Juventus FC Forum (Stadio Delle Alpi)

[dreamer75]

http://www.goal.com/images/27307_news.jpg
Atalanta 0-4 Juventus

Juventus were gone in 60 seconds as a Legrottaglie header within the first minute and a Del Piero hat-trick was enough to see the Bianconeri run out comfortable winners in Bergamo.

This game was over as soon as it started as a lightning Juventus side struck early to dash Atalanta’s hopes of getting anything from the game. The Old Lady was rampant and in stunning form as she made light work of an Atalanta side who just couldn’t compete with Claudio Ranieri’s side.

First Half

It was a dream start for Juventus who took the lead in just 45 seconds. The Bianconeri kicked off and went forward straight away. Nedved was fouled on the left wing and the referee awarded a free kick. Del Piero swung in the cross which found Legrottaglie’s head. The defender nodded the ball into the bottom corner leaving Coppola with no chance. It was a superb start for the Old Lady who rampant. It was not long before the Bianconeri doubled their advantage. Camoranesi played a high ball towards the far post which was nodded down by Trezeguet to Del Piero, Pinturrichio smashed the ball home on the volley.

It was all Juventus as Claudio Ranieri’s men showed no sign of stopping as they went in search of a third. Trezeguet should have put the tie to bed when he twisted and turned Rivalta but he couldn’t bury the ball past Coppola who scrambled it away. The Bianconeri dominated the game on all fronts as Atalanta were pegged back into their own half and offered little resistance to the Juventus onslaught. The Nerazzurri seemed flat and lacklustre as they played the long-ball game which was easy and predictable for Juve. The home side did have Buffon scrambling across goal after Bellini hit a spectacular volley from distance. However the ball whizzed wide as Atalanta began to bite back.

Ranieri’s men then seemed to step off the pedal as the Nerazzurri tried to find a way back into the game, however the Old Lady was well organised at the back and the home side could not really penetrate the wall of Bianconeri players. Buffon was called into action following Manfredini’s header, it was a good effort by the midfielder but the goalkeeper always had it covered. Floccari could and should have grabbed one back following his header on goal, but it went wide.

Just as Atalanta began to get their hopes up, Juve brought them back down to earth with a nasty bump. Zanetti played Del Piero through with a terrific ball and the striker beat the offside trap as he raced towards Coppola’s goal, he steadied himself and placed it past the ‘Keeper at his near post. It was a cool finish by a man on fire.

Second Half

The home side got the game underway and Gigi Del Neri introduced Marconi and Padoin as the ineffective Langella and Paolucci made way. Marconi did test Buffon with a powerful left foot drive but the ‘Keeper always had it covered. The Bianconeri looked in control as they kept their noses in front. Atalanta huffed and puffed but they couldn’t blow the Old Lady’s house down. Del Piero should have had his hat-trick when he smashed Nedved’s cross on the volley but Coppola made a good save to deny him.

Atalanta were playing better football but they just couldn’t get things going in the final third as poor finishing and a lack of punch by Guarente ensured Juve maintained their lead. There was some concern on the Juventus bench when Trezeguet went down clutching his ankle but it turned out to be nothing serious. Minutes later Trezeguet set up Del Piero for his hat-trick as Juventus wrapped up the game. The Frenchman chipped the ball over the Atalanta defence as Pinturrichio volley home for his third and Juve’s fourth.

The game always threatened to turn into a rout for Juventus as they showed no sign of applying the breaks. The Old Lady came forward time after time and the home side were lucky the score line didn’t become too embarrassing. Del Piero then made way for Palladino as the whole stadium stood up to applaud the hat-trick hero. It was a well deserved victory for the Bianconeri as they keep up the pressure on Roma.

Teams

Atalanta 4-4-2: Coppola, Rivalta, Carrozzieri, Manfredini, Bellini(De Ascentis), Ferreira Pinto, Tissone, Guarente, Langella(Padoin), Paolucci(Marconi), Floccari.

Juventus 4-4-2: Buffon, Grygera, Legrottaglie, Stendardo, Molinaro, Camoranesi(Marchionni), Nocerino, Zanetti(Tiago), Nedved, Trezeguet, Del Piero(Palladino).

Cards: Langella(Atalanta/Yellow), Molinaro(Juventus/Yellow), Carrozzieri(Atalanta/Yellow)

Goals: Legrottaglie(Juventus), Del Piero x 3(Juventus)

Referee: Trefoloni.

Salvatore Landolina

[vasilli07]

Calls for Del Piero to be included for Euro 08 is getting louder...not sure if donadoni will call him up...

[dreamer75]

Juventus - Lazio
Stadio Olimpico

Roma’s stumble means second place is within reach for Juventus and they hope to take advantage of a dismal spell for a Lazio side decimated by bans.

Claudio Ranieri’s men are on a roll and now just five points behind the Giallorossi with four games to play. It would be quite a feat to catch them in that time, but with the Scudetto out of Roma’s grasp and Francesco Totti out for the next four months, a late collapse is not out of the question. Second would send Juve straight into the Champions League without having to go through the preliminary round and guarantee more cash for the summer transfer kitty.

Lazio were in that competition last season, but a year on are struggling just to stay mid-table. The morale-boosting 3-2 result against Roma on March 19 was their last win, followed by three draws and two defeats to Fiorentina and Catania. Last week’s loss in Sicily was particularly damaging, as it cost Ousmane Dabo a two-match ban, plus suspensions for Luciano Zauri and Cristian Ledesma. Valon Behrami is an injury doubt with a continuing thigh problem and Rolando Bianchi still not 100 per cent fit, so we should see Gaby Mudingayi, Roberto Baronio and Aleksandr Kolarov in the starting XI.

Juventus are missing Vincenzo Iaquinta, Alessandro Birindelli and long-term absentee Jorge Andrade, but can count on Momo Sissoko and Giorgio Chiellini again after their lay-off in the 4-0 demolition of Atalanta. That trip to Bergamo not only cemented Alessandro Del Piero’s candidacy for a Euro 2008 spot, it also put him within two goals of Capocannoniere Marco Borriello. Between the two is his Juve teammate David Trezeguet, so two of the top three scorers in Serie A this season wear the Bianconeri jersey.

This is a special game for former Lazio men Pavel Nedved and Guglielmo Stendardo. The defender only left Rome in January following a blazing row with Coach Delio Rossi, although this week he tended a hand to the tactician and said he is open to a return.

Lazio’s overall record in Turin is very poor with just eight wins and 16 draws in 63 Serie A visits. That includes four different 6-1 losses, the latest in 1994, but times have changed recently and their last meeting in April 2006 ended in a 1-1 draw. The Biancocelesti also conquered Juve 2-1 in December 2002 with Stefano Fiore’s brace.

Keep an eye on: Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) – What more can be said of Alex? He is the form player in the entire League at the moment and his hat-trick against Atalanta only confirmed what we already knew.

Last season: Not played

Form guide: Juventus (W L W W W) Lazio (L D D D L)

Juventus (probable): Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Sissoko, Zanetti, Nedved; Trezeguet, Del Piero

Lazio (probable): Ballotta; De Silvestri, Siviglia, Cribari, Kolarov; Mudingayi, Baronio, Mutarelli; Mauri; Pandev, Rocchi

Ref: To follow...

[dreamer75]

Calls for Del Piero to be included for Euro 08 is getting louder...not sure if donadoni will call him up...

i hope he gets to play in EURO 2008 :D

[dreamer75]

A legal loophole means Juventus’ next Scudetto could still earn them a third ‘star’ on the jersey, as the club can count it as their 30th.

The Bianconeri were stripped of two titles in the Calciopoli scandal, the 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns, after former director general Luciano Moggi was found guilty of attempting to influence referees.

The 2005 edition was left unassigned, but the 2006 title went to Inter, who had finished in third place, as runners-up Milan were also penalised in the Calciopoli trial.

Clubs in Italy place a permanent star on their jersey for every 10 Serie A titles won and at the moment Juventus have two.

Although their next Scudetto will legally be counted as the 28th, the club intends to mark the ‘lost’ seasons by putting on a third star.

“Juventus have won 29 Scudetti and soon the third star will arrive,” President Giovanni Cobolli Gigli was quoted as saying in Tuttosport.

The real news is that legally there is nothing to prevent the Bianconeri from doing this.

“A club can put however many stars it wants on its shirt. There are no rules defining the question and the Lega Calcio does not have it under its jurisdiction,” explained undersecretary for the Lega Calcio, Fabio Santoro.

“Let’s just say this is an ethical question. If Juventus wanted to put the third star when they won another Scudetto, it would be their choice and certainly not a violation of the rules.

“The only thing we would point out is that for the official Lega Calcio history books the Bianconeri have 27 Scudetti right now and not 29.”

[dreamer75]

Juventus look set to mathematically clinch their Champions League spot this Sunday, but Claudio Ranieri sees no need to celebrate. “We only mark titles here.”

It is quite an achievement for the club that spent last season in Serie B and lost many of its stars in the Calciopoli scandal, especially as they are still in the running for second place.

“What will we do to celebrate? Nothing, because what we have done is notable and the sign of the winners’ DNA we still possess, but to reach the targets I have set there is a long way to go,” said the Coach.

“Considering what I want from myself and the team, to celebrate here would be excessive. It’s not that we shouldn’t be happy, but there is no need for a party either. It’s Juventus, we only mark titles here.”

The three points against Lazio would secure their place in the top four, leaving behind Milan and Sampdoria.

“We are focused on beating Lazio and that will not be an easy game. They paid a heavy price for injuries at the start of the season and once they went out of the Champions League found their pace. We got an important win in Rome with two fantastic Ale Del Piero goals from two equally brilliant Cristiano Zanetti assists.”

Ranieri is looking to the future, as entry into the Champions League does mean extra cash to reinforce the squad.

“We always said we’d more or less have two players per position. That is what we did last year and plan to do so again. We already have some stars with experience at this level and hope they can bring the others up with them.”

One man who is definitely sticking with Juve is Mauro German Camoranesi, the Argentine who won the World Cup with Italy and has recently been experimenting a central midfield role for the Bianconeri.

“It is a possible solution for the future and he can improve there,” continued Ranieri.

“Juve are starting to realise how well they are doing. I don’t want to single out just one figure, but in the first half of the season I said we were missing Camoranesi and that was because we needed somebody who could take on opponents.”

Momo Sissoko and Giorgio Chiellini are back in the squad after missing the 4-0 hammering of Atalanta through injury, so the only absentees are Vincenzo Iaquinta and Jorge Andrade.

Juventus squad: Buffon, Birindelli, Chiellini, Zebina, Zanetti, Salihamidzic, Camoranesi, Del Piero, Nedved, Belardi, Trezeguet, Palladino, Grygera, Sissoko, Nocerino, Stendardo, Molinaro, Tiago, Marchionni, Legrottaglie.

[dreamer75]

Amauri has admitted he is “91 per cent a Juventus player,” as the negotiations with the Bianconeri continue to go swimmingly.

The Palermo striker has been linked with a host of clubs including Chelsea, Real Madrid, Milan, Inter, Roma and Manchester United.

This week Rosanero patron Maurizio Zamparini told the media Juve had made the only firm bid and that Amauri was “90 per cent” signing for the Turin giants.

“In that case, I’ll add a little extra and I’ll say that I am 91 per cent a Juventus player,” the Brazilian told Radio Deejay.

“After everything I have gone through in my career, it is already a victory seeing some of Europe’s biggest clubs interested in me.

“I feel very proud and, aged 28, I want to discover what it is like to step on to the field aiming to win a Scudetto or the Champions League. It is the right moment to do so.”

There will be a battle for places in Turin next term, though Amauri is not afraid of the competition.

“David Trezeguet is a wonderful striker. I will do all I can to earn my place.”

The Brazilian is in the process of applying for Italian citizenship and could play for either his homeland or the Azzurri.

“It is a dilemma for me and a very long story. Of course, if Carlos Dunga called, then I would run to Brazil.”

[dreamer75]

Claudio Ranieri is set to raid the Premiership for top stars such as Frank Lampard, Mathieu Flamini, Patrice Evra and Gerard Pique’.

Juventus are heading for the Champions League and aim to strengthen their squad considerably over the summer to mount a credible hunt for European and Italian glory.

Their interest in want-away Arsenal midfielder Flamini – facing a transfer battle with Milan – is no secret, but today the Corriere dello Sport claims there are other targets on English soil.

Manchester United defenders Evra and Pique’ are potential new arrivals, using Raffaele Palladino as bait considering he has long been admired by Sir Alex Ferguson.

The ‘dream’ signing since the moment Ranieri set foot in Turin has been his former Chelsea protégé Lampard.

The chances of a negotiation are good, although so far Juventus have baulked at the £5.5m per season wage demands.

The Bianconeri can raise more cash during their planned jaunt to Britain next week, as Tiago Mendes continues to be of interest to Tottenham.

Sergio Almiron is set to return from his six-month loan spell at Monaco and might head to the Premier League for West Ham, Middlesbrough or Spurs.

[dreamer75]

He would be a good backup for us!

Juventus director of football Alessio Secco is reportedly in London to discuss the transfer of Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini.

The Bianconeri want a quality stand-in for Italy No 1 Gigi Buffon, who has been suffering with a back problem since the turn of the year.

Juventus' current back-up 'keeper Emanuele Belardi has deputised for the World Cup winner three times this season, failing to keep a clean sheet on each occasion.

Cudicini hasn't played in Italy for nine years since he left Castel Di Sangro in 1999. The 34-year-old played under Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri between 2000 and 2004 when the Tinkerman was in charge of the Blues.

Ranieri gave Cudicini his chance at Stamford Bridge, allowing the former Lazio stopper to establish himself as one of the Premiership's best goalkeepers.

Secco is also believed to be meeting with Mathieu Flamini to discuss a transfer to the Turin giants.

Further to Flamini's signature, the Italian Press have also reported Juventus' interest in a string of Premier League stars, including Xabi Alonso and Emmanuel Adebayor.

[dreamer75]

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



Olof Mellberg believes that he has been signed by Juventus to play as a centre-back, despite spending much of his final season with Aston Villa on the right.

The Swedish defender became the Bianconeri’s first signing for the 2008-09 campaign when he put pen to paper on a three-year deal in January, with his Villa contract expiring this summer.

Although both Zdenek Grygera and Jonathan Zebina have failed to nail down the right-back position this term, Mellberg doesn’t think he will be handed that role.

“I think they have signed me as a centre-half, but also with the knowledge that I can play on the right if necessary,” the 30-year-old exclusively told Football Italia.

“I started my international career with a lot of matches as a full-back, but I think Juventus know that I enjoy my game the most when I’m playing in the middle.”

Mellberg has spent the past seven years at Villa Park since arriving in the Premier League from Spanish outfit Racing Santander.

He has represented his country on 77 occasions and was named Sweden’s Player of the Year back in 2003.

[dreamer75]

HT Juventus [4 - 0] Lazio

15' [1 - 0] G. Chiellini
21' [2 - 0] M. Camoranesi
32' [3 - 0] A.D. Piero
33' [4 - 0] D. Trezeguet

[dreamer75]

FT Juventus [5 - 2] Lazio

15' [1 - 0] G. Chiellini
21' [2 - 0] M. Camoranesi
32' [3 - 0] A.D. Piero
33' [4 - 0] D. Trezeguet
55' [4 - 1] R. Bianchi
61' [4 - 2] S. Siviglia
88' [5 - 2] G. Chiellini

[dreamer75]

We have booked a place in the preliminary round of the Champions League next season :D

[dreamer75]

Juventus 5 - 2 Lazio

Chiellini 15, 89 (J), Camoranesi 21 (J), Del Piero 32 (J), Trezeguet 34 (J), Bianchi 55 (L), Siviglia 61 (L)

Stadio Olimpico

Juventus are officially in the preliminary round of the Champions League after demolishing Lazio.

Claudio Ranieri insisted there was no need to celebrate, especially with second place theoretically up for grabs. Vincenzo Iaquinta remained sidelined, but Lazio were decimated after bans for Luciano Zauri, Ousmane Dabo and Cristian Ledesma joined the injured Tommaso Rocchi, Valon Behrami and Mourad Meghni. It was a special game for ex-Lazio men Pavel Nedved and Gugliemo Stendardo, the latter leaving in January after a furious row with Delio Rossi.

David Trezeguet nodded off target, but it was a similar move that opened the scoring. Giorgio Chiellini's glancing header flashed into the far bottom corner from a Mauro German Camoranesi free kick.

Juventus doubled their advantage with Camoranesi, although Trezeguet should've had it when he incredibly scuffed Alessandro Del Piero's assist from six yards, but the move continued for Camoranesi to side-foot in.

There was truly just one team in this match. Cristiano Zanetti's searching pass allowed Del Piero to cut back past his marker and sweep a perfect left-foot finish into the bottom far corner of the net.

Incredibly 120 seconds later it was 4-0. Camoranesi again inspired with his through ball that Trezeguet flicked up off his heel to slide in at the near post from seven yards.

Lazio finally woke up and had a chance before the break, but a brilliant Gigi Buffon save denied Stefano Mauri's diving header.

Marco Ballotta beat away a powerful Nedved attempt, but Mauri was clear on goal and lost his footing as he went round Buffon, wasting a glorious opportunity.

Rolando Bianchi restored a little dignity with a consolation goal, as Mauri nodded the ball into his path for a precise lob.

Juventus seemed to have stayed in the locker room psychologically for the second half, as Lazio made it 4-2 with a fine Sebastiano Siviglia diving header from Fabio Vignaroli's cross.

The Bianconeri woke up and Nedved cracked the crossbar on the counter-attack, while Lazio went down to 10 men on 75 minutes when Siviglia got a second booking for his tackle on Nedved. It confirms Lazio's status as the least disciplined side in Serie A.

They made it 5-2 in the final minute from a Camoranesi corner kick, as Aleksandr Kolarov slipped during his clearance to effectively set up Chiellini's tap-in from six yards.

Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Sissoko, Zanetti, Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet

Lazio: Ballotta; De Silvestri, Siviglia, Cribari, Radu; Mudingayi, Baronio (Vignaroli 46), Mutarelli; Mauri (Kolarov 78); Pandev, Bianchi (Tare 84)

Ref: Gervasoni

Sent off: Siviglia 75 (L)

[dreamer75]

Siena 1 - 0 Juventus
Kharja 7 (S)

Stadio Franchi

Juventus fell to a surprise defeat in Siena, failing to ever really trouble the opposition.

Claudio Ranieri warned he never wanted to see a Juve side satisfied with their lot and there was little chance of that with both David Trezeguet and Alex Del Piero competing for the Capocannoniere crown. Siena couldn't rest either as Serie A safety was not yet mathematically assured. Valerio Bertotto was injured and Manuel Coppola suspended, while Vincenzo Iaquinta and Jorge Andrade remained long-term absentees.

Juventus had visited Siena three times in the top flight and won every time, scoring nine goals and conceding one. Del Piero is seeking a Euro 2008 spot and sent a 'subtle' message by wearing Azzurri blue boots with an Italian flag on them.

It was Siena who broke through with the first chance of the game. Houssine Kharja pounced on a defensive error on the edge of the box for a looping right-foot strike into the far top corner.

Pavel Nedved fought back to skim the target on Del Piero's assist, while Trezeguet scored with a header after play had been stopped for a foul.

Massimo Maccarone was fired up and drilled wide with his right foot and Gianluigi Buffon did well to parry the ex-Middlesbrough man's left-foot strike in a one-on-one situation.

Buffon saved a Rossi attempt at the near post and although substitute Hasan Salihamidzic turned a header off target, Juve struggled to create any danger.

Mauro Camoranesi's flick and smash was palmed over the bar by Alex Manninger.

Siena: Manninger; Ficagna, Portanova, Loria, Rossi; Vergassola, Codrea, Galloppa; Kharja (Frick 72); Locatelli (De Ceglie 53), Maccarone (Rossettini 90)

Juventus: Buffon; Zebina (Salihamidzic 46), Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Sissoko (Marchionni 65), Zanetti, Nedved (Palladino 79); Trezeguet, Del Piero

Ref: Orsato

[dreamer75]

Juve has reached an agreement with Mark Schwarzer. His contract with Middlesbrough will end at the end of the season. He has also a german passport..

source: sports.com

http://www.sports.it/it/cmc/calcio/200818/cmc_121903.html

[dreamer75]

Juve is trying to sign Xabi Alonso.

13 mil euros

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://sport.alice.it/it/cmc/calcio/200819/cmc_121976.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DLa%2BJuve%2Bpensa%2Balla%2BChampions%2Be%2BRanieri%2Bchiama%2BXabi%2BAlonso%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

[dreamer75]

Juventus

Buffon -6.5: The goalkeeper had nothing to do all game as Siena were hell bent on defending rather than attacking. But Buffon did make a couple of great saves when called upon.

Zebina -5.0: A very poor return for the Frenchman. He looked all at sea throughout the first half and he was not interested in the game at all. A real shocker.

Legrottaglie -5.5: Not one of his best performances today. Legro didn't struggle but he did find the going a little tough against Maccaronebut he did make some decent challenges.

Chiellini -5.0: The stopper was largely at fault for Siena's goal and he looked a shadow of the player who has been so brilliant in recent weeks. A performance he would rather forget.

Molinaro -5.0: Another player who has been blowing hot and cold this season and this time his performance was cold. Never really got going and he struggled to perform up to the standard required of him. Not good enough to be a Juventus player in my view.

Camoranesi -5.5: The Italy international played out of his skin but he was guilty of missing a sitter which cost his side a point. He displayed the odd flash of brilliance but it was not enough.

Sissoko -4.5: Once again the Mali international makes the headlines for all the worng reasons. A shocking game by the midfielder, he was poor, slow and lacked motivation.

Zanetti -5.0: Another player keeps dipping in and out of form. He lacked consistency today and let his side down with a number of wayward passes. Not his best game by anymeans.

Nedved -5.5: The veteran midfielder was not at his usual best this afternoon and he struggled to make an impact. His shooting and passing was poor and he failed to set the game on fire.

Trezeguet -4.0: The Frenchman hardly touched the ball as he drifted out of the game. He posed no threat up front at all and he would rather forget this game sooner rather than later.

Del Piero -4.5: An unexpected and woeful performance by Del Piero. If Donadoni was watching then Del Piero will not be going to the Euro's. He was not involved in anything and was static all game.

[dreamer75]

Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri believes that imminent signing of Amauri will be a great addition to the Bianconeri squad.

The Brazilian forward is on the verge of completing his move to Turin, and Palermo President Maurizio Zamaparini yesterday stated that the transfer would be completed in the early days of next week.

Ranieri believes that Amauri, who scored twice in the weekend victory at Lazio, will greatly strengthen Juve as they hope to launch a two-pronged attack on Serie A and Europe next season.

“Amauri is a great player and he could be an extra champion in the dressing room, but we aren’t a Scudetto chasing squad yet,” the Tinkerman admitted.

“I need two alternatives for every role and two or three emergency players. We have to improve in terms of strength and depth.”

With Juventus set to finish third in the championship, they will be forced to play in the qualifying round of the Champions League.

This could pose a problem, as Juve have a number of youngsters, such as Sebastian Giovinco, Claudio Marchisio and Paolo De Ceglie, who are likely to be on duty, at the same time as this, for the Italy Under 21s at the Beijing Olympics.

“The Olympics will be played at the same time as the Champions League preliminaries,” Ranieri explained. “I don’t know how many of our players Pierluigi Casiraghi will choose, but I need them.”

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

Napoli transfer guru Pierpaolo Marino has given up hope of signing Juventus’ Antonio Nocerino, and says that he will be joining Palermo.


Nocerino has played more games this season for Juventus in Serie A than any other midfielder, however despite an excellent start to the campaign, he has largely struggled in 2008.

Following the arrival of Momo Sissoko from Liverpool in January, as well as the probable signing of another big name midfielder this summer, Nocerino is surplus to requirements in Turin.

Napoli have been interested in signing the 23-year-old, who was born in Naples, however the club’s sporting director says this will not happen.

“At Juventus I like Nocerino,” Marino told Tutttopsort.

“But I think there is nothing more to do – he will join Palermo.”

Napoli have made it clear that they will be making some big signings this summer as they attempt to break into the elite of Serie A.
Marino seemed to hint that Manuele Blasi and Marcelo Zalayeta, who joined on co-ownership deals from Juve last pre-season, may not stay.

"Blasi is always suspended, Zalayeta is injured: they have only satisfied us 50 per cent,” he stated. “We are still looking at youngsters from abroad: the club policy is clear.”

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved is still unsure over his future with the Old Lady.

There has been much speculation regarding the Czech international’s time with the Bianconeri and many believe that this will be his final season with the club. However, such speculation about the player has been made before only to be proven wrong.

Nedved reveals that he will have a clearer answer over his career in two weeks.

“I don’t really know whether I will continue, I still have a couple of weeks to think and decide,” said Nedved.

“I am thinking very carefully as it will be an important decision.

“To play at Juventus has been an honour and I am proud, I have had some fun in the Bianconeri jersey over the years.

“I will make a decision on my future very soon.”

Nedved has been at the club since 2001 when he was signed from Lazio for €41 million as a replacement for Zinedine Zidane who left the Old Lady to join the Galacticos of Real Madrid.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

we definately need a world class midfielder!

http://www.goal.com/images/27180_news.jpg

Juventus are preparing a bid for Bayern Munich star Bastian Schweinsteiger, according to Kicker.


The Bianconeri have long identified a top-class midfielder as their number one transfer priority this summer.

This has led to a host of big names being linked to Turin, including the likes of Diego, Rafael van der Vaart, Frank Lampard and Marek Hamsik.

However negotiations for these players have not gone well, and Juve received a big blow when Alessio Secco was outfoxed by Milan in his attempts to sign Arsenal star Mathieu Flamini.

According to Kicker, Juve have now turned their attention to Schweinsteiger. The 23-year-old grew up in Bayern’s youth system, debuting for the senior team in 2002.

Despite his relatively young age, he has already won 49 caps for the German national team, scoring an impressive 13 goals. He played at both Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006, where Germany were defeated by Italy in the semi finals.

Kicker also claims that Juve are considering trying to hijack Milan’s attempts to sign Willy Sagnol. The Rossoneri have reportedly already agreed a €5m transfer fee with Bayern for the French full-back, but Juve are prepared to match this offer.

However they may miss out on the 31-year-old, as it is speculated that Sagnol has already confided to friends that he will be joining Milan.

Gianni Wilson

[vasilli07]

Nocerino going to Palermo? He is the Pirlo of Juventus...surprise...

[dreamer75]

Nocerino going to Palermo? He is the Pirlo of Juventus...surprise...

Nocerino only played well in September and October. After that time span he really fell off a cliff. The guy doesn't seem to have any natural skill with the ball at his feet, loves to make rash tackles, but he does work hard. His problem is he lacks the fundamentals in football . Dribbling , passing etc .. I'm not saying I want him to dribble like Messi or pass like Fabregas but he should at least give decent passes that a football player at a team like Juve would give . He's not terrible but still has a long way to go. Maybe he needs more time.

[dreamer75]

I would love to see Claudio Marchisio back tho.

Marchisio for example is superior to Nocerino in all aspects in the game even as a ballwinner. Marchisio is smarter he may not run as much as Nocerino but he is standing correct and wins the ball fairly more then Nocerino does.

I don't see the great thing to win the ball when 9/10 results in a freekick as Nocerino does when he plays. Look at Sissoko he wins the ball fairly most of the time. And that is something that gives the team something.

[dreamer75]

hkvq-bljy_Q

[dreamer75]

Please do not sell Giovinco!!!!

Palermo transfer chief Rino Foschi is hopeful of signing Juventus-owned sensation Sebastian Giovinco as part of the deal that will see Amauri end up in Turin.

Brazilian striker Amauri is almost certain to join Juve, with Palermo President Maurizio Zamaprini yesterday stating that the deal was “98 per cent” completed.

Part of the transfer agreement will see a number of Bianconeri players move to Sicily in exchange, and Foschi is confident that Giovinco will be one of these.

"The remaining 2 per cent relates to the agreement between the player and the Bianconero club,” explained the transfer director.

“We have asked for Claudio Marchisio, Antonio Nocerino, Sebastian Giovinco, and Davide Lanzafame in return.

“Juve would prefer the loan formula, but we think we can purchase them permanently or obtain most of their ownership.”

Yesterday Napoli transfer guru Pierpaolo Marino declared that he had given up hope of purchasing Nocerino, as the midfielder was on his way to Palermo.

As for Giovinco, it seems inconceivable that one of Europe’s most explosive young talents could be sold on a permanent deal.

The 20-year-old, who is on-loan at Empoli this campaign, is being tipped by some sections of the press to join Palermo on another one-year loan contract.

Anthony Sormani

[dreamer75]

I am OK with Lanzafame and Nocerino leaving. I would be willing to see Marchisio leave but only on loan. Giovinco I would like to see in our team next season even though I could accept a 1 year loan (especially if we bring a good left midfielder). That is the most acceptable thing for me. I wouldn't want to see Marchiso or Giovinco sold permanently and I doubt it will happen because it is obvious Palermo would try and use us in the best possible way. If they give up on Amauri and get 4 players in exchange permanently, they have done a great deal and used us to the maximum. If they get 4 players on loan and sell Amauri, then it is the opposite: we used them in the best way possible.

Anyway, I don't believe this bull****, it's a mere speculation and it is still far from final agreement. What is Palermo thinking, that they have a world's best player in their squad, asking for 4 players (full ownership)!? They must be insane.

[dreamer75]

Gianluigi Buffon has admitted that it would be a dream if Juventus signed Ronaldinho, while he also gives his thumbs up to the imminent purchase of Amauri.

Ronaldinho & Summer Transfers

Juventus are ready to return to their glorious times of the past, having booked their place in next season's Champions League.

Buffon warns though that the squad needs to be strengthened greatly if they are to be in with a serious shout of challenging both at home and abroad.

“It will take a group even more competitive both in number and in quality,” stated the world's best shot-stopper.

“In every department we need one or two players of a certain level.

"Ronaldinho would be the dream of any player or supporter, however all the right conditions must be in place, because if they were not it would only be bad for the team.

"It is very satisfying to return to Europe to play against the strongest teams in the world. This is something I was missing."

Amauri & Mellberg

Buffon then gave his thumbs up to the imminent summer signing of Palermo striker Amauri, while he is also happy about the Bosman capture of Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg.

"Amauri is the best expression of the new attackers in Italy, and in Palermo he scored two beautiful goals against me," said the 30-year-old.

“But next year, in a great team, he needs to prove that he is a player of international class.

“Mellberg is someone who knows how to lead the defence, he is physical and has personality. We need players of this type.”

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has expressed his desire for Pavel Nedved to remain at the club for at least another season.

There has been much speculation regarding the Czech international’s time with the Bianconeri and many believe that this will be his final season with the club, with the Japanese J-League being touted as a possible swan-song venue.

Gigli, however, insists that the 'Czech Fury' is still very much wanted at the club, despite the fact that he will be all of 36 next season.

"Nedved will make his case to us, but by how he played this season, he has a good chance of doing good things with us next season," said the Bianconeri supremo.

The player himself has revealed that he will have a clearer answer over his career in two weeks.

Nedved has been at the club since 2001 when he was signed from Lazio for €41 million as a replacement for Zinedine Zidane who left the Old Lady to join the Galacticos of Real Madrid.

Derek Wanner, Goal.com

[dreamer75]

http://www.juventus.com/site/filesite/shared/NMHP_ITA.jpg

I think it will be tough one.Catania badly need points to stay in Serie A.We did what we could and I must admit I'm happy with 3rd position.Games like this (especially against Catania) should not be taken serious and that's what clubs usually do as Greg pointed out already.Just gentleman agreement.I help you not get relegated and you help me next year if I need points for Scudetto.Why I said especially Catania?

Because they have something we need badly and something that we could use next year when we'll fight for first place...that is Vargas.People still don't understand that we could play him in middle sometimes.Player with qualities like his and especially with his age can't be easily found on transfer market for that price.

Their away record is very bad.They don't have any win while they have 5 draws and 8 lost matches. If we head out for victory we're going to destroy them hard.

Their top scorers are Spinezi with 9 and Martinez with 7 goals.Third one is Vargas believe it or not with 6 goals.

Usually I'd go for victory and crush them but this way we could do something more useful.

[dreamer75]

I prefer a younger defender tho but if he's cheap and come with experience, i dont mind :o


Juventus are set to steal Bayern Munich defender Willy Sagnol from the grasp of Milan, according to the Corriere dello Sport.


French full-back Sagnol has had a miserable season with Bayern, where he has lost his first team place and fallen out with coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

The 31-year-old’s future with the Bavarian giants is very uncertain, especially as he was recently suspended by the club for publicly blasting Hitzfeld in the press.

Earlier this week the Italian media revealed that Milan had opened talks with Bayern over a transfer, and indeed it was the Corriere who claimed that a fee of €5m had been agreed upon.

Sagnol later came out and confirmed Milan’s interest, but said he still had not decided about where his future lay.

The Corriere is today claiming that Juventus have hijacked the Rossoneri’s attempts to sign the former Monaco man and that the Old Lady’s general manager Jean-Claude Blanc met with Sagnol’s agents yesterday.

Sagnol, who has been at Bayern since 2000 and has won 54 caps for France, was close to signing for Juve in 2006 on a Bosman transfer, before he eventually renewed his contract.

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

most prob Sagnol can play RB for 1 or 2 seasons then become a backup?

[dreamer75]

i dont blame the fans cos im unhappy too :(

Juventus supporters have reacted angrily to reports that the club are preparing to sell 50 per cent of Sebastian Giovinco to Palermo.

Giovinco is widely regarded as one of the most explosive young players currently in circulation, and earlier this week Milan wonderkid Alexandre Pato named the 21-year-old as one of the top four youngsters in world football.

Despite this, reports have been strengthening in Italy over the past few days that Juventus are set to sell half of Giovinco’s contract to Palermo, as part of the deal that will see Amauri arrive in Turin.

This has infuriated Juventus supporters across the globe, who have flooded various websites almost unanimously to vent their spleen.

A poll on the site VecchiaSignora.com revealed that 90.5 per cent of fans were completely against even a loan deal, while just a meagre 1.5 per cent approved of a co-ownership deal.

Juventus fans have been heavily opposed to the club’s director of sport Alessio Secco for quite sometime now, following a string of blunders in the transfer market.

Any decision to release Giovinco to Palermo in a co-ownership deal could push their patience to boiling point.

Anthony Sormani

[dreamer75]

pls buy ujfalusi!!!!

[dreamer75]

ujfalusi/zebina - andrade/melberg - chiellini/criscito - molinaro/grygera

the above mentioned back line looks a tad bit weak in the left back position..so its probably gonna be molinaro's head rolling unless we can play him as a LM,

[dreamer75]

Madrid Ready For Alonso Swoop
Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso could be the first Real Madrid signing this summer according to reports in Spain.

Marca has claimed that Rafa Benitez has given the move the go-ahead and Alonso could be a Merengues player by the time he leaves for the European Championships.

It seems as if Real are acting quickly as they do not want to lose out to other clubs who are also interested in the Liverpool midfielder.

The Reds are asking for €28 million but it seems that Real will be able to complete the operation with €24 million.

Reports have also suggested that Los Blancos may throw in Ruben de la Red in order to try and pay a lower transfer fee for their target.

Juventus have also been after the midfielder but it seems likely that Real will land their man as Alonso is not keen on a move to Italy and instead he wants to return to his native Spain.

Meanwhile, Bernd Schuster’s side will be hoping they can continue their La Liga triumph with a win against Real Zaragoza on Sunday.

goal.com


28mil is too much for him, he doesnt want to come to Italy so we can forget about this deal happening.

[dreamer75]

Juve Arrange Bosman Meeting With Schwarzer

According to La Stampa, Juventus have arranged a meeting next Monday with Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer’s representatives in a bid to thrash out a free transfer move for the player.

The Old Lady are attempting to strengthen their squad ahead of next season’s two-fronted attack on Serie A and Europe.

The objective is to find two suitable players in each position on the field, and one area that needs to be fortified is that of the goalkeeper.

While Juve currently possess the undisputed number one in the world in the form of Gianluigi Buffon, his understudy Emanuele Belardi has failed to impress when given the opportunity.

Last week it was reported that Juventus were looking likely to beat off competition from the likes of Fiorentina and Bayern Munich to sign Mark Schwarzer, who is available on a free transfer as his contract at Middlesbrough runs out in the summer.

La Stampa today claims that Juve have arranged a meeting with the 35-year-old Aussie’s representative for Monday of next week, where they will attempt to thrash out a deal.

The Bianconeri have already snapped up Olof Mellberg on a Bosman, and there are reports that Firoentina defender Tomas Ujfalusi could follow him to Turin in an identical move.

goal.com

[dreamer75]

Juventus stopper Alessandro Birindelli will play his final home game for Juventus on Sunday and he looks back at a successful 11 year career.

Birindelli joined Juventus from Empoli in 1997 and he got off to a flying start with the Bianconeri by scoring a free kick a-la-Del Piero against Kosice in the Champions League, a game Juve went on to win 5-0. Birindelli became a favourite in Juventus’ backline and he was a regular in Marcello Lippi’s star studded side.

“This is my last month as a Juventus player,” Birindelli told Juventus Channel.

“I arrived in Turin aged 22, had been married for 10 days and for me it was a whole new beginning. I grew up here, learned values like professionalism and love for the team colours.

“I became a man and matured. After such a long time there are not just football links with a club, but true friendships both on and off the field.

“The greatest sporting disappointment was losing the Champions League Final to Milan in Manchester, but on a personal level the most painful bitterness was seeing Juve demoted to Serie B. In one moment I saw all the sacrifices of the season disappear.

“We know how we fought to win those two Scudetti and the opposition know it too. In fact, we proved that this year by beating them at San Siro.”

Birindelli is still unsure of what to do next but he would like to return to Tuscany more than anything else.

“I don’t know what my destiny will be now," he added. "I always said I’d like to return to Empoli, the club that launched me on the football stage.”

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

u bet we wont be relaxed!

Catania coach Walter Zenga doesn't believe Juventus will be relaxed in tomorrow's game despite already securing their place in the Champions League.

With two defeats in their last two league games, Walter Zenga's Catania have compromised their chances of staying in Serie A, after it seemed certain they would avoid the drop. Currently they are just one point above the relegation zone with only two games to go, and tomorrow they are facing a tough away game against Juventus.

The Bianconeri have already ensured they will finish third this season, so perhaps their motivation for this game won't be huge. Zenga can also take heart from Catania's good performance in the Coppa Italia against Roma, whom they held to a 1-1 draw, although it wasn't enough to reach the final.

"At the moment the team is doing well and I think we can repeat our performances in the last 4-5 games, which we always dominated," he said.

The coach doesn't think Juventus will be relaxed in this game: "There will be a full stadium. The Juve fans will be partying. If we manage to get a result it's not because they will be relaxed, it will be down to our merit. Our strong point is our conviction. Football is a nice sport because it's unpredictable and it gives you the chance to get a result against anyone."

Danilo Pochini

[dreamer75]

Claudio Ranieri has demanded his side give the fans something to cheer about when they take on Catania on Sunday.


The Bianconeri clash with the Rossoblu on Sunday and although Juventus have nothing to play for, Catania are fighting a battle against relegation.

There have been reports all week that Juventus will lay down against the Sicilian side but Ranieri has other ideas.

“There will be plenty of motivation against Catania, we want to maintain consistency and we want to congratulate our fans,” said Ranieri.

“The fans have understood the transition we have had to make this season and they have stood by us.

“There is also the chance that two of players can win the top scorer’s title and thus we will be looking to do this.

“It has been a good year and now we have to look ahead to do well next year by fighting for the Scudetto and Champions League.”

The Bianconeri have enjoyed a good season following their return from their Calciopoli punishment in Serie B. Ranieri’s men will be looking to bounceback from their poor 1-0 defeat to minnows Siena last week when Catania visit the Olimpico.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Juventus (3rd Serie A, 70 points) v Catania (17th Serie A, 35 points)
When: Sunday, 11th May, kick-off 1500 CET
Where: Stadio Olimpico, Turin

Juventus host Catania at the Olimpico stadium of Turin in their final home match of what has been a very positive season.

The Bianconeri managed to finish in third place and for long stretches of the season even competed for second, thus exceeding the expectations of their first year back in the top flight following the demotion to Serie B due to Calciopoli.

The Old Lady do not really have much to play for in this final game considering they have no objectives to reach and therefore their only source of motivation is that of saluting their home fans with a win.

However, Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet have their own personal targets to reach: the national team and the top-scorer list respectively, and they have these final two games to achieve their goals.

Catania are still deeply involved in the relegation battle as they stand jut one point above the drop zone. A defeat could push them closer to Serie B and they will therefore arrive in Turin fully geared up to obtain at least a point from this clash.

Recent form has not been very comforting for the visitors, who under new coach Zenga have obtained just one win in their last six games.

Juventus were coming from four impressive wins in a row before they slipped at Siena last weekend, but overall they have been quite solid and even spectacular, scoring 17 goals in their last six games.

FORM GUIDE

Juventus
Siena - Juventus 1 - 0 04/05/2008 SERIE A
Juventus - Lazio 5 - 2 27/04/2008 SERIE A
Atalanta - Juventus 0 - 4 20/04/2008 SERIE A
Juventus - Parma 3 - 0 16/04/2008 SERIE A
Juventus - Milan 3 - 2 12/04/2008 SERIE A
Palermo - Juventus 3 - 2 06/04/2008 SERIE A

Catania
Catania - Roma 1 - 1 08/05/2008 COPPA ITALIA
Catania - Reggina 1 - 2 04/05/2008 SERIE A
Udinese - Catania 2 - 1 27/04/2008 SERIE A
Catania - Lazio 1 - 0 20/04/2008 SERIE A
Roma - Catania 1 - 0 16/04/2008 COPPA ITALIA
Palermo - Catania 1 - 0 12/04/2008 SERIE A


TEAM NEWS

Juventus
Andrade and Iaquinta are out until the end of the season due to injuries, whilst Molinaro is suspended. Nocerino, Palladino, Salihamidzic, Trezeguet, Grygera, Zanetti, Camoranesi, Stendardo, Legrottaglie and Del Piero are one yellow card away from suspension.

Probable Formation (4-4-2): Buffon, Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Grygera, Camoranesi, Sissoko, Zanetti, Nedved, Del Piero, Trezeguet

Catania
Spinesi is the only unavailable player for the Etnei due to an injury, as no one is suspended. However, Baiocco, Martinez, Biagianti, Vargas, Edusei, Izco, Sottil, Sardo, Sabato and Stovini must be careful not to be show the yellow card in order to play the final league game next weekend.

Probable Formation (4-4-2): Polito, Sardo, Terlizzi, Stovini, Sabato, Baiocco, Biagianti, Tedesco, Vargas, Colucci, Mascara


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Del Piero (Juventus)
Now that Iaquinta has been ruled out until June, there is a vacant spot in Donadoni's national team, and the Juventus captain will be competing for it with Antonio Cassano. These last two games will be fundamental for him to prove that he could be an important element for the Azzurri in the European Championships.

Vargas (Catania)
Has been touted as a possible Juventus target and for this reason he will want to impress in order to convince the Bianconeri's directors that he is an excellent element.


PREDICTION

The Old Lady does not have much to play for, apart from personal targets like the top-scorer list and national team call-ups, but will want to end the season on a high in front of their own crowd. On the other hand Catania cannot afford to lose, but it will be highly unlikely that they beat Juventus on their own court.

Juventus 1 - 0 Catania

Glenn Debattista

[dreamer75]

Juventus 1 - 1 Catania
Martinez 48 (C), Del Piero 89 (J)

Stadio Olimpico

Alessandro Del Piero netted a last-gasp equaliser to keep himself in the Capocannoniere race and complicates Catania's position.

The pressure was all on the Sicilians, who were fighting to stay out of the relegation zone and feared tiredness from Thursday's Coppa Italia semi-final exit to Roma. Juve only needed to worry about Alex Del Piero and David Trezeguet's duel for the Capocannoniere crown and making up for last week's 1-0 loss at Siena. Cristiano Zanetti and Vincenzo Iaquinta were injured with Cristian Molinaro on a ban.

Catania had just one win in Turin back in April 1963, losing all five consequent visits.

Del Piero's right-foot strike skimmed the frame of the goal early on and also tested goalkeeper Bizzarri with a solo effort.

Momo Sissoko drilled over, but Del Piero again went close after combining with Trezeguet.

On 40 minutes Gigi Buffon had his palms stung by a rocket of a Vargas free kick.

It was Catania who took the lead in chaotic circumstances when Jorge Martinez managed to bundle a corner kick over the line.

The Bianconeri fought back, although Del Piero was unable to make the most of Raffaele Palladino's assist.

Trezeguet really should have beaten Bizzarri, but hesitated when one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The Frenchman was on target later on, but Bizzarri performed a crucial save.

Del Piero finally made his mark in the final minute. He had several more chances throughout the game, but flung himself at a Giorgio Chiellini cross to volley in from five yards, reacting far quicker than the Catania defenders.

Juventus: Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Grygera; Camoranesi, Sissoko, Tiago (Nocerino 66), Palladino (Nedved 72); Del Piero (Pasquato 90), Trezeguet

Catania: Bizzarri; Silvestri, Terlizzi, Stovini, Sabato; Baiocco, Biagianti, Tedesco (Edusei 69), Vargas (Izco 61); Martinez (Silvestre 87), Mascara

Ref: Trefoloni

[dreamer75]

Disappointed with the result but with kudos to Catania for their eoofrt.

[dreamer75]

http://images.football365.com/07/08/240/Pavel_Nedved_557040.jpg

Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved has ended speculation about his footballing future by signing a new contract with the club.

Nedved hinted earlier in the season that he could retire at the end of the current campaign, but the 35-year-old has extended his deal at the Stadio Olimpico by another year.

"The basis of my decision was the knowledge that I had experienced seven extraordinary years here," said Nedved.

"And I wanted to relive a European experience with a club that I am deeply tied to."

Nedved, who joined Juve from Lazio in 2001, faced European heartbreak when he was forced to miss the Bianconeri's Champions League final defeat to AC Milan in 2003 - the year he was named European footballer of the year - because of suspension.

Having signed a deal to remain at the club until 20 June 2009, the Czech Republic star will get another shot at Europe next year, with Juve guaranteed to end this season in third place and secure a Champions League spot.

Nedved retired from international football for a second time following the 2006 World Cup, but his country are hoping he will make another return to the international stage for Euro 2008.

[dreamer75]

Juventus have put Raffaele Palladino up for sale, and are also ready to offload Vincenzo Iaquinta, according to the Corriere dello Sport.

Palladino is widely seen as one of Italy’s best young talents, however he has had a miserable season where he has often either sat on the bench, or been employed in an unfavoured wide midfield position.

The Italian press has suspected for quite sometime now that the 24-year-old would leave at the end of the season, and it is believed that the player rejected to be included in the part exchange deal that should eventually see Palermo’s Amauri end up in Turin.

The Corriere says that Juve have officially put Palladino up for sale, and Napoli, Sampdoria and Fiorentina are all ready to make bids.

Meanwhile the newspaper also claims that the Bianconeri are ready to listen to offers for Vincenzo Iaquinta.

The 28-year-old only joined the Old Lady last summer from Udinese, and despite impressing when given the chance, he has mainly been a substitute for David Trezeguet and Alex Del Piero, making just nine Serie A starts.

The favourites to snap up the World Cup winner are Roma, whose coach Luciano Spalletti is a huge fan having worked with the striker at Udinese.

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

doesnt make sense to sell both.

if ALex and Trez were to get injured, who willl be backup?

[Overture1928]

I think it's rather hard to keep Iaquinta on the bench. But allowing Palladino to leave is really a waste. I feel that he was alot of give and with sufficient experience he can be an excellent player

[vasilli07]

I thot Amauri is on the the way...

[dreamer75]

I think it's rather hard to keep Iaquinta on the bench. But allowing Palladino to leave is really a waste. I feel that he was alot of give and with sufficient experience he can be an excellent player

He has the skills and he has the scoring touch. I think he lacks the right mentality. He seems to lack confidence, he hasn't exactly been given enough freedom to express himself this season. He has been played out of position in most matches, and add to that that he hasn't even played at all for most of the season.

I don't remember him doing those flashy tricks in Serie B where he was given a starting position almost all of the time. He does all those flashy tricks now out of desperation, almost trying to convince the coach he is talented. If he plays basic football for now and worries about all the brazillian flashy stepovers later, I think he could improve his game by a long margin.

[dreamer75]

I thot Amauri is on the the way...

hopefully, Amauri will be a Juve player by Monday :)

[dreamer75]

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri believes Amauri will have no problem integrating himself amongst his current attacking line up when the striker eventually arrives from Palermo.

The Bianconeri are on the verge of signing the Brazilian hit-man and reports in Italy suggest the deal should be concluded on Monday, when officials from both clubs meet for the third time in as many weeks.

Despite interest from other clubs, it seems very likely that Amauri will make the switch to the Old Lady and Ranieri believes the big striker will have no trouble in settling in alongside Del Piero, Trezeguet and Iaquinta.

“Amauri? Next season we will be playing in the Champions League and we need four versatile strikers,” Ranieri told Sky Sport Italia.

“This year, Iaquinta played well alongside both Trezeguet and Del Piero.

“Therefore, I am convinced that Amauri can play well alongside all three of the strikers I had at my disposal this year.”

The Bianconeri will be looking to bolster their squad in light of their Champions League commitments next season.

The Old Lady returns to Europe’s elite competition following a two year absence, after the club was rocked by the 2006 Calciopoli scandal.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Juventus are looking to swoop for Sampdoria duo Hugo Campagnaro and Angelo Palombo according to reports in Italy.

The Bianconeri are looking to reinforce their squad ahead of next season’s Champions League commitments where they would need a team strong enough to compete with European football’s elite clubs.

The Old Lady will be recruiting a defender and a midfielder given that Palermo’s Brazilian striker Amauri is expected to arrive in Turin on Monday.

Sampdoria are interested in Rafaele Palladino and there may be a number of players swapping Genoa for Turin. According to Calciomercato, Juve’s directors have made enquiries with Samp over the availability of Campagnaro who is a defender and Palombo who plays in midfield.

Palombo has been brilliant since his arrival from Fiorentina in 2002 and he has raised a few eyebrows around the peninsula. Nocerino and Tiago are looking set to leave the Bianconeri and thus Juve will need to fill the positions vacant.

Juventus are looking to offer Jonathan Zebina as part of the deal. This would mean a straight swap between both clubs which would see Palladino and Zebina move to Marassi with Campagnaro and Palombo heading in the opposite direction.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Despite naming a 30-man squad with nine forwards, France coach Raymond Domenech found no room for Juventus forward David Trezeguet...


The 30-man pool will be whittled down to 23 in time for the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland in June, and although there could be changes made before then, it is almost certain that Trezeguet's European dream is over.

Domenech told the AP that he was eager not to install too many centre-forwards in the squad.

"It's an organizational choice," he said. "There are four or five central strikers, you can't cram each position. You have to make choices."

In other interesting developments, both Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy have been excluded from the squad (see here for more details.)

However, some more unsung players have now been handed chances of their own. Bafetimbi Gomis of high-flying Saint-Étienne has received his first call-up, while 23-year-old Marseille stopper Steve Mandanda will stake his claim towards bing third-choice 'keeper after graduating from France B.

Les Bleus meet Ecuador in Grenoble on May 27th in what could be a litmus test for much of the squad, given that the final list of 23 will be submitted the following day.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Gregory Coupet (Lyon), Mickael Landreau (Paris Saint-Germain), Sebastien Frey (Fiorentina), Steve Mandanda (Marseille).

Defenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Lyon), Francois Clerc (Lyon), Julien Escude (Sevilla), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), William Gallas (Arsenal), Philippe Mexes (AS Roma), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), Sebastien Squillaci (Lyon), Lilian Thuram (Barcelona).

Midfielders: Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth), Mathieu Flamini (Arsenal), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan), Samir Nasri (Marseille).

Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Hatem Ben Arfa (Lyon), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Djibril Cisse (Lyon), Bafetimbi Gomis (Saint-Etienne), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Florent Malouda (Chelsea).

Albert Dumont, Goal.com

France will regret !

[dreamer75]

Despite having nothing more to play for, Sampdoria and Juventus entertained their fans with a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Stadio Marassi.

Both Sampdoria and Juventus had reached their respective objectives going into this final match (Uefa Cup spot for Samp, Champions League qualification for Juve), which was played today instead of Sunday because of the Pope's visit to Genoa. It turned out to be a thrilling encounter, although neither team could celebrate a victory at the end.

From the start the match was surprisingly fast-paced and exciting. After just a minute David Trezeguet, who was playing up front alongside fellow top-scorer Alessandro Del Piero as usual, fired a volley from inside the area that went just wide of the goal.

Del Piero himself opened the scoring on 7 minutes with a left-footed shot from inside the area on an assist by Pavel Nedved. The Juve captain then won the first of two penalties for the visitors in the 16th minute, but allowed Trezeguet to convert it. At this point both strikers were on top of the goalscorers' chart with 20 goals.

After this stunning start by the visitors, Samp did not lie down. Six minutes after the second gal, Antonio Cassano reduced the deficit for Samp with a nice goal after a solo run on the left wing (22'), although he was somewhat lucky as his shot deflected off Christian Molinaro.

The Blucerchiati had the game under control now, although Antonio Mirante had to be quick to tip David Trezguet's header on a corner kick over the bar in the 34th minute.

Shortly before the break, the hosts equalised with a dynamite shot from outside the area by Christian Maggio (39') on which Juve's stand-in goalkeeper Emanuele Belardi did not look very convincing. He managed to redeem himself, however, just before the half time break, when Sampdoria were awarded a penalty as Giorgio Chiellini fouled striker Emiliano Bonazzoli in the area. Cassano stepped up, but his poor shot was through the middle and easy to save for Belardi.

The teams thus went into the half time break on a 2-2 score which reflected the course of a very open, entertaining first half.

In the second half, Samp looked like the better side early on, as Cassano continued to produce flashes of his magic. In the 49th minute, he found Bonazzoli with a brilliant pass, but Jonathan Zebina managed to clear the ball away for a corner. Five minutes later, he tried an audacious curling shot, but it went wide.

In the 57th minute, there was a chance for Juve as Guglielmo Stendardo was all alone to head in a corner from the left, but he sent the ball wide of the goal.

Two minutes later, midfielder Mohamed Sissoko was sent off with his second yellow card, leaving Juve behind with ten men on the pitch. Surprisingly enough, it were the Bianconeri who took the lead soon after that, as Del Piero won his second penalty of the game (foul by Pietro Accardi), and converted it himself (65'). 'Pinturicchio' will therefore be the new Capocannoniere unless Marco Borriello of Genoa scores a hat-trick tomorrow.

A minute after taking the lead again, Juve almost conceded another equaliser, as Maggio came close to scoring another stunning goal with a cross-shot in the 66th minute. And Cassano almost found his brace in the 72nd minute with a right-footed volley toward the far post which went just wide of the target.

Sampdoria managed to find a deserved equaliser ten minutes before the end, and it came from an unexpected corner. Cassano crossed the ball in from the left and found veteran striker Vincenzo Montella, who had been out of action since the start of the season but managed to squeeze the ball in to make it 3-3 with a nice first-time shot. He had just come on for Bonazzoli four minutes earlier.

In the final minutes, with Juve still down to ten men, Samp tried to find a prestigious victory and continued to attack, but there were no more chances for either side. The Bianconeri finish the season in 3rd place with a respectable 72 points, while Samp are 6th with 60 points.

Danilo Pochini



MATCH STATS

Sampdoria-Juventus 3-3

Goalscorers: Del Piero 7', Trezeguet 16' (pen.), Cassano 22', Maggio 39', Del Piero 65' (pen.), Montella 80'

Sampdoria (3-5-2): Mirante; Campagnaro (61' Sala), Gastaldello, Accardi; Maggio, Sammarco, Palombo, Franceschini (68' Delvecchio), Pieri; Bonazzoli (Montella 76'), Cassano. (Fiorillo, Miglionico, Zenoni, Ziegler). Coach: Mazzarri.

Juventus (4-4-2): Belardi; Zebina, Legrottaglie (55' Stendardo), Chiellini, Molinaro; Salihamidzic (89' Castiglia), Sissoko, Tiago, Nedved; Trezeguet, Del Piero (71' Marchionni). (Vanstrattan, Birindelli, Pasquato, Pallardino). Coach: Ranieri.

REFEREE: Valeri.

BOOKED: Maggio (S); Sissoko, Tiago, Nedved, Trezeguet (J)

SENT OFF: Sissoko (J) 59' (second yellow card)

[dreamer75]

Pts P W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A
INTER (c) 85 38 25 10 3 69 26 15 3 1 41 14 10 7 2 28 12
Roma (c) 82 38 24 10 4 72 37 15 3 1 43 20 9 7 3 29 17
Juventus (c) 72 38 20 12 6 72 37 12 5 2 39 12 8 7 4 33 25
Fiorentina (c) 66 38 19 9 10 55 39 12 4 3 35 18 7 5 7 20 21
Milan (u) 64 38 18 10 10 66 38 8 7 4 31 18 10 3 6 35 20
Sampdoria (u) 60 38 17 9 12 56 46 9 7 2 32 18 8 2 10 24 28
Udinese (u) 57 38 16 9 13 48 53 9 4 7 30 32 7 5 6 18 21
Napoli 50 38 14 8 16 50 53 11 4 4 27 16 3 4 12 23 37
Atalanta 48 38 12 12 14 52 56 8 7 4 36 28 4 5 10 16 28
Genoa 48 38 13 9 16 44 52 8 4 7 23 22 5 5 9 21 30
Palermo 47 38 12 11 15 47 57 8 7 4 25 21 4 4 11 22 36
Lazio 46 38 11 13 14 47 51 9 4 6 28 23 2 9 8 19 28
Siena 44 38 9 17 12 40 45 6 9 4 24 17 3 8 8 16 28
Cagliari 42 38 11 9 18 40 56 8 5 6 22 20 3 4 12 18 36
Torino 40 38 8 16 14 36 49 5 7 7 19 19 3 9 7 17 30
Reggina 40 38 9 13 16 37 56 8 5 6 24 19 1 8 10 13 37
Catania 37 38 8 13 17 33 45 8 6 5 21 14 0 7 12 12 31
Empoli (r) 36 38 9 9 20 29 52 5 7 7 18 21 4 2 13 11 31
Parma (r) 34 38 7 13 18 42 62 7 6 6 28 26 0 7 12 14 36
Livorno (r) 30 38 6 12 20 35 60 3 8 8 18 28 3 4 12 17 32

[dreamer75]

Player Club Goals

Del Piero Juventus 21 (3 pens)
Trezeguet Juventus 20 (2)
Borriello Genoa 19 (5)
Di Natale Udinese 17 (2)
Mutu Fiorentina 17 (6)
Ibrahimovic Inter 17 (8)
Amauri Palermo 15 (2)
Kaka Milan 15 (6)
Pandev Lazio 14 (1)
Rocchi Lazio 14 (3)
Totti Roma 14 (3)
Cruz Inter 13 (1)
Maccarone Siena 13 (2)
Quagliarella Udinese 12
Bellucci Sampdoria 12 (2)
Amoruso Reggina 12 (3)
Doni Atalanta 12 (4)
Inzaghi F Milan 11
Cassano Sampdoria 10
Acquafresca Cagliari 10 (2)
Tavano Livorno 10 (3)
Hamsik Napoli 9
Maggio Sampdoria 9
Pato Milan 9
Pazzini Fiorentina 9
Vucinic Roma 9
Brienza Palermo/Reggina 8
Floccari Atalanta 8
Langella Atalanta 8
Lavezzi Napoli 8
Mancini Roma 8
Suazo Inter 8
Zalayeta Napoli 8
Iaquinta Juventus 8 (1)
Miccoli Palermo 8 (1)
Rosina Torino 8 (4)
Domizzi Napoli 8 (5)
Gilardino Milan 7
Martinez Catania 7
Pozzi Empoli 7
Seedorf Milan 7
Budan Parma 7 (2)
Spinesi Catania 7 (2)
Cambiasso Inter 6
Giovinco Empoli 6
Giuly Roma 6
Matri Cagliari 6
Santana Fiorentina 6
Sosa Napoli 6
Taddei Roma 6
Di Michele Torino 6 (1)

[vasilli07]

well done...del piero, seldom u see players over 30 ending up as the top scorer...maybe only rvn in real madrid...

[Melon Pan]

This Juventus team has alot of similarities with Ranieri's Chelsea. I hope im partially wrong. :(

[dreamer75]

This Juventus team has alot of similarities with Ranieri's Chelsea. I hope im partially wrong. :(

in wat sense?

[Melon Pan]

in wat sense?

Its more about Ranieri's football philosophy being strongly projected on how both teams play. Chelsea under Ranieri are pretty inconsistant to win the league. Their form guide has been pretty eratic. One week they paint Old Trafford blue, the next week they humilate themselves against lower oppositions. I can see this trend in Juve's results. Or am i thinking too much? :s22:

[Deunamist]

good buy, Juve!

Reports: Amauri's Juve deal done

There are reports that the Amauri transfer saga will finally conclude tomorrow when the striking star will sign a deal with Juventus.

Palermo’s brilliant Brazilian has always looked likely to join the Old Lady and had at one point declared himself to be “91 per cent Juve”, but then he threw his future into doubt by flirting with Milan.

However, after the Rossoneri’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League it seems that Amauri’s mind is made up.

It is believed that a meeting today between Amauri’s agent Mariano Grimaldi, Juve director Jean-Claude Blanc and Palermo sporting director Rino Foschi led to a final deal being agreed.

The Rosanero will allegedly receive co-ownership of striking prodigy Davide Lanzafame, full rights to Azzurrini midfielder Antonio Nocerino and £9.5m.

One of Raffaele Palladino, Sebastian Giovinco or Vincenzo Iaquinta were originally requested by the Sicilians, but Juve vetoed the departure of Giovinco and Iaquinta, while Palladino refused to leave Turin.

Amauri is set to receive around £3m per season for four years – a compromise between the £3.2m the player initially demanded and Juve’s original offer of £2.7m.

After months of speculation, Amauri could officially become a Juventus player tomorrow.

[dreamer75]

Nocerino prepares for Palermo
Tuesday 20 May, 2008

Palermo star Amauri’s switch to Juventus is edging ever closer as Antonio Nocerino is ready to move to the Stadio Renzo Barbera in part-exchange.

After months of confusion and speculation, it seems that Juve are finally going to land their main transfer target.

A deal involving co-ownership of starlet Davide Lanzafame, full rights to Nocerino and around £9m has been agreed and the transfer should be completed within hours.

While Nocerino admits that he will be disappointed to leave Turin, the Azzurrini midfielder has embraced his fresh start.

“I’ll go to Palermo willingly,” he explained while on duty with Italy’s Under-21 side.

“Juventus are Juventus, but at this stage of my career I have to be thinking about Nocerino and getting regular games.

“Palermo seems like the best place to suit my character. I like the warmth of the people, the stadium and the fact that I would be appreciated there.”

Channel 4

[dreamer75]

http://image.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2008/05/21/XabiAlonsoActionJohnSibley2.jpg

Liverpool in talks with Juve for Alonso sale

Xabi Alonso's time at Anfield appears to be coming to a close after Juventus opened talks with Liverpool with a view to signing the midfielder. The Juventus director Jean-Claude Blanc held discussions on Merseyside on Tuesday with Rafael Benítez and further talks are planned for next week.

Juventus are understood to be offering about £12m for Alonso, whom Benítez is willing to sacrifice as he pursues Aston Villa's Gareth Barry and looks to raise funds for further squad changes. Liverpool would like closer to £15m for the 26-year-old, who cost them £10.5m from Real Sociedad four years ago.

Alonso said this month he hoped to be at Liverpool next season but added he would leave if no longer wanted. The Spain international has also been strongly linked with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

[dreamer75]

Italy striker Alessandro Del Piero cannot stop breaking records as his participation in Euro 2008 will mean he becomes the first Italian to smash the record for playing in his fourth consecutive European Championship.

Del Piero joins a list of greats including Denmark’s Peter Schmeichel who also played in four European Championships 1988, 1992, 1996 and Euro 2000.

Pinturricchio’s inclusion Roberto Donadoni’s side this year means he breaks an Italian record as he becomes the first Azzurro to play in four different European Championship’s

The Juventus legend, who holds the record for the Bianconeri’s all time appearances and goals scored, played his first Euro for Italy in England in 1996.

He then played in Holland and Belgium in 2000 where he was blamed for Italy’s defeat to France in the final.

The Juventus hit-man was called up by Giovanni Trapattoni to represent the Azzurri in Portugal during Euro 2004 but Italy had a woeful tournament and they went out at the group stage.

Now, Del Piero will be flying the flag for Italy once again as he is set to play a big part in what is likely to be his last European Championship for La Nazionale.

France’s Lillian Thuram and Holland’s Edwin Van Der Sar will also be appearing in their fourth European Champiosnhips.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Xabi Alonso's agent, Inaki Ibanez, has revealed that the Liverpool midfielder is keen on a move to Juventus despite interest from La Liga giants Real Madrid.

The Bianconeri are in the process of bolstering their side as they look to mount a serious challenge on all fronts next season.

Alonso is one of the Old Lady's most wanted and Claudio Ranieri would like the Spanish international to form a solid partnership with his former Reds team mate Momo Sissoko in the middle.

Alonso's agent has confirmed that talks are in place with Juve and that the player himself is keen on a move to Turin.

"It's true that my client is wanted by Real Madrid but at the moment we are only dealing with Juventus," Ibanez told Tuttosport.

"At the moment Alonso is focused on the European Championship but he has told me that he is proud that Zidane's and Platini's former club want him."

It seems as if Juve will land their man given the fact that Alonso is keen for a move to Italy.

Whether or not he does go to Juventus all depends on both clubs reaching a deal for the player.

The Bianconeri only want to pay half of the £15m price tag which Liverpool have put on the midfielder's head and it seems unlikely that Liverpool will accept it.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Juventus have denied reports linking striker David Trezeguet with a move to Barcelona.

The 30-year-old has been exceptional this season and ended the campaign with 20 goals to his name.

Bianconeri administrator Jean-Claude Blanc has moved to quash the rumours and expects the Frenchman to see out his contract, which expires in 2011.

“We are always looking to make Juventus a team of the highest quality,” insisted Blanc. “It would be senseless to let a player like him leave.

“If, as I believe and hope, we qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, Juventus will need everyone because we will be fighting on three fronts.”

Trezeguet has been courted by Barcelona before. The Frenchman nearly joined the Blaugrana in 2004, but decided to stay after then Juventus boss Fabio Capello persuaded him to stay.

Blanc went on to welcome new arrival Amauri, the Brazilian forward who signed from Palermo yesterday.

“He was our primary objective,” said Blanc. “We have added another extraordinary element to the best attack in the League. We will have a super front line for the next few years.”

A former organiser of the Tour de France, Dakar Rally and French Open, Blanc reflected on his plans for Juventus.

“It is quite a complex operation,” he explained. “We are all looking to work together in a professional manner.

“In the end, we want to be balanced in every department. Coach Claudio Ranieri is very happy and we are focused on next season.

“We have added value with the purchase of a man like Amauri. Thanks to him, we will write a new page in Juventus' history.”

“We need to complete the team. We have rounded off the attack and our next objective lies in polishing up the middle of the park.”

Juventus have reportedly been talking to Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso about a possible move to Turin.

“We are continuing to speak with those players we are interested in,” acknowledged Blanc. “But we are in no hurry.”

[dreamer75]

hmmm...15.3m pounds...hope he can score lots of goals for us!!!

At last! Juventus have confirmed on their official website that Palermo forward Amauri has completed a transfer to the Old Lady...

Juventus have confirmed the arrival of Brazilian striker Amauri with Antonio Nocerino moving to Palermo.

It has been one of the longest ever transfer sagas in Calcio history but it has finally come to an end today as the club released a statement confirming the deal.

The communiqué reads:

“Turin, 30th May 2008 Juventus Football Club S.P.A. would like to communicate the following agreements with U.S Citta Di Palermo S.P.A.

- The purchase of Carvalho de Olieira Amauri on a permanent basis for €22.8m which will be paid in three annual instalments.

-Juventus and the player have agreed and signed four year deal

* Antonio Nocerino has been sold to Palermo for €7.5m and this will be paid by three yearly instalments.

- Palermo will also co-own Davide Lanzafame.

Amauri is officially a Juventus player after he signed a four year deal at the Vinovo training ground on Friday afternoon worth €3.5m per season plus €250,000 in bonuses.”

The Bianconeri will be hoping Amauri continues his good form as they look to mount a serious challenge both in Serie A and in Europe.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Palermo transfer chief Rino Foschi has admitted that the deal to take Amauri to Juventus proved to be very complicated, but believes everything has worked out for the best.

Amauri finally completed his move to Turin this afternoon in one of the longest drawn-out transfer sagas of the past year or so.

Juve paid €12.5m for the Brazilian as well as granting the Rosanero the full ownership of midfielder Antonio Nocerino and half of striker Davide Lanzafame.

However this all followed weeks and weeks of painful negotiations between the two sides, as they struggled to agree on a price, and the Juve players who would be involved in the exchange. The Bianconeri also laboured to agree personal terms with Amauri himself, but finally everything was resolved.

"It was a difficult transfer to negotiate but in the end everything worked out for the best,” said a relieved Foschi.

“It was a transfer negotiation conducted surrounded by a great deal of noise. I'm happy to have done business with this great club, Amauri deserved a great team."

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri has hailed the signing of Amauri, and also insists that he can play in a three-man strikeforce alongside Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet.

The Brazilian finally completed his move to Juve from Palermo today in a cash-plus-players deal, and he represents the Bianconeri’s first big signing of the summer.

“This is a player we've been following for a long time,” declared Ranieri.

“After his injury [in December 2006] he immediately returned to play at the highest level and he showed it against us too [this season], scoring two brilliant goals in the game in Palermo.

“He's a very strong striker, and will further strengthen our forward line up, a line up that has already shown its worth.”

Many people have questioned the need for Amauri considering the fact that Del Piero and Trezeguet scored 41 goals between them this season in Serie A.

Ranieri though believes that the 27-year-old can play in a three-pronged attack.

“Being the player he is, he'll be able to play alongside Del Piero as well as with Trezeguet or Iaquinta and he could also play in a three-man attack if needed,” the Tinkerman stressed.

“With Amauri's arrival the process of strengthening our team continues, so that we can try and do even better next season.”

[dreamer75]

New Juventus striker Amauri already has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve at his new club following his arrival in Turin during this past week.

Amauri is looking forward to next year, which will be his first with a Champions League club and also his first with one that has a shot at the title.

"I can't wait to start, as now I have a great responsibility and I know that what I did so far will not be enough," explained the former Chievo Verona player.

"I must improve," he continued, "But after eight years I finally managed to arrive at a big team. My objective is to win the Scudetto, the Champions League and play for the national team."

With regards to the latter objective, Amauri still does not know whether to play for the Brazilian or Italian national team.

"Let's see which one calls me up first," concluded the Brazilian born attacker.

Glenn Debattista

[dreamer75]

Juventus are following Antonio Cassano with a view to signing him according to Il Corriere Dello Sport.

The Bianconeri have only just signed Brazilian hit-man Amauri from Palermo but they are still in the process of strengthening their squad as they prepare for a busy season in the Champions League next term.

Reports in Italy claim that the Old Lady has an eye on Il Talentino di Bari.

Juve have an excellent relationship with the Blucerchiati and they would be ready to offer Sampdoria Palladino and Campagnaro plus a mega cash deal in order to lure Cassano away from Marassi.

The striker has taken a massive pay cut to remain at Samp but Juve would be willing to offer him a massive remuneration package if he chose to sign for them.

Vincenzo Iaquinta, who has had a poor season with Juve, has been linked with a move to Roma where he would link up with his old Udinese coach Luciano Spalletti. If Iaquinta does leave, it would open the door for Cassano.

The striker has won great praise from Alessandro Del Piero who said that he played brilliantly with Cassano for Italy against Belgium on Friday. The Juve hit-man might just convince Il Talentino to think about a move to Turin.

Cassano and Del Piero will be hoping for a good Euro 2008 and Juve directors will be paying close attention to the Sampdoria man as a good tournament could reward him with a transfer to the Old Lady.

Salvatore Landolina

[Cowz_87]

Hi guys..

have you all thought of forming an official Juventus fan club base in Singapore?

I'm thinking of one.. give your comments..

[dreamer75]

Juventus have agreed a deal with Liverpool over Xabi Alonso according to Il Corriere Dello Sport and the player's arrival is imminent.

Xabi Alonso will be a juventus player next season after Jean Claude Blanc agreed a deal with Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez over the Spanish midfielder.

The Old Lady has been involved in on-going talks with the Reds for almost a month now and they have finally settled on a fee.

It is reported that the Merseyside club have agreed to an €18m offer from the Bianconeri and Blanc is set to fly to Liverpool within the next few hours to add the final touches to the deal and it’s is likely that Alonso’s move will be officially announced over the weekend.

Juve are still looking to strengthen despite Alonso’s likely arrival and their attentions have now turned to Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

According to Corriere, the 24-year-old defender is a target for Juve as they prepare to add to their backline for next season’s Champions League.

The Old Lady has returned to Europe's best club competition after a two year absence and they want to ensure they have a talented squad able to challenge for all the major honours next term.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Juventus have joined the race to sign David Villa after Bianconeri directors watched him against Russia according to reports in Italy.

The Old Lady directors were at the Neu Tivoli stadium on Tuesday to keep an eye on Spain’s Xabi Alonso as they wanted to convince themselves that he would be a good investment.

However their attention soon turned to Villa who stole the show with a superb hat-trick. Alonso didn’t come on the pitch until the 78th minute and, up until that time, Juve chiefs were entertained by the Los Che hit-man.

Bild claim that Juve are going to try and propose a deal which will include cash plus Iaquinta but Los Che are only looking for cash as they try and curb some of their financial problems.

Apart from that, there is also the question of stiff competition for the player’s signature. It will not be easy to sign him as Real Madrid, Chelsea and Barcelona are all after the striker.

Reports in Spain claim Los Che have slapped a €40m price tag on his head and after Juve just spent €28m on Amauri, it seems highly unlikely that they will break the bank again for Villa.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Hi guys..

have you all thought of forming an official Juventus fan club base in Singapore?

I'm thinking of one.. give your comments..

hi Cowz_87,

great to hear that, but my worry is that our juve fan base is quite small.

:)

[dreamer75]

sorry for the lack of updates :o

[Deunamist]

i heard that Andrade is out for the entire season

[dreamer75]

The summer that's about to start will be quite an eventful one for Juventus. There'll be no shortage of prestigious friendlies along the way in the long road taking Ranieri's team up to the two Champions League preliminary games (first leg on August 12th or 13th, second leg on the 26th or 27th).

The schedule has almost been completed by now. The last games to be officially announced were the friendly in Denmark against Brondby, the TIM Trophy and the Berlusconi Trophy. But let's see them in more detail.

Juve will be travelling all around Europe even before the Champions League preliminary round; before setting off to Germany (to play in Dortmund against Borussia Dortmund) and England (to play the Emirates Cup and at Old Trafford in Manchester), they will start off in Denmark. On Wednesday July the 23rd, Juventus will be playing in Copenhagen against one of the most prestigious teams of the country where former Juve star Michael Laudrup was born. Just like on the trip to Dortmund, the Bianconeri will be travelling there and back on the same day.

The month of July will finish with an event in Turin. Indeed for the first time the Olimpico will host the TIM Trophy, which has become a staple of the football summer diet by now. In 2008 it'll be the most prestigious of the three-team formula summer tournaments again, with Inter Milan and AC Milan taking part.

AC Milan will be playing against the Bianconeri in the other traditional summer engagement too, the Berlusconi Trophy. As always, the game will be played at the Meazza in Milan, on August 17th.

Just a few details still need to be defined before work begins again on July 5th, the day the squad departs for Pinzolo. For instance, the venues for the two friendlies to be played during the period in Val Rendena, i.e. the match against Mezzocorona on July 11th and the one against Piacenza on the 16th, the last game before returning to Turin, are still to be selected.

The last details also have to be defined regarding the dates of the Birra Moretti Trophy, and the most traditional of all summer engagements, the showcase at Villar Perosa, still needs to be organized in full too.

This is the calendar of Juventus' summer 2008 engagements that have already been officially announced:

From July 5th to the 16th, summer training camp in Pinzolo, with two friendlies against Mezzocorona (on the 11th) and Piacenza (16th), at venues to be confirmed

July 23rd, friendly against Brondby in Copenhagen
July 26th, friendly against Borussia in Dortmund
July 29th, TIM Trophy in Turin against Inter Milan and AC Milan
August 2-3, Emirates Cup in London against Arsenal and Hamburg
August 6th, friendly against Manchester United in Manchester
August 12th or 13th, Champions League preliminary round first leg
August 17th, Berlusconi Trophy against AC Milan in Milan
August 26th or 27th, Champions League preliminary round second leg
August 31st, 2008/09 Serie A Day 1

[dreamer75]

[Friendly] Mezzocorona vs JUVENTUS (July 11th 2008)

Full time.

7-1

http://www.vecchiasignora.com/index.php?showtopic=52151&st=0

[dreamer75]

http://www.corrieredellosport.it/Fotogallery/Calcio/5586/1/Lo+show+di+Amauri+contro+il+Mezzocorona

[dreamer75]

[Friendly] JUVENTUS vs Piacenza (July 15th 2008)

FT

Juventus 0 - 1 Piacenza

[dreamer75]

[Friendly] Brøndby IF vs JUVENTUS (July 23rd 2008)

FULL TIME

Juventus 2-1 Brøndby

[dreamer75]

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/3500/17250644hm9.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/4839/45860440pj9.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/2756/87394037tw2.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/8159/61356536zj3.jpg

[dreamer75]

[Friendly] Borussia Dortmund vs JUVENTUS (July 26th 2008)

We won 3-1 !!

[dreamer75]

First juve game of the season for me and the boys didn't disappoint. Dortmund are not the greatest side as they are in transition but still decent and we ripped them to shreds. I liked the midfield players, always trying to link up with eachother and bring in other players into play. The good thing is the midfield is playing to it strengths and what compensating the creativity aspect with mobility.

Amauri looked very good, he is proving himself on us and more importantly on the team. I would like him to try and link up more with the players around him as i know he can do that.

Didn't have a very good look at Mellberg but he looks ok. I really liked how knezevic played and the same goes for young Rossi. Ekdal was a bit quite and he needs to ask for the ball more often and present himself better in the midfield for his teammates.

Poulsen is growing on me i have to say. That pass to Iaquinta was very good and what Iaquinta did from the there was sheer class.

Things look good but its just a friendly.

[dreamer75]

[Trofeo TIM] Juve vs Inter vs Milan (July 29th 2008)

Trofeo TIM: Seedorf double sinks Juve
Tuesday 29 July, 2008
Clarence Seedorf's brace forced a thrilling 2-2 draw in which Milan beat Juventus on penalties, so the Bianconeri now face Inter.

The Trofeo Tim is one of the traditional summer competitions in the peninsula and has Inter, Milan and Juventus going head-to-head in 45-minute encounters at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin.

Juventus were expected to do well in this tournament, as they were already at an advanced stage of pre-season training ahead of the Champions League preliminary round, but Cristiano Zanetti had a minor injury.

Kaka returned from his knee operation along with Under-19 international Alberto Paloschi, as they were the only fit strikers at the club. Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato were at the Olympics and Pippo Inzaghi and Marco Borriello sidelined. Mathieu Flamini was also out with a muscular strain.

Surprisingly, the Rossoneri were more aggressive from the start and took the lead with a cracking strike from Clarence Seedorf after seven minutes. The Dutchman took a few steps forward and unleashed a right-foot screamer from 20 metres that slotted into the top corner despite Gigi Buffon getting his fingertips to it.

The advantage lasted all of 40 seconds before David Trezeguet's equaliser. The Barcelona transfer target slid on to Marco Marchionni's cross, allowed all the time in the world by Kakha Kaladze's error.

Milan's defensive problems were evident again soon after, as a Zdenek Grygera cross from the right took a touch off Kaladze to find Marchionni's cushioned header at the back post.

It was not a vintage performance from Kaladze, who incredibly ballooned Cristian Brocchi's low cross over the bar from six yards! Buffon palmed away efforts from Paloschi and Marek Jankulovski, while Vincenzo Iaquinta's touched-on free kick and a deflected Nedved angled drive were wide.

Milan got back on level terms with just 120 seconds left on the clock, as a corner came to Seedorf, who shrugged off his marker to cannon another powerful and precise shot under the bar. That forced a penalty shoot-out to decide who would face Inter in the second match.

Trezeguet started the 'lottery' and blasted well over the bar, then Kaka coolly sent Buffon the wrong way with a low right-foot finish.

Zeljko Kalac got a hand to Iaquinta's penalty, but couldn't keep it out, while Andrea Pirlo's was just past Buffon's fingertips. Giorgio Chiellini and Jankulovski converted, but a terribly weak Tiago Mendes effort was comfortably saved. Paloschi lifted his penalty over Buffon to win 4-2 on penalties.

Juventus 2-2 Milan
Scorers: Seedorf 7, 43 (M), Trezeguet 8 (J), Marchionni 12 (J)
Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Chiellini, Mellberg, Molinaro; Marchionni, Sissoko, Tiago, Nedved; Trezeguet, Iaquinta.
Milan: Kalac; Zambrotta, Bonera, Kaladze, Jankulovski; Brocchi, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Seedorf, Kaka; Paloschi

[dreamer75]

[Emirates Cup] Arsenal vs Juventus (August 2nd 2008)

http://juventus.com/site/filesite/homepage/NM_grandeconloghi-ita.jpg

[dreamer75]

[Emirates Cup] Hamburg vs Juventus (August 3rd 2008)

http://juventus.com/site/filesite/homepage/NM_grandeconloghi-ita.jpg

[dreamer75]

JUVENTUS 2008-09 ROSTER



1. Gianluigi Buffon 1978 GK
xx. Christian Poulsen 1980 DM
3. Giorgio Chiellini 1984 D LC
4. Olof Mellberg 1977 D RC
5. Jonathan Zebina 1978 D RC
6. Cristiano Zanetti 1977 DM
7. Hasan Salihamidzic 1977 D/M RL
8. Amauri Cravalho de Oliveira 1980 ST
9. Vincenzo Iaquinta 1979 F C
10. Alessandro Del Piero 1974 AM L/FC
11. Pavel Nedved 1972 AM L
14. Jorge Andrade 1979 D C
15. Dario Knežević 1982 D C
16. Mauro Camoranesi 1976 M RC
17. David Trezeguet 1977 ST
19. Claudio Marchisio 1986 DM
20. Sebastian Giovinco 1987 AM LC, F C
21. Zdenek Grygera 1980 D RLC
22. Mohamed Sissoko 1985 DM
xx. Antonio Chimenti 1970 GK
26. Sergio Bernardo Almiron 1980 M C
28. Cristian Molinaro 1983 D L
29. Paolo De Ceglie 1986 D/M L
30. Tiago Cardoso Mendes 1981 M C
32. Marco Marchionni 1980 AM RL
33. Nicola Legrottaglie 1976 D C


xx. Timothy Nocchi 1990 GK
xx. Fausto Rossi 1990 M LC
xx. Lorenzo Ariaudo 1989 D C
xx. Cristian Pasquato 1989 F C
27. Albin Ekdal 1989 M C
31. Cristiano Novembre 1987 GK
35. Simone Esposito 1990 M R
36. Luca Castiglia 1989 M C
37. Marco Duravia 1990 D C
38. Salvatore D'Elia 1989 D L
46. Carlo Vecchione 1988 M L

[dreamer75]

Players IN:

- Olof Mellberg D RC (1977) Aston Villa for 0m €
- Albin Ekdal M C (1989) IF Brommapojkarna for 0.6m €
- Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira ST (1980) Palermo for 22.8m €
- Paolo De Ceglie* D/M L(1986) Siena for 3.5m €
- Sebastian Giovinco AM LC, F C (1987) Empoli for 0 € (back from loan)
- Claudio Marchisio DM (1986) Empoli for 0 € (back from loan)
- Rej Volpato* ST (1986) Empoli
- Gianluca Di Salvia GK (1993) Cisco Roma
- Riccardo Montesi M (1993) Cisco Roma
- Luca Russo Mariano Keller
- Pasquale Sgambato Mariano Keller
- Andre Cuneaz* AM L (1987) Pistoiese for 500 €
- Stefano Di Berardino* D C (1987) Juve Stabia for 8 000 €
- Giuseppe Rizza* D LC (1987) Juve Stabia for 0.05m €
- Matteo Trini* GK (1987) Juve Stabia for 5 000 €
- Stefano Di Cuonzo D R (1985) Ravenna for 500 €
- Michele Paolucci (1986) ST Udinese (back from loan)
- Riccardo Maniero ST (1987) Ascoli (back from loan)
- Raffaele Bianco DM (1987) Piacenza (back from loan)
- Davide Lanzafame AM RL, F C (1987) Bari for 0 € (back from loan)
- Dario Knežević D C (1982) Livorno loan(0.7m€) with right to buy ½(1.5m €)
- Sergio Bernardo Almirón M C (1980) Monaco (back from loan)
- Dario Venitucci M C (1987) Treviso (back from loan)
- Fabio Padulano F C (1994) Juve Stabia
- Christian Poulsen DM (1980) Sevilla 9.75m €
- Andrea Pisani D R (1987) (back from loan)
- Lorenzo Russo D C (1990) Catania (back from loan)
- Fabio Cusano ST (1988) Biellese (back from loan)
- Alessandro Furgato M C (1988) Casale (back from loan)
- Antonio Chimenti GK (1970) Udinese
- Rubén Olivera AM RLC, F C (1983) Peñarol (back from loan)
- Tommaso Silvestri D C (1991) Venezia

TOTAL: 37.4m € +

[dreamer75]

Players OUT:

- Alessandro Birindelli D RC (1974) Pisa (out of contract)
- Manuele Blasi DM (1980) Napoli 2.6m €
- Marcelo Zalayeta ST (1978) Napoli co-ownership renewed
- Antonio Nocerino DM (1985) Palermo 7.5m €
- Davide Lanzafame AM R, F C (1987) Palermo 2.5m € co-ownership
- Andrea Rossi* D/M L (1986) Siena 1m €
- Piergiuseppe Maritato F C (1989) Fiorentina
- Felice Piccolo D C, DM (1983) Empoli
- Matteo Paro* M C (1983) Genoa 2m €
- Michele Paolucci ST (1986) Udinese co-ownership renewed
- Michele Paolucci ST (1986) Catania loan with rights to buy ½
- Pietro Zammuto* D C (1986) Piacenza 0.170m €
- Matteo Cavagna AM RLC (1985) Ravenna co-ownership renewed
- Tomas Gaetan Guzman AM LC, F C (1982) Piacenza co-ownership renewed
- Francesco Volpe F C (1986) Livorno co-ownership renewed
- Andrea Luci** M LC (1985) Ascoli
- Antonio Mirante*** GK (1983) Sampdoria
- Rej Volpato ST (1986) Bari co-ownership
- Riccardo Maniero ST (1987) Bari on loan
- Raffaele Bianco M C (1987) Bari on loan
- Raffaele Palladino AM RL, F C (1984) Genoa co-ownership 5m €
- Domenico Criscito D LC (1986) Genoa on loan 1m € (rights to buy ½)
- Giuseppe Rizza D C (1987) Livorno co-ownership
- Oussama Essabr F C (1989) Vicenza on loan
- Guglielmo Stendardo D C (1981) Lazio back from loan
- Donato Bottone ST (1988) Paganese on loan
- Nicola Cosentini M C (1988) Paganese on loan
- Dario Campagna D R, M RC (1988) Verona on loan (rights to buy ½)
- Andre Cuneaz AM L (1987) Mantova co-ownership
- Dario Venitucci M C (1987) Mantova on loan (rights to buy)
- Giorgio Merlano GK (1988) Melfi on loan
- Tullio Maio M R (1989) Melfi on loan
- Alessandro Vono GK (1988) Valenzana on loan
- Lorenzo Del Prete D RC (1986) Siena co-ownership
- Giacomo Molinaro D C, DM (1990) Gallo Calcio
- Matteo Trini GK (1987) FC Südtirol
- Emanule Belardi GK (1977) Udinese
- Rubén Olivera AM RLC, F C (1983) Genoa (released)

TOTAL: 21.77m € +





* ½ and no longer Juve property
** lost bidding to Ascoli
*** Samp property with Juve rights to buy ½

[dreamer75]

Olof Mellberg

http://www.jimbo.info/weblog/archives/olofmellberg.jpg

Date of birth: September 3, 1977 (1977-09-03)
Place of birth: Gullspång, Sweden
Height: 1.87 m
Weight: 82 kg
Playing position: Defender (Right, Center)
Number: 4
Fee: 0m €
Contract: 2011


Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)*
-1996 Gullspång
1996–1997 Degerfors 47 (0)
1997–1998 AIK 17 (0)
1998–2001 Racing Santander 98 (0)
2001– Aston Villa 231 (8)

National team
2000– Sweden 77 (4)



Erik Olof Mellberg (IPA: ['uːˌlɔf 'mɛlˌbærj]) (born September 3, 1977 in Amnehärad, Gullspång) is a Swedish football player who currently plays club football for Aston Villa. Besides playing for Aston Villa, Mellberg is an established player for the Swedish national team, and used to captain the side but stepped down from the role after the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Shortly thereafter, he also abdicated as team captain of his club team.

Club career

Early career

Mellberg played for local side Gullspång before being picked up by then Swedish Premiership side Degerfors IF. After being relegated he joined capital club AIK, where he made an instant impression and was sold after just 10 months. Spanish side Racing Santander moved to secure the promising Swedish centre half, and although having a difficult time adjusting to Spanish football he soon claimed a starting berth and impressed in his first season. Continuing to play well, Mellberg was said to be on his way to several big Spanish sides, including Barcelona and Valencia.

Aston Villa


However, Aston Villa managed to secure his signature and ever since joining the Birmingham-based club he has been a vital part of the team. Mellberg was left out of boss David O'Leary's first side for a game against Portsmouth, but was soon made the captain of the club for the rest of his reign. Mellberg was a vital part of the team that finished 6th in the Premiership and reached the semi-finals of the league cup in O'Leary's first season.

Mellberg resigned as captain following the 2006 World Cup - he was replaced by Gareth Barry. New Boss Martin O'Neill continued to consider Mellberg as the first choice centre back and on the opening day of the 2006-07 Premiership season Mellberg became the first person to score in a competitive game at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium. He has most recently been played at the right back position following the immediate impact of Zat Knight alongside Martin Laursen at centre back.Olof was sent off against Portsmouth on 15 March 2008 for two bookable offences. His final home game was against Wigan Athletic on May 3rd.

As he was leaving for Juventus at the end of the season, the last home game at Villa Park in the 2007/8 seaons was designated "Olof Mellberg" day, in appreciation of his service to Aston Villa.

Juventus

In January 2008 it was confirmed that Mellberg had signed a pre-contract agreement with Italian giants Juventus, allowing him a Bosman move to Serie A on a three-year contract for the start of the 2008-09 season.

International career

Mellberg was a member of the Sweden national football team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup, as well as the Euro 2000 and Euro 2004. He has scored 4 goals in 77 caps, as of October 2007.

During a public practice before the World Championships in 2002, Mellberg broke into a fight with Arsenal's Fredrik Ljungberg, after a robust tackle from Mellberg. The two of them were quickly separated by team-mates. Since then, the two of them have been known for not being the best of friends, and in the World Cup 2006, Mellberg and Ljungberg, according to leak from inside the team, had a very fiery argument, after Sweden's draw with Trinidad and Tobago.

In 2003, he was selected as the best Swedish player of the year, winning the Guldbollen.

On September 4, 2006, Mellberg, along with Sweden teammates Zlatan Ibrahimović and Christian Wilhelmsson, was sent home from the national squad for breaking an 11 pm curfew ahead of a European Championships qualifier against Liechtenstein. On October 7, 2006, Mellberg returned to Sweden's lineup for their European Championships qualifier against Spain, which they won 2-0.

Personal life

Although he isn't married, Mellberg has two children by long term partner Carolina Kihl. Daughter Saga was born in December 2002 and son John was born in July 2006. Mellberg and his family currently live in Sutton Coldfield in the Midlands, England.

Honours / Achievements

Aston Villa

* Intertoto Cup Winners (2001)

Personal

* Swedish player of the year (Guldbollen) (2003)

[dreamer75]

Albin Ekdal

http://www.dn.se/content/1/c6/63/53/70/albin.jpg

Date of birth: July 28, 1989 (1989-07-28)
Place of birth: Bromma, Sweden
Height: 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight: 75 kg
Playing position: Attacking Midfielder
Number:
Fee: 0.6m €
Contract: 2012

Youth clubs
2005–2006 IF Brommapojkarna

Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)*
2007–2008
2008– IF Brommapojkarna 15 (0)
Juventus 0 (0)


Albin Ekdal (born July 28, 1989 in Bromma), is a Swedish attacking midfielder. He currently plays for Juventus and is currently an Under-18 international with Sweden.

Football career

Albin Ekdal started his professional playing career with his boyhood heroes IF Brommapojkarna at the beginning of the 2007 Allsvenskan season. Due to his footballing ability and good looks he has become a popular player at IF Brommapojkarna, although some lengthy injuries have limited his first team opportunities this season. The Swedish media have stated that Ekdal is the biggest Scandinavian footballing prospect since Kim Källström. He recently signed with Juventus.

[dreamer75]

Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira

http://www.football.co.uk/shared/images/news/400x400_AmauriNew4.jpg

Date of birth: June 3, 1980
Place of birth: Carapicuíba, Brazil
Height: 1.88 m
Weight: 76kg
Playing position: Striker
Number: 8
Fee: 22.8m €
Contract: 2012

Youth clubs
-1999 Santa Catarina

Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)*

1999-2001 Bellinzona 5 0(1)
2001 Napoli 6 0(1)
2001-2002 Piacenza 7 0(0)
2002-2003 Messina 23 0(4)
2003-2006 Chievo Verona 90 (17)
2006- Palermo 50 (23)



Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira (born June 3, 1980 in Carapicuíba, São Paulo), better known as Amauri, is a Brazilian football (soccer) player. He plays as second striker for Italian Serie A team U.S. Città di Palermo.

He played at the prestigious Viareggio Tournament in Italy with his Brazilian Club, he was young and received many offers from Italian clubs, but he decided to choose a Swiss club to start slowly his career in Europe. After two seasons in Switzerland for Challenge League team AC Bellinzona, Amauri was signed by Parma and immediately loaned to Napoli in January 2001, making his Serie A debut on April 14 in a league match against Bari. He then played for Piacenza (Serie A, 2001/2002), Messina (Serie B, 2002/2003), and Chievo Verona from 2003 to 2006. During his time for Chievo, and especially in the 2005/2006 season, ended with a qualification to the preliminary phase of UEFA Champions League (also favoured by the 2006 Serie A scandal), Amauri showed most of his potential, becoming one of the key players for his team. Amauri was sold to Palermo on August 31, 2006, the last day of the 2006 summer market, for circa € 8 million, after having scored two goals in the return match of the third qualifying round against PFC Levski Sofia.

Immediately from his debut with Palermo, Amauri has become a fan favourite and a key player for the rosanero, scoring eight goals in eighteen league matches until December 2006, when a serious knee injury in a league match against Siena forced him to a seven-month stop. Amauri recovered right in time for the start of the 2007-08 season, being immediately featured in the regular lineup for the Palermo debut match against AS Roma, and scored his first goal in the new season in the next match, a 4-2 away win to Livorno.

Amauri, who never appeared at the international level for the Brazilian team, has recently asked to acquire an Italian passport, as he has lived and played in Italy for five years: therefore, he will be soon eligible to play for the Italian national team and, unless Brazil's coach Dunga beats him to it, is considered a likely future call-up of Azzurri coach Roberto Donadoni, who stated he might be interested in calling him to the Italian squad.

[dreamer75]

Dario Knežević

http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/imgml/players/324x380/65247.jpg

Date of birth: April 20th, 1982
Place of birth: Rijeka, SFR Yugoslavia
Height: 1.84 m
Weight: 74 kg
Playing position: Center Back
Number: 15
Fee: 0.7m €(loan) + 1.5m € for possible co-ownership
Contract: 2013

Youth clubs
NK Rijeka

Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)*
2001-2006 NK Rijeka 120 (3)
2006- A.S. Livorno 46 (3)

National team
2006 Croatia 10 (1)

The 2007/08 domestic season ended badly for Dario Knežević as his club, AS Livorno Calcio, finished bottom of Serie A and were relegated. However, the tough-tackling defender was undoubtedly one of the team's best performers in a disappointing campaign and did enough to earn a place in Slaven Bilić's UEFA EURO 2008™ squad.

* Made the grade in Croatia with hometown club HNK Rijeka, winning domestic cup two seasons running (2004/05 and 2005/06); played in both legs of the two finals (against HNK Hajduk Split and NK Varteks, respectively).
* Never scored a league goal in four seasons at Rijeka; also failed to pass beyond the qualifying round in three successive UEFA Cup campaigns.
* Joined Livorno on three-year contract in August 2006, making Serie A debut, against FC Internazionale Milano, two months later.
* Scored three goals in 35 appearances in 2007/08.
* Just one UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying appearance – in 6-0 victory away to Andorra – but came on as a substitute in first two friendlies of 2008 v Netherlands and Scotland.

Did you know?
Knežević joined Livorno just a couple of weeks after playing in the city for Croatia against Italy – and beating the just-crowned world champions 2-0.

[dreamer75]

Christian Poulsen

http://www.dbu.dk/data/dbu/imagedb/7081.jpg

Date of birth: February 28, 1980 (1980-02-28) (age 28)
Place of birth: Asnæs, Denmark
Height: 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Weight: 76 kg
Playing position: Central midfielder
Number:
Fee: 9.75m €
Contract: 2012

Youth clubs
1985-1995 Asnæs BK
1995-1996 Holbæk B&I

Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)*
2000-2002 Copenhagen 45 (10)
2002-2006 FC Schalke 04 111 0(3)
2006-2008 Sevilla 49 0(3)
2008-

National team
2001- Denmark 56 0(3)

Christian Bager Poulsen (born February 28, 1980) is a Danish professional football player who currently plays for Sevilla FC . He has been a regular member of the Denmark national football team since his debut in 2001, and has played more than 50 matches, scoring three goals. He represented Denmark at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2004 European Championship tournaments. He was named 2005 and 2006 Danish Player of the Year.

Biography

Born in Asnæs, Christian Poulsen started playing youth football in the local club. He moved to amateur club Holbæk B&IF, where he made his senior debut at 17 years of age, captaining the side on several occasions.[1] He was called up for the Danish under-19 football team in September 1998, and played four games for the team.

National breakthrough

In September 2000, he tried out for F.C. Copenhagen (FCK) in the top-flight Danish Superliga championship,[1] and signed his first professional contract with the club within a week. Poulsen got his breakthrough in Denmark when he took a commanding role in the attacking midfield of FCK, following the heart problems of former Norwegian international midfielder Ståle Solbakken in March 2001. Poulsen quickly made his mark on the league, and helped his club win the 2000-01 Superliga championship. He scored to 1-0 in the 3-1 win against second-placed Brøndby IF, which secured the league title.

Following a good start of the 2001-02 season, Poulsen was called up for the Danish national team by national manager Morten Olsen. He got his debut when he started the 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on November 10, 2001. FCK ended runners-up in the 2001-02 Superliga, and Poulsen was named FCK Player of the Year 2002. Christian Poulsen was called up for the Danish squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where he was initially used as a substitute. He took part in all three group stage matches, gradually getting more playing time in each game. Following two yellow cards in the group stage, he was suspended when Denmark were eliminated in the knock-out phase.

Moving abroad

After the 2002 World Cup, Poulsen made a €7M move, the most expensive sale by a Danish club at the time,[2] to German club FC Schalke 04, where he looked to take over the position as holding midfielder left by veteran Czech international Jiří Němec. His start in Schalke was made easier by the fact that his team mate in the Danish national team, Ebbe Sand, also played for the club. Through his time at Schalke, Poulsen played a number of matches at right back, but eventually secured himself a spot in the central midfield for both club and country. Poulsen was selected for the Danish squad at the 2004 European Championship. He played three of Denmark's four games, before Denmark was eliminated from the tournament. His displays for Schalke and the Danish national team earned him the 2005 Danish Player of the Year award.

In June 2006, Christian Poulsen's contract with Schalke ran out. Long-lasting rumours linked him to several teams, including Italian clubs Internazionale F.C. and A.C. Milan, despite earlier Italian criticism of Poulsen's style of play.[3] He eventually signed a contract with defending UEFA Cup champions Sevilla FC from Spain, the team that knocked Schalke out of the UEFA cup in the 2005-06 season. In his debut match for the club, Poulsen helped Sevilla win the European Super Cup trophy, with a 3-0 victory against FC Barcelona on August 25. Following his first month at the club, he was named the best new signing in Spain by Spanish sports daily Marca.[4] He became the first player to be named Danish Player of the Year for two consecutive years, when he also won the 2006 award.

He helped Sevilla defend the UEFA Cup title, winning the 2006-07 edition of the tournament.

Discipline

Poulsen played a controversial role in the 2004 European Championship. Following the 0-0 draw with Italy, Danish television showed Poulsen being spat on by Italian Francesco Totti, who received a three-match ban and gave a "full public apology", though still claiming he was provoked by Poulsen.[5]

In the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League tournament, Poulsen and Schalke were in the same preliminary group as Italian team A.C. Milan. Following their first match, a 2-2 draw, Poulsen was described as "a coward" by A.C. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti,[6] this time for Poulsen's rough marking of A.C. Milan's Brazilian playmaker Kaká. Ancelotti alleged that Poulsen physically kicked Kaká when the officials had their backs turned. Schalke were eliminated from the Champions League tournament, as A.C. Milan won their second match 3-2, despite a goal by Christian Poulsen. Following the final whistle, Italian player Gennaro Gattuso steered towards Poulsen and confronted him.[7] Gattuso made gloating taunts, while Poulsen gave him an ironic thumbs up, afterwards declaring he found Gattuso childish and hoped he felt embarrassed for himself.[8]

In a UEFA Cup quarterfinal Second Leg against Tottenham Hotspur, Poulsen was seen to stamp on Jermaine Jenas' head. Whether or not this was deliberate remains to be seen. Poulsen was not punished for the incident.

In a qualifying game for the 2008 European Championship against Sweden on June 2, 2007, with the game tied 3-3 in the 89th minute, Poulsen punched Swedish striker Marcus Rosenberg in the stomach inside Danish penalty area. The linesman notified referee Herbert Fandel, who gave Poulsen the red card and awarded Sweden a penalty kick. An angered Danish supporter ran onto the pitch attempted to attack Fandel, though the rest of the Danish players held the fan off. The referee walked off the pitch and the match was abandoned. Poulsen, who later apologized for his actions, was suspended for the next three competitive games. The match was forfeited to Sweden as a 3-0 victory, while Denmark was fined CHF 100,000 (€66,000) and forced to play their next four home qualification matches (effectively the rest of the competition) at least 250 km away from Copenhagen, with the next match against Liechtenstein behind closed doors. In the aftermath of the game, charges have been pressed against Poulsen for the attack on Rosenberg, albeit by a football fan and not by Rosenberg himself.

[dreamer75]

Antonio Chimenti

http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/public/images/giocatori/388.jpg

Date of birth: June 30, 1970 (1970-06-30)
Place of birth: Bari, Italy
Height: 1.84 m (6 ft +1⁄2 in)
Weight: 83 kg
Playing position: Goalkeeper
Number:
Fee:
Contract:

Youth clubs
1988-1990 Sambenedettese

Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)
1990-1991 Sambenedettese 5 (0)
1991-1992 Tempio (on loan) 35 (0)
1992-1993 Monza (on loan) 4 (0)
1993-1997 Salernitana 137 (0)
1997-1999 Roma 32 (0)
1999-2002 Lecce 98 (0)
2002-2005 Juventus 11 (0)
2006-2007 Cagliari 43 (0)
2007-2008 Udinese 0 (0)

[dreamer75]

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri was pleased with the performance of his side in yesterday’s Trofeo TIM.


The Bianconeri finished runners-up in the three-way tournament with Milan and Inter, after losing on penalties to the Rossoneri, following a 2-2 draw, and beating the Nerazzurri 1-0 thanks to a Vincenzo Iaquinta strike.

“I liked everything, even though I knew we couldn't be at our best,” ‘The Tinkerman’ said at the end of the tournament.

“But, as always, I was interested in adding minutes of play to every player. We can play for 45 minutes now, as I've almost always divided the squad in two parts, so we must still improve further.

“I'm pleased with the internationals' level of fitness and with the performances of the younger players.”

Despite finishing second to Milan, Juve were probably the most impressive team on the night, and Ranieri is optimistic ahead of the new season.

“We keep growing and that's the important thing, compared to last year we're even getting match-fit a little faster,” said Ranieri.

“We're working hard to get to the preliminaries in the best possible shape, even though we know we won't be able to reach top form in time for the two games.”

Finally the former Chelsea boss looked ahead to this weekend, when Juve join Arsenal, Hamburg and Real Madrid in the Emirates Cup in London.

“I'll do the same thing I did in the TIM Trophy, two different line-ups for the two clashes and we'll need to hold up and keep running for the whole 90 minutes,” he explained.

“I repeat: we won't be able to be in top shape when the preliminaries come around, but we must go through and to do so we'll need to stay super concentrated.”

Gianni Wilson

* 29/07/2008 15:17 -

[dreamer75]

The Italian press continues to link David Trezeguet with a summer transfer to Barcelona. The latest rumours have suggested that the Blaugrana are willing to pay €22m, or even offer Cameroon hitman Samuel Eto’o in exchange. But would such a move be beneficial to Juventus?

Yes They Should Sell

Age catches up with everyone, and in October of this year Trezeguet will turn 31. How many years does he realistically have left at the very highest level? One? Two? Three maximum. Juventus have to start preparing for life without Trezeguet at some stage, and by signing Amauri they kind of already have, but nevertheless it is clear that the Frenchman is in the twilight of his career.

If the figures of €22m are accurate, from a business point of view it surely would make sense to sell Trezeguet. This is a huge sum of money for a 31-year-old with very little shelf life left. Juve have always been a business-minded club, and this has been what they have based their success on over the years. The great Zinedine Zidane was sold for €76m at the age of 29. If the Bianconeri waited another year before selling Zizou they would have been lucky to receive half of this amount. Were Juve to decide to sell a 32-year-old Trezeguet a year from now, they will do well to find a buyer willing to pay more than €10m.

Trezeguet has also been relatively lacklustre in pre-season. He may have scored from close range against Milan last night, but in truth he has been overshadowed by the rest of the forward line. Are these signs that the Frenchman is on a downward curve? With Amauri, Iaquinta, Del Piero and Giovinco, Juve have more than enough top quality cover. They will also be €22m better off which, if necessary, can be signed on another, younger forward.

There are also doubts whether Trezeguet can co-exist up-front with Amauri. I, for one, am not convinced they can play together. Both are too static, and do not posses the ability to drift out wide in search of the ball. Time will tell if they can hit it off, but Juve may decide it’s not worth taking this chance.

It seems that the Juventus fans are not too worried about selling Trezeguet. A poll conducted on the popular fan website vecchiasignora.com revealed that 43 per cent were in favour of swapping the striker with Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o, should an exchange be possible. Thus, the Frenchman’s exit may not provoke the outcry that the rumoured sale of Sebastian Giovinco did several weeks ago.

Finally, should Trezeguet prove a massive hit at Barcelona, it would not directly hurt Juventus, unless of course he knocked them out of the Champions League. None of Juve’s domestic rivals would be strengthened, unlike in the aftermath of Calciopoli when Inter signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Patrick Vieira which, to this day, remains a scandalous decision by whoever made it.

No They Should Not Sell

Trezeguet’s scoring record since signing for Juventus speaks for itself. He has scored a whopping 160 goals, at an average, every season, of at least one in two. In his 11 senior seasons with Monaco and Juventus, Trezegol has scored 220 times, and he has also hit 34 goals in 71 appearances for France. His statistics are quite astonishing.

The hitman may be nearing 31 but his experience in a team that is still rebuilding, following Calciopoli, is vital. Of the current squad, only a handful or so have tasted Scudetto success, and with the Champions League to think about also, it would be a big risk to offload a player who has been there and done it so many times in the past. In simple terms, Trezeguet is a winner and he offers guarantees that few others do. Trezeguet may be 31, but Del Piero will soon be 34. Iaquinta has never been prolific, Amauri has never played for a big team until now, while Giovinco, for all his talent, is still only 21, and has played just one Serie A campaign with Empoli.

Trezeguet has never relied on pace throughout his career – even my old favourite Peter Reid could probably outsprint him in a race. The Frenchman relies on positioning and instinct, not to mention lethal finishing. These are the attributes that have enabled him to score so many goals, and these qualities never leave you, regardless of your age. Just look at Pippo Inzaghi. There is no reason Trez cannot continue at this rate for a few more seasons, providing he stays injury-free, which he has done most of his career. Serie A is also a very tactical league, which is the reason why players can last further into their thirties than in some other European countries.

The marksman is forever criticised for not being a team player, but Raymond Domenech ignored his significance for Euro 2008, and France were knocked out in the groups after scoring just one goal in three games. When Trezeguet is in the team, if there is one thing you can be sure of, it is that you will score goals. With Juve still possessing a rather iffy-looking defence, they may need to outscore their opponents this coming season.

[dreamer75]

Barcelona President Joan Laporta has categorically stated that the club are not interested in signing Juventus striker David Trezeguet.

The Blaugrana are well known to be in the market for a top class attacker, following the exit of Ronaldinho, and the probable sale of Samuel Eto’o.

Trezeguet has been almost constantly linked with Barca all summer, and reports in the press over the past few days have suggested that an official transfer bid, possibly including Eto’o in exchange, was imminent.

"Barcelona are not interested in the Frenchman, even if he is a great player,” said Laporta during the press conference to present tonight’s friendly match against Fiorentina.

“We have a team that are ready. With regards to Eto'o we have received no genuine offers from an Italian club, even if there was talk of Milan and Inter."

Laporta then spoke about new Milan signing Ronaldinho, expressing thanks for all that he did for Barcelona during his eventful stay there.

"I'm happy that Ronaldinho has received a positive welcome in Milan,” he explained.

“During the five years that he played with us he was instrumental to our success.

On the decision to appoint former player Josep Guardiola as the club’s new coach, Laporta stated: “Guardiola is a symbol of Barcelona, and he won many trophies with this jersey.

“We chose him when we realized that the team needed rejuvenating. He is a great worker and knows the environment very well.”

Finally, Laporta spoke about the main task at hand, as Barcelona take on Fiorentina tonight in a prestigious friendly to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of a famous Italian football figure; Artemio Franchi.

"It is an honour for Barcelona to be here,” he declared.

“We thank everyone, Fiorentina and Uefa, for having invited us to participate."

Anthony Sormani

[Deunamist]

Mellberg is class. watched the Trofeo TIM Juve-Milan match and i have to say he might be Juve's best signing this summer.

[dreamer75]

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/9980/bast290708spo0146fx8.jpg

[dreamer75]

Friendly: Trez shoots down Gunners

Juventus have beaten hosts Arsenal in the Emirates Cup thanks to a controversial David Trezeguet strike.

The Frenchman hit the back of the net twice, both times offside, but the second was allowed to stand.

Claudio Ranieri fielded the unusual front pairing of Vincenzo Iaquinta and Trezeguet against the hosts in the Emirates Cup this afternoon. He split the squad into two, so the others will feature against Hamburg on Sunday.

Aaron Ramsey tested Gigi Buffon with a shimmying run and low shot on 28 minutes and the Bianconeri struggled to create chances. They hit the back of the net on 35 minutes with a Trezeguet glancing header, though he was flagged offside on Pavel Nedved's cross-shot.

It was only a warning, as moments later Trezeguet got his goal in not entirely dissimilar circumstances. The Frenchman was again offside as he stretched to prod Iaquinta's free kick into the far corner, but this time the goal was allowed to stand.

Philippe Senderos needed a well-timed tackle to stop Marco Marchionni's counter in the box, as the goal seemed to shake Juve out of their lethargy.

The Gunners threw on former Milan transfer target Emmanuel Adebayor along with Abou Diaby and William Gallas. Arsenal improved and Hoyte's cross was inches past the head of Emmanuel Eboue.

Juventus made their first change on the hour mark with Hasan Salihamidzic replacing Nedved. Buffon comfortably plucked an Adebayor header out of the air.

Amauri and Mauro Camoranesi stepped on to change the front two, while Christian Poulsen and talented young Swede Ekdal transformed the midfield.

Salihamidzic's sudden snapshot brought a save out of Fabianski and Camoranesi's lob landed on the roof of the net, but Adebayor fired over from Bendtner's assist.

The 17-year-old midfielder Fausto Rossi has been appearing regularly in pre-season friendlies and replaced Sissoko late on. Salihamidzic should've done better when he got his head to a Camoranesi free kick, but Juventus still emerged with the 1-0 victory.

Real Madrid beat Hamburg 2-1 in the other match thanks to Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Parrejo replying to Zidan. Due to the way the tournament is structured, Real have five points - three for the win and one for each goal scored.

Juventus are back on the field at 13.30 on Sunday to take on Hamburg. Ranieri's men currently have four points.

Arsenal 0-1 Juventus
Scorers: Trezeguet 37 (J)
Arsenal: Fabianski; Senderos (Gallas 46), Hoyte (Sagna 59), Djorou, Eboue (Walcott 59), Denilson, Gibbs, Ramsey (Diaby 46), Wilshere (Nasri 59), Vela (Adebayor 46), Bendtner
Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Mellberg, Chiellini, Molinaro; Marchionni (Ekdal 78), Sissoko (Rossi 82), Tiago (Poulsen 78), Nedved (Salihamidzic 61); Iaquinta (Camoranesi 69), Trezeguet (Amauri 69)
Ref: Walton

[dreamer75]

Del Piero aims to play at 40

Alessandro Del Piero is confident he can play until the age of 40, as he has the physique and the hunger.

“I don't know when I'll hang up my boots,” said the 33-year-old Juventus captain.

“I can certainly say that if I continue to feel the way I do now and have the same motivation, I could play another six or seven years.

“The desire to win and fight to be Number One are aspects that have accompanied my career since the start.

“If you add to those the fact I believe in hard work and effort, then it becomes even easier. With these elements, victories are more likely to come your way.”

Del Piero is hopeful of following Paolo Maldini's example in playing until the age of 40, especially after recapturing his place in the Italy squad with the Capocannoniere title.

He'll be in action at the Emirates Cup tomorrow against Hamburg, as Vincenzo Iaquinta and David Trezeguet are the starting pair with Arsenal this afternoon.

“I would love to play and score in this wonderful stadium. I am in good shape and that tendon problem has gone now,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“We have brought in some players who can improve the team and also youngsters who are eager to prove themselves and bode well for the future.

“I still believe the key to getting the better of other sides is determination. You saw that even in summer friendlies, Juventus always give 100 per cent. We just hate losing.”

[dreamer75]

But i dun want lamp to be with us!!!

Claudio Ranieri warns Jose Mourinho it’s “not so easy” to win in Serie A and bets Chelsea would’ve handed Frank Lampard to Juventus.

The rivalry between the former Stamford Bridge tacticians has always been kept low profile, but now that Mourinho has taken over at Inter, it has flared up.

“Mourinho is an excellent Coach, but I don’t want him to win in Italy,” grinned the Juventus tactician in Tuttosport.

“He is discovering a new country and the pressure here is very different to overseas. In Italy the fans talk about football constantly and tell you about mistakes even when the team wins. It’s not so easy in Italy.”

Ranieri already inflicted the first blow when his side beat Inter 1-0 in the Trofeo TIM mini-tournament on Tuesday evening.

This week the Nerazzurri officially gave up their chase for England midfielder Lampard after he was offered a new Chelsea contract.

“Am I happy Lampard didn’t join Inter? I only want Frank to choose what is best for him,” assured Ranieri.

“He would have had a great deal of success in Italy and I would be disappointed if he was stopped from coming here.

“If I had requested him for my Juve, then I really think Roman Abramovich would have handed him to me. He said no to Mourinho, and you can understand why.”

The Premier League club had been willing to hold him to the remaining year of his deal and risk losing him on a free transfer in 2009 rather than hand the player over to Mourinho, who left Chelsea in bitter circumstances.

[timelf]

dunno if iaquinta and amauri will score tonight or not provided they play. both of them seem to be on form recently.

[bttorn]

juve fan here. very long nvr watch a full match liao, since the damn starhub go cancel serie A.but still have high hopes for this season

[Deunamist]

i think channel 5 will have Serie A 08/09

[Deunamist]

bad news for Juventus fans and Italy. i watched the game last night and i saw Chiellini tearing as he was stretchered off.

Chiellini knee injury scare

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/2407/vlcsnap643630vd7.png

There is terrible news for Juventus and Italy, as Giorgio Chiellini was stretchered off during tonight's Trofeo Berlusconi.

The defender collided with Milan striker Alberto Paloschi and appeared to sprain his left knee in the aftermath. Latest reports suggest he heard a 'crack' in his knee, which would imply ligament damage. If confirmed, that could mean a lay-off of three to six months.

Chiellini was almost in tears as he was carried off by medical staff and then placed on a stretcher to go for hospital tests.

There are fears the sprain could be serious enough to warrant a long lay-off, possibly at least a month.

To make matters worse, he suffered a similar setback in January and was out of action for four weeks.

This definitely means Chiellini will not be able to play for Italy in Wednesday's international friendly against Austria.

Marcello Lippi will need to call an extra defender for his first match since returning to the Azzurri bench.

It remains to be seen whether Chiellini will be fit enough for the second leg of Juventus' Champions League preliminary round clash with Artmedia Bratislava in a fortnight, although they are confident of qualification following a 4-0 win.

[raullim7]

bad news for Juventus fans and Italy. i watched the game last night and i saw Chiellini tearing as he was stretchered off.

Chiellini knee injury scare

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/2407/vlcsnap643630vd7.png

There is terrible news for Juventus and Italy, as Giorgio Chiellini was stretchered off during tonight's Trofeo Berlusconi.

The defender collided with Milan striker Alberto Paloschi and appeared to sprain his left knee in the aftermath. Latest reports suggest he heard a 'crack' in his knee, which would imply ligament damage. If confirmed, that could mean a lay-off of three to six months.

Chiellini was almost in tears as he was carried off by medical staff and then placed on a stretcher to go for hospital tests.

There are fears the sprain could be serious enough to warrant a long lay-off, possibly at least a month.

To make matters worse, he suffered a similar setback in January and was out of action for four weeks.

This definitely means Chiellini will not be able to play for Italy in Wednesday's international friendly against Austria.

Marcello Lippi will need to call an extra defender for his first match since returning to the Azzurri bench.

It remains to be seen whether Chiellini will be fit enough for the second leg of Juventus' Champions League preliminary round clash with Artmedia Bratislava in a fortnight, although they are confident of qualification following a 4-0 win.

OMG.. there isnt much decent center backs left for the old lady.. luckily alain bomsoung have already left for lyon..

[dreamer75]

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/8123/51282627tm7.jpg
Alexander Manninger (born 4 June 1977 in Salzburg) is an Austrian football goalkeeper.

Date of birth: June 4, 1977 (1977-06-04)
Place of birth: Salzburg, Austria
Height: 1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight: 84 kg
Playing position: Goalkeeper
Number: 13
Fee:
Contract: 2012

Youth clubs
Austria Salzburg

Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)
1994–1995 → Steyr (loan) 5 (0)
1995–1996 Salzburg 1 (0)
1996–1997 Grazer AK 23 (0)
1997–2001 Arsenal 40 (0)
2001–2002 → Fiorentina (loan) 24 (0)
2002–2003 Espanyol 0 (0)
2003 Torino 3 (0)
2003–2004 Bologna 0 (0)
2004–2005 Siena (loan) 19 (0)
2005–2006 Salzburg 16 (0)
2006–2008 Siena (loan) 64 (0)
2008- Udinese--->Juventus (loan)




Football career

Manninger first played as a youth for SV Austria Salzburg. In the 1995–96 season he was sent on loan at Vorwärts Steyr, and played his first top-level game away against Grazer AK. After a strong performance in goal, Grazer decided to sign him as backup goalkeeper in summer 1996. Manninger's first match was a baptism of fire; after first-choice goalkeeper Franz Almer fell ill before a UEFA Cup second round game against Internazionale in autumn 1996, Manninger found himself making his debut in the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. He put in a strong performance and pulled off several high-quality saves as GAK narrowly lost 1–0. In the return leg, GAK won 1–0 to level the aggregate score at 1–1, but lost in the resulting penalty shoot-out.

After that, he remained first-choice for the rest of the 1996–97 season and was signed by Arsenal in June 1997 as cover for David Seaman. During the 1997–98 season Seaman suffered a long spell out injured and Manninger ably covered for him, enjoying a spell of six clean sheets in a row in the league, a joint-club record with Jimmy Ashcroft. The last of these was against Manchester United at Old Trafford, where Arsenal won 1–0, a result which helped them beat United to the 1997–98 FA Premier League title, thereby winning the player of the month award, a first for an understudy goalkeeper in the Premier League. However, Manninger had to make way for Seaman once the Englishman returned from injury.

Manninger continued to deputise for Seaman for the next three seasons, but without a consistent run in the side he was unable to maximise his potential. In all he made only 64 appearances over four seasons for Arsenal. After the Gunners bought Richard Wright in 2001, Manninger became number three at Arsenal, and spent the 2001-02 season on loan at Fiorentina, making 24 appearances. In July 2002 RCD Espanyol signed Manninger on a four-year deal for £960,000. However they released him just seven weeks later before he had made a first team appearance. Doubts were raised as to whether his transfer from Arsenal had been fully completed.

Manninger joined Torino in January 2003. There then followed spells at Brescia and Siena, before he rejoined Red Bull Salzburg (as they are now known) in 2005. In 2006-07 he returned to Siena, where he is currently first-choice goalkeeper.

Manninger also plays for Austria, since 1999, and was member of the Austrian Euro 2008 squad.

At the end of the 2007-08 season he returned to Red Bull Salzburg. However in July 2008, Manninger was linked with a move back to Italy with Udinese.

[dreamer75]

[Champions League] Juventus v Artmedia Bratislava (August 13th, 2008)

Artmedia Bratislava fact files

Artmedia Bratislava are one of the top teams in the Slovakian League, which started in 1993 after the former Czekoslovakia was divided. Despite a century-old history – the club was founded in 1898, only one year after Juventus themselves –, their best results have only come in recent years.

Their silverware includes a Slovakian Cup won in 2004, a League title plus the Super Cup in 2005, and a historical 'double' (League and national Cup) last season. At European level, they took part in the 2005/06 edition of the Champions League; just like this year, they began in the first preliminary round and eventually accessed the first group stage, where they bowed out at the hands of Inter Milan and FC Porto.

In the current edition, before facing Tampere, they eliminated Maltese side Valletta.

Artmedia are one of the capital Bratislava's teams, and play their home games at the Petrzalka Stadion, an 8,000-seat facility. They have already begun the new League season and have three points after two games, having won one and lost one.

Just like Juventus, their colours are black and white. The two teams have never met before.

Indeed the only time Juventus faced a team from Slovakia was back in 1996/97, when the Bianconeri played against Kosice in the Champions League, beating them twice (1-0 and 3-2), with Del Piero scoring in both games.

[dreamer75]

We won 4-0! Great result!

a really enjoyable game to watch and we played very well, it was nice to see poulsen have a good game and play some lovely passes, lets hope he can keep that up. Felt really sorry for trez today, he should have scored a goal and was very unlucky, as was amauri with that last chance and despite what the commentator was saying i think iaquinta played well as well, hard to say a man of the match as everyone played a good game.

FORZA JUVE!!! CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HERE WE COME!!!

[dreamer75]

Some pics

http://www.corrieredellosport.it/Fotogallery/Calcio/6315/0/Juventus%2C+notte+da+Champions

[dreamer75]

Bianconero Berlusconi Curse

Juventus supporters are unanimous in their fear of the Silvio Berlusconi Trophy, as the competition always seems to bring bad luck and injuries to the Bianconeri...

Milan won the 2008 edition of the pre-season trophy on Sunday, beating the Old Lady 4-1 at the San Siro. It has been taken as a superstitious coincidence over the past few years that the loser of the cup game winds up winning the Scudetto.

The superstitions don't end there, though, as some Juventini believe that the cup inflicts a major injury upon their side with each installment. In 2005, Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon picked up an injury during the match and now star defender Giorgio Chiellini has hurt his knee as a result of an innocuous clash with Alberto Paloschi.

The defender is set to be out until the end of September and this has infuriated Biaconeri fans, who have have been coming up with their own solutions to end the Berlusconi curse.

“We have to abandon our part in it, or send our youth team,” wrote one Juve fan on a forum for the Turin club. Another supporter proposed a petition be signed and sent to the Juventus management with a view to ending their participation in the event, with 85% of readers agreeing with the idea.

Finally, one fan decided that it would be useful to use the curse in Juventus' favour, suggesting: “If it brings so much bad luck, why not send Inter Milan in our place?”

However, the Juve supporters will be further upset to learn that the Bianconeri are contracted to participate in the cup until 2010, receiving very good monetary compensation in return. Thus, it seems as though the Juve faithful will have to deal with the curse for a while longer.

Peter Pedroncelli | goal.com

[dreamer75]

JUVENTUS
IN: Mellberg (Aston Villa), Giovinco (Empoli), Marchisio (Empoli), Amauri (Palermo), Ekdal (Brommapojkarna), De Ceglie (Siena), Knezevic (Livorno), Poulsen (Sevilla), Chimenti (Udinese), Manninger (Red Bull Salzburg)
OUT: Nocerino (Palermo), Stendardo (Lazio), Volpato (Bari), Palladino (Genoa), Cuneaz (Mantova), Essabr (Vicenza), Del Prete (Siena), Olivera (Genoa), Almiron (Fiorentina), Belardi (Udinese)

[dreamer75]

Juventus lifted the Trofeo Moretti without scoring a goal in open play after winning their second penalty shoot-out against Milan.

This game decided the Trofeo Moretti after Juventus beat Napoli on penalties and Milan overcame the Partenopei with a late Alberto Paloschi winner in the second 45-minute encounter.

Juve were eager for revenge after their 4-1 thrashing in the Trofeo Berlusconi but it had hardly been an evening of goalmouth incident.

Carlo Ancelotti stuck with a similar side to the 11 that won their opener but Zeljko Kalac took over between the posts.

The Bianconeri started with Claudio Pasquato - who scored in the Trofeo Berlusconi - alongside Amauri in attack.

Tiago Mendes, who refused a move to Everton this week, was given a chance in midfield.

After just two minutes, Kalac made a fantastic save to deny Amauri from a headed goal.

And the Australian international also dived to catch Pavel Nedved's blast within the first five minutes.

Pasquato had two efforts blocked and Tiago claimed a penalty but his appeals were waved away.

The Portuguese international was having another unconvincing game and doing his case to stay at the club no good, while Seedorf was at the centre of everything Mian did.

It was all Juve and Nedved threatened again before Luca Antonini hooked the ball away.

Nedved went to ground in pain after Milan substitute Wilfred Osuji clipped his calf.

The Czech international was taken off as a precaution and Ranieri looked concerned at the state of his winger who limped to the dressing room.

Both sides were keen to avoid a shoot-out but nothing was going right in front of goal.

Kalac was alert to Amauri's cross-shot and the whistle went for full time.

A night of limited entertainment was to be concluded with a second penalty shoot-out.

Seedorf scored, albeit via Antonio Chimenti, but Ariaudo was cool enough to level.

Cristian Brocchi blasted high into the net before Chimenti amazingly ran up to take a penalty and converted to Kalac's amusement.

Paloschi hit his kick down the middle and Nicola Legrottaglie equalised despite Kalac's touch.

Osuji sent Chimenti the wrong way for 4-3 but Pasquato struck back with a beautiful kick.

Surprisingly, captain Ambrosini slipped up when he blasted over the bar but Amauri couldn't finish this tie as he was denied by Kalac.

Giuseppe Favalli's effort was also stopped by Chimenti and Cristian Molinaro found the net to win Juventus the Trofeo Moretti.

Juventus 0-0 Milan
(Juventus win 5-4 on pens.)
Juventus: Chimenti; Salihamidzic (Castiglia 37), Legrottaglie, Ariaudo, Molinaro; Rossi, Tiago, Ekdal, Nedved (Duravia 37); Pasquato, Amauri
Milan: Kalac; Antonini (Pasini 23), Favalli, Darmian, Albertazzi; Cardacio (Strasser 23), Brocchi, Ambrosini; Seedorf, Paloschi, Viudez (Osuji 34)

[dreamer75]

Video

http://www.yousportz.com/watch/12a6b3496aec1f631ddd/Watch

[dreamer75]

Pavel Nedved has recovered to travel with Juventus for the Champions League preliminary round in Bratislava.

There were fears over the Czech midfielder after he pulled up with a calf problem during the Trofeo Moretti on Thursday, but it is just a bruise and he is in the squad.

Nedved also missed the first leg, which the Bianconeri won 4-0 against Artmedia, due to a ban.

Giorgio Chiellini is out injured until the end of October with a knee injury, while Paolo De Ceglie, Claudio Marchisio and Sebastian Giovinco are back after their Olympic exploits.

The Juventus squad flies out to Bratislava on Monday and the second leg will be played on Tuesday evening.

Juventus squad: 1 Buffon, 4 Mellberg, 7 Salihamidzic, 8 Amauri, 9 Iaquinta, 10 Del Piero, 11 Nedved, 12 Chimenti, 13 Manninger, 15 Knezevic, 16 Camoranesi, 17 Trezeguet, 18 Poulsen, 19 Marchisio, 20 Giovinco, 21 Grygera, 22 Sissoko, 27 Ekdal, 28 Molinaro, 29 De Ceglie, 33 Legrottaglie, 41 Ariaudo.

[dreamer75]

After Juventus' inter-squad friendly, manager Claudio Ranieri said he believes that the fans can add three or four more points to Juventus' season...


Five thousand Juventus fans showed up for the traditional inter-squad friendly at Villa Perosa and were in good spirits as the Juventus A team won 8-0 over their younger B team rivals.

Christian Pasquato was the star of the show with six goals, while Amauri grabbed a brace for good measure. However, after the match Ranieri suggested that the fans will have a big hand in Juventus' results as well.

"I thank all these people for the reception they gave us. Our fans are important and we will really need them this season," claimed the former Chelsea tactician.

Ranieri said both the team and fans must do their part: "The team on the field always gives the maximum, but I am sure that all this passion can bring us at least three or four points higher in the championship!"

Before leaving, Ranieri briefly spoke about Tuesday's match with Artmedia Bratislava and the day's hero Pasquato. "We'll go there to secure qualification, knowing that we must have the same determination we showed in Turin."

"Pasquato? He would lose a year if he stayed on our bench, he must get experience to become an important player." Juventus' Alessio Secco also confirmed Pasquato will be leaving on loan this season.

Juventus won the first match 4-0 against Artmedia Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico and look certain to advance to the next round.

Adam Scime

[bttorn]

any channels showing the match against viola today?

[dreamer75]

What: Serie A Championship, Week 1
Who: Fiorentina - Juventus
When: Sunday August 31, 20:45CET
Where: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence


Serie A returns for what promises to be another spectacular season and the best game of week 1 has to be the rival rumble between Fiorentina and Juventus at the Artemio Franchi. Both teams are set and ready for action as they attempt to win the final batch of points up for grabs from the first week of the new campaign on Sunday night.

Fiorentina Flourish

Cesare Prandelli and his troops head into Sunday’s game full of confidence after they secured their place in the Champions League this term on Wednesday night. The Gigliati have been flourishing all summer as their multitalented squad begins to take shape.

An impressive fourth placed finish last term has propelled the Artemio Franchi side towards taking the big step upwards and fight amongst the big boys this term. That battle will begin this weekend when Juve come to town. As usual, fireworks are expected as two of the biggest rivalries in the Italian game lock horns. The stadium has been sold out with fans queuing outside the Fiorentina ticket office all week with the hope of seeing their side get off to a flying start against the Old Lady.

No less than €40m has been spent in Florence this season as the club show their ambition and expectations for the season ahead. Alberto Gilardino was the big money gamble but it has paid off so far for the club. Some goals against Juventus on Sunday and the former Parma man will become an overnight hero. Juan Vargas, Felipe Melo and Stevan Jovetic also came in and they will be ready to ruffle the Bianconeri’s feathers as they look to get the new Serie A careers with Fiorentina off to a perfect start.

Expectations and ambitions are sky high and a number of coaches have even tipped the club for a real Scudetto challenge. Juventus will need to watch out on Sunday as the ‘new Fiorentina’ is fired up and ready to knock everything in its path down. This fixture ended 1-1 last season amid much controversy as what seemed like an offside goal for Juve was allowed to stand. Expect more than just controversy on Sunday night.

Juve’s Scudetto Hope

Claudio Ranieri is confident of success this term, but rather than come out early and eagerly stake his claim, the Bianconeri boss has remained quiet as he lets the football do all the talking. Belief of a serious Scudetto challenge is very real in Turin and it might just happen.

Like their rivals on Sunday, Juve have also been wheeling and dealing and all eyes will be on Amauri. The €24m signing from Palermo has been superb during silly season and he is itching to get off the mark as he attempts to silence his critics who claimed that he wouldn’t shine at a major club.

Juventus enjoyed a mixed season last term as they became something like a ‘nearly team’. The Bianconeri were sublime against Milan, Roma and Inter but they came unstuck against smaller sides like Fiorentina and the rest of the chasing pack. The 3-2 loss in Turin back in march is still vivid in the memories of the club’s faithful and they will be hoping for a reverse score line come 22:45 on Sunday night.

Amauri is likely to start alongside Vincenzo Iaquinta as David Trezeguet seems to have fallen out of Ranieri’s favour, despite the fact he scored 20 goals last term. Another prodigy raring to go is Sebastian Giovinco. The pint-sized hit-man has been superb recently and he is looking to establish himself as a regular starter and there is no way to paint a better picture of yourself than do it with an artistic performance against the side from the renaissance city. The Bianconeri will be well aware that their opponents this weekend are no push over’s but they too still have the brilliant Alessandro Del Piero, who is likely to lead the charge for the first points of the new campaign.

Form Guide

Fiorentina

27 Aug Slavia Prague 0-0 Fiorentina

22 Aug AZ Alkmaar 0 – 2 Fiorentina

19 Aug Fiorentina 6 – 2 Amici Del Forte

12 Aug Fiorentina 2 – 0 Slavia Prague

6 Aug Fiorentina 3 – 1 Progresul

Juventus

26 Aug Artmedia 1-1 Juventus

22 Aug Juventus-Napoli 0-0 Juve win 5-4 on Penalties.

22 Aug Juventus-Milan 0-0 Juve win 5-4 on Penalties.

13 Aug Juventus 4-0 Artmedia

29 July Juventus 2-2 Milan (Tim Cup)

Team News

Juventus: The Bianconeri will have to make do without several key players. The big injury worry is Pavel Nedved. The Czech star had to be carried off from the training pitch on Thursday morning after picking up a nasty knock on his right ankle. He is likely to miss the Fiorentina game as a result. Momo Sissoko is suspended and Cristiano Zanetti is still in the treatment room. Mauro Camoranesi has been blowing hot and cold and the race is on to get him up to scratch for Sunday as the Argentine is suffering from a minor knock. Giorgio Chiellini is also out leaving the defensive organisation to Nicola Legrottaglie.

Fiorentina: Adrian Mutu will not take part as he has been ruled out for a few weeks after he dislocated his elbow. The Romanian hit-man is likely to be replaced by Osvaldo who is keen to get some playing time under his belt and show Cesare Prandelli what he can do. Alberto Gilardino is likely to start and former Juve midfielder Sergio Almiron may get the chance to clash against his old side.

Players To Watch

Juventus: Amauri will be looking to get his goal tally for this season off the the right start when he takes centre stage at the Artemio Franchi. The big Brazilian hit-man was a major investment and Ranieri will be hoping his striker can start paying the club back with some goals.

Fiorentina: Felipe Melo. The midfielder said he snubbed interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona to join Fiorentina. He now has to put his words into action and impress the Artemio Franchi. He has raised eyebrows in preseason and he is likely to cause Juve some problems in the middle.

Probable Starting XI

Fiorentina: Frey; Zauri, Gamberini, Kroldrup, Vargas; Kuzmanovic, Melo, Montolivo; Jovetic, Osvaldo, Gilardino.

Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Mellberg, Legrottaglie, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Poulsen, Marchisio, Giovinco; Trezeguet, Del Piero.

Prediction: Both teams will be on the same level and the game is likely to be frantic as the Bianconeri and Viola go gung ho to cancel each other out. On Paper, Fiorentina looks slightly stronger but never count out the Old Lady from swinging her hand bag. Both sides go into the game full of confidence and it will be a case of fitness as they try to find their Serie A feet again.

Fiorentina 2-2 Juventus

[dreamer75]

any channels showing the match against viola today?

yes...but i cant say :o

[dreamer75]

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri is looking forward to Sunday’s away day in Tuscany as he looks to beat Fiorentina.


The coach is still annoyed with the 3-2 defeat he suffered at the hands of La Viola in Turin last season and he is looking for revenge.

The Bianconeri travel to the Artemio Franchi without the injured David Trezeguet and the Tinkerman has hinted that Amauri and Vincenzo Iaquinta are likely to start, with Alessandro Del Piero on the bench.

“Amauri and Iaquinta are the two I have available up front. The Brazilian does well at pushing the side forward and Iaquinta creates space, we have to see what happens,” said Ranieri.

“Fiorentina? They took points off us last season and to be honest I was hoping not to meet a side in form early on.

“They are the same as us, they want to do well and we want to have a good campaign and win all our games.

“I am curious to see how we do without several of our stars and Fiorentina is always a good test.”

The former Chelsea man also had a few words on new signing Iago Falque from Barcelona.

“He has good prospects and he was taken for the youth team. We always have to try and make these types of investments for the youth sector,” continued Ranieri.

“He is technically good and he can become an excellent player.”

The Bianconeri will be hoping to get off to the right start against I Gigliati but it will not be easy as Cesare Prandelli’s side are much stronger than last season after the arrivals of Alberto Gilardino, Felipe Melo, Juan Vargas and Stevan Jovetic.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

FT Fiorentina [1 - 1] Juventus

39' [0 - 1] P. Nedved
89' [1 - 1] A. Gilardino

good draw against viola away.....seems like viola made a investment on gila :o

[dreamer75]

Alberto Gilardino scored an 89th minute equaliser to earn ten-men Fiorentina a 1-1 draw against Juventus in an absorbing game at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

The new Serie A season had already dished out some opening day shocks, with Inter and Roma both drawing their matches, and Milan losing at home to Bologna.

First Half

Fiorentina and Juventus knew that a win could give them an early advantage over their nearest challengers, but there were injuries galore for both sides. La Viola were without Jorgensen, Montolivo, Comotto and Mutu, while the Bianconeri were minus the services of Zanetti, Chiellini, Zebina, Trezeguet and long term absentee Andrade. Semioli and Sissoko were suspended for their respective sides.

Juve had the first attempt of the game, as Alex Del Piero took on Alessandro Gamberini and sent a cross into the penalty area that found Amauri but his header sailed high and wide.

Claudio Marchisio cracked a long range shot over, while down the other end Sergio Almiron unleashed a daisycutter wide. Shots were raining in from distance, with Mario Alberto Santana also firing off target.

On 15 minutes Alessandro Del Piero made a run to the near post, losing his marker, but he didn’t connect cleanly with his shot.

A comical misunderstanding by Marco Donadel and Almiron on a free kick led to a lightning Juventus counter-attack, which ended in Amauri blazing over.

The first half hour had been lacking in technical quality, but Alberto Gilardino lit up a so far dull affair with a neat chest and bicycle kick, but it was easy for Gianluigi Buffon.

Juve started to gain a bit of a foothold in midfield, and Mauro Camoranesi’s tricky run ended with Del Piero snapping in a sweet half volley straight into the arms of Frey.

On 38 minutes the Old Lady took the lead thanks the oldest player on the pitch – Pavel Nedved. The former Lazio star, celebrating his 36th birthday, tapped in at the back post following a superb run and cross down the right by Zdenek Grygera.

Minutes later it could have been 2-0 as Del Piero and Camoranesi linked up well, with the latter crossing into the box for Amauri who glanced a header wide from just six yards.

Del Piero missed an even better chance one minute before the break, as he shrugged off Gamberini and found himself through on goal, but the 33-year-old took an age on the ball, and eventually shot timidly at Frey.

Second Half

Into the second half and Gilardino tried to get away from Nicola Legrottaglie, but the defender did superbly to mop up the danger. His centre back partner Olof Mellberg went up for a free kick down the other end, and beat Gamberini to the ball but headed wide.

Amauri saw a shot blocked, before Stevan Jovetic was brought on for Fiorentina, replacing the disappointing Almiron. This gave the home side a boost, and they started to exert some concerted pressure. Buffon had to be alert to punch the ball away from inside his six yard box.

On the hour mark, Fiorentina created their best chance of the match so far, as Jovetic crossed to the far post for Santana, who could not get any power on his header.

Juventus could not get out of their half, and on 66 minutes they conceded a free kick right on the edge of the area. Juan Manuel Vargas wound up one of his trademark run-ups but shot a couple of yards wide.

Nedved, who was still annoyed after conceding that free kick, unleashed a long range shot but his effort finished high and wide. Juventus were then awarded a free kick of their own, this time 25 yards out, and Del Piero whipped the ball over the wall but two yards past the post.

On 70 minutes Fiorentina missed a glorious chance to equalise, as Gilardino went past Mellberg and was one on one with Buffon, but the goalkeeper forced him wide, and Gila couldn’t turn the ball into the open net.

Felipe Melo had been much improved for Fiorentina in the second half, and he towered above Poulsen from a left wing cross, but headed well over.

Into the final 10 minutes and Gilardino, who had had a good second half, held off Legrottaglie and flashed a shot wide, as the Viola desperately searched for an equaliser.

Seconds later this task was made tougher as Felipe Melo was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Poulsen, who was sent flying through the air.

Juventus thought they were going to hold out, but in the penultimate minute Fiorentina found an equaliser to send the Artemio Franchi into ecstasy. A long ball was flicked on by substitute Giampaolo Pazzini, and Gilardino turned the hapless Mellberg, before firing superbly past Buffon.

Five minutes of stoppage time were awarded and Amauri almost surprised Frey at his near post with a snap shot, but the Frenchman palmed the ball away.

Moments later, time seemed to stand still as Del Piero curled in a free kick from the left, which went past everyone and everything, including the far post.

That was that, and in the end a draw was just about the fair result. In what had been an incredible first weekend to the Serie A season, none of the so-called five title challengers – the others being Milan, Inter and Roma – had managed to register a victory.

Teams

Fiorentina: Frey; Zauri, Gamberini, Kroldrup, Vargas; Donadel (Kuzmanovic 78), Melo, Almiron (Jovetic 53); Santana, Osvaldo (Pazzini 63), Gilardino

Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Mellberg, Legrottaglie, Molinaro (De Ceglie 73); Camoranesi (Iaquinta 88), Poulsen, Marchisio, Nedved; Amauri, Del Piero

Goals

Nedved 39 (J)

Gilardino 89 (F)

Red Card

Felipe Melo 83 (F)


Carlo Garganese

[dreamer75]

Welcome to Goal.com's team of the week. After each round of Serie A we sieve out the major performers.

Goalkeeper:

Matteo Sereni- 8.0,Torino 3-0 Lecce
The shot stopper made a number of stunning saves against Lecce to keep a clean sheet for his side. The 33-year-old who once played for Ipswich Town showed that he still has what it takes to cut the mustard at the highest levels.

Defenders:

Gianluca Zambrotta- 7.5, Milan 1-2 Bologna
Took some time to get into the game but he was outstanding when he did. Started on the left and switched to the right when Jankulovski came on and the former Barcelona star formed a great partnership with Ronaldinho on the flank. He never stopped running and was a constant threat down the wings.

Zdenek Grygera- 7.5, Juventus 1-1 Fiorentina
The Czech defender has discovered that he can be an assist man as well as brilliant stopper. He always seemed to find space behind Fiorentina’s back line without anyone noticing as he muscled his way into the box to set up Pavel Nedved to give his side the lead.

Nicola Legrottaglie- 7.0, Juventus 1-1 Fiorentina
The former Siena man has taken full responsibility at the back following Giorgio Chillini’s absence. Was a commanding presence and he kept Alberto Gilardino quiet for most of the game. Broke up the play and kept things organised.

Midfielders:

Francesco Valiani- 8.0, Milan 1-2 Bologna
The versatile midfielder ensured his Serie A debut was a special one. He was outstanding throughout the match and he stunned San Siro with a contender for goal of the season ten minutes from time as he stole the points for the Rossoblu. A perfect start.

Alberto Aquilani- 8.0, Roma 1-1 Napoli

The Italian international is Roma’s unsung hero. He never stopped running and he was a constant threat all over the pitch as he attacked, defended and held up play. His work rate was second to none and he scored a well taken goal.

Marek Hamsik- 8.5, Roma 1-1 Napoli
The Slovakian started where he left off from last term. Easily the man of the match. He ran the show for the Partenopei and got his side a well deserved point with a brilliant acrobatic strike. No wonder the club kept him on this summer.

Ronaldinho- 8.0, Milan 1-2 Bologna
The Brazilian was back to his old tricks as he marked his debut in Serie A with some magical and dazzling play. His assist for Massimo Ambrosini was top-class and he never stopped wowing the crowd. Fitter, sharper and more determined, it can only get better for him and the Rossoneri.

Gokhan Inler- 7.5, Udinese 3-1 Palermo
The Swiss international proved just why Udinese spent all summer trying to hold onto him. Every dangerous ball came from his feet as he set up chance after chance for his side. He capped off a great performance with an unstoppable header to ensure his side took all three points.

Strikers: Antonio Di Natale- 9.0, Udinese 3-1 Palermo
The hit-man fired his side to victory with a stunning brace, two goals which have Di Natale written all over them. A stunning run and finish as well as a fine lob over Marco Amelia got the Bianconeri’s season off to a flying start. Well done Toto’.

Mauro Zarate- 8.0, Cagliari 1-4 Lazio
The Argentine grabbed a double with a well taken penalty and a clever lob but that’s not all. He was a constant threat around the box and he linked up superbly with Goran Pandev. Showed incredible pace and hunger and Lazio can expect more of the same next week.

Honourable Mention

Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Pietro Accardi (Sampdoria)
Pavel Nedved (Juventus)
Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina)
Alessandro Rosina (Torino)
Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria)
Daniele De Rossi (Roma)
Gennaro Delvecchio (Sampdoria)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)
Marco Di Vaio (Bologna)
Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli)

[dreamer75]

Chiellini's remarkable recovery Tuesday 2 September, 2008

Giorgio Chiellini could be back in action by mid-September – a month ahead of schedule – from his knee injury.

The Juventus defender feared he’d be out for the whole season when he badly sprained his knee with ligament damage during the Trofeo Berlusconi against Milan on August 18.

Even with the good news from the tests, he was thought to be sidelined for at least 45 to 60 days, but he took part in training today and could be ready within a couple of weeks.

“I prefer to be a little cautious with regards to my condition,” said Chiellini.

“I got quite a scare at the Trofeo Berlusconi. I’m improving now and started running again. We’ll see how it goes when I start kicking the ball.

“I watched the game with Fiorentina and it’s a shame about the draw when we thought the points were already in the bag. Never mind, I saw a good Juve performance.”

Pavel Nedved had given the Bianconeri the lead at the Stadio Franchi on Sunday night, but after Felipe Melo’s dismissal the 10-man Viola equalised through Alberto Gilardino.

[dreamer75]

Negotiations between Juventus and Sebastian Giovinco over his contract renewal have failed according to ANSA. The race is now on to find a solution so he can extend it and secure his future at the club.

The player’s agents met with Bianconeri directors late on Wednesday night in order to talk about making the playmaker’s future at the club more secure but it seems as if the talks broke down as neither party were able to agree on a new deal.

However, it’s not all bad news for Juventus fans. ANSA claims that another meeting between the club and Giovinco’s agents will take place again next week where a deal should be finalised.

Reports suggest that both the attacking midfielder and Juventus are keen on extending their marriage and thus it should be easy for both parties to reach a compromise.

The Bianconeri called their 21-year-old star back from Empoli where he spent last season on loan.

The Italian youngster is one of Europe’s hottest properties and the club are not looking to risk losing him to another top side.

Coach Claudio Ranieri and club president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli are big admirers of the pint-sized hit-man and they will do all they can to ensure he stays on at the club.

The Italian under-21 international has been outstanding and he came through the youth system at the Bianconeri.

Giovinco is keen on playing alongside Alessandro Del Piero who remains his childhood hero. Juve's priorities this season will be to extend the player's deal as well as challenge for the Scudetto and Champions League.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

New Juventus winger Iago Falque has revealed his ambition to become the Bianconeri’s Cesc Fabregas. The 18-year-old has signed on until 2012 and he cannot wait to start.

The former Barcelona man arrives in Turin with a hint of déjà vu around the move, as it seems identical to the transfer of Fabregas to Arsenal in 2003.

Falque is hoping he can give his best to the Old Lady and he is eager to prove himself. The player is quick, skilful and has an eye for goal. Thus, many believe he will be the next big thing in Italian football.

“It would be good to imitate Fabregas and do what he has done,” the winger told Tuttosport.

“I am delighted at having arrived here at a prestigious club like Juventus. The idea of training alongside great champions makes me really enthusiastic and I cannot wait to begin.

“I hope I can be useful as well as show my capabilities here. I want to thank Claudio Ranieri for all the praise and I hope to pay him back.”

The Old Lady have signed Falque initially for the youth team, but he may get his break into the first team squad as a number of injuries in midfield have caused the coach to tinker.

Salvatore Landolina

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[dreamer75]

Gianluca Vialli is won over by the new Juventus and sees summer signing Amauri as his heir to the Turin throne.

“This year Juve will return to battle for two trophies they had been out of for some time and to achieve that they need the right mental attitude and facilities, especially in attack,” the former Bianconeri hero told Tuttosport.

“This is why Juventus did so well to invest in Amauri. At first glance he may look like a playboy, but all joking aside he is an excellent striker and I see myself in him.

“Amauri has great physical strength, is technically gifted and is not afraid of working for the team. He reminds me of a player from the old days called Vialli…”

The Turin giants are back in the Champions League and Scudetto race, so have invested heavily on the transfer market.

“A winning project stems from the administration, who impart that victorious attitude to the players. In this sense, Juve are inferior to no-one in the world.

“They can aim to be protagonists in every tournament. Once you get past the group phase in the Champions League, it is like the 100m sprint trials, as you cannot make a single mistake. I think seven or eight sides can win it, including Juve and Inter.”

Vialli did see some weaknesses in Claudio Ranieri’s outfit, but also had praise for someone who has been treated unfairly in the media.

“Many pundits didn’t see the value in Christian Poulsen, but he is excellent when defending and also capable of some great cross-field passes to start attacking moves.

“The one area where I think they are lacking is the full-backs. Juventus would need someone like Inter’s Douglas Maicon and Maxwell, who the Nerazzurri did well to pick up on free transfers.

“Zdenek Grygera and Cristian Molinaro are good, but in that section Juve could improve.

[dreamer75]

Claudio Ranieri warns Manchester City no amount of money can buy Gigi Buffon. “I told the same thing to Roman Abramovich.”

Transfer speculation went wild this week when the club’s new Abu Dhabi owners prepared a £60m offer for the Juventus goalkeeper.

“I am not worried, because you need more than money to buy all the champions in the world,” Ranieri told Tuttosport.

“I said the same thing to Abramovich when he had this view of the sport. In fact, over the years he has never been able to construct the dream team he wanted, even if obviously he put together some excellent squads.”

Ranieri was the first tactician in charge when Abramovich bought up Chelsea and began pumping millions into the club.

Buffon also laughed off the reports of a £60m bid from Manchester City, insisting he stuck with Juventus in Serie B and would not be tempted away by mere money.

[dreamer75]

Del Piero Benched, Gila, Toni, Di Natale To Start

Alessandro Del Piero is highly unlikely to feature against Cyprus this evening and thus Marcelo Lippi may deploy a 4-3-3 formation as expected according to the latest reports from Lanarca.


The Juventus man trained separately from everyone else in the last session before the game and the coach tried Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino together as an attacking line up during the practice match.

The different tactical systems used by Lippi suggest that Antonio Di Natale will partner Gila and Toni up front with Mauro Camoranesi, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo providing a resilient three-man midfield.

At the back, Alessandro Gamberini is likely to keep the returning Fabio Cannavaro company.

Although Del Piero has been passed fit to play, it is unlikely that he will feature as La Nazionale take a precautionary measure so that he doesn’t risk aggravating or picking up another injury with the Georgia game on Tuesday in mind.

Meanwhile, there were also some fears over the state of the pitch in Lanarca after the Azzurri inspected it on Friday.

The main concern was that the surface in the Papadopoulos stadium was a little too hard but Italy will just have to get on with the task in hand and ensure they come away with what they came for.

[dreamer75]

Giovinco: I don’t care about new Juventus deal

September 7, 2008

Juventus youngster Sebastian Giovinco insists he does not care whether his contract with the club is extended or not.

“My renewal with Juventus is not a priority and to be honest I couldn’t careless whether the contract is renewed or not,” Giovinco told Tuttomercatoweb.

“My agent should be thinking about certain things and for now I know my future is with Juventus.

“I will accept Claudio Ranieri’s decisions regarding whether or not I play on the pitch.”

Reports in Italian media suggest the Italy under-21 ace wants 1 million euros per season to extend his deal with the Old Lady.

Giovinco’s latest comments could give a boost to reports that the youngster could be interested in leaving the Italian giants.

Giovinco has previously been linked with a move to Premiership side Arsenal.

[Source: Tuttomercatoweb]

[Cissiboy]

giovinco must stay. Period

And his salary is 50K Eur per year...RIDICOLOUS

[wmania2]

Don't worry. This is Italy, not England. Italians don't tolerate the wages nonsense/pricing markups so they will negotiate an appropriate deal.

[Cissiboy]

Don't worry. This is Italy, not England. Italians don't tolerate the wages nonsense/pricing markups so they will negotiate an appropriate deal.

r u kidding me ??

I'm italian ! I know how things are going there..

[dreamer75]

What: Serie A Week 2
Who: Juventus - Udinese
When: Sunday, September 14, 20:30CET
Where: Stadio Olimpico, Turin

Juventus Looking For Points

The Bianconeri welcome Udinese to the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday and they will be looking to get into full swing and take maximum points against a Friulani side who will be full of confidence.

Serie A has enjoyed a break from the week to week tussles following the recent World Cup Qualifiers but Claudio Ranieri will ensure his side get back down to business as they attempt to pick up their first win of the season. The coach was furious after the week one draw with Fiorentina. Pavel Nedved’s goal in the first half seemed to have done the trick until Alberto Gilardino popped up to steal a point for his team.

Ranieri described his players as a bunch of children following that game but Juventus have always been formidable at home and they will be looking to rule the roost. Expectations are high at Vinovo and there is an air of belief that the Tricolore will be ironed on the club's jerseys next season but Juve need to start kicking themselves into action and there will be no better place to start than with a home game against Pasquale Marino’s men.

This fixture ended in a 1-0 defeat for the Turin-based side last term but plenty has changed since then. Giorgio Chiellini has matured, Nicola Legrottaglie is a different player and Olof Mellberg was captured to help ease the pressure at the back. Momo Sissoko, David Trezeguet and Cristiano Zanetti have all returned from injury but Alessandro Del Piero, Mauro Camoranesi, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Legrottaglie may be rested following their international exploits with La Nazionale.

It will be a tricky fixture for Ranieri’s team but he will be glad to get it out of the way now than have it hang around until the mid season when the race for the Scudetto and Champions League football begin to take their toll. A win is needed if they are to lay down the foundations for a successful campaign but Udinese will be no pushovers.

Udinese Look To Di Natale

The Stadio Friuli-based club need to give themselves a pat on the back for keeping the Italian international this summer. Like many sides, they could have sold Di Natale to the big guns and make money hand over fist, instead they offered him a new deal until 2012 and that gamble has paid off for both club and player.

The Number 10 fired his side to the perfect start in the opening game of the season against Palermo in round one. The Napolitan-born hit-man grabbed a superb double and set one up as his side strolled to a good win over the Sicilians, as well as prove the point that they will be challenging for the Champions League places this term.

Di Natale was outstanding during that game and he earned himself a starting role for Marcello Lippi’s Italy side for the World Cup qualifier against Cyprus. He rescued the Azzurri in Larnaca and he will be hoping to do the same when he returns to action for Udinese on Sunday.

The burning question around the Peninsula is why Roberto Donadoni didn’t play him during the European Championships.

However, it’s not all about Di Natale as Fabio Quagliarella will be out to make his point against the Old Lady. A debut is also in store for Maurizio Domizzi and he will be eager to prove himself to his new manager Pasquale Marino who showed faith in the stopper by bringing him to the Friuli.

The Champions League is on everybody’s lips in Udine and the club will be pushing hard to reach their objective. The side will be confident in their ability to go to Turin and cause another upset following last season’s victory there and they will be relying on the littlest Toto' Di Natale.

Form Guide

Juventus

31 Aug Fiorentina 1-1 Juventus

26 Aug Artmedia 1-1 Juventus

22 Aug Juventus-Napoli 0-0 Juve win 5-4 on Penalties

22 Aug Juventus-Milan 0-0 Juve win 5-4 on Penalties

13 Aug Juventus 4-0 Artmedia

Udinese

30 Aug Udinese 3-1 Palermo

24 Aug Espanyol 1-0 Udinese

22 Aug Villarreal 0-1 Udinese

7 Aug Udinese 1-3 Paok

25 July Udinese 0-3 Athletic Bilbao

Team News

Juventus: David Trezeguet, Cristiano Zanetti and Giorgio Chiellini have all returned from injury. Chiellini is ready for the game on Sunday but he may be rested with the Champions League in mind. Up front, Ranieri has all his strikers available though Iaquinta and Del Piero are likely to be benched with Amauri and Trezeguet to start. Jorge Andrade remains the long term casualty.

Udinese: Christian Zapata and Dias Felipe are unavailable for Marino but the usual suspects will be fighting for a place. The in-form Di Natale is likely to get the nod to play alongside Quagliarella.

Players To Watch

Juventus

Amauri: The Brazilian striker failed to get off the mark against Fiorentina despite having a number of chances. He will be hoping to grab a couple against Udinese as he sets out to prove himself with one of Italy’s greatest sides. Many have tipped him to end the season as Serie A’s top scorer but he needs to start firing.

Udinese

Di Natale: The prolific hit-man has scored four goals in three games for club and country and he will be the danger man for his side in Turin. The Juve backline will need to keep him shackled if they are to avoid a shock result. His pace and trickery on the ball is world-class and he is likely to cause the Old Lady a headache on Sunday.

Probable Starting XI's

Juventus: Buffon, Grygera, Molinaro, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, Sissoko, Nanetti, Nedved, Camoranesi, Trezeguet, Amauri.

Udinese: Handanovic, Motta, Coda, Domizzi, Pasquale, Inler, D'Agostino, Isla, Pepe, Quagliarella, Di Natale.

Prediction

With both teams in good form, this game will be no easy feat for either.

The Old Lady has made the Olimpico her fortress but she will remember the game from last season when it ended 1-0 to the Friulani. Confidence is high in both camps but a share of the points seems on the cards.

Juventus 2-2 Udinese

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Coach Claudio Ranieri has praised the attitude of his Juventus players as they prepare to end a "difficult" two-season exile from the UEFA Champions League, telling uefa.com they are showing "a new spirit, a spirit of rebirth".

Sudden demotion
The Turin club's UEFA Champions League story has been a case of not knowing what they had until it was gone. Relegated from Serie A in 2006 as a result of the Italian sporting fraud scandal, Juventus were suddenly ejected from Europe's élite, having to battle their way back into their own top flight and then into the continent's over the next two seasons.

Confidence lifted
Ranieri, who took charge in the summer of 2007, completed the second leg of that journey and is delighted to have restored La Vecchia Signora to the promised land. "Returning to the Champions League is something to be proud of," the 56-year-old told uefa.com. "It's a huge step from Serie B to the Champions League, but it was necessary to give the whole club and our fans their confidence back."

Notable first
Indeed, the Bianconeri achieved a notable Italian first in winning a UEFA Champions League place – by finishing third – as a promoted club. It was, says Ranieri, testament to their determination. "There is a great desire, especially from the point of view of the players," said Ranieri. "They felt the relegation was not fair and that's why they have this desire to make up for it and make up for lost time in Europe."

Painful memories
Juventus last competed in the UEFA Champions League in 2005/06 when they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Arsenal FC, although a more painful recent memory of the competition is the shoot-out defeat by AC Milan in the 2003 final. However, this campaign looks well-starred for them. The previous occasion the final was played at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, in 1996, Juve beat AFC Ajax on penalties.

'We won't sleep well'
To return to the scene of that triumph next May, Ranieri's men must first get through Group H where they will meet FC Zenit St. Petersburg at home on Wednesday before ties against FC BATE Borisov and Real Madrid CF. "This group is very tough," said Ranieri. "It's logical that we won't sleep well, but the other teams won't sleep well knowing they have to face Juventus."

©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights rese

[dreamer75]

http://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/photo/competitions/ucl/73/89/91/738991_biglandscape.jpg

[dreamer75]

Arsenal target latest: Juve talks falter
19:52 September, 12, 2008

Sebastian Giovinco's agent is reportedly unhappy at the contract offer on the table in Turin

Reports in Italy suggest the midfield starlet, strongly linked with Arsenal in recent days, has been offered a £400,000-a-year deal, well below some of Juventus's top stars.

“What is Giovinco's contractual situation? Things are taking shape - we are talking to Juventus to define some terms,” agent Andrea D'Amico told Affaritaliani.it prior to the opening discussions.

“It's no surprise that European clubs are interested in him. Seba has shown his talent and his great ability in every match he has played.

“If the Gunners are interested that doesn't concern me personally but it isn't hard to see why they would be."

[dreamer75]

Blanc voices Juve regrets
Saturday 13 September, 2008
Juventus general manager Jean-Claude Blanc looks back over two troubled years and reveals his greatest regret.

The Frenchman took charge along with President Giovanni Cobolli Gigli and director of sport Alessio Secco in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal that saw the club demoted to Serie B in 2006.

“These have been difficult seasons,” he confessed on Juventus Channel. “At least they are behind us now.

“The worst memories I have of this time is having to let some great champions leave the club. It was a painful decision, but a necessary one.”

The likes of Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Patrick Vieira were sold that summer, but other legends such as Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved, Mauro Camoranesi and David Trezeguet remained.

“Fortunately not everyone left and those who stayed on still represent the foundations of the team today. It is above all thanks to them that we are back in the Champions League.”

That European adventure begins next week against Super Cup and UEFA Cup holders Zenit, while the squad aims for its first Serie A victory on Sunday evening when welcoming Udinese.

“Today Juventus are a very strong side, but tomorrow they will be even stronger,” concluded Blanc.

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/blancnews01.jpg

[dreamer75]

Trez confirms Barca talks
Saturday 13 September, 2008
David Trezeguet admits Barcelona made a bid for him this summer, but he stayed to help Juve earn their “30th Scudetto.”

The Frenchman had been heavily linked with a switch to Spain for the last two years and confirms there was some truth in the newspaper reports.

“It is true that a top class club like Barcelona and Coach Pep Guardiola contacted me. They wanted me to go to the Nou Camp,” he told France 2 television.

“This year we’ve got Serie A and the Champions League to fight for, which is certainly not bad!

“There are two stars on our shirts and we are aware that if we win the Scudetto, which for me personally would be the fifth, then we’ll have another star on there.”

The stars are placed on a club’s jersey for every 10 Serie A titles notched up in their history.

However, following the Calciopoli scandal the Scudetti won in 2005 and 2006 were stripped from Juventus’ record, so technically they only have 27 titles rather than 29.

This means Trezeguet’s third star would not be assigned by the authorities until they picked up another three Serie A triumphs.

[dreamer75]

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

[dreamer75]

Juventus' Alessandro Del Piero controls the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match against Fiorentina at the A. Franchi stadium in Florence, August 31, 2008. REUTERS/Marco Bucco (ITALY)

Sept 13 (Reuters) - Italy striker Alessandro Del Piero has hinted he might move to an English Premier League club when his contract with Juventus expires in 2010.

"An experience in a foreign championship is tempting. Even if it goes badly, it enriches you from a human and professional point of view," the 33-year-old told Sport Week magazine.

"In England...one lives better than in Italy, even in football. They have a more beautiful championship and, unlike us, they have managed to resolve their problems with the fans."

[dreamer75]

Sissoko targets silverware
Sunday 14 September, 2008
Momo Sissoko has become a hero to the Juventus fans and promises to repay them with silverware this season.

“I am concentrated when playing, so I don’t really hear the reaction of the crowd,” he told Tuttosport.

“My wife was in the stands and told me the fans were cheering me on. I’m very proud and hope to do well in a Juve jersey for the supporters, too.

“The team is stronger this season and everyone knows it. I’m targeting both the Scudetto and Champions League, as I cannot limit myself to focusing on only one and always want more. If we do well throughout the campaign, we can certainly win one of the two trophies.”

Sissoko missed out on the 1-1 Serie A opener against Fiorentina due to a ban, but is back in action tonight against Udinese and on Wednesday in Europe with Zenit.

“It was disappointing not to be there, but the team played a good game in Florence and it was a shame we conceded that late equaliser. A point away to Fiorentina remains a good result.

“I get chills just thinking about the Champions League theme music,” grinned the former Liverpool star.

“I arrived at Liverpool when the team had just won it, but I lost two years later in the Final against Milan. I have something to prove in this competition and hope to do so very, very soon.”

[dreamer75]

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/sissokonews01.jpg

[dreamer75]

Champions League - Group H
20:51 September 17

6' Juventus 0 - 0 Zenit St. Petersburg

[dreamer75]

FT Juventus [1 - 0] Zenit St. Petersburg

76' [1 - 0] A.D. Piero

[Cissiboy]

i'm a zombie now in the office, but positive night !!

Zenit such a good time...but Alex is too good to be true !!

http://www.gazzetta.it/Fotogallery/Tagliate/2008/09_Settembre/17/merc/25.JPG

[dreamer75]

TURIN, Italy (AP) - Italy midfielder Mauro Camoranesi on Thursday extended his contract with Juventus for one more year through 2011.

The Argentine-born Camoranesi joined Juventus in 2002 and remained in Turin when the club was forced to play a season in Serie B due to the Italian match-fixing scandal.

His new contract will last through June 30, 2011.

"I'm honored to have the possibility to wear this jersey for nine seasons," Camoranesi said. "It's not easy to play at such a high level for so long."

Camoranesi was a member of Italy's team that won the 2006 World Cup

[dreamer75]

If you had to pick one person to score the game-winning goal in Juventus' return to the UEFA Champions League, it would have to be captain Alessandro Del Piero.

And that is exactly what the No. 10 Juve did as he scored a sensational free kick after 75 minutes of deadlock against Zenit St. Petersburg to claim a 1-0 win.

"I am happy with a good performance and a fine goal," said the 34-year-old forward. "I was not all that focused on the goalkeeper, he just made a little movement towards the right and I went for it."

That is exactly what he did. As Del Piero stepped up to take the kick, Zenit keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev stepped to his right, causing him to be hung out to dry as the powerful free kick went flying away from him into the back corner of the net.

And how did the captain celebrate? With a somersault as the fans at the Stadio Olimpico went insane.

"I was just letting out the tension of the moment after everything we've been through," Del Piero said after the win.

However, it wasn't as perfect as everything seemed to be. Zenit's attack, led by Euro 2008 star Andrei Arshavin, caused problems all night for the Italian side. Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon came up big for the Turin club on more than one occasion, with his most notable save from Radek Sirl when the game was still tied at 0-0.
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There were also nervous moments as Italian winger Mauro Camoranesi went down injured 30 minutes in with an apparent right ankle injury.

However, despite the challenging match, Juve boss Claudio Ranieri is pleased with how his team played.

"It was a complicated and very tactical game, as Zenit are in better physical shape than we are," Ranieri said. "(They) play with five midfielders plus three who move a lot upfront."

Ranieri, who started the "old guard" of the club for the Champions League opener, assured that things will not always be like this.

"We created this squad in order to give everyone an opportunity to play and to recover. Now we are in good shape considering it is September, so when everyone is like that I can rotate the squad," the tactician concluded.

The Bianconeri continue their Champions League return when they take on FC Bate Borisov, who lost to Real Madrid 2-0 Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Dinamo Stadium in Minsk.







JUVENTUS-ZENIT 1-0

GOALS: Del Piero 76 mins.

JUVENTUS

Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro (De Ceglie 58); Camoranesi (Salihamidzic 31), Sissoko, Poulsen, Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet (Amauri 87). Subs not used: Manninger, Mellberg, Marchisio, Iaquinta.

ZENIT SAINT PETERSBURG

Malafeev; Anyukov, Puygrenier, Krizanac, Sirl; Zyryanov (Dominguez 80), Tymoshcuck, Denisov; Danny, Arshavin; Pogrebnyak. Subs not used: Contofalsky, Radimov, Dong Jin, Hubocan, Fayzulin, Ricksen.

YELLOW CARDS

Pogrebnyak 8, Sirl 68, Salihamidzic 84.

[dreamer75]

Juventus striker David Trezeguet insists he would never have moved to Barcelona as he didn't feel the need.
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The Frenchman came close to leaving the Stadio Olimpico in Turin this summer but the lure of Catalonian football and the Camp Nou didn't really appeal to him.

Barcelona tried time and again and reports in Italy suggested they even had a bid turned down for the hit-man. Juve stated he was not for sale at any price but there was no need as Trezeguet has revealed he was never going to leave.

"Guardiola wanted me to be a part of his Barcelona side but I was very clear with him because I never felt the need to change Juve for the Blaugrana," Trezeguet told Sky Sport Italia.

The striker then spoke about his role with the Old Lady and he admits he is slowly working his way back to form following problems with his tendons.

"The problem is affecting me but I need to be more careful, especially in training," added the striker.

The hit-man played against Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League and almost scored before he was substituted for Amauri after he complained of pain in his right knee.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

David Trezeguet could be set for a month out with a knee injury as Juventus face an injury crisis going into this weekend’s clash with Cagliari.

Trezeguet has only just recently returned to first team action following fitness problems, and he appeared as a late substitute during the 1-0 win over Udinese on Sunday, before playing for 87 minutes of Wednesday’s Champions League triumph over Zenit St Petersburg.

However, the Frenchman is still plagued by tendonitis in his right knee, and reports suggest that he may be forced to sit out the next month of action.

The Bianconeri face a real injury crisis going into this Sunday’s trip to Sardinia to play Cagliari. Mauro Camoranesi will definitely miss the game with an ankle injury, as will Alessandro Del Piero who is suffering from a slight strain to the medial collateral ligament in the right knee.

Key defender Giorgio Chiellini is a doubt too, also with a knee injury. In view of this, Nicola Legrottaglie and Olof Mellberg are likely to be the centre back pairing, with Amauri and Vincenzo Iaquinta resuming their strike-partnership at the other end of the field.

These injuries may also open up the door for young starlet Sebastian Giovinco, who has yet to play a single minute this season in Serie A or the Champions League groups.

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

According to Leggo, Sebastian Giovinco is so down about his current situation at Juventus that he is considering a move to long-term admirers Arsenal.

Giovinco is regarded as one of Europe’s most explosive young talents, but his future at Juventus is uncertain due to two major reasons.

First of all the 21-year-old is currently in a contract dispute with the club. Giovinco is asking for an increase in salary to €1m a year but so far the club’s management is refusing to meet his demands.

Secondly, Giovinco is deeply unhappy about his lack of first team action, having only a few weeks ago claimed that he needs to play with continuity.

The fantasista has played just 25 minutes of Juventus’ five official games this season, a substitute appearance against Artmedia in the Champions League preliminaries in August.

Indeed Giovinco was not even on the bench during Wednesday night’s win over Zenit St Petersburg.

This has deeply upset the youngster and, according to Leggo, he may now consider a move to Arsenal.

The Premiership giants have long been linked with a move for Giovinco, and their manager Arsene Wenger is known to be a huge admirer.

Reports in England claim that The Gunners will table a bid for the attacking midfielder in January, a transfer Giovinco may strongly consider unless his contract and lack of playing time improves very soon.

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

A three-way battle is reportedly developing between Premiership rivals Chelsea and Arsenal; and Serie A giants Juventus, for Roma central midfielder Alberto Aquilani.

The 24-year-old Italy international’s future with Luciano Spalletti's side is suggested to be uncertain after reports in Italy claimed that the new deal talks are suspended indefinitely, thus alerting the aforementioned suitors.

Aquilani, who is inside the final two years of his current deal with the Italian club, had been in talks over an extension in the recent past, but failed to reach an agreement.

Juventus reportedly failed with their bid in the summer, but could reignite their pursuit in January.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is also linked with a prospective move for a player like Aquilani to aid the Gunners’ passing game. And a winter transfer market foray looks likely.

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is keen to bring in a replacement for injured Michael Essien, and bolster the central midfield position. With cash not an issue for the Blues, it could be the opportunity for Roma to cash in on their talented player if they do not agree on a contract extension rather than seeing him move into his final year and lose the market value.

[dreamer75]

What: Serie A Championship, Matchday 3
Who: Juventus - Cagliari
When: Sunday September 21 2008, 14:00CET
Where: Stadio Sant'Elia, Cagliari

Juventus travel to Sardinia in matchday 3 of the 2008/09 Serie A campaign but it will not be a holiday for the Bianconeri as Cagliari are looking to make life hard for the Old Lady...

Cagliari Looking To Bounce Back

Massimiliano Allegri’s men just about survived last season as a nice run towards the end of the 2007/08 campaign ensured they stayed up. Another difficult campaign is on the cards this time and it seems as if the team will be in for one more roller coaster ride. At the moment, the ride is pointing downwards for the Isolani with no wins in two games, conceding six goals and scoring two in the process. Such form has got relegation written all over it.

However, their focus will need to be deflected from the Serie A table as the grand Old Lady comes to town on Sunday. It’s not the game any Rossoblu fan would have wanted, given the fact the club are desperate for some points and it will not be easy against a very confident Juventus side.

The Cagliari coach is well aware of the task in hand and he warned his players to get their act together following last week’s loss to Siena. Allegri knows that any slip ups are likely to have club president Massimo Celino ready to pull out the sack from under the table and thus he expects his side to bounce back this weekend.

Goals mean points and points mean survival in this part of the calcio World. All eyes will be on Robert Acquafresca. The under-21 international was the club’s top-scorer last season and he will be on hand to lend his support against mighty Juventus. The Isolani are not expected to win this game given their recent shambles but the possibility of a draw seems very high.

Cagliari know that Juve will be tired and fatigued from their European exploits on Wednesday night and thus their confidence and morale should be raise, if only a little.

Confident Old Lady

Juventus travel to the Stadio Sant’Elia full of confidence following an impressive seven days of football. A win against Udinese last week got their Scudetto chasing campaign and that was followed up in midweek with a fine, but hard fought win over Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League as their hunt for European success got up and running.

The Bianconeri will be favourites to take all three points off a struggling Cagliari side but the Old Lady and Pavel Nedved are leaving nothing to chance as the Czech midfielder is well aware that it will not be a Sunday stroll in the park for his side.

“The game against Cagliari will not be easy for us. They will want to fight back following their recent results and we are tired from the Champions League but we will go there to win,” said Nedved.

Amauri grabbed the winner against Udinese last week and he will be out to prove his worth again. The striker is hoping to get a nod and wink from Italy coach Marcello Lippi, who was at the game against Zenit, the only problem was the Amauri came on with ten minutes to go. The former Palermo man will be hoping to impress again this week. Cagliari’s defence are a shambles and it should be easy for the Juve man to leave his mark against the Rossoblu.

The Bianconeri just about escaped with maximum points last season as they won 3-2 but the game will be remember for Jonathan Zebina’s petulance as he slapped a TV camera man in the face after he was sent off.

Form Guide

Cagliari

Sep 14 Siena 2-1 Cagliari (SERIE A)

Aug 31 Cagliari 1-4 Lazio (SERIE A)

Aug 23 Cagliari 1-0 Triestina (COPPA ITALIA)

May 18 Cagliari 2-2 Reggina (SERIE A)

May 11 Udinese 0-2 Cagliari (SERIE A)

Juventus

Sep 17 Juventus 1-0 Zenit (CL)

Sep 14 Juventus 1-0 Udinese (SERIE A)

Aug 31 Fiorentina 1-1 Juventus(SERIE A)

Aug 26 Artmedia 1-1 Juventus(CL)

Aug 22 Juventus-Napoli 0-0 (FRIENDLY) Juve win 5-4 on Penalties

Team News

Cagliari will be without Michele Canini for the game against Juve. The young defender was injured against Siena, he had to come off on a stretcher and he is unlikely to feature this week. Robert Acquafresca may get the nod as he seems to be back to full fitness. Daniele Conti is back and ready while Diego Lopez will be available following his suspension.

Juventus

Jorge Andrade, Cristiano Zanetti and Jonathan Zebina are all on the sidelines and David Trezeguet has been added to that list after he complained of a knee problem which has ruled him out of contention. Mauro Camoranesi picked up a minor knock against Zenit and he came off as a precaution in that match but he may feature at some point against the Isolani.

Probable starting XI’s

Cagliari: Marchetti; Pisano, Bianco, Lopez, Agostini; Biondini, Cossu, Parola; Lazzari; Larrivey, Acquafresca.

Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, Molinaro; Salihamidzic; Sissoko, Poulsen, Nedved; Iaquinta, Amauri.

Players To Watch

Cagliari: Keep and eye out on Robert Acquafresca. The hit-man is eager for goals and he would relish the chance to get one over Juventus given his Inter background. The Italian youngster was outstanding last term and he will be hoping to make an impact against the big boys.

Juventus: Amauri is just starting to find his feet in Turin, and he scored the winner in last week's win over Udinese. The soon-to-be Italian's power and aerial ability could be too much for the Cagliari defence.

Prediction

All the odds and evens point to a Juventus win in this one. Cagliari will be lucky if the lose by a couple of goals. The Bianconeri are just too strong and their brilliant form is likely to win the day and all three points.

Cagliari 0-3 Juventus

[dreamer75]

Trez goes under the knife Friday 19 September, 2008

Juventus have confirmed that star marksman David Trezeguet will need surgery for a knee problem.

The French international reported an inflammation in his right knee after Juve's Champions League win over Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday evening.

Initially it had been hoped that Trez would be able to shrug off the problem with three weeks on the sidelines.

However, the club have now made it clear that the ex-Monaco man will need to go under the knife.

“The decision has been taken after the latest tests and consultation with specialists,” a statement on Juve's website reveals.

“The date of the operation will be revealed at the start of next week.”

Trez now looks likely to be out of action for between two and three months.

[dreamer75]

http://www.ifutbal.com/videos/12088/juventus-1-0-zenit-st-petersburg-highlights

[dreamer75]

Secco Promises Two Big Signings Next Summer

Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco is pleased with the way Juventus are shaping up and vows to add two champions to their ranks next summer.

The young director took over from Luciano Moggi in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal and has found out that being in charge of the Old Lady's transfer dealings is not an easy job: aside from Mohamed Sissoko, last term's recruitments turned out to be major flops in Turin and fans soon pointed the finger at Moggi's former protege.

Even this summer, the arrival of Christian Poulsen raised eyebrows among hardcore Juve supporters, who had hoped to see a gifted midfield maestro like Liverpool's Xabi Alonso wearing the Bianconero.

But the early results in both Serie A and Europe have confirmed that Juve are back among the creme of European football and have all the requirements to fight all the way in all the competitions.

And Alessio is keen to reassure the Bianconeri faithful that there is more to come: "We will bring in at least two big-name players next summer," he told the Corriere dello Sport.

"However, I will only tell you this much: one of them will come in to fill Nedved's boots when he retires; as for the second one, I can only say we are looking at different options, but I won't mention any names. I'm not crazy!"

"Moreover, some youngsters could return to base: I'm thinking of Davide Lanzafame, Cristian Pasquato and Oussama Essabr in particular."

Another talented prospect is Sebastian Giovinco, who is not finding much space this season and has yet to reach an agreement over his new contract.

"He wants quite a lot of money," admitted Secco, "but he has a contract until 2011 and has to understand that there are certain parameters for the established players and others for the youngsters, who have to follow a given path first.

"Paolo De Ceglie and Claudio Marchisio are among those and will be the foundation of this club in the near future: Marchisio reminds me of De Rossi and De Ceglie has already proved his worth, and we are considering offering him a renewal."

Then Secco looked over the summer transfer campaign and explained the decision to pursuit Poulsen instead of Alonso: "It is not a case of who is better between the Dane and the Spanish: we were looking for a solid midfield man who could also shore up the back-line and Cristian was the one that more suited Claudio Ranieri's plan."

"As for the other arrivals, landing Amauri was tough, he had lots of suitors, but we had the upper hand because we approached him first.

"Olof Mellberg was explicitly requested by Ranieri, who knew him from his England experience.

"Any regrets for not capturing Alberto Aquilani? Well, I would not talk about regrets, we tried to negotiate but soon understood that Roma were not willing to part company with him."

The Old Lady were dealt a huge blow this week, with news that David Trezeguet will be out for at least three months and will undergo surgery on his right knee, but Secco reckons it will not be necessary to replace him by signing a free-agent: "Absolutely not," he firmly declared, "we have plenty of options to get by without the services of the Frenchman, we have Giovinco and he will be back by January anyway."

In the meantime the Bianconeri have signed young Spanish prospect Iago Falqué from Barcelona, but Alessio is quick to refute the notion that they "stole" him from under the Blaugrana's noses: "First of all we did not steal anyone," he bellowed.

"He was having problems at Barca and we reached an agreement with them: we did not pay anything, but Barcelona will be entitled to a certain amount of money if the lad plays at least 40 games.

"Anyway, he is part of our long-term project: we are immensely proud of what we have achieved until now, we could not have done better. I can now look the stars who stuck with us through the Serie B nightmare in the eyes and tell them it was woth it."

Vince Masiello

[dreamer75]

With the injuries in our team, i will hope we can win later.

Juventus to win 2-1

[dreamer75]

FT Cagliari [0 - 1] Juventus

39' [0 - 1] Amauri

[dreamer75]

Cagliari 0-1 Juventus

Amauri was the hero for Juventus for the second week running, grabbing the only goal of the game in Sardinia against basement-dwellers Cagliari.

Team News

Juventus were in good form coming into this game, having defeated both Udinese and Zenit St Petersburg in the last seven days. However they were suffering from something of an injury crisis as Cristiano Zanetti, Jonathan Zebina, Mauro Camoranesi, Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet, the latter who requires an operation, were all sidelined.

Hasan Salihamidzic and Olof Mellberg came into the defence for Zdenek Grygera and Nicola Legrottaglie, while Marco Marchionni and Claudio Machisio started in midfield. Up-front Claudio Ranieri had little option but to pair Amauri with Vincenzo Iaquinta.

Cagliari are the undoubted favourites for relegation and were rooted at the bottom of the table with no points to their name. The Sardinians were minus the services of Michele Canini and Daniele Conti. Alessandro Matri and Joaquin Larrivey formed the forward pair.

First Half

Both sides made an aggressive start to the game. Juve had the ball in the back of the net after just two minutes through Amauri, but the goal was disallowed for an infringement by Iaquinta. Meanwhile, Davide Biondini screwed the ball wide for Cagliari from 20 yards.

Juventus had a new free kick taker in the absence of Del Piero, and Iaquinta rifled a daisycutter off target from 30 yards. Down the other end Matri headed over when well placed from a right wing free kick.

On 15 minutes Juve put together their best move of the match so far, finishing with Pavel Nedved's shot deflecting dangerously over. From one of the resulting corners Giorgio Chiellini directed a header over the bar.

Matri was looking bright for Cagliari in the early stages, and midway through the half he volleyed over the bar following a nice piece of skill. Cristian Molinaro then nearly put Juve in trouble with a suicidal ball across his own penalty area.

Juve were struggling to get a rhythm going, although the physical Amauri was winning everything in the air, and he nodded the ball down for Iaquinta, but the former Udinese man scuffed his half volley wide.

On the half-hour mark, the home side were close to taking the lead as Matri turned Salihamidzic inside out and fired in a vicious shot, but Gianluigi Buffon pulled off a superb reaction save.

Molinaro was having one of those regular bad days at left back, and he was caught sleeping on a quick throw-in, allowing Biondini to get in behind him and smash a shot dangerously wide of the far post.

Cagliari were now on top, but they were almost caught out on 37 minutes, as Amauri muscled his way free of his marker on a left wing cross, but he couldn't get enough on his header.

This was just a warning of things to come, as 90 seconds later Juve were ahead. Marchionni's cross was flicked on by Iaquinta, and Amauri reacted fastest to fire a snap-shot past Federico Marchetti.

Second Half

Both teams made changes at the break. Juventus' was enforced as Alex Manninger replaced the injured Buffon in goal for his Juventus debut. Meanwhile, Cagliari took off Larrivey for Italy Under-21 striker Robert Acquafresca.

Juve had an immediate chance less than 60 seconds into the second half, but Nedved failed to make decent contact when well placed on the edge of the area.

Iaquinta also didn't have his shooting boots on as Marchionni chipped a cross into the middle, but the World Cup winner hashed the ball over from 12 yards out. It was a decent opening.

There was a flash point just shy of the hour mark as Michele Fini caught Momo Sissoko in the face while he was on the floor, which led to an angry reaction from the Malian.

Ranieri decided to substitute Sissoko just seconds later, introducing last season's notorious flop Tiago Mendes. Fini was also sacrificed for Cagliari, with the Brazilian Jeda coming on.

Iaquinta executed a couple of bicycle kicks in quick succession, the second of which was absolutely sublime, but both efforts finished wide.

Acquafresca had his first attempt since his introduction, but it was Juve who looked the more likely to score again, and Diego Lopez had to clear from Nedved's dangerous cross shot.

The Czech veteran was having a good second half, and he hung a cross up for Amauri, who rose above his man but saw his header smartly plucked out of the top corner by Marchetti. Marchisio then scuffed the ball wide from the ensuing corner.

Ranieri made his final change of the afternoon on 74 minutes as Paolo De Ceglie came on for Under-21 colleague Marchisio. This pushed Nedved in-field to partner Tiago in the centre of midfield.

De Ceglie made an immediate impact as he thundered past two men, and laid the ball off to Amauri who sliced the ball wide from a promising position.

Amauri then won his umpteenth ball in the air, nodding across goal for Iaquinta, but Paolo Bianco made a crucial block.

Juve looked comfortable but on 83 minutes substitute Jeda unleashed a missile from 30 yards which Manninger did well to beat away.

Marchionni was looking for a second goal, and pushed the ball past his man before being denied by Marchetti in a one-on-one, but he was flagged offside so the action was irrelevant.

The outstanding Nedved then rolled back the years as he surged into space and smashed in a trademark 30-yard piledriver that knocked Marchetti backwards as he parried the ball away. Marchetti had a more comfortable save to make from Amauri seconds later.

In the penultimate minute there was drama, as Matri connected with a stunning volley inside the area, from a right wing cross, which had goal written all over it until Manninger performed a brilliant save to turn the ball around the post.

Juve survived to hold on for their third consecutive 1-0 win in all competitions, and they go top of the table alongside Inter, at least for a few hours until Lazio play Milan.

Teams

Cagliari: Marchetti, Pisano, Bianco, Lopez, Agostini, Biondini, Cossu, Parola (Lazzari 79), Fini (Jeda 61), Marti, Larrivey (Acquafresca 45)

Juventus: Buffon (Manninger 45), Salihamidzic, Chiellini, Mellberg, Molinaro, Marchionni, Sissoko (Tiago 59), Marchisio (De Ceglie 74), Nedved, Iaquinta, Amauri

Goals

Amauri 39 (J)

Anthony Sormani

[dreamer75]

$ well spent on Amauri!!!!

Manninger is a gd buy too :D

[dreamer75]

molinaro has to step up and prove he is worth the trust given to him..

[dreamer75]

JUVENTUS

Buffon: 7: Was struggling with injury for most of the first half, but still managed to produce a superb save from Matri on the half-hour to keep the scores level. Forced off at the break for Manninger.

Salihamidzic: 6: Not a natural right back, and it showed at times. Was oufoxed by Matri when the striker forced a fine save out of Buffon.

Chiellini: 6.5: Not the all-conquering colossus that he was against Zenit in midweek but still a steady and solid match from the Euro 2008 star.

Mellberg: 7: Mellberg's best game since arriving in Turin in the summer. Made a number of fine interceptions and blocks, and coped comfortably with Acquafresca when he came on at half time.

Molinaro: 5: Had an awful first half, in which he was caught sleeping at a quick throw-in and also played a near-suicidal ball across his box. To his credit Molinaro improved in the second half.

Marchionni: 7: It is a miracle Marchionni lasted the 90 minutes given his injury record, but the winger was involved in many of Juve's best moments. His cross led to Amauri's goal, while another ball almost led to Iaquinta grabbing a second.

Marchisio: 6: Showed some nice touches, and held his own in the middle-of-the-park, but never really imposed himself on the game.

Sissoko: 6.5: Battled well in the middle-of-the-park, and was tough in the tackle. Had a good opening to the second half until he was taken off by Ranieri just shy of the hour mark.

Nedved: 7.5: Three full games in seven days for a 36-year-old was a big ask, but he surprisingly came through with flying colours. Nedved was excellent this afternoon, particularly in the second period where he went close to doubling Juve's lead.

Iaquinta: 6.5: Never stopped running and fighting all game as he usually does, and he was involved in the action for the goal. However, the World Cup winner's finishing needs to improve.

Amauri: 8: Really starting to pay back his hefty summer transfer fee is the Brazilian. This afternoon Amauri was a beast up-front, winning absolutely everything in the air. Took his goal well, meaning that he is Juve's matchwinner for the second Serie A matchday running.

Substitutes

Manninger: 7.5

Tiago: 6

De Ceglie: 6.5


Carlo Garganese

[dreamer75]

Nedved bao dao wei lao!

Iaquinta needs to wear his scoring boots lah..boo boo...

[Cissiboy]

Don't have words for Molinaro..spent all yesterday evening..so many bad words against him. Not a juventus player this guy. De Ceglie ten million times better.

Marchionni very good, even though he is a bit weak in defensive play so i think Brazzo+Marchionni definitely not the best couple on the right. But Marchionni can be very good so if we all pray for his good health we will gain a great wing

Amauri unbelievable ! He is a monster of power and skill...I knew him, but watching him more often I can really appreciate how strong he is. Iaquinta is one of my favourite, but I don't think he and Amauri are a good duo. Hope to be always wrong esp with Treseghe out next 3 months.

Btw we really need to make Giovinco play but yesterday first Buffon injured, then Marchisio and Sissoko risking to be sent off caused Ranieri to send in Tiago (not good as usual) and De Ceglie.

Not a nice match. Very windy though..many errors. But 3 points like that are always beri good !!!

[dreamer75]

Juventus fans are growing increasingly agitated at the lack of playing time being afforded to Sebastian Giovinco. Carlo Garganese asks whether the young starlet is at risk of wasting away at the Stadio Olimpico, and whether he may opt for a move elsewhere…
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Juventus’ season is now more than five weeks old and, although the club have had a strong unbeaten start both at home and abroad, one player’s virtual non-attendance in all of this has nevertheless raised a few eyebrows.

Of course I am talking about Sebastian Giovinco, the latest rage to hit the Italian peninsula. For several months now the media has been full of speculation and counter-speculation regarding the future of the wonderfully-gifted fantasista. First off all there was talk that the 21-year-old may join Palermo in the Amauri-exchange deal, leading to a number of notable fan protests.

Secondly there were, and still are, continuous reports about Arsenal tabling a transfer bid, rumours fueled originally by Giovinco’s contract dispute in which much-maligned sporting director Alessio Secco is refusing to meet the youngster’s salary demands.

In recent weeks the press have now added a further reason as to why Giovinco would consider a move to North London – a lack of first team action at Juve.

This season the Bianconeri have played six competitive games, three in Serie A and three in the Champions League, including the two preliminary games against Artmedia. The sum total of Giovinco’s participation? A mere 18 minutes, all occurring as a substitute in the second leg against Artmedia, at a time when Juve, leading 5-1 on aggregate, were already in the next round.

Clearly this is not what was expected, either by the player, or by fans, who regard Giovinco as the long-term successor to their legendary hero Alessandro Del Piero. Giovinco has delivered a few public murmurings in which he has stated that he is ready to play, but all in all he has remained quiet despite his lack of action.

However, how long must the ‘Atomic Ant’ wait before he is given a chance? Coach Claudio Ranieri regards Giovinco, this season anyway, as an attacking left midfielder. Thus, he is directly fighting the veteran Pavel Nedved for a starting spot. Last week the 36-year-old inexplicably played three full games in seven days, while Giovinco did not register a single second. In fact he was not even on the bench for the slightly fortuitous Champions League win over Zenit St Petersburg in midweek.

As Juve won all three of these matches, no one dares to question Claudio Ranieri’s judgment, but among the numerous team selection errors that the Tinkerman made (which I will probably debate at a later point) it surely would have made sense for Nedved to at least sit out for Giovinco in the game against whipping-boys Cagliari yesterday. To be fair, Nedved was one of Juve’s better players, but if Giovinco is not afforded the opportunity to play against a team destined for relegation, when will he get a chance? Away in the hostile environment at Sampdoria this weekend perhaps?

One possible reason why Juventus have refused until now to play Giovinco could be down to his lack of rest during the summer. He participated in the Toulon Tournament with the Italy Under-21s at the end of May, while soon after he was off to the Olympics in Beijing. Perhaps, Ranieri is looking ahead to later in the campaign and believes a month’s inactivity now may benefit Giovinco in the long-term. This is certainly a possibility, although it doesn’t explain why Olympic team-mates Claudio Marchisio and Paolo De Ceglie have both been heavily involved so far.

Another possible factor could be that Juve are trying to protect Giovinco from the judgmental media. The so-called “wonderkid” has been hyped up to Lionel Messi proportions this summer without even starring for a big club yet, so a failure to live up to these expectations at the beginning of the season could have led to question marks which can affect a player psychologically.

What is abundantly clear is that technical, flair-players like Giovinco need a run in the team to find their rhythm and show their worth. Irregular action, with a few substitute appearances here and there, and you will not get the best out of the player. At such a crucial age, this could harm Giovinco's development, which would be a tragedy given his talent.

Whatever the reasons for Giovinco’s inactivity so far, the time for rest/protection is over. Juventus host another modest side, Catania, in Serie A on Wednesday night, and Giovinco must not only play, he must start.

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=876507

[dreamer75]

Juventus v Catania
Italy, Serie A
Stadio Olimpico
Wednesday 24th September 2008 - KO 19:30 GMT

The Juventus of Claudio Ranieri is not an exciting side with a pair of 1-0 wins and a 1-1 draw to their name after three matrches it's fair to say that "winning ugly" is what the OLd Lady is doing right now.

Mind you, Ranieri has had plenty of injuries to cope with as Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet, Mauro Camoranesi and Christian Poulsen were all missing last Sunday afternoon.

Amauri filled the attacking gap and scored the only goal of the game as Juve beat Cagliari 1-0 in Sardinia, demonstrating Juve’s strength in depth.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger will fill in Gigi Buffon, who is expected to be back in time for Juventus’ trip to Sampdoria on Sunday, and has a good record against the Sicilians.

PROBABLE TEAM LINE-UPS

Juventus :
Manninger;
Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro;
Marchionni, Sissoko, Marchisio, Nedved;
Amauri, Iaquinta

Pick : Juventus 1-0 Catania (maybe 2-0)

[dreamer75]

David Trezeguet will not play for Juventus again until next year.

The French striker underwent surgery on Tuesday morning on both knees and will be sidelined for four months.

Trezeguet had struggled with injury since the start of the season and his condition worsened after his team's Champions League triumph against Zenit St Petersburg.

"Trezeguet will be sidelined for 120 days and hence his expected return to the pitch should take place at the end of January," read a statement on the club's official websit

[dreamer75]

Borussia Dortmund stopper Subotic and Monaco striker Nimani have attracted plenty of interest following fine starts to the season and Juve are looking to strengthen in January.

"We will sign two very good players. We are currently looking at some players for all our departments and we will see what happens," said sporting director Alessio Secco, quoted on Tuttomercatoweb.

[dreamer75]

Sebastian Giovinco is likely to only be on the bench once again for Juventus’ game against Catania tonight at the Stadio Olimpico.
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Giovinco is widely regarded as one of Europe’s best young prospects and was tipped to really highlight his potential this campaign.

However, in six competitive matches played by Juventus so far in Serie A and Europe, the 21-year-old has been on the field for a total of just 18 minutes.

Many people have been trying to work out why coach Claudio Ranieri has been reluctant to field Giovinco, with one explanation being the wish to rest the player following his Olympic exploits, and another being to protect him from the expectant public and media.

“His time will come slowly but surely - we shouldn't wait for him like a Messiah,” Ranieri said yesterday.

“We have to see him as a lad who needs to be slowly integrated and we have to take a responsible approach.”

The latest reports coming from the peninsula suggest that Giovinco will only be on the bench once again for tonight’s home game against Catania.

Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri will form the forward partnership, while Pavel Nedved will continue at left midfield.

However, for all Giovinco supporters, the media is suggesting that there is a good chance that the youngster may get some action as a second half substitute, as Ranieri doesn’t want Nedved playing a full 90 minutes ahead of this weekend’s difficult match at Sampdoria.

Gianni Wilson

[Cissiboy]

Giovinco played ! And very well indeed (no doubts !)

Unlucky Juve though..

WIll see Samp..another hard match !

[dreamer75]

All the big boys picked up wins in week three of Serie A and some stunning goals were scored in the process. The usual suspects all shone for their teams as the Italian season begins to take shape. Here is a selection of the best XI players who did the business.

It was another exciting week in Serie A as goals flew in, tackles crunched and points were won. Juventus lead the Serie A standings following their 1-0 win over Cagliari. Inter shone in their 3-1 win over Torino while Milan hammered Lazio 4-1 and Roma took maximum points on Saturday night against Reggina.

Some stunning goals were scored and it seems as if defenders are doing the job of the strikers nowadays as our back four this week all got on the score sheet for their teams.

Best XI

Formation: 4-4-2

Goalkeeper

Julio Cesar (Inter)

Outstanding for the Nerazzurri against Torino. Pulled off some stunning saves to deny Bianchi and Amoruso. Looked comfortable with crosses and he was unlucky to concede to Abruscato's second-half goal. Wasn't that busy for most of the game but he was superb when called into action.

Defenders

Maicon (Inter)

The Brazilian right-back enjoyed another great performance for his side. Always ready to deal with the danger when defending and proved useful up front. Scored a contender for goal of the season following some stunning build-up play from his side.

Christian Panucci (Roma)

The 35-year-old defender was brilliant against Reggina. Gave his side the lead at half-time and he dragged them forward. He was always there in times of need and he is proving to be the unsung hero at Trigoria this term as he saves his side time and again. Outstanding contribution.

Cesare Bovo (Palermo)

He was Palermo's best defender on the day and worked hard to help them to their second win in a row against Genoa. He was superb against Milito and the rest of the Rossoblu. He also scored an outstanding goal which was the icing on the cake for the stopper.

Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan)

Another sublime performance by the former Barcelona man. He was brilliant both at the back and going forward and he never stopped galloping down the wings. Scored a good goal to cap off a memorable win against Lazio as his side bounce back in style.

Midfielders

Kaka (Milan)

This was the sort of performance which helped Kaka win the Golden Ball last year. He was all over the pitch and gave his best throughout the game. His passing and vision was outstanding and he scored a typical Kaka goal for his side. Milan's best player on the night without a doubt.

Clarence Seedorf (Milan)

Another super showing from the Milan man, scored and provided his team with chance after chance; among his highlight reel was the 'no look' pass to find Zambrotta. He never stopped running and he was always ready and willing to take the ball and help his side.

Claudio Marchisio (Juventus)

The young midfielder was excellent on the day for his side. He has big shoes to fill at Juve and he has shown his coach Claudio Ranieri that he can do the job when called upon. Showed all his quality against Cagliari and he is definitely one for the future.

Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina)

The Montenegrin youngster made his full Viola debut against Bologna and he didn't disappoint. Was lively throughout the match and his passing and ball work was simply brilliant. He has great vision and he created a number of chances which at times carved up the Emiliani.

Strikers

Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina)

The striker scored his third goal in two matches and his strike was the decisive winner in Florence. He has found the form of his old Parma days and he is quickly becoming Serie A's most dangerous hit-man. I would certainly put my money on him becoming Capocannoniere at the end of the season.

Amauri (Juventus)

Just like last week, the prolific hit-man struck again to win his side maximum points. Was outstanding up front with Vincenzo Iaquinta and he also had a goal disallowed. The strike that counted was superb as he executed the perfect bicycle kick after Iaquinta's assist.

Team Line Up

Cesar

Zambrotta Bovo Panucci Maicon

Seedorf Kaka Marchisio Jovetic

Gilardino Amauri

Honourable Mention:

Domenico Criscito (Genoa)

Michele Paolucci (Catania)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)

Adriano (Inter)

Fabio Simplicio (Palermo)

Diego Milito (Genoa)

Edison Cavani (Palermo)

Sanchez (Udinese)

Giuseppe Mascara (Catania)

Luca Cigarini (Atalanta)



Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Juventus 1-1 Catania

Juventus have been held at home by a resilient and spirited Catania side. The scoreline doesn't reflect the game by any means as the Bianconeri will be thinking how they didn't win. Amauri gave the Old Lady the lead before Plasmati replied.

[dreamer75]

Week four of Serie A took place on Wednesday night and there were some surprise results and performances as the Scudetto race gathers pace...

There were some surprise results with just two of the big four clubs picking up wins. Inter just about overcame the threat posed by Lecce with Julio Cruz getting the only goal of the game while Milan did the business against Reggina as they beat the Calabrians 2-1. Juventus were held at home by a very elegant Catania side. Roma fell 3-1 away to Genoa thanks to the unstoppable Diego Milito. Lazio stunned Fiorentina 3-0. Goals flew in as did challenges, elbows, fists and heads in a scrappy but exciting midweek round of games.

Best XI

Formation 3-4-3

Goalkeeper

Albano Bizzarri (Catania)

The Argentine made a sublime triple save from Del Piero, Amauri and Poulsen. He was the Etnei's hero on the night producing save upon save. A world class performance by the shot-stopper and one that made Catania deserve their point, just about.

Defenders

Christian Maggio (Napoli)

Another brilliant display by the stopper. He was always on hand to clear up the danger and made some timely interventions on Simplicio and Miccoli which went far in helping his side to a narrow 2-1 win over Palermo. Maggio is playing for his shirt in two Azzurri sides, one more than the other, Marcello Lippi take note.

Ivan Cordoba (Inter)

Inter looked shaky at the back against Lecce and it got Jose Mourinho off his seat on several occasions. However, Cordoba was one defender who shined for the Nerazzurri against the Salentini. Always alert and mopped up well all night. A solid and hard fought display by the Colombian stopper and he deserves to be in team of the week for his showing.

Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus)

Another solid performance by Leggro. He was a commanding presence at the back and he was always first to every ball. He had Morimoto and Llama covered in the first half and his challenges were perfect. Great in the air too as he lead by example.

Midfielders

Sebastian Giovinco (Juventus)

The 'Atomic Ant' proved just why Juventus took him back this summer. He was outstanding on the night. His runs, skill and vision had the Sicilians in sixes and sevens. He set up Amauri for the goal and he should have bagged a few himself. A brilliant display in his first start of the season.If he keeps this up Juve will find it hard to hold onto him as he gets better and better with every second.

Marek Hamsik (Napoli)

The Slovakian midfielder was, again, the creme de la creme. He scored his third goal of the season to set his side up for the win and he was brilliant both in the middle and on the wings. His consistency stands out and he gave 110 per cent against Palermo. He was always a menace up front.

Andrea Zanchetta (Lecce)

The captain was on the losing team but his performance is certainly worthy of mention. He lead by example and dragged his team along to cause Jose Mourinho and his side major headaches. He almost scored to give his side the lead pulling out a miracle save from Julio Cesar. A really good showing by the 32-year-old.

Stefano Mauri (Lazio)

Mauri was one of Lazio's best players on the night. He never stopped working the whole match and he was outstanding in the middle of the park. He is the Biancocelesti's unsung hero. His performances almost go unnoticed but he is so effective in keeping things together and it showed against Fiorentina as his side romped home to a 3-0 win.

Strikers

Diego Milito (Genoa)

Once again, the Argentine hit-man proved his worth for the Genoese club. He took time to get into the match but he was lethal when he did. Like a timed bomb waiting to go off, he exploded when the time was right to grab a double and fire his side to maximum points.

Goran Pandev (Lazio)

He was the inspiration behind the Aquilotti's emphatic triumph over Fiorentina. His passes for Mauro Zarate were golden and he scored a well deserved goal on 55 minutes. Frey had no chance as Pandev was ice cold with his deadly finish. A sublime performance by the Macedonian hit-man.

Alexandre Pato (Milan)

The Brazilian youngster is maturing fast at San Siro and he showed it against Reggina. He was all over the pitch looking for an opening and was deadly every time Seedorf fed the ball to him. His goal was out of the top draw as he fired his side to a well deserved win. Ancelotti's decision to play him paid off, again.

Team Line Up

Bizzarri

Maggio Cordoba Leggrotaglie

Zanchetta Hamsik Giovinco Mauri

Pato Milito Pandev

Honourable Mention

Julio Cesar (Inter)
Marco Borriello(Milan)
Amauri(Juventus)
Julio Cruz(Inter)
Gennaro Iezzo(Napoli)
Andrea Gasbarroni(Genoa)
Christian Panucci(Roma)
Kaka(Milan)
D'Agostino(Udinese)
Mauro Zarate(Lazio)

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Giovinco Close To Juventus Renewal - Report

After many weeks of negotiations, it seems that finally the issue of Sebastian Giovinco’s contract renewal with Juventus is slowly coming to a positive end for both sides.

The Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that Giovinco will pen a new deal with the Old Lady despite the rumours of the past weeks that he was being followed closely by Arsenal.

The player’s initial wage demands were turned down by the Bianconeri’s management, but new talks are expected in the middle of next week following the squad’s return from their Champions League commitment against Bate Borisov.

Apparently the gap between the two parties has been decreased as the player will probably accept a new contract which expires in 2013 worth €700,000 per season.

This was confirmed by the club’s director of sports Alessio Secco to Sky.

“There are never easy renewals, but the distances are not so ample,” he commented.

“The player is the club’s asset, but he must complete a process of maturation, also from the psychological part, and what interests us is that he is aware that he did not arrive yet.”

Glenn Debattista

[dreamer75]

Reports: Schweinsteiger To Join Juve Next Summer

According to reports in Italy, Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger will join Juventus on a free transfer next summer.

The 24-year-old has been in the Bayern first-team squad since 2002; however, his contract runs out at the end of this season and he will be available on a Bosman transfer if he does not sign an extension with the Bavarian giants.

Juventus have long been linked with the German international, who was one of his country’s star performers at this summer's European Championships.

Bianconeri sporting director Alessio Secco recently revealed that the club are looking for a left midfield replacement for the 36-year-old Pavel Nedved, who is almost certain to retire at the end of the season.

According to reports in Italy, it is now looking highly likely that Schweinsteiger will indeed be Nedved’s replacement in Turin.

The German has further fueled talk of a move by admitting that he is learning the Italian language.

“I'm learning Italian because I really like the language,” he stated.

“I'm happy at Bayern but you never know what will happen in football. I am just concentrating on training and the rest will sort itself out.”

Despite only being 24, Schweinsteiger has considerable experience, and has already been capped 59 times by Germany, scoring 17 goals.

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

Serie A Preview: Sampdoria - Juventus

What: Serie A, Round 5
Who: Sampdoria - Juventus
When: Saturday, 27 September 2008, 18:30CET
Where: Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa

Sampdoria host Juventus in the early weekend kick off in Serie A on Saturday and they will be looking to put their poor start behind them. The Old Lady, on the other hand is looking to rack up some points after dropping two against Catania on Wednesday night...

Sampdoria In Crisis?

Three points in four matches, six goals conceded and just three scored as well as no wins. It's not looking good at Marassi this season. The Blucerchiati find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings down at the foot of the table and they look a far cry from the side which surprised everyone last season and just missed out on the Champions League.

Walter Mazzarri is finding it difficult to get a grip of things this term when he had everything so nicely wrapped up and organised last term. The coach did admit that he doesn't know what is happening as his side continue to struggle. Only a few changes were made during the summer with the great Christian Maggio just one of four players leaving Marassi for the San Paolo. The changes shouldn't really be an excuse for this early season crisis and Samp need to show they can bounce back against Juventus.

Doria welcome an in form Juve side on Saturday evening and they need to pull their finger out or things can begin to look really nasty for Mazzarri and his side. Antonio Cassano is yet to score for his team and the pressure is beginning to mount. Juventus, is perhaps the last team Samp would have wanted given their recent woes but they have to buckle up now and make amends. The season is still in its early stages and now is the time to iron out the creases and set themselves up for a good run.

It's now or never for the port-city club. Anything less than a win against Juventus will have the snipers ready to shoot down Mazzarri from off the bench. It will be far easier for the club to begin racking up points while minds and legs are fresh rather than do it towards then end of the season when the strugglers throw up banana skins left, right and centre.

Perhaps Doria have never recovered from their first game where they drew 1-1 with Inter, when they should have won. A win against Juventus will work wonders for the team and it is likely to push them up and in the right direction.

Juventus Determined To Bounce Back

The Bianconeri have, by and large, enjoyed a good start to the season but they have started to show glimpses of the old habits which failed to win them the Scudetto last season. The big debate last term was that the Old Lady had no trouble in dealing with the big boys but then they struggled against the lesser teams. That discussion is likely to rage on again this term after Juve drew 1-1 with Catania on Wednesday night.

To be fair, Juve were a cut above their Sicilian opponents and they should have won by a silly score line. However, they failed to take their chances and were punished. The result saw them slip away from Scudetto rivals Inter and they will be looking to bounce back this weekend.

Amauri did say that his side were keen on making up for their mistakes against the Elefanti and he has warned Saturday's opponents that he is ready to do the business.

"We made some mistakes on Wednesday but we are looking to patch things up this weekend and we are ready to get a result," said the hit-man.

The Old Lady is finding it hard to finish off teams when it matters and this could costing a great deal later on in the season.
Winning the league isn't just about racking up points. Goals count too and Juventus should be leading the goals for standings given the amount of chances created but a lack of poor finishing and cynicism in front of goal have seen them score a measly four goals, the same as Chievo and less than Torino, Palermo and Milan.

The problem clearly lies up front. Only Pavel Nedved and Amauri have scored in Serie A this term. Last season's top scorer Alessandro Del Piero is yet to get off the mark and it's about time he did if the club are to beging a serious challenge on the Tricolore. Inter are beginning to increase the gap between themselves and Juve and it will not make easy viewing when the club take a look at the standings on Monday morning.

Form Guide

Sampdoria

24 September: Siena 0-0 Sampdoria (Serie A)

21 September: Sampdoria - Chievo 1-1 (Serie A)

18 September: Sampdoria - Kaunas 5-0 (UEFA Cup)

14 September: Lazio - Sampdoria 2-0 (Serie A)

30 August: Sampdoria - Inter Milan 1-1 (Serie A)

Juventus

24 September: Juventus 1-1 Catania (Serie A)

21 September: Cagliari 0-1 Juventus (Serie A)

17 September: Juventus 1-0 Zenit (CL)

14 September: Juventus 1-0 Udinese (SERIE A)

31 August: Fiorentina 1-1 Juventus (SERIE A)

Team News

Sampdoria: Sammarco, Campagnaro and Accardi are all unavailable for selection as they are still in the treatment room. Delvecchio still isn't 100 per cent fit but he is likely to start with Cassano up front.

Probable Starting XI: Mirante, Luchini, Gastardello, Bottinelli, Pieri, Francheschini, Palmobo, Stankevicius, Dessena, Cassano, Delvecchio.

Juventus: Claudio Ranieri is still without Gianluigi Buffon as well as Zanetti, Andrade, Zebina and Trezeguet. However, Mauro Camoranesi is set to return after his recent absence following the game against Zenit 10 days ago. Alex Manninger will keep his place in goal and Sissoko will be back after missing out on the Catania draw.

Probable Starting XI: Manninger, De Ceglie, Chiellini, Legrottaglie, Grygera, Poulsen, Sissoko, Nedved, Camoranesi, Del Piero, Amauri.

Players To Watch

Sampdoria: Keep an eye on Daniele Dessena. The former Parma youth product has been excellent thus far. His passing and vision is superb and he can turn any game on its head on his day. Juve will need to try and cut out his ball distribution to the front two.

Juventus: Amauri. The striker is leading by example up front and his fox in the box qualities as well as his positional sense of arriving at the right time is likely to see him get on the score sheet again. He is also trying to impress Marcello Lippi and thus expect another good showing from him.

Prediction

Sampdoria may cause an upset against Juve. The Blucerchiati have a habit of making life tough for the big teams. What's more, Juve are likely to have their minds on the Champions League next week and this would be the ideal chance for the home team to take full advantage. A draw seems on the cards but Doria have every chance of edging this one.

Sampdoria 2-1 Juventus

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

11' Sampdoria 0 - 0 Juventus

[dreamer75]

still 0-0 now...

[dreamer75]

Sampdoria 0-0 Juventus

An elegant but resilient Sampdoria held a rampant and, at times, unlucky Juventus team in the first game of round five in Serie A. Chances, excitement but, unfotunately no goals...

Both teams came into this game needing points and they both left with one each as the spoils were shared at Marassi. Neither side was able to find a winner despite numerous chances being created at both ends.

First Half

Juventus got the game started at Marassi but it was Sampdoria who had the first real chance when Sissoko fouled Palombo but the free kick was wide. Del Piero went down the other end as Juve broke out and his one-two with Molinaro resulted in the defender seeing the studs of Gastaldello's boot's. The Samp stopper went into the book and Del Piero stepped up for the set piece, he brought a fine save out of Antonio Mirante, Nedved followed up on the re-bound but his drive went over.

It was a bright start by both teams as they searched for the early goal, with chances being created thick and fast at both ends. Antonio Cassano was proving to be a menace early on and he tried an outrageous back flick as he latched onto Stankevicius's through ball but Alex Manninger pushed it out.

The home side were playing with a five man midfield and the Bianconeri were struggling against the numbers. Walter Mazzarri's men were controlling the middle of the park and the pressed Juve back. The Old Lady had to revert to soaking up the pressure and breaking on the counter.

However, they lacked pace, with only Camoranesi offering some speed. Sammarco should have given Samp the lead when Cassano found him off the back of one of his trademark runs. However, Chiellini's perfectly timed challenge was enough to ensure the ball crossed the touch line and not the goal line. Juventus went down the other end as Sissoko galloped forward. Nedved fed him perfectly and the Mali international set up Del Piero but the captain saw his effort go out off the post. Luck betrayed the away side this time as they kept huffing.

Juve were lucky not to go behind when Stankevicius had a free and unmarked header on goal. Manninger blamed his defence who seemed to have switched off on Cassano's free kick. The ball was whipped in with pace and just a few centimetres was the difference between miss and goal. Both teams had their chances but neither could find the break through. Poulsen kept on giving the ball away for Juve and it didn't help matters as Claudio Ranieri watched in horror. However, Mellberg saved the day with a perfectly timed challenge. Samp tried their luck from the resulting corner but Manninger punched clear to offer his side some respite.

Del Piero had a glorious chance down the other end but his hooked volley just went over the bar. It was an excellent game played at frantic pace with little between the teams. Both sides were organised and well disciplined and the game was played fairly overall with just a couple of silly challenges.

Second Half

The teams remained unchanged for the second halfSamp began where they had left off. Cassano was outstanding and he tried his luck from a 35-yard free kick but it just went wide. It was a great effort and It's unlikely Manninger would have seen it had it been two inches inside his post. It was the Del Piero to practice his set pieces after Nedved was hacked by Accardi but his shot was poor and lacked accuracy.

The game slowed down a little and both sides were cautious going forward. Samp looked more dangerous and Sammarco will be asking himself how he missed a glorious free header following Cassano's cross. He should have given his side the lead. Juve kept banging a the door and they created several good chances but some poor finishing and the decision by Nedved to keep shooting from distance meant the scores stayed 0-0 as the half ticked on.

Juve were patient in their build up play but at times they were guilty of sitting a bit to deep which invited the pressure. Doria were well covered in midfield and Juve had to rely on working the ball into advanced positions as well as wing play. The match was there to be lost rather than won as both teams struggled to take a lead. The game just seemed to fizzle out towards the end and it had a stop and start feel to it which seemed to spoil the excitement.

Teams:

Sampdoria -(3-5-1-1): Mirante, Luchini(Bottinelli), Gastaldello, Accardi, Stankevicius, Sammarco, Palombo(Dessena), Francheschini, Pieri, Delvecchio, Cassano.

Juventus -(4-4-2): Manninger, Grygera, Mellberg, Chiellini, Molinaro, Camoranesi, Poulsen, Sissoko, Nedved, Amauri, Del Piero(Iaquinta).

Goals: 0-0

Cards: Gastaldello(Sampdoria/Yellow), Luchini(Sampdoria/Yellow), Mellberg(Yellow/Juventus), Camoranesi(Yellow/Juventus)

[dreamer75]

Sampdoria held Juventus to a goalless draw at Marassi in matchday five. It's not a good result for either side. Salvatore LandolinaJuventus

Manninger -6.0: The goalkeeper was a spectator for most of the game and he was hardly troubled thanks to some poor finishing by Samp. His catching from corners was a little shaky and he would punch which was a little risky.

Grygera -6.0: The right-back galloped forward to support attacks every time Juve went forward. His defending was also good and he looked comfortable making some timely challenges.

Mellberg -6.5: He was influential in helping keep the Blucerchiati at arms length making some great blocks from Cassano and Stankevicius. He was wide awake with everything and he got his side out of jail on numerous occasions. However, he spoilt his performance by getting booked.

Chiellini -6.5: Always bright, sharp and confident as his commanding presence was felt by both teams. Great passing too. His consistency and positional sense was second to none in a text book performance.

Molinaro -5.0: It's really hard to understand why Ranieri plays him. He was always panicking at the back and his poor judgement could have gifted the home side the easiest of goals as he headed back to Manninger without realising Cassano was there. Lucky and should have done better.

Camoranesi -6.5: Another excellent showing from the Italo-Argentine. His runs were clever and dangerous and his crossing and short passing was top draw stuff as he pulled the strings for his team.

Poulsen -5.5: Again, the Danish midfielder was often guilty of giving the ball away a little too much. His challenges and breaking up of the play was good but his passing at times was Sunday league at best.

Sissoko -6.5: For once, the big and strong middle man played well. His break-up play was brilliant and his tackles were firm and well timed. Showed his passing prowess too. He is slowly becoming Juve's unsung hero.

Nedved -5.5: The lack of youth in his legs is catching up with him as he lost the speed battle when running forward. His runs were good but his finishing not so as he struggled to trouble Mirante in goal.

Amauri -6.0: At times he was left isolated up front but his movement on and off the ball was of high standard. He was always a nuisance in the box and he ought to have done better when the chances arrived.

Del Piero -5.0: A poor showing by Del Piero overall. He showed the odd glimpse of magic but it wasn't enough to push his side towards grabbing points. His performance ended early has he was subbed by Ranieri with Iaquinta.

Subs: Iaquinta 5.0.

Salvatore Landolina rates the players on show...

[dreamer75]

oh for god's sake, pls drop Molinaro!

[dreamer75]

Sampdoria 0-0 Juventus: Lackluster Performance at Marassi, Blucerchiati & Bianconeri Strike Out (Serie A Matchday 5)

No deal for Sampdoria and Juventus: based on pre-game statistics, a 0-0 draw was a result almost foretold in advance. On the one hand we had the Blucerchiati, 17th in the Serie A standings with a goaltotal of 2 goals in 4 matches. On the other, the Bianconeri: 4 goals in as many games, and never more than 1 goal scored in each. On a day when even Cassano and Del Piero (woodwork excluded) weren’t in their best form (much to the contrary of the central backlines, lead by the likes of Mellberg, Chiellini, Accardi, Gastaldello, and Lucchini), a scoreless draw was inevitable.

For either team, is it too early to be talking about ‘crisis’ period? Probably, but consider the following. Although this only their second consecutive draw, a team with clear Scudetto and Champions League ambitions like Juventus would be expected to produce offensive efforts just a tad more convincing. Claudio Ranieri & friends have got injuries to blame, but should also be raising questions as to what isn’t working elsewhere. As for Sampdoria, the squad that marvelled Serie A enthusiasts last year and finished 6th in the standings, was nowhere to be seen today. This is a team that after 5 matches, is still looking for their first win in the domestic league: when you have someone like Antonio Cassano on the team that should definitely raise some eyebrows.





(From Gazzetta dello Sport): And so, after their 1-1 home draw vs. Catania on Wednesday, Juventus chalked up another counter-performance Saturday at Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Their Sampdoria opponents played a solid, compact game, much like they had done on matchday 1 against Inter Milan, and had it not been for the “absence” of Antonio Cassano on the field (was he there today? I didn’t notice…) the Blucerchiati could even have grabbed something more than 1 point. Especially because, much unlike the match vs. Catania, Juventus were virtually uncapable of changing the pace of the game, even giving themselves some defensive scares in the final 15 minutes.

The first half of today’s match could essentially be summarized by two words: “physical“, and “not fun” (ok, that’s three words). Sampdoria’s thick midfield formation (3-5-1-1) essentially relied on the interdiction of Sammarco/Palombo/Franceschini in the middle, coupled with the creative genius of Cassano and the long runs down the right wing of Marius Stankevicius (fresh from his Brescia transfer). The Lithuanian winger gave considerable problems to counterpart Cristian Molinaro, even trying the long-range blast on a couple of occasions (wide).

On the other end, Juventus were having a bit of trouble themselves in producing anything substantial. Both wings were well-defended by Sampdoria, while the presence of Sissoko/Poulsen in central midfield provided plenty of defensive quality but not much penetrating power. So, creative tasks were essentially left to Alessandro Del Piero, who actively tried to make his presence felt: a short-range free-kick (saved by Mirante) and a diagonal shot from inside the box (post) were the main highlights of the first 45 minutes, with the Bianconeri hitting woodwork for the 3rd time in four days. The 0-0 half-time scoreline surprised no one, although Juventus had been a bit more daring perhaps.

In the second half, very little changed in terms of clear scoring chances, although the game’s momentum shifted slightly in favor of Sampdoria. Cassano sent a good 25m free-kick narrowly wide, while Sammarco had a good chance on a headed corner-kick (also wide). Sissoko was becoming Mr. “Iron curtain” in the center, essentially stopping any Blucerchiati offensive dead in its tracks. Of course midway through the half, the fact the home team lost captain Angelo Palombo to injury certainly did not help Walter Mazzarri’s plans, but even so it was obvious a goal today would only come through a brilliant piece of individual effort. Which never arrived. Iaquinta and Bonazzoli got a little bit of playing time in the final minutes, but the scoreline did not budge. 0-0 FT.

[dreamer75]

http://www.mcalcio.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/sampdoria-juventus_serie-a_2008-09.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://www.mcalcio.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/grygera_palombo_1.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://www.mcalcio.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/stankevicius_camoranesi_1.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://www.mcalcio.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/adp_disappointment_sampdoria2_1.jpg

[dreamer75]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Td1zw-L2MA

[Cissiboy]

i watched it so I can judge: Del Piero was the best player among bianconeri..If we had won with his right kick that hit the post there would be nothing to say. Ya because the match was boring, nothing really happened..goalkeepers like non paying spectators..so I was hoping for an episode. That never happened, also because ranieri made just one sub: Iaquinta per Del piero...leaving giovinco, the only one who can create something, sitting on the bench..

We are not in great shape and this is clear..but Ranieri is not helping out at all..

[dreamer75]

Bad outing to BATE and we drew 2-2

[dreamer75]

BATE Borisov 2-2 Juventus

Juventus fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with BATE Borisov in a thrilling Champions League Group H game. However, questions will certainly be asked of coach Claudio Ranieri following a simply dismal performance against the Belarus minnows.

BATE put up a brave fight in their defeat at Real Madrid in matchday one, only losing 2-0. The minnows came into this game without Anri Kahgush, who was suspended after seeing red at the Santiago Bernabeu. They were also without expereinced midfielder Aleksandr Ermakovich.

Juventus' list of absentees is really piling up now, and Jorge Andrade, Cristiano Zanetti, David Trezeguet, Jonathan Zebina, Christian Poulsen, and Gianluigi Buffon were all unavailable for selection. The Bianconeri, who defeated Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 a fortnight ago, fielded the goalscorer from that game Alessandro Del Piero up-front alongside Vincenzo Iaquinta. Sebastian Giovinco was also handed his second start of the season.

First Half

BATE made a strong start and Sergei Krivets raced through on goal in the second minute, but Mauro Camoranesi darted back to make a crucial last gasp tackle.

Juve launched a counter-attack, and Paolo De Ceglie crossed for Del Piero, who headed weakly wide. However, aside from this Juve could barely get out of their own half in the opening stages, as the home side launched wave after wave of attack.

Vitaly Kazantev was looking very lively and he unleashed a 25 yard shot that fizzed over the bar. A goal was on the cards and on 17 minutes it arrived. Kryvets was played through on goal, and he rounded Alex Manninger delightfully, and slotted the ball into the empty net.

The Juve defence had been an absolute shambles in the first 20 minutes, and Claudio Ranieri was forced into a change, bringing on Dario Knezevic for the injured Nicola Legrottaglie.

BATE were absolutely rampant, and after going close with a free kick, they went 2-0 ahead on 23 minutes. A cross from the left found Igor Stasevich completely unmarked at the back post, and he steered his header back past Manninger and into the far corner.

Juve tried to react, and Del Piero shot wide from outside the area, before forcing Veremko into a fine tip over the bar with a free kick from the edge of the box.

On 28 minutes the Old Lady got back into the game, as Iaquinta produced a bullet header into the top corner from a right wing cross from Giovinco.

Juve were now a little more settled, and Del Piero fired over the bar, before Iaquinta forced a save out of Veremko with another header, this time from a Camoranesi cross.

However, Ranieri's men were still terribly disjointed, and only an alert Manninger racing off his line prevented BATE another great chance as Rodionov raced through. Chiellini was then forced into a key intervention as Rodionov prepared to lash the ball home inside the area. BATE then wasted another fantastic opening as Kryvets selfishly opted to shoot in a three-on-two situation.

In the 45th minute though, Juve's only bright player of the first half, Giovinco, went on a fine run, and threaded through an inch perfect through pass to Nedved, who was denied by the goalkeeper.

Giovinco then embarked on another rampaging run in injury time, and put Iaquinta clean on goal with another inspired pass. The striker finished clinically through the legs of Veremko, and Juve were now back on level terms.

Second Half

Juventus' centre midfield had been overrun in the first half, and this prompted Ranieri to make a change, bringing on Claudio Marchisio for Camoranesi.

BATE had the first attempt of the second period as Volodko smashed the ball over the bar from 25 yards. Stasevich then also failed to keep his effort down, this time from a free kick.

On 52 minutes BATE missed a great chance to regain the lead as Stasevic got behind De Ceglie on the right, and cut the ball back for Likhtarovic just 10 yards out, but he got his connection all wrong, and Juve escaped.

A few minutes later BATE were inches away from getting that deserved goal as a cross from the left was met by the head of Volodko, and it flew centimetres wide of the post with Manninger completely beaten.

BATE were dominant once again, but Juve threatened twice on the counter attack, first with Nedved's long shot that was pushed away by Veremko, and then Del Piero who flicked an effort wide.

Sissoko, who was having what can only be described as a shocker, tried his luck from outside the area, but his shot was deflected over the bar.

Juve began to improve midway through the half, and Nedved lashed the ball dangerously wide from outside the area. Giovinco then did some great work in getting the ball to Del Piero, but the captain selfishly snubbed him in order to shoot, when a pass would have put the starlet through.

The two players linked up again on 70 minutes, which ended with Del Piero firing inches wide from 20 yards. BATE then threatened down the other end, and only a poor final ball prevented Rodionov having a chance.

With less than 10 minutes remaining Ranieri played his final hand, as Amauri was brought on for Iaquinta. Amauri immediately got involved and crossed for Nedved, who headed wide.

Juve pushed everyone forward in the closing minutes looking for a winner, and Chiellini attempted a bicycle kick which went straight at Veremko. Down the other end Rodinov tested Manninger from distance.

The game finished at 2-2, and Claudio Ranieri will now face a grilling following a simply dismal performance from his side. BATE meanwhile can celebrate one of the most famous results in their history.

Teams

BATE: Veremko, Yurevic, Sosnovsky, Rzhevski, Kazantzev, Likhtarovic (Sivakov 69), Volodko, Stasevich, Kryvets, Nekhaychik (Mirchev 85), Rodionov (Pecha 90)

Juventus: Manninger, Grygera, Chiellini, Legrottaglie (Knezevic 19), De Ceglie, Nedved, Camoranesi (Marchisio 46), Sissoko, Giovinco, Del Piero, Iaquinta (Amauri 81)

Anthony Sormani

[dreamer75]

BATE

Veremko- 7.0: Made fine saves on both Del Piero and Nedved, but there was nothing he could do on Iaquinta's goals.

Yurevic- 6.0: Solid for most of the game, even if he occasionally found himself out of position.

Sosnovsky - 6.0: Similar assessment to his centre back partner Yurevic. Coped well with the Juve attackers, but allowed Iaquinta to score twice.

Rzhevski- 6.0: Was caught out of position for Iaquinta's second goal, but apart from this, he was relatively sound.

Kazantev- 6.5: Along with Rodinov, Kazantev caused the likes of Chiellini and Knezevic all kinds of problems all night. A real pain in the backside.

Likhtarovic- 5.5: Given a number of headaches by Giovinco, and did not get tight enough to prevent the crosses coming in.

Volodko- 7.0: Impressive. Always making late bursts into the penalty area, and went agonizingly close to scoring the winner when his header flew inches wide.

Stasevich- 7.5: Outstanding on the left of midfield, causing Grygera a number of problems. Always involved in the action, and took his goal well to make it 2-0.

Kryvets- 8.5: Led Sissoko a merry-dance in midfield, and scored a fantastic opener by rounding Manninger. Looked dangerous every time he touched the ball.

Nekhaychik- 7.0: Along with Kryvets dominated proceedings in the centre of midfield, and he received a standing ovation when he was substituted late on.
Rodionov - 7.0 His intelligent runs caused no end of problems for the Juve centre backs, and with a bit of luck he would have got on the scoresheet tonight.

Subs: Sivakov 6, Mirchev N/A, Pecha N/A

JUVENTUS

Manninger - 6.0: Completely blameless on both goals, and was too often left all unprotected by his back four.

Grygera - 5.0: Usually a player who can be counted on for his consistency, but not tonight. Made numerous errors, and his crossing was poor too.

Legrottaglie - 5.0: Had a nightmare beginning to the game, where he was repeatedly dragged around the field by the BATE attackers. At fault for first goal before he was then immediately substituted with a physical problem. His only excuse could be that he was injured.

Chiellini - 5.0: This evening Chiellini was unrecognisable from the player who has been a colossus in the past 12 months. He was terrorised by the BATE attackers, and was harried into making mistakes all night.

De Ceglie - 6.0: The only member of the Juventus back four who was absent from the Marx Brothers Act. He was by no means impressive though, and was caught out of position on more than once occasion.

Nedved - 6.0: Never stopped running all night but quite clearly not the player he used to be. Lost Stasevich for BATE's second goal.

Sissoko - 4.0: One of the Italian commentators on SKY described Sissoko's performance as abysmal, and he was not wrong. The Malian's passing was of pub player standing, and he spent the whole night running round like a headless chicken.

Camoranesi - 5.0: Very poor game from Camoranesi, who aside from making a crucial tackle in the second minute was disappointing both defensively and offensively. Looked tired and was subbed at half time.

Giovinco - 8.5: Despite being shifted out in an alien right midfield position by Ranieri, Giovinco was absolutely outstanding. He created both of Iaquinta's goals, the second with a brilliant slide rule pass. He also put Nedved clean through on goal, and every chance Juve had came through him.

Iaquinta - 8.0: Usually criticised for not being clinical, tonight he had two chances and finished both with aplomb. Only he and Giovinco can hold their heads up high tonight.

Del Piero - 5.5: Had a few bright moments but generally was disappointing and, with all due respect to the opponents, would have been expected to make an impact tonight.

Subs: Knezevic 5.5, Marchisio 6.0, Amauri 6.5

Anthony Sormani

[dreamer75]

VIDEO HERE (http://www.ifutbal.com/videos/12852/2008-09-30-bate-borisov---juventus-2-2)

[dreamer75]

Giovinco Agent: No Rush Over Contract
The agent of Juventus starlet Sebastian Giovinco says that there is nothing to worry about with regards to a new contract for his client, and has called for calm.
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Giovinco’s contract situation at Juventus has become something of a soap opera over recent months, and he still seems no closer to inking a new deal.

The 21-year-old has been demanding a €1m-a-year salary, but sporting director Alessio Secco is only said to be willing to hand him a €450,000 pay packet, which is in range with the rest of the young players at Juve.

This morning La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Secco would not budge from this stance, and this led to renewed fears over the fantasista’s long-term future at the club.

However, Giovinco’s agent has now moved to calm the stormy waters.

"I can reassure everyone that all this talk about the contract is a fake issue,” Andrea d’Amico told Radio Kiss Kiss.

“The contract expires in 2011, not in 2009, and so for this reason we must all remain calm. There is a willingness from both sides to increase the contract.”

Giovinco put in an outstanding performance for Juve on Tuesday night during the 2-2 draw against BATE Borisov in the Champions League, creating both of Vincenzo Iaquinta’s goal.

Gianni WilsonGiovinco Agent: No Rush Over Contract
The agent of Juventus starlet Sebastian Giovinco says that there is nothing to worry about with regards to a new contract for his client, and has called for calm.

Giovinco’s contract situation at Juventus has become something of a soap opera over recent months, and he still seems no closer to inking a new deal.

The 21-year-old has been demanding a €1m-a-year salary, but sporting director Alessio Secco is only said to be willing to hand him a €450,000 pay packet, which is in range with the rest of the young players at Juve.

This morning La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Secco would not budge from this stance, and this led to renewed fears over the fantasista’s long-term future at the club.

However, Giovinco’s agent has now moved to calm the stormy waters.

"I can reassure everyone that all this talk about the contract is a fake issue,” Andrea d’Amico told Radio Kiss Kiss.

“The contract expires in 2011, not in 2009, and so for this reason we must all remain calm. There is a willingness from both sides to increase the contract.”

Giovinco put in an outstanding performance for Juve on Tuesday night during the 2-2 draw against BATE Borisov in the Champions League, creating both of Vincenzo Iaquinta’s goal.

Gianni Wilson

[dreamer75]

Legrottaglie Extends Juve Stay
Juventus defender Nicola Legrottaglie has signed a contract extension with the club until 2011.

Legrottaglie arrived at Juventus in 2003 after a promising spell with Chievo Verona, but he failed to impress in black and white and was subsequently loaned out to a Bologna and Siena.

However, he returned to the Bianconeri in 2006 and since then has been a mainstay in central defence, even working his way back into the plans of Italy coach Marcello Lippi this season.

It was announced today that Legrottaglie has signed a contract extension that runs until June 2011. "For me it is an immense joy that I can continue to wear these colours," commented the 31-year-old.

In the past two seasons, Legrottaglie has formed a formidible partnership in centre defense with Giorgio Chiellini and it looks like Juventus wish to continue with that tandem in the foreseeable future.

The former Chievo player is known as a very religious person and ended by speaking of how his faith has rewarded him. "God is faithful to those who love and follow him," he concluded.

Legrottaglie is expected to play in Juventus' next match, when they host in-form Palermo at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

Adam Scime

[dreamer75]

Del Piero And Ranieri In Training Ground Bust Up
Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero has fallen out with his coach Claudio Ranieri, according to Tuttosport...


It seems as if the problems at Vinovo have take an turn for the worse after captain and coach had a disagreement on the training pitch during Thursday's session.

The Bianconeri have not been impressive this term and they have disappointed in three consecutive games, two in Serie A and one in the Champions League.

Tuttosport claims, Ranieri gathered his players around the pitch yesterday afternoon to talk with them about the problems and where they are going wrong, but it seems as if this did not go down too well with Del Piero who responded 'I'm not the problem.'

The captain's words did not bring a smile to his coaches face. Both Ranieri and the striker had a ten minute discussion but neither of them were able to iron out their differences as Del Piero stormed off, visibly angry and he looked unhappy as he left the training centre.

Reports suggest the coach is not pleased with Del Piero's recent form as he has seen a goal drought this term. His only strike coming against Zenit in the Champions League last month.

Pinturricchio is likely to be dropped from the game this weekend against Palermo with Vincenzo Iaquinta taking his place. The troubles are set to continue in Turin as Pavel Nedved is also out from the Rosanero clash following his recent poor showings, and Sebastian Giovinco will play instead after his super display against Bate on Wednesday.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Lippi: Conte To Coach Juventus
Italy coach Marcello Lippi is backing former Juventus midfielder Antonio Conte to take the reigns at the club if Claudio Ranieri gets the chop...

The Bianconeri are going through a stormy cloud following a number of negative performances. Reports in the peninsula have drawn a sad picture of the situation at the club with talk of player - coach bust up's and the possibility that Ranieri maybe axed as soon as Sunday.

Lippi has been watching the drama unfold at arms length and he has given the Old Lady an idea of who the next man should be.
"Conte? He is a Juventus man," Lippi told Tuttosport.

"I really hope he goes to coach them because being in charge at a club like Juve is amazing. He was a captain there and he flied the flag for many seasons.

"I wish him all the best from the bottom of my heart for him to coach the Bianconeri. He was one of my most important players when I was there and we obtained some great success.

"Those achievements were down to his qualities and he transmits those to his players. He has a positive mentality on the pitch and he has great ideas as a professional coach."
Ranieri's constant tinkering as well as his inability to change his side's fortunes may see him being replaced.

A number of coaches have been touted as potential candidates including Lippi's assistant at the Azzurri, Ciro Ferrara.

Conte, however, may relish the challenge of coaching a top side and he may come in sooner rather than later.

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

What: Serie A Championship, Round 6
Who: Juventus - Palermo
When: Sunday, October 3 2008, 14:00CET
Where: Stadio Olimpico Grande, Turin

Juventus In Crisis

The Bianconeri are having it tough this season, none more so than Claudio Ranieri, with reports in Italy claiming that anything less than a win against Palermo this weekend will see the coach say Arrivederci e Grazie. The Old Lady has drawn three games back to back. Two 0-0 draws against Catania and Sampdoria respectively in Serie A. Then came the debacle which was the 2-2 result against Belarussian side Bate Borisov earlier this week in the Champions League. No one really knows what the problem is but the coach will need to find the right solution against a Rosanero side whose coach Davide Ballardini is about to be offered a contract extension, such has been his impact in Sicily.

Juve have only managed to score four goals in five Serie A matches this term which is relatively poor for a side that boasts great attacking talent such as Alex Del Piero, Amauri and Vincenzo Iaquinta. Chievo and Siena have scored the same amount as the Turin-based side and thus this paints the picture perfectly. Anyone who believes the Scudetto hopefuls are not in crisis are wrong, look at the statistics, they never lie.

It's still early to rite off Juve's chances as they are three points behind the league leaders but that can easily change to six come Sunday night and that is when things will begin to get tough for the Old Lady. When trying to build anything, a house for example, you need a solid foundation bricks, mortar and the like. In Juve's case, Ranieri is trying to build for success but he doesn't have the right materials, no goals, no points, equals no Scudetto foundation in which to mount a serious challenge for the title.

To make matters worse, there is an air of tension and turbulence at Vinovo as reports suggest Alessandro Del Piero has fallen out with his coach and thus he is likely to be dropped, not that it will make much difference as the captain has been well under par for his side. Nothing like the capocannoniere who rule the roost last season. Sebastian Giovinco is likely to be given another chance to shine, with Pavel Nedved watching from the bench. Iaquinta will keep Amauri company up front as the Brazilian tries to get one over his old side. A win is needed for Juve to emerge from this early season nightmare.

Confident Palermo To Sack Ranieri?

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini is well known for his sacking antics and, although he may not be directly involved with Ranieri, his side might just end up leading to the Juventus coach getting the chop with a win against them. Three wins and a loss since Davide Ballardini's arrival at the helm has seen the Sicilians shoot up the table.

The Rosanero are currently behind their Island rivals Catania in Serie A and having ruled calcio in Sicily for so long, Palermo will not be too happy seeing their bitter rivals in front of them and thus they will be fighting Juve hard with the possibility of leapfrogging the Etnei in the standings.

The game in Turin will see a number of former team mates from both sides clash against each other. Midfielder Antonio Nocerino has already tried to fire up the atmosphere ahead of the game and he has probably lost all his admirer's in Turin after he publicly declared that he will celebrate against his former club if he scores. It's unlikely he will though as he will be up against Gianluigi Buffon who returns in goal for Juve.

Palermo will be eager and full of confidence following their 1-0 win over Reggina last weekend and they will be hopeful of winning maximum points against a roughshod Juventus. The Sicilians had no mid-week game to worry about and thus they will be fresher than their rivals heading into the game.

Form Guide

Juventus

September 30: Bate Borisov 2-2 Juventus (CL)

September 27: Sampdoria 0-0 Juventus (Serie A)

September 24: Juventus 1-1 Catania (Serie A)

September 21: Cagliari 0-1 Juventus (Serie A)

September 17: Juventus 1-0 Zenit (CL)

Palermo

September 28: Palermo 1-0 Reggina (Serie A)

September 24: Napoli 2-1 Palermo (Serie A)

September 21: Palermo 2-1 Genoa (Serie A)

September 12: Palermo 3-1 Roma (Serie A)

August 30: Udinese 3-1 Palermo (Serie A)

Team News

Juventus: Claudio Ranieri has no choice but to tinker for this one. Nicola Legrottaglie has been ruled out for a month after his injury while Giorgio Chiellini picked up a knock against Bate and he is looking doubtful but may play. Vincenzo Iaquinta and Cristiano Zanetti have been working separately to the rest of the squad. The former is likely to play while the latter is still recovering from injury. Jonathan Zebina, David Trezeguet and Jorge Andrade are all injured.

Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): Buffon, De Ceglie, Chiellini, Mellberg, Grygera, Giovinco, Marchisio, Poulsen, Camoranesi, Iaquinta, Amauri.

Palermo: Budan and Fontana are still unavailable to Ballardini while Succi is struggling to shake of an inflammation to his ankle. Other than that the Sicilians have a decent squad available to travel to Turin.

Probable Starting XI (4-3-1-2): Amelia, Bovo, Balzaretti, Cassani, Carozzieri, Bresciano, Liverani, Nocerino, Simplicio, Miccoli, Cavani.

Players To Watch

Juventus: Amauri. The Brazilian-born hit-man is relishing the chance to get one over his old side and he will be the danger man for the Old Lady up front. Amauri hasn't scored in three games and is likely to fight for a goal in this one more than in any other game.

Palermo: Keep your eye out for Miccoli. The former Juve man is looking forward to returning to Turin and he will be keen to upset the Bianconeri. Buffon will need to be aware of his lethal shooting from distance.

Prediction

Palermo will put up a very good fight but Juventus will bring home the bacon. The Bianconeri are far stronger on paper and they are desperate to but their recent blip behind them with a convincing win against the Sicilians.

Juventus 2-0 Palermo

Salvatore Landolina

[dreamer75]

Juventus :
Manninger;
Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, De Ceglie;
Camoranesi, Poulsen, Sissoko, Nedved;
Amauri, Del Piero

[dreamer75]

we lost :(....

[dreamer75]

FT Juventus [1 - 2] Palermo

24' [0 - 1] F. Miccoli

39' [1 - 1] A.D. Piero

81' [1 - 2] L. Mchedlidze

[dreamer75]

Claudio Ranieri may now face the sack after his Juventus side put in another dismal performance, going down 2-1 at home to Palermo, with substitute Levan Mchedlidze grabbing the winner for the Sicilians.

Juventus 1-2 Palermo
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Team News

Juventus, who had had three consecutive draws, had big injury problems coming into this game as they were without Andrade, Zanetti, Zebina, Trezeguet, Legrottaglie, and Iaquinta. Giorgio Chiellini also wasn't risked in defence and his place went to Dario Knezevic. Claudio Ranieri fielded Sebastian Giovinco as a trequartista behind Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri, while Gianluigi Buffon returned in goal.

Palermo were only minus the services of three players in the form of Budan, Fontana, and Succi. Fabrizio Miccoli led the line again alongside Edison Cavani, and was hoping to continue his outstanding recent form against his old club.

First Half

Juventus had the first attempt of the game, as Del Piero curled a free kick over the wall but it was straight at Marco Amelia. Giovinco also saw a shot blocked by Moris Carrozzieri, while Zdenek Grygera headed over the bar from a corner.

Palermo's first effort of the match came on 15 minutes as Fabio Simplicio unleashed a half volley from 25 yards but it finished well over. There was danger soon after as Mattia Cassani raced down the right and cut the ball back into the six yard box, but the Juve defence escaped any serious damage.

Giovinco was looking lively in the early stages, and some good work down the left eventually led to a cross for Amauri but his header was weak.

However, it was Palermo who took the lead on 23 minutes. A free kick was chipped over the defence for Cavani's volley that was superbly saved by Buffon, but Miccoli reacted fastest to the rebound to turn the ball home.

Miccoli threatened a second as he lost Knezevic, but his volley from a promising position was screwed wide. This was Miccoli's last action of the game as he was forced off injured, and had to be replaced by Giulio Migliaccio.

Juventus had been very poor so far, and there was no direction to their play at all. Giovinco tested Amelia from a free kick but it was straight at the ex-Livorno man. Things got even worse for the home side on 33 minutes as Olof Mellberg sustained an injury, meaning that Hasan Salihamidzic was summoned to replace him.

The Bianconeri were barely threatening but on 38 minutes they levelled the scores with a trademark Del Piero free kick. Amauri was felled on the edge of the box by Migliaccio, and Del Piero curled the ball over the wall and past the diving Amelia.

Juventus' joy soon turned to despair as just minutes later they were reduced to ten men. The red card recipient was Momo Sissoko, who having already been booked, was yellow carded again for a late and dangerous tackle in the middle-of-the-field.

Palermo controlled the remainder of the first half, with Migliaccio shooting over the bar, but the first half ended level, with the Sicilians certainly the happier of the two sides.

Second Half

Palermo raced out of the blocks the fastest in the second half, and Antonio Nocerino tested Buffon with a long range shot. Cesare Bovo then saw two efforts charged down, the first a free kick, and the second the rebound.

Juve's best player on the pitch until now had been Marchisio, and he produced a delightful piece of skill before volleying wide from the edge of the area. Amauri then chested the ball down and thrashed over as the Bianconeri tried to impose themselves on the game.

Giovinco went on a delightful solo run to win a free kick 25 yards out, but Del Piero could not repeat his earlier trick and curled the ball wide of the post.

On 59 minutes Palermo suffered another injury blow as Bresciano, who had been excellent, was forced off, with Mchedlidze coming on in his place. Simplicio now looked to take on more responsibility and his goalbound piledriver was blocked by a defender.

Claudio Ranieri knew that Juve needed more midfield creativity, and he sacrificed Poulsen and brought on Mauro Camoranesi. Del Piero then tried his luck from long range, but Amelia watched the ball fly over.

On 75 minutes Palermo put together a wonderful one-touch move, but Cavani was wrongly flagged offside as he threatened Buffon, even if the goalkeeper had already beaten him to the ball. Carrozzieri then tried to lob Buffon from his own half, but miracles such as these just don't happen.

Ranieri made his final change, strangely introducing Nedved for Giovinco, who had been one of Juve's only bright players. Just seconds later Palermo were back in-front. Simplicio slipped through substitute Mchedlidze, who easily slotted the ball past Buffon.

Juventus tried to react, and Del Piero saw his bicycle kick deflected into the arms of Amelia. In the penultimate minute Del Piero had his umpteenth free kick off the afternoon but he shot over.

In injury time, Palermo should have made it three. Cavani did brilliantly down the right, and cut the ball back for Simplicio, but the Brazilian somehow skied the ball over when it would have been easier to score.

Palermo held on comfortably for a 2-1 win, meaning Juventus have now gone four games without a win, and fall down to 11th in the Serie A table. Claudio Ranieri for the sack?

Teams

Juventus: Buffon, Grygera, Mellberg (Salihamidzic 33), Knezevic, De Ceglie, Marchisio, Poulsen (Camoranesi 64), Sissoko, Giovinco (Nedved 79), Amauri, Del Piero

Palermo: Amelia, Cassani, Carrozzieri, Bovo, Balzaretti, Nocerino (Tedesco 78), Liverani, Simplicio, Bresciano (Mchedlidze 59), Cavani, Miccoli (Migliaccio 29)

Carlo Garganese

[dreamer75]

Player Ratings: Juventus 1-2 Palermo

Palermo piled the misery on Juventus and Claudio Ranieri with a 2-1 win at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin. Carlo Garganese rates the players who topped and those who flopped...


JUVENTUS

Buffon - 6.5: Made one outstanding save from Cavani, only to then see Miccoli turn home the rebound. Also blameless on Mchedlidze's winner. Looked completely fed up at the end with the performance from those in front of him.

Grygera - 5.5: Caught out of position on occasions defensively, and his passing and crossing coming forward was also poor.

Mellberg - 6.0: Struggled in the opening half-hour, particularly with the pace and movement of Miccoli and Cavani, and his misery was compounded when he was forced off injured.

Knezevic - 5.0: Did not look like a defender of Juventus standard today. Troubled all afternoon, and reacted slow to the rebound for Miccol's goal.

De Ceglie -5.5: Has struggled a little in his last two games, and just like against BATE he left his left hand side open on more than one occasion.

Marchisio - 7.0: The only Juventus player in midfield who stood up to the likes of Bresciano and Simplicio. At the moment Marchisio is Juve's best performing midfielder.

Poulsen - 5.5: It is often said that Poulsen's good work passes unnoticed, but it really is hard at the moment to find where this good work is. Would Juve be better off with Poulsen, or other summer targets like Xabi Alonso, Diego and Rafael van der Vaart?

Sissoko - 3.5: Simply shocking game from Sissoko, who has been quite dreadful recently for Juve. Was sleeping on Miccoli's goal, allowing Cavani to just run straight past him. He then managed to get booked twice in the space of five minutes before half time to leave his side a man down for more than half the game.

Giovinco - 6.5: One of the only players in the Juve team who looked capable of making something happen. Ranieri inexplicably substituted him at 1-1, and 15 seconds later Palermo went back ahead.

Amauri -6.0: Battled valiantly did Amauri and won plenty of free kicks around the edge of the area, but was not given the service he thrives on, particularly from crosses, which were non-existent today.

Del Piero - 6.5: Scored Juve's equaliser with a fine free kick, even if Amelia must certainly take some blame. Tried to make things happen but he clearly needs rest. It's not rocket science that a 34-year-old shouldn't start four games in 10 days.

Subs: Salihamidzic 5.5, Camoranesi 5.5, Nedved N/A

[RVN]

Juventus very woeful this season, struggling to score goals in Serie A and now after this loss dropped down to 11th in the table..

Think Ranieri going to kena sacked sooner or later.

[Cissiboy]

the truth is we don't have 2 teams to play Champions and Serie A ...and currently the whole team is not in a good shape..plus too many injured !!

[dreamer75]

the truth is we don't have 2 teams to play Champions and Serie A ...and currently the whole team is not in a good shape..plus too many injured !!

yah, really too many injuries.

[dreamer75]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1061/1413785191_08c3415bec.jpg

Live at the Olimpico, Torino

[dreamer75]

Highlights
http://www.ifutbal.com/videos/13499/juventus-1---2-palermo-highlights

[dreamer75]

No team chemistry at all, made extremely evident by the fact a midfield with 3 ball winners was being easily stretched.

All we do is send longballs from the defence and hope some1 wins a freekick. If were going to use a trequartista, let alone an ant sized 1, play the ball on the ground. That's our main problem in general. We cant string together more than a handful of passes along the ground, with the majority of these passes being balls sent back to the **'s or Gigi.

Luckily we have an international break to get things sorted, but playing away to Napoli wont be easy. If Ranieri wants to keep his job, a convincing win there would help his cause, otherwise he sould go. The team should be improving this season, not getting worse. Also, luckily were only 4 pts off top spot. Things can change very fast, IF we turn things around now. We havent reached the critical period yet, but if we continue along this path were ****ed.

[dreamer75]

http://i33.tinypic.com/2nsza6c.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/SanPaolo.jpg

Live at San Paolo Stadium, Napoli

[dreamer75]

Ranieri feels the heat Sunday 5 October, 2008

Claudio Ranieri's Juventus job hangs in the balance as the home defeat to Palermo “hurts us deeply.”

The Coach was already under fire after three straight draws against Catania, Sampdoria and BATE Borisov, but the situation deteriorated further this afternoon.

Momo Sissoko was sent off in the first half and they lost 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico to Palermo, ending their unbeaten run in all competition.

“This is a difficult moment, but we want to fight back and have everything needed to do that. The lads did all they could.

“It is a defeat that hurts us deeply and we wanted the victory. It wasn't easy to play with 10 men, but I don't want to seek excuses.”

Alessandro Del Piero had equalised Fabrizio Miccoli's opener after the dismissal, but 19-year-old Levan Mchedlidze grabbed the winner late on with his first Serie A goal.

“We actually did more than Palermo in the second half when they had the extra man, but our opponents deserve credit for striking on the counter-attack. It was a static encounter.”

There has been newspaper talk that Ciro Ferrara is ready to take over, as the 'old guard' is turning against its Coach.

“The veterans are not against me, as was written in the papers. Having said that, the results do not back us up either.”

Ranieri came under fire for his tactical choices recently and left Pavel Nedved and Mauro Camoranesi on the bench.

“Nedved had to recuperate after playing many games, while Camoranesi was not 100 per cent fit and I preferred to keep him for the second half.”

[dreamer75]

Cobolli stands up for Claudio Sunday 5 October, 2008

Juventus President Giovanni Cobolli Gigli assures there are “no doubts” over Claudio Ranieri despite the dismal results.

“We have no doubts over the Coach,” said the patron. “This is a difficult moment, but you will see we'll get out of it very soon.

“We must remain united and close to Ranieri. This squad remains very valid with great quality.”

Newspapers have been full of reports there are problems in the locker room with the old guard wanting Ciro Ferrara to take over.

The rumours of unrest were fuelled further by the run of poor results, as Juve drew three on the trot before today's 2-1 home defeat to Palermo.

“I absolutely deny that the club has ever had problems with Ranieri. It is difficult to answer whether the squad has issues, as I cannot give the individual response of 25 different people.

“This project is founded on pillars like Gigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero, who believe in our plans.”

As there is a break for international duty and a Champions League clash with Real Madrid after that, this is the time for the Bianconeri to take a long, hard look at themselves.

“There probably will be criticism, but in this moment we are even more determined to continue this project,” assured Cobolli Gigli.

“I am convinced this team can achieve great things.”

[dreamer75]

Round six of the Serie A campaign saw plenty of great goals, action and some shock results as some of the main Scudetto challengers saw their title hopes get thinner while the surprise packages continued to shine. Here is our selection for the team of the week in Italy...


Who said Adriano couldn't play alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Who shot down Patrick Vieira and Cristiano Doni, saying they were both past it? Well, if their performances on the weekend are anything to go by, the skpetics who tried to shoot them down, but, so obviously missed, need to sharpen their focus as those players all made it into this week's super side...

Best XI

Formation 3-4-3

Goalkeeper

Samir Handanovic (Udinese)

The big Slovenian shot stopper is in superb form for his side. He was outstanding during his side's 2-0 win over Torino and he hardly put a foot wrong in this one. He dominated his penalty area exceptionally well and he pulled of some fine saves against Diana and Ventola to keep his side on the winning road.

Defenders

Nelson Rivas (Inter)

He was his side's unsung hero in defence. He got to everything first and he kept things organised at the back. Got his head down and did his job well and to great affect. Perfectly timed tackles and determination are likely to see him hold down a regular place under Jose Mourinho, but he may have to wait a little while longer as he picked up an injury during the game too, that was the only bad note to his perforance.

Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina)

The Italian stopper was influential in the 2-0 win away to Chievo. He looked comfortable at the back and he kept things organised. He was disciplined and elegant and he helped out all over the park as and when he saw necessary. An asset to his team.

Cesare Bovo (Palermo)

Bovo shined against the grand Old Lady of calcio and his never give up attitude saw him win plenty of battles against Amauri and Del Piero who were both finding it really hard to get past him. An accomplished display and he never made any mistake throughout to help his side gain maximum points.

Midfielders

Cristiano Doni (Atalanta)

The captain and talisman had a stunning game in the 4-2 win over Sampdoria. He lead is side over the finish line in style with a solid showing, whilst also finding the time to grab a goal too. The Nerazzurri's best player as they continue to fly high in second place.

Patrick Vieira (Inter)

The Frenchman did everything in midfield. He broke up the play, got it going again, passed, moved, tackled and worked like a horse. Never in trouble for one second as his commanding presence showed the rest who's boss.

Pasquale Foggia (Lazio)

One of Lazio's best players on the day and he lead by example. Motivated and dragged his players to get back into the game after going down to Lecce at home. He created a number of excellent chances for his side and showed the hunger and determination which eventually paid off.

Rafaele Palladino (Genoa)

The former Juventus man was always on the hunt for a goal as he ran the show for his side. Napoli couldn't handle him and his perseverance brought home the bacon as he got himself on the score sheet with a well taken goal. Slowly but surely, he is beginning to shine like a star.

Strikers

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)

We all know what Ibra is about but no-one would ever have expected him to score the sublime goal he did against Bologna. His back-heel into the top corner from Adriano's cross got the ball rolling for his side. Everything came through him when his side went forward as he made a complete performance.

Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese)

The Italian hit-man is one of the best strikers in Serie A and he is trying to prove his worth to Italy coach Marcello Lippi. Scored a brilliant brace against Torino and worked extremely hard for his side as he hustled, defended, attacked and was a real nuisance for the Granata all game.

Adriano (Inter)

L'Imperatore has found his feet under Jose Mourinho and he is playing like the brilliant Adriano of days gone by. He was outstanding against Bologna on Saturday night and his cross for Ibrahimovic was like a guided missile. A great contribution from him and he was ice cold from the penalty spot.

Team Line Up

Handanovic

Bovo Rivas Gamberini

Palladino Doni Vieira Foggia

Quagliarella Ibrahimovic Adriano

Honourable Mention

Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina)

Mario Frick (Siena)

Simone Inzaghi (Lazio)

Claudio Marchisio (Juventus)

Fabrizio Miccoli(Palermo)

Francesco Antonioli (Bologna)

Diego Milito (Genoa)

Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli)

Goran Pandev (Lazio)

Maurizio Domizzi (Udinese)

Salvatore Landolina

[bigass]

i shld say the performance by Juve were fiercely put up against an All-star Real last night. Well done to ease e pressure on C.R

[Overture1928]

Congrats on the win !
I think it's pretty ****ed up that the Newpaper ran three pages singing praises of Berbatov after he scored two(offside) goals against Celtic compared to Del Piero scoring from a beautiful strike against Real Madrid.

[Cissiboy]

really ?

Shame on npaper then..


Things are getting better now..

[Deunamist]

new paper is EPL-biased. even local Sleague news dont want to run. what to do.

[dreamer75]

sorry for lack of updates, was very bz.

[dreamer75]

Juve still after Diego Tuesday 4 November, 2008

Juventus are still working on bringing Werder Bremen fantasista Diego to Turin after 18 months of speculation.

The 23-year-old Brazilian has been repeatedly linked with the Bianconeri since they returned to Serie A last season.

Diego's father, who is also his agent, was in Turin only last week, although Juventus director general Jean-Claude Blanc denied any talks had taken place.

According to Tuttosport, Juventus want Diego in January and are willing to use Portuguese midfielder Tiago as a bargaining chip.

Bremen have valued the former Porto and Santos youngster at £24m, but are prepared to negotiate at £16m.

The figure is still too high for Juventus who are still reeling financially after the effects of Calciopoli two years ago.

The inclusion of Tiago in any deal would bring that price down, especially since his value has increased somewhat in recent weeks after two exceptional performances in Bianconero.

Tiago yesterday said he is ready to leave the Turin giants unless he starts getting regular opportunities in the first team.

The former Chelsea midfielder has made just two starts in Juventus' opening 10 games in Serie A this season.

Meanwhile, Diego has made seven appearances for Bremen in this year's Bundesliga and scored five goals.

[dreamer75]

Tiago makes Juve demands Monday 3 November, 2008

Tiago Mendes has threatened to leave Juventus to return to Portugal in January if his first-team demands are not met.

In the past few weeks the former Lyon ace finally earned a space in the Bianconeri midfield, starting to justify his hefty transfer fee.

However, his latest comments will come as a real shock to both the club and fans after the situation seemed to be resolved.

“I am not playing a lot and that is why I would like to go back to Portugal,” he revealed to Portuguese TV Antena1.

“If from now until January things don't change then I will look for the best option available.”

Tiago, aged 27, has been requested by several clubs in the past including the likes of Atletico Madrid and Everton, but has always turned down any offer.

“Benfica are my team but since I am a professional I cannot say that they are the only team I would play for in my homeland.”

An interesting option for both the former Chelsea man and Juventus would be a switch with Porto defender Bruno Alves, who has been linked to the Old Lady in the past.

Despite his comments, Tiago has been praised by President Giovanni Cobolli Gigli recently and is set to start alongside Momo Sissoko on Wednesday night against Real Madrid.

[dreamer75]

u can go home Tiago! :s27:

[dreamer75]

Del Piero denies Ranieri rift Monday 3 November, 2008

Juventus talisman Alessandro Del Piero claims that his relationship with Claudio Ranieri works despite recent reports to the contrary.

Del Piero and other members of the Juventus 'old guard' allegedly lost faith in Ranieri after they went four games without a win earlier this season.

“It was not my personal question with the trainer,” Del Piero explained. “It was a question of general rapport.

“We worked a lot on the head during the international break, we had to improve many things, and in these cases talking is always useful.”

Juventus dropped to ninth place in Serie A after two draws with Catania and Sampdoria were followed by defeats to Palermo and Napoli.

They have since won three on the bounce and have climbed to sixth place where they are four points off the lead.

“We ought to have had and we still should have chats, also with the trainer, with whom I have a relationship that functions.”

Del Piero scored a wonderful free kick in Juventus' 2-0 victory against Roma on Saturday and believes that win gives the side confidence ahead of their trip to Real Madrid on Wednesday.

“The initiative and great play of the team have rewarded us. Now we need to have continuity to close this cycle, reconciling important games with good results, starting in Madrid."

Juventus beat Real 2-1 two weeks ago and currently top Champions League Group H after three games.

[dreamer75]

Serie A Week 10 - 1/11/08 (19.30 UK)
Juventus 2 - 0 Roma
Del Piero 38 (J), Marchionni 48 (J)
Stadio Olimpico


An Alessandro Del Piero jewel and Marco Marchionni strike gave Juventus a 2-0 win over crisis-hit Roma. It's their sixth defeat of the season and maintains their 100 per cent negative away record.

The Bianconeri came into this clash with confidence restored after a crisis, but the Giallorossi were still right in the thick of it, having lost more games than throughout all of last season. Their midweek fixture with Sampdoria was rained off, so they have a game in hand.

To make matters worse, Francesco Totti was injured, but Philippe Mexes returned from a three-match ban for insulting the referee and Julio Baptista recovered. Alex Del Piero was back, but the injury list still included Gigi Buffon, David Trezeguet, Cristiano Zanetti and Claudio Marchisio.

Juve were aggressive from the start and Amauri just failed to get on the end of Del Piero's cross at full stretch. David Pizarro was booked for blocking a Christian Molinaro shot with his hands just outside the box, but Del Piero's free kick was charged down.

At the other end Rodrigo Taddei's smart pass to the unmarked Mirko Vucinic was intercepted at the last moment by Zdenek Grygera in a move sparked by Baptista. Moments later Taddei nodded a Daniele De Rossi cross over the bar.

Del Piero and Nedved combined passes several times for a sweeping move through the centre, but the captain was closed down in the area.

Roma went closer than ever on 20 minutes, as only the woodwork denied them. A low Christian Panucci cross from the right seemed to take everyone from surprise, including Baptista, so it ended its journey on the inside of the far post with Alex Manninger stranded.

Baptista had another great chance moments later, nodding a long De Rossi free kick over the bar. Nicola Legrottaglie used his strength to get the header and prevent Vucinic going clear on goal, while De Rossi intercepted on Marco Marchionni in a similar situation.

A long sweeping move with many first-touch passes concluded when Amauri cut back for Grygera from eight yards, but Juan came sliding in to clear the danger.

Del Piero's free kick found Giorgio Chiellini in the six-yard box for a header downwards, but somehow Alexander Doni managed to parry from point-blank range with a fantastic reaction save.

Christian Molinaro's taut cross was flicked on by Amauri, but this put Marchionni off balance and he ballooned over from close range.

The deadlock was finally broken with a Del Piero special. He curled a magnificent free kick into the near top corner from 30 metres, similar in style to the gem he scored against Zenit in the Champions League. He hit it with both curl and pace, meaning Doni simply could not reach the ball.

Del Piero almost netted a spectacular second with a volley from six yards, but it only shook the side-netting and for a moment convinced everyone at the Olimpico that it was in!

Amauri wanted a penalty in the final move of the first half, but the referee waved play on and then had to pull back a furious De Rossi, who was accusing the Brazilian of simulation. Roma threw on Jeremy Menez for Taddei.

Straight after the restart Amauri risked scoring the goal of the season as his acrobatic overhead kick was on target, but Doni parried with a stunning save.

Juve were far more aggressive in this second half and went 2-0 up with a great team move. Del Piero stroked the ball across for Marchionni, who skipped past a sluggish John Arne Riise and chipped the onrushing Doni.

Amauri's towering header was over the bar and Juan deflected a Grygera cross out for a corner before Del Piero could get the header.

Doni required another fine save to parry Amauri's angled drive, while Vucinic couldn't keep his lob on target. Luciano Spalletti went all-out for the final 20 minutes with Stefano Okaka in place of Pizarro. It didn't work, as Roma failed to muster much of a fightback.

Amauri made way for Vincenzo Iaquinta and was visibly unhappy, but was being rested for the upcoming Champions League trip to Real Madrid. Molinaro did well to cut off Vucinic when the Montenegrin had sprung the offside trap in stoppages.

Juventus: Manninger; Grygera (Mellberg 77), Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Marchionni, Sissoko, Tiago, Nedved (De Ceglie 80); Amauri (Iaquinta 74), Del Piero

Roma: Doni; Panucci (Cicinho 58), Mexes, Juan, Riise; Pizarro (Okaka 70), De Rossi; Taddei (Menez 46), Perrotta, Vucinic; Baptista

Ref: Rizzoli

[dreamer75]

http://www.uefa.com/ml/images/ucl/header.jpg

http://www.juventus.com/site/filesite/shared/NMHP_eng.jpg

History points to a Madrid success

Juventus hold the advantage in Group H after their narrow win in Turin on Matchday 3 but the return fixture offers Real Madrid CF the opportunity to regain the initiative in the fight for first place. Both qualifying places look to be within reach for the two former winners of the UEFA Champions League with the draw between FC BATE Borisov and FC Zenit St. Petersburg leaving the newcomers some distance adrift of the top two places.

• Goals early in either half from Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri sent Madrid back empty-handed from their trip to Italy. Ruud van Nistelrooy's 66th-minute header cut the arrears but that was as good as it got for Bernd Schuster's team, the hosts holding firm at the back. It left Los Merengues with six points from three games, one behind Juventus, but they will take encouragement from their recent record against Italian visitors.

• With the exception, that is, of last season. Before AS Roma's 2-1 victory in the Santiago Bernabéu to seal a 4-2 aggregate triumph in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round tie, Madrid had won their last five official home games against Italian sides. That sequence was preceded by another Roma win in the Spanish capital – 1-0 in the 2002/03 first group stage – which interrupted a 13-game sequence in which Madrid had won eleven and drawn two.

• These back-to-back fixtures renew a rivalry between two teams who between them have lifted this trophy four times since the onset of the UEFA Champions League with seven appearances in the final. In all Juventus have won just once on their five visits to Spain to face Madrid – a 1-0 win in the 1961/62 European Champion Clubs' Cup quarter-final – with the other four ties all going the way of the home side. There has never been much in it with just a single goal separating the sides on all five occasions.

• Juve's last visit came in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League first knockout round when Iván Helguera's first-half header put Madrid in charge but their opponents trumped that in the Italian leg, winning 2-0. In fact Juventus can travel with confidence because, taking the home-and-away results together, they have come out on top on the last three occasions the clubs have been paired together.

• That statistic masks what is a disappointing record in Spain overall, however, Juventus having lost on 13 of their 19 visits and won only twice.

• The teams for that first-leg match in Madrid on 22 February 2005 were:
Real Madrid: Iker Casillas, Míchel Salgado (Raúl Bravo), Iván Helguera, Walter Samuel, Roberto Carlos, Thomas Gravesen, David Beckham, Zinédine Zidane, Luís Figo, Raúl González, Ronaldo (Michael Owen).
Juventus: Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, Lilian Thuram, Jonathan Zebina, Fabio Cannavaro, Manuele Blasi (Alessio Tacchinardi), Emerson, Pavel Nedvěd (Ruben Olivera), Mauro Camoranesi, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Alessandro Del Piero (Marcelo Zalayeta).

• One of the Italian club's most important successes against Madrid came in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League semi-final as Juventus triumphed 2-0 at home to overturn a 2-1 first-leg defeat in Spain, Trezeguet on target at the Santiago Bernabéu when Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos earned the home side victory. In the final, the Bianconeri drew 0-0 with AC Milan after extra time and a 3-2 loss on penalties denied Juve the chance to add to their 1996 crown.

• In 1998, Juventus and Madrid met in the UEFA Champions League final in Amsterdam when a Predrag Mijatović goal ended Los Merengues' 32-year wait to win their seventh European Champion Clubs' Cup title. The two sides also met in the 1995/96 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with Madrid winning 1-0 at home and Juve 2-0 in Turin. The Italian side went on to win the competition 4-2 on penalties against AFC Ajax following a 1-1 draw in Rome.

• The teams also locked horns in the second round of the 1986/87 European Cup when Madrid won on penalties after both teams triumphed 1-0 at home. Madrid advanced to the semi-finals before losing out to FC Bayern München, the eventual beaten finalists. The teams first met in that 1961/62 quarter-final and after both legs went to the away side 1-0, Madrid won the replay in Paris 3-1. The Spanish giants went on to lose to defending champions SL Benfica in the final at Amsterdam's Olympisch Stadium.

• Bernd Schuster's Real Madrid team began their 13th campaign in the UEFA Champions League with a 2-0 home victory against BATE with Sergio Ramos and Van Nistelrooy on the scoresheet. On Matchday 2 they were forced to pull out all the stops as they faced durable opponents in Zenit. An own goal by Tomáš Hubočan put the visitors on top but after Danny had levelled the Russian team looked as if they could go on to dominate proceedings. However, the nine-time European champions got their noses in front again as Van Nistelrooy took advantage of more defensive uncertainty and that was enough to secure the points.

• The Bianconeri earned a 2-2 draw on Matchday 2 at BATE but even a point looked beyond them after 23 minutes when they trailed 2-0. Goals by Sergei Kryvets and Igor Stasevich rewarded a whirlwind start by Viktor Goncharenko's side, who were anxious to mark the first home appearance by a Belarussian club in the group stage in a positive fashion. Then Vincenzo Iaquinta, in for the injured David Trezeguet, got to work and his header followed by a low shot earned the visitors a point. It followed a narrow victory against Zenit on 17 September courtesy of Del Piero's long-range free-kick.

• Madrid centre-back Fabio Cannavaro spent two seasons with Juve between 2004 and 2006.

• Juventus players Olof Mellberg (Real Racing Club), Mohamed Sissoko (Valencia CF) and Christian Poulsen (Sevilla FC) have all played club football in Spain.

• Juve coach Ranieri had a short spell in charge at Madrid's city rivals Club Atlético de Madrid between 1999 and 2000 in additions to two stints as coach of Valencia (1997-99 and 2004/05).

• Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Del Piero and Camoranesi all appeared for Italy against Spain in the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-final. Casillas and Sergio Ramos were in the opposing team.

• The other game in the group is between BATE and Zenit.

©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights reserved.

[dreamer75]

---------------Manninger

Mellberg--Chiellini--Leggro--De Ceglie

------------Sissoko--Tiago

Camoranesi--------------Nedved

----------Del Piero---Amauri

I know Molinaro will get the start but I would really prefer De Ceglie over him despite his recent improvements. Camoranesi may not be 100% but he should still be played against a team like Madrid. Nedved and Del Piero should start if they have enough energy but if they are to tired could be replace by Giovinco and Iaquinta respectively. I know that his creativity and passing are still below par but I think Tiago should get the start because his tackling recently has been very impressive. I'm unsure about Mellberg at RB his performances have been shaky so far for Juve and I don't feel comfortable fielding him there in what will be at this point our most difficult match of the season. He is our only choice tho so he must play there

[Cissiboy]

yah..alarm set at 3.25am tonight..

we are in good shape..we can play even for a draw

[dreamer75]

FT Real Madrid [0 - 2] Juventus

17' [0 - 1] A.D. Piero
67' [0 - 2] A.D. Piero

:D:s7:

[dreamer75]

Alex on FIRE!!!!

[Francesco Totti]

Love to see it when another Italian team wins. Well especially when special players like Del Piero is the star!

[milan1899]

Love to see it when another Italian team wins. Well especially when special players like Del Piero is the star!

i agree. i am supporting italian teams in the champions league - juventus, roma and inter. i dont care if they're our rivals in the italian league. the champions league is an international competition, and i want all italian teams to succeed !

congratulations juventus !:s7:

oh and good luck against chievo tonight, dont disapoint me ! i am betting on juventus to win tonight !

[dreamer75]

FT Chievo [0 - 2] Juventus

40' [0 - 1] A.D. Piero
53' [0 - 2] V. Iaquinta

[dreamer75]

Happy Birthday Alex!

[dreamer75]

Juventus have sent a very special message of congratulations to captain Alessandro Del Piero on his 34th birthday.

“On behalf of all of Juventus and the Bianconeri fans, I wish our captain many more extraordinary nights like the one he gave us in Madrid on Wednesday,” noted President Giovanni Cobolli Gigli.

His brace defeated Real Madrid 2-0 in the Champions League, earning a standing ovation from the Bernabeu.

Del Piero will be celebrating his birthday in Verona this afternoon, where Juve have travelled to take on Chievo.

That’s not the only major milestone for the Italian international, as it will also be his 377th Serie A appearance in a Juventus shirt.

This puts him level with legend Gaetano Scirea in second place behind all-time record holder (and former club President) Giampiero Boniperti on 444.

Del Piero was born on November 9, 1974 in Conegliano, a small town near Treviso, and now lives in Turin with wife Sonia and one-year-old son Tobias.

His first club was Padova, but he joined Juve in 1993 and set numerous records. He is their all-time top scorer in all competition (246 goals) and in Europe (46 goals) with the most official appearances (564).

Since his Serie A debut in a 1-1 draw away to Foggia on September 12, 1993, Alex has won five Scudetti (plus two revoked under Calciopoli), a Serie B title, a Coppa Italia, four Italian Super Cups, the Champions League, European Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup and Intertoto Cup.

He has won the last two Capocannoniere titles back-to-back in Serie B and A as well as lifting the World Cup in 2006.

[dreamer75]

Ranieri hails Alex the Great Wednesday 5 November, 2008

Claudio Ranieri has hailed Alex Del Piero as “a true captain” after the Juventus star earned a standing ovation in Madrid.

“Winning 2-0 at the Bernabeu is nothing to be sniffed at. We have returned to our best over the past 15 days and the first leg victory gave us back the self-confidence we had lost,” said the Coach at the end of a 2-0 victory over Real.

“I was very happy with my lads as they did what I asked, keeping the defence very high and therefore pressuring Madrid in midfield.

“When you play against a star-studded side that always pushes forward and leaves just one defensive midfielder, then the counter-attack can hurt them. If we just sat back and let them come at us, they would inevitably find a way through, but if we kept hitting them chance for chance then we would get the win.”

Del Piero scored the opener when Juve beat Real Madrid 2-1 in Turin and netted both goals tonight at the Bernabeu, earning a standing ovation from local fans.

“The Spanish fans are fantastic and when they see a champion - and Alex didn't just score the two goals, he sacrificed himself for the team - they appreciate it.

“Del Piero took the team on to his shoulders and carried them forward. He was fantastic tonight and is really taking on the role of the captain.”

Ranieri was facing the axe and a media campaign calling for his head only a fortnight ago, but since then he has won five on the trot.

“The usual suspects will start insulting me again the moment we are defeated! Don't worry about that.”

Tiago Mendes was given the chance to start in midfield and impressed again after his disastrous first campaign.

“Tiago is a marvellous player who struggled last season under the pressure of his price-tag and the change of tactics, as he was accustomed to a three-man midfield. He got a bit lost along the way, but he has played three great games in a row and everyone can see he is talented. We're keeping hold of him.”

The five straight wins are all the more amazing considering they were achieved in the middle of an injury crisis ruling out Gigi Buffon, David Trezeguet, Cristiano Zanetti, Christian Poulsen, Zdenek Grygera and Hasan Salihamidzic.

“It is true that a team can only gel by playing together regularly. I didn't change at the start of the season because I felt like it, I had absolutely no choice in the matter!

“We're in an emergency situation, but it is wonderful to see how every player works for the team and these are the results.”

[dreamer75]

Real Madrid 0 - 2 Juventus
Del Piero 17, 67 (J)
Santiago Bernabeu

Alessandro Del Piero struck twice at the Bernabeu to defeat Real Madrid and qualify Juventus for the knockout round.

The 2-1 win in Turin revived a Juve side in crisis and they had been on a winning streak for the next fortnight, so confidence was high despite an injury list that included Gigi Buffon, David Trezeguet, Christian Poulsen, Zdenek Grygera, Hasan Salihamidzic and Cristiano Zanetti. Tiago Mendes was given a rare chance to shine in midfield and Olof Mellberg moved to right-back. Ruud Van Nistelrooy was able to start for Real despite a fitness worry, but Arjen Robben pulled out during the warm-up to make way for Drenthe.

Alex Manninger comfortably collected a weak Guti effort, but he was far shakier on a swerving Wesley Sneijder cross. Real had penalty appeals for a Tiago handling offence, although it hit his arm only after ricocheting off the Madrid player's head.

However, it was Juventus who broke the deadlock with Alessandro Del Piero yet again. He had opened the scoring with a solo effort in Turin and did it again, this time finding space from 20 yards as the defenders backed off and he stroked a precise low left-foot drive into the bottom near corner. It was the captain's third goal in four Champions League games.

Real were shaken, but poured forward in retaliation with Sergio Ramos nodding over, while Raul accused Giorgio Chiellini of an elbow in the box when it seemed the Spaniard had run into the back of him.

Pavel Nedved was a little too late to slide on to Cristian Molinaro's cross, but Madrid wasted a golden opportunity. Sergio Ramos was totally unmarked at the back post on a chipped Sneijder cross, but incredibly ballooned over the bar with the inside of his right foot from six yards.

Van Nistelrooy fired over on the counter and Amauri threatened before half-time with his angled drive charged down and the follow-up too long for Tiago. Mellberg did well to block a dangerous Drenthe cross and Diarra also turned a free header well wide in a suspected offside position.

After the restart Drenthe's cross-shot hit the side-netting and Raul had a decent penalty shout for a shove from Nicola Legrottaglie. Iker Casillas rushed out to clear from Marco Marchionni, but when Nedved got to the loose ball the goalkeeper had already resumed his position.

Real had plenty of the ball, but were doing precious little with it, so Gonzalo Higuain replaced Sneijder. Fabio Cannavaro brought down Momo Sissoko 28 metres from goal. It was Del Piero territory and Il Capitano curled a brilliant free kick in at the near post with Casillas rooted to the spot! It was a fine way to celebrate his 34th birthday coming up on Sunday, although the defensive wall was placed very badly.

Higuain had a good chance to get Real back into it immediately, but he scuffed the low cross at the back post. Van Nistelrooy's half-volley was charged down, possibly by Legrottaglie's arm, but it was at point-blank range and he had his arms across his chest, so unlikely to warrant a penalty.

Bernd Schuster was desperate to break back into the game and threw on Javier Saviola and Rafael Van Der Vaart. Instead it was so nearly 3-0 on 87 minutes, as Del Piero turned his marker on a Vincenzo Iaquinta pass and an angled daisy-cutter shaved a coat of paint off the base of the far post.

Alex Manninger made a rare save in the final minutes, grabbing Drenthe's header and Del Piero was given the chance to appreciate the standing ovation of the Bernabeu with a stoppage-time substitution.


Real Madrid: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Heinze (Saviola 82), Marcelo; Sneijder (Higuain 64), Diarra, Guti; Raul, Van Nistelrooy (Van Der Vaart 82), Drenthe

Juventus: Manninger; Mellberg, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Marchionni, Sissoko, Tiago, Nedved; Del Piero (De Ceglie 92), Amauri (Iaquinta 83)

Ref: Vink (Ned)

[dreamer75]

Del Piero: What a moment! Wednesday 5 November, 2008

Alessandro Del Piero admits “I could not be happier” after two goals put the Bernabeu at his feet.

“We won, played a great game, I scored two goals. Really, how can you get better than that?” grinned the Juventus captain.

He secured the 2-0 victory away to Real Madrid that mathematically qualifies Juve for the knockout phase of the Champions League.

“You live off nights like this and the unique emotion. I am happy the crowd gave me a standing ovation when I left the field.

“It was so great to score and this is a fantastic stadium, so it was a very important match for us. I must admit this is a positive time for me.”

Del Piero has scored four goals in as many Champions League games and three of them were against Real Madrid.

His low drive and free kick earned him a standing ovation at the Bernabeu when substituted in stoppages.

“It is the ultimate feeling in football. To score two goals and win in such a big game, then to be applauded by the opposing fans is a sign of recognition that goes beyond rivalry. It was wonderful.

“I learned from the best with free kicks and always studied, trained hard to get better at this skill.”

Iker Casillas did not set out the defensive wall very well and the Spaniard was left rooted to the spot by his free kick.

“I asked [Christian] Molinaro to extend the wall and decrease the vision the goalkeeper had. I aimed it at the near post and thankfully Casillas stayed there.”

Alex is in incredible form right now despite the fact he turns 34 on Sunday, so what is behind this remarkable consistency?

“My family keeps me grounded and happy, my teammates put their faith in me and physically I am fit. This is a moment when everything is going well. The desire to always improve and work hard is essential, too.

“Fatherhood has helped me and really revitalised my life, plus having confidence is crucial. If you are able to train regularly and focus on objectives to keep getting better, then you always feel fresh.”

Juve are in the knockout round of the Champions League, but this time two years ago were battling in Serie B after the Calciopoli scandal.

“I will never forget playing in Serie B, nor do I wish to. I experienced it wholeheartedly with a smile on my face, as I chose that path and knew we would get back into Serie A and the Champions League. I don't feel as if this is the end of an era, but rather it keeps going.”

[dreamer75]

Lapo tips hat to Super Alex Thursday 6 November, 2008

Juventus patron Lapo Elkann has paid tribute to Alessandro Del Piero after his heroics against Real Madrid last night.

Del Piero's brace proved decisive as the Bianconeri overcame Real Madrid 2-0 at the Bernabeu.

And Elkann, who is the grandson of former Juventus owner Gianni Agnelli, has heaped praise upon the Bianconeri's inspirational skipper.

“The captain was more than a man last night - he was a superhero,” Elkann enthused on Radio Kiss Kiss.

“People have said Del Piero was the King of Spain, but I would say that he is an Italian prince.

“This achievement has made me happy and I'm delighted for the Coach and the players.

“The win in Madrid will provide morale and is an auspicious omen of an excellent year.

“The win over Real came courtesy of an excellent team performance and when you love Juventus you can only believe that the Old Lady will compete at the highest level

[dreamer75]

Zola crowns King Alex Friday 7 November, 2008

Gianfranco Zola has hailed Alessandro Del Piero’s brace that beat Real Madrid by noting “he is among the best in the world.”

The Juventus captain netted three goals in two games against Madrid, including a double for the 2-0 victory at the Bernabeu this week.

“I am so happy for him,” the West Ham manager told Radio 101. “Mind you, he didn’t even need that performance against Real Madrid to be considered one of the greatest in the world in his position.”

Alex turns 34 on Sunday and won back-to-back Serie B and A Capocannoniere titles before the return to the Champions League.

“Del Piero has always shown an immense strength of character every time he hit difficulties. For the past two years he has been playing at an extraordinary level.

“I am not surprised, because it is normal that after hitting 30 there is a period of adaptation to the new physical state.”

Zola also cast his eye over the rest of Serie A and the problems Inter are running into under Jose Mourinho.

“He is certainly a character that gets noticed, but he cannot be judged after every single result. We have to let him work and then evaluate the performance later on.

“It is only normal that there is so much expectation after the recent success Inter have had over the last few years, but the work of a Coach like Mourinho must be given time to develop.”

Zola famously started his Serie A career at Napoli where he ‘replaced’ Diego Armando Maradona, who has just been appointed to the Argentina squad.

“If Diego is able to give his players even a modicum of his ability and experience, it will be truly difficult to beat Argentina.

“I am very happy for Diego and Argentina, he is a very positive person and can do good for football in his new position.”

[dreamer75]

Just when things look bleak in Turin, Juventus and their talismanic captain step up their game. James Sugrue hails the second coming of Alex Del Piero

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/blogs/delpiero460js.jpg

Every season Juventus seem to bring in a long-term replacement for Alessandro Del Piero. With his 34th birthday arriving this week, the likes of Vincenzo Iaquinta, Amauri and Sebastian Giovinco have all teamed up with the Old Lady to seemingly spell the end of Alex's time.

He has withstood all those tests of his ability and dedication though, and even seems to come out stronger every time his place in the team is threatened. Never has that been more evident than now.

Juve were struggling to live up to their potential in Serie A and battling against a growing injury list, while their return to the Champions League had begun with a less than comfortable home win over Zenit St Petersburg and a lacklustre 2-2 draw with Belarus minnows BATE Borisov.

After back-to-back wins over Spanish giants Real Madrid, both inspired by Del Piero's fantastic goals, things are looking very different in Europe. Sitting top of their group and already guaranteed a place in the next round Juve can relax, but in the League the horizon is also much rosier.

Three wins on the trot, including a derby victory over Torino and the conquering of Roma, have left their doubters baffled and highlighted the one important fact that everyone seems to have forgotten since Calciopoli. When push comes to shove and the chips are down, Juventus are still Juventus and probably always will be.

The same applies for their captain. When he walks out in front of a packed stadium, whether it be the Olimpico or the Bernabeu, Alex steps up to the plate and rarely disappoints. He has received his fair share of criticism for his performances in an Italy shirt - which, World Cup 2006 aside, are probably deserved - but in the Bianconero his hero status is well earned.

Few players have the ability to do what he does, and even less have the composure and iron will to try it in the first place. His goals against Real in both games demonstrate that perfectly. Realising he didn't have the pace to take on the Spanish defence he could have held up the ball and waited for support. But not Pinturicchio, he thought he'd just score from where he was!

Far from fading away with age, Del Piero seems to become even more vital to the Juve cause. His recent performances have even seen people forget that the likes of Gigi Buffon and David Trezeguet are still absent with injuries, such was the decisive manner with which he despatched the Spanish champions.

Of course it won't last forever, as even Alex will have to succumb to the sands of time eventually, but just don't expect him to fade quietly into the background. Del Piero's style suggests that when he does go it will be with a huge bang on the biggest stage, maybe even holding the Champions League trophy in his hands.

Have your say on this issue. Email us at: fieditorial@channel4.com

It is indeed more than mere coincidence that the form of the team has flourished as Del Piero has regained his rhythm, though there is more to the recent run of five victories than the legendary No 10 managing to remind us why he was joint top scorer in arguably the most defensively tight League in Europe last season.

The return of Legrotaglie alongside Chiellini in central defence has greatly increased our ability to shut out any level of opposition and should not be underestimated. His power in the air, impeccable concetration and ability to mark competently is the perfect partner for Giorgio's superhuman abilities to blossom unhindered by constantly needing to bail his partner out of trouble. In tandem, these two are unbreakable. Also, Sissoko has been immense, ruling the midfield much like Vieira used to in his prime with Arsenal. The Malian's control and distribution is improving dramatically this season, and all that remains for the middle of the park to be complete is for the answer to the 'Who best plays with the african Hatchetman?' to be found. Tiago has played competently, hardly set the scene alight, but importantly, we have won when he plays. Marchisio is nearing a return to full fitness, as are Zanetti and Poulsen. As much as I am surprised to be writing this, I would hope that the Tinkerman leaves well alone for now, and changes nothing that isn't broken until it breaks again.

Without Camoranesi, Marchionni has proved useless, scoring one fortuitous goal and failing to deliver crosses into the box, which is his main skill, even to the standard of the solid yet unspectacular Grgyera. On the opposite flank however, the ageing Nedved has rolled back the years to provide energy, drive and goals. The unfortunate flipside of Nedved's return to form is the lack of playing time for Giovinco. When I have seen the Atomic Ant play for the Italy Under-21s he has reminded me of Del Piero in his early years for I Bianconeri. Yet Ranieri seems determined to blood him slowly, as a more combative Nedved-esque winger. This is a waste of obvious talent, and asking too much of the youngster, defensively, is stifling the one player in our squad I see as capable, potentially, of taking over as our fantasista from Del Piero. Still, Ranieri did bring through most of the English players in the Chelsea team who have become rocks in their line-up and some for the English national team, we are climbing the Serie A table, through to the next round of the Champions League with games to spare, missing several players through injury who, if fit, would command first team places. So, there isn't much to complain about really. In the middle of October I was hopeful of Ranieri losing his job. Now, in early November, I am content to see him remain at the helm. Football supporters are as fickle as 12 year old girls...

I adore Del Piero. And his three goals against the spanish vermin are to be celebrated long into the future. But as I am sure Il Pinturicchio himself would agree, several players are responsible for helping the team climb out of the hole we were in a fortnight back.
Raoul Duke

Why, oh why, can’t he do the same in an Italy shirt!
Luciano Sepede

Alessandro Del Piero is a Juventus legend. Once again he put in another solid performance against Real Madrid. He is using all his experinece with great effect. I remember his wonderful hat-trick against Parma in Serie A back in 1994 and he carried on with his wonderful performances ever since. He stayed at the club when they were demoted to Serie B and quickly got the club back to Serie A and Champions League football. May his success continue.
Isaac Duncan

Del Piero was awesome last night and has been all season, Juve look like a decent team and I hold my hands up because I was the one that gave them no chance this season. All but Fiorentina are doing well in Europe but Del Piero is still one of the best players in the world.
Davide Longo

Alessandro Del Piero is world class, a great leader and an advertiser of football itself. Being a big Juve fan, I am so pleased to see his form return - particularly in the last two seasons. Since his horror injury in Udine, he understandably took time to recover and many cast doubts if his exceptional, world-class form would ever return. Here's yet more proof of the answer!

I was very happy over the fantastic Italy 2006 World Cup victory and that during Calciopoli he, Buffon and, eventually following their loyal examples, Camoranesi and Trezeguet committed themselves to the Bianconeri. Since the Ravanelli & Vialli era, Alex has taken the Juve baton and even in his darker days, he has been a shining example to the newcomers and youngsters. Himself and Antonio Conte were the rocks and heartbeats of the Juventus team for the last decade and will both continue to lead shining examples - Conte now as manager. I really hope to see Alex lift the European Cup at least once more, before his possible talked swansong move abroad. Hopefully, this year will be the first/ next, as with key members back soon and Ranieri now able to rest and try out fringe players for the final two group games, the Bianconeri challenge will be even greater. If the two superb performances against Real can be replicated - probably against English opponents, who they havn't done the best against, other European sides should be afraid.

Keep your stunning form going Alex, your performances have hugely helped the recent League blip and given all who are fighting to repeat the great title winning days belief that those days are very close again.
Forza Juve!
Rob Cliff, Nottingham

[dreamer75]

Chievo 0 - 2 Juventus
Del Piero 40 (J), Iaquinta 54 (J)

Stadio Bentegodi


Birthday boy Alessandro Del Piero celebrated with another spectacular free kick as Juventus continue their splendid form.

Alessandro Del Piero was ready to celebrate his 34th birthday and the 377th Serie A appearance in a Juve jersey, putting him level with legend Gaetano Scirea. His brace had also allowed them to beat Real 2-0 in Madrid midweek for a sixth win on the bounce. All this was achieved despite an injury crisis that hit David Trezeguet, Gigi Buffon, Zdenek Grygera, Mauro Camoranesi, Hasan Salihamidzic, Cristiano Zanetti and Christian Poulsen. Pavel Nedved was rested, so Paolo De Ceglie stepped in.

Chievo wanted to rain on Del Piero's parade on the debut of new Coach Domenico Di Carlo, who replaced Beppe Iachini after three points from their last nine games. In the Bianconeri's total six previous visits to the Bentegodi, they had won five and drawn once, 1-1 in 2005-06.

In the opening minute there were penalty appeals for a Tiago Mendes handling offence, but it was ball-to-hand as Christian Molinaro's clearance clattered into him.

Del Piero went on a mazy run to spark Momo Sissoko's daisy-cutter just wide of the upright. Chievo should have taken the lead on 10 minutes when Mauro Esposito sprung the offside trap and crossed for Sergio Pellissier to volley wide from six yards.

Vincenzo Iaquinta's audacious overhead kick was off target, while Antonio Langella failed to make the most of Olof Mellberg's mistake. Alex Manninger sprinted out to clear Esposito's pass off the feet of Langella and Del Piero curled one of his trademark strikes off target.

Mario Yepes brought down Del Piero from 20 metres and the birthday boy curled in another magnificent free kick! It was identical to the one scored against Real Madrid on Wednesday and a fine way to celebrate his 34th birthday, the right-foot effort dipping into the near top corner.

However, there was a brawl at the half-time whistle when Sissoko sneakily kicked out at Yepes after the ball had gone, but the Juventus midfielder got away with it because the referee did not spot the gesture. Claudio Ranieri realised the former Liverpool man was running a huge risk and substituted him for teenager Albin Ekdal.

Mantovani's handling offence to stop Iaquinta controlling a Del Piero knockdown gave Juventus a penalty. The captain gave the chance to take it to Iaquinta, whose spot-kick was saved with one strong hand by Stefano Sorrentino, but he managed to turn in the rebound.

Sorrentino punched away a Del Piero free kick, while Chievo thought they too deserved a penalty for Nicola Legrottaglie's handling offence to block Iunco's cross.

Pellissier did not give in and came sliding in from four yards to prod a Iunco cross wide! Amauri tried to get a late goal against his former club, but his low drive was saved by Sorrentino.

Chievo: Sorrentino; Malago', Mandelli, Yepes, Mantovani; Pinzi, Bentivoglio, Marcolini, Langella (Iunco 63); Pellissier, Esposito (Luciano 63)

Juventus: Manninger; Mellberg, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Marchionni, Sissoko (Ekdal 46), Tiago (Grygera 83), De Ceglie; Del Piero (Amauri 87), Iaquinta

Ref: Banti

Missed penalty: Iaquinta 54 (J)

[Cissiboy]

Alex unstoppable at the moment..he is in supershape..

This said, I'm still not happy with the subs management by Ranieri..I wish he will receive a watch for Xmas...