Ronaldo and Zidane only for Helguera to score."

But Capello, who led the Madrid outfit to a Spanish League title, believes that January signing Thomas Gravesen is perhaps Real’s most important player.

"He’s given more balance to the side by playing in front of the defence," he said of the former Everton man.

"He’s really played well for them in recent games and he’s becoming a vital figure, especially as such an attacking side as Real need someone like him."

Juventus squad: Buffon, Chimenti, Birindelli, Cannavaro, Ferrara, Montero, Pessotto, Thuram, Zambrotta, Zebina, Appiah, Camoranesi, Emerson, Olivera, Tacchinardi, Del Piero, Ibrahimovic, Trezeguet, Zalayeta.

Juventus (probable): Buffon; Zebina, Cannavaro, Thuram, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Tacchinardi; Zalayeta, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar8h.html

[dreamer75]

[b]Here come BIG MOUTH totti again!![/b[ :alien:

Francesco Totti has launched a bitter tirade at Juve, Fabio Capello, referees, the ‘powers that be’ and Alessandro Del Piero.


The fall-out from Roma’s controversial 2-1 defeat to Juventus on Saturday night shows no signs of abating as the captain took the opportunity of today’s press conference to stir up more debate.


“The truth is that it’s difficult to win when it’s 11 men against 14,” said Totti. “If football carries on like this then your desire to play the game will just fall away. By the end of it only two or three clubs will bother carrying on.”


The Giallorossi had won the Scudetto with Capello at the helm in 2001, but that was an unusual blot on the landscape.


“In 10 years only Roma and Lazio have broken the stranglehold over the title. As for the rest, it was all Juve and Milan, taking it in turns. I don’t care if I get fined for saying this, as I am just speaking the truth.”


The fiery encounter at the Stadio Olimpico also saw Leandro Cufre caught on camera striking Del Piero on the chin after an altercation in the penalty area. So far, the Disciplinary Commission has not called for video evidence to be used and Totti gives an interesting take on the whole incident.


“Cufre was not crazy and if you watch the footage again then you’ll see that before he hit Del Piero, the Juve man punched him in the stomach,” continued the Roma star. “I don’t want to say Cufre was right to do it, but these things happen in a tense game and Del Piero was not an innocent bystander to be praised for his fair play. The media talks about what it wants to, regardless of the evidence.”


The Argentine defender also spoke up about the incident after he was vilified in the Italian Press for lashing out.


“Del Piero kicked me from behind and then he punched me in the stomach before I retaliated,” said Cufre. “How can Juve boast of fair play when their team has given away more free kicks than anyone else and then come to Rome to steal points?”


At the end of the 90 minutes there were over 63 free kicks awarded – more than any other Serie A game so far this season – but referee Racalbuto was blasted for handing Juventus a penalty for a foul that was outside the area.


“The referee made the biggest mistake right from the start, as he changed the face of the game,” insisted Totti. “Juve committed at least 30 fouls early on, and if he had started waving yellow cards around then the situation would not have gotten out of hand.”


However, Totti also reserved his barbed comments for teammate Antonio Cassano, who gave a television interview before the match praising Capello and confessing that he was re-evaluating his contract negotiations with Roma.


“We all know Antonio and that his timing isn’t great,” noted his friend. “It was rather hurtful to hear some of the things he said, but he made that choice. I’d advise Cassano to leave Capello and Juventus well alone. As for my own future, the club knows what my terms are and I don’t want to leave.”

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar8i.html

[dreamer75]

As one of the most highly anticipated Champions League match-ups draws closer Real Madrid and Juventus prepare to face each other on Wednesday night. This heavyweight encounter could go right to the wire after Real’s narrow 1-0 win at home in the first leg.

BACKGROUND

Juventus were far from impressive as they crashed to a defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid for the first leg of this tie. The match was settled thanks to a solitary goal from Ivan Helguera as Real were unlucky not to make their dominance count for more. Despite the loss, Fabio Capello’s side know from past experience that they can overcome their Spanish opponents. The Bianconeri were in a similar position two seasons ago after loosing 2-1 to Real in Spain. Juve won 3-1 at home, eventually progressing to the final and eliminating Real in the process. The Galacticos were comprehensively beaten in Turin as Juventus got their tactical approach to the match spot on.

This season both teams could not be more different in terms of style and approach. Whilst the Bianconeri are a much more balanced and organized team Real, the Spaniards tend to produce the more entertaining football. Despite the purchase of Walter Samuel and Thomas Gravesen, the Madrid side still look shaky in defence, something that will not have gone unnoticed by the Italians.

As the tie is perfectly poised for an interesting rematch the Real Madrid players are in confident mood ahead of their trip to Turin.

“Juventus should be warned that Ronaldo will score past them," predicted former Inter man Roberto Carlos.

"Ronaldo is in great form again and he’ll definitely hit the target. We aren’t going there with the intention of playing for a draw."

As Juventus lost the first leg in Madrid 1-0, they will need to win by a two goal margin in order to qualify to the next round. Given the calibre of these two sides, the team that manages to progress to the next round will have a great chance of winning the competition in May.


TEAM NEWS

Juventus:

Pavel nedved will definitely miss the tie after being hospitalised with a head injury. Trezeguet returns but should occupy a place on the bench as he is still lacking match fitness. Capello is expected to field Del Piero, Zalayeta and Ibrahimovic in a trident attack. Tacchinardi will replace the suspended Blasi in midfield.

Real Madrid:

With Salgado still out through injury, Luxembourgo is expected to shuffle his pack. Raul Bravo should replace the right back. Raul has recovered from flu and should replace Michael Own who deputised in for the Spaniard in recent games. Brazilian keeper Cesar should also start in goal ahead of he injured Casillas.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Juventus:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has looked good all season for Juventus, but it is Del Piero that could really make the difference against Real. The striker’s experience of such games will be vital if Capello’s men are to progress in the competition. Recent games have seen Alex return to his best form and Real could be his next victim.


Real Madrid:
Returning to his old hunting ground, Zidane will be desperate to triumph over his former team-mates The Frenchman was idolised by the Bianconeri faithful and will be desperate to help his new team through. Whilst Zidane has not shown the form he is capable of this season, Juventus will be in no mood to underestimate him.


PROBABLE STARTING XIs

Juventus: (4-3-3) Buffon; Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Tacchinardi; Del Piero, Zalayeta, Zlatan.

Real Madrid (4-4-2): Cesar, Raul Bravo, Helguera, Samuel, Roberto Carlos, Solari, Gravesen, Beckham, Figo, Raul (Owen), Ronaldo


PREDICTION

Juventus should win the encounter but may find it difficult to keep Real from scoring at their ground..

Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=50740

[dreamer75]

FIRST LEG : REAL MADRID 1-0 JUVENTUS

First of all, let’s say something about game one in Madrid.

Real won 1-0, goal was scored after Zidane dive on the left side - home team was better but it was clear that most of players are not fit enough. In the last 20 minutes Real players only walked in the pitch.

I must say I am much bigger optimist than I was before Bernabeu game. You see, I firmly believe in football as team competition, not individuals game.

And we must agree althoguh Real has “stars” they don’t look like a team. Also, I don’t think teams with such crappy defence can do something over 2 games vs physically better opponent.

We will see very motivated Juventus with most probably 3 strikers, in games vs Roma, Siena and Udinese it was winning combination for Capello and I doubt he will change it.

I heard many arguments like “Real will score at least once”. But Italian teams, and Juve especially, are masters of defence and I really don’t know how to compare likes of Numancia, Getafe etc. with any Serie A team.

Did Real score vs Barcelona at the Nou Camp? Or did they score vs Bayer in Leverkusen? The answer is no to both, so it is not easy to predict that Madrid will score on Wed night at Delle Alpi.

I expect Juve to be cautious at the start - but as game enters the later stages then the Real players will be without air, they can’t run whole 90 minutes so it is best Juve chance.

Of course Nedved will be absent but Trezeguet is fit and he will play upfront with Ibrahimovic with Del Piero as 3rd striker.

Blasi is suspended but I don’t doubt experienced Tacchinardi will be adequate replacement. Capello will probably field :


Buffon
Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro,Zambrotta
Camoranesi, Emerson, Tacchinardi
Del Piero, Trezeguet, Ibrahimovic


If Juve score early goal like two years ago we can see big home win, in opposite I think Capello plan is to win 1-0 and use his team great psyhical ability in overtime.

Stadium is sold out, there will be great atmosphere in Turin and although I don’t rate Juve chances high this season in the Champions League, I do expect my team to reach next round.

Key man for Real is Zidane , he was injured but I expect him to play. Also Raul and Ronaldo are totally out of form and I will not write anything about Real defence. Only I hope they will play as usual.

About tradition I wrote everything in preview for first leg, to summarise - every clash between these teams was won on home ground and there were no draws at all.

[dreamer75]

I’m jinxed, says injured Kapo
Wednesday 9 March, 2005
Juventus midfielder Olivier Kapo is distraught after being forced onto the sidelines with a new hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old France international, injured during Juve’s 1-0 loss to Sampdoria on February 2, broke down on Sunday just days after resuming training.

"I’m jinxed, I just can’t believe it," said the former Auxerre ace, who misses tonight’s Champions’ League game against Real Madrid.

"I just accelerated during training and I felt the hamstring go. Exactly the same injury as the one that’s kept me sidelined for so long.

"The injury is one thing, but to miss the match against Real, it’s almost too much to take," he added.

Kapo, who has scored three times in nine caps for his country, has struggled to impose himself in Italy and is yet to find the back of the net, in 11 games, since his summer move.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar9g.html

[dreamer75]

score at 90min 1-0, Juventus win 2-1 on agg
By Glenn Moore at Stadio Delle Alpi

10 March 2005

In a dramatic period of extra time, which included the double dismissal of Ronaldo and Alessio Tacchinardi, a powerful strike by Marcelo Zalayeta sent Juventus through to the last eight of the Champions' League. It was not just the construction crews, readying Turin for the 2006 winter Olympics, who were working overtime in the Alpine city last night. The galacticos of Real Madrid also had to put in an extra shift after a 75th-minute David Trezuguet goal forced extra time.

This was the type of occasion for which Michael Owen left Liverpool. Except in his dreams he would not have started it watching from the sidelines, Ronaldo and Raul being preferred again despite Owen's better strike-rate. David Beckham did start, having recovered from a back injury. He was faced by the veteran Gianluca Pessotto, the surprise replacement for the injured Pavel Nedved, the inspiration for their 2003 semi-final win over these opponents.

But it was the new guard who first combined to threaten Real's slender first-leg advantage. A Zalayeta chip left Zlaten Ibrahimovic clear on goal, but the Swede blasted the ball into the midriff of Iker Casillas.

Juventus continued to press with Casillas fumbling a Alessando del Piero shot, Ibrahimovic heading a corner just over, and Mauro Camoranesi shooting wide. Real, with Thomas Gravesen prominent but Beckham peripheral, were content to soak up pressure with Ronaldo an increasingly lonely figure in attack. Lonely, but dangerous. After 39 minutes the Brazilian finished a strong run by curling a shot just past the far post.

Shortly after the break Ronaldo again showed his threat outstripping three defenders to surge onto Beckham's clearance and deliver a shot which Gianluigi Buffon touched onto the far post.

Zalayata then had a shot saved but it was clear the "trident" needed sharpening. Fabio Capello responded boldly withdrawing a disgruntled Del Piero, the crowd favourite, for Trezuguet. It proved a masterstroke, although the Stadio Delle Alpi had become awfully impatient by the time it paid off. Camoranesi, Fabio Cannavaro and Alessio Tacchinardi had all wasted chances when Camoranesi swung a deep cross into the box. Ibrahimovic rose high at the far post to head back and Trezuguet twisted to whip an overhead kick past Casillas. Wanderley Luxemburgo's response was to withdraw Beckham. The remaining players upped the tempo with Buffon tested by a thunderous Roberto Carlos free-kick and a Ronaldo shot.

Juventus (4-3-3): Buffon; Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Pessotto (Tacchinardi, 66); Zalayeta (Olivera 120), Ibrahimovic, Del Piero (Trezuguet, 57). Substitutes not used: Chimenti (gk), Montero, Birindelli, Appiah.

Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Casillas; Raul Bravo, Samuel, Helgura, Roberto Carlos; Beckham (Solari, 77), Gravesen, Zidane (Guti, 73); Figo; Raul (Owen, 96), Ronaldo. Substitutes not used: Cesar (gk), Borja, Celades, Pavon.

Referee: M Merk (Germany).

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/european/story.jsp?story=618479

[dreamer75]

http://www.wldcup.com/pictures/2005_03/25139_29155_0.jpg

Spanish giants Real Madrid were sensationally dumped out of the Champions League by Juventus after losing 2-0 to the Italian side in extra-time.

With the scores tied at 1-1 on aggregate and penalties just four minutes away, Marcelo Zalayeta's superb low drive found the bottom corner for the all-important second goal that took the Italian side through to the quarter-finals at the expense of the nine-time European champions.

Juve substitute David Trezeguet scored the only goal of regulation time, his 75th minute hooked shot restoring equality in the second round tie after Madrid's victory by the same 1-0 scoreline a fortnight ago.

Real's Brazilian striker Ronaldo and Juve midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi marred an otherwise sporting contest by being sent off in the second period of extra-time for an ugly exchange off the ball.
Juventus' French forward David Trezeguet celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid, during their Champions League 2nd leg football match at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juventus won 2-0.

With Real eight points adrift of Barcelona in the Spanish league, the expensively-assembled 'Galacticos' could now end the season without a single piece of silverware.

Juve coach Fabio Capello, who guided Real to the Spanish league title in the 1996/97 season, made no excuses for his wild celebrations after the final whistle, his normally cool exterior giving way to a man possessed as he danced down the tunnel.

"Beating Real is never easy and it provoked a different emotion in me," he said.

"I think it's the first time that I have celebrated in such a manner, but now I'd like to do it all over again."

Capello praised his players for a monumental effort that ensured there were no Spanish teams left in the competition following Barcelona's exit at the hands of Chelsea on Tuesday.
Real Madrid's Brazilian Ronaldo vies with Juventus' French defender Lilian Thuram, during their Champions League 2nd leg football match at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juventus won 2-0.

"We were very concentrated and attentive and that was just as well as Real conceded very little," added the 58-year-old.

"It was a huge task after the defeat in Madrid and we knew that it was going to be tough, but we played with heart, determination and a lot of quality."

Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo failed to hide his disappointment at failing to reach the last eight.

"It was a tight game, but one that was there to be won," said the Brazilian.

Real's French midfielder Zinedine Zidane started against his former club having recovered from a muscle strain, while Raul returned to captain the Spanish side after a bout of flu to make his 95th Champions League appearance.

Trezeguet, who has only recently returned to action after being struck down by a virus, had to be content with a place on the bench, while Pavel Nedved was ruled out altogether.
Brazilian Ronaldo of Real Madrid reacts to the referee during the Champion's league 2nd leg football match against Juventus at Delle Alpi Stadium in Turin. Juventus won 2-0.

The dynamic Czech midfielder was knocked unconscious in the first leg in Madrid and has not played since.

Juventus spurned a golden opportunity in the fifth minute. Zalayeta's delicately chipped pass found Zlatan Ibrahimovic unmarked, but the lanky Swede shot straight at Iker Casillas from eight yards.

Mauro Camoranesi's angled drive sailed wide as the home side kept up the early pressure, before Casillas fumbled a tame shot by Alessandro Del Piero which almost left the Madrid keeper red-faced.

Alarm bells rang in the Juve defence in the 25th minute when Zidane, scorer of the winning goal for Real in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen, showed Jonathan Zebina a clean pair of heels, but having made the opening the Frenchman fired over the bar from the edge of the 18-yard box.

The majority of the 60,000 crowd at the Delle Alpi stadium breathed a collective sigh of relief five minutes before half time when Ronaldo, who played in Italy with Juve's fierce rivals Inter Milan and was whistled every time he touched the ball, curled a low shot narrowly wide of the post after gliding past two defenders.
Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos (L) vies with Juventus' French forward David Trezeguet, during their Champions League 2nd leg football match at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juventus won 2-0.

The speedy South American went even closer six minutes after the restart, accelerating past Fabio Cannavaro in a blur of movement and unleashing an explosive drive that Gianluigi Buffon was grateful to see come back off the post after the ball had slipped through his normally reliable fingers.

Trezeguet came on for the tiring Del Piero to spice up Juve's attack before Ibrahimovic sent a rising half-volley into the stands.

The deadlock was finally broken 15 minutes from time when Camoranesi's cross from the right was headed back from the byline by Ibrahimovic and Trezeguet acrobatically hooked the ball past a helpless Casillas.

Real celebrated what they thought was a perfectly good equaliser six minutes from time, but Ronaldo's goal was ruled out for offside.

After Ronaldo and Tacchinardi went for an early bath, Zalayeta settled the contest with a goal fit to win a final.

http://www.wldcup.com/news/2005Mar/20050309_29155_world_soccer.html

[dreamer75]

http://www.wldcup.com/pictures/2005_03/25139_29155_0.jpg
Juventus' Uruguayan forward Marcelo Zalayeta celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid, during their Champions League 2nd leg football match at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juventus won 2-0

[dreamer75]

http://www.wldcup.com/pictures/2005_03/25142_29155_1.jpg

Juventus' French forward David Trezeguet celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid, during their Champions League 2nd leg football match at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juventus won 2-0.

[dreamer75]

http://www.wldcup.com/pictures/2005_03/25145_29155_2.jpg

Real Madrid's Brazilian Ronaldo vies with Juventus' French defender Lilian Thuram, during their Champions League 2nd leg football match at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juventus won 2-0.

[dreamer75]

http://www.wldcup.com/pictures/2005_03/25148_29155_3.jpg

Brazilian Ronaldo of Real Madrid reacts to the referee during the Champion's league 2nd leg football match against Juventus at Delle Alpi Stadium in Turin. Juventus won 2-0.

[dreamer75]

http://www.wldcup.com/pictures/2005_03/25151_29155_4.jpg

Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos (L) vies with Juventus' French forward David Trezeguet, during their Champions League 2nd leg football match at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juventus won 2-0.

[dreamer75]

From James Eve in Turin
Juventus 2 Real Madrid 0
(aet; 1-0 after 90 min; Juventus win 2-1 on agg)


HISTORY does not always teach you to avoid the traps of the past. Sometimes it only lures you into making a different kind of mistake. Two years ago Real Madrid played Juventus in the semi-finals of the European Cup. Then reigning champions, they took a 2-1 lead into the second leg, but were given a footballing masterclass by the Italians and lost 3-1 at the Stadio Delle Alpi to fall victims to their own hubris.

Last night they again arrived in Turin with a one-goal cushion, but this time their caution got the better of them and were sunk by a second-half goal by David Trezeguet and Marcelo Zalayeta’s extra-time strike that gave Juventus a 2-1 win on aggregate.

“It was a well-deserved win,” Fabio Capello, the Juventus coach, said. “We created a lot of scoring chances throughout the match, even though at the beginning our finishing left something to be desired.”

Defeat was exactly what Real deserved after a conservative 90 minutes during which they seemed content to sit back, protect their lead and hit the home side on the break in the hope of snatching an away goal. Vanderlei Luxemburgo, their coach, had spoken earlier in the week about the importance of defending their 1-0 lead, but even he could not have predicted the extent to which Juventus would be allowed to run riot over his team.

With a strike trio of Zalayeta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessandro Del Piero, Capello ran the risk of leaving himself exposed in midfield. The tactic had worked well in recent Serie A wins against Siena and AS Roma, but using it against a side with an armoury as dangerous as Real’s might have made the players a little edgy.

Juventus certainly did not look like a team that was frightened of conceding a goal as they created two good chances in the first six minutes. Del Piero narrowly failed to connect with a knock-down by Ibrahimovic on the edge of the box and three minutes later Zalayeta picked out Ibrahimovic with a neat flick over the defence, but the Sweden international blazed his shot straight at Iker Casillas.

It took Real a good half-hour to wake up, to find the link between defence and midfield and for their strikers to start stringing together the passes necessary to pose any threat to the Juventus back four.

Even when they had possession, they did precious little with the ball and their best chance of a lean first half arrived five minutes from the break, when a quick counterattack ended with Ronaldo curling the ball round the post from outside the area.

After the interval, Real improved a little and in the 51st minute Juventus were nearly caught cold. A long ball dropped kindly at Ronaldo’s feet just inside the Juventus half and the Brazilian turned Lilian Thuram before accelerating past Fabio Cannavaro. His shot was on target but Gianluigi Buffon stretched full length to push it on to the post.

Just before the hour mark, Capello sent on Trezeguet in place of Del Piero but there were only 15 minutes of normal time left when Juventus forged a breakthrough. Ibrahimovic nodded a cross back across goal and Trezeguet twisted athletically to finish with a superb overhead volley.

As Juventus poured forward in search of another goal, Real twice went close on the break, Roberto Carlos forcing Buffon to beat away a bullet of a free kick and Ronaldo jabbing the ball into the net only for the effort to be ruled offside.

In extra time Luxemburgo brought on Michael Owen but he failed to lift Real. Midway through the second period, Markus Merk sent off Ronaldo and Alessio Tacchinardi for lashing out at each other.

With four minutes left, Trezeguet cut the ball back to Zalayeta on the edge of the area and he drilled a low shot into the bottom corner of Casillas’s net to ensure that justice was done and that, for the first time since the start of the Champions League era, Spain will have no club in the last eight of the European Cup.

JUVENTUS (4-3-3): G Buffon — J Zebina, L Thuram, F Cannavaro, G Pessotto (sub: A Tacchinardi, 66min) — M Camoranesi, Emerson, G Zambrotta — M Zalayeta (sub: R Olivera, 118), Z Ibrahimovic, A Del Piero (sub: D Trezeguet, 57). Substitutes not used: A Chimenti, P Montero, A Birindelli, S Appiah. Booked: Emerson, Tacchinardi, Zambrotta. Sent off: Tacchinardi.

REAL MADRID (4-3-1-2): I Casillas — R Bravo, I Helguera, W Samuel, R Carlos — D Beckham (sub: S Solari, 77), T Gravesen, Z Zidane (sub: Guti, 74) — L Figo — Ronaldo, Raúl (sub: M Owen, 96). Substitutes not used: D Cesar, A Arbeloa, F Pavon, Portillo. Booked: Solari. Sent off: Ronaldo.

Referee: M Merk (Germany).

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,762-1517499,00.html

[dreamer75]

Marcelo Zalayeta sent Real Madrid crashing out of Europe with an extra-time winner for Juventus to leave Spain without a single representative in the quarter-finals.

Two years ago, Real's Champions League ambitions came to an abrupt halt in Turin as they were sent packing in their semi-final clash with Juve, and despite again taking a one-goal advantage to Italy, they again suffered heartache a packed Stadio Delle Alpi.

While they succumbed to a rampant Juve that night, this time they looked like hanging on for a goalless draw with the home side producing some wayward finishing.

But an agile finish from substitute David Trezeguet in the 75th minute secured extra-time, and after Ronaldo and substitute Alessio Tacchinardi were dismissed for an off-the-ball clash in the 113th minute, Zalayeta completed the job with five minutes remaining.

It was a bitterly cold evening in Turin, with some sectors of the crowd bouncing up and down to try to generate some warmth as kick-off approached.

The onus was on Juve to attack, and with manager Fabio Capello opting for a 4-3-3 formation, they did that from the outset.

Mauro Camoranesi's right-wing cross was nodded down by Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the third minute but Alessandro Del Piero, making his 70th Champions League appearance, mistimed his volley.

Zalayeta then nudged the ball through to Ibrahimovic, who had ghosted in from the right, behind Roberto Carlos, but he fired straight at goalkeeper Iker Casillas from six yards.

In the 14th minute, Camoranesi sent a right-footed drive fizzing past Casillas' right-hand post, and five minutes later, Casillas failed to hold onto Del Piero's 20-yard effort, which bounced just in front of the Real keeper, but he was still somewhat fortunate to see the ball float wide.

Real replied with Zinedine Zidane collecting a wide ball from Luis Figo, employed in the middle with Zidane on the left. The former France captain cut inside, and although his 20-yard strike had plenty of power, it lacked accuracy, and sailed high and wide of Gianluigi Buffon's goal.

With Juve keen not to leave room for Real to counter-attack, Ronaldo was finding space and service hard to come by. In the 35th minute, the Brazilian ran into a dead end in the penalty area, and although he managed to lay the ball back to Figo, he fired over from just outside the box.

But with half-time approaching, the game began to open up. Figo played the ball wide left to Ronaldo, who ran at Lilian Thuram before cutting inside and his right-footed shot curled inches wide.

Another counter from Real saw Ronaldo sprinting down the left seven minutes after the restart. Just inside the area he delivered a left-footed strike across goal but Buffon got his hand to the ball, and it was a good job too, as the ball grazed the outside of his left-hand post.

For whatever reason, Juve talisman Del Piero was well off the pace, and it showed moments before that Real attack, when he failed to control Zalayeta's knock-down.

Trezeguet's subsequent introduction sparked Juve into a renewed attacking effort. Camoranesi had a penalty appeal rightly turned down, then Ibrahimovic elected to pass wide to left-back Gianluca Pessotto rather than shoot, and the danger was cleared.

Ibrahimovic had a half-chance from a tight angle moments later but again failed to find the target.

However, with the night seemingly not Juve's, Camoranesi delivered a deep cross into the Real box. Ibrahimovic escaped Raul Bravo to nod the ball back and Trezeguet, on the edge of the six-yard box, stretched backwards to turn the ball left-footed, over his head and beyond Casillas.

Real responded in the 84th minute with a trademark free-kick from Roberto Carlos causing Buffon to parry after deviating in the air, and Ronaldo converted a Figo cross but was well offside.

Camoranesi headed over an Ibrahimovic cross, and the Sweden striker lashed over after being handed a sight of goal in a tense finish.

Extra-time continued in a similar vain with Zalayeta's volley, which drifted narrowly wide, the only real action before the double sending-off.

However, Zalayeta finally found his shooting boots when Camoranesi's cross was half-cleared by Raul Bravo, and the Uruguayan striker sent a beautifully struck half-volley past Casillas from 20 yards.

Teams:

Juventus Buffon, Pessotto (Tacchinardi 66), Thuram, Zebina, Cannavaro, Emerson, Camoranesi, Zambrotta, Zalayeta (Olivera 119), Ibrahimovic, Del Piero (Trezeguet 57).

Subs Not Used: Chimenti, Montero, Birindelli, Appiah.

Sent Off: Tacchinardi (113).

Booked: Tacchinardi, Emerson, Zambrotta.

Goals: Trezeguet 75, Zalayeta 117.

Real Madrid Casillas, Carlos, Samuel, Bravo, Zidane (Guti 74), Helguera, Figo, Gravesen, Beckham (Solari 77), Raul (Owen 96), Ronaldo.

Subs Not Used: Cesar, Borja, Celades, Pavon.

Sent Off: Ronaldo (113).

Booked: Solari.

Att: 59,000

Ref: Markus Merk (Germany).

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/reports/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=international_feed/05/03/09/manual_223943.html

[dreamer75]

Juventus 2 - 0 R Madrid aet (2-1 on agg)
Trezeguet 75 (J), Zalayeta 115 (J)

Stadio delle Alpi

David Trezeguet took them to extra time and Marcelo Zalayeta completed the job as Juve knock Real Madrid out of the Champions' League.

Fabio Capello and Zinedine Zidane came face to face with their former clubs and Juventus had to overturn a 1-0 first leg defeat in Madrid. They had already come back from 2-1 down to win here 3-1 and reach the 2003 Final, but the hero of that night - Pavel Nedved - is still out of action following a head injury he suffered in Spain a fortnight ago.

Manuele Blasi is also suspended, while David Trezeguet and Alessio Tacchinardi are not 100% fit, so Gianluca Pessotto stepped in. Capello went for broke with the 4-3-3 system that has proved successful in recent weeks in Serie A.

There were several other familiar faces to the Peninsula, with ex-Roma man Walter Samuel and former Inter heroes Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos.

Juve had a great chance to take the lead and even the tie up on aggregate after just five minutes. Marcelo Zalayeta's through ball found Zlatan Ibrahimovic unmarked and he shot straight at the goalkeeper from seven yards.

Mauro Camoranesi drilled a fine effort inches past the far post from 20 metres, then an Alessandro Del Piero shot squirmed away from Iker Casillas and the Spaniard was very fortunate that the ball went out for a corner rather than into the net. From the resulting set-piece, Ibrahimovic's header was deflected over, but the referee did not award the corner.

Zalayeta drilled an angled effort wide from a poor clearance and volleyed over, while Zidane blasted Real's first chance well off target after 23 minutes.

There was a controversial moment on the half-hour mark when Ibrahimovic nutmegged Raul Bravo and was clearly held back, but the German referee and his linesman bizarrely did not award a free kick at the by-line.

Gianluca Pessotto's fierce strike was charged down on the edge of the box, then Ronaldo curled a low drive just wide of the far post on the counter-attack. The former Inter man again went at the defence single-handed, but a brilliant Jonathan Zebina tackle took the ball off his foot.

At the other end, Zalayeta's header was not cleared effectively and the Uruguayan nearly squeezed in the loose ball.

Ronaldo started the second half in similar fashion as Real finally got their first shot on target. He sprinted forward on the counter and his angled drive was fingertipped on to the far post by Gianluigi Buffon.

Zalayeta's deflected shot was into the arms of Casillas and David Trezeguet replaced captain Del Piero for the final 35 minutes. This will be another important moment in the fractious rapport between 'Alex' and Coach Capello, although he had been rather quiet throughout the game.

There were penalty appeals at the Delle Alpi when Camoranesi exchanged passes with Zalayeta and ran into the box only to fall under Samuel's challenge. The referee waved play on and, although there was contact, the midfielder seemed to be looking for the spot-kick.

Ibrahimovic ballooned a free kick well over from a very promising position, as Juve were now without their set-piece specialist. Camoranesi had another shot deflected past the near post and from the resulting corner Zalayeta nodded wide.

Figo's shot was comfortably blocked by Buffon and Ibrahimovic rolled across for Pessotto, whose shot was charged down for a corner. The Swede skipped past defenders moments later only to fire off target yet again.

Alessio Tacchinardi replaced Pessotto, moving Zambrotta into his favoured full-back position. The midfielder turned a volley wide as Juve continued to be horribly wasteful in front of goal.

There was a curious moment on 73 minutes when Camoranesi's wayward effort was accidentally blocked by teammate Trezeguet. Guti substituted former Juve star Zidane.

The deadlock was eventually broken moments later. Ibrahimovic held up Camoranesi's cross on the byline and Trezeguet acrobatically hooked it over his shoulder from six yards. It was a similar goal to the one the Frenchman scored in 2003 and levelled the tie on aggregate.

Buffon needed to stand his ground and stuck out an arm to punch away a powerful and swerving Roberto Carlos free kick as extra time loomed. Soon after, Ronaldo's goal was correctly disallowed for a clear offside position.

Ibrahimovic put in a cross after some fantastic footwork, but Camoranesi nodded it past the near post, then Buffon comfortably smothered a Ronaldo long-range strike.

Swedish international Ibrahimovic wasted perhaps the best chance of the game when Trezeguet's dummy left him clear on the edge of the area and he somehow managed to balloon it over the bar.

It went to extra time and the Golden Goal rule has been shelved, so it returned to the traditional two halves of 15 minutes apiece. Michael Owen replaced Raul after five minutes to inject a bit more pace into the side with Juve's legs increasingly tired.

Zalayeta went close to turning the tie with a volley from Camoranesi's free kick that was only inches away from the near post. Camoranesi himself curled a couple of efforts off target as Juve's finishing remained disappointing.

There was controversy after 21 minutes of extra time when Ronaldo and Tacchinardi were sent off for an off the ball incident. The linesman spotted the wrestling and then the Brazilian's stupid kick from behind and ordered both players red carded.

Figo curled the resulting free kick past the near post, but soon after Juventus doubled their lead with a stunning strike. Raul Bravo's dreadful clearance went straight out to Zalayeta, who thumped home a low volley into the bottom corner of the net.

Juventus: Buffon; Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Pessotto (Tacchinardi 65); Camoranesi, Emerson, Zambrotta; Del Piero (Trezeguet 56), Ibrahimovic, Zalayeta (Olivera 119)

Real Madrid: Casillas; Raul Bravo, Samuel, Helguera, Roberto Carlos; Gravesen, Beckham (Solari 77), Figo; Zidane (Guti 73); Ronaldo, Raul (Owen 95)

Ref: Merk (Ger)

Sent off: Ronaldo 113 (R), Tacchinardi 113 (J)

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/eurogames/juve-real.html

[dreamer75]

Fabio Capello maintains Juve fully deserved to knock Real Madrid out of the Champions’ League after 210 minutes of tense football.


“It is a deserved result and we played well against an opponent that had a real desire to get a victory here,” noted the Juventus boss after their 2-1 aggregate win.


“We also created plenty of chances, but unfortunately weren’t able to make more of them. Real’s only real opportunities were that Ronaldo upright and Roberto Carlos free kick.”


Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mauro Camoranesi and Marcelo Zalayeta were wasteful in front of goal, but substitute David Trezeguet scored the crucial strike that took this tie to extra time.


“Trezeguet still isn’t 100 per cent fit and we agreed to put him in later because he is more effective when the tempo begins to drop,” revealed Capello.


The tactician made a surprise choice when he replaced captain Alessandro Del Piero with Trezeguet after just 55 minutes of play.


“Zalayeta works harder and is a more valuable asset in the air. Del Piero did his job, just as everyone else did, as this was a game where everyone had to come together for the result.”


There are now no Spanish representatives in the quarter-finals, while Juventus and Milan could be joined by Inter when they play their second leg tie against Porto next week.


“Over the two legs I definitely think we deserved to qualify. Real play well in the middle of the park, but I’d say we were clearly the better side,” concluded Capello.


Gianluca Pessotto stepped into for the injured Pavel Nedved.


“The team performance was at a great level and it’s one of those nights that make football worth playing,” said the defender. “We were aware of the difficulties, but Juventus have proved they want to go all the way in this competition.”


Pessotto revealed that Capello had predicted the tie would go to extra time and his tactical plans were based on that theory.


“The Coach said that we should attack, but not leave space at the back, as this was going to be a long game and the breakthrough could come at any moment. Real still created a few chances, but I’d say Juve were a step above tonight.”


“Our patience was the key, as we didn’t get nervous as the clock kept on ticking and maintained our concentration until we reaped what we sowed. We knew conceding a goal would mean going out, so the whole team performance was magnificent.”

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar9j.html

[dreamer75]

There are strong reports that Juventus have already signed a contract with Bayern Munich defender Robert Kovac.


The club had already been linked with the player earlier this week, but the latest news from the Italian papers suggests a deal has been struck for a free transfer as he will be out of contract at the end of the season.


Croatian international Kovac will turn 31 years of age in April and Calciomercato.it claims he has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with Juventus.


It will be the first Serie A experience for the central defender, who was born in Berlin and played for Bayer Leverkusen before moving to Bayern Munich in 2001. He is valued at over £3m.


Fabio Capello and director general Luciano Moggi have been revolutionising the defence since the summer, allowing Mark Iuliano to join Real Mallorca and loaning out Nicola Legrottaglie (Bologna) and Igor Tudor (Siena).


Ciro Ferrara is set to retire at the end of the current campaign and Paolo Montero is also moving on after spending most of this season on the bench.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar9i.html

[dreamer75]

BAN HIM!!!

Francesco Totti and Roma have been deferred to the Disciplinary Commission after the captain suggested their match with Juventus was fixed.


“The truth is that we were playing in 11 men against 14,” Totti had said during yesterday’s Press conference. “If football carries on like this then your desire to play the game will just fall away.”


Those statements did not go unnoticed and the Italian international has officially been deferred to the Disciplinary Commission.


The phrases have been judged “damaging to the reputation of the FIGC, putting the impartiality of the referees into doubt and violating the rules of fair play.”


As he is the captain, the Capital club has also been deferred for the incident, which took place at a Press junket for the MotoGP championship.


Totti could receive a one-match ban if the statements are found to be particularly harsh, but with the time it takes for the Commission to deliver its verdict, that means he’d be suspended for the Serie A showdown with Milan on March 20.


It is far more likely that the player and club will merely be handed a fine for their reaction to that controversial defeat to Juventus.


Both the Bianconeri goals should’ve been disallowed – the first for offside, the second as the foul was outside the penalty area – while Juve also had a Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike incorrectly ruled out for offside.


Meanwhile, there was some good news for Roma, as Cristian Chivu is close to his comeback following surgery for a fractured foot in the summer.


He has already played in a youth team encounter this month and has now been called up for Romania’s March 26 match against Holland.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar9h.html

[dreamer75]

By Gordon Tynan

10 March 2005

Chelsea's former manager Gianluca Vialli has robustly denied having knowingly taken performance-enhancing drugs administered by the former Juventus doctor Riccardo Agricola.

Agricola was given a suspended 22-month jail sentence by the judge Giuseppe Casalbore, who, while absolving the club of blame, questioned the testimonies of several players, including the former Italy striker Vialli. Agricola was found guilty of giving the Juve players substances, including the blood-booster erythropoietin, between 1994-98, a spell in which the Turin giants won three Serie A titles, one Italian Cup, the Champions' League and the European Super Cup.

Vialli, a key player for the Bianconeri at the time, said: "I certainly deny the accusations that I knowingly took illegal substances. I have not only been an athlete and a footballer but I am also a husband, a father and a friend. I have responsibilities for my family.

"To think that any of us [Juventus players] would have wanted to put their own health at risk by taking illegal substances, it's absurd."

Vialli is annoyed that Casalbore has cast doubt over Juve's success. Gianfranco Zola, who played for a Parma side which finished second to Juve in the race for the scudetto at this time, has said that the Turin club should give back the trophies they won in the period of doping.

The Lecce coach, Zdenek Zeman, whose comments about doping in football several years ago in a magazine interview led to the investigation at Juve, also says they should not keep the silverware.

But Vialli said: "In those years, I had a starring role and I am firmly convinced that those victories were exclusively the result of our sweat, sacrifice, ability, determination, incredible hunger and a great team spirit. As well as some luck that always accompanies winning teams.

"The comments regarding the credibility of our success with the Bianconeri are very serious and difficult to accept. What helps me overcome the sadness is my strong belief of not having ever lied to anyone."

In Bogota, Colombia, Diego Maradona left a clinic yesterday, four days after he underwent a stomach operation to help trim his ballooning waistline. Maradona, 44, is expected to recover in the seaside resort of Cartagena with his sister, Rita, for about three weeks.

"Diego is in splendid condition," Francisco Holguin said. "The post-operative process is going very well and we will be checking on him every day."

Maradona will be kept on a diet of liquid foods for about 15 days. The former World Cup winner became obese in recent years as he struggled to overcome cocaine addiction at a clinic in Cuba. His personal doctor, Alfredo Cahe, said Maradona was ready to open a new chapter in his life.

"He has great hopes to start a new life," Cahe said. "He really wants to erase the past."

The operation, called a gastric bypass, aims to reduce his weight by 110lb within a year. Before the operation, the 5ft 6in Argentinian weighed 19st (120kg).

Costa Rica have been fined and ordered to host their next World Cup qualifier behind closed doors after fans rioted following their defeat to Mexico last month. Football's world governing body, Fifa, fined Costa Rica 20,000 Swiss francs [£8,950] and ordered them to play Panama in the Concacaf qualifiers behind closed doors at the Saprissa stadium in San Jose on 26 March.

Costa Rica fans threw objects including coins and batteries on to the pitch after Mexico won 2-1 on 9 February. A statement from the Costa Rican federation said they would appeal against the verdict.

Mexico and the United States lead the six-nation Concacaf World Cup qualifying group with three points each after the first round of matches.

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/european/story.jsp?story=618458

[dreamer75]

By Simon Evans

MILAN, March 17 (Reuters) - Having eliminated Real Madrid from the Champions League twice in the past three seasons, Juventus are unlikely to be trembling ahead of Friday's draw for the quarter-finals.

Decades of collective experience at the highest level of the European game allied with a squad packed with internationals means that the Italians have little reason to fear anyone in the last eight.

The joint Serie A leaders have less of the flair of AC Milan and lack a striker with the explosive power of Inter's Brazilian Adriano but of the three Italian teams in the last eight they are probably highest on the list of those to avoid for other clubs.

Juve's strengths are those traditionally associated with the club -- a tight defence, well-organised midfield and a focused determination on the result above all else.

Those qualities were present for most of Marcello Lippi's two spells at the club although the discipline and the defence both faded during his last season.

This year coach Fabio Capello, who won the European Cup as Milan coach in 1994, has made sure that Juve have returned to their trusted values.

"The philosophy has always been about winning, not just taking part," he said recently.

"Everyone who comes here understands straightaway that they are working to win. They can enjoy themselves if they win. Not if they don't. Whoever doesn't have this mentality leaves fairly quickly.

"The defence has never been left alone because the midfield has worked well as a filter. But the whole mentality of the squad has been compact and unified. There's a desire to sacrifice oneself. And then we've got a superb keeper," he said.

WORLD RECORD

The fact that Juventus broke the world record fee for a goalkeeper when they bought Gianluigi Buffon from Parma says everything about Juve's priorities.

The addition of Buffon's former Parma team mate Fabio Cannavaro this season and the rebirth of another ex-Parma player Lilian Thuram, who has refound his best form by switching back to the centre of defence have ensured that Juve once again have the tightest defence in Serie A -- conceding just 16 goals in 28 matches.

Capello belongs to that school of coaches who prefers to have his 'own men' around him and Brazilian Emerson, who made the journey to Turin from Roma along with his coach during the close-season, is a classic Capello player both in style and attitude.

"I do what I am capable of which, among other things, coincides perfectly with what the coach asks of me. I follow the tactical directions and every now and then, when I can, I try to invent something myself," says Emerson.

"It is a role that I am proud to play. There is a lot of responsibility but I enjoy that a lot," he adds.

The weight on Emerson's shoulders should be eased somewhat for the quarter-finals with Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved expected be fit again after recovering from his recent head injury.

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=7926492&section=news&src=rss/uk/worldFootballNews

[dreamer75]

We are drawn against Liverpool in the CL q-finals and GOOD NEWS IS NEDVED IS BACK!!! :D

[dreamer75]

Nedved returns to boost Juventus' title aspirations

19 March 2005

Liverpool's quarter-final opponents in the Champions' League, Juventus, are set to welcome back Pavel Nedved to their midfield when they entertain Reggina in Serie A today.

He has been kept out since suffering concussion in the first leg of Juve's Champions' League tie with Real Madrid.

Juventus, in second place, trail Milan on goal difference in the race for the Serie A title.

[dreamer75]

The whole world expects a home win so I have nothing to different to add.

Juve is big favourite and it would be major shock if Calabresi get something on Saturday night at Delle Alpi.

Reggina with all luck of this world beat Juventus in first half of the season, but it means nothing - Juventus wants easy 3 points, try to keep strength for the end of season and decisive battle in Serie A and Champions League.

We know everything about Juve, let’s talk about Reggina.

The team from Calabria played great this season, anyway they lost ground in last month and were defeated in 4 out of last 5 games.

Last week they lost at home vs bitter rivals Messina and if you see schedule it is clear season are not over (Reggina will play vs Parma and Roma next).

So even though Calabresi have 9 points advantage ahead of relegation zone teams they still have a big task.

Away from home Reggina is very dangerous (2 wins, 5 draws, 6 defeats) but Juve is different level of class.

Also Reggina usually defends like hell on the road, and they have good back line - however problems with scoring are main trademark of their play away from home (even Brescia and Siena scored more on the road)…


Team news :

Reggina will be without Balestri and Bonazzoli but Brasilian Mozart will be backthe best Reggina player in my opinion.

So I expect Walter Mazzarri to field :


REGGINA
Pavarini;
Cannarsa, De Rosa, Franceschini; Mesto,
Tedesco, Paredes, Mozart; Nakamura, Colucci;
Borriello


On the other side Trezeguet has new problems with ankle and it is likely to miss the game. Kapo is injured and Olivera is suspended (after his red card vs Chievo)…

Capello will not change “new” 4–3-3 formation


JUVENTUS
Buffon
Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta
Camoranesi, Emerson, Blasi;
Zalayeta, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero


Pavel Nedved is back in the team, but he will start from the bench and get chance in second half.


History :

Interesting, Reggina played first Serie A match when they promoted in 1999 at Delle Alpi against Juventus and they got a point in a 1-1 draw.

Kalon was scorer for Amaranti and Pippo Inzaghi goal gave Juve a point.

But after it, Calabresi didn’t surprise Juve and in the last 3 games they lost 3 times without scoring a single goal (1–0, 5–0, 1–0)

I don’t see Reggina surprise Juve on Saturday night

[dreamer75]

A 2-0 win for us!!!!

FORZA JUVE!!! :s12:

[dreamer75]

Reggina are one of only three teams to have beaten Juventus this season and Fabio Capello wants revenge this evening, but he’ll miss Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet.


“We have to cancel out the bad memories of the Stadio Granillo,” said the Coach after their controversial 2-1 defeat earlier this season. “That loss really didn’t go down well at all.”


The Bianconeri saw two goals disallowed that day, including a last-gasp equaliser, while Reggina’s opener came from a lucky deflection off Fabio Cannavaro.


Nedved will not be able to take part in this game, as his comeback has been postponed once again despite his return to regular training after suffering concussion in the 1-0 defeat at Real Madrid on Feb 22.


“Nedved has not been included in the squad,” explained Capello. “He has trained regularly this week, but on Friday morning he told me that he didn’t feel well.”


The Czech has barely featured over the last three months with a knee injury and this clash of heads that kept him in a clinic for over a week.


“Pavel is the kind of man who always makes sacrifices for the team, so if he said he wasn’t ready then I must accept his decisions. I am not worried, and he’ll be ready to play against Fiorentina after Easter.”


Trezeguet is also out of the Reggina game after suffering an ankle injury during training this week, so Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alessandro Del Piero and Marcelo Zalayeta should again complete the trident attack.


Ruben Olivera is suspended following his silly red card in the 1-0 win at Chievo last Sunday evening. “I didn’t understand his reaction to a foul,” chided Capello. “Sportsmen should set a good example.”



Juventus squad: Buffon, Ferrara, Tacchinardi, Montero, Pessotto, Emerson, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero, Chimenti, Birindelli, Camoranesi, Appiah, Zambrotta, Blasi, Thuram, Zalayeta, Zebina, Cannavaro




http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar19b.html

[dreamer75]

Stadio Delle Alpi

Juventus have returned to Scudetto winning form in recent weeks and will be keen for it to continue at the Delle Alpi against mid-table Reggina. The Bianconeri also have a score to settle after their 2-1 defeat to the Amaranto earlier in the season. On that occasion Juve had goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Kapo ruled out and were denied what appeared to be a penalty when Jacopo Balestri handled in the area.

Fabio Capello is likely to start with the same eleven who began against Chievo last week. However, he will be unable to call upon match winner Ruben Olivera from the bench though as he is suspended after his late red card at the Marc’Antonio Bentegodi. Kapo is also unavailable due to a muscular injury and long-term casualty Paolo Montero is still out. But Pavel Nedved should take his place on the bench after recovering from concussion.

Reggina, who have lost their last two, will be without Emiliano Bonnazzoli and Jacopo Balestri who are both suspended but Brazilian midfielder Mozart should return to the side. The southern side haven’t had much luck in their Serie A visits to Turin, losing 1-0, 5-0 and 1-0 in their last three visits, although a 2-1 Coppa Italia win in 2002 will give Walter Mazzarri’s troops some hope of causing an upset.


Juventus (probable): Buffon; Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Blasi; Zalayeta, Trezeguet, Del Piero

Reggina (probable): Pavarini; Cannarsa, De Rosa, Franceschini; Mesto, Tedesco, Paredes, Mozart; Nakamura, Colucci; Borriello

Ref: To follow...

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/juv-reg.html

[dreamer75]

Looks like he's joining us next season?

Antonio Cassano is probably living his last days as an AS Roma player.
The Roma fans are extremely irritated by his poor performances of the last months, especially the one the starlet produced against Fiorentina, that saw Cassano come on as a sub late in the game.

In his few minutes on the pitch the Bari-born player was able to miss every pass and fail every dribbling attempt, a horrible performance capped off by the poor penalty he took that almost cost Roma their last seasonal objective.

Some Roma fans went as far as saying their former idol practically missed the penalty on propose, an action they say is backed by the fact he was the only player to not celebrate the team’s dramatic win in Florence.

“The only reason I didn’t celebrate with the rest of my team-mates was because I missed the penalty. I was mad with myself,” Cassano said in his defense.

These words will only partially satisfy those many Roma fans who believe Cassano has already sold his soul to Juventus, as on the day before the early March match against the Bianconeri he made an interview in which he stated he ‘greatly missed Fabio Capello.’

Now that there is both the popular will to let him go and the player’s desire to leave, there is only the financial aspect to be resolved before Cassano can complete his move to the black and white Turin side.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=52385

[dreamer75]

The Juventus General Manager believes that Juventus will face a difficult task when they play Liverpool over two legs in the next Champions League round.
Following Friday afternoon’s draw at Nyon, the Bianconeri are considered by most pundits as the favourites to go through to the semi finals as the Old Lady has been drawn against Benitez’s Liverpool. However Luciano Moggi doubts that these two games will be that simple for Juventus.

“Am I satisfied (with the draw)? I will only reply after the games. Right now I’m certain that we shall face a strong and prestigious opponent. If Liverpool arrived up till this point, they have defeated important opponents.

“We are not going for a walk in the park. After all, this will be the first time that Juve travels to Anfield Road, at least since I’ve been here.”

The first leg will be played at Anfield Road on the 5th of April.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=52354&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

Marcello Lippi will name the squad to face Scotland on Sunday and it’s reported Antonio Cassano will play a key role, as Christian Vieri and Alex Del Piero are dropped.


Cassano is not on particularly fine form at the moment and was left on the bench for Roma’s Coppa Italia tie at Fiorentina midweek.


However, the starlet has so far never played under Lippi’s reign as Italy boss due to injury, form and disciplinary problems, so his presence will be an important new element for the Azzurri in the World Cup qualifier against Scotland at the San Siro on Saturday March 26.


Inter striker Vieri is struggling with a knee injury and has not played since the Milan derby on February 27, so is therefore unlikely to be called.


Del Piero’s ongoing lack of regular football at Juventus – where he has been substituted 18 times in all competitions this season – could cost him again.


This leaves Alberto Gilardino, Luca Toni, Francesco Totti, Vincenzo Montella and Cagliari revelation Mauro Esposito for the forward roles.


Gianluca Zambrotta is suspended for the Scotland game, so Lippi must experiment with a replacement. Fiorentina defender Giorgio Chiellini and Palermo’s Fabio Grosso are the likely alternatives, while Milan’s Giuseppe Pancaro is another option.


Palermo man Andrea Barzagli is struggling with a knee injury and could therefore open the door for a return to the Italy squad of Lazio fullback Massimo Oddo.


There will be more experiments on Wednesday March 30, when Italy take on Iceland in a friendly game in Padova.


Another ten new names are expected to come in for that encounter, with reports suggesting they will be Marco Cassetti (Lecce), Dario Dainelli (Brescia), Max Tonetto (Sampdoria), Massimo Gobbi (Cagliari), Giampiero Pinzi (Udinese), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Udinese), David Di Michele (Udinese), Fabrizio Miccoli (Fiorentina) and Francesco Flachi (Sampdoria).



Lippi’s probable squad to face Scotland:


Gk: Buffon, De Sanctis, Agliardi


D: Barzagli, Bonera, F Cannavaro, Chiellini, Grosso, Materazzi, Nesta, Zaccardo


M: Blasi, Camoranesi, De Rossi, Diana, Gattuso, Pirlo


F: Cassano, Esposito, Gilardino, Montella, Toni, Totti.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar19i.html

[dreamer75]

This week an energized Juventus go up against a team that is suffering a dip of form as of late. Reggina began the New Year with impressive wins and they are hoping that fortune will be on their side as they battle against the Serie A giants.
BACKGROUND

Juventus are on a roll right now and with a win over Real in the Champions League and a hard fought win over Chievo (be it controversial), it is imperative that they do not concede any points to their foes, for if they do the Scudetto will be lost. Milan are nipping at their cleats and like a dog chewing a bone, the Rossoneri would seize the opportunity and attain the points for themselves, at Juve’s expense. The battle for the Scudetto is far from over and a win is critical to maintain high morale. They face a squad in crisis, but Reggina are no pushovers as they will make Juve sweat for the result. However, Capello’s men will be ready as they want to rectify the loss suffered at Reggio in the early season. I know it is hard to believe, but the referee made poor calls against Juventus in that game. This goes to show that referees can screw up in any game and not favour the small team.

Reggina are a team that is constantly maturing and they have shown it in their football this year. They began 2005 on a high recording impressive wins and exceeding critic’s expectations by aiming for a UEFA Cup place. However; as of late, Reggina are struggling and the dream of playing European football could have to wait as they must refocus on their main goal: staying out of the relegation zone. Reggina play good football, but they have been inconsistent as of late. They can create opportunities and come back from behind but they lack that X syndrome that Inter has, as they could have tied against Sampdoria and Fiorentina. The loss against Messina could have hurt them psychologically, as it is uncharacteristic for Reggina to let in two goals at the Granillo, especially in a derby. They tried to come back, but the defensive and goaltending errors cost them a game. These issues will have to be addressed if they are to make any progress against Juventus. It will much harder this time around, as they are playing in Turin and Juve have learnt from their past mistakes. You may beat Juve once, but twice good luck. Reggina needs only to look at Real for an example.


TEAM NEWS

Juventus
Kapo is still out with a muscular injury and Nedved is still recovering from his head injury. Mutu is suspended till the 18th of May. Ibrahimovic and Appiah carry cards to this game.

Reggina
All starters are healthy; something that Mazzari can be happy about (but if it brings the desired result is a different story). Balestri and Bonazzoli; Reggina’s hit man are suspended. This could seriously dent Reggina hopes to salvage precious points. Zamboni, Paredes, Borriello, Mesto, Cannarsa and Franceschini bring cards to this game.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nakamura (Reggina)
A vastly gifted midfielder and one of Japan’s best players. He can create opportunities and can also score if need be. Has been anonymous as of late; however, he can rectify that situation by giving the Juve’s defence a headache, which he surely can do.

Camoranesi (Juventus)
Nothing classy about this man. Not a Galactico candidate, but he is a great team player and does what he is paid to do: win the ball and cross the ball to a striker. The great thing about Juventus is that they may not have names but players that do take the responsibility and rise to the occasion. Camoranesi has done this. He was crucial in Juve’s victory over Madrid and his contribution is vital if they want to lift the Scudetto and the Champions League.


PROBABLE STARTING XI’s

Reggina (3-4-2-1):
Pavarini, De Rosa, franceschini, Mesto, Mozart, Paredes, Tedesco, Nakamura, Colucci, Borriello. Coach: Mazzarri.

Juventus (4-3-3):
Buffon, Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Camoranesi, Emerson, Blasi, Zalayeta, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero. Coach: Capello.


PREDICTION

Expect Reggina to make Juve sweat but in the end Juve should win. Too much is riding on this game for Juventus to lose. Reggina will play disciplined football, but they are still safe from relegation. There will be other games for them to collect points. Cynical, but a realistic scenario. Bonazzoli’s absence could be the Achilles’ heal of Reggina. To beat Juventus twice is extremely difficult (need I mention Madrid again?). Expect a tight match with Juventus winning 1-0.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=52462

[dreamer75]

Part 1 of Nicola Rotundo’s analysis of the promise of Milan and Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo considered how, having been touted as a great prospect in his youth, he achieved success with Milan when forced to play in a different midfield role – one that has prevented him securing a starting position in the Italian national team. In Part 2 of his analysis, Nicola consider’s Pirlo’s prospects for the azzurri and what it might take to make him a regular for his country…

The reason for Pirlo’s absence as a first-choice from the national team is, I believe, two-fold, one reason being tactical decisions by Italian coaches, and the other the lack of midfield talent among Italian players, which has always been Italy’s weakest position.

Firstly, Italian coaches face very demanding pressures to deliver successful results. In Italy anything less than winning the World Cup or European Championship is viewed as a disappointment if not failure. Given this, coaches are forced to build a team based on Italy’s strengths, starting from the rearguard and moving forward. This strategy is appropriate, given the defensive prowess of the Italian back line. A central defensive partnership of Nesta and Cannavaro is devastating, and I challenge readers to name two other central defenders in any international team who are better at neutralizing attackers. When attackers do get lucky and get by this defensive partnership, Buffon, rated as the best goalkeeper in the world, awaits their shots on goal. Given this defensive strength, why don’t Italian coaches field a more offensive midfield with Pirlo in front of the defenders? The answer is simple; the aforementioned defenders have great success in Serie A, because club teams are built around defensive midfields who limit the number of offensive chances. Based on probability, the fewer number of chances strikers have against the likes of Nesta, Cannavaro and Buffon, the more likely it is that there will be zero goals conceded. Former Italian coaches have regularly started defensive midfields to secure their rearguard with the likes of Pessotto, Di Livio, and Albertini. More recently, Trapattoni persisted in using Perotta and Zanetti as the defensive pairing in midfield, giving no space to field Pirlo’s creativity. Unless Lippi changes his mentality from a defensive midfield approach to a more tactical midfield formation which uses ball possession, Pirlo will continue to find no room on the azzurri squad.

Recently however, Pirlo has been used for the Italian national team under Lippi. But, be assured that when WC 2006 comes around, and Lippi starts feeling the pressure of securing his midfield, Pirlo will be dropped for the likes of Gattuso, Blasi, Tacchinardi, De Rossi, and Corini, who hold the midfield through physical strength and offer cover if Lippi decides to be risky and use the ‘tridente’ of Totti, Cassano, and Gilardino. Be further assured, if Lippi does use three strikers, Pirlo will never play again in the starting eleven as three defensive midfielders will be used.

The second reason for Pirlo’s non-appearance in the azzurri starting XI, is Italy’s lack of creative depth in midfield. Milan has had great success of late, wining the Champions league, the most prized trophy in Europe. Why haven’t Italian coaches copied Milan’s successful diamond formation? One of the reasons is the risk of leaving defensive holes, mentioned above. The other reason, which I believe leaves Pirlo on the Italian bench, is the Seedorf factor. Milan’s midfield is comprised of 4 players, 2 Italians and 2 foreigners: Pirlo and Gattuso, the Italians; and Seedorf and Kaka, the foreigners. Obviously Pirlo and Gattuso can be chosen easily, as they are both Italian, and have been called up before. So the meat of the discussion arises, what Italian players can be selected to replace Milan’s foreign midfielders and reproduce the successful diamond formation?

Kaka is brilliant, a ‘trequartista’ with excellent ball control, an amazing shot, and most amazingly, his ball running ability. Kaka’s Italian replacement can come from none other than Francesco Totti. They have similar playing styles, and readers can argue amongst themselves who is the better attacking midfielder, but no one can question that they provide the same role for their respected teams, and have been both successful at their position.

The other midfield foreigner is Seedorf - who in my opinion is the real reason why the diamond formation is not used, and why Pirlo cannot find a first choice place in the Italian team. Seerdorf is the key to Milan’s midfield, as he assists Kaka with Milan’s offensive duties, but he can also come back and play defensively. He has excellent ball control skills and an extraordinary shot with power witnessed by his many long range drives. (I suggest readers download a goal he scored with Real Madrid, which was a top corner blast from nearly the half way line!) His importance to the Milan midfield is undervalued, as his skills complement all the other midfielders in his team, which makes him so vital. Questions of undervalue can easily be disproved by the fact that Seedorf is the only player in history to win the Champions League with 3 different clubs – Milan, Real Madrid, and Ajax.

His contributions to his club are enormous, as he plays an assisting role to the other three Milan midfielders, helping make their strengths even more noticeable on the pitch. Seedorf is the glue of the Milan midfield as he completes the skills which Kaka, Gattuso, and Pirlo are known for. He can set up goals with passes like Kaka, fight and challenge for balls like Gattuso, and drop back and play with the ball like Pirlo. Although the other midfielders are more difficult to replace outright, Seedorf complements all three talents as he is the most complete midfielder in the Milan side. Italy has not found a Seedorf replacement, and I do not know any Italian international that can reproduce his talents and importance to the Milan midfield. Doni, Fiore, and De Rossi are close candidates, as they are versatile and well-rounded midfielders, but they are far from reaching Seedorf’s skills.

In conclusion, if Pirlo is to find a starting place among the azzurri, either Lippi must use a more offensive strategy, or an Italian version of Seedorf must be found.

Nicola Rotundo

How do you think Marcello Lippi can solve the Pirlo conundrum? And do you think he should try, or are there other more urgent priorities for the Italian national team? Let us know your views by e-mailing you@goal.com!

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=52454&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

Nicola Rotundo’s recent editorial on the promise of Andrea Pirlo prompted many Goal.com fans to express views on the Milan midfielder whose reputation continues to grow. Here is a selection of the e-mails we’ve received so far on the subject…
A very good analysis. I agree with the writer’s comments. Pirlo is a genius in his new position, but he has those week points described in the article. Unfortunately for Milan and National team, he is not strong enough physically. As regards the national team, I don’t think he could excel there. Milan has built a team based on Pirlo’s skills and is very dependent on them, which in the long run is not positive. You can witness that in the games without Pirlo. No team should rely on one player’s skills with all due respect to Pirlo. ( I’m an AC Milan fan for more than 25 years).National team of a country can never rely on one player . We could see it with Italy- Toti dependence in the last Euro. National teams should be competitive and operate as solid units with different tactical solutions. In Italy’s case, Pirlo can play his part but it is difficult to imagine him as pivotal. I’m not so sure he can deal with the physical challenge of a competition like the World Cup or European Cup.
Forza Milan.
Ray, Toronto


That was the best piece written for a long time. Nicola hit the nail right on the head. Having lived in Rome for 3 of the last 5 years, I have become amazed with Pirlo’s development. I remember watching him back in 2000 and thinking, wow, but I now understand his transformation. I do think that Lippi understands this conundrum as it were, and with him experimenting with the "tridente," with Totti behind a combination of Vieri, Montella, or Gilardino, he would in fact be wise to put Pirlo behind him, and most importantly, Lippi knows this. He is not overhyped - the fact is that the deep lying playmaker/creator/starter of the offense is not respected in modern soccer, much like the winger. Pirlo, ironically, is a more graceful version of Gattuso - UNDERhyped, but greatly appreciated by managers. He is only 25, I say give him a year or two more to become more comfortable with the role in international soccer, and I do believe that is what Lippi is doing, getting him ready for Germany ’06...
Conrad Benedetto


As a Juve fan, I hate to praise rival players...but in Pirlo’s case, I’ll make an exception. First time I saw him was in Under21 Euro I think, where he scored one stunning goal. Everyone in the room asked: who is that "Pirlo" guy? The answer to that question had to wait till his Milan days came.
Nowadays, he is an integral part of one of strongest teams in the world, in my opinion the most crucial player in the Milan line-up.....yes, more crucial than the great Sheva, because when Pirlo steps off the pitch....Milan lose all the things they are known for: precise passing and a lot of creativity...that is so unusual for an ordinary Italian team.
Bartol, Zagreb


In my opinion Pirlo is one of the best midfielders in the world today. I’m a big AC Milan fan and watching Pirlo play gets me on the edge of my seat, everytime he touches the ball you expect him to do something with it and to be fair he usually does. All praise should go to Ancelotti for playing him just in front of the back four, also he should be a regular for Italy - he could possibly guide them to glory in the world cup finals in 2006,
Carl Williams


Pirlo is an excellent passer with vision of a la Baggio. But it will be the same old story for him as other Italians who have failed in making names for themselves. Sure they can perform in the highly technical, fluent game of Serie A. But will they be able to make a name for themselves on the international stage?? There has been no footballer from Italy (maybe the exception being Toldo in the Euro run) that has been able to be effectively dominant in international play. I personally think Pirlo was useless when it comes to creativity/killer passing against Manchester United which in a sense was an international encounter. Let’s look at such failures as Del Piero. What a complete joke. Ever since he went off steroids he has been useless. YES USELESS. Sure he scored a nice goal against Siena, but how many chances will he get for Italy in big tournaments to prove himself?? I hope Pirlo does not suffer this same fate. And with all due respect. There will never, ever, ever be another Baggio.
Miodrag Nedeljkovic


Andrea Pirlo is rock solid. He brings great defensive characteristics with deadly passing and free-kick skills. He is quite possibly the best player playing in front of the defense in the world. His position on the field shouldn’t be underrated. He is the link between the defense and the offense and he fills a gap that so many other teams are missing. If you look at the recent history of soccer, there are not many who have been successful in this role.
Milan had Albertini or ’Il Metronomo’ during his prime, setting the pace of the game. Juve had Deschamps, ’the water carrier’, playing in front of the defense. I suppose one could make an argument for Guardiola having a similar role at Barca. In a recent example of the importance of this role, look at how unsettled Real Madrid looked until they brought in Gravesen. While Gravesen is no way on the same par as Deschamps, it shows the value of the position.
Pirlo may be the next Albertini for the Nazionale A. He certainly has the ability and the backing of the public. I think you have to be pretty amazing for someone like Galliani to call you ’irreplaceable’
Glenn Polignano


I think Pirlo is one of the best midfielders in the world of football, his ball control is awesome and passes are out of this planet, I think that he deserve more praise than he gets because in my humble opinion he’s a better midfield player nowadays even than Zidane. I’m a Real Madrid fan and for me the only player that can take the place of Zidane when he ends his career is Pirlo, and I hope Perez can bring him in.
Rami Hussein


I started watching the Italian Serie A in 1999 and immediately after watching a few games, I fell in love with the way Milan played. On the arrival of Pirlo a few years later, I felt he added a new dimension to the position of Defensive Midfield. As said in the editorial he is able to pass uniquely with an almost razor edge precision. I feel that Pirlo deserves the praise he gets at the moment but as a football fan, I do not think that his skills are appreciated outside Italy as they are inside. More praise should be given to Andrea The Great!!
Ojike, London


Pirlo is the best regista that has ever been.
Nabil Mouchi


There are many talented players in world football today. To hear about "the new Maradona" or "the new Roby Baggio" is almost everyday routine nowadays. I thought we had hit rock bottom when people described the 13 year old Freddy Adu as the Maradona and/or Pelé of the future. So great is his talent that he’ll eclipse those two primary legends of the game...it is said... Now there is apparently a new wonderkid, a Brazilian one whose name is Jean Carlos Chera. Mind you, this player is 9 years old!!! How on earth can people describe a 9 year old kid as the next Maradona? It has gone too far, way too far with these comparisons. As was mentioned in the article the burden of being expected to not only go in the footsteps but also to take over from the legendary Roby Baggio has broken many young super-promises in Italy. Due to bad management on behalf of Inter Pirlo almost suffered the same fate, that is; going from being dubbed as the “new Baggio” to fall into total oblivion. However, in the summer of 2001 Milan decided to make a considerable offer to their cousin for the genius from Brescia. Galliani and co handed 10 million English pounds to Moratti after having witnessed Pirlo display some dazzling football under coach Mazzone’s and idol Baggio’s leadership before he suffered a serious injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. Such was my joy at the news of Pirlo’s arrival that I started to scream in happiness at my summer residence in Croatia. Finally - I thought to myself – have Milan got a worthy heir to the legendary Zvone Boban. Sure Rui was to arrive a couple of days afterwards but in my world the future leader of Milan was going to be no one else but the genius from Brescia - Andrea Pirlo. Having endured initial difficulties under Terim’s management (The Emperor preferred Rui Costa as the trequartista and the old and experienced Albertini or young talented Massimo Donati in the centre midfield spot) Pirlo was lucky to play in the UEFA Cup (where he always excelled). Fortune was to smile at Pirlo however. Approaching the winter of 2001 Ancelotti was inserted as coach of Milan and slowly but surely started to recognise Pirlo’s unique talent. Rui Costa was having a nightmare season and even though Ancelotti persisted with the Portuguese for most of the season he finally gave in and handed Pirlo a starting place, something he’d never regret. A season finale that saw Milan clinch the oh so precious 4 place in the standings, and guaranteed the club to take part in the preliminaries of the Champions League. The advance to Champions League was essential in Milan’s effort to sign Alessandro Nesta in the clubs hunt to redeem itself and once again begin its strive towards the stars. No player was more important than Pirlo in enabling this. With his introduction in half time vs Parma when Milan turned a 0-1 scoreline at the San Siro to a victory with 3-1 after Pirlo had picked up Pippo Inzaghi with his sublime chip passes on two occasions and got himself on the scoresheet after a magnificent curling freekick from a narrow angle. Buffon was left helpless and had to surrender to Pirlo’s brilliance. Milan had started its climb towards the 4 place. The takeover came when the club beat Verona at the Stadio Bentegodi with 2 games remaining of the season. Pirlos canny strike after he had rounded the keeper meant 2-1 for Milan and i rossoneri were one victory away from the 4 place as Chievo lost super-precious points in the same round. The rest is history as they say. Nesta was to arrive with a whole bunch of quality players. However, with the harbouring talent in the club (remember that also Rivaldo was signed in the summer of 2002) Ancelotti had a luxurious dilemma in front of him. How do you handle three maestros of the game and keep them happy when they all occupy the same position? Add to this that the coach was set under pressure by the President himself to play all the creative abilities at the same time. Having a not too good reputation when it came to creative players (Ancelotti was the man that set Zola on a plane to England during his days at Parma and refuted the chance to sign the grandiose Roberto Baggio) Ancelotti was destined to face an uphill struggle. Planning how to manage his new wonderteam Pirlo made his life a lot easier when he suggested his coach to try him in a deeper position in the field, a position he had occupied during his Brescia days where “Il Bisonte” Dario Hübner profited from Pirlo’s unmatched vision and passing skills.
With Milan having 5 great titles in the last two years behind itself and still in the run for a historic Treble this year, few can doubt Pirlo’s greatness today, especially as he is a player that is dubbed as “the best in the world in his position” by his coach and the only player that is “irreplaceable” in Milan by the vice president (Adriano Galliani). Such is his influence in todays Milan, a team whose quality few can debate, that the team totally loses its identity without him. Even though the tactic stays the same Milan never manages to be Milan without Pirlo’s genius. Few players, if any, can do what Pirlo does for Milan. If the more spectacular players like Kaká and Sheva get the headlines week in and week out it is today an established truth in Milan and Italy that Pirlo is the man behind Milans success. He is the decisive cog that makes the wheel spinning! As Galliani so poetically put it a couple of weeks ago when Milan was going through a rough path in the league; “No Pirlo, No Milan”. Few things can be more true.
Pirlo is today mentioned with the utmost respect among the footballing intelligentsia. To break down Milan teams generally chooses two ways: either they pack their own third of the pitch with 11 players in order to sterilize the Milan possession game or they try to pressure Pirlo with huge intensity on Milan’s half. Perhaps some people can remember when Nedved in the autumn of 2002 tore Pirlo into pieces when he ran all over him at the Stadio Delle Alpi and gave Juve a much deserved 2-1 victory (Pirlo scored the consolation goal for Milan on a penalty even though his confidence must have hit an all time low). Back then Pirlo critics were pointing to the frailty of having Pirlo in a defensive midfield position. Too big was the risk of having such an offensively oriented player in such a defensive position it was argued. This was seen as a weakness for Milan. Today most teams have stopped pressing Milan so high because Pirlo simply doesn’t give the ball away. Furthermore, with his clever turns players run the risk of being outplayed in a very sensitive position, and when Pirlo has the ball at his feet anything can happen and adversaries are well aware of this today, therefore is it better to be on the right side of the ball and try to close down spaces.
With regard to the Italian National team one can only be sad that the coaching-mentality that predominates in Italy still suffers from huge anachronism. Now Pirlo has a place in the team but one bad performance and he might be out of it again. Those are the premises under which he has to fight, unfortunately...
We can only hope (for Italy’s sake, perhaps not for the adversaries) that Italy chooses to emulate Milan especially as the tactics of one regista (Pirlo) and one trequartista (Totti) supporting a striking duo, consisting of preferably Cassano and Gilardino, is deadly for any opponent. In my opinion a team with that backbone, and only that team, can have some hope of destroying the Brazilian party that seems destined to take place in Germany 2006.
He may not ever become “the new Baggio” just as it is almost certain that we won’t see a “new Pirlo”. Today we see talk in the media describing players as “future Pirlos”, “vice-Pirlos” and players that occupy “the Pirlo-role”; this in itself is a tribute to this great player’s astonishing talent.
Forza Andrea Pirlo, the essence of football and a future legend of the game!
Alex Tare, Gothenburg, Sweden


I think that Pirlo does deserve all the credit he gets. And of course he deserves a starting place in Milan and the national team also. I see him as the perfect man in front of the defence for the national team as his accurate passes will help the team benefit a lot. At the moment, there is no player as important as Pirlo in Milan and includes Shevchenko also. As already said, Ancelotti is a smart man by putting Pirlo in that position and bringing out the best in him.
Sohail, Afghanistan


Dear Nicola Rotundo,
Thank you very much indeed for your editorial on ’Pirlo’s Promise (Part 1 Of 2)’. Finally, someone has mentioned and underlined the masterclass and importance of Pirlo in Milan. Personally I’m a loyal AC Milan fans and Pirlo has always been my favourite amongst Sheva and Maldini. Pirlo is the key to Milan’s fluency in the midfield and the catalyse in the attractive football that Milan plays. It’s really a shame that the abilities of Pirlo isn’t recognised by many people (In England anyway cos they all think Beckham is the greatest player of all time) [Fortunately not quite true – English Ed!] In my opinion, he has to be the starter in the Italian team as his sublime and accurate passing as well as his superb ball controlling skills will be a great asset in releasing Totti and co up front while Italy is defending like a rock in their own half.
Quincy, London

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=51292&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

woo hoo..a win for us!!!

FT Juventus [1 - 0] Reggina
65' [1 - 0] A.D. Piero

[dreamer75]

Hope Roma and Cassano can do us a favour by beating Milan tonight :D

[dreamer75]

http://cache-1.sportinglife.com/pictures/general/delpierocelebreggina05.jpg

A solitary goal from Alessandro Del Piero was enough to earn Juventus a narrow win over an out-of-form Reggina and send them back to the top of Serie A.

The diminutive striker's 65th-minute strike opens up a three-point gap ahead of Serie A champions AC Milan, who face a tough test against Roma in the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

For the visitors it was their fifth defeat in six matches but their display will certainly give coach Walter Mazzarri reasons for optimism for the remainder of the season.

Indeed it was Reggina who had the first opportunity of the game and Gianluigi Buffon came to Juventus' rescue in the ninth minute after Giacomo Tedesco spearheaded a quick counterattack for Reggina down the left wing.

Successfully holding off the challenge of Lilian Thuram, Tedesco crossed invitingly for Marco Borriello in the area, but Buffon showed good reflexes to divert his header wide of goal.

Minutes later Zlatan Ibrahimovic won a corner for the home side when his diagonal shot from the left corner of the area was deflected out of play.

But Marcelo Zalayeta's downward header was to weak to trouble Nicola Pavarini, who saved comfortably.

The visitors were looking dangerous on the counter and Buffon was called into action once again in the 17th minute.

The sprightly Borriello showed good skill to control a cross on the volley and then to shoot diagonally at goal. But his shot lacked power and Buffon was able to save comfortably diving low to his left.

Juventus were given another reprieve just before the half-hour mark when Borriello outjumped everyone in the six-yard box to head Shunsuke Nakamura's corner kick just wide of the left post.

The Bianconeri were left thoroughly frustrated at the end of the first half.

A well-organised Reggina side had given them little time and space on the ball and it was they, rather than Juve, who had the better chances in front of goal.

It was indicative of Juve's display that their first clear-cut opportunity arrived in the 59th minute of the game. Mauro Camoranesi crossed from the right to Ibrahimovic who rose to head full against the bar.

The woodwork then came to Reggina's rescue for the second time in as many minutes, when Del Piero exchanged passes with Zalayeta to send a pile-driver against the crossbar and out of play.

But the home side were not to be denied after a rampant spell of play that had been missing in the first half as Del Piero made no mistake with his next chance.

He ran into the area to latch on to a ball backheeled into his path by Ibrahimovic and coolly stroked the ball into the net with his left foot.

But Juventus were kept on their toes, and Buffon was again called into action in the 70th minute when he had to parry a shot from Borriello, who was played in by Juriy Cannarsa.

Juventus played dangerously and were almost made to pay a minute from time as they failed to clear their lines.

Giandomenico Mesto was gifted a shot from a good position, but the home side were happy to see the ball fly the right side of the post and out of play.

Juve had made hard work of beating Reggina, and the visitors will be disappointed not to have taken anything from the game after putting in a good performance.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/italy/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=international_feed/05/03/19/SOCCER_Ita-Juventus_Nightlead.html&TEAMHD=italy

[dreamer75]

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[dreamer75]

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[dreamer75]

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[dreamer75]

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[dreamer75]

Italian league table after Saturday's matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):
Juventus 29 20 6 3 47 16 66
AC Milan 28 19 6 3 47 17 63
Inter Milan 28 10 17 1 50 33 47
Sampdoria 28 14 5 9 31 21 47
Udinese 28 13 6 9 41 28 45
Palermo 28 11 10 7 31 26 43
Roma 28 10 8 10 46 43 38
Bologna 28 9 10 9 28 26 37
Cagliari 28 10 7 11 41 45 37
Lecce 28 9 9 10 48 49 36
Livorno 28 9 8 11 31 37 35
Reggina 29 9 8 12 28 34 35
Messina 28 9 8 11 32 40 35
Lazio 29 9 7 13 35 39 34
Fiorentina 28 7 10 11 29 37 31
Siena 29 5 14 10 28 42 29
Parma 28 7 8 13 30 45 29
Chievo 28 7 7 14 21 39 28
Brescia 28 7 5 16 23 37 26
Atalanta 28 4 9 15 24 37 21

[dreamer75]

Juventus 1 - 0 Reggina
Del Piero 65 (J)

A splendid Alessandro Del Piero strike proved enough to see off Reggina after a hard-fought game with more than a few scares for Juve.

The Amaranto are only one of three teams to have beaten Juventus in Serie A so far this season and Fabio Capello wanted revenge for that controversial 2-1 loss.

David Trezeguet and Pavel Nedved are out injured, while Ruben Olivera is suspended, so Marcelo Zalayeta stayed in the trident attack. Reggina were missing Jacopo Balestri and hitman Emiliano Bonazzoli through a ban.

It was Reggina who had the first chance after eight minutes, as Giacomo Tedesco robbed the ball in midfield and ran down the left flank, but Gigi Buffon just about managed to parry Marco Borriello's diving header from close range.

Nicola Pavarini smothered a weak Zalayeta header, but Borriello was again dangerous with an angled drive as Reggina repeatedly found acres of space down the left.

The visitors were beginning to concern Juve and Borriello nodded Shunsuke Nakamura's corner kick just past the post.

The Bianconeri tried to put more pressure on towards half-time, but were hardly able to trouble the attentive Amaranto defence.

Alessio Tacchinardi replaced Manuele Blasi at half-time and Juve were definitely more aggressive. Mauro Camoranesi curled in a fine cross for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his header rattled the crossbar with Pavarini beaten.

The Bianconeri were again unlucky soon after, as Alessandro Del Piero unleashed a fearsome right-foot strike from just outside the box that also thumped the frame of the goal.

Zalayeta's weak finish was easily gathered after some great build-up play from Del Piero, but the deadlock was eventually broken in spectacular fashion.

On 65 minutes Jonathan Zebina charged down the right, Ibrahimovic's inspired backheel found Del Piero in space and he swept home with his left foot from seven yards. It was some fantastic team play from the Bianconeri who looked like a different team compared to the first half performance.

Reggina refused to give in and Borriello brought another tough save out of Buffon, the goalkeeper standing his ground to beat away the strike from close range.

Del Piero's confidence was up and he showed marvellous footwork to dribble past two defenders, while Pavarini was fortunate there was no-one to take advantage when he fumbled a Zambrotta cross. Reggina were unlucky as hitman Borriello limped off with a calf injury.

The Juve captain left another two defenders for dead and was brought down by Ivan Franceschini on the very edge of the penalty area. Ibrahimovic blasted the resulting free kick over the bar.

Capello switched to a 4-4-2 system by introducing Gianluca Pessotto for Zalayeta. Reggina remained dangerous, as Juve-owned Uzbeki substitute Ilyas Zeytulaev ran past two players and his shot whistled past the far post.

Giandomenico Mesto caused another scare with a solo run squeezed out for a corner by Fabio Cannavaro. Desperate to get back into the game, they also threw on another Bianconeri loan star, attacking midfielder Viktor Boudianski.

Cannavaro's inadequate clearance eventually fell to Mesto and the Under-21 international's low drive was just a few inches past the upright with Buffon stranded. Lilian Thuram stuck out a leg to charge down Colucci's effort in stoppages, but Juventus held on for the precious win.

Juventus: Buffon, Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Blasi (Tacchinardi 46), Emerson; Ibrahimovic, Del Piero, Zalayeta (Pessotto 78)

Reggina: Pavarini; Cannarsa (Boudianski 86), Franceschini, De Rosa, Zamboni; Mesto, Nakamura (Esteves 81), Mozart, Tedesco, Colucci; Borriello (Zeytulaev 75)

Ref: Messina

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/juv-reg.html

[dreamer75]

Alessandro Del Piero was refreshingly honest in his post-match comments and Fabio Capello claimed he was back to his best at last.


“To say our first half was below par would be an understatement,” said the captain after his lone strike beat Reggina. “It was understandable considering the tour de force we’ve been through between Europe and Serie A of late, but we changed our approach in the second half. We realised the opening performance was poor and that we had another 45 minutes to change that.”


There are reports that Del Piero will be dropped from the Italy squad set to face Scotland next week, though this performance might have done enough to convince Marcello Lippi otherwise.


“I have to think about doing well for Juventus, then anything else comes as a result of that. Of course, if I don’t receive the Azzurri call then it’ll be a problem, but I’ll live.”


Fabio Capello was also full of praise for the captain, who earned himself a Man of the Match award for his performance in Turin.


“Del Piero is improving with every game and after the goal we saw the kind of player that earned praise from the world over in his glory days,” said the Coach who has often substituted the star this season.


The statistics certainly back his supporters, as Del Piero is officially the most decisive player in Serie A, as his goals have proven crucial in earning eight wins for the Bianconeri.


“Let us say that we allowed Reggina to play in the first half as we weren’t putting any pressure on them. Gigi Buffon was fantastic in goal to make sure we didn’t pay for those errors. I think that when you are between big games, these so called little ones are the more dangerous.”


The Bianconeri were expected to run riot over Reggina after beating Roma and Real Madrid over the last week, but it proved to be quite a struggle.


“It was another Juventus after the break. This is why football should introduce a time-out! Reggina were playing with one forward and the other ten behind the ball, so I thought we needed two heavy hitters upfront plus Del Piero in support to help break them down. Hitting the crossbar certainly shook the team up and showed them what they could achieve if they tried a little bit harder.”


Zlatan Ibrahimovic has again shown that his finishing leaves something to be desired, but his inspired back-heel set up Del Piero for the winning goal.


“Ibrahimovic has these moments of sheer genius and he knew exactly what he wanted to do at that moment in time.”


Capello refused to comment on the Champions’ League quarter-final, as Juventus have been drawn against Liverpool.


“Before facing Liverpool we’ll have to take on Fiorentina, so we won’t rush into discussing tactics for them,” insisted the Coach.


Reggina boss Walter Mazzarri was angry at his fifth defeat in six games.


"After the 90 minutes we deserved a draw at the very least and I believe that Reggina were having the better of the play when the goal was scored," he insisted.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar19j.html

[dreamer75]

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[dreamer75]

http://sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/graphics/2005/03/20/sfnpb1200305.jpg

By Patrick Barclay
(Filed: 20/03/2005)



In nearly 20 years since the disaster at the Heysel Stadium, where a charge by Liverpool followers led to the deaths of 39 people who had gone to support Juventus in the Champions' Cup final, Michel Platini has never spoken publicly about it. The emotional wounds are still too painful.

It is not so much the memory of visiting fans in hospital the next day that troubles the great Frenchman - though the distress on their faces remains vivid - as the nature of criticism he received in the French press for celebrating after he had scored the only goal with a penalty. "One newspaper accused me of walking over the bodies of the dead," Platini told me last week. "But I didn't know there was a single death. Even my father left the stadium not knowing."


Michel Platini: lifted the European Cup on a night of horror

The players of both clubs were aware there had been serious disorder on the terraces before the match. But Liverpool players had heard only rumours of deaths at that stage and, according to Platini, the full horror was kept from the Juventus team because it was feared that, if they refused to play, or lost limply, there would be further riots; some Italians were believed to be in possession of pistols, fake or otherwise.

So, when Platini converted a penalty awarded for a foul by Gary Gillespie that was clearly outside the area, he showed his pleasure. During the post-match press conference, there were hostile questions from English journalists, but what really hurt him - for he is very patriotic - was the harsh reaction back home. And thus, while he harbours no bitterness towards the English - "they didn't deliberately kill anyone" - he prefers to keep quiet.

It is not a natural condition for Platini, whose liveliness of mind has done much for football. There is a generalisation that it is ruled by faceless men in grey suits, but often these people are held responsible for changes instigated by Platini, who by virtue of having been such a fine footballer that Zinedine Zidane is measured against him, possesses one of the most famous faces in the game.

He began with a flurry of law amendments, devised for Sepp Blatter's task force after the miserable World Cup of 1990. "We outlawed the tackle from behind," Platini proudly agreed, "and turned goalkeepers into footballers."

Next, having resigned as France's manager after a disappointing European Championship in 1992, he helped to organise the World Cup in 1998 and since that summer, when Blatter was elected president of FIFA, Platini has been at his side, raising the voice of the professional to the degree that one forum also features Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Sir Bobby Charlton, Eusebio, Gica Hagi, Roger Milla and Sven-Goran Eriksson - how many faceless grey men can you spot among that lot? But Platini has had enough of being a power behind the throne.

He told us, appropriately enough, in the Restaurant du Palais Royal, one of his Paris favourites. A dozen football writers from European countries had been gathered to hear that he is to seek the presidency of UEFA when Lennart Johansson retires next year. With Beckenbauer also expected to be a candidate, it is shaping up as the ultimate footballing beauty contest. But Platini left no doubt as to the earnestness of his quest.

He is worried about football in a way we in England, intoxicated by the excitement and full houses of the Premiership, might take a moment or two to understand. He is concerned about youth development - "if you train a player and at 15 he goes for a lot of money, with nothing for the club whose volunteer coaches have taught him the game, it is wrong" - and about the antagonistic, winning-iseverything mentality that can lead to threats and worse.

"The popularity of football is actually receding slightly," he said. "When a guy like Anders Frisk quits, do you think it is a good advertisement for the game? Is it good that, in Italy and France, parents have to think twice before taking their children because of hooliganism? In some countries, there is racism in the stadiums. I learned not to be a racist through football - when you made a pass, the only criterion was who was in the best position."

He knows he will be portrayed by rivals for the post, who may include Geoff Thompson - and I don't fancy the FA man's chances against Platini and Beckenbauer, especially if it goes to penalties - as a potential extension of Blatter's influence into the strongest confederation, but Platini said firmly: "That is a big mistake. I am not a FIFA man. I am a football man."

He conceded that he took a while to be accepted in UEFA circles after joining the executive in 2002; the familiar faces left him to dine alone in the hotel on the night of his election and he suspects it was because he had sided with Blatter against Johansson in the FIFA contest.

"They have got to know me since - and I don't think football would have so many problems if FIFA and UEFA stopped fighting each other. This long war is a disaster. At this crucial moment for the game, with the European Union discussions in Brussels, the values of football must be defended. The politicians think football is just another business, but [he was referring to the plan for squads to contain a proportion of home-produced players] the interests of young people must be protected. Business is the end of the football chain - not the beginning."

Three months short of his 50th birthday, Platini still argues for fun. Over lunch, despite having stressed he would not define his manifesto until nearer the election, he enjoyed fielding a variety of questions. Would he be the players' candidate? "If the players are with me, good. But it is not necessary. Do you think the president of the Armenian Football Federation will vote for me because I have the support of Thierry Henry?"

What about video assistance for referees? "Sometimes even with TV we cannot be sure. There can be experiments with goal-line technology, but we cannot have offside re-runs because then it would lead to other things and we'd be stopping all the time - it would kill the game."

Did he still want the Champions League to revert to a cup format? "I wanted a 256-club knockout. Then people came to me and offered other solutions. So we must have a study. But we have to decide between football and economic values. If we choose football, we must have knockout, as in all sports.''

He talks a lot about values and I asked him to explain why he had not just settled for the ambassadorial life. "Because I am French," he replied.

"Because, unlike Pele - or Diego Maradona - I was not born into a football-crazy society where everyone wants to be a star and earn lots of money. There wasn't really a professional game in France. When I told people I was a football player, they said 'No, not your hobby - what's your job?' I had been introduced to the beautiful game by my father, who taught me to love and enjoy it, win or lose, and it is his message I want to pass on."

Aldo Platini, now a sprightly 78 and living near Nancy, where his son's talents first came to international attention, was a mathematics teacher who played at third-division level but never aspired to anything more. Except to educate. "During the 40 years my father was a coach, he educated many people to be better. Not to be better players but to be better men.

"And yet his son has worked alongside the much-derided Blatter? "Blatter likes football. After all the campaigns against him, he has been found to have done nothing wrong. But, yes, they wanted to kill him.'' And yet another thought crossed Platini's mind, evoking a grin. "I hope it won't be the same for me!"

http://sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/03/20/sfnpb120.xml&sSheet=/sport/2005/03/20/ixfooty.html

[dreamer75]

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the subject of an informal approach by Real Madrid.

The Italy No1 is regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world and has been a long time target for Real president Florentino Perez.

With current Real keeper Iker Casillas' contract expiring in 2006, Perez is considering a possible replacement for the Spaniard and has asked Juve about a possible £25 million deal for Buffon.

http://www.worldfootballers.com/news.php?id=3807

[United_Treble]

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the subject of an informal approach by Real Madrid.

The Italy No1 is regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world and has been a long time target for Real president Florentino Perez.

With current Real keeper Iker Casillas' contract expiring in 2006, Perez is considering a possible replacement for the Spaniard and has asked Juve about a possible £25 million deal for Buffon.

http://www.worldfootballers.com/news.php?id=3807
hope buffon get better football in madrid, all e best to him

[dreamer75]

ADP's goal!!!

http://s3.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0AMDU9OMIJR8923GVV7Y51MK9M

[dreamer75]

one more appearance and Ciro Ferrear will reach his 500th appearances for us!!!

Zoff Dino 570
Piola Silvio 565
Vierchowod Pietro 562
Maldini Paolo 561
Pagliuca Gianluca 557
Mancini Roberto 541
Albertosi Enrico 532
Rivera Gianni 527
Bergomi Giuseppe 519
Ferrara Ciro 499

[dreamer75]

Ciro is great.. He is one of the best deffenders I have ever seen in my life. Solid as a mountain. His spirit is endless and his morals and behaviours are at the highest standards.
One of the greatest ever. When he's on the pitch even if limping gives the best performace possible. A true hero...

Forza Ciro Ferrara

[dreamer75]

The greatest glove of all
Friday, 18 March 2005
By Paolo Menicucci

Having being named in uefa.com's users' Team of 2003 and 2004, Gianluigi Buffon is on target for a glorious treble. With Juventus FC level on points with AC Milan at the top of Serie A, Buffon has helped his side qualify for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after a 2-1 aggregate win against Real Madrid CF.

Massive fee
Since Juventus signed him from Parma FC in 2001, the Bianconeri have never regretted their decision to pay €52.29m for the goalkeeper, who is widely regarded as the best in the world. "This type of recognition and these types of awards obviously make me happy and proud," the 27-year-old said of his latest uefa.com accolade.

Promising upstarts
However, with the European season in full swing, Buffon is only too aware that a younger generation of goalkeepers are eager to steal his crown. "There are some very strong goalkeepers at the moment in Europe," he told uefa.com. "The standard is very high. Of all of them, the best ones are [Petr] Cech, [Nelson] Dida and [Iker] Casillas, in that order".

Calmness counts
The Italian international knows better than anyone the single important quality that can transform a previously good goalkeeper into a world-beater. "I think a great goalkeeper should transmit a sense of calmness and security to his team-mates at any given time during a particular match and during the whole season," he said.

Juventus honours
With Buffon between the posts, Juventus have won the Scudetto twice in 2001/02 and 2002/03 when Buffon conceded 23 goals and 29 goals respectively - the fewest in the division in both seasons. The Bianconeri also reached the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League final, although they lost against Milan on penalties in Manchester despite Buffon's brilliant performance.

Dignified approach
Success and the occasional disappointment have helped him hone his goalkeeping philosophy. "When the team is not playing particularly well or even when the goalkeeper himself has made some mistakes, he should never panic," he said. "The goalkeeper should always show his team-mates that he is 100 per cent fit in mind as well as body."


Unnecessary acrobatics
That maxim might explain why Buffon has little respect for goalkeepers who showboat with unnecessary diving saves and embellishments. "I prefer goalkeepers who are very solid, sturdy and don't do much acrobatic stuff," said the first goalkeeper to win the Most Valuable Player award at the UEFA European Football Awards in 2003.

Coaching ambition
At 27, Buffon could yet have another decade at the top of his game before he considers retirement, but he has already formulated a clear plan for what he will do when he finally hangs up his gloves. "If I were to stay in the world of football, I would love to become a coach," he said. "It has always been one of my passions."

Foreign mission
He also admitted that he would not rule out the possibility of playing outside Serie A at some time. "It would be a great experience for a man who wants to live his life to the full," said the goalkeeper, who is contracted to Juventus until 2009. "I would never exclude the possibility of going abroad one day."
'The best'
However with so much excitement in prospect in Turin this season, such plans look to be something for a long time in the future. As Buffon put it himself: "I am Italian and playing for Juventus is the absolute pinnacle. I have been in Turin for four years. Staying here could be the best outcome for me."

[dreamer75]

http://media.goal.com/200503/5776_news.jpg

Former Chelsea boss Luca Vialli revealed he has heard rumours circulating in London about a probable move of Juventus wing Gianluca Zambrotta to Chelsea this summer.

”I have heard from contacts in London that Zambrotta is being closely tracked by Chelsea who are looking for a wing for next season,” said Vialli.

Vialli also has close contacts within Juventus, whom he played for before joining the London Blues then chaired by Ken Bates.

The Bianoconeri are known to let go of important players when the right offer comes in, and Vialli hinted that Chelsea’s financially offer is pretty substantial.

NO WAY MAN!!!

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=52647&idSez=17

[dreamer75]

Lyon midfielder Michael Essien is again being linked with a summer move to Italian giants Juventus.

The Ghanaian ace has been paired with numerous clubs recently, but reports in Italy suggest that the Bianconeri are in a good position to land the starlet.

However, they face some stiff opposition for him given that Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona are also looking to lure him away from the Stade Gerland

"For the moment I have no idea what will happen," said the 22-year-old at the weekend.

"I still have three years left on my contract with Lyon, but I like Arsenal and Manchester United as well.

"In the end it will be my decision, just as it was when I turned down PSG to come to Lyon."

The youngster has been a revelation since he joined from Bastia in 2003, and Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas values him at £20m.

The club will do everything in their power to persuade Essien to stay, but are reported to be following Saint-Etienne's Didier Zokora as an eventual replacement.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar21f.html

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/gilardinoindex.jpg

Monday 21 March, 2005

What was the best transfer decision of the summer? It has to be Parma’s refusal to sell Alberto Gilardino. Despite interest from Roma, Juventus and even Real Madrid apparently, the Tardini outfit’s stubbornness to decline all offers has left them with a fighting chance of avoiding relegation.

Without the Italian in their squad, the club would arguably already be certainties for the drop after a quite disastrous campaign. Yet the goals of Gilardino have kept the side breathing even if they are still in real danger of playing Serie B football next term.

Gilardino’s latest work saw him net two against Palermo on Sunday as his side, reduced to nine-men after the dismissals of Paolo Cannavaro and Contini, somehow managed to fight-back from 3-1 down to grab an unlikely draw. His brace at the Tardini saw him move onto 16 League goals this term, just three shy of Roma’s Vincenzo Montella.

"It is a great feeling to have scored so many goals again," stated Gilardino yesterday, just minutes before he was unsurprisingly called up by Italy boss Marcello Lippi. "I’ve now netted 51 in Serie A which is very pleasing."

Not bad when you consider that he is still just 22-years-old and that he had a sluggish start to the season. In fact, there were some harsh critics who were labelling him as a ‘one-season wonder’ as he took his time to rediscover his scoring touch after a quite staggering previous 12 months.

Starting last season as Adriano’s understudy at Parma, the young bomber from Biella finished 2004 as a regular in Lippi’s Italy. Having ended the 2003-04 season as the top Italian scorer in Serie A with 23, leading Parma to fifth in the process, Gilardino then had an extraordinary summer despite being shockingly overlooked by Giovanni Trapattoni for Euro 2004.

Scorer of four in four games at the Under-21 European Championships, he finished the tournament as the top striker and led Italy all the way to the Final where they beat Serbia & Montenegro. He subsequently picked up a bronze medal at the Olympics and has been courted by Italy’s top clubs ever since.

Parma, to their credit, managed to hold on to the level-headed youngster. Despite the club’s financial problems, Gilardino signed an extension to his contract last summer - a gesture of goodwill by a player who recognised that it was the Gialloblu who launched his career. But this will be his last season with the side.

"If I should leave Parma, I would like to do it with some fond memories of the Stadio Tardini," the striker said at the weekend. "In any case, I would only move on if I received an offer from a really big club. I certainly thought Juventus would do more to sign me in the summer, but at the end of the day I am happy with the way things panned out. I still see my future in Italy."

Most sources believe that Milan have already agreed a deal to sign the former Piacenza player in the summer. The San Siro is certainly a stage worthy of his talent.

Words: Antonio Labbate

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/player29.html

[dreamer75]

Marcello Lippi has called Antonio Cassano and Mauro Esposito to face Scotland, but Alessandro Del Piero is dropped again.


Lippi has unveiled the squad set to take on Scotland in next week’s World Cup qualifier, to be played at the San Siro on Saturday March 26.


Cassano is yet to feature under Lippi’s reign due to injury and disciplinary problems, but the Roma man should play a key role despite failing to impress new Giallorossi tactician Bruno Conti.


Del Piero is Juve’s top scorer in Serie A this season and his goal decided yesterday’s match with Reggina, but the captain is dropped once again in favour of Cagliari’s Esposito, Parma’s Alberto Gilardino and Palermo hitman Luca Toni. Christian Vieri is also out with a knee injury that has kept him sidelined for almost a month.


Gianluca Zambrotta is suspended for the Scotland tie, so Palermo’s Fabio Grosso and Fiorentina man Giorgio Chiellini vie to replace him in defence.


Roma goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli is out injured, so Udinese’s Morgan De Sanctis and Monaco shot-stopper Flavio Roma are called up to understudy Gianluigi Buffon.



Italy squad:


Gk: Buffon (Juventus), De Sanctis (Udinese), Roma (Monaco)


D: Barzagli (Palermo), Bonera (Parma), F Cannavaro (Juventus), Chiellini (Fiorentina), Grosso (Palermo), Materazzi (Inter), Nesta (Milan), Zaccardo (Palermo)


M: Barone (Palermo), Blasi (Juventus), Camoranesi (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Gattuso (Milan), Pirlo (Milan)


F: Cassano (Roma), Esposito (Cagliari), Gilardino (Parma), Montella (Roma), Toni (Palermo), Totti (Roma)

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar20h.html

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/delpieronews03.jpg

Alessandro Del Piero is confident that he will still be on the plane to the 2006 World Cup despite being axed by Italy.

The Juventus ace, now 30, was yesterday omitted from the squad that will face Scotland on Saturday but the No 10 believes he will return.

"If I continue to play in the manner that I have been recently then I won’t have any problems regarding my spot in the squad," he said.

"I don’t feel as if I’ve been ruled out of the running to be a part of the set-up for Germany 2006."

Marcello Lippi’s decision to ignore his former captain has surprised many given his recent form at the Delle Alpi.

Even boss Fabio Capello, who has substituted him so many times this season, was full of praise after his fine display in the 1-0 win over Reggina.

"Del Piero is improving with every game and, after the goal, we saw the kind of player that earned praise from the world over in his glory days," said the tactician.

"I perhaps got a little carried away with my goal celebration but we were finding it tough to break them down," added Del Piero.

"I thought that Roma would have been able to stop Milan last night but they didn’t and our battle continues."

Del Piero will now spend the next two weeks with his club in preparation for some tough tests.

"We travel to Fiorentina before our Champions’ League tie, we can’t afford to be distracted by Liverpool prior to the Florence trip," he concluded.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar21e.html

[dreamer75]

Whispers in South America suggest that Juventus have agreed to sign Carlos Andre Diogo Ensenat in the summer.

The 21-year-old, more commonly known as Diogo, has caught the eye of the Turin giants after excelling for River Plate.

The Argentine side have offered the player, who can appear at right-back and in midfield, a new deal but he’s rejected it.

Now a summer move beckons and his agent, Paco Casal, has reportedly agreed a deal with an Italian club.

That outfit is believed to be Juventus, who already have three other Uruguayans in the shape of Paolo Montero, Ruben Olivera and Marcelo Zalayeta.

However, Diogo may not play for the Old Lady in the new season given that he is likely to be sent on loan to a smaller club.

The Bianconeri may offer him to Palermo as part of a deal to sign either Andrea Barzagli or Cristian Zaccardo.

He could also be offered to Livorno after the Tuscan side 'helped’ Juve sign Adrian Mutu in January.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar28c.html

[dreamer75]

Gianluigi Buffon claims Italian fans can learn from the Scots, while his teammates insisted their performance on the field was impressive.


“I didn’t have too much to do, but I made sure I was ready when Scotland did create chances,” explained the goalkeeper after the 2-0 win at the San Siro.


“There was a slight injury worry when a stud caught me on the knee, but thankfully it was nothing serious.”


Almost half the 40,000 fans attending Saturday’s World Cup qualifier had come from Scotland to see the game and it left Buffon amazed.


“The Scottish fans were wonderful and never stopped singing. To see so many people travel to follow a team that is having problems really proves their patriotism. There were supporters there that were rivals at club level, but came together and forgot all that for their country. It’s something we could really learn from.”


The defence was untroubled in the first half, but Buffon was forced into a couple of tricky saves as the Azzurri were perhaps a little complacent after the break.


“We played well in defence, although there was a bit of a struggle at the start of the second half, but that’s only normal over the 90 minutes,” insisted captain Fabio Cannavaro.


“The fans who came to the San Siro saw the international players pass the ball around well and give their heart and soul to get a result.”


Alberto Gilardino had a few touches, but overall failed to make much of an impact spearheading the trident attack with Antonio Cassano and Francesco Totti.


“We saw a good Italy performance in the first half, but after the break Scotland came out and tried to attack,” said the Parma man.


Eyebrows were raised when he remained on the pitch until the final whistle, while Cassano and Totti were both substituted.


“We all combined well and tried to find each other in space, so I think the trident attack was a success. I frankly assumed I’d be the one to make way for Luca Toni, so it was a surprise to see Cassano come off instead.”

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar27a.html

[dreamer75]

Juventus hitman David Trezeguet admits he is experiencing "a black season" after squandering a host of chances for France against Switzerland.

The 27-year-old has missed much of the season through injury and, though he scored on his international return against Sweden last month, was far from his clinical best at the Stade de France on Saturday.

"Personally, I am having a black season," said Trezeguet, speaking from the French training base at Clairefontaine after the 0-0 draw. "But I still want to be here and I still want to play."

Trezeguet is set to spearhead the French attack again for Wednesday’s crucial Group 4 clash with Israel in Tel-Aviv, but admitted he would understand if he was dropped.

"If I had to give up my position, that wouldn’t cause any problems for me," he said. "I am available and more than anything I want the team to win."

France’s World Cup hopes are now hanging by a thread, and the former Monaco striker admitted that defeat on Wednesday could spell the end.

"If any of the top sides lose a match now, it’s over for them," Trezeguet said.

"We know we are in difficulty but we also know that we have quality and that is the most important thing.

"All of our players play in top Leagues and have fantastic quality. We’re in a delicate situation but we’ll get ourselves out of it," he vowed.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar28g.html

[dreamer75]

Nedved Returns For Juve

3/29/2005 11:55:00 AM

Juventus have received a boost with the news that Pavel Nedved will return from injury at Fiorentina this weekend.

The Czech playmaker has been out of action for a month with a head injury, but should be ready for Saturday’s clash.

Nedved was knocked unconscious in the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last month.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=54012&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

Juventus have been boosted with the news that Pavel Nedved will return from injury against Fiorentina on Saturday.

The Czech ace has been sidelined for a month with a head injury but should be available for the Artemio Franchi showdown.

Nedved has had an injury plagued year so far, having played just a little over 100 minutes of football in 2005.

He was firstly benched with a knee problem before being knocked unconscious in the Champions’ League first leg defeat at Real Madrid.

However, Nedved is now ready to return to the side in a bid to prove his fitness for the European Cup quarter-final against Liverpool.

Boss Fabio Capello is expected to give him a starting shirt at the weekend as the side look set to revert from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 system.

The Bianconeri could return to their attacking formation, which has served them well recently, later in the game seeing as the midfielder is not expected to last the 90 minutes.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar29c.html

[dreamer75]

MADRID (AFP) - Juventus midfielder Emerson is set to add to Brazil's colony of Real Madrid stars this summer by moving to the Bernabeu, Marca sports daily reported.

Emerson, who turns 29 next month, was in line to join the Spanish giants last summer but opted instead to follow coach Fabio Capello from AS Roma to Turin.

According to Marca the Brazilian international has not settled in Italy and wants to come to Real. The sports daily added that the Italinas would be ready to listen to offers for his services.

ADVERTISEMENT

Marca said the player would add the desired "backbone" to Real which club president Florentino Perez and sporting director Arrigo Sacchi are looking for as the 'meringues' face up to a second straight trophyless season.

Coach Wanderley Luxemburgo knows the player well from his time as Brazil coach.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fblespbrarealemerson&prov=afp&type=lgns

[dreamer75]

more money numbers

Taken from La Stampa.

SPONSORS

From Tamoil (main sponsor)
22 million until 2010
24 million in 2010-2015

Other revenues (per season)
15 million + royalties from Nike (until 30/06/2015)
92 million from Sky for satellite rights (until June 2007)
10.6 million from Mediaset for terrestrial digital rights (until June 2007)
10 million for 10 years from the stadium sponsor (beginning July 2007)


FROM THIS YEAR'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Money received already:
UEFA 8.9
ticket sales 7.8
Market Pool 2.3
sponsors 1.0
----------------
TOTAL 20.0


In case of victory, add:
UEFA 13.0
ticket sales 7.0
Market Pool 11.0
sponsors 4.5
-----------------
TOTAL 35.5

[dreamer75]

In article that appeared on Sunday's edition of GdS, the new deal with Tamol was analyzed together with an overview of Europe.

It starts with Barcelona, which might give up its "virgin" shirt up for grabs. Though it has refused offers coming from Beijin 2008, Betandwin, and Hitachi, because not enough rooted with "catalanism", Laporta might accept an offer from Qatar Airways (very catalan indeed) and it is rumored to be around €18 million per season, second best after Juve's 22 (and then 26) with Tamoil.

Bayern Munich is third with Deutsche Telekom with 17 million. Real Madrid is 4th with 14 million by Siemens.

Then it's on to Arsenal, for the simple reason that, like Juve, it will have sold its stadium name rights. Arsenal will receive €4.5 million a season for 8 years by Emirates Airlines for its shirt and €7.5 million a season until 2021 for the stadium. So Juve can get a lot more for Delle Alpi.

Juve's shirt record could be though broken by Chelsea as it is negotiating with Nokia.

The striking difference is the money paid by kit manufactures to dress the single clubs. Nike gives €13 million a year to Juve but 33 to Manchester United. Adidas hands out €15 million to Milan while 21 to Real Madrid. But this is probably due to the fact that Italy's market is filled up with fake merchandising and cultural differences (the object of desire by Italian fans is the scarf, not the shirt).

[dreamer75]

Buffon sign contract extension for another 2 years ... and, real want to buy him for 30mil euro? thats around 20mil pound ... hehehe ... would juve want to sell world class keeper at discount price ... get real

[dreamer75]

at least 50 mill.. but some report says 30 mill + walter samuel.. whatever.. he's going nowhere.. unless any new Italian keeper can replace him.. Juve has good history with Italian keeper.. Zoff, Peruzzi, Buffon. :D

[dreamer75]

http://media.goal.com/200503/5656_news.jpg

3/31/2005 12:06:00 PM

The Italian international goalkeeper has definitely put an end to the transfer rumours linking him to Real Madrid by renewing his contract with the Old Lady till 2010.

Juventus have extended Gianluigi Buffon’s contract by two years, thus squashing the speculations regarding a possible move by the 27-year-old shot-stopper to Spain. Therefore Buffon, who will be netting 4.5 million Euros per year, seems destined to remain with the Bianconeri for a long time.

Real Madrid tried to lure the goalkeeper, who is considered as the best in the world in his role, by offering 30 million Euros to Juventus. However the offer was deemed too low and was rejected by Luciano Moggi.

Buffon joined Juventus from Parma in 2001 for a fee of over 50 million Euros. With the Bianconero he has already won 2 Scudetti and 2 Italian Super Cups, and will now be hoping to win Champions League this season

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=54422

[dreamer75]

This is the new fixture list for Serie A:


Week 30


Saturday April 9


Bologna-Inter (18.00 local time, 17.00 in the UK)


Milan-Brescia (18.00)


Fiorentina-Juventus (20.30)



Sunday April 10 (15.00)


Atalanta-Chievo


Cagliari-Sampdoria


Lazio-Livorno


Lecce-Siena


Palermo-Messina


Reggina-Parma


Udinese-Roma



Week 31


Saturday April 16


Messina-Udinese (18.00)


Sampdoria-Palermo (20.30)


Roma-Reggina (20.30)



Sunday April 17 (15.00)


Bologna-Lazio


Brescia-Atalanta


Chievo-Parma


Inter-Cagliari


Juventus-Lecce


Livorno-Fiorentina


Siena-Milan



Week 32


Wednesday April 20 (all games at 20.30)


Cagliari-Lazio


Fiorentina-Messina


Juventus-Inter


Lecce-Bologna


Milan-Chievo


Palermo-Brescia


Parma-Sampdoria


Reggina-Atalanta


Roma-Siena


Udinese-Livorno

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/treznews.jpg

David Trezeguet remains a major doubt to feature against Liverpool on Tuesday, while Pavel Nedved could prompt a change of tactics.


Trezeguet returned from international duty with an ankle injury and was set to miss Saturday’s match with Fiorentina – a tie that was rescheduled along with every other Italian game as a sign of respect for Pope John Paul II.


Latest reports from Turin suggest the Frenchman is far from ready to start at Anfield Road in the Champions’ League quarter-final, although he could feature in the second half.


The Fiorentina game was set to test out Nedved’s fitness levels after sitting on the sidelines since suffering concussion in a clash of heads with Raul Bravo on February 22. Technically, he only played 35 minutes of that game at the Bernabeu, so Nedved’s last real match was against Brescia on January 23.


The 2003 European Player of the Year could nonetheless be able to start the match, prompting a change of tactics.


Fabio Capello had found some success with the 4-3-3 system, enabling Juventus to beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the second leg of their Champions’ League clash and notching up a string of Serie A victories.


However, with Marcelo Zalayeta also struggling with a back problem, it looks likely he’ll revert back to a 4-4-2 with Alessandro Del Piero and Zlatan Ibrahimovic upfront. Nedved and Mauro German Camoranesi take the flanks with Manuele Blasi and Emerson in central midfield.


It is rumoured that Nedved would make way for Trezeguet – or Zalayeta – in the second half at Anfield for the trident attack to hit Liverpool in the closing stages. Alessio Tacchinardi is suspended for the first leg.


Meanwhile, UEFA have confirmed that Belgian referee Frank De Bleeckere has been assigned to Juve’s match. Pierluigi Collina will officiate Tuesday’s other quarter-final between Olympique Lyon and PSV Eindhoven.



Juventus squad: 1 Buffon, 4 Montero, 7 Pessotto, 8 Emerson, 9 Ibrahimovic, 10 Del Piero, 11 Nedved, 12 Chimenti, 15 Birindelli, 16 Camoranesi, 17 Trezeguet, 18 Appiah, 19 Zambrotta, 20 Blasi, 21 Thuram, 22 Bonnefoi, 24 Olivera, 25 Zalayeta, 27 Zebina, 28 Cannavaro

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr3f.html

[dreamer75]

http://media.goal.com/200504/5950_news.jpg

Fiorentina veteran Angelo Di Livio spoke to Goal.com Italy on the eve of the match pitching off his current team against the club that made him win the most prestigious trophies in the world, Juventus.
For Fiorentina fans the game represents a derby as they consider Juventus to be their most bitter rivals for a series of reasons ranging from heated title races to dramatic transfer coups, like the one that brought Viola idol Roberto Baggio to Turin.

Juventus now represent only a series of fond memories for ‘the Little Soldier’, whose present mission is entirely dedicated to Fiorentina. He wants to help the struggling club avoid relegation, starting this weekend against the mighty Bianconeri.

So Angelo, what pushes a player of 38 years old to continue despite not having a place assured in the starting formation?

It’s clear, I have special feelings for Florence. My presence here is an act of love towards the city.

You were able to gain the love of the Fiorentina fans despite your Juventus past. How does this make you feel?

I consider myself a professional, I accepted the move to Fiorentina with enthusiasm, I knew that I could have problems at first, but things immediately went for the best.

What made you continue with Fiorentina even after their relegation to the C2? It must have been hard going from a World Cup to the Italian 4th division.

It was a sign of love towards the city and also an act of faith towards the new ownership, that I knew would have done great things for the club.

Now to the present. It’s not been an easy campaign for Fiorentina. You started with other ambitions, what happened?

Unfortunately, we, the players, made many mistakes, especially on the pitch. Now we are the same people that have to get the team out of this sticky situation.

True. But how?

The best thing to do is to not commit other errors and remain concentrated for the longest possible time on the pitch.

Have referee errors cost you a lot of points?

All teams can recriminate under this aspect. Yes in some games they probably have, but I don’t like to speak about these things. They are just excuses. The biggest errors were committed by us.

What do you think about the Juventus doping trial. Do you get mad when people put the legitimacy of the trophies you won with them in doubt?

It’s the thing that hurts me most. I am a professional and I know how to behave. I know what I can take and what I can’t take. That was a team made up of amazing professionals. All the victories we achieved arrived thanks to a lot of work and sweat put out on the pitch.

But a room of the Delle Alpi stadium full of medicines that appeared more like a hospital deposit must mean something or not?

Those were other days. Those things that can’t be taken now, were legal back then. The important thing is have a clear conscious.

Is it possible that some players take illegal substances while others refuse to?

I don’t think there are players that use doping.

Is Zidane the best player you have had the pleasure of playing with?

For me the greatest was Vialli, and not just for what he did on the pitch.

On Saturday Florence will live its personal derby. What happens on the eve of these matches? Do you feel a lot of tension?

For us its an extremely difficult game because we play against a great team. It’s clear, we need points. We are playing on our home turf, which means our fans will give us a great hand.

Do you feel a lot of tension?

Yes, when Juventus arrive there is a special feeling in the air. It’s a bit like the derbies of Rome, Milan, or Genoa.

What does the future hold for you? Will you remain in Florence and close your career here?

I don’t know. Each time I made some plans, they always failed to go through. Now I just want to help the team avoid relegation. Then, who knows

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=54618

[victorian07]

Hope Juventus plays well against Liverpool, with Nedved or not.
Stuck in between, i love both teams.. may the best team win i shall say

[dreamer75]

Hope Juventus plays well against Liverpool, with Nedved or not.
Stuck in between, i love both teams.. may the best team win i shall say

Nedved shld be playing 4 us :)

Hope its an exciting game and FORZA JUVENTUS! :s12:

[dreamer75]

Juventus goalkeeper Gigi Buffon is looking for his team to net a healthy advantage in the first leg of their Champions’ League tie at Liverpool.

The Bianconeri face the Premiership side at Anfield on Tuesday and the shot-stopper is keen to gain an instant grip of the quarter-final tie.

"It is important that we get a good result away from home so that we can be calm going into the second game," said the Italian international.

"They will have a few selection difficulties but the fact that they have reached this far in the competition proves that they have a strong squad."

Juventus will go into the game just hours after their weekend trip to Fiorentina was postponed following the Pope’s death.

"That won’t affect us," assured the former Parma man. "An important man has gone but we are professionals and we know what we must do."

Liverpool don’t bring back happy memories for Jonathan Zebina, Emerson and boss Fabio Capello after Roma were defeated in controversial circumstances back in 2002.

"It will be a totally different game," stated the French defender. "But that memory will obviously act as an extra stimulus to do well."

Tomorrow’s match is also set to be an emotional occasion, given that the two sides meet competitively for the first time since the 1985 Heysel disaster in which 39 fans died.

"We must keep learning from that event to make sure that it never happens again," stated director general Luciano Moggi.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr4e.html

[dreamer75]

A very special scarf!

Juventus CL QF Scarf

Product code: SCF104

Price: £5.99

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/images4/forzajuve2.jpg

http://store.liverpoolfc.tv/ynwa/ProductDetailsAction.run?objID=34489

[dreamer75]

By Tim Rich
(Filed: 05/04/2005)



Alessandro Del Piero was a boy of 11, growing up in a small town in northern Italy, when he and his family sat down to watch the European Cup final between their team, Juventus, and Liverpool.

"When it was obvious what was happening to the supporters my father sent me and the other young ones out into the yard to play football because he understood that this would not make for pleasant viewing," he recalled. Later, the boys came back to watch the game but it was only after he had seen Michel Platini lift Juventus's first, tainted European Cup that he understood what had happened.

Twenty years on, Del Piero stands on the same pedestal of Italian football once occupied by the great Frenchman and, although under Fabio Capello he is no longer undroppable as he was under Marcello Lippi, there is nobody more appropriate to talk of what tonight's Champions League quarter-final signifies.

"This match means we can close a chapter," he said. "We must keep the bad memories of what happened but we must move on and make sure the players and fans feel the spirit of the game."

The city of Liverpool, which still nurses its guilt over the deaths in Brussels two decades ago, has done everything possible to ease the path towards tonight's fixture. The tourist information booths have been painted green, red and white to mirror the Italian flag while flights carrying the 2,600 Juventus supporters to John Lennon Airport will be met by civic dignitaries. Then there will be Anfield to overcome.

The great stadium has left a deep impression on Capello, deeper than almost anywhere else in the world. "For anybody it's hard to play at Liverpool. No other English stadium has as vociferous a support as this ground or fans with such depth of passion."

Capello's last visit to Merseyside came three springs ago, taking Roma into their final group game in the second phase of the Champions League which Liverpool needed to win to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since the fateful year of 1985.

That night, Gerard Houllier decided to make his first appearance on the touchline since undergoing major heart surgery, which inspired Anfield to enormous heights of emotion that swept the leaders of Serie A away. When reminded he has a poor record against Liverpool - they eliminated Roma from the UEFA Cup in 2001 - Capello retorted that he had always done badly against Real Madrid until knocking them out of the European Cup this season.

The postponement, because of the Pope's death, of what would have been a bitter game against arch rivals Fiorentina could only have helped Capello. His team have not played competitively since March 19, but the Juve coach saw that as a mixed blessing. "We are rested but there may be problems with continuity and connecting with each other. Facing a team like Liverpool, we will have to connect very quickly."

After a stutter that enabled AC Milan to eat away at their lead in Serie A, Juventus come to Merseyside in impressive form. It is a month since they last conceded a goal, February since they last lost - the 1-0 defeat to Madrid that was overturned 2-0 in the return leg - and two months since they were beaten in the Stadio delle Alpi. And this from a campaign that began with a disappointing 2-2 home draw in their Champions League qualifier with the Swedish side, Djurgardens.

The ankle injury sustained by David Trezeguet while playing for France in Tel Aviv has healed to the extent that he has travelled to Liverpool, although it is unlikely Capello will start with him. The fact that Rafael Benitez had only Milan Baros at his disposal did not worry Capello at all. A lone striker was the way the Spaniard always liked to play when in charge of Valencia, he recalled.

Pavel Nedved, the great Czech playmaker, will take up his station on Juventus's left flank for the first time since picking up an injury in the ultimately painless defeat by Madrid at the Bernabeu.

"A man who doesn't think of himself as a star," is how his fellow Czech international, Vladimir Smicer, thinks of him. Nedved rang him after the draw was made and again after watching last month's Merseyside derby. "After the Everton game Pavel called me and said; 'Oh my God, hopefully, you won't be playing like that?'" If they do, Anfield will witness one of its great European nights.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2005/04/05/sfnjuv05.xml

[dreamer75]

http://media.goal.com/200503/5936_news.jpg

The huge clash between AC Milan and rivals Inter may have captured the most attention for sporting reasons, but the quarter-final tie between Liverpool and Juventus offers a chance to commemorate one of the game's saddest tragedies.

BACKGROUND

As Liverpool and Juventus prepare to face one another, memories of the infamous Heysel disaster have resurfaced as both clubs look to mark the 20th anniversary of that fateful day. That night claimed the lives of 39 supporters, the majority of whom were Juventus fans, when a wall in the Brussels stadium gave way. Whilst both clubs have moved on, the game is of massive importance, giving both sides the chance to unite in remembrance and friendship.

With the significance of the night it is easy to forget that both sides are competing for a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Liverpool’s form in the competition has been much more convincing than their league form as Benitez’ side has relished its role as European underdogs. Liverpool can take hope from last year’s final which was represented by Monaco and Porto, neither of whom were considered among the favoured teams. Many critics would have laughed at the suggestion of the Anfield side’s appearance in the final but as Liverpool continue to progress it no longer looks impossible. Few people expected Liverpool to last longer than Manchester United or Arsenal in this competition, and yet here they are preparing to face Juventus.

The wind is definitely blowing in Liverpool’s sails, after two 3-1 wins against Leverkusen and their recent win over Bolton, Liverpool are starting to come into some form. Despite one of the Premiership’s largest injury lists, Benitez’ men have managed to cut Everton’s lead over them to just one point. With Liverpool starting to find their stride the contest against Juventus could be very interesting indeed.

Juventus were far from impressive as they crashed to a defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid for the first leg of this tie. The match was settled thanks to a solitary goal from Ivan Helguera as Real were unlucky not to make their dominance count for more. Despite the loss, Fabio Capello’s side were immense as they sent Real crashing in the corresponding leg. Juve’s plucky performance has seen Capello’s men return to their confident best as the side looks impressive once again.

This season both teams could not be more different in terms of style and approach. Whilst the Bianconeri are a much more balanced and organized unit Liverpool, the English side tend to produce the more entertaining football but seem to rely to heavily on Steven Gerrard. Despite the several recent purchases, the Anfield side still need time to gel, and a hefty injury list has made that almost impossible. Juventus will be confident of a result against Liverpool but Benitez’ side have been underestimated by many in seasons competition and that will not have gone unnoticed by the Italians.

Whilst the footballing world may have its eyes focussed firmly on the Milan derby, this tie should be just as exciting and may give us a glimpse of the eventual champions in action.


TEAM NEWS

Liverpool:
The Reds welcome back Milan Baros who was suspended for the match against Bolton at the weekend. Morientes is ineligible for the tie after appearing for Real Madrid already this season.. Traore, Garcia and Warnock are all passed fit; Cisse and Alonso, though in training, are still some weeks away from a first team return. Hamann is out and will be replaced with Igor Biscan

Juventus:
Fabio Capello has almost a full squad to choose from for this match and can call on all of his first team stars. The long awaited return of Nedved should add some more creativity to Juve’s game. Frenchman Trezeguet looks set to start on the bench after struggling with an ankle injury picked up whilst on international duty. Del Piero and Ibrahimovic will start at Anfield.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool:
The Reds have relied heavily on the quality of Steven Gerrard on many occasions this season and will need their captain to give his very best if they are to achieve a positive result against the Bianconeri. Juve have reportedly been looking for a quality central midfielder for next season and would do well to pay attention to Gerrard during the match as he is just the players they would love to sign. Strong, tenacious and an unstoppable dribbler, Gerrard is the complete modern footballer.

Juventus:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has looked good all season for Juventus, but it is Del Piero that could really make the difference against Liverpool. The striker’s experience of such games will be vital if Capello’s men are to progress in the competition. Recent games have seen Alex return to his best form and Liverpool could be his next victim. With reports of Del Piero’s desire to play in England, a good performance could alert a number of potential suitors.


PROBABLE STARTING XIs

Liverpool
Dudek, Warnock, Pellegrino, Carragher, Finnan, Gerrard, Biscan, Riise, Garcia, Smicer, Morientes

Juventus: (4-3-3)
Buffon; Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Blasi; Del Piero, Nedved, Zlatan.


PREDICTION

Juventus will be full of confidence and Liverpool will find it hard to beat them.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=55097

[dreamer75]

Ok, in first sentence we will not talk about Heysel tragedy, there is no need to recall shadows of the past.

Yes , game will be special( most of the Juve fans wanted Liverpool in quarter – finals ) but it will be war on the pitch , not on the stands.

First of all, I don’t like to see Juve branded such big favourite - we read many articles in various papers which say Liverpool is underdog, I saw Rafa Benitez said they would even find hard to beat Juve with best squad , etc.

I saw Liverpool several times this season…it seems they play much better in Europe (without some key Cup tied players) than in Premiership.

Main reason for me is Rafa Benitez - really I rate him high as best Italian coaches - he is very shrewd tactician and Valencia looked last year like Italian team with an iron defence, a hard working midfield and not so prolific attack, but that kind of gameplay always brings results.

Of course most of Liverpool players are not good as Baraja, Vicente, Aimar, Ayala but still I am surprised how mature Liverpool looked in some Champions League games this season.

However main Liverpool problem will be Juve resistence to pressure - I read in some opinions that Anfield is best chance for Gerrard and co. But I don’t see things in that way because this Juve generation is picked as unit of hard working players and fighters.

It is Juve soccer philosophy…there is small room for individual quality , most of our strenght comes from strong unit.

I am not sure how Liverpool will play, I expect 4–5–1 with Baros upfront - as I have heard some statements from Liverpool players saying that for them major task is to prevent Juventus for scoring.

So in first view I think we can expect dull, boring 0-0 draw and after it both sides will be satisfied.

Injury crisis isn’t something new for Liverpool they are used on it whole season so the absence of Hamann, Kewell, Sinama Pongolle, Cisse, Alonso, Mellor, Morientes and Pelegrino is handycap of course but not as big as some suggest.

Still Liverpool has weapons to attack, Baros is better player than Morientes, and I also like Luis Garcia a lot.

However, Liverpool's problems do not lie in attack or midfield but defence. Last news is that Dudek is questionable, but I think he will be in team (I hope to see him because I really don’t rate him so high).

Liverpool probable XI :


LIVERPOOL
Dudek
Finnan, Hyypia, Traore, Carragher
Riise, Gerrard, Biscan, Smicer, Luis Garcia
Baros


Honestly, players like Riise and Gerrard would have place in Juve starting line-up ,but defence looks average for team in th quarter finals of the Champions League.

I am sure Rafa Bneitez knows it so I expect defensive minded Liverpool with main aim not to concede goal.

On the other hand Juve is in good shape, Kapo, Ferrara and Tacchinardi didn’t travel to England but they would have been on the bench anyway.

Also Trezeguet is doubtful and Zalayeta has back problems but Capello will probably opt for recovered Nedved and old
4-4-2 formation.


JUVENTUS
Buffon
Zambrotta, Zebina, Cannavaro, Thuram
Blasi, Emerson, Nedved, Camoranesi
Ibrahimovic, Del Piero


In this tactical approach, it is best Juve can offer, because Del Piero is more important in away games than Trezeguet (he can keeps the ball, provide pass for Ibrahimovic, be dangerous from free kicks ).

When Juve play 4-4-2, you can expect hard battle in the midfield, defensive minded Zambrotta, more attack through middle and mortal counter attacks. However Liverpool will try to do the same.

Most of the battle we will see between Emerson and Gerrard and I fear Zebina will have problems with Riise.


History angle :

Juve and Liverpool played 4 times.

In 1965 Juve won at home 1-0, but was beaten in second leg (2–0 for Liverpool) and we were eliminated.

Then than in Super-Coppa 1985 Juve won 2-0 ( goals by great Boniek) and of course black Heysel game (1-0 to Juve, Big Michel Platini from penalty spot).

However Juve never played great against British clubs away from home - we were dominant in Turin but last time we managed to do something in England on 1996. (Juve beat MUTD ).

Also Liverpool is known as very hard to beat at home - so tradition (if we speak about first game) is with the Liverpool side

[dreamer75]

http://www.eurosport.com/imgbk/footbl/all/big_md-i163916.jpg

Pavel Nedved returns for Juventus on Tuesday night for their quarter-final Champions League clash with Liverpool but has warned the world that if his injury worries continues he will might quit the sport at the end of the season: "Health is too important. Football is not the only thing in my life."

The Czech playmaker has been hamstrung by injuries since last summer's European Championship, with his latest setback - a head injury picked up during February's clash with Real Madrid - ruling him out for over a month.

Nedved is set to return against Raphael Benitez's Liverpool, but the shaggy-haired maverick's confidence has taken a knock during what has turned out to be a highly frustrating season.

"I don't know how my body feels at the moment," the dynamo told pink Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

"In these last months I have played very few matches.

"Since last year's European Championship many things have happened to me: knee injuries, head injuries.

"I have not played for two months, so I cannot say if I have 90 minutes in my legs.

"And if it continues like this until the end of the season, I'll quit.

"It's better quitting when you are not a wreck. Health is too important. Football is not the only thing in my life."

Despite concerns over Nedved's mindset, Juve chief Fabio Capello is nevertheless confident his Czech wizard will be at the top of his game against Liverpool.

"Pavel feels good," said the avuncular Capello. "He's only lacking match sharpness, the certainty is okay."

http://www.eurosport.com/home/pages/v4/l0/s22/e6885/sport_lng0_spo22_evt6885_sto704587.shtml

[dreamer75]

predicting a Liverpool 1 Juventus 2 :D

[daylight]

liverpool surprise again with a great win

[dreamer75]

liverpool surprise again with a great win

yup, kudos to the Reds for their very convincing 1st haf display..
the Luis Garcia goal was WOW!!!

we were caught out but we managed to get the very impt away goal.

we will just have to keep a clean sheet and score at least one goal in Turin next week to progress :D

FORZA JUVE!!! hehe

[dreamer75]

Nedved was way below par........he needs more match fitness, though his free kick was sweetly taken!

still a good result. Im certain Juve will come up to standard at Turin.

[dreamer75]

A game of two halves.
In the 1st half Liverpool absolutely pummeled Juve.They couldnt cope with the Reds' aggression and slick passing.This is not talking trash.
But 2nd half Juve justified their quality and pedigree and pinned Liverpool back.Roll on Turin.

[RadEoNic]

i think luis garcia made a few juve players very dulan with him
:s13:

[dreamer75]

i think luis garcia made a few juve players very dulan with him
:s13:

as the match progressed, tempers and pressure rose..

[dreamer75]

Liverpool 2 - 1 Juventus
Hyypia 10 (L), Luis Garcia 25 (L), Cannavaro 63 (J)

Anfield Road

Juve recovered from a dismal first half performance and were unlucky to emerge defeated 2-1 by Liverpool in tonight's quarter-final, as they had a perfectly good goal disallowed.

These two teams met for the first time since the Heysel tragedy and the 20-year anniversary hung heavy over proceedings. There was a minute's silence ahead of kick-off for the 39 fans who died on May 29 1985 and a real feeling of mutual respect between the clubs and their fans at Anfield Road. Representatives of the two sides, including Ian Rush and Michel Platini, walked out on to the pitch holding banners of friendship.

Pavel Nedved made his comeback after suffering concussion and head trauma in an accidental collision with Real Madrid's Raul Bravo in February, but it was only his second start since January 23 due to a series of injuries. David Trezeguet and Marcelo Zalayeta were not 100 per cent fit, while Alessio Tacchinardi was suspended, so Juve returned to the 4-4-2 system.

Liverpool opted to field young goalkeeper Scott Carson in only his third appearance since joining the club and gave him his Champions' League debut in this high-profile encounter.

Emerson slipped within the first 5 seconds and Milan Baros nearly took full advantage, as his shot was deflected off target. Liverpool had a very aggressive start and were swarming around Juve players when they had the ball.

Gianluca Zambrotta's error allowed Steve Finnan to fire on to the side-netting in another hairy moment for Fabio Capello's men, who were struggling to keep up with the breakneck pace early on.

The pressure paid off after 10 minutes, as a Steven Gerrard corner kick was touched on for the totally unmarked Sami Hyypia at the back post to volley in from six yards.

Carson's first real intervention came after 18 minutes, when the goalkeeper rushed off his line to clear from Zambrotta after some fine work between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessandro Del Piero.

But Liverpool were clearly having the better of play and Buffon stuck up a hand to flap away a Baros volley with the Czech at full stretch.

Anthony Le Tallec flung himself at a John Arne Riise cross and just failed to get on the end of it with only Buffon to beat.

Liverpool doubled their lead with a stunning effort from Luis Garcia. The Spaniard's spectacular right-foot half-volley with the outside of his right foot from 30 metres dipped mercilessly under the crossbar with Buffon unable to get a hand to it.

Juventus finally woke up a minute later, but Ibrahimovic's low drive thumped the base of the upright and Nedved's follow-up was off target.

Another Baros effort was deflected on to the roof of the net as The Reds kept on coming.

Del Piero and Nedved combined passes brilliantly and the captain's finish was well parried at the near post by Carson as the goalkeeper was finally tested.

Gerrard managed to take the ball round Lilian Thuram and Juve were let off as he ballooned his shot over the bar. Buffon also blocked a tame Baros effort.

Zambrotta's fierce strike on the volley was plucked out of the air by a secure Carson and then Del Piero's header hit the back of the net only to be disallowed for an incorrect offside position. Replays clearly show the Juventus star was level with the last defender when the cross came in from Camoranesi.

There was further controversy moments later, as Zambrotta held off his marker and his cross was charged down by Gerrard's arm in the area, but the referee waved play on.

Capello had to make changes and introduced Gianluca Pessotto for Manuele Blasi at half-time. The Bianconeri were immediately more aggressive, but Nedved drilled wide from a promising position.

Del Piero was ready to finalise a great team move from Nedved's pass, but he fell in the area with a slight nudge from Traore. Fabio Cannavaro's looping header from a corner kick and a tame Del Piero shot were dealt with by Carson.

David Trezeguet replaced Del Piero on the hour mark, so Capello continued to work with the 4-4-2 system and left Nedved on the field.

A powerful but central free kick from Nedved was easily smothered, while Carragher nearly scored an own goal in his attempt to clear Zambrotta's cross.

Juventus were far improved from their first half performance and pulled a goal back on the hour mark. Fabio Cannavaro rose above two defenders to nod in Zambrotta's centre, though Carson seemed to be taken by surprise at the near post.

The confidence shifted towards the Bianconeri and Mauro German Camoranesi's shot whistled past the upright, though Riise's angled drive was deflected just wide.

A splendid team move saw Camoranesi dribble past four players and an Ibrahimovic cross intercepted just as Trezeguet was preparing to tap in.

There was bad news for Juventus when Jonathan Zebina pulled up with a suspected thigh strain and was replaced by Paolo Montero. Cannavaro switched to right-back, leaving Thuram and Montero in central defence for the closing 10 minutes.

Liverpool: Carson; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore; Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Biscan, Riise; Baros (Nunez 66), Le Tallec (Smicer 73)

Juventus: Buffon; Zebina (Montero 80), Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Blasi (Pessotto 46), Nedved; Del Piero (Trezeguet 60), Ibrahimovic

Ref: De Bleeckere (Bel)

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/eurogames/liv-juve.html

[dreamer75]

Fabio Capello is cursing Juve’s sluggish start to the Champions’ League quarter-final, but believes they’ll eliminate Liverpool.


“We just didn’t play for the first half-hour,” noted the Coach after a 2-1 defeat at Anfield. “We had the chances after that and didn’t have the luck to take them, but for the opening 30 minutes Liverpool were the only team on the field."


"We weren’t aggressive or accustomed to the constant pressure they were putting on us, but once you push Liverpool then their defence does give way.”


Sami Hyypia took advantage of a defensive error from a set-piece – just as Real Madrid had done in the last round – before Luis Garcia turned in a spectacular goal from 30 metres.


“When you strike the ball from distance then you always hope it’ll end up like Luis Garcia’s goal,” smiled Capello. “This was a difficult game against a team that really plays its best on home turf. Our approach was wrong and I take responsibility, but I am satisfied with our performance after the break.”


The half-time substitution, introducing Gianluca Pessotto for Manuele Blasi, proved crucial as Juve were a different team after the break.


“Pessotto is the kind of player who can get the ball moving quickly, but above all covers Gianluca Zambrotta on his runs. I liked the performance in the second half and the team as a whole really got back on track after Liverpool’s second goal.”


Juventus must win at the Delle Alpi next Wednesday evening, but a 1-0 result would be enough to see them through on the away goals rule.


“Our finishing left something to be desired, but I believe that after our first half showing this counts as a positive result,” continued Capello. “It’s not easy to find the right mindset after being away for a while and the break for Easter and then the Serie A postponement didn’t help us.”


The Bianconeri could easily have drawn 2-2 at Anfield, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit the upright and Alessandro Del Piero had a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside. Pavel Nedved was also making his comeback after suffering head trauma against Madrid in late February.


“Every time Zlatan gets the ball he is crowded out by three players. He’s not very lucky with his finishing at the moment, but he is a very important player for Juventus. Nedved is a special player and I was fully satisfied with his performance. I’d say that for the final hour the whole team did well.”


Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has not hidden his admiration for Capello and gave his view on beating the tactician.


“We were aggressive and needed that for a game like this against Juve,” said the Spaniard. “I am happy with the first half, but the Bianconeri were better after the break and maintained possession well. We have a week to get some injured players back, such as Jerzy Dudek, but it’ll be difficult for Xabi Alonso to return in time.”


Juve star Gianluca Zambrotta gave an insight into the locker room atmosphere at half-time. “Capello was extremely angry during the break, but he didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know about our own performance. It was clear for all to see that we had to wake up.”


“I think we stepped onto the field without the right determination and were always second to the ball,” said the fullback. “We realised we couldn’t carry on like that and came on for the second half with a different psychological approach.”


“We proved in the second half that if we put Liverpool under pressure then they will struggle. Considering how it was going, we can be happy with the 2-1 result and clearly there are regrets as we should’ve done so much better.”


This was the first meeting of the two clubs since the Heysel disaster and several former players – including Michel Platini and Ian Rush – walked out before kick-off in a show of friendship.


“I wanted to commemorate the 20th anniversary of this tragic event with the two sets of fans,” explained ex-Juve star Platini.


“Liverpool were exceptional in the first half, but I think Juventus will qualify as they are the better team and started to prove that after the break. With the disallowed goal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic hitting the woodwork they had some great chances.”

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr5j.html

[dreamer75]

By Matt Dickinson, Chief Football Correspondent
Liverpool 2 Juventus 1


A NIGHT that began with reminiscences of Heysel finished with something to look forward to. The second leg of this European Cup quarter-final is more intriguingly poised than Liverpool supporters had dared to hope at kick-off, although the wise man will still put all his money on the team who were beaten at Anfield last night.

The Kop was entitled to celebrate the victory, but the cheers had been far louder, and less inhibited, at half-time, before Fabio Cannavaro’s header past the young, and chastened, Scott Carson. That precious away goal means that a 1-0 victory will be enough for Juventus and Fabio Capello will not expect his players to be so slow to the challenge as they were in falling two goals behind in an exhilarating first half.

The Stadio Delle Alpi was the scene of one of English football’s great European victories, when Manchester United triumphed 3-2 in the 1999 semi-final, and for Liverpool to prevail it may take a performance of similar magnitude. Steven Gerrard may be required to reprise the role of Roy Keane. Like most of his team-mates, the captain started impressively last night, but Liverpool found themselves longing for the final whistle as soon as Cannavaro struck.

Still, victory was more than most had expected from Rafael Benítez and his players. The previous time these teams had played each other, the Liverpool squad had been forced to contrive a sporting contest amid the carnage of Heysel. Fears that, 20 years on, their successors might be inhibited by all the ceremony could not have been more misplaced.

From the first blow of the Belgian referee’s whistle, Benítez’s men set about treating this tie as 90 minutes to enjoy rather than endure. Their boldness at kick-off was all the more startling when one saw the teamsheet. In the Juventus XI was Gianluigi Buffon, widely regarded as the world’s best goalkeeper and, at £32 million, certainly the most expensive. His opposite number, Carson, 19, had started only two Barclays Premiership matches since his £750,000 transfer from Leeds United. Carson’s inexperience was to show in the end, but not before Juventus had been given a fright.

The half-time scoreline was even more extraordinary when setting Liverpool’s attack, in which Anthony Le Tallec was an unexpected starter, against a Juventus defence that had conceded as many goals by half-time as in eight previous matches in Europe’s premier club competition.

Up front, Milan Baros was living up to his promise to atone for his recent sending-off against Everton as he buzzed around Lilian Thuram and Cannavaro. In midfield, Liverpool were eager and tenacious. That much could be expected of Gerrard, but when Luis García dumped Gianluca Zambrotta, a tank of a left back, on the floor with a full stop of a tackle, Anfield could be sure that every player was giving his all.

García’s challenge was notable, but not nearly as spectacular as his goal. Sami Hyypia had put Liverpool ahead in the tenth minute, when Gerrard’s corner was flicked to the far post. The central defender kept his composure to score with his left foot.

In the 25th minute, García added the second with a wonderful left-foot volley that arced over Buffon from 25 yards. As Anfield admired its beauty, Chelsea supporters may have been wondering why their club had so doggedly pursued Emerson. The Brazil captain made no attempt to close down García, in keeping with a strangely subdued performance.

Capello blamed the cancellation of the weekend’s fixtures — a mark of respect to Pope John Paul II — for his team’s sluggishness. Against a side with class acts such as Pavel Nedved and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, players capable of turning matches in an instant, it was not going to be an easy lead to protect. Within a minute of García’s perfect parabola, Ibrahimovic had struck the foot of Carson’s right-hand post with a shot on the turn.

The retaliation continued with a one-two between Nedved and Alessandro Del Piero. Carson came out to block, but his hopes of keeping his place when Jerzy Dudek recovers from a groin strain may have evaporated with his contribution to the Juventus goal. Undecided over the best means of dealing with Cannavaro’s downward header, the teenager dropped to the ground too slowly and then waved weakly as the bouncing ball beat him.

Benítez would have wanted the match to end there and then. His withdrawal of the now-anonymous Baros was a symbol of Liverpool’s second-half travails as they attempted to fend off the combined attacking threat of Nedved, Ibrahimovic and David Trezeguet, a replacement for the disappointing Del Piero. The mounting pressure was a taste of what is to come.

LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): S Carson — S Finnan, J Carragher, S Hyypia, D Traoré — L García, I Biscan, S Gerrard, J A Riise — A Le Tallec (sub: V Smicer, 73min), M Baros (sub: A Núñez, 66). Substitutes not used: J Dudek, X Alonso, S Warnock, J Welsh, D Potter.

JUVENTUS (4-4-2): G Buffon — J Zebina (sub: P Montero, 81), L Thuram, F Cannavaro, G Zambrotta — M Camoranesi, M Blasi (sub: G Pessotto, 46), Emerson, P Nedved — A Del Piero (sub: D Trezeguet, 61), Z Ibrahimovic. Substitutes not used: A Chimenti, S Appiah, R Olivera, M Zalayeta.

Referee: F de Bleeckere (Belgium).

http://www.addfootball.com/news/newcastle-news.html

[dreamer75]

By Phil Shaw at Anfield

06 April 2005

Memoria e amicizia - "In Memory and in Friendship" - declared the banner carried towards the Anfield Road End before kick-off. But for many of the 2,600 Juventus fans gathered there, forgiving will clearly be no easier than forgetting the 39 Italians and Belgians who died at Heysel in 1985. Dozens of their number last night, if not hundreds, turned their backs on the peace offering.

Less hostility greeted the sight of Phil Neal and Michel Platini, opponents on that fateful evening in Brussels, joining forces with Ian Rush, who played for both clubs, as they carried a plaque bearing the crests of the teams into the centre circle. A mosaic unveiled by the Kop, revealing the word "Friendship", even drew applause from some of the visitors.

But the ritual rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" came against a backdrop of whistling and booing from their enclosure. The acrimony is sure to be magnified when Liverpool go to the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin for the second leg a week tonight.

Talk of the tie helping to achieve "closure" always did appear somewhat fanciful. Liverpool's supporters have not given up their grievances or grieving over the 96 who died at Hillsborough in 1989, so it was always expecting too much for the Italians to set aside their bitterness over the drunken rampage that cost so many innocent lives at Heysel.

That is not to say that Liverpool - club and city - should not be commended for trying to heal the wounds. For two decades, it had seemed as if the red half of Merseyside's football community were in denial over the tragedy. Consumed by sorrow and anger over its own dead at Sheffield, yet reluctant to confront the realities of Heysel.

The match programme stopped short of the official apology many Juventus supporters have sought - talking instead of "building bridges" - but the Liverpool Echo pulled no punches on its front page. "We're Sorry" the headline announced. "The Liverpool fans who charged were shamefully to blame," ran the editorial. "No ifs, no buts, no excuses. What should have been a great spectacle turned into a sickening episode of soccer shame - one of the game's darkest hours."

One group of Liverpool fans extended an olive branch by challenging the London branch of the Juventus Supporters' Club to a match at Kirkby. However, signs that other factions of the Turin side's support might be in no mood for reconciliation were evident during the build-up to last night's match. Groups of Italians walking around the Albert Dock area reacted aggressively when approached by radio reporters on vox-pop duty.

Even before Liverpool's extraordinary start to the game, the atmosphere among their followers seemed to be one of "Well, we gave the mutual-respect thing a go, but now we're going to back our team". At 2-0 up, the decibel level inside Anfield was almost of pre-all-seater levels.

Chants of "England's No 1" rang around in honour of Scott Carson. Chorus after chorus of "La Bamba", with the names of Rafa Benitez, Garcia and Nuñez ingeniously threaded through it, cascaded from the Kop.

Through it all, the Juventus contingent stood and watched in near silence. Fabio Cannavaro's riposte changed their mood at a stroke. They bounced up and down, ignoring the seats that were introduced as a result of the horrors of Heysel and Hillsborough.

Benitez had hoped for a "spectacle" as the most fitting tribute to the dead, a game where the goal count rather than the body count was the talking point. His wish was granted. From the first whistle to the last, this was the kind of contest that nobody could turn their back on.

[dreamer75]

Reds' gesture of friendship not enough to heal 20 years of pain

Paul Kelso at Anfield
Wednesday April 6, 2005
The Guardian

The most powerful statement on a night of intense emotion came shortly before the first Liverpool-Juventus match in 20 years had begun. A group of supporters from both clubs approached the 2,600 Italian fans at the Anfield Road End carrying a banner bearing the words Memoria e amicizia, in memory and friendship.

It was a gesture intended to express regret and sorrow but it was met with a devastatingly eloquent response. As the banner moved forward, watched from the centre circle by Phil Neal, Michel Platini and Ian Rush, all of whom had played at Heysel, the front 10 rows simply turned their backs. They did so again moments later when Anfield stood for a minute's silence and supporters on the Kop displayed a mosaic repeating the sentiment, Amicizia .

The snub was not unanimous - the majority of those wearing black and white applauded the Kop - and neither was it typical of the atmosphere during a sparkling match, one that fulfilled hopes that an evening laden with symbolism would be remembered primarily for the football.

Protest aside, there were ample expressions of mutual respect, not least when both sets of supporters rose to applaud each other and their teams at the end of a breathless evening. Yet it demonstrated beyond question the abiding pain inflicted by those Liverpool supporters who had rioted before the fateful 1985 European Cup final.

Liverpool know more about tragedy than any football club. Their supporters have grieved for those lost at Hillsborough and campaigned tirelessly for those responsible to be brought to account. However, in contrast, their part in the carnage that occurred four years earlier had not been pub licly and unconditionally acknowledged. Last night, collective amnesia pricked by the unavoidable reminder of a Champions League quarter- final, Anfield finally faced up to the most shameful night in the club's history.

Alan Hansen, speaking in a radio interview before the match, got closer than anyone who had played that night to the heart of Liverpool's Heysel problem. "The only time I think about Heysel these days is when someone brings it up or reminds me of it," he said. "Of course if you had a family member die that day you never stop thinking about it."

Hansen's acknowledgment of the suffering of the 39 families robbed that night was a reminder that even someone as close to events as he was can forget. The Juve fans' protest emphasised that the victims do not enjoy such luxury.

Last night's game was not only the first time the teams had met since May 29 1985, it was also a reunion of sorts for many of those who bore witness. Players, officials, journalists and thousands of supporters gathered for the first time since, and fittingly they witnessed a public apology not only from the Kop but from individuals involved.

Terry Wilson, a Liverpool fan jailed for his part in the rioting, was given two pages of the match programme to say what many others have struggled to explain. Under the headline "I'm sorry" he wrote: "The older I have got the more remorse I have felt for my reactions on the night. I've grown up, I'm older and wiser now and I have learned from my mistakes. I am sorry for my reactions that night in Brussels to what was happening around me. I didn't go to Belgium looking for trouble . . . I'm not proud of my actions."

Wilson's words were part of a citywide expression of remorse. Red, white and black friendship wristbands were handed out before the kick-off and council workers toured the city distributing welcome packs to visiting supporters.

Anfield's chief executive Rick Parry, speaking before a match between supporters at Liverpool's academy, struck the tone for the day. "We are all sorry about what happened that night. We very much regret what happened. I hope we can all forgive and forget and move on. We have tried to ensure that the whole day is a day of friendship, an opportunity to move on together."

The supporters' match was an initiative prompted by Richard Buxton, who at 17 was not even born when Heysel happened. His idea was taken up by the Juventus Club Londra, who sent a team, and in a spontaneous gesture as effective as any witnessed yesterday offered him a ticket among the away support.

He accepted without reservation, but given the depth of feeling expressed last night it is unlikely that in Turin next week Liverpool fans will feel able to do the same.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/championsleague200405/story/0,15008,1453205,00.html?gusrc=rss

[dreamer75]

Zambrotta:

“In the first half we were not determined enough, they were first to every ball. During the interval we realised that we could not return to the field with the same attitude and that made us change our mentality. I am optimistic about the return leg. 2yrs ago we lost 2-1 away to Real Madrid and we still got through. We did the same against Real this year after having lost the first leg. We had the chances to possibly draw the game tonight but considering how the 1st half went it is a good result for us. I am confident that in Turin we can show who we really are, hopefully with the backing of a large number of our fans."

Cannavaro:

“Apart from being satisfied with having scored a goal, I am happy with the result as it will make us calmer in the return leg. It would have been much harder to overturn a 2-0 deficit. We suffered a lot in the first 20mins but we then came good and created quite a few chances. We were a bit unlucky because Liverpool created little apart from their 2 goals, but that is football."

Buffon:

“Considering how we started the game it could have been much worse in the end. At 0-2 you are more out that in, but at 1-2 you are more in than out. I am disappointed with the 2nd goal I conceded. Garcia scored a great goal, with a fantastic shot, but I always feel that I could have done something more whenever I concede such goals."

Capello:

“In the first half-hour we did not play at all. We lacked aggressiveness, we went in for tackles without determination and we did not player a closer game, as we remained too far apaort. We gifted them two goals and were not able to make the most of two good chances. Thankfully we then recovered and played a good second half. It was a difficult game in a difficult place to play at. At home Liverpool excel. As I had said before the game, the long break we had from playing games made it difficult for us to find our rhythm immediaitely. However at 2-0 down I saw a lot of will from all and we showed that we can play very well. We now face a period where we play 6 games in less than 3 weeks so we will have to use the rotation system, but after seeing how we played in the 2nd half I am confident that our fitness levels are good."

http://www.bootroom.org/forum/portal.php?topic_id=4856

[dreamer75]

http://www.soccernet.com/images/PH.1/Lineups+LG.jpg

PA
Liverpool gave one of Europe's finest sides an examination they will not forget in a hurry, but their Champions League future hangs by a thread after securing a 2-1 win against Juventus.


Emotional evening: The two teams before kick-off (LaurenceGriffiths/GettyImages)
Two magnificent goals from Sami Hyypia and Luis Garcia gave Liverpool command in a first half in which they ran Juve ragged with a ferocious, high-tempo performance.

Rarely have the Italian giants been subjected to such a hounding, in fact they had conceded only two goals in the tournament before this emotional quarter-final first leg showdown at Anfield.

Before the game the thoughts were all about the Heysel disaster 20 years ago when these two sides last met in competitive action.

By half-time Anfield was relishing an outstanding, if unexpected performance from their heroes.

But Juventus were never likely to go down without a fight and their second half display of control, skill, constant movement and possession gave Liverpool an insight into what they will face in next week's return in Turin.

Fabio Cannavaro scored a deserved goal and somehow Liverpool clung onto their lead.

Whether they can do the same in Turin for the return remains unlikely on this evidence.

Rafael Benitez again opted not to risk Jerzy Dudek's hamstring injury and gave youngster Scott Carson his European debut in goal, Sami Hyypia returning to defence while the Liverpool manager opted for a two-man strike force with French Under-21 star Anthony Le Tallec also in the starting line-up alongside Milan Baros.

And Liverpool's response to confronting the star-studded Italians, who had veteran playmaker Pavel Nedved back following a head injury, was to go for the throat from the start.

Gerrard was in the thick of it, one thunderous tackle by the Liverpool skipper early on that stunned Emerson, set the standard.

His prompting got Steve Finnan in on the right, but his shot crashed into the side netting.

But from Liverpool's second corner, they stole into the lead.

Gerrard's ball soared in from the right, Luis Garcia flicked it on and Hyypia arrived on the far post to volley superbly inside the post leaving Gianluigi Buffon, arguably the world's best 'keeper, utterly stranded.

The ease with which the Finnish star struck his shot, and its' accuracy, is not what is usually expected from a defender, and he sat on the pitch a little bemused with his arms outstretched to celebrate his second goal of the season.

Liverpool had surprised the Italians with their pace and strength in these opening stages, but still the Serie A giants looked awesome in possession and moved the ball around smoothly, searching for the gap to punish their hosts.

But amazingly Liverpool went two ahead on 25 minutes, Anfield now in near hysteria.

Igor Biscan played the ball down the right, Le Tallec flicked it on and Luis Garcia surged onto the ball 25 yards out and hit a sensational dipping volley over the despairing arms of Buffon.

It was the new Spanish international's 10th goal of the season and fourth in Europe, underlining Benitez's view that he has become critical to Liverpool's balance in attack.

Juve almost hit straight back from the restart when Nedved set up Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a 20-yard shot that cannoned back off Carson's right-hand post.

And the Italians were straight back at Liverpool, and Alessandro Del Piero was played in only for Carson to make an outstanding save to his left.

Del Piero then had a header ruled out for offside, although TV replays showed it should have counted. Nothing, clearly, could be taken for granted at this stage.

Juventus sent on Gianluca Pessotto for Manuele Blasi at the break, with the intent of curtailing Gerrard's surging runs, and it worked.

Liverpool initially maintained their tempo of the first period, but they could not do it forever and Juventus were clearly intent on a more physical approach.

Juventus stepped up their search for a lifeline by taking off Del Piero and sending on David Trezeguet on the hour, with an increasing number of shots reaching Carson and greater midfield possession than they had managed at any stage previously.

And the goal the Italians had been threatening arrived on 63 minutes when Cannavaro appeared at the far post to meet a Zambrotta cross and head powerfully down and inside Carson's left-hand post with the young 'keeper looking at fault.

Liverpool then took off Baros and sent on Antonio Nunez, pushing Luis Garcia forward. Certainly something was needed to wrestle back control of the match from an increasingly confident Juve.

But it now seemed a question of whether Liverpool could hang onto their goal advantage.

Vladimir Smicer replaced the limping Le Tallec, Liverpool now under almost constant pressure as the Italians surged forward with clever inter-passing and movement.

Paolo Montero came on for the injured Zebina with 10 minutes left, and despite decent attempts to lift the siege by Nunez and Gerrard, Juventus were in command, had most of the possession and were searching desperately for the equaliser.

It did not come, but Liverpool must fear for their future in this competition next week in Turin.




http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=180732&cc=4716

[dreamer75]

http://cache-1.sportinglife.com/pictures/general/biscanjuventus.jpg

Liverpool gave one of Europe's finest sides an examination they will not forget in a hurry, but know that their Champions League future hangs by a thread.

Two magnificent goals from Sami Hyypia and Luis Garcia gave Liverpool command in a first half in which they ran Juve ragged with a ferocious, high-tempo performance.

Rarely have the Italian giants been subjected to such a hounding, in fact they had conceded only two goals in the tournament before this emotional quarter-final first leg showdown at Anfield.

Before the game the thoughts were all about the Heysel disaster 20 years ago when these two sides last met in competitive action.

By half-time Anfield was relishing an outstanding, if unexpected performance from their heroes.

But Juventus were never likely to go down without a fight and their second half display of control, skill, constant movement and possession gave Liverpool an insight into what they will face in next week's return in Turin.

Fabio Cannavaro scored a deserved goal and somehow Liverpool clung onto their lead.

Whether they can do the same in Turin for the return remains unlikely on this evidence.

Rafael Benitez again opted not to risk Jerzy Dudek's hamstring injury and gave youngster Scott Carson his European debut in goal, Sami Hyypia returning to defence while the Liverpool manager opted for a two-man strike force with French Under-21 star Anthony Le Tallec also in the starting line-up alongside Milan Baros.

And Liverpool's response to confronting the star-studded Italians, who had veteran playmaker Pavel Nedved back following a head injury, was to go for the throat from the start.

Gerrard was in the thick of it, one thunderous tackle by the Liverpool skipper early on that stunned Emerson, set the standard.

His prompting got Steve Finnan in on the right, but his shot crashed into the side netting.

But from Liverpool's second corner, they stole into the lead.

Gerrard's ball soared in from the right, Luis Garcia flicked it on and Hyypia arrived on the far post to volley superbly inside the post leaving Gianluigi Buffon, arguably the world's best 'keeper, utterly stranded.

The ease with which the Finnish star struck his shot, and its' accuracy, is not what is usually expected from a defender, and he sat on the pitch a little bemused with his arms outstretched to celebrate his second goal of the season.

Liverpool had surprised the Italians with their pace and strength in these opening stages, but still the Serie A giants looked awesome in possession and moved the ball around smoothly, searching for the gap to punish their hosts.

But amazingly Liverpool went two ahead on 25 minutes, Anfield now in near hysteria.

Igor Biscan played the ball down the right, Le Tallec flicked it on and Luis Garcia surged onto the ball 25 yards out and hit a sensational dipping volley over the despairing arms of Buffon.

It was the new Spanish international's 10th goal of the season and fourth in Europe, underlining Benitez's view that he has become critical to Liverpool's balance in attack.

Juve almost hit straight back from the restart when Nedved set up Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a 20-yard shot that cannoned back off Carson's right-hand post.

And the Italians were straight back at Liverpool, and Alessandro Del Piero was played in only for Carson to make an outstanding save to his left.

Del Piero then had a header ruled out for offside, although TV replays showed it should have counted. Nothing, clearly, could be taken for granted at this stage.

Juventus sent on Gianluca Pessotto for Manuele Blasi at the break, with the intent of curtailing Gerrard's surging runs, and it worked.

Liverpool initially maintained their tempo of the first period, but they could not do it forever and Juventus were clearly intent on a more physical approach.

Juventus stepped up their search for a lifeline by taking off Del Piero and sending on David Trezeguet on the hour, with an increasing number of shots reaching Carson and greater midfield possession than they had managed at any stage previously.

And the goal the Italians had been threatening arrived on 63 minutes when Cannavaro appeared at the far post to meet a Zambrotta cross and head powerfully down and inside Carson's left-hand post with the young 'keeper looking at fault.

Liverpool then took off Baros and sent on Antonio Nunez, pushing Luis Garcia forward. Certainly something was needed to wrestle back control of the match from an increasingly confident Juve.

But it now seemed a question of whether Liverpool could hang onto their goal advantage.

Vladimir Smicer replaced the limping Le Tallec, Liverpool now under almost constant pressure as the Italians surged forward with clever inter-passing and movement.

Paolo Montero came on for the injured Zebina with 10 minutes left, and despite decent attempts to lift the siege by Nunez and Gerrard, Juventus were in command, had most of the possession and were searching desperately for the equaliser.

It did not come, but Liverpool must fear for their future in this competition next week in Turin.

Teams:

Liverpool Carson, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Biscan, Riise, Le Tallec (Smicer 73), Baros (Nunez 66).

Subs Not Used: Dudek, Alonso, Warnock, Welsh, Potter.

Goals: Hyypia 10, Luis Garcia 25.

Juventus Buffon, Zebina (Montero 81), Cannavaro, Thuram, Zambrotta, Blasi (Pessotto 45), Emerson, Camoranesi, Nedved, Del Piero (Trezeguet 61), Ibrahimovic.

Subs Not Used: Chimenti, Appiah, Olivera, Zalayeta.

Goals: Cannavaro 63.

Att: 41,216

Ref: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/reports/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=soccer/05/04/05/SOCCER_Liverpool.html

[dreamer75]

LIVERPOOL

SCOTT CARSON - Youngster pulled off a fine first-half one-handed save to deny Alessandro del Piero, but then dropped howler when Fabio Cannavaro's header squirmed past him. 6.

STEVE FINNAN - Got forward well down channel, but did not neglect his defensive duties. Less of impact on the match during closing stages. 7.

JAMIE CARRAGHER - England man was strong in tackle when needed, and put in solid, no-nonsense showing. 7.

SAMI HYYPIA - Brilliant finish from the big centre-half - only in the side as Mauricio Pellegrino cup-tied - to give Liverpool lead, and was solid at the back. 8.

DJIMI TRAORE - Composed performance from full-back often seen as Liverpool's weakest link. Fortunate to get away with barging over Del Piero in second half, but otherwise settled on the ball. 7.

LUIS GARCIA - Spaniard produced a breath-taking finish to put the Reds 2-0 up. Quick to pick out team-mates with slide-rule pass, and did not shirk strong challenge. 8.

STEVEN GERRARD - Another solid display from Liverpool captain, driving forwards from the heart of midfield and produced some decent cross-field balls. 7.

IGOR BISCAN - Quiet, but effective performance from the Croatian. Showed a calm head when needed in possession late on. 7.

JOHN ARNE RIISE - Put in plenty of good crosses from left, and kept the Juventus defence on the back foot during first half. 7.

ANTHONY LE TALLEC - Plenty of positive running from the young Frenchman on such a big night. Had hand in second goal, and got himself into some good positions. Ran out of steam in second half and was substituted. 7.

MILAN BAROS - Was everywhere in first half, drifting out wide as well as down the middle. Worked hard for his team-mates, but did tire as match wore on before being given a rest. 7.

SUBSTITUTES

ANTONIO NUNEZ (for Baros, 65) - Brought on to try and wrestle back control of the match for the home side. 7.

VLADIMIR SMICER (for Le Tallec, 72) - Injected fresh legs into Liverpool attack for closing stages, but no real chance to impress. 6.

JUVENTUS

GIANLUIGI BUFFON - Given little chance for either goal, and was not called into action much during the second half. 6.

JONATHAN ZEBINA - French centre-back lost Hyypia at first Liverpool goal, and was given tough time throughout by Reds front line. Replaced late on after picking up hamstring injury. 6.

FABIO CANNAVARO - Big performance was expected from one of game's most consistent performers, and did get in a few timely tackles before his second-half header gave Juve hope for the second leg. 7.

LILIAN THURAM - Was kept busy during Liverpool's positive opening, and World Cup winner needed all his experience to help stem flow of attacks from the home side. 7.

GIANLUCA ZAMBROTTA - Not given enough space to make best use of his crossing prowess, but did get few decent balls into the Liverpool box. 6.

MANUELE BLASI - Came in for suspended Alessio Tacchinardi, and worked hard enough despite not being able to find killer pass to Juventus front line. No surprise to see him replaced at half-time. 6.

EMERSON - Brazilian quickly ran off what looked like early muscle strain. Saw plenty of the ball and linked up with attack well. 7.

MAURO CAMORANESI - Was not afraid to get forward in support of attack. Threaded couple of promising balls through. 6.

PAVEL NEDVED - Czech midfielder back in action after suffering from concussion. Was main instigator of Juventus' attacking threats, especially during second half. 7.

ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO - Was denied by fine save from Carson and then offside flag in first half. On another night could have won penalty when barged over by Traore. Replaced on the hour. 6.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC - Giant Swede struck the post just after Liverpool's second goal, and was strong in defensive duties from set-plays. 7.

SUBSTITUTES

GIANLUCA PESSOTTO (for Blasi, 45) - More defensive-minded midfielder, sent on to try to break up Liverpool's dominant possession in centre of field. 6.

DAVID TREZEGUET (for Del Piero, 61) - French striker had plenty of time to make an impact, but lacked service to test Carson. 6.

PAOLO MONTERO (for Zebina, 81) - Late replacement, and did what was required during closing stages. 6.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/cups/championsleague/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=soccer/05/04/05/SOCCER_Liverpool_Ratings.html&TEAMHD=championsleague

[dreamer75]

1-0 Hyypi
http://s42.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0Q13M8A809R6Z24VJG8NFXNS88

2-0 Garcia
http://s42.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0VRIFRIX56OPE0IQL8OHN33POO

2-1 Cannavaro
http://s42.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2MXNRDI2VEHML0W0BLFV8WHFAH

Del piero's offside goal
http://s42.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1X95448TIUWOP0QUSFYP9NLOJX

YNWA song cutted
http://s42.yousendit.com/e.aspx?id=1FI43YPRJPB5Q3J522QIZ2LVD0

[dreamer75]

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Photo/competitions/UCL/293139_MEDIUMLANDSCAPE.jpg

Wednesday, 6 April 2005

The English and Italian media heaped praise on Liverpool FC this morning after their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg victory against Juventus FC on a night where both clubs remembered the dead of Heysel. Meanwhile, the Dutch press were far happier with PSV Eindhoven's draw at Olympique Lyonnais than their French counterparts.

Liverpool FC 2-1 Juventus FC
Emotion clearly brings the best out of Liverpool. On an evening when public moves were made to heal the wounds inflicted on a terrible night at Heysel 20 years ago, the Merseysiders emerged from a blistering contest with victory and genuine belief fuelling their Champions League campaign. That conviction will not have been drained by Juventus's inevitable second-half revival which plucked what may yet prove to be a crucial away goal from the dregs. Few had anticipated anything but Liverpool's willing triers, with so much talent absent, spluttering aground upon consummate Serie A defence. Instead the Italians have been shown to be fallible, their soft underbelly exposed, to ensure that Rafael Benítez's side travel to Turin next week retaining real hope of progress. (The Guardian, England)

The fantastic atmosphere of Anfield was like an electric shock for the Liverpool players, who started the match at an astonishing tempo. They seemed unstoppable, while the Juventus players used neither their brains nor their legs. Fabio Capello will have to think about this incredible blackout which allowed Liverpool to score two goals. When they seemed on their knees, however, Juventus reacted, showing their great personality. Cannavaro's goal is more than enough to keep Juventus's hopes of qualifying alive and the Bianconeri were unlucky not to score more goals. Capello made a great substitution when he fielded Pessotto instead of Blasi in midfield and managed to balance the whole team. However, he will need Emerson in better condition next week. And most of all he will need the real Juventus for 90 minutes, not part-time like at Anfield. (Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy)

Olympique Lyonnais 1-1 PSV Eindhoven
For the first time in their European season, Lyon's players left Gerland with their heads down yesterday evening. At the start of their quarter-final second leg next week in Eindhoven, they will be virtually out of the Champions League after they drew at home against the Dutch side. They probably never believed it would be easy. They know today how difficult it will be. (L'Equipe, France).

Held by the hand of their old master, PSV moved closer to the Champions League semi-finals. Phillip Cocu gave the Eindhoven club what they had flown to Lyon for - an away goal so important, one can hardly express its value. Because of the somewhat lucky 1-1 against Olympique Lyonnais at the Gerland, PSV do not even need to score when they play at home next Wednesday. After the final whistle, PSV did not celebrate too much; they thanked their fans and disappeared again. The job is only half done, but their faces expressed their satisfaction. The draw was an unexpected bonus. (Algemeen Dagblad, Netherlands)

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UCL/news/Kind=1/newsId=293137.html

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/kovacnews.jpg

Bayern Munich chief Karl Heinze Rummenigge believes Robert Kovac will join Juventus in the summer.

The Croatian stopper is out of contract in June and Bayern have admitted they are unlikely to reach an agreement over an extension.

"Juventus have made him an offer which is too steep for us," the former Inter player told Tuttosport.

"If the figure which his agent has told us is true then we can’t really compete with it. We really can’t afford to spend that much on Kovac."

The 31-year-old is rumoured to have already agreed a three-year Turin deal, worth £1m a season.

The Old Lady are keen to rejuvenate their central defensive options for the new campaign, due to the lack of cover for Lilian Thuram and Fabio Cannavaro.

Juve presently only have Paolo Montero and Ciro Ferrara at the club as possible alternatives, following the January departures of Nicola Legrottaglie, Mark Iuliano and Igor Tudor.

Given that Montero is widely considered as past his best, and that Ferrara will retire in the summer, the club need some new faces.

Bayern will now look to replace Kovac with a move for Chelsea’s young German defender Robert Huth, who has stated he is keen to move in order to play first team football.

Meanwhile, Juventus are also today being linked with Benfica defender Luis Miguel, as they look for an alternative to current right-back Jonathan Zebina.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr8d.html

[dreamer75]

By Simon Evans

MILAN, April 8 (Reuters) - The Italian word 'vendetta' needs no translating into English and nor is there any need to explain to English football supporters why it is being used in the context of Wednesday's Champions League game between Juventus and Liverpool.

Twenty years ago 39 fans, mostly Juventus supporters, died at the Heysel stadium in Brussels when a wall collapsed after Liverpool supporters charged towards the Italian fans at the European Cup final.

From the moment when the draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League was made the media has been full of personal memories of that terrible night and on Tuesday at Anfield Liverpool fans tried to close a shameful chapter in their history with a moving attempt to apologise and appeal for friendship with Juventus fans.

It hasn't been enough though to create an atmosphere of calm before the return game in Turin.

The fact that the mayor of the city had to appeal on Friday for "good sense" and the isolation of extremist groups calling for a vendetta should be a clear signal of what is the "worst case scenerio" at the Delle Alpi stadium.

The image of some Juventus fans at Anfield turning their backs on a mosiac declaring 'Amicizia', or friendship, and raising their middle fingers in rejection of the peace offering was a sharp reminder that, for some, 20 years has not been enough to heal the wounds.

WISE WORDS

In all the many words of recollection and reconciliation that were reported in the days running up to the first meeting of the sides since the tragedy, perhaps the wisest came from Zbigniew Boniek, the Polish midfielder in Juve's side at Heysel.

"The important thing is that this game doesn't get put on the wrong track and that we talk only about football. Two clubs that are friends are meeting again. As far as the fans are concerned, everyone will follow their own path.

"It is pointless trying to force gestures of reconciliation from those who have suffered and are still suffering -- it won't change anything," he said.

The press, officials and supporters, are not talking only about football, and that hope was probably naive given the circumstances, but Boniek's realistic view of the feelings of Juventus supporters was much closer to the mark than all the wishful thinking about "closing the page" on the affair. Liverpool deserve praise for their well-intentioned gestures but the Italian press were perhaps too strong in their heavy criticism of those Juventus fans who literally turned their backs on their efforts.

Accepting an apology for the deaths of 39 fans is one thing but friendship, or the kind of "twinning" implied by joint scarves in the colours of both clubs with a hand-shaking motif, is another matter and was a step too far for some Juventus supporters.

Perhaps, were Juve's travelling support made up only of those ordinary fans who sit in the main stands at the Delle Alpi or the mainstream 'Juve clubs' from across Italy, the reaction might have been different.

PROBLEMS REMAIN

But this is the problem that faces the two clubs, the Turin police and the travelling Liverpool supporters on Wednesday -- the ultras, the hardcore and sometimes violent supporters associated with every Italian club, were never going to be interested in reconciliation -- the word they more frequently use is 'honour'.

England may have banished violence from stadiums with the radical changes that took place to venues and the different fan culture that emerged in the 1990's but that process has not happened in Italy.

In England, hooligan gangs now mostly exist in isolated outposts and the storylines of voyeuristic books and films that enjoy a strange dark popularity but the ultras are present in every stadium across Italy.

Visiting fans at the Delle Alpi, by no means the most violent stadium in Italy, frequently face flares and smoke bombs launched down on to their sector by home fans with little or no response from the police.

Clashes outside and sometimes inside stadiums remain a common occurance at Serie A games, particularly derby matches or games with a history of rivalry, and police action is, usually, belated and then excessively violent.

The contrast between the new British fan culture and the Italian ultras was captured perfectly by the scene at the World Cup qualifier between Italy and Scotland at Milan's San Siro stadium two weeks ago.

While Scottish fans in kilts sang a version of a song from the 'Sound of Music' on the tier below them two rival gangs of Italian ultras, armed with sticks, attempted to square-off while police forced them back with truncheons flaying.

One must hope that the efforts of the elite, undercover Italian police unit, Digos, and the expected large numbers of ordinary police and caribinieri are enough and that the ultras make their point to the Liverpool supporters or anyone else, via their banners and chants.

But, given all that is known about this fixture, it has to be asked why is the risk being taken?

Why have UEFA or Juventus or Liverpool not decided to make this a game without away supporters?

The standard reaction to such thinking is to say that such a decision would be a 'victory for the thugs' and there is truth in that view.

But surely for one night only, and in the context of Heysel, that would be a defeat worth accepting -- one much more palatable than the "worst case scenerio".

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=8125855&section=news&src=rss/uk/worldFootballNews

[dreamer75]

Fiorentina - Juventus
Stadio Franchi

Juventus’ next step in the neck and neck race for the Scudetto comes at the home of one of their bitter rivals. Recent history suggests it will be a win for the Bianconeri as they have not been beaten at the home of the Viola since 1998. Having watched their eight point lead over Milan evaporate, Juve will be desperate not to allow their hated foes the opportunity to cause them to slip behind in the race for Serie A.

Fiorentina stand just two points clear of the relegation zone and Dino Zoff, a Juventus legend, will be equally keen to see his side take the points to ease fears of a quick return to Serie B. They will have to manage without striker Valeri Bojinov, who is still sidelined with a thigh strain, and former Juve striker Fabrizio Miccoli who has an Achilles injury. Nigerian midfielder Christian Obodo and defender William Viali are both suspended.

Juventus are still without Uruguayan midfielder Ruben Olivera who is suspended after his red card in the win over Chievo and striker Oliver Kapo is doubtful with a muscular injury. Olivera scored the goal that sealed Juve’s 1-0 win at the Delle Alpi in November. However, Fabio Capello will be able to call upon Pavel Nedved to add some flair to the side.

Juventus have won five of their last six matches since the defeat to Palermo, while Fiorentina have scored twice in their last four outings. Juve’s defence has been their strength in the last month as they have conceded just once in their last five games.

This match will also have an extra twist given that Enzo Maresca and Giorgio Chiellini will want to prove their worth against the Turin giants – given that they were allowed to join the Tuscan club on loan in the summer along with Miccoli.


Fiorentina (probable): Cejas; Maggio, Ujfalusi, Dainelli, Chiellini; Ariatti, Donadel, Maresca, Jorgensen; Riganò, Pazzini

Juventus (probable): Buffon; Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Tacchinardi, Nedved, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero

Ref: To follow...

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/fio-juv.html

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/zoffnews.jpg

Dino Zoff believes Fiorentina can beat the odds by earning a victory against Juventus this evening with Fabrizio Miccoli back in the side.


“The fans are clamouring to see this tie, our first meeting with them here for three years,” he said after a record 45,614 tickets were sold. “It’s without doubt the biggest game of the season for Florence and the tension is rising.”


There has been a long-standing rivalry between the two clubs and it is considered to be something of a derby – given extra spice this year by the presence of ex-Juve players Miccoli, Enzo Maresca, Giorgio Chiellini and Angelo Di Livio.


“Miccoli has recovered from his Achilles tendon problem, but he has hardly trained and could manage around 30 minutes or so,” revealed Zoff. “His pace would be even more useful in the latter stages, when the Bianconeri defence is beginning to tire.”


The Coach has already confirmed that Enrico Fantini will partner Gianpaolo Pazzini upfront, while Di Livio and Christian Riganò are set for the bench. Juve’s squad, on the other hand, is up in the air following injuries to David Trezeguet, Jonathan Zebina, Ciro Ferrara and Emerson.


“I won’t kid myself into believing they are weakened by this,” smiled the ex-Juventus goalkeeper. “There are so many great players who can come in and make their mark. Nonetheless, in football predictions are often incorrect and if we play to win then we can beat those odds. It’ll be a game that needs a gamble.”

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr9b.html

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/capellonews02.jpg

Juventus boss Fabio Capello is still demanding a win over Fiorentina despite injuries to David Trezeguet and Jonathan Zebina.

The Bianconeri face the Viola on Saturday without the French duo, who are struggling with ankle and thigh problems respectively.

"David’s ankle is still not working properly," stated the Coach, after the striker initially picked up the knock while on international duty.

"We also have a mini defensive crisis as Zebina and Ciro Ferrara are out too. I may decide to play with three at the back instead of four. I’ve not decided on who will start yet."

Capello also confirmed that Brazilian ace Emerson is a major doubt given his physical problems.

"The international break hasn’t been kind to us," he noted. "Emerson’s fitness is an example of that but we will stay quiet and just keep battling."

The Old Lady go into the game against their arch-rivals following a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool on Tuesday.

"We can’t afford to make the same mistake as we did at Anfield," warned the former Roma boss. "We were too slow to get into the pace of the game.

"Let us just focus on Fiorentina now because this is a crucial match for us.

"I’m happy with the condition of the squad and I have a good feeling about the match. But we need to be aware that Fiorentina raise their game against big clubs."

Capello has named a 20-man squad for the Artemio Franchi tie, but will also be without the injured Olivier Kapo and the suspended Ruben Olivera.

Meanwhile, the joint League leaders have sold over 50,000 tickets for the Champions’ League return against Liverpool on Wednesday.

The Bianconeri need to overturn the first leg loss in order to reach the European Cup semi-finals.

Squad: Buffon, Tacchinardi, Montero, Pessotto, Emerson, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero, Nedved, Chimenti, Birindelli, Camoranesi, Appiah, Zambrotta, Blasi, Thuram, Bonnefoi, Zalayeta, Cannavaro, Masiello, De Ceglie

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr8g.html

[dreamer75]

Juventus star Fabio Cannavaro believes Italian fans have a lot to learn from their English counterparts following the scenes at Anfield last week.

He said: "I can understand the bitterness of some of the Bianconeri supporters because it is hard to forget about what happened at Heysel,

"But the English fans at Anfield behaved really well and correctly. The way in which they sang and supported their side until the very end was a spectacle.

"That is a model to follow for fans of every team in Italy, starting from the second leg in Turin."

http://www.worldfootballers.com/news.php?id=4506

[dreamer75]

Turin giants Juventus have been contacted by Chelsea regarding the availability of star striker Alessandro Del Piero.

Juve officials have strenuously stated that the front man is not for sale, however its reported that the Italy Del Piero realises his time at the club could be coming to an end and is considering an overseas move.

Chelsea, along with Arsenal and Tottenham, are all keen to lure him to England.

Del Piero is contracted to Juve to 2008 and he has instructed agents not to consider offers from the lucrative J-League for the next year - despite mega offers arriving from Yokohama Marinos and Kashima Antlers.

In Italy, Tottenham and Arsenal are expected to make their interest known to Juve and Del Piero before the end of the month.

http://www.worldfootballers.com/news.php?id=4496

[dreamer75]

http://media.goal.com/200412/4353_news.jpg

The bitter rivalry between the Old Lady and the Viola is as fierce as ever as both teams prepare to face one another. Juventus need all three points in their tussle with Milan at the top, whilst Fiorentina are desperate for points in their battle against relegation.
BACKGROUND

Fiorentina are still lurking near the foot of the table and will need to drastically improve on their haul of just 31 points from 19 games if they are to remain in Serie A. 15th place is not good enough for a club that has made such a significant investment in the transfer market. Before the season began, most critics believed that the Viola would be challenging for a place in Europe and not playing for survival.

Record signing Valeri Bojinov will miss the game through injury and is joined by Miccoli. The on loan Juve man is perhaps the only bright point of the season so far as so many of the Viola faithful have been left disappointed by their players this term. Miccoli will be disappointed to miss out on the clash against his former employers as the striker has not been shy in his criticism of Juventus this season. Another former Juve man; Enzo Maresca is desperate to get one over on his old club. Maresca is still part owned by Juventus after leaving the Old Lady in a co-ownership deal at the beginning of the season. Despite many successful performances, Maresca has been largely overlooked by the Turin club and the midfielder vented is frustration this week.

“I was happy at Juventus and I think I gave my contribution, however, I was saddened by the way they offloaded me. They made me promises that were not kept.”

The former Italy Under 21 international’s comments are sure to add spice to what will certainly be a tense encounter.

Juventus have been back to their best of late after Capello’s recent tactical changes. The three-striker system has compensated for the loss of Pavel Nedved after the Czech midfielder suffered a serious head injury against Real Madrid. With the former Lazio ace back in contention for a starting place, Capello may revert back to a 4-4-2 system, dropping one of his strikers to the bench. Given David Trezeguet’s recent poor international form Del Piero and Ibrahimovic look the more likely partners for this one.


FORM GUIDE

Fiorentina: LDWDLL
Zoff’s men have shown a marked improvement in performances recently, but are still missing out on valuable points. The Viola will need to turn their run around quickly as the remaining Serie A matches run out.

Juventus: LWWWWW
Juventus have passed their poor spell and are now on course to carry on and challenge Milan till the very end.


TEAM NEWS

Fiorentina:
The Viola are without their two star strikers. Bojinov has been on the injured list for some weeks now and his presence will surely be missed as Fiorentina struggle to score goals. Miccoli has been the best Viola player this season and miss loss will give Fiorentina less potency. Those two apart, Zoff has a full squad to choose from.

Juventus:
Fabio Capello has almost a full squad to choose from for this match and can call on all of his first team stars. The long awaited return of Nedved should add some more creativity to Juve’s game. Frenchman Trezeguet looks set to start on the bench as Del Piero and Ibrahimovic are preferred.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Juventus:
Emerson has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid this week after revealing that he is not happy at the Turin club. The Brazilian is key to Capello’s team and if he is mentally focussed could decide the outcome of this game. Emerson is tenacious and helps keep his midfield solid and well organized.

Fiorentina:
Chiellini is still owned by Juventus and expected to make a summer return to the club. The youngster recently made his Azzuri debut, impressing in a 2-0 win over Scotland. With Juve’s Zambrotta linked with Chelsea, many see Chiellini as the ideal man to fill his boots.


PROBABLE STARTING XIs

Fiorentina (4-4-2):
Cejas; Delli Carri, Ufjalusi, Dainelli, Chiellini; Ariatti, Donadel, Maresca, Di Livio; Fantini; Pazzini.

Juventus (4-4-2):
Buffon - Zebina, Thuram, F.Cannavaro, Zambrotta - Camoranesi, Blasi, Emerson, Nedved - Del Piero, Ibrahimovic.


PREDICTION

With former Juventus players facing their old club the match will be a heated and well contested affair. Players such as Pazzini have proved in the past that they can hurt the Bianconeri when it counts. Juventus should just shade this encounter.

Fiorentina 2-3 Juventus

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=54650&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

This weekend Serie A throws up a fascinating fixture which, if not one of the big classic derbies of Italian football, is certainly one of the most keenly anticipated and intensely contested confrontations. Quite simply, Fiorentina fans are unimpressed by Juventus and their followers, and relish the opportunity to embarrass the Old Lady of Turin. Viola fan Simone Velluti Zati (aka Il Duca) and Juve supporter Bruno Cardile spoke to Goal.com ahead of Saturday’s clash in Firenze…
GOAL: First of all, how do you feel about your side’s campaign so far? Have you been delighted or dismayed by it?

Simone (Viola): Well I have been clearly dismayed since I was expecting a transitional year from Fiorentina, but I was not expecting to find the team fighting against relegation. I think the overall value of the team is pretty good but it’s a team which has changed a lot from last year, it’s mainly made up of young players and most important of all it lacked a serious tactical project. The Della Valle family has made some mistakes of evaluation but Firenze has to keep its calm and be aware that the future is ours, I am sure of that.

Bruno (Juve): I am delighted that Juve are competitive in both competitions this year. Last year we finished third and we were dumped out of the CL in the second round. Our defence has greatly improved from last year. We lost a little ground against Milan, but we do have the quality to be victors in both competitions. Capelli is a great coach. The fact he has imposed his system and so far has been successful is testimony to his coaching abilities.


GOAL: Tactically, where do you think this match may be won or lost?

Simone (Viola): I personally believe that a Fiorentina- Juventus game, especially when played in Firenze, is usually decided by episodes and heart more than any tactical invention. However the most important thing for Fiorentina will be to be able to attack Juventus on the wings and hopefully put them in difficulty. Especially on Zebina’s side Jorgensen could be the key to bring danger to Buffon.

Bruno (Juve): Tactically, the match will be lost in defence. Fiorentina’s defence is one of the worst in Serie A and well, I just do not see them stopping Ibra, Trezuget, Zalayeta and Del Piero. Juve’s offense is not a walk in the park. We are capable of scoring and we have shown it this year. We score but we can hold a lead, something that many teams cannot do.


GOAL: Which opposition player do you consider to be the greatest threat to your team in this clash?

Simone (Viola): The answer to this question would probably be Pavel Nedved since he is making his comeback against us. However, since he has been injured I truly hope he won’t be in great shape and, therefore, I believe the real threat comes from having to score against the strongest goalkeeper I have ever seen play, Buffon.

Bruno (Juve): Without a doubt Maresca. A young player with great abilities. He was tipped to be Italy’s Zidane and he just could be. He possesses great ball control. It is a pity that Moggi sold him. It is one of his few mistakes. Juve is getting old and we need young blood to ensure future succcess. Just look at the mid to late nineties. Juve had veterans like Di Canio, Baggio and Vialli. However, they had great young talent like Vieri, Del Piero and Inzaghi to fill the gaps. I just do not see this at Juventus any more.


GOAL: Would you want him in your team?

Simone (Viola): Of course I would, especially considering our options are Lupatelli and Cejas, no offence but I don’t feel very secure every time the ball comes inside our area!

Bruno (Juve): Yes. Nedved is not getting any younger and if he ever re-finds his top form, he will be deadly. We need a playmaker and Maresca could be the man. He has not gelled in this year at his new team, but if he ever were to go back to Juve or join another big team and find his form, he will be all over the sports pages. Quite unfortunate we let him go.


GOAL: Who from your team should we keep a particular eye on here?

Simone (Viola): As I said before I have the feeling that the player which might change the game in our favor might be Martin Jorgensen.

Bruno (Juve): Del Piero. A seasoned player. Yes he has his critics including me, but when he shows up to play he can be the deciding factor. The goal he scored against Reggina reminded me of the good old days when he was in top form. However, the purple shirts must be cautious of all our players, for Juve have quality players in every department.


GOAL: What are your side’s greatest strengths?

Simone (Viola): My side hasn’t shown all these strenghts until now to be honest, but sometimes it has been able to show a certain ability to react in difficult moments and this is one of those moments for sure, a victory would be extremely important for the 3 points but also psychologically. Instead a defeat could be very, very hard to digest and the risk is that as usual the city could fall into depression and the team would suffer a lot from this situation.

Bruno (Juve): Juve’s greatest strength is its never say die attitude. We showed this against Real and we won. Also our team spirit is second to none. When you wear the Juve shirt you become one with the organization and work to achieve its goals: to win, period. Losses are not acceptable to Juve and to the Juve tifosi.


GOAL: And weaknesses?

Simone (Viola): Well if it hasn’t shown many strenghts it has for sure been able to show many weaknesses. I would say that the principal ones have been the weakness of some players on the bench, a wrong physical preparation since we have suffered so many injuries, and of course having changed coaches so much.

Bruno (Juve): Our weakness I hate to say is that we are too rough. We pick up to many cards and some players like Olivera are too emotional. This can cause a dangerous predicament and it does not benefit our team. Also, i see Juve to be too lax. The team relaxes after they score a goal and do not go for the kill like they should. I like Juve to win by a couple of more goals sometimes. It would give us tifosi more breathing space.


GOAL: What do your lot typically think of their lot?

Simone (Viola): As most fiorentini, I simply can’t stand them, I can’t stand the team and what it represents in Italy and can’t stand their fans.

Bruno (Juve): We do not think much of Fiorentina. We know that they hate us but they never have amassed any success. They only won a few Scudettos and with the great players they had they never managed anything great. For us they are another Inter, but at least with Inter you have to worry. When Juve play Fiorentina we just sit back and relax. We know that our side can dispose of them.


GOAL: What single thing irritates you most about them?

Simone (Viola): The fact that their fans, which first of all come from all over Italy and not from a single city which already irritates me a lot, have a stupid smile on their faces when you tell them of all the advantages that their team has had past and present to win what they have won. They don’t even argue it anymore!

Bruno (Juve): What irritates me the most is they were declared bankrupt and in 2 years they are back in Serie A. They should be in Serie B still. Secondly, Delle Valle is learning from Moratti. Money and players do not buy success and still some teams just do not get it.


GOAL: And what do you grudgingly admire?

Simone (Viola): Not much but sometimes, especially at international levels they have been able to win against teams which were stronger because of their capacity to be a solid, mentally concentrated and united team. I hope one day Fiorentina will have these characteristics.

Bruno (Juve): I admire how many of their players want to wear the shirt. Di Livio was a former Juve player and went to Fiorentina. He stayed with them through the good and bad. There must be something in the air. Also, I admire their fans on how they support their team. Great team support allows for wonderful things to happen. It can change the outcome of a game.


GOAL: Who is your all-time number one hate figure (or object of amusement) from their lot?

Simone (Viola): Firenze has always been against the Agnelli family because of their role in italian society and because of their role in the club. Juventus has always rapresented the evil power and the Agnelli were the main figures of this power.

Bruno (Juve): Gabriel Batistuta. He wasted so many years there when he could have played for other teams and win something. He only won an Italian Cup there for heavens sake.


GOAL: What’s the best of business ever done between the two clubs?

Simone (Viola): In the past years a few playershave moved from Juve to Firenze and actually have always ended up tp become important players of the team. It has happened with Torricelli and Di Livio in the past and I’m very positive it will be the same With Miccoli and Maresca, don’t know about Chiellini since he is probably going to move back to Juve soon.

Bruno (Juve): Without a doubt Roberto Baggio. Fiorentina sold him to Juventus and at Juve Baggio flourished. He won the UFEA Cup, A Scudetto, the Golden Ball and the World Player of the year. He became the symbol of Juve till the new era came and threw him out. His best years as a player were at Juventus. The tifosi thank him for the memories.


GOAL: What’s your fondest memory of past clashes against them?

Simone (Viola): I have two games which I remember the most. The first one is when we won with a goal in overtime scored by Borgonovo back in the days when Baggio was still playng with us. The second one is when we won 1-0 always in firenze with a goal of Fuser on free kick and Baggio refused to kick a penalty kick which was then missed by De Agostini. Baggio was then substituted and as he was leaving the field picked up a purple scarf and put it around his neck. Great memories for all real Viola fans!!!

Bruno (Juve): The very fact that we win most of them.


GOAL: What do you think the score of this match will be, and how will it affect your week?

Simone (Viola): I am sorry but I will never say a score of a Fiorentina – Juve game, I’m too scaramantic. It will affect my week believe me!!! Forza Viola.

Bruno (Juve): I predict that Juve will win 1-0. How it will affect my week. Juve do not pay my bills so i will not die as a result, but a win will serve my ego well as my team will be closer to winning the Scudetto. Now, if only Milan would lose…

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=54647&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

Milan drew earlier...

let's get a win now!!

2-2 with Florentina now...

[dreamer75]

Heng draw.


FT is 3-3..we missed out a gd chance...

[dreamer75]

Fiorentina 3 - 3 Juventus
Pazzini 14 (F), Del Piero 22 (J), Chiellini 36 (F), Ibrahimovic 59, 82 (J), Dainelli 75 (F)

Stadio Franchi

Juve fought back three times to earn a draw in a six-goal thriller at Fiorentina's Stadio Artemio Franchi.

This fixture had not been played in Serie A for three years following Fiorentina's bankruptcy, but the intense rivalry between them had not dissipated with time and a record 45,000 tickets were sold for this match.

Juve had the opportunity to break away at the top of the table following Milan's earlier 1-1 draw with Brescia and their last defeat at the Stadio Artemio Franchi was in 1998. Valeri Bojinov was injured with Chris Obodo and William Viali suspended, while ex-Juve man Fabrizio Miccoli was only fit for the bench after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.

The Bianconeri were struggling with an injury crisis, as Jonathan Zebina, David Trezeguet, Ciro Ferrara and the suspended Ruben Olivera were out, while Emerson was a late absentee with a muscular problem. Gianluca Pessotto and Alessandro Birindelli stepped into the breach.

The Viola had a very aggressive start and after five minutes Gigi Buffon only slapped a Martin Jorgensen cross into the path of Giampaolo Pazzini, but his header was off target.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was given a stern talking to by Pierluigi Collina after the Swede sarcastically applauded a decision against him.

Buffon then had to rush outside the area to clear from Pazzini as he had out-sprinted the central defenders. Pavel Nedved has just returned from a series of long-term injuries, but he fell heavily on to the small of his back after an accidental clash with fellow Czech Tomas Ujfalusi.

Juventus could not have gone closer to opening the scoring, as on 14 minutes Fabio Cannavaro's glancing header from a corner kick was slapped out by Sebastian Cejas, though some players argued it had already crossed the line. Replays suggest it was certainly a debatable incident.

But the move continued and Fantini set up Pazzini for a spectacular strike that he slammed into the top corner from the edge of the box. The Under-21 international dummied Birindelli and hit the rasping shot past Buffon.

Juventus drew level soon after, but it was a terrible goalkeeping error from Cejas. Alessandro Del Piero sprung the offside trap and his shot bounced in front of the Argentine at the near post to leave him red-faced.

Luca Ariatti slipped at the crucial moment during another counter-attack, but Fiorentina restored their lead with a player that they still own. A corner kick was touched out for Jorgensen and his fine cross reached Giorgio Chiellini for a precise header from the six-yard box.

Cejas was at full stretch to turn a Del Piero free kick round the post as it remained an open and intense game, but in first half stoppages Pazzini brought a great save out of Buffon by again holding off his marker.

Fabio Capello introduced Marcelo Zalayeta and Paolo Montero for the second half in place of Birindelli and Pessotto for a 3-4-3 system. Del Piero wasted a good opportunity within 30 seconds of the restart, as he wanted an extra touch and was crowded out in the area.

Buffon misjudged a free kick and was able to get back into position in time to block Jorgensen's header. Juve hit back and an Ibrahimovic piledriver skimmed inches wide of the upright.

Ariatti's header failed to trouble Buffon at the near post as his contact was weak, but Cejas again cost his team with an appalling error. The goalkeeper rushed off his line and took the ball off his own defender, passing it straight into the path of Ibrahimovic to roll into an empty net.

Chiellini was again allowed a header from a corner kick and this time it was just wide of the target, then Buffon was quick to react as Pazzini had taken the defence by surprise.

Anything could happen in this game and moments later Del Piero's shot-cross was parried into the path of Ibrahimovic, only to see it charged down by Ujfalusi.

The Artemio Franchi crowd cheered the introduction of fan favourite Fabrizio Miccoli for the final 20 minutes. The Italian international is still half-owned by Juventus, though he is not set to return this summer, and was only able to start from the bench due to an Achilles tendon problem.

Fantini threw away a golden opportunity on the counter-attack, as he opted to shoot from an improbably large distance rather than pass it to Miccoli.

Fiorentina's celebrations were only postponed by a couple of minutes, as Marco Donadel's free kick found another defender - Dario Dainelli - for a free header to make it 3-2 to the Viola.

Del Piero almost made it 3-3 on Zalayeta's pass, but saw his shot charged down by a defender who happened to be in front of him.

The equaliser - and the sixth goal of the season - arrived with 8 minutes left on the clock. Ibrahimovic ran down the left flank, exchanged backheels with Zalayeta, and lobbed Cejas to complete the latest comeback.

The tempo in this incredible game never slowed for a second and Juventus went for the winner, but Nedved opted to pass rather than shoot and Zalayeta's effort was charged down.

Gianluca Zambrotta slipped, but still managed to get his volley on to the crossbar, then Miccoli curled a free kick inches wide of the near post with the aid of a deflection off Stephen Appiah.

Fiorentina: Cejas; Maggio, Dainelli, Ujfalusi, Chiellini; Ariatti, Maresca, Donadel, Jorgensen (Delli Carri 78); Fantini, Pazzini (Miccoli 70)

Juventus: Buffon; Birindelli (Zalayeta 46), Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Tacchinardi (Appiah 80), Pessotto (Montero 46), Nedved; Ibrahimovic, Del Piero

Ref: Collina

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/fio-juv.html

[dreamer75]

Ternana have released an official statement denying the story, but Luis Antonio Jimenez could be used as part of the Antonio Cassano deal.


The 20-year-old talent has long been linked with the Turin giants, but with his Serie B side struggling the time is right for him to move on.


The young Chilean is a right-sided midfielder is likely to be loaned out to Lecce or Messina to become better accustomed to the top flight, but newspaper ‘Tuttosport’ has another theory.


Jimenez had also been tracked by Roma last season and could well be used as bait to tempt them into releasing Antonio Cassano.


It is well known that Fabio Capello wishes to be reunited with the Italian international, who has also not hidden his desire to play for the Bianconeri.


Cassano’s contract is set to expire in 2006 and renegotiations have not gone well, as he is reportedly demanding the same wages as captain Francesco Totti.


But it is his character which has caused the most problems, bickering with all four of Roma’s Coaches this season and only ever really tamed by Bari’s Eugenio Fascetti and Juve boss Capello during his career.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr10g.html

[dreamer75]

Emerson and David Trezeguet look set to recover in time to play Liverpool on Wednesday, while Adriano edges closer to a derby comeback.


Both Juve stars did not feature in yesterday’s thrilling 3-3 draw at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, but the move was by all accounts wholly precautionary.


Both Emerson and Trezeguet trained with the squad this morning and look certain to take part in Wednesday’s Champions’ League encounter with Liverpool after recovering from muscular and ankle problems respectively.


The Bianconeri need all the stars available to overturn a 2-1 first leg defeat, especially as Jonathan Zebina is definitely out with a thigh injury that’ll take a month to heal.


The other Italian involvement in that European competition next week is the Milan derby and Inter must win by three clear goals to recover from a 2-0 first leg loss. Although both legs are played at the San Siro, Tuesday’s counts as a Nerazzurri ‘home’ game, so any goals Milan score will be classed as ‘away’.


There is promising news from the Appiano Gentile training ground, as Adriano is taking part in full training and looks increasingly likely to play in the decider.


Marco Materazzi is also ready to feature after recovering from a knock suffered in yesterday’s 1-0 win at Bologna, during which he was stretchered off the field.


“It is our duty to believe we can qualify,” stated Inter patron Massimo Moratti. “I am convinced that Adriano will be ready for the match and this team has the potential to achieve the result we need.”

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr10i.html

[dreamer75]

Juventus have been given a boost ahead of their Champions’ League quarter-final second leg against Liverpool as Steven Gerrard has failed to shake off a groin injury.

The England star aggravated the injury during Liverpool’s defeat at Manchester City on Saturday and is now out of Wednesday’s crucial game after failing to respond to treatment from Liverpool’s medical staff yesterday.

Gerrard did not take part in the warm-down after Saturday’s defeat and had only an outside chance of making a recovery in time.

After playing a vital role in their first leg victory, Liverpool needed their talismanic skipper fit, especially as fellow midfielder Xabi Alonso has only played one reserve game since returning from injury. The Spaniard may now have to be thrown back into the first team.

Juventus’ injury worries seem to have eased with both Emerson and David Trezeguet taking part in training yesterday.

The pair sat out Juventus’ draw against Fiorentina but are expected to play on Wednesday.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr11a.html

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/morfeoindex.jpg

An inspirational brace from Domenico Morfeo helped Parma to a 3-1 win over Reggina at the weekend. His performance reminded the Gialloblu faithful and the Italian Press that there is more to Parma this season than just the talents of star striker Alberto Gilardino.

The 22-year-old has weighed in with 16 goals this season and before Sunday’s game the Tardini boys had only won once when Gila had failed to score. By a quirk of fate it was also against Reggina in Week 11 that they managed the feat and it again fell to Morfeo to provide the firepower.

In the thirteenth year of his professional career, Morfeo has emerged as a steady performer for Pietro Carmignani’s side. His tally of goals is relatively slim, but then he has never been a prolific scorer from midfield – apart from one crazy season in Bergamo when he reached double figures for the Orobici.

His talent has always been as the creator but his curse has always been inconsistency. After productive spells at Atalanta and Fiorentina a move to Milan beckoned but it was not to be the fairytale he had hoped for. After making just eleven appearances for the Rossoneri he didn’t leave a lasting impression and drifted on to Cagliari and Verona before returning to the San Siro with Inter.

Another unfulfilling year passed by before his summer 2003 transfer to Parma. His arrival in Emilia Romagna coincided with the explosive emergence of Gilardino and the pair complimented each other well. Gila benefited from Morfeo’s creativity and sparks of genius, while the resulting output of 23 goals eased the pressure on the midfielder to finally live up to the billing his undoubted talent deserved.

The 29-year-old’s second season with the Gialloblu has been another disappointing one, with the fear of relegation constantly hanging over the club. However, against Reggina on Sunday Morfeo eased those worries slightly and produced the kind of display that has frustrated and delighted in equal measure throughout his career.

Parma went into the game with a terrible record at Reginna and hovering a single point above the drop zone. With the situation looking grim, Parma suffered an added insult with the injury to Mark Bresciano in the pre-match warm-up. What followed though was almost a one-man show by Morfeo.

After 21 minutes the provider turned recipient as Gilardino threaded him through and with a delightful flick Morfeo took the ball over the goalkeeper before tucking away the opener. It was Morfeo’s creativity on the half hour that nearly furthered the lead as he sent in a pinpoint corner that Renato Olive headed against the frame of the goal.

Five minutes into the second half Morfeo showed his talents at creating his own chances as he waltzed towards goal before driving in a precise shot from the edge of the box. Reggina pulled a goal back from the penalty spot but before the nerves started to set in Morfeo was able to use his influence again to settle the tie. This time it was his pass finding Fabio Simplicio who sealed the victory, Parma’s first away win since the turn of the year.

The impact Morfeo had on the game did not go unnoticed. Coach Pietro Carmignani stated in the post-match interview: “Domenico Morfeo is not only an important player for the goals he scores, but also for his remarkable character.”

If he can continue to show the kind of character he displayed at the Stadio Granillo then Parma should have no trouble avoiding the slip into Serie B and there may just be a UEFA Cup Final to look forward to. That would be a crowning achievement for the midfielder whose career has never hit the heights that he is so clearly capable of reaching.

Words: Steve Wilson

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/player30.html

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/nedvednews02.jpg


Pavel Nedved has declared himself fit for Juventus’ crucial Champions’ League clash with Liverpool.

The former Lazio star collided with fellow Czech Tomas Ujfalusi and landed awkwardly on his back during the Bianconeri’s 3-3 draw with Fiorentina. Despite his recent injury problems, Nedved was able to finish the match.

“It was only a little knock,” he stated. “I hope that the worst period is over because I want to have a great end to the season with Juventus – starting against Liverpool.”

Having only returned from injury last week, the Old Lady will be delighted to hear that Nedved is fine to face Liverpool – but the player himself admits that he must find form quickly.

“Since I have come back I have tried to give the maximum,” he added. “I was happy with how I played at Anfield but I didn’t like the way I played in Florence.

"Now we will see in the third game. I have learned to take each game as it comes because it is difficult to play when you are not fully fit.”

Juventus go into the Champions’ League quarter-final second leg with a 2-1 deficit to overturn.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr11c.html

[dreamer75]

Juventus are getting set to contact Liverpool this week for talks over striker Milan Baros.

When Liverpool visit Turin for their Champions League return-leg, Juve intend to open formal negotiations for the Czech Republic international.

Juve have decided to step up their interest after Valencia president Juan Soler shocked interested clubs by revealing they had been speaking with Baros about next season.

http://www.worldfootballers.com/news.php?id=4545

[dreamer75]

Juventus are ready to hand Zlatan Ibrahimovic a contract extension following the Swede's impressive first season in Serie A.

Ibrahimovic joined the Turin giants in a €19 million deal from Ajax just prior to the August transfer deadline.

He has established himself as a key component in coach Fabio Capello's side, scoring 12 times in 30 Serie A appearances.

A double in the 3-3 draw with Fiorentina at the weekend further enhanced his stock and prompted suggestions he is due to receive fresh terms.

The Sweden international signed a deal until 2008 upon his arrival at Stadio Delle Alpi but reports claim he could soon receive an additional 12 months.

The striker appears to have shrugged off the controversy that blighted his time at the Amsterdam ArenA and Juventus are keen to secure his long-term future.

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/Article.asp?id=269355

[dreamer75]

I'm pleased to see the reds in the quarter finals instead of the Red Devils or even the Gunners - espcially with the injuries the English side has been facing all this season.

It's thumbs up for their ability to strive to survive and being mentally strong to gain victories.

There's the reason why Rafael Benitez is brought over from Valencia and I believe results are showing quickly ... but travelling away to Turin against Juventus is surely a tough test for the Reds.

Benitez will be looking into protecting the 2-1 advantage back home last week and also playing on a counter attack system to get that away goal, using the pace of Baros and Cisse maybe back upfront as well.

The bad news is that Benitez surveys an injury-ravaged squad without Dietmar Hamann, Harry Kewell, Josemi, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor, as well as Steven Gerrard. Gerrad will be out due to a groin injury.

Liverpool will surely missed his aggressive approach and long range striking power but on a positive note, Benitez has turned to Xabi Alonso to take over the central midfield position.

Liverpool probable lineup:

Carson
Carragher, Finnan, Hyypia, Traore
Igor Biscan, Alonso, Garcia, Riise
Baros, Cisse


From the look at the best probable lineup Liverpool can come out with, I am still seeing that Alonso and Cisse are still not match fit yet. Carson is still yet to gain much experience at the level and the defense looks average, nothing to shout about.

The negative point is that the reds don't perform well in their travels in the English Premiership and now they have to travel to Italy, I have a huge doubt about their performance here.

Now we turn to Juventus, I have to agree that the 1st half during the 1st leg was awful and the Italians were seemingly only thinking to defending?

Juventus were totally out played by the Reds all over the field be it passing or speed. Whereas the 2nd half looked more like it for the Italians, and Juventus managed to get that crucial away goal.

I doubt Juventus is going to sit back and wait for Liverpool to attack them in Turin.

Trezeguet is out but the Italians should have enough cover with the likes of Del Piero or Marcelo Zalayeta. If I am not mistaken, Zebina is doubtful and should he not play, Montero will be there to cover.

Juventus probable lineup:

Buffon
Cannavaro, Thuram, Zambrotta, Montero
Blasi, Camoranesi, Emerson, Nedved
Del Piero, Ibrahimovic

[AhHuat]

dreamer bro.....shuld ur team beat liverpool
ur team will face chelsea
go and beat the hell out of chelsea
our hopes rest on juve :s7:

[dreamer75]

dreamer bro.....shuld ur team beat liverpool
ur team will face chelsea
go and beat the hell out of chelsea
our hopes rest on juve :s7:

hehe bro, u really hate Chelsea hor :s13:

We will try to beat Chelsea but they are really strong :look:

[Ronaldo_7]

hope nedved will play well tonight.. and hope juve will be on fire tonight ~ good luck to JUVENTUS!! :)

[dreamer75]

hope nedved will play well tonight.. and hope juve will be on fire tonight ~ good luck to JUVENTUS!! :)

thanks bro :)

[Ronaldo_7]

hahah welcome.. btw nice post counts... wooo 17k :D

[dreamer75]

hahah welcome.. btw nice post counts... wooo 17k :D

hehehee...17k after 5 yrs is considered slow liao...:)

[ancolz]

Forza Bianconerri Per Sempre!

[dreamer75]

http://www.eurosport.com/imgbk/footbl/all/big_md-i180344.jpg

Hundreds of police and Juventus supporters massed in Turin's centre on Wednesday before a Champions League game against Liverpool which officials fear could provoke violence. "Tonight will be a battle, in every sense. On and off the pitch," said Angelo, 20, a Juventus fan.

Only a handful of Liverpool fans -- few wearing the club's colours -- walked around in the afternoon sun, braving threats from some Juventus fans who promised a "vendetta" for the Heysel stadium disaster when 39 people, most of them Italian, died.

Liverpool supporters were staying in neighbouring towns and travelling straight to the Delle Alpi stadium for the two sides' first meeting in Italy since the 1985 European Cup final between Juventus and Liverpool when a charge by Liverpool fans triggered tragedy at Brussels' Heysel stadium.

"Tonight will be a battle, in every sense. On and off the pitch," said Angelo, 20, a Juventus fan who travelled from the southern region of Basilicata for the game.

"I don't want any problems but I expect there will be trouble because so many people are looking for a fight."

A large proportion of the tickets reserved for Liverpool fans have gone unsold.

When the two sides met at Anfield for the first leg last week, the Liverpool fans tried to make peace with Juventus. But some Italians turned their backs during the commemorations and raised their middle fingers.

Since their club's 2-1 defeat Juve fans' internet message boards have carried increasingly threatening comments. On Tuesday night one Liverpool fan suffered minor head injuries after a clash with local supporters in Turin.

Turin's mayor has appealed for calm. Local newspaper La Stampa told Juve fans on Wednesday that "the only revenge is to eliminate Liverpool".

"I have felt the terrible consequences of violence. I know what it means. So this evening leave hatred and everything else behind," Andrea Lorentini, the 22-year-old son of a young doctor killed at Heysel, wrote in La Stampa.

"The only thing you should do is support your team with the same passion as always. It will be the best way to remember those who paid for their football beliefs with their lives."

ALCOHOL BAN

Italian media have said some 1,100 police and special forces officers will be deployed in the city centre and around the stadium for the match which kicks off at 7.45 p.m. British time.

"Nothing can wipe out a wound like Heysel," Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero said. "But Liverpool and its people made their apology during the first leg. It would be a wise and intelligent gesture to accept."

Local authorities have imposed a 24-hour alcohol ban in the city and advised Liverpool fans to keep a low profile and to stay in well-policed areas.

"We were given leaflets and told to stay clear of the train station," said Liverpool-born David Chesterton, wearing a red Liverpool shirt and carrying a scarf with both teams' names.

"It's not a question of being afraid but there's always a small minority you have to be wary of."

http://www.eurosport.com/home/pages/v4/l0/s22/e6885/sport_lng0_spo22_evt6885_sto707601.shtml

[dreamer75]

Forza Bianconerri Per Sempre!

thanks for the support :D

[dreamer75]

Champions League Preview

Juventus v Liverpool - Quarter Final Second Leg

Jeckyll and Hyde Liverpool can forget their domestic troubles again this Wednesday night (April 13) when they take a 2-1 aggregate lead into the second leg of their Champions League quarter final with Juventus in Turin.

Many of the pre-game headlines have been made by England midfielder and Liverpool talisman Steven Gerrard, who misses out through injury. The influential star picked up a groin problem in the weekend defeat to Manchester City and has not travelled with the squad, potentially leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the Reds’ midfield.

That hole looks most likely to be filled by the returning Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard has played only one reserve team game since breaking his ankle against Chelsea on New Year’s Day, but with Didi Hamann also ruled out through injury the former Real Sociedad man looks certain to be drafted in to the engine room of the Anfield outfit.

If Alonso’s potential return is a shade surprising, the inclusion in the squad of French striker Djibril Cisse is almost miraculous. The former Auxerre goal-getter suffered a now infamous horror injury at Blackburn in October, and was expected to miss the rest of the season. However, with Fernando Morientes cup-tied, and the likes of Harry Kewell and Florent Sinama Pongolle still on the injured list the French international could prove a more than useful addition to coach Rafa Benitez’s attacking options against what will be a solid Juve defence.

Benitez must also choose between Scott Carson and Jerzy Dudek for the troublesome goalkeeping position. Both have made high-profile errors during the course of the season, and Dudek has also been suffering with injuries recently. Carson’s problems will be of a more psychological nature, with his failure to stop a tame Fabio Cannavarro header at Anfield in the first leg the principal reason why many see Juventus as a warm favourite to progress to the last four.

The home side are not without their own injury worries, with David Trezeguet ruled out. The French striker has an ankle injury and so coach Fabio Capello looks set to start the match with a front pairing of Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Allesandro Del Piero. Midfielder Allessio Tacchinardi is suspended after picking up a second booking of the competition at Anfield, while French full-back Jonathan Zabina misses out with a thigh injury. These absences provide an opportunity for Manuele Blasi to start in midfield, while Zabina looks set to be replaced by Gianluca Pessotto.

Being Italian, perceived wisdom suggests that Juventus should be able to secure the 1-0 win that would ensure their safe passage. The Turin club are as solid defensively as anyone in Europe, with the likes of Lilian Thuram, Cannavarro and Gianluigi Buffon forming an imposing barrier. They also showed enough going forward at Anfield to suggest that they can cause Liverpool problems at the back, where Sami Hyypia will again partner Jamie Carragher centrally in the absence of the cup-tied Mauricio Pellegrino.

Much will depend on the ability of the visitors to keep possession of the ball, and deny the Italians the opportunity to put sustained pressure on the Liverpool goal. The inclusion of Alonso in the side should help with this objective. Despite his lack of match-sharpness, the Spanish international has the class to deny Juventus possession with his wide range of passing skills. Whether he, alongside Igor Biscan can provide the ammunition for the likes of Milan Baros and Luis Garcia to score what will be a vital away goal is the vital question in deciding whether the Reds can continue to shock the footballing world with their European adventures.

They key to Liverpool’s progress is to score. An away goal, particularly early in the game, could throw coach Capello’s plans into chaos, while offering more counter-attacking opportunities for Benitez’s men as Juventus press to get back into the tie. However, with the head taking precedence over the heart once again, the nagging doubt remains that Carson’s first-leg error could prove to be a very costly one in the final analysis.

On current domestic form, Liverpool might not see another Champions League night like this for a very long time to come. That in itself should be all the motivation they need to perform, but even their best may not be good enough.

http://www.squarefootball.net/article/article.asp?aid=1887

[dreamer75]

sad that we r out of the CL :(

[dreamer75]

We didn't really create genuine chances in that game as they really lacked creativity and dimension in midfield. key players like Nedved and Del Piero had a very quiet game and i don't think they gave much impact. Juve had better possession but unable to break down the Liverpool defence, which i must say quite outstanding. i think Zambrotta was the best player for Juve last night. hope this loss will not affect our performances in Serie A.

[InsaneClownPosse]

http://www.ljplus.ru/img/karinelli/00412206.jpg

no offence intended ............... :D

[mcdonaldking]

low class epl fans

[dreamer75]

http://www.ljplus.ru/img/karinelli/00412206.jpg

no offence intended ............... :D

haha......low class liverpool fans... =:p

[dreamer75]

Juventus 5 - 2 Lecce Vucinic 6 (L), Appiah 16 (J), Ibrahimovic 34, 43, 82 (J), Nedved 56 (J), Dalla Bona pen 88 (L)

Stadio Delle Alpi

Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged a hat-trick to demolish Lecce and give Juventus a three-point lead at the top thanks to Milan's shock defeat at Siena.

Juve's shock Champions' League exit to Liverpool midweek left the Scudetto as their only shot at some silverware this season, so beating Lecce was imperative. They faced Zdenek Zeman, the Coach who sparked the doping trial with his comments and made his first visit to the Delle Alpi since 1999, but both teams had injury concerns.

David Trezeguet and Jonathan Zebina are out for another three weeks, while Emerson was struggling with a muscular problem. Lecce had to reshuffle their midfield with Cristian Ledesma and Sasa Bjelanovic absent, so Marco Cassetti moved up from full-back to winger.

It was Lecce who took a shock lead after six minutes. A defensive error allowed Alex Pinardi to spring the offside trap and he intelligently chipped the ball over a helpless Gigi Buffon for Mirko Vucinic to score with a bicycle-kick.

Juve took their time to muster a reaction until Zlatan Ibrahimovic's low strike was gripped between Vincenzo Sicignano's knees in an unorthodox save.

The Bianconeri drew level moments later thanks to the disastrous Lecce offside trap. Stephen Appiah sprinted forward on Alessio Tacchinardi's pass from practically the centre circle and chipped the goalkeeper to finalise the move.

Lecce were not awed by playing in Turin and a low Vucinic strike was fingertipped round the post before Suleymane Diamoutene's free header was wide. Soon after, a fast-paced Marco Cassetti counter-attack caused more problems only for Guillermo Giacomazzi to fire over the bar.

Vucinic hooked down a Sicignano clearance and fired over the bar in an example of route one football.

But it was Juventus who turned the result around, perhaps against the run of play, when Ibrahimovic again sprung the offside trap 30 metres from goal and ran rings around the goalkeeper to score.

Moments later Buffon rushed off his line to save from Vucinic, but it wouldn't have counted anyway as he was offside. Nedved's cross reached Del Piero and his header was off target.

Buffon was working overtime and required a double save to keep out Jaime Valdes, but Juventus extended their lead on the stroke of half-time. Nedved sprinted through the centre and set up Ibrahimovic for a powerful angled drive.

Valdes limped off and Lecce introduced Axel Konan in first half stoppages, while Del Piero wasted a golden opportunity as he hesitated and saw his shot charged down.

Fabio Capello chose to leave Del Piero on the sidelines for the second half and threw on Marcelo Zalayeta. It was Pavel Nedved who put the win beyond doubt with Juve's fourth goal, pulling away from defenders before unleashing a rocket from 20 metres that beat Sicignano at the near post.

Lecce should've made it 4-2 in the closing stages, but Konan had a goal controversially disallowed for an offside position.

Instead, Ibrahimovic completed his hat-trick with a splendid curling finish from the far corner of the area that slotted in at the far post.

The action still wasn't over, as in the final minutes referee Matteo Simone Trefoloni pointed to the spot for Fabio Cannavaro's challenge on Konan, though it was probably a harsh decision. Sam Dalla Bona converted the first Serie A penalty awarded against Juve in over a year.

Juventus: Buffon; Pessotto (Birindelli 78), Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Appiah, Tacchinardi (Blasi 57), Nedved; Del Piero (Zalayeta 46), Ibrahimovic

Lecce: Sicignano; Diamoutene, Paci, Stovini, Rullo; Cassetti (Eremenko 79), Dalla Bona, Giacomazzi; Valdes (Konan 45), Vucinic, Pinardi (Mattioli 72)

Ref: Trefoloni

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/juv-lec.html

[dreamer75]

we are 3 pts clear of Milan..haha...

Club P Pts
Juventus 31 70
Milan 31 67
Inter 31 56
Sampdoria 31 51
Udinese 31 49
Palermo 31 47
Lazio 31 40
Roma 31 39
Cagliari 31 39
Livorno 31 39
Messina 31 39
Bologna 31 38
Reggina 31 38
Lecce 31 37
Chievo 31 34
Siena 31 33
Parma 31 33
Fiorentina 31 32
Brescia 31 30
Atalanta 31 27

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/treznews01.jpg

David Trezeguet has spoken of his continuing injury worries and insists he wants to stay on and repay Juve for their confidence in him.


“For now all I can do is concentrate on getting better and I have to forget about football for a while,” said the Frenchman. "It's best to start looking ahead to the next season."


The former Monaco striker has been beset by injuries throughout his Juventus career, but this season has included shoulder surgery and a recurring ankle inflammation that has ruled him out for the next three weeks.


“I tried until the last minute to be ready for the game against Liverpool, but the pain was just too great and I had to give up,” he confided.


This latest setback has prompted Press stories that the Bianconeri will cash in on Trezeguet in the summer with a move to Barcelona, replacing him with Monaco’s Shabani Nonda.


“I can assure you that I want to stay on at Juventus and return to winning ways in Turin,” insisted Trez. “I have to repay the faith that this club has shown in me.”


Meanwhile, Juve have confirmed that they will visit Japan on their summer tour from June 1 to 7 with games against Yokohama Marinos and FC Tokyo in the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup. A Juventus Soccer School will also be created in Mexico City.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr16d.html

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/capellonews01.jpg

Fabio Capello is not letting Juve’s Champions’ League exit get him down and insists it gives them the edge in the Scudetto race.


“I saw my players were very disappointed after the game with Liverpool, but now we’re back in the saddle and the lads are in the right frame of mind,” explained the Coach.


“Our approach to the Liverpool tie was a mistake and we went on to the pitch assuming that sooner or later we would score. As the clock ticked on and the goal didn’t arrive, we became frustrated. The Premiership side deserves praise for its performance, but if we had played in that style we’d have been labelled purveyors of Catenaccio.”


Injuries are piling up on the Bianconeri and they welcome Lecce without Jonathan Zebina, David Trezeguet and possibly Emerson. The Frenchman’s ongoing fitness worries have prompted stories that Juve will cash in on him with a summer sale to Barcelona.


“Trezeguet has given important signals he wishes to stay and we are counting on him,” said Capello, who convinced him to remain in Turin this season. “He is a very useful player in the box, but unfortunately this inflammation in his ankle is worse than previously thought. I hope he can recover for the final two games.”


Following their 3-3 draw at Fiorentina last week, Juventus cannot afford another slip and take on Zdenek Zeman’s exciting Lecce outfit.


“It won’t be easy, especially as our squad has shrunk of late and I cannot rest any of my stars. Lecce always go on the attack and move the ball around quickly, but there is no personal battle here. It is Juventus-Lecce, not Capello vs. Zeman, and we have a normal rapport as colleagues.”

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr17a.html

[intermilansg]

Wahaha AC Bilan lose.

[mcdonaldking]

Wahaha AC Bilan lose.
nb others call u interbilan u happy?

[dreamer75]

the 3 goals by Zlatan are superb!!!! :s12:

[dreamer75]

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Photo/footballcentral/FootballCentral/296384_MEDIUMLANDSCAPE.jpg

Monday, 18 April 2005

Juventus FC striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has fired his way into the ESM Golden Shoe top ten with a superb hat-trick in Sunday's 5-2 win against US Lecce.

Two clubs
The Swedish international has a combined total of 34.5 points in the standings, using the ESM multiplier system on his 18 goals in the 2004/05 season. Before his 31 August move to Italy, Ibrahimovic scored three for AFC Ajax in the Netherlands, worth 4.5 points, and he has now registered 15 goals for Juventus in Serie A, another 30 points.

Johnson penalty
At the top, it was a barren weekend for the leaders, although Arsenal FC's Thierry Henry and FC Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o were not in action because of injury. Crystal Palace FC forward Andrew Johnson, the highest-scoring Englishman in the list in fifth, made it 19 goals for the campaign with his penalty in the 3-3 Premiership draw against Norwich City FC on Saturday.

Pos

Name Club (Country) Gls Val Pts
1 Thierry Henry Arsenal FC (ENG) 25 2 50
2 Marek Mintál 1. FC Nürnberg (GER) 22 2 44
3 Samuel Eto'o FC Barcelona (ESP) 21 2 42
4 Vincenzo Montella AS Roma (ITA) 20 2 40
5 Andrew Johnson Crystal Palace FC (ENG) 19 2 38
6 Liedson Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) 24 1.5 36
6 Diego Forlán Villarreal CF (ESP) 18 2 36
6 Fatih Tekke Trabzonspor (TUR) 24 1.5 36
9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic Juventus FC (ITA) 3/15 1.5/2 34.5
9 Dirk Kuijt Feyenoord (NED) 23 1.5 34.5
9 John Hartson Celtic FC (SCO) 23 1.5 34.5
12 Ricardo Oliveira Real Betis Balompié (ESP) 17 2 34
13 Marc Lloyd-Williams Total Network Solutions FC (WAL) 33 1 33
14 Alberto Gilardino Parma FC (ITA) 16 2 32
14 Fernando Torres Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP) 16 2 32
14 Alexander Frei Stade Rennais FC (FRA) 16 1.5 32
17 Christian Mayreb SV Pasching (AUT) 21 1.5 31.5
17 Alex Fenerbahçe SK (TUR) 21 1.5 31.5
17 Tomasz Frankowski Wisla Kraków (POL) 21 1.5 31.5

Last updated: 18 April 2005

Only the leading five countries (Spain, Italy, Germany, France and England) on the UEFA Ranking have two as their multiplier. This is to emphasise the difference in international performance level between clubs from those countries and those from the other countries.

A player cannot first play in a summer league (eg Norway) and then in a winter league (eg Spain) and combine the points total for each season.

Figures from Voetbal International

http://www.uefa.com/footballcentral/news/Kind=2/newsId=296294.html

[dreamer75]

http://media.goal.com/200411/4187_news.jpg

Two of Serie A’s giants clash in Turin in midweek, both having endured torrid weeks on the European stage that at least ended with domestic victories. Juventus were knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool while Inter’s quarter-final against AC Milan was abandoned then forfeit following crowd trouble. So Inter left the Champions League in disgrace but now have an opportunity to restore some pride by beating Serie A leaders Juventus. Goal.com asked a fan from each side to preview this intriguing clash. Omar Sharaf gives the Juve point of view while Danilo Pochini puts things ‘Inter’ perspective…
GOAL: First of all, how do you feel about your side’s campaign so far? Have you been delighted or dismayed by it?

Omar (Juve): It’s early to say but getting out of the CL was a terrible shock, we all expected to win the Liverpool clash easily, now it’s the league that will determine how our season is gonna end.

Danilo (Inter): Our problem is that we inexplicably threw away a lot of straightforward games when we seemed to be cruising, at the beginning of the season. Of course, it had to do with weak defending and a team with many new faces trying to find an identity. But the positive thing is that we almost never lost our heads and often made good comebacks. Also in the second part of the season we’ve been doing as well as any side in Serie A. The loss against Milan in the CL was entirely logical to me and I saw it coming the moment we were drawn against them. That is not the most disappointing aspect of our season. In any case we’ve done much better than last year I think (in the brief, pitiable Zaccheroni era).


GOAL: Tactically, where do you think this match may be won or lost?

Omar (Juve): The midfield, every game is won in the midfield. We have a better midfield and if we play it right we will dominate them like in the first match.

Danilo (Inter): That’s a difficult one. If our attack is firing on all cylinders, preferrably with Adriano in form, we’re unstoppable for anyone, as the San Siro game against Juve showed. Meanwhile Juve’s attack tends to struggle against good defences (i.e. not Lecce). So I think the forward line that has its best night will end up winning the match (or drawing at the last minute, which is always likely with Inter).


GOAL: Which opposition player do you consider to be the greatest threat to your team in this clash?

Omar (Juve): Martins without thinking twice about it. You can mark anyone even Adriano but Martins – woooof! - this guy is fast as a rocket and can create havoc in the opposition defence if he’s on form.

Danilo (Inter): That’s easier: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Nedved isn’t at his best just yet, Del Piero hasn’t been for years, and Trezeguet is out. What’s more, the gangly Swede scored 5 goals in the last two Serie A games. But while he is clearly Juve’s most in-form striker, it’s not a single player of the team that scares me, but rather their team spirit and motivation for this match, which could be decisive in their Scudetto race (which unfortunately we can’t take part in anymore).


GOAL: Would you want him in your team?

Omar (Juve): Sure thing, he’s very talented and we would make a huge star of him. Inter will just destroy him they don’t know how to handle youngsters and the fact that they have the best youth teams and go spend millions to get old players who’re good at nothing says it all.

Danilo (Inter): Not really because we already have a lot of great goalscorers, and the numbers say we have the best attack in the league. Also I was never a fan of him as a person although he has improved since leaving Ajax.


GOAL: Who from your team should we keep a particular eye on here?

Omar (Juve): Zlatan. You guys should watch Zlatan - he’s on form and has scored 5 goals in the last 2 games and he’s ready to rock and roll.

Danilo (Inter): Since Adriano will probably be out, sadly, Obafemi Martins is a player who has beaten Buffon regularly between Serie A games and summer friendlies. Old team mate Cannavaro will be a lot to overcome for him (the slower Thuram shouldn’t be a problem), but Martins in his day can trouble even the likes of Jaap Stam and Alessandro Nesta as the second CL derby showed, although he then found Dida on his way to glory.


GOAL: What are your side’s greatest strengths?

Omar (Juve): Defence , Midfield , Offence everything. Man, on our day we’re untouchables but the greatest has to be the defence.

Danilo (Inter): It seems recently we are beating anyone as long as it isn’t Milan, haha! It’s actually baffling that we’re the highest scoring side in Serie A but haven’t scored in four games against the same opponent. Perhaps it’s psychological. But anyway our attack has some formidable players cold-blooded in front of goal. And although we’ve seen less of it lately, we have a strong reactive power, in that we just keep on playing and always get back at least on level terms if we go behind (derbies excluded).


GOAL: And weaknesses?

Omar (Juve): Sometimes the lack of creativity - we don’t create many chances to score from but that depends on the formation.

Danilo (Inter): An apparent psychological problem with AC Milan and, especially at the beginning of the season, a tendency to let inferior opponents back into games they should have no business wanting to get points from. It’s easy to say “defence”, although it’s of course also that, but then why have we been conceding less and less goals as the season progressed? Because not conceding goals is all about team spirit, about attention on simple details that has thankfully improved since the disastrous beginning of the season.


GOAL: What do your lot typically think of their lot?

Omar (Juve): Honestly I pity them as i think they are a bunch of sad losers.

Danilo (Inter): Not much actually, but beating them feels almost as good as beating AC Milan, but that goes for any team in Italy. As everyone else in Italy we hate Juve for the same reasons, the doping affairs, the refereeing scandals, their luck, their dominance of Serie A football... you know, the lot. Basically we hate them and they’re definitely our number 2 rivals.


GOAL: What single thing irritates you most about them?

Omar (Juve): Moaning about everything but I know they can’t help it they want to believe that Inter is losing because of the referees and that there is a conspiracy on them to make them lose. They don’t wanna see the fact that their team sucks.

Danilo (Inter): Their boring style of play is what annoys me most, everytime I see them playing I wonder how they can possibly be playing for the Scudetto. Watching them against Liverpool, where they were unwatchable, I even wondered how they ever scored goals! No wonder their stadium is always that empty in Serie A games. The only people who like Juventus are their fans, they have no reputation in Europe and abroad teams like Milan, Manchester, Chelsea, Barcelona, etc are much more popular. No single thing then, a lot of things. They are enemies of football and no one is happy when they win except themselves.


GOAL: And what do you grudgingly admire?

Omar (Juve): Their fans to be honest they support Inter and never lost hope. I mean, this must deserve something.

Danilo (Inter): Their ability to win games they don’t deserve to, their always decent defence, and their luck perhaps. And I like Luciano Moggi, their famous transfer “guru”. He’s an amusing old man, though much hated by others, who has tremendous know-how and experience in the football world, and is exactly the kind of powerful, flamboyant shark we don’t have at Inter.


GOAL: Who is your all-time number one hate figure (or object of amusement) from their lot?

Omar (Juve): Javier Zannetti - this guy truly represents them. When I think of inter I think of him but I don’t hate him, but I don’t like him, the guy is Mr.Inter.

Danilo (Inter): Something I forgot to mention is their tendency to purchase players who “hurt” Italy in summer international tournaments. I’m personally still digesting David Trezeguet’s golden goal in the Euro 2000 final, and as If getting him wasn’t enough of an offence they went ahead and bought Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the man who eliminated Italy from Euro 2004. I may be too much of a patriot, but I couldn’t tolerate having both of them in my team. Also Alessio Tacchinardi will always remain an annoying brat who can’t play football... like Gattuso. Luckily we don’t have those kinds of screw-ups in our team.


GOAL: What’s the best bit of business ever done between the two clubs?

Omar (Juve): Cannavaro for Carini i mean it was awesome we got a world class defender for our third goalkeeper and the best thing that even after that they still wanna buy a goalie what a joke.

Danilo (Inter): From their point of view it must be our letting go of Fabio Cannavaro, who’s having perhaps the season of his life there right now (don’t all ex-Inter players?). Honestly otherwise I can’t remember many players coming to us who were at Juve except for Davids, who somehow never fitted in our team and Mancini’s game plan and is looking for a new club now.


GOAL: What’s your fondest memory of past clashes against them?

Omar (Juve): 3 - 0 in the 2002\2003 season that day they got what they deserved.

Danilo (Inter): I remember that about a year and a half ago we lost 5-1 to Arsenal (at home!) in the Champions League on a Tuesday, and then went and beat Juve 3-1 at Delle Alpi the next Saturday, which, best of all, started their downfall in the race for the title, and suddenly got us back into it. Can that kind of thing happen to anyone but Inter? Last season we also beat them at San Siro and coming back in the last few minutes to draw 2-2 after going 2-0 down earlier this season also felt pretty good, as Juve were on a great run at the time and never conceded goals. I actually have pretty darn good memories of our latest games against them! But the first one I mentioned takes the crown.


GOAL: What do you think the score of this match will be, and how will it affect your week?

Omar (Juve): Winning this game is a huge jump to the scudetto all we gonna have to do is to keep the 3 points lead till we meet Milan and get out with a Win or Draw and that’s it. I think Juve will win this time - 2-1, 3-1 to Juve.

Danilo (Inter): It’s hard to choose between a draw and a loss for Inter, as I think Juve’s players will be strongly motivated in this match and won’t allow themselves to get beaten. I hope they can hold out for a draw so hopefully the title race remains exciting. Strange as it may sound, I prefer to see Milan win the title rather than Juventus, although obviously it doesn’t make a huge difference to us. We hope to get a result for our morale and because Juve are always major rivals, but in terms of the standings even a loss won’t change much as a Champions League place seems to be all but in the bag, therefore our motivations might be lower. I’ll go for another 2-2 result, but if we do lose I would be quite disappointed and grouchy the next day I must admit.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=57528

[dreamer75]

The Juventus General Director is not yet sure that the Bianconeri can beat Milan in the title race.
The Old Lady beat Lecce 5-2 at the Delle Alpi and took full advantage of the Rossoneri’s 2-1 defeat at Siena to open a 3 point lead over Milan at the top of Serie A. However, an unusually insecure Luciano Moggi did not want to talk about Scudetto yet as he believes that it is still too early to celebrate.

“The Champions League causes fatigue; just look what happened to Milan yesterday. It’s important that Juve showed its strength yesterday but we are not convinced of winning the Scudetto. We have an advantage which can mean a lot, but nothing is set in stone.”

Serie A resumes this Wednesday with Juventus and Milan hosting respectively Inter and Chievo.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=57464&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

Let us take a look at who were the heroes and villains of Italian football in this past week.

HEROES

Lazio

The Biancocelesti are on a roll as they won their 5th game from the past 6 matches. They also managed to climb to 7th place and to top it all off, overtook Roma as Lazio proudly stands one point over their bitter city rivals. Not bad at all for a team which was battling relegation up till some weeks ago! Well done Papadopulo.


Siena

The Tuscan side are considered heroes by both their own fans and the other Bianconeri side: Juventus. Siena helped themselves and also the Old Lady by beating Milan in what might be remembered as a key factor for both the Scudetto and relegation race. Since De Canio took over, Siena have been doing exceptionally well even though at times they took less points than they actually deserved. Avoiding relegation will probably be a fair result for this team.


Ibrahimovic

This player is quite a mystery. He can miss sitters in front of goal (see game versus Liverpool) then score some really technically difficult ones (see goals against Lecce). Fact is that even though he is a forward and not a striker like Trezeguet is, he still managed to score 15 goals (just one penalty) in his first season in Serie A thanks to Sunday’s hat-trick. Quite an achievement when you consider that his average in Holland was of around 12 goals per season. If the Swedish forward can improve his finishing and temper, he will become one of the greatest forwards in the world, but up till then he’s still miles behind Shevchenko and Henry.


VILLAINS

Inter Fans

After the disgraceful act which the whole world witnessed last Tuesday during the Champions League Euro Derby, the Nerazzurri were bound to be called villains. However, to be fair, one cannot generalize against all Inter fans as it is quite obvious that this was the work of a few hot-heads that are tarnishing the reputation of a usually quiet fan base (motorcycle incident apart).


Juventus

The unexpected elimination from the Champions League was disappointing to say the least, but what’s even more disappointing is that the team did not show its usual grit and character which the Bianconeri are usually renowned for. The fans would have probably preferred being eliminated but at least the team trying to create something and beat Liverpool; in this instance Juventus really looked like an ‘old lady’ as the team did not react, show any strength nor do anything to win at all.


Fiorentina

This Viola’s season was supposed to be one of rebirth and success, but up till now this year has just been terrible. The team is in the relegation zone and if things do not change any time soon it will be too late to save this squad of high profile names. The Tuscan side’s problem has been one: too many new players. You cannot build a team from scratch no matter how good the players are. You need time and this is something the management did not give to Mondonico and the rest of the coaches that followed. This week will be extremely important to determine what future awaits the Viola and unless the team wins either against Messina or Bologna, then the fans can start preparing for the worst.


HERO / VILLAIN

Massimo Moratti

The Inter Patron can go either in the hero or villain section, depending on the point of view! Tuesday’s incidents at San Siro could have been the perfect excuse for Moratti to throw the towel after 10 years of disappointments. Yet, he decided to stay on and continue his quest of taking Inter on top of Serie A and possibly Europe. Inter fans are divided on this issue as some would love to see this unsuccessful President leave the Nerazzurri whilst others would complain that no other person would be able to pump in the same amount of money for the club he love. So it is your choice to place him wherever you want depending on your own opinion!

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=57472&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

If we talk about tradition then there is no bigger game in Italian football ... if we talk about controversy every Derby D’Italia brings it, a hard battle - fierce clashes and complaints about the refs.

And beside Roman derby there is no bigger animosity between fans, really Juve and inter are eternal enemies and no matter of 15 years of Inter nightmares, the NeroAzzuri still stay dangerous enemy for BiancoNeri.

Inter plays for nothing but pride but surely I would like not to see them as opponent on the way to title. They don’t need bigger motivation than coming to Delle Alpi to spoil the party.

Even though Inter has awful record in Turin in last few years they managed to match Juve, they even won last year 3-1 which was their first win in last decade.

In first half of the season, we saw Inter is erratic team, they seem not to have proper game plan, but if they are in form they can beat anyone (except Milan this year).

In first match Juve dominated most of the game , was in firm 2 – 0 lead , than Mancini team managed to score twice within 10 minutes and take a point.If Juve won , we would have +5 at the top and I wouldn’t be worried about Wed match.

In last few games Inter stabilised form, they won 4 out of last 5 (drew with Lazio in Rome) and team showed some consistency in domestic championship.

In Europe they were easily eliminated by hatred city rivals. Still neroazzuri have chance in Coppa Italia, but it is worthless competition.

Injuries are main problem for Inter at the moment, Adriano is out, after good start he faded than was stopped by injury, Vieri missed so many games lately, he is match fit but will be probably on the bench as he is not prepared for 90 minutes.

Recoba is also out, new absentee is Marco Materazzi, also Stankovic and Emre missed Cagliari game, they are with the team but Mancini said both will face late fitness test.

It is not clear which Inter line up we will see at Delle Alpi , but for sure Cordoba is back after suspension.

Probable INTER MILAN line up:

Toldo
J Zanetti, Cordoba, Mihajlovic, Favalli;
Ze Maria (Stankovic), Veron, Cambiasso, Kily Gonzalez;
Martins, Cruz


Last year Martins and Cruz hurt badly slow Juve defence, but now there are Cannavaro and Thuram inside it…and Juve will be cautious at the start.

Juventus overcame painful elimination vs Liverpool, they beat crazy Lecce side 5-2 and heard very good news for Siena as Milan lost - a present no one had expected - now Juve has 3 points advantage and if they win vs Inter title will be reality.

7 games before the end, Juve is known as team who don’t slip advantage at the end, but there are some tough tests as Lazio and Milan on the road.

Anyway self confidence is back ,although Juve didn’t impress in second half of the season and suffered vs quality opposition.

Trezeguet and Ferrara are long term injuries, also Zebina is out, and Emerson is doubtful but he will play. Pessotto missed some training sessions and probably will be on the bench while Birindelli is back in first XI.

Main problem for Capello is fact that Juve rely too heavy on Ibrahimovic magic as Del Piero and Zalayeta seemed to be out of form vs Lecce. Nedved scored on Sunday and if he can reach usual level, Juve chances to win will dramatically improve.

I expect Capello to pick JUVENTUS to line up :

Buffon;
Birindelli, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta
Camoranesi, Appiah, Emerson, Nedved;
Del Piero, Ibrahimovic


Appiah is expected because he played very good vs Lecce, but if Capello adopts defensive line up ,I think we might see Tacchinardi instead. Blasi will be on the bench as he lost his status of regular after Liverpool game.

It is not secret as every Italian derby match - cautious with only aim not to concede in opening minutes. Juventus is aware of Inter quick attack ( Martins ) they will not make stupid mistake.

You can expect many fouls, midfield battle and only chance to score are free kicks. Inter is vulnerable and Cannavaro and Ibrahimovic can use it as both are great in the air.

Mancini will be also patient because pressure is on Juve, I said Inter can relax and play his game so they will wait for chance, if they score they have big chance not to lose at Delle Alpi.

UPDATE :
Last news , Veron is out for Inter , it seems every Inter player is injured...

History :

Speaks clearly in Juve favour. The last 11 games have ended in 8 home wins, 2 draws and last year Inter victory.

If we see the complete history of games played in Turin, you can say Inter doesn’t like to play vs juve away from home with Juve leading the 72 match serie 51-12-9 in Ser

[dreamer75]

sighz...we slipped at the crucial time....:(

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/treznews01.jpg

David Trezeguet says he wouldn’t object to an Arsenal move, even if Valencia are also being linked with the Juventus ace on Thursday.

Whispers in Turin over the last month have suggested that the Frenchman will be sold in the summer.

And now the former Monaco star says he wants to team up with fellow French forward Thierry Henry at Arsenal.

"It would be nice for me to play in England," Trezeguet told The Sun newspaper. "Why not? I have a perfect understanding with Henry.

"Sometimes when we talk, we would love to play together in club football. I'm sure it will happen one day."

The 27-year-old has had an injury plagued season which has allowed summer signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to become the main man in Turin.

Trezeguet was on the verge of leaving the Delle Alpi last summer as his contract was set to expire in 2006.

A move to Barcelona was already lined up before new boss Fabio Capello insisted that the player be handed a new deal.

Yet a move to Spain could now be back on with alternative reports on Thursday suggesting Valencia are keen.

The current Liga champions have allegedly already contacted Trezeguet’s father, who is also is agent, to make an initial enquiry.

Valencia already have good links with the Italian giants after they signed Marco Di Vaio from Juve in the summer.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr21c.html

[dreamer75]

Francesco Toldo was undoubtedly the hero of Inter’s 1-0 win over Juventus at the Stadio Delle Alpi on Wednesday. The goalkeeper was literally unbeatable, not only helping to maintain his side’s record as Serie A’s most in-form outfit of 2005, but also keeping alive the title hopes of city rivals Milan.

It has not been a great campaign thus far for Toldo, with club owner Massimo Moratti hinting that the veteran ‘keeper may be on his way out at the end of the season. But the 33-year-old has responded in the best way possible.

Against League leaders Juventus in Week 32, the shot-stopper made a string of fantastic saves, most of which came against Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And when he was finally beaten, the frame of the goal came to his aid on two occasions.

After Julio Cruz gave Inter the lead in the first half, it was a dominant second-half display from the Bianconeri, with Toldo making at least three match-winning saves from the super Swede. As well as a fierce free kick from Ibra, Toldo performed heroics again as the international chested down and rifled a shot towards goal, only to see the massive ‘keeper palm it away.

The former Fiorentina man has undoubtedly been one of Inter’s best players since the turn of the year and perhaps deserves to stay at the club for another season. With speculation rife, however, of a possible return for current Parma ‘keeper Sebastien Frey, Toldo’s future at the club remains uncertain.

Although the San Siro giants have lost just once in the League, to neighbours Milan, they are too far off the pace to worry the Serie A leaders. Going out to the Rossoneri in the Champions’ League quarter-finals effectively ended their major goals for the season and could have signaled the end of Toldo’s time in Milan.

Toldo’s early season form with Inter was so indifferent that he was dropped by Roberto Mancini, who favoured veteran Alberto Fontana for a time. However, even he proved unreliable between the sticks as Mancio searched for some consistency at the back. Now, with Toldo back in goal, Inter have the best defensive record of 2005, conceding just 11 - better than both Milan and Juventus.

Whether Toldo is forced out of the Nerazzurri or if he decides to quit the club in the summer remains to be seen. However, one thing is for certain. With so many English clubs desperate for a world class ‘keeper, the former Italian international won’t be short of suitors – especially if he puts in a few more performances like the one against Juventus.

Words: Renato Sormani

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/player32.html

[dreamer75]

Lazio-Juventus
Stadio Olimpico

The Bianconeri come into the Capital on the back of a 1-0 defeat at home to Inter and desperate for points in order to keep their title bid going, but must find them without top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.


At this stage five years ago, Lazio and Juventus were fighting it out for Lo Scudetto. Now this is a clash between two sides who are separated by a massive 29 points. Lazio go into the game with renewed confidence having picked up seven points from their last three matches.


As if defeat in the Derby d’Italia wasn’t bad enough, Fabio Capello has lost the services of Stephen Appiah and the in-form Ibrahimovic through suspension. He is expected to turn to Alessio Tacchinardi and Marcelo Zalayeta to fill the gaps, although David Trezeguet and Jonathan Zebina are still not ready to return.


Any changes made by Lazio Coach Giuseppe Papadopulo are purely tactical as he has no new injury or suspension worries. Fernando Couto is expected to come in for Emanuele Filippini to allow Juventus target Giuliano Giannichedda to step back into his favoured midfield role. Paolo Di Canio’s ageing legs could be given a welcome rest, with his attacking berth going to Fabio Bazzani.


At the Stadio Delle Alpi in December the Old Lady came out victorious despite Goran Pandev giving Lazio the lead, as Ruben Olivera and Ibrahimovic answered back for the home side.


Lazio (probable): Peruzzi; Oddo, Siviglia, Couto, Zauri; A Filippini, Dabo, Giannichedda, Cesar; Bazzani, Rocchi


Juventus (probable): Buffon; Birindelli, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Tacchinardi, Emerson, Nedved; Del Piero, Zalayeta


Ref: To follow

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/laz-juv.html

[dreamer75]

Juventus claim they are amazed and worried by the three-match ban given to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and will appeal, while Milan see their Scudetto chances boosted.


“We will lodge an immediate appeal against this decision,” revealed director general Luciano Moggi. “The Disciplinary Commission’s findings were like a bolt from the blue.”


Ibrahimovic was caught on camera striking out at Ivan Cordoba during Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Inter when the ball was in the other half of the pitch.


The Swede was also involved in another incident during the same game, in which he tried to head butt Sinisa Mihajlovic.


“We really weren’t expecting this, especially as none of the newspapers or television programmes had really zoned in on that situation,” continued Moggi.


“We hope to have the ban reduced on appeal, as if it stands then he would be suspended for the May 8 encounter with Milan. I can confess that we are worried.”


The Bianconeri will already be without the injured David Trezeguet and possibly Jonathan Zebina for that Scudetto showdown, so to lose their top scorer as well would be a heavy blow.


Milan, on the other hand, are celebrating their stroke of luck and can now look to the final weeks of the season with more confidence.


“There are five games remaining that are worth three points each and one that will be worth six points,” said Rossoneri director Adriano Galliani.


Galliani is often at the centre of controversy because he is both in charge of Milan and the head of the Lega Calcio, which includes the Disciplinary Commission that suspended Ibrahimovic.


“We have also suffered at the hands of some controversial refereeing decisions and over the last two games have had two good goals disallowed, but I think that as Lega Calcio President it would be inelegant of me to discuss that aspect of the game.”


Milan are still in the running for the Grand Slam of Serie A and European titles, but with a growing injury list must balance out their efforts.


“I don’t know if we’ll be tired by the time that match with Juve comes around, but I am very happy to be in the Champions’ League semi-finals. After our exit to Deportivo La Coruna last year I won’t make predictions, but I can say that the Scudetto showdown with Juve will not be decisive.”


The San Siro is set to be sold out for Tuesday’s first leg match with PSV Eindhoven, as over 72,000 tickets have already been snapped up by eager fans.


“Pippo Inzaghi could be on the bench against Parma this Saturday, while Manuel Rui Costa, Massimo Ambrosini and Andrea Pirlo are on the road to recovery for the PSV game,” added Galliani.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/apr21k.html

[dreamer75]

we won 1-0 against Lazio few days back...gd gd..courtesy of Nedved's goal!!

[dreamer75]

The Bianconeri are trying to stall the negotiations between the Brazilian player and the Spanish club.
Transfer guru Luciano Moggi is reportedly interested in bringing Arsenal’s Edu to Turin. The 26-year-old midfielder’s contract expires in June and has apparently already signed a deal with Valencia, but this did not stop Juventus from expressing their interest for his services.

Moggi is therefore trying to get in between the Spanish club and Edu in an attempt to bring the Brazilian player to Juve and team-up with Emerson in the central midfield.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=59013&idSez=20

[dreamer75]

By Martin Richardson




Serie A results
Serie A table
Victory for either side in Sunday's meeting between AC Milan and Juventus could decide the most hard-fought league championship in Europe this season.

While the race in England and Germany is already over, with the French and Spanish titles just needing to be rubber stamped, perhaps the biggest title of them all is still up for grabs.

The two giants of Italian football are locked together on points at the top of Serie A, with the champions Milan ahead with a goal difference just one better than their Turin rivals.

Neither side have shown any signs of dropping off the pace and have matched each other stride for stride in the past two months.

Should the clash at the San Siro end in the widely predicted draw, the prospect of a title play-off between the sides at the end of the season - the first in Italy for 41 years - would become a very real one.

The two clubs have dominated Serie A for more than 50 years and only twice in the last 13 years has the Scudetto not ended up in either the Bianconeri or Rossoneri camp.

"I hope we don't need the 'spareggio'," said Milan chief Adriano Gallini.

"Milan are playing better in some games, Juventus in others.

"This is a situation of great equilibrium which will continue until the very end - it's going to be tough."


AC MILAN'S REMAINING GAMES
Juventus (h)
Lecce (a)
Palermo (h)
Udinese (a)
Juve looked to have taken the advantage when Milan slipped to a shock defeat against Siena in mid-April, but they themselves lost to Inter in the very next match.

"We mustn't concern ourselves with what Juve are doing," said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.

"For us the important thing is to keep doing what we're doing and winning as many matches as possible."

Milan's challenge has been spearheaded by talismanic striker Andriy Shevchenko, the Ukranian's goals have proved crucial both at home and in Europe.

Juve have managed to blend their new forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic into a front line containing one of their greatest players ever who seems to have been reborn.

Alessandro del Piero has been considered a spent force in recent years.

Struggling with inconsistency and niggling injuries, the golden boy of the mid-nineties had been criticised by the club's owner and the arrival of the Swede Ibrahimovic initially pushed him on to the sidelines.

But an injury to David Trezeguet saw Del Piero restored to the starting line-up and he has since produced his best displays for a number of seasons, scoring 12 goals.


JUVENTUS' REMAINING GAMES

AC Milan (a)
Parma (h)
Livorno (a)
Cagliari (h)
"Del Piero is improving with every game and after the goal we saw the kind of player that earned praise from the world over in his glory days," said coach Fabio Capello.

He will need to be at his best again on Sunday, with Ibrahimovic serving a three-match suspension for lashing out at Inter's Ivan Cordoba last month.

Juve have been so incensed by the ban, and the airing of a home video showing defender Fabio Cannavaro receiving an injection of creatine before playing for Lazio in the 1999 Uefa Cup final, that they are refusing to speak to the press in the run-up to this crucial match.

For a league which is often criticised for its style of play, Serie A's finishing straight looks to be the most thrilling seen in Europe for many a season.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4370025.stm

[dreamer75]

Gianluca Zambrotta¡¯s representative has ruled out a transfer to Chelsea for the Juventus defender.

The left-back has been paired with the Stamford Bridge outfit recently but the international seems set to stay in Turin.

"I can categorically exclude the possibility that he will leave Juventus," Beppe Bonetto told Spq Radio.

"The Bianconeri just won¡¯t sell him and not even a massive offer would be enough to tempt them to think about it."

Chelsea are keen on a new full-back after they were also heavily linked with Arsenal¡¯s Ashley Cole.

Zambrotta is one of the most highly-rated players in Europe after being converted from a right-sided midfielder by previous boss Marcello Lippi.

Meanwhile, Bonetto also insisted that goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, another of his players, would stay at Lazio.

"I¡¯ve spoken to sporting director Gabriele Martino and the club have no intention of doing without him," he added.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/may4c.html

[dreamer75]

Milan - Juventus
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

Milan and Juventus meet at the San Siro in a Scudetto showdown. Both sides have been level on points, give or take the occasional week, for around two months now and there is finally a chance for one club to break away. But if the Stadio Delle Alpi meeting from December is anything to go by ¨C a drab 0-0 draw ¨C then a spareggio may be on the cards at the end of the campaign.

Coming up against his former club, Milan Coach Carlo Ancelotti has some tough choices to make. While Pippo Inzaghi is likely to only make the bench against his old friends, Paolo Maldini¡¯s return from suspension means that Alessandro Costacurta drops to the bench. Andrea Pirlo is back to full fitness so he is a likely starter, as are Clarence Seedorf and Hernan Crespo.

Fabio Capello¡¯s team selection is likely to be more straightforward as injury and suspension leave him with few options. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still serving a suspension following an incident with Inter¡¯s Ivan Cordoba last month, but David Trezeguet¡¯s 20 minute cameo against Bologna means that he is likely to start in place of Marcelo Zalayeta. The only other expected change is Emerson returning in place of Manuele Blasi. Even if the latter could still start ahead of Stephen Appiah.

Last season¡¯s championship race was settled when Ancelotti¡¯s side beat a Capello Coached Roma at the Giuseppe Meazza¨C can he repeat the trick?


Milan: Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Stam, Maldini; Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Kak¨¤; Shevchenko, Crespo

Juventus: Buffon; Pessotto, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi, Emerson, Appiah, Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet

Ref: To folllow

[dreamer75]

There are more stories in Italy on Friday which suggest that Juventus are keen on signing Arsenal midfielder Edu.

The South American is a free agent in the summer and that has interested transfer guru Luciano Moggi.

The director general is always on the lookout for Bosman players and Edu¡¯s quality makes him especially attractive.

Inter and Valencia have also been associated but the Brazilian, 28, seems to be in favour of a Turin switch.

"Juventus are a great side and I¡¯m happy to be of interest to them," the central midfielder is quoted as saying.

"I have already spoken to (international teammate) Emerson about it but I¡¯d prefer to keep that conversation private.

"I am certain that I won¡¯t be playing in England next season and I want to continue my career in Europe."

Whispers suggest that Edu would like a contract worth just under £2m a season but Juve are not ready to offer more than £1.4m.

The Bianconeri are also expected to sign Bayern Munich stopper Robert Kovac on a free at the end of the season.

[dreamer75]

Italy boss Marcello Lippi believes the Milan-Juventus Scudetto showdown will be won in midfield.

The joint Serie A leaders meet at the San Siro on Sunday and the tactician is expecting a tight affair.

"The key to the game will be how the two teams perform in midfield," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

"There is Milan¡¯s Andrea Pirlo on one side and Emerson of Juventus on the other. They will decide the destiny of the match."

The reigning champions seem to be struggling going into the game, after a narrow win at Fiorentina and the 3-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.

"If I was Fabio Capello I wouldn¡¯t count too much on facing a tired Milan side," added the former Juventus Coach.

"The fact that they have reached the Champions¡¯ League Final will gift them extra energy for the game."

Yet Lippi also gave some advice to Carlo Ancelotti, the man he replaced on the Turin bench three years ago.

"I would advise Ancelotti to not underestimate the honour with which Juventus turn up with in these occasions," he noted. "That is a real positive of this club."

Lippi also surprisingly added that he would be unconcerned if there was the need for a Scudetto play-off at the end of the season.

"It wouldn¡¯t be a tragedy for the national side," he said. "In fact, I would expect the players to be even more motivated ahead of the World Cup qualifier in Norway."

[dreamer75]

AC Milan's clash with Juventus at the San Siro on Sunday could finally separate the runners in a two-horse title race and go a long way to deciding the destination of the scudetto. Watch the game on British Eurosport at 15:00cet (14:00 UK time), or follow Eurosport.com's live text commentary.

With three rounds to play after Sunday's game there remains scope for a few late surprises but the two clubs have been locked together at the top of Serie A for so long that a victory for one is likely to prove decisive.

Champions Milan and Juventus are tied on 76 points from 34 matches while third-placed Inter Milan lie a distant third on 62 points.

While they have been equals on the pitch, the two teams approach the match with very different mindsets.

Milan arrive full of confidence after reaching the final of the Champions League. Italian champions 27 times, Juventus give every impression of being under siege having banned their players from talking to the press.

That is partly in response to the recent controversy surrounding Fabio Cannavaro, who was shown on Italian television using a drip which his lawyer said contained a substance not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

It is also partly in protest at the league's refusal to reduce the three-match ban on Zlatan Ibrahimovic which will keep the striker out of Sunday's game.

In his absence Juve coach Fabio Capello is expected to field a strike partnership of David Trezegeut and Alessandro Del Piero.

The pair scored 81 goals to lead Juve to back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003. Injuries have limited them to just five appearances together this season, from which they mustered just one goal from open play and a couple of penalties.

Milan are at full strength with European Footballer of the Year Andriy Shevchenko and Hernan Crespo likely to spearhead their attack.

Their captain Paolo Maldini is also expected to start, despite being kicked in the head during the Champions League semi-final against PSV Eindhoven in midweek.

"I feel better and I think I'll be OK for Juve," the 36-year-old defender said. "I don't remember anything about the incident -- just the doctor checking me over then feeling sick and dizzy in the changing rooms."

FIZZLED OUT

Recent high-profile matches in Serie A have often turned out to be nervy affairs and the previous encounter between the two sides this season fizzled out in a 0-0 draw.

Former Juventus coach Marcello Lippi believes that will not be the case on Sunday.

"Maybe in the course of the match the teams will make do with a certain situation, but at the start they will both try to win," he was quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday.

"Home advantage will count for very little. At the San Siro Juventus has always felt at home and brought a lot of fans."

A draw would turn the last three rounds into the football equivalent of Russian roulette and would probably favour Juve, who face relegation battlers Parma at home before games against mid-table sides Livorno and Cagliari.

Milan have a tricky fixture at free-scoring Lecce, followed by matches against Palermo and Udinese who are both chasing places in next season's European competitions.

If they finish level on points at the end of the season, the title will be decided in a two-legged playoff, scheduled for June 14 and 18.

[dreamer75]

So finally title decisive weekend has come.

As everyone expected Juventus and Milan will face each other in most important match of the season.

Milan reahed the Champions League final, even they didn¡¯t deserve it (IMO), but it is fact that they have huge luck whole season.

Carlo Anceloti side played some great football in first half of the season and surely this team has potential to win double this year.

Remember in match in December at Delle Alpi, Milan was much better team but game finished in goaless draw.

Juve lost a big 8 point advantage during the season, they disappointed fans with losing points in clashes vs minnows, they had problems with tiny squad and no real alternatives for regular XI.

But they are still there with a chance, which is luck and not quality in my opinion. Good news for all bianconeri fans are that Milan isn¡¯t in form and rossoneri looked tired lately.

Juve traditionally plays well at San Siro vs Milan and fact that team looked better since elimination vs liverpool in Champions League quarter¨Cfinals.

Anyway for me Milan isn¡¯t such big favourite here if everything stays in footbal terms, but as I see that Colina is ref (in my opinion he can be Milan best player on Sunday afternoon) and that Juventus will be without Ibrahimovic, one of the best players in Serie A.

So I understand why bookies set such low odds for home win- I mean 2.10. for home win is joke, there is no team in history of football who can be rated such favourite vs any Juventus team.

Milan has no injured or suspended players, Maldini returns after suspension and Pirlo (most important player in Anceloti tactical approach) is fit - so Milan will line up like this :

AC MILAN
Dida
Cafu , Nesta , Stam , Maldini ,
Seedorf , Gattuso , Pirlo , Kaka ,
Shevchenko , Crespo


Only problem for Anceloti can be fact that players like Seedorf (who has awesome goalscoring record vs Juventus) and Crespo are out of form, and defence seemed to slow in both games vs PSV, but still Milan won¡¯t attack and Juve strikers are not exactly the fastest in the planet.

Juventus as we said can¡¯t count on suspended Ibrahimovic, but big relief for bianconeri are news that Emerson is fit and Trezeguet will return for this game , he played 25 minutes last week and he will join Del Piero in attack¡*.

Also Thuram picked up slight knock but he will be in the team and yes Zebina is still injured, but it is not handicap at all.

Capello will field this team :


JUVENTUS
Buffon
Pessotto, Cannavaro, Thuram, Zambrotta
Nedved, Emerson, Appiah, Camoranesi
Del Piero, Trezeguet


Nedved played better in last few games, defence is rock solid and if Camoranesi and Zambrotta prevail in the wings for Juventus (it is Capello best hope) I think Milan will be in problems.

However, the main Juve problem is scoring, but Trezeguet has reputation as great scorer in big matches - for me it is basic reason for Capello to give chance to French striker over Zalayeta.

Many things will depend upon Emerson and Appiah as Milan has advantage in central midfield.


Match Scenario :

Well, I expect classic defensive minded teams, lot of battles in midfield and one goal to decide the game.

Will Milan risk? I really don¡¯t think so - they will wait patiently trying to use Sheva eternal inspiration vs Juventus.

On the other side Juve will try to slow game, to score from some counter-or free kick, as Cannavaro, and Trezeguet are best weapons vs Stam and Nesta.


History Angle :

Well Milan won only 24 times out of 70 matches played at home vs Juventus - most of the games ended in draw ( 30 ) and Juventus won on 16 occasions.

However last Juve win was on 1996/97 (April 6th 1997 ¨C one of the brightest days in my life) when Juventus won 6¨C1.

Last year we saw 1¨C1 draw, and year before Milan won 2¨C1 - but Juve still finished champions.

Notice the fact that Juventus always creates problems for Milan at San Siro and don¡¯t count on such big home advantage for rossoneri, at least 10 000 Juventus fans will be at San Siro on Sunday afternoon.

[Takeshi_0]

Juventus 1 up! Credits from Trezeguet's head :)

[dreamer75]

Juventus 1 up! Credits from Trezeguet's head :)

:D............

[dreamer75]

Milan 0 - 1 Juventus
Trezeguet 28 (J)

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

David Trezeguet's header from a spectacular Alessandro Del Piero cross has given Juve all three points in the Scudetto showdown at the San Siro.

This was the Day of Reckoning - Milan and Juventus had been locked together at the top of the standings for two months and came head to head at the San Siro. The odds were slightly in favour of the Rossoneri, whose Coach Carlo Ancelotti was unbeaten in home games against Fabio Capello and who had no injury worries going into the tie, while Juve were without Jonathan Zebina, Alessio Tacchinardi and suspended top-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Milan were hammered 3-1 at PSV Eindhoven midweek, though that result still enabled them to reach the Champions' League Final on away goals. Massimo Ambrosini scored the late header, but was still relegated to the bench in favour of Clarence Seedorf. David Trezeguet had his first start since suffering an ankle injury over a month ago and partnered Alessandro Del Piero.

The Rossoneri had a strong start and Andriy Shevchenko was unable to make the most of Stephen Appiah's error.

There was danger for Juve on 19 minuts, as Sheva managed to get round the goalkeeper, but Gigi Buffon did enough to narrow the angle so that he couldn't get in a cross or a shot.

However, it was the Bianconeri who took the lead after 28 minutes with a well-worked goal. Alessandro Del Piero ran forward on the counter-attack and saw his first cross charged down, so he bicycle-kicked it for David Trezeguet's precise header.

Dida saved a promising Del Piero strike as Milan struggled to get back into the game after this heavy blow.

Carlo Ancelotti made some brave half-time changes, introducing Serginho for Andrea Pirlo and switching to a three-man defence. It made an immediate difference, as Milan were far more sprightly and Marcos Cafu's angled drive was just wide of the far post.

There was another change after 11 minutes, as former Juve star Pippo Inzaghi made his comeback from long-term injury worries by replacing Tomasson.

Within seconds he almost grabbed an equaliser. Shevchenko sprinted forward on the counter-attack and cut it across for Inzaghi. Buffon blocked his first effort with the underside of his thigh, then Gianluca Zambrotta stayed glued to him in order to push the second attempt round the post.

Shevchenko then volleyed Serginho's cross over the bar, then Emerson was only able to turn Trezeguet's cross on to the side-netting.

Juventus had the chance to put the game beyond doubt soon after, as a free kick was turned on to the crossbar by Del Piero's header and Trezeguet was unable to turn in the loose ball.

Ancelotti went for broke with Manuel Rui Costa taking over from Seedorf in a very creative midfield.

Moments later, Lilian Thuram missed Rui Costa's cross and Shevchenko's header was just over the bar.

Dida was attentive on Fabio Cannavaro's header from a Del Piero free kick, but there was controversy on 75 minutes. Cafu snatched the ball off Zambrotta inside the area and was held back by his jersey, but the referee waved away penalty appeals.

Soon after, Pavel Nedved's strike skimmed the target with Dida following its path.

There were further penalty appeals when Cannavaro flung himself at Cafu's shot and blocked it with his arm, but he was too close for it to be considered a voluntary foul.

Moments later, Inzaghi was closed down in the six-yard box by a combination of Thuram and Buffon, as Juve were hanging on for dear life in these closing stages.

The final minutes were a siege and Inzaghi's header from a corner kick was deflected into the grateful arms of Buffon.

Milan: Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Stam, Maldini; Gattuso, Pirlo (Serginho 46), Seedorf (Rui Costa 66); Kak¨¤; Shevchenko, Tomasson (Inzaghi 56)

Juventus: Buffon; Pessotto, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi (Birindelli 60), Emerson, Appiah (Blasi 80), Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet (Zalayeta 75)

Ref: Collina

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/mil-juv.html

[dreamer75]

FORZA JUVE!!!! :s12:

[Ronaldo_7]

Congrats to Juve for the victory over AC Milan!

[dreamer75]

Congrats to Juve for the victory over AC Milan!

thanks bro!!! :D

[RuMmYtUb]

Forza Juve!

Juve clinch ISA, then Pool claim CL.... Milan left with nothing :s13:

[dreamer75]

Forza Juve!

Juve clinch ISA, then Pool claim CL.... Milan left with nothing :s13:

Thanks bro!!

hehehe... :D

[dreamer75]

By Patrick McCurdy

09 May 2005

Juventus took a huge stride towards a 28th Serie A title yesterday with a 1-0 victory over rivals Milan which puts them three points clear at the top with three games remaining.

A 28th-minute header from their French forward David Trezeguet, who glanced home an acrobatic overhead kick from Alessandro Del Piero, gave Juventus a deserved victory over the defending champions at the San Siro.

Juventus, coached by Fabio Capello formerly of Milan, lead on 79 points with Milan on 76. Milan, who face Liverpool in the Champions' League final on 25 May, were second best for large parts of the game, but were furious that referee Pierluigi Collina turned down an appeal for a penalty in the 75th minute when Cafu appeared to be pulled down by Gianluca Zambrotta.

Third-placed Internazionale won 3-0 at lowly Brescia, but the battle for the fourth Champions' League qualification slot remains tight with Udinese and Sampdoria winning to remain level on 59 points.

A year ago, Real Madrid underwent meltdown in the last five games of the season to hand the title to Valencia. This time they have made it clear that there will be no repetition and won their seventh match in a row on Saturday, beating Racing Santander 5-0.

Inspired by a revived Raul, who capped his best performance of the season with a well-taken double, and Ronaldo, who took his tally this term to 20 with a goal in each half, Real eased their way to victory.

Michael Owen opened the scoring with a typically sharp finish and David Beckham produced another tireless, if slightly more subdued, performance in midfield. The England captain was booked for telling the referee where the wall should be at a free-kick in the first half and was replaced by Luis Figo 15 minutes from time.

"It was one of the easiest games we've had this season," Owen said. "But the important thing is that we keep on winning. Now we have to wait for Barcelona to slip up and we will have put them under pressure. I'm feeling more at home alongside Raul and Ronaldo. My aim was to get in the starting line-up and, in the end, that is what I've done."

[dreamer75]

Simon Evans in Milan
Monday May 9, 2005
The Guardian

Juventus took a big step towards a 28th Italian League title with a 1-0 victory over Milan which moves Fabio Capello's team three points clear with three games left.

A 28th-minute header from the French striker David Trezeguet, who glanced home an acrobatic overhead kick from Alessandro Del Piero, gave Juventus a deserved victory over the defending champions at San Siro.

Milan, who will face Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 25, were second best for large parts of the game but were furious that the referee Pierluigi Collina turned down an appeal for a penalty in the 75th minute when Cafu appeared to be pulled down by Gianluca Zambrotta.

Article continues

Capello's side, without any European distractions, have the easier run-in. They entertain troubled Parma and then face two mid-table teams, Livorno away and Cagliari at home.

Milan go to Lecce and are then at home to a Palermo side fighting for a Uefa Cup place before a very difficult finish at Udinese, a side aiming for a Champions League berth.

Juventus also looked in better shape than Carlo Ancelotti's side. After Trezeguet's opener, they looked far sharper than Milan who, as in midweek at PSV Eindhoven, looked jaded.

Milan's best chance of equalising came after 57 minutes when Andriy Shevchenko set up Filippo Inzaghi but the substitute, returning from injury, hesitated and was crowded out by keeper Gianluigi Buffon and Zambrotta.

Juventus went close to a second goal when Del Piero headed against the crossbar and then their defender Fabio Cannavaro forced Dida into action with a firm header.

Milan's only other opportunities came when Shevchenko nodded over from a promising position while Zambrotta had to clear an Inzaghi header off the line.

Afterwards Milan's captain Paolo Maldini pointed out that his side's difficult game on Wednesday in Holland, ending in a 3-1 defeat, might have had a mental and physical influence on yesterday's match, especially as Juventus did not play in midweek.

"It is much better to be able to prepare for a game like this one with seven days of training than to play in a tough tie such as ours, but I prefer to be in the Champions League final and I wouldn't swap that with Juve," he said.

"The title race is not finished," Maldini added. "Sure, the win gives them an undeniable advantage...on paper they have an easier run-in but nothing is certain yet.

"We have shown that you can lose points against teams that, in theory, you should comfortably deal with. If they go on to win the title then they will have deserved it, but I think we have the better squad overall."

Milan's coach Carlo Ancelotti also claimed the title contest was still very much alive. "I have nothing to reproach my team," he said. "We started slowly but then we played a very good second half.

"A draw could have been a more fair result...we'll keep on fighting through the end for the title."

Milan are seeking to win a rare double of domestic title and European Cup, a feat achieved only twice in Italy before, by Milan themselves - then coached by Capello, in 1994 - and by their city rivals in Internazionale in the mid-60s.

Juventus have imposed a press ban, a club spokesman confirming players and officials would not talk to journalists until the end of the season.

This follows a recent incident in which Del Piero was caught on television swearing at Capello after being substituted for the 26th time this season.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match_Report/0,1527,1479498,00.html?gusrc=rss

[dreamer75]

Juventus took a massive stride towards securing the Serie A title with a dogged win against fellow title chasers AC Milan at the San Siro on Sunday.

David Trezeguet scored a first-half goal for Juve, who move three points clear at the top of the table, but the main talking points of the game came late in the second-half when veteran referee Pierluigi Collina turned down two strong penalty claims by the home side.

The 45-year-old Collina, who is due to retire at the end of the season after a glittering career including the 2002 World Cup final, incensed the home crowd by denying the Rossoneri's penalty appeals, as defending champions Milan finished the stronger of the two sides.

The first-half was as tense as had been expected, with both sides resisting the temptation to throw men forward.

One moment of sheer brilliance from Alessandro Del Piero created the chance for France international Trezeguet to score the all-important goal.

Del Piero controlled the ball to the left of the penalty area before producing a stunning overhead kick which Trezeguet - only playing because of Zlatan Ibrahimovich's absence through suspension - rose to head past the despairing Nelson Dida.

A few minutes later Del Piero could have made it two for the visitors when he collected the ball five yards outside the box and rode the challenge of Jaap Stam before unleashing a powerful left footed drive which Dida did well to save.

Milan started the second-half looking far more energetic, and Andriy Shevchenko and Cafu both went close with chances early on in the half.

The home side had a wonderful opportunity to level the scores in the 57th minute when substitute Filippo Inzaghi was put through on goal after a fine run by Shevchenko.

Inzaghi looked certain to score but the combined efforts of Zambrotta and Buffon somehow prevented a goal.

Juventus could have made the game safe in the 64th minute when Lilian Thuram hit a delightfully weighted free-kick into Del Piero on the edge of the six yard box.

The forward climbed to meet the cross and, perhaps not realising he was unmarked, snatched at the header and crashed it into the cross bar.

Trezeguet still had a chance as the ball fell to him on the rebound but he scuffed his shot and Milan were able to clear the danger.

There then followed the two controversial penalty claims.

Both incidents involved Brazilian international Cafu.

Firstly the defender forced his way into the Juve box and looked to be clear on goal, before becoming entangled with Gianluca Zambrotta who appeared to pull his shirt before the Brazilian went to ground.

Collina was well positioned, and to the fury of the Milan faithful turned down the penalty claims.

Minutes later, Collina further infuriated the home crowd when Cafu struck a powerful shot from the edge of the box under pressure from Fabio Cannavaro.

The defender raised his arms in an effort to protect his face, and despite the ball clearly striking the underside of his arm, Collina again waved play on.

Inzaghi and Shevchenko both had another opportunities to gain a share of the points for Milan in the dying moments but they were denied by the impressive Buffon.

[dreamer75]

1 Juventus 79 36
2 Milan 76 35
3 Inter Milan 65 26
4 Udinese 59 16
5 Sampdoria 59 14
6 Palermo 50 4
7 Messina 44 -8
8 Cagliari 43 -6
9 Livorno 43 -10
10 Bologna 41 -1
11 Lazio 41 -5
12 Lecce 41 -7
13 Reggina 41 -9
14 Roma 40 -3
15 Siena 39 -11
16 Fiorentina 37 -11
17 Parma 37 -16
18 Chievo 36 -19
19 Brescia 35 -16
20 Atalanta 34 -9

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/gilardinonews01.jpg

Parma have told admirers of Alberto Gilardino that he will cost a massive £35m on the transfer market.

The Italian international is expected to leave the Gialloblu in the summer but his suitors will have to dig deep into their pockets.

"We sold Adriano to Inter for 50m Euros and Gilardino, who has more impressive numbers than the Brazilian, can’t be worth any less," said director Luca Baraldi.

"No other Italian player has scored with the same consistency as Gilardino has over the past two seasons."

The former Piacenza youngster netted 23 League goals last term and has 22 to his name so far this season.

Milan, Inter, Real Madrid and Chelsea have been associated with the new star of Italian football.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/may9h.html

[dreamer75]

Alberto Gilardino has warned Juventus that Parma intend to upset the League leaders on Sunday.

The Bianconeri are just three games away from lifting the title after moving three points clear of Milan on Sunday.

But Gilardino insists his Tardini outfit aren’t going to the Delle Alpi resigned to losing the Week 36 game.

"We will give our all with the aim of causing them some problems," the striker told TG5. "After all, we still need points to ensure survival. We are not going there for a walk in the park."

The Italian international is hoping to keep his side in Serie A before he leaves Parma in the summer.

"I want to join a side that is capable of winning major honours and play in front of 70,000 people," he replied when asked about his future.

"If I did join a big club then I would fight with great determination in an effort to grab a starting shirt.

"That already happened here at Parma when I had two phenomenal players such as Adriano and Adrian Mutu ahead of me."

Gilardino has been linked with the likes of Milan and Inter but a foreign switch could also be on the cards.

"If I had to move abroad then I would prefer to speak Spanish rather than English," he added.

The forward is also believed to be of interest to Real Madrid and Chelsea.

[Feador]

forza juve! time to show them why we are the only club with the most number of league titles

[dreamer75]

forza juve! time to show them why we are the only club with the most number of league titles

yah yah yah!!!

FORZA JUVE!!! :s12:

[dreamer75]

Despite Juve’s win at San Siro, the Lecce coach insisted that Milan should still win the Scudetto as they deserve it more than the Bianconeri.

Zdenek Zeman’s hate affair towards Juventus continued as the controversial coach did not recognize Juve’s superiority over Milan, especially throughout the whole season.

“I just think that during the whole season, Milan has always tried to play better and in affect did play the better football.”

These comments are sure to stir further controversy and hatred between the two sides following all the accusations of the past years.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=60988&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

Steve Lamb posed the question: What Next For Del Piero? in a recent editorial. There was no shortage of suggestions from the Goal.com audience. Not surprisingly, the question – and the player – divided opinion. Here is a sample of the comments we received…
Let us try to be objective in this one. As far as people can be objective when it’s about Del Piero, that is. I think there are three questions that are important here:
a) Did Del Piero have a bad season?
b) Can Del Piero still be of any value to Juventus?
c) Would Capello see Del Piero’s value?
When answering the first question a lot of people will jump up and start screaming that Del Piero "choked" against the big teams. Truth be told he wasn’t in great shape against the likes of Inter, Milan, Real Madrid and Liverpool, but he did score 12 goals in the Serie A and managed to get 2 in the Champions League. What’s even more important than those statistics is that his goals were vital. They actually brought home points. Zlatan’s hattrick against Lecce for example didn’t give Juventus any extra points. So, despite being subbed frequently and sometimes deservedly, I think we can conclude Del Piero had a fairly good season.
Then there’s b). We concluded that Ale was important to Juventus this season, but I have my doubts for next year. With Mutu being able to play, Zlatan having a pretty certain starting role and Zalayeta and Trezeguet filling up the places, Del Piero may very well be pushed out. We should keep in mind that Cassano might be playing in bianconero next season as well. At the moment neither Cassano nor Mutu are lesser players than Del Piero, so Juventus can pretty much do without Alessandro.
And finally we have c). As told in the article, Capello particularly dislikes small forwards. When we look at Montella this season, we have to conclude that Capello simply did not recognise his value when coaching Roma. As far as Capello is concerned, it’s "arrividerci Ale".
Andries Gobert


As a Juve fan of 13 years, I think it is high time that Del Piero is finally sold off. I remember first seeing him on British TV scoring the winning goal against Fiorentina in what must go down as one of Juve’s greatest comebacks. He made the score 3-2 with a first time volley on the outside of the boot which was a superb goal. A couple of years later I saw him score a free kick against Rangers from practically the corner flag, one of the best goals I’ve ever seen.
Sadly, he has never been the same player since his shocking injury. Like many Juve fan’s I had been waiting for the ’real’ Del Piero to return. Who was this player who played for Italy against France in Euro 2000 and was absolutely rubbish, or the slow lightweight player who could do nothing to help Juve in the Champions league final against Milan? In Euro 2004 he simply wasn’t good enough for the Italian squad, and should never have played.
Football is a harsh game, and if Juve want to continue to compete at the highest level they should bring in players who are good now, not good in 1998. Cassano may not be as good as Del Piero at his peak, but he is a much better bet these days, and would make a good partnership with Ibra. As for Del Piero, he is still a good enough player to play at a smaller club. He may not have the power and the sharpness that he once did, but he still has the silky skills.
Chris, Scotland


Don Fabio has to go back to school and study football all over again.
Did you see the game today?
Whithout Zlatan’s signing this season Juve would be playing the CL final.
This team was never build on one player. When you start playing with the fast long ball and you forget all the creativity from Nedved, Cameronesi,even Taccinardi and yes of course Pinturicchio then do not insult them by saying they are not up for it anymore. For all the hard work done by ex-romanistas football is also about joy and amusement.
Very rarely beautiful play and if done so, look at the figures.
Whithout Zlatan Juve seems to perform better.
Even this very good player is done injustice by his coach because he uses only his targetman capacities.
Trust is very important for any player but especially for a forward. A coach should not work against his players.
The behaviour of the above-mentioned players is admirable.
They just wait and hope there are better times to come
Jos Gobert


Del Piero is truly one of the BEST players in italy if not the world!!, he is only 30 and people are talking about his departure. He has been a solid player and a champion for his team and country, he has had a bad injury, but since then no one has given him a chance to prosper into the true champion that his, too many speculations or distrust only hurts a player, I think Del piero should stay in JUVENTUS because Juve is nothing without him!! He needs a chance, and with a coach like Capello, I do think del piero will be in doubt of his future, maybe if we changed capello :P .. FORZA DP .. you are a LEGEND no matter what they say!!
Ms. DEL PIERO [west gurl]


I believe Del Piero has seen his best days. He might be a symbol of the club, but does not have the pace, and perhaps self-confidence, needed at this level anymore. Besides that his wages are way too high - among the top-earnes in the world. The only reason Juventus haven’t sold him is because of the fans and he’s a symbol. Shake his hand, say thank you for a good time and get rid of him. Zlatan, Trezequet and Mutu are enough for Juventus. Then they would have the money needed to buy a world- class midfielder - for instance Joaquin
Mikkel Rehdin - Denmark


I think Del Piero has a very high level of technical skills, although lacking in strength and power. This lack of strength costs him a lot in 1998 with his injury problem, and it appears that his skills has decreased since then, unlike Ronaldo who returned magnificently on the world cup 2002. Del Piero’s poor display on Euro 2000 when he missed two golden chances increases people doubtness toward the ’New Roberto Baggio’ real ability. However, despite of all those unfortunate events, his dribbling and passing skills are above average, even compared to the newly crowned Lampard. While lacking in strength and speed, Del Piero has a skill that only Zidane and Totti could match. I am dissappointed to see people judging Del Piero’s poor ability based on the goal he scores. He functions as a second striker and forward, not a super striker. He passes the ball and makes italian football more beautiful. Although I’m not a Juventus Fan, I have a lot of respects to the player. He has to prove to the world that he has the technical capability which positions him as a high class player. A move to England will not be suitable for Del Piero because the English league emphasises on speed and tempo rather than technical skills. However, a move to other clubs such as Milan, Inter, or Roma will suit him well.
Riza Casidy - Melbourne


What will happen to Del Piero who knows when he plays it is great to watch him in form and moving around players like they weren’t there but now there is a shadow of that who used to but trys always he is warrior and everyone knows that. This season he scored 12 goals and thats not bad when ur constantly subed off. But the ball is never even given to him anymore and u need the ball to do something. I say if he leaves a lot of tifiosi will be Sad because i cant watch ibra always mess up and when he does no one says anything but good things but everyone is not perfect. Del Piero if he were to leave he should go to arsenal where he can play along side Henry because Bergkamp is old but still consistent and reyes well ever since the spanish coach sayings nothing was working for him but the english league u have to run back and foward back and foward and i dont know for any serie A player but if he goes to Japan there goes his career i never heard of anyone from big leagues go to Japan and do great things but for all serie A fans and love to watch Del Piero and Juvetini Hope For the Skipper To get his GAME back
Vincenzo Germano


I don’t think Del Piero should leave Juventus or be forced to leave for that matter. He has done so much for this team and does not deserve to be treated the way he has been as of late. He has 12 goals and has played half the time of everyone else. What does that tell you?? Zlatan has 15 and has played every game.... the numbers are in favour of Del Piero. If a stuborn Capello can’t see that then it’s his loss. Del Piero should stay at Juve and end his career there. He is only 7 goals away from becoming the all time goal-leader as a Juventus player. It would be a shame for him to leave without harnessing the tittle. I will be a Del Piero fan for as long as I live... for me, he is Juventus!!
Luigi Sciulli


A well put article, as a relatively die-hard juve fan i think for the best of the team del Piero should be sold. We’ve got to remember that no player is bigger than the Team and the same applies for Mr Del Piero. Why should he be sold? Like you said he’s an enigma. He’s been given more than a chance to restore the faith since Ancelotti’s days and during Lippi’s second spell he was untouchable even though he wasn’t performing. I remember one season when he was injured and Di Vaio more than replaced him(Remember the stunner against milan?). When he came back he walked straight into the team and Di Vaio had to go back to the bench. Guess what? we didn’t win the scudetto after a good start. It’s not that Capello has anything against Del Piero, it’s just simple the guy is not performing and therefore gives Don Fabio not much of a choice. Look at how he performed last week against bologna for example, it wasn’t a good performance at all.So he should go. i know he is a nice guy as a person but that beside the point.
Twice, Botswana


i am a great fan of the italian league espicially juventus the best team delpiero is an italian legend i think he should continue in juventus and not to leave to a different club he needs to stay in italy i love so much give him one year and you will see what is he gonna do go go delpiero we all love you
'filippo inzaghi'


I am Del Piero’s big fan. he is juve’s greatest player ever. After Capello moved to juve, he’s never used in whole a match. Ibrahimovic played 2 times more than Del Piero in this season with just a 5 goal, and Del Piero has 12. I want know What is Ibrahimovic’s advantage? He couldn’t get any score for two month but he never sat on the bench. Capello bought many new player but he doesn’t get anything in this season. Del Piero is the best player for ever.
armin jamshidi


I am a big Juve fan and ive been for 15 years. Having watched Del Piero when he was younger I can say that he was a great player, up until the horrific injury.The performances and goals he scored in the champions league and league I will always remember but the truth is, he has never been the same since. I think some Juve fans are stuck in the past and cant see that Del Piero is no more than an average player now, and with Trezeguet and Ibrahimovic fit, he will not start and that is the right choice. I am 100% sure Cassano will be joining us this summer and cant wait. I have rated him highly since he played with Bari. He is defenetly a world class player. I dont really know if we will keep Mutu as rumuors suggest he might be part of Cassano’s deal. Whatever happens there I have no doubt Del Piero will be leaving us this summer, and it wouldnt surprise me if he did join a english club where I think he could do well. I wish him all the best for the future and I state that all Juve fans will always remember the REAL Del Piero a truly great player.
Angelo Nasti, London


With reference to the article written by Steve Lamb,I think it’s unfair to even attempt to degrade a player of Del Piero’s calibre.I have been a juventino for a decade so I believe I am in a position to opine on such a matter.The arrival of Fabio Capello has certainly spelt doom for el Pinturrichio.The manager obviously has no liking for the legend.Yes legend he is.No body in the entire world could dispute the fact that Del Piero is a one of a kind and to let go of such a player will not only deteriorate situations in the team but supporters like us will definitely be on our way out of the team and perhaps we’ll head to Milan
Usman Ahmed


No doubt that Alex Del Piero is one of the best figures of Italian football in the recent 10 years. When I first watched a game for him he scored with a header the winning goal against River Place in the Intercontinental Cup in Japan in 1996. Things were looking good for the young Juventini and only luck prevented him and Italy from grabbing the World Cup in 1998. From there on, things changed for Pinturicchio; although he is the 'ultimate hero" for Juve tifosi, his form was incosistant since his injury in 1998. However, he remained Juventus captain and insipiration through good and bad days. I guess that Milan’s match will determine whether Alex will remain or not. Although personaly I prefer that he will stay and end his career at Juve and then to have a position in the club as he always dreamt. However, dreams don’t come true always. With the possibility of Juve signing several strikers, I believe that Alex’s role will be decreased and that he’ll not only stay on the bench but even he would be out of the 18-players squad. What I would like to see is that Del Piero playing with his old role. Alex was never a forward or a strike. He was an attacking midfielde and he was shining in that role. I guess that the solution now is to return Alex to his old position in midfield since that Nedved will retire at the end of next season as he claimed. Hope things will be well for Alex and Juve. But whether he left or stayed he’ll always be Juve’s ultimate hero in my opinion.
Mohammed Hallal


No doubt that Del Piero is a worldwide champion and any team wish to have him in their squad, however, he is still not fully recover from the injury he suffered in 1998, thus his level is still far a way from that we knew before that date. The future of Alex is not clear enough to decide its details; I can not put a full confidence on what Mr. Mogi said about Alex, because he said the same to Zidane and Baggio and sold them to Real Madrid and Milan respectively and they were in a better condition than that of Del Piero. In another side, we can not blame Mr. Capello if he agrees to sell Alex, since he wants to build a strong and competitive squad to fight on the national and European fronts, no coach likes to sell the best he has Accordingly, Del Piero has a good chance against Milan to prove himself to us that he is still that Champion we like one day because I do not want to drop his name from the Juventus team I have in my play station.
Mohammad Atef Al-Yousef


His departure is long overdue. This guy is the Italian version of David Beckham. In the last 15 years there has never been a more over-rated player in Serie A. If it wasn’t for him France would have never won the 2002 Euro.
Julian Ammirante


As a soccer fan of serie A, I would be more than happy if Del Piero is shown the door out of Juve. Those who praise Del Piero aren’t regular viewers of Serie A. He was a good player for as long as he was doped. When drip stopped, his brilliance vanished. He has the technical potential above many others in Italy, but he lacks pace, speed, endurance. He is a good player for a team of Regina level. He has never been and will be like Baggio. He is so popular bec. Juve and Addidas spend a lot for his advertising. A person who has brought only misery to National team and Juve stars doesn’t deserve to be praised so much. The sooner he leaves Juve, the better for that club. With the money he makes, Juve can afford 3 world class players.
Ray, Canada


Del Piero is an excellent player. He has been fighting injury year by year. Right now he is not in his best form because he is going through a troubled time. Every year he starts off well then he gets injured, I feel that he is a better finisher than ibrahimovic. Every one talks about Del Piero but Del Piero is not the one that misses open nets or infront of goal as ibrahimovic does. the funny thing about is that ibrahimovic is still young and if he doesnt fix his finishing he is going to be a waste of a player for juve in the future. But when Del Piero regains his confidence I feel that he will return to his oldself but age is playing a factor in Del Piero but so does every player for example (look what Baggio did for Brescia when Baggio was injured Brescia was one of the worst teams in seria A but when he played they could of been probablythe best improved) I think that if he gets a goal against Milan from an action play and not a dead play like a penalty or a free kick he will regain his confidence and lead Juventus to it’s 28th scudetto.
‘A Crazy Sicilian’


I am sure that Alex is able to show the whole world that he is one of the best player ever played in the whole World! Look at his techniques, dribbling, stamina! It’s just amazing! He is just 30, it’s not that bad. Look at Zidane, he is older, but he is still one of the best! I think that Del Pierro should be starter in Juve all the time. Just give him some time, and he’ll prove that he is the best! I don’t think Mutu or Cassano can replace him, Alex plays in Juventus for a long time, and he feels the team. I agree that CAssano and Mutu are faster, but they don’t have such good kick or techniques! I wish you luck, Alex!
Rustem, Uzbekistan


I would be devastated if he left Juve....he is the most loyal, most talented player in Juve’s history. He is the champion of Italy and has always given his 100 %. Capello has terribly mismanaged Del Piero. Everyone knows it takes Alex time to come back after injury, and he is always the most fouled player in the Serie A. Del Piero should be allowed to leave at his own terms and should not be discarded. Hopefully he will prove his many critics wrong next season, hopefully at Juve. I would fire Capello before i even think of getting rid of Alex. Forever a Del Piero fan,
Ahmed Zulfiqar, Rochester, New York, USA


Del Piero is the sacrificial lamb of Italian soccer. He could never live up to Baggio’s reputation. Alex did not have the time to mature to the player he could have become. WC 98, he was thrown intp the lions pit and expected to deliver a WC. However, the lad had no experience and was scared. He needed a mentor and Baggio could have been the mentor. But instead he was given the go ahead and the rest is history. The pressure and young legs caused an inuury and he seems never to have recovered. Well, he did physically but not mentally. Heart break in 2000, dispersewd as trash for new golden boy Totti in 02 and 04 and voila, here we are talking about him. There are 2 possibilities: The new era of Elkan will let him leave or Moggi and Bettega will allow him to stay and allow him to end his career and enter management. I believe the man needs an adventure abroad but he needs to reduce his wage demands and realize the fact the 1 CL, and no WC or EC will come to him as a player. I beleive it is time that he prepares to pack his bags for a normal life or for a career as a coach. Maybe he will gain the critics respect by being a coach. Hey Capello was never a great coach and look what he has done as coach. I guess we will wait and see.
Bruno Cardile


I am an avid Juventus fan and I truly believe that Del Piero is the heart and soul of that team. although he hasn’t been in top form lately he is the poster boy for Juventus. he will forever remain in the hearts of Italian soccer fans as one of the great players to play the game. Even though he didn’t win a world championship or win world footballer of the year, he is still considered as one of the top players to come from Italy. You can not get rid of him just because he is not the "young" Del Piero that he used to be. He is still one of the great names in football and is still a solid player. you can not overlook the fact that he has 12 goals this season. Although he has been the most subbed player in Serie A which is very unfortunate on his part, he is still a valuable asset to the team and should not be overlooked.
‘RealMadrid5910’

Hello! I am Alex’s fan From 1998 and will be FOREVER! I think that the next game will be deciding for Del Piero and for Juventus both! I hope he shows his best football!!! He is our CAPTAIN, which is always in our hearts and in our minds! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!
Nino from Georgia


Alessandro is one of the greatest players whom ever played this game. I know his 30 years old now but i believe that he still has a bright future. I also have to mention that Alex is on of the fairest player in the world. I am a big fan of juventus but i think that if Alex goes in england he will break every record and win every championship.
art mela

All of us who are Juve fans can say all the best for Alex. His form this year was bad. He showed good games with small teams, not in some big derby match. I think same as you, his last and certenly, his biggest chance to prove all wrong is to put his best in the next derby with Milan. It will be match full of duels, full of stars palying against, like Del Piero vs Nesta, Shevchenko vs Thuram, Kaka vs Emerson, Nedved vs Pirlo. My oppinion is that we cannot expect good football with lots of chances, this games are always important, and it will be battle of tactic. Del Piero knows about his chance playing in the next season and i think he will be good in the last games. Also, we saw little from David Trezeguet this season and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the best attacker for Juve. Del Piero and Ibrahimovic are the best in the attack and the frenchman should be sold. Cassano and Gilardino are wery close to Juve so Alex is put into presure. But that’s pro football and he is the best in his job. So, lets see about all this stuff in near future.
Bojan B., Macedonia, Skopje


I was a JUVE fan since the 80`s. And it`s with mixed fellings i have seen this season. They surely have become a better team and with more belief as a team. This is the credit, that Capello must have. He changed their winning chances and belief. But i think to win the champions league and the italian championship JUVE must separate themselves from these players (and i am sorry to say this):
1. Montero Too old, too slow.
2. Del Piero In the last six years not the same
3. Trezequet JUVE need another super striker
4. Birindelli It`s over
5. Tacchinardi His time is over with JUVE
6. Nedved Too old and no more creativity
7. Olivera Not good enough
JUVE need to buy new superstars such as: Cassano, Jankulowski, Ronaldinho, Gerrard.
New players who can create changes, score goals and who can fight for the club we all love so much.
Marco (Denmark)


Alessandro Del Piero has been, is & will always be the symbol of Juventus & the ’Golden Boy’ of the Juve fans. It is but natural that a player’s goal scoring consistency descends with age. But, considering that Del Piero is over 30, he is very much an asset to the team. He still has that ’Magical touch’ with him & the fact that many world class defenders fear him & many clubs try to sign him says it all. Moreover, he is a real threat from set-pieces. Del Piero has given his everything to Juventus & for the sake of 1 or 2 bad seasons, it will be a huge mistake if they sell him & one that Moggi will regret later. He is still only 30 & has another 7-8 years of football in him. I strongly feel that Del Piero’s best season with a Juventus shirt is still to come. So, all my fellow bianconeros, please have faith in our captain & he will surely deliver.
Deven Alvares


Depending on which set of eyes one is looking through, it could be disappointing or ideal. For the Juve faithful, it’s obviously disappointing if Del Piero should leave because he’s been a symbol, as mentioned, for so many years and the identity between club and player is almost inseparable. The operative word being "almost." Life would go on for Juventus if Del Piero should leave, it’s not like they’re short of strikers. There’s Ibrahimovic, Trezegeut, Zalayeta, Oliveira and Mutu and one would have to ask, where does Del Piero fit into the pecking order? They’re all younger, stronger and command much less of a salary than Del Piero does, all of which are playing in Luciano Moggi’s head. The fans might hate to see Del Piero leave, as mentioned, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Even if Juve got rid of 2 of the 5 strikers, Del Piero’s position would not improve and this is why the situation is ideal; for Del Piero.
Alessandro has nothing to prove. He’s still a viable player which many teams can benefit from his services. He shouldn’t be afraid to move on. He should thank Juve for everything that they’ve done for him, but he must think of himself. Does he want to sit on the bench sulking about playing time? Does he think Juve are going to maintain his salary for sitting on the bench? This is a business and Del Piero has to wake up to this reality, He can forget about playing for any of the big teams in Europe. He’s 30 yrs old and no one will invest a lot of money into a player of his age with his medical records. He’s made his money and won his titles, he surely can still achieve success elsewhere and the new beginning could be great for him. Del Piero should make that call before it’s made for him and the situation becomes acrimonious.
Marco


Del Piero will remain at Juve no matter what happens as he’s more important to the club and to the fans than Fabio Cappello.Juventus has a massive fan base because of Del Piero he represents the club around the world i personally dont care if he’s 30 , 40 , 50 and even 100 he’s our captain he’s our symbol he’s us he did alot for this team he did to Juventus more than he ever did to his own country.Also i dont understand the anti-Del Piero crew what the hell do they want ?? till 4 weeks Del Piero was still Juventus top scorer for this season 12 goals in serie a is it really that bad ??.People expect miracles from Del Piero and when they dont happen they say that he played badly.Capello must give Del Piero a chance and must put more faith in Del Piero we dont want another Montella case also right now Montella is serie a top scorer shows how an idiot is Cappello.Whatever happens i still have faith in the captain and will have this faith in him forever.
Omar Sharaf


Again Goal.com has doubted Del Piero. They have not raised questions over Totti’s behaviour or Roma’s dismal season or Ibrahimovic’s stupidity against Inter but they have raised doubt against Del Piero. I hope Goal.com starts picking on other players like perhaps Vieri or Toldo. But coming back to Del Piero, I’m a Juve and Del Piero fan. I pray for him to stay at Juve because without him Juventus will be heartless. Replacing Del Piero with Cassano would be like replacing Maldini with Mexes. Both quality players but do not have the temperament or heart to become legends. Del Piero boasts of being in 4 CL finals and numerous Serie A titles but what can Cassano boast of? Pathetic behaviour and a single Serie A title. The season Del Piero had the terrible injury, Juve were on top of the table. After his injury they finished 7th, their lowest in many years. The reason why we love Del Piero is because he plays for the team and not himself. Cassano plays for himself as is evident by his antics on the pitch. Capello likes tall strikers, but how many times has Capello won the Serie A? I can only remember 1. Out of his 4 years with Roma only once has he won the title. Pit his record against Lippi and he should resign to a corner and sulk. Whereas the numerous titles Lippi has won have been using Del Piero to his best. Del Piero was excellent in 2003. In 2004 was injured frequently but this year his manager has not shown any faith in him. World class players do not lose there talent overnight. But managers definitely lose their minds in a matter of years. Capello would be a fool to replace Del Piero with Cassano. If he does replace him then he will surely have me as an enemy. And every match I would be hoping for his downfall even if it is with Juve. Fire Capello, bring Deschamps or Vialli (one of our ’true’ own) or Del Bosque or Wenger. Anyone but Capello.
My message to Juve fans in Turin: Riot in the streets if Del Piero is sold.
Varun Sadh, India


Alessandro is the undisputed king of Turin. I feel after so many years of affection for this player that he still got something to contribute with.
I think many of the complains that Alex receives is some kind of compliment, because they know what a brilliant player he is, and they expect more
from him at times. But this season in periods he have shown some of his brilliance, cheeky backheels and flicks. but his lack of consistency is his "problem" now if we can call it that. And I sincerly hope that he can end this campain in a good way, and impress and convince critics and frickin Fabio etc that he still have a lot to offer. He is 30 years old, and got at least 2-3 more seasons where he can be as dominating as in "the golden era" Forza Alex
Rederiet J. Skaten AS (una Juventini)


I just don’t think anyone actually figured out what del Piero was/is - a trequartista, a forward, a striker? That, as well as the injuries, curtailed his career because it curtailed is most prized asset, his speed. His tools and vision are lost up front, but he does not have that burst of pace needed behind the front. His skills are in "no man’s land." That siad, if one watches del Piero one can see his effectiveness as a supporter up front, and though he scores goals, he should not be counted on as the main goal provider. He is so loved by Juventus fans because his potential was so great as he came up and replaced Baggio. But that potential could never be maximized because of those injuries - proof is in his performances on the international stage, where he never lived up to his billing, because a player needs that extra gear of speed, skill, goal scoring touch, what-have-you, and del Piero just didn’t have it. He should move on, for his sake, and I think he would thrive if used correctly as a support attacker at a less prominent club for several more years. Not as the best, but as the quiet, unsung cog that makes the wheel turn.
Conrad, Philadelphia, USA

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=61041&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

The coach who discovered the young phenomenon from Bari Vecchia, analyzed Cassano’s future.
He was the first to launch Cassano in Serie A, identifying precocious qualities which only an expert like him could notice, even though Fascetti denies this.
“I did not discover anyone, Antonio discovered himself, only a blind man could not see his qualities. And if we had to say it all, Cassano is not the only player I launched, I’ll just mention Zambrotta and Volpi as an example.”

But since you launched him, would you see him well at Juve?
“Well, Antonio is a phenomenon, he can play anywhere. Surely, with Ibrahimovic he would form an exceptional partnership. Capello does not have anyone like Cassano in the squad, because let’s be honest, Del Piero is not the same anymore.”

Therefore Turin is the ideal place for him?
“Antonio is big, he’s a man, and he does not need my suggestions. He chose Rome for the environment, but now I don’t know if this factor will be important. What I know is that for the qualities he has, he can go wherever he wants to.”

Wouldn’t you want him at your Inter?
“I’m not an Inter fan anymore, you’re wrong. I’m fed up of suffering and being made fun of. Jokes apart, it’s useless: you can list me all the strong teams, he can play with them all.”

Did I read wrong, or you suggested to him to go abroad…
“No, you read well. After the “crafty move” against Brescia, they massacred him. If anyone else had done it, they would have said that he was shrewd, but since it was made by him then they destroyed him. I repeat, there is a bad environment around Antonio, as he is never forgiven anything and everyone awaits him at the end of the passage. If I were him, I would evaluate the idea of going abroad.”

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=61102&idSez=16

[dreamer75]

It’s been another season to forget for Alvaro Recoba at Inter. But as Antonio Labbate suggests, the expensive flop may just need a change of surroundings to finally illustrate how good a player he really is
If there is anything more unbelievable than Alvaro Recoba’s unique footballing talent, it’s the remarkable way in which that ability has been wasted during his eight-year stay at Inter. Perhaps no other player in the club’s history has had the potential to promise so much but deliver so little. Surely the time has come for the Uruguayan to unshackle his Nerazzurri chains and finally prove himself at another club.

There is little doubt that the 29-year-old is one of the modern game’s greatest enigmas. Branded a "genius" by his biggest fan, Massimo Moratti, disgruntled supporters prefer to use the word "inconsistent" when asked to describe the Uruguayan international. It’s a term they use begrudgingly because it shows they are well aware of what he is capable of doing.

Recoba made a dream start to his Inter career. Making his debut on the same day as Ronaldo, the then unknown youngster scored two fantastic long-range goals to seal a 2-1 win over Brescia. He followed that by netting from the halfway line at little Empoli just a week later.

It bode well given his outstanding scoring record in his home land. Inter were one of a number of clubs alerted to him in 1993 after he burst on to the local scene as a 16-year-old for Danubio. He notched an impressive 62 goals in 58 games, many of which were scored in style thanks to his delicate yet powerful left-foot. A £3m transfer from Nacional Montevideo followed in the summer of 1997.

Recoba has developed into an unkept promise at Inter though, perhaps through no fault of his own. Although it is admittedly he who walks on to the field of play, Recoba is the kind of player who needs to be consistently selected week in, week out, no matter what. Perhaps he is even so good that a side needs to be built around him in order for Recoba to make a difference when it matters.

After all, this is the player who single-handedly kept Venezia in the top flight during a six-month loan spell in the 1998-99 season. The forward, known as ‘El Chino’, led the club from certain relegation to a mid-table finish. He scored 10 goals and grabbed nine assists, illustrating that he had the quality to make an impact on such a stage.

Recoba understandably caught the eye of some of Europe’s top clubs but he committed his future to Inter after they handed the international a new mega-contract, one which initially made him the highest paid player in world football. "I am really happy, I am staying at Inter just like I wanted," he said at the time. "Now I have to repay the club." Yet Recoba was more often than not simply overlooked by whichever tactician was in charge at the San Siro and never given the chance to fulfil his desire.

While his exclusion from the starting line-up in the early days was understandable given the competition for places - Christian Vieri, Ronaldo, Ivan Zamorano, Roberto Baggio, Youri Djorkaeff, Andrea Pirlo, the list could go on - the club itself never looked to remedy that problem. Instead of sitting down at the start of a season and pinning their hopes on Recoba, the outfit simply brought in the latest big name sensation in a desperate attempt to finally ‘buy’ their fans the Scudetto.

Recoba needed nurturing, allowed time to mature, not simply thrown in at the deep end and then heckled for being an overpaid underachiever. The truth is that he’s not to blame for the amount of money he earns, that particular finger should be pointed at his club.

Recoba has never been given the chance to consistently perform, an opportunity to turn those deafening whistles from the Inter ‘support’ into long rounds of applause. Another major handicap has been the constant coaching changes during the Moratti era. The South American has worked under a host of tacticians, some who believed in him and others who just didn’t understand what to do with him.

Is he a second striker or an attacking midfielder? Hector Cuper’s answer was to stick him on the left hand-side of midfield to little effect. Current Coach Roberto Mancini is just the latest to struggle with the enigma. "He’s a genius but like all geniuses, Recoba has the ability to make you jump for joy or make you angry with rage," stated the tactician, who has not hesitated to send Recoba into the stands at times this term. "We should just appreciate those moments in which his head and his feet are working in tandem."

The reality of the situation is that Recoba, who is contracted at Inter until 2008, will never prove himself by staying where he is. Only Moratti’s affection has kept him at the club for this long, a love which has arguably hindered his career and increased the already substantial pressure on his shoulders. Recoba should look at what Clarence Seedorf and Pirlo have done on the European stage since they decided they’d had enough of the view from the Nerazzurri bench.

Inter may be the right club for him but the last decade hasn’t been the right time to be there. Recoba is approaching 30 and there may not be too much time left for him to finally silence those critics once and for all. A number of clubs would be interested in his services but there is one man who could realistically ‘save’ Alvaro’s career.

Walter Novellino may have struggled to pronounce his nickname during their time together at Venezia, but he’s made no secret of his desire to have "El Cigno", as Novellino calls him, in his Sampdoria side for the new season. Qualification for the Champions’ League may be the only hurdle Doria must jump in order for that dream move to happen.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/oprecoba.html

[dreamer75]

http://homepage.mac.com/massimofrascella/.Pictures/juve_05-06_awayA.jpg

[dreamer75]

Ciro Ferrara is currently in his last month as a player in Juve, so I though it was time to honour this Legend with a thread of his own.

Ferrara was and still is a great player, but most of all a great human being. A true class act on and off the pitch. Won almost all there is to win at club level.

If I'm not mistaken Maradona said something along the lines of that Ferrara was the best defender he has ever seen, and he should know, after all they played and won Scudettos togheter.

Ciro Ferrara, thanks for some great years. Hope you get your 8th( ) Scudetto before you retire

[dreamer75]

Juventus President Franzo Grande Stevens claims they must sell players before they can splash out on the transfer market this summer.


"We do not have enough money at our disposal," he said after a meeting of the Board of Directors. "Before buying any new players, we must first sell. Failing that, we'll build a fire with the wood we have now."


The statement also came after Parma revealed that Juventus, Inter and Milan were all in the running for Alberto Gilardino's signature with a £34m price-tag.


The Turin giants have been tightening their belts for a couple of years now and also took the same steps in the close season.

In order to bring in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they sold off half of Fabrizio Miccoli, Giorgio Chiellini and Enzo Maresca to Fiorentina, while Marco Di Vaio went to Valencia.


This suggests that Grande Stevens was by no means ruling out a move for Gilardino, as they could raise the money by selling David Trezeguet.


The Frenchman has long been linked with both Barcelona and Arsenal, with strong reports that this will be his last season in a Juventus jersey.


There are other options, as Coach Fabio Capello would rather bring in reinforcements in midfield and defence, where there are few real alternatives to Fabio Cannavaro, Pavel Nedved and Mauro Camoranesi.


Juve's financial situation is already an improvement on last year, as the Board of Directors announced that revenue for the first nine months of the 2004-05 financial year was £113.79m, an increase of 9.8% on last year.

The club's expenditure was £91.76m, an increase of 6.6% in the corresponding period, so the net result is a negative of £3.89m – an improvement on the £11.76m from last season.

[dreamer75]

yes yes, we won 2-0!!!!

and Milan could only drew 2-2..haha... :D

[dreamer75]

We r 5 pts clear of Milan with 2 games remaining. We just need to beat Livorno next week to secure our 28th title!!!!

FORZA JUVE!!!!! :D :s12:

[dreamer75]

Juventus 2 - 0 Parma
Del Piero 7 (J), Ibrahimovic 23 (J)

Stadio Delle Alpi

Alessandro Del Piero and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were on target as Juve put their hands on the Scudetto.

The Bianconeri had gone three points clear with their win at Milan last week and were eager to protect that against relegation strugglers Parma. Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned from his three-match ban, but the visitors were without suspended trio Matteo Contini, Fabio Simplicio and Fabio Vignaroli as well as injured stars Daniele Bonera, Stefano Bettarini and Marco Marchionni. This meant that Fabio Cannavaro came face to face with his younger brother Paolo.

After three minutes Emerson acrobatically redirected a corner kick and brought a tough save out of Sebastien Frey at the far post. Gianluca Zambrotta's solo effort was cleared with some difficulty, as Juve notched up four corner kicks in the first five minutes.

The pressure eventually paid off when a Mauro Camoranesi free kick was floated into the centre, where Alessandro Del Piero got in front of his marker for a swerving header. Parma are his favourite target, as this is his 12th goal against the Gialloblu.

Del Piero also curled a free kick over the bar, but Parma finally made an impact on the other end of the pitch after 20 minutes when Camara's long-range strike skimmed the far post.

Camoranesi nodded a fine Pavel Nedved cross over the bar, but Ibrahimovic was considerably more accurate when he rose above Paolo Cannavaro to turn in a corner kick soon after. It was a prompt return to goalscoring ways for the Swedish international who had sat out a three-match ban.

There was further bad news for Parma, as Domenico Morfeo requested a substitution.

Frey had to use his legs in order to charge down Ibrahimovic's angled drive, but Del Piero went close with a fine solo effort that saw him skip past Cesare Bovo before switching feet and firing just wide.

There was controversy just before the break when Giuseppe Cardone blocked Nedved's cross with his outstretched arm, but the referee waved play on.

Knowing that they had a crucial relegation dogfight with Siena to play next Sunday, Parma replaced Gilardino with youth team player Dessena for the second half.

Juventus were comfortably in control of the situation and Frey saved Del Piero's free kick.

However, there was danger on 63 minutes when Buffon had to rush off his line and close down Andrea Pisanu after the offside trap failed to snare Parma.

Buffon was again called into action for a great save on Mark Bresciano's set-piece, as the younger Parma side seemed more intent on making their mark than the veterans.

Frey flew to palm a Del Piero free kick over the crossbar in the final stages. There was a standing ovation for Ciro Ferrara's 500th Serie A appearance - the defender will retire at the end of this season.

Juventus: Buffon; Pessotto, Thuram, F Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi (Birindelli 73), Appiah, Emerson, Nedved (Ferrara 87); Del Piero (Trezeguet 83), Ibrahimovic

Parma: Frey; P Cannavaro, Cardone, Bovo, Pisanu; Bolano (Olive 71), Grella, Camara, Bresciano; Morfeo (Sorrentino 28); Gilardino (Dessena 46)

Ref: Paparesta

[dreamer75]

Italy - Serie A
17:20 May 15
FT AS Roma 0 - 0 Lazio
FT Bologna 1 - 2 Brescia
FT Inter Milan 1 - 0 Livorno
FT Juventus 2 - 0 Parma
FT Lecce 2 - 2 AC Milan
FT Messina 2 - 1 Cagliari
FT Palermo 1 - 1 Reggina
FT Siena 0 - 1 Chievo
FT Udinese 1 - 1 Sampdoria
FT Fiorentina 0 - 0 Atalanta

[dreamer75]

I salute you!!!

http://www.juventus.com/FE_images/fotogallery/050515-juvpar/zoom/29.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://www.juventus.com/FE_images/fotogallery/050515-juvpar/zoom/38.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://www.juventus.com/FE_images/fotogallery/050515-juvpar/zoom/36.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://www.juventus.com/FE_images/fotogallery/050515-juvpar/zoom/40.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://www.juventus.com/FE_images/fotogallery/050515-juvpar/zoom/21.jpg

[United_Treble]

We r 5 pts clear of Milan with 2 games remaining. We just need to beat Livorno next week to secure our 28th title!!!!

FORZA JUVE!!!!! :D :s12:
FORZA AC MILAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

[dreamer75]

http://www.eurosport.com/imgbk/footbl/all/big_md-i105491.jpg

Paolo Montero recognises his career with Juventus is over and wants to play in Spain before finishing in his homeland with Penarol. Montero, who joined Juventus from Atalanta in 1996, has made only a handful of appearances in his ninth season with the club and his contract ends in June.


"I think my cycle in Italy has finished," the red card-prone central defender told Uruguayan media on Tuesday.

"As I haven't played this year, I don't feel comfortable. I haven't had problems with the coach, the players have earned their positions and have won them playing by the rules.

"Hopefully, I will leave with another championship although, by my way of thinking, I wouldn't say that I'm a champion because I haven't played much."

Juventus are five points clear of AC Milan with two games remaining in Serie A.

Asked where he would like to play next, Montero, 33, replied: "In Spanish football. I've always liked the way they play and hopefully it can come true.

"I feel good for the moment and I consider that I can play for another couple of years here (in Europe). My dream, as I've always said, is to play for Penarol, but not yet."

IMPROVED GREATLY

Montero, who began his career with Penarol and has won 56 caps, made a Uruguay comeback at the Copa America last July, two years after announcing his international retirement.

Uruguay have improved greatly since his return and, after a disastrous run of results last year, have climbed to fifth in the South American World Cup qualifying group.

Their next two games are away to Venezuela and Peru in June.

"If we play like we did against Chile and Brazil, we will get the points we need although the luck factor is fundamental," said Montero, referring to their 1-1 draws in both matches.

"If we don't play well, it doesn't really bother me. The important thing is the points."

http://www.eurosport.com/home/pages/v4/l0/s22/e6873/sport_lng0_spo22_evt6873_sto719788.shtml

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/kaponews01.jpg

Olivier Kapo says he is keen to quit Juventus in the summer, with Monaco, Newcastle and Real Betis all possible destinations.

Kapo has made just one Serie A start since moving to Italy from Auxerre last summer and admits he has an important decision to make at the end of the season.

"Should I stay and persevere at Juventus? Has (Juventus Coach) Fabio Capello really got confidence in me? I have my doubts," the attacking midfielder told L'Equipe.

The 24-year-old, who has made 12 substitute appearances but is yet to score for Juventus, explained that Monaco would be his preferred destination.

"Could I return to France on loan? I really appreciate the support I have received from (Monaco Coach) Didier Deschamps," Kapo said. "Getting recognition from a man like that is fantastic.

"He even called up my sister recently. I find that touching. He is very interested in me. But he could change his mind. Joining Monaco would be good, but if it doesn’t work out over there, Newcastle and Real Betis also want me.

"I’m going to have to make a crucial decision. Pavel Nedved tells me to stay and fight for my place at Juve."

Kapo has had his share of injury problems this season, but feels he has not been given the chance to prove himself with the Italian League leaders when fit.

"I sustained an injury on my right thigh against Sampdoria on February 2, the day that I made my first start," Kapo recalled.

"It took me two months to come back. That injury has changed everything. It’s been really difficult.

"Without wanting to offend Capello or my teammates, I think I deserved to play more often. I fight at training and I don’t feel inferior to any of the other players."

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/may17f.html

[dreamer75]

Juventus boss Fabio Capello is hoping to have Real Madrid’s Walter Samuel at his disposal next season.

The Turin giants are on the verge of winning their 28th title, but the tactician is keen to strengthen his squad in a bid to also win the Champions’ League in the new campaign.

Although Juve have the best defensive record in Serie A, they lack central defensive options seeing as both Fabio Cannavaro and Lilian Thuram have virtually played throughout the whole season without a break.

Capello wants another stopper and Samuel is believed to be high of his wish-list given their success together in the past.

The Argentine established himself as one of the best defenders in the world while at Roma under the tactician.

However, reports suggest that Real would only release him if Juventus include one of their players who are of interest to them in any negotiations.

The Madrid outfit are believed to be keen on Gigi Buffon, Emerson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic but the Turin club are unlikely to release any of the three.

Meanwhile, Messina’s Alessandro Parisi will take part in Juventus’ end of season tour in Japan.

The left-back, contracted to his current club until 2007, will be given the chance to impress Capello.

Juve, who have been linked with the player for some time, could then decide to make a summer bid for his permanent services.

Teammate Marco Zanchi, who is on loan at Messina from Juventus, is also expected to be involved in the Far East trip.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/may17e.html

[dreamer75]

Ciro Ferrara, who yesterday made his 500th Serie A appearance, will join the Juventus youth sector next season.

The 38-year-old will hang up his boots at the end of the current campaign but says he won’t be leaving the Italian giants.

"I’ll still be a part of the environment here," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. "I’ll work as a director in the youth system.

"I want to transmit some of my experience to boys who are just about to enter the football world, a world that can be difficult at the start."

Ferrara, who was given a standing ovation by the Juve faithful at the Delle Alpi during the 2-0 win over Parma on Sunday, will wave goodbye to his playing days in a farewell game in his hometown of Napoli on June 9.

The former Italian international won two Serie A titles with Napoli before joining the Turin outfit in 1994. He’s now on the verge of collecting his sixth Scudetto with Juve.

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/ibrahimovicindex.jpg

Zlatan Ibrahimovic may have missed the last three Juventus games through suspension, but he quickly reminded everyone of his quality on his return during the 2-0 win against Parma. The super Swede was in fine fettle once more, underlining just how vital he has been in the Bianconeri’s march to yet another title.

Ibrahimovic has made a massive impact since his surprise summer arrival from Ajax. The striker is currently his club’s top scorer in the League, and his 16th goal of the Championship on Sunday meant that he has now netted the same amount of goals that Michel Platini bagged in 1982-83, his first in Serie A.

The fact that Ibra was included in the starting line-up at the Delle Alpi spoke volumes about his ability and importance to boss Fabio Capello’s plans. David Trezeguet may have headed home the Scudetto ‘winner’ in the 1-0 victory at Milan last week, but that wasn’t enough for the Frenchman to avoid starting on the bench against the Tardini boys.

Zlatan repaid the faith of his Coach with another powerful performance and a goal that basically ensured victory less than 25 minutes into the encounter. There are still parts of his game that need to be improved on but he is undoubtedly a youngster who Juventus plan to rely on for sometime to come.

"He lacks nothing," said Capello recently, before the outfit decided to blank the media. "He’s done some great work since coming here. He wants to always improve and he’s now not hitting the goalkeeper when he shoots. Let’s hope he continues on this path."

Luciano Moggi, the man responsible for signing the attacker, added: "He is a complete player who can score from any angle and by any method. Ibrahimovic is an important individual for not only the present but also for the future of Juventus."

Ibrahimovic looks like he’ll end his first campaign in the peninsula with a League title and it will be nothing less than he deserves. While Juve are no one-man team, Zlatan has been their main offensive weapon throughout the campaign even if Alex Del Piero, Trezeguet and Marcelo Zalayeta have all found the back of the net at key points of the campaign too.

Then of course, Ibrahimovic has been given the chance to excel thanks to a solid base of players behind him. The arrival of Fabio Cannavaro from Inter has helped Juve significantly tighten up at the back after last term’s difficulties. While Emerson has been another crucial piece of the Bianconeri jigsaw. They all joined the club with the Scudetto on their minds - they’ll all now wear the Scudetto shields on their chest next season.

Words: Antonio Labbate

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/player36.html

[dreamer75]

YES, we are the champions of Serie A!!!!

FORZA JUVE!!!! :s12:

[dreamer75]

Palermo’s draw at Milan was enough to hand Juventus the Italian championship. Football Italia looks back at how they lifted their latest Scudetto.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/deltrez.jpg

It’s mission accomplished for Juventus who return to winning ways after the disappointment of finishing last season empty-handed. The European giants are once more Campioni d’Italia after pipping Milan to the Scudetto, in one of the most thrilling and tight title races the calcio viewing public has ever seen.

The Old Lady of Italian football was forced to have a little facelift in the summer. She was looking decidedly tired after the wonder years of Marcello Lippi’s reign. New blood was needed and that duly arrived in the shape of boss Fabio Capello and numerous players in what some dubbed a risky transfer campaign.

There were no doubts about Capello’s ability but question marks remained about director general Luciano Moggi’s summer dealings. Emerson, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Fabio Cannavaro, Jonathan Zebina and Manuele Blasi were brought in but they sacrificed the likes of Enzo Maresca, Marco Di Vaio and Fabrizio Miccoli in return.

There were also critics who claimed that Ibrahimovic would take too long to settle and that Cannavaro, after a nightmare spell at Inter, was past his best. Yet all five of the major signings settled in almost instantly, with Cannavaro, Emerson and Ibra – also thanks to David Trezeguet’s injury – quickly establishing themselves as the new spine of the side.

The Turin giants started the season early due to their Champions’ League commitments but that seemed to favour their plans. The re-union of former Parma teammates Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram and goalkeeper Gigi Buffon gave Juventus a defensive security that was so badly lacking last term.

Juventus flew out of the blocks after winning eight and drawing one of their first nine League games. They surprisingly tasted defeat at Reggina but some questionable refereeing decisions, this time against Juve rather than in their favour, contributed to the shock reverse. That was only a minor set-back though, as was Trezeguet’s three-month lay-off given that Marcelo Zalayeta expertly replaced him when called upon.

It was all becoming too easy for Juventus, who by now had a six-point advantage over Milan, until they got a rather rude wake-up call at Inter. Leading 2-0 at the San Siro, they "admired themselves in the mirror" as Capello stated, when the Nerazzurri scored twice in the last 10 minutes to grab a dramatic point.

That was the start of a mini-crisis in form for the Bianconeri as the first signs of tiredness were setting in, with Capello rarely opting to rotate his squad as Milan and Inter had. Yet Juve still had a four-point lead over the Rossoneri, thanks to a narrow and lucky 1-0 win at Bologna, when Milan arrived at the Delle Alpi. The away side dominated the game but Juve were more than happy to pick up a draw and a 0-0 followed.

Despite a lack of quality alternatives for Capello, the outfit used the January transfer window to remove a few more of the ‘Old Guard’. Igor Tudor joined Siena, Bologna signed Nicola Legrottaglie and Mark Iuliano headed for Majorca.

By January 30, the title race was seemingly over. Juventus had stretched their lead over Milan to eight points and the fun and games were up. The San Siro outfit had basically ripped the tricolore shields off their shirts in surrender. They started to stitch them back on just four games later as Juve lost 1-0 to Sampdoria and Palermo, while drawing at Messina. It was all level again.

La Vecchia Signora was struggling badly by now. Trezeguet had returned from his shoulder lay-off but his campaign would continue to be hampered by a virus and then an ankle problem. To make matters worse, Pavel Nedved was also struck down by a knee injury and then concussion which kept him out for some time too. Yet when the going gets tough, Juventus get going. Capello decided that the only way to cope without Nedved was to attack and he switched to a 4-3-3 system that awoke the side.

Testimony of that came in victories over Real Madrid in the Champions’ League but also in the 2-1 win at Roma. The March 5 tie was one of the most eagerly awaited of the campaign after the summer exits of Capello, Emerson and Zebina. The Bianconeri won, even if in controversial circumstances, to underline that they still believed in the title.

Juventus and Milan continued to exchange almost identical blows, with the 1-0 loss to Inter in Turin bringing the teams once more level on points. They went into the San Siro clash in early May all square at the top of the table knowing that whoever won the showdown would probably go on to lift the title.

The then 27-time champions arrived at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in silence. The three-match ban on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, plus the broadcast of the Cannavaro ‘doping’ video, hadn’t gone down too well with club officials. If the media blackout was enforced to unite and focus the squad then it worked as Trezeguet returned to the starting line-up to basically head home the title winner. A victory against Parma, plus Milan’s inability to beat Lecce and Palermo with the Champions' League Final on their minds, made mathematically sure of a championship that was richly deserved.

Words: Antonio Labbate

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/juve28.html