Serie A Mid-Season Review: Milan

Milan have had yet another unsatisfying campaign so for as the team has failed to consistently get the results. But considering the fact that many labelled this Milan side as the worst in 25 years, Leonardo will be pleased with hi team

For the past few years I have watched Inter dominate Serie A while their city rivals Milan seem to be idling their time away. A sole Scudetto in the last ten years is just not good enough for a team which won five in the preceding decade.

Milan started off the campaign by making huge news in the transfer market but this time it was a departure which caught everyone's attention. Kaka after years of pledging loyalty to the club became the first member of the 'Nou Galacticos' at Real Madrid.

But Berlusconi had financial reasons for the sale and hence greedily kept aside all the money that was earned from it. In typical Milan fashion, the scouts went looking for old beat-up players and the likes of Oguchi Onyewu joined the side.

Milan's transfer dealings were probably the worst ever in my memory. The team made just one more notable purchase that of the good-for-nothing Huntelaar. In fact Berlusconi's pocket strings were so tight that one could see the outline of his tigh in the summer.

So quite predictably the season got off to a disastrous start as Milan were trashed 4-0 by Inter on Matchday 2. And quite frankly if it hadn't been for their keeper, Storari, it might have been six or seven.

The Grim Reaper soon started performing a frantic dance over coach Leonardo's head after the team registered just two wins in their first seven games. The already old Milan squad looked even older and the wrinkles kept increasing on everyone's faces.

The Turnaround

And then something miraculous happened. The oft-used cliche of every disaster movie actually came true as Milan found true strength in their worst moment. A loss to FC Zurich at the San Siro in the Champions League served to awake the team from its slumber.

In phoenix-like fashion the Rossoneri managed to somehow defeat Real Madrid away from home in Europe. The game was more exceptional because the team had produced nothing in the first half but still went on to win 3-2.

This period also marked the return of the error-prone Brazilian keeper Dida. But this was no usual return as in keeping up with the THIS IS NOT HAPPENING theme, he produced one brilliant performance after another.



The Grim Reaper was soon replaced by Cupid as everyone seemed to be happy and joyous at Milanello again. Ronaldinho was smiling and for once it was not just after a missed opportunity. The old squad had under gone some serious botox treatment.

Milan won 7 of their 8 games in the Serie A and climbed to within 4 points of leaders Inter. However, the honeymoon ended all of a sudden with an unexpected loss to Palermo at home.

That game would have scared Leonardo a bit as Milan's deficiencies were exposed in a way my cavities would be at a dentist's. Their final game of the campaign was called off as the pitch at Fiorentina was deemed more suitable for skiing than football.

Post Christmas

The break gives Milan's golden oldies a chance to recuperate their depleted energy stocks. Talking about golden reminds me that 'Golden Balls' David Beckham has rejoined Milan till the end of the season.

The former England captain should give the Rossoneri an option they previously lacked that of using the flanks. Alongwith him another Ghanian wonderkid, Dominic Adiyiah, is all set to join in the winter.

Almost the entire world would have heard of Beckham as well as not heard of Adiyiah. Adiyiah is basically this freakishly talented youngster who led Ghana to the U-20 World Cup. And he is not heard to be as arrogant as Balotelli.



However I believe that these additions are by no means enough for the team, particularly if they are to get past Manchester United. The right-back position is almost vacant in the lineup as the symbol of mediocrity, Massimo Oddo, occupies it.

Similarly even at left-back Zambrotta has lost all the pace he was once gifted with to make any impact for his side. It may be impossible to get two world class full backs but someone like Philipp Lahm will definitely be welcome.

To conclude I feel Leonardo can be pleased with the showing of his team thus far and hope things continue in the same vein in the new year.

SerieA Mid-Season Review: Inter

In typical fashion of every site I decide to look back at the season so far for all the top teams. Predictably I start off the series with league leaders Inter.

Inter's campaign this year has been... ROUTINE. Anyone who has seen the Italian champions play over the past few years would not be surprised at the current season.

When speculations of Ibra departing emerged in July, I must admit my heart sank like the Titanic. Ibra was a devastating player and for the past three years Inter solely depended on the Swede.

So frankly I was not impressed when his move was finalised and we had Eto'o joining the team. Though the Cameroonian is a brilliant player it seemed like trading an Armani suit for a Marks & Spencer one.

Milito was another of those Tesco high-value additions and Lucio was the best deal available in Camden market. However, these incoming players still lacked a playmaker and for the first time in years Inter bought one in the form of Wesley Sneijder.

Who for me was undoubtedly the buy of the season. When Sneijder plays Inter always seem competitive at the top level and in his absence they have at times looked like the team of five years ago.

In fact his arrival in Milan was marked by the 4-0 drubbing Inter handed to their city rivals AC. And since then the Dutchman has gone from strength to strength.

The Campaign

As described earlier Inter's season has been very run-of-the-mill stuff which translates to successful for the Nerazzuri. Apart from the game against Sampdoria, Inter have impressed in most of their games.

Ibra's loss hasn't proved to be at all catastrophic. My fears and those of the million other fans have been silenced by the Tesco man.

Diego Milito showed that even the best scouts and transfer gurus can easily miss spotting talent despite it being in their faces. Milito was a renowned goal poacher and he has continued in the same vein here.

Milito's supreme instincts have propelled him to the top of the goalscoring charts once again. And surprisingly he has outperformed even Eto'o on the frontlines.

In the middle of the park Stankovic, Cambiasso and Zanetti have been as consistent as ever. They may not impress in every game but at times continuity is more essential than spurts of brilliance.

Lucio and Walter Samuel have become the new Bonnie & Clyde for Inter in defence. It is strange how an Argentinean and Brazilian can think on the same page and that too at the back.

The only issue has been at left back for the team. Maicon is a bloody box of energy on the right flank but the left one is filled in by the dormant Chivu. No blame attached to him though as he is technically a center back.

Other Boring Stuff

Well as this is a review I have to make the over-talked mention of Inter's European form which has been poor once again. The Nerazzuri have been ROUTINE even there as everyone is accustomed to their struggles in the Champions League.

This year it came with reason though as the team was drawn in a tough group. But that should never be an excuse for their low quality of play at times.

I will say that this was again down to the absence of Sneijder in certain key matches. The Dutchman is as important to Inter as stupid comments for Silvio Berlusconi.

However, now Inter are through to the last 16 and they come up against Chelsea in a terribly hyped encounter. The previous two years have seen Inter go out to English opposition, so will this be three?

Mourinho who has had his fair share of trouble dealing with the press will look to alter this streak. Though no one will blame him if he lingers on in London for some more time after the game.

To conclude I would like to say that this season will again by defined by Inter's European conquest or the lack of it. The Serie A looks like its already won so it will be in the Champions League where they will be tested.

Mancini To ManCity

Source : Wikipedia Commons

Roberto Mancini was announced as the new manager of Manchester City after Mark Hughes was fired in the wake of a poor run of form. The Italian has a huge task in front of him as he needs to live up to massive expectations, but is he up to it?

When Roberto Mancini left Inter in the summer of 2008, he departed with a bitter taste in his mouth. President Massimo Moratti had assured him that his job was safe despite Mancini having announced his resignation earlier in the season.

A stung Mancini refused to terminate his contract and for the whole of last season Moratti was bankrolling two managers for the services of one. Now that Mancini has finally found another job he will welcome the opportunity to silence his Italian critics.

Mancini's time in Italy will always be best remembered for the Calciopoli scandal. His achievements with the Nerazzuri were labelled by many as unsatisfactory due to the weakening of the other teams.

But as an Inter fan I can safely say that Roberto Mancini for all his personality flaws is a great manager. Before his stint at Inter, Mancini had led Lazio and Fiorentina to Coppa Italia glory despite both teams being the underdogs.

His start at the Inter bench was a mixed one as the team lost only twice in the whole season but also drew eighteen times. Many will remember that as the year when Inter played truly entertaining football.



Tri Scudetti

The next year Inter again finished third as they lost at crucial points of the season. However, the Calciopoli scandal saw the Scudetto being assigned to Inter and thus giving Mancini his first championship.

More importantly Inter benefitted through the purchase of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Patrick Viera from Juventus. That season Inter set numerous records as the team won the championship by a massive 22 points.

However, Inter's European fortunes did not change as the team once again lost out in the Round of 16 this time to unfancied Valencia. Moreover, Inter's failure in Europe was seen by many as Mancini's failure as a coach.

The next season things got more dramatic as Inter threw away a 8 point lead in the league and had to fret till the last day to win the title. But once again, Inter's European failure was in the spotlight.

Mancini had quite spectacularly announced his intention of resigning after Inter had lost the knockout fixture against Liverpool. His declaration came out of the blue and shocked everyone including the president.

Despite Mancini later rescinding his comments huge question marks loomed over his future in Milan. So the announcement of his firing came as little surprise to most but Mancini himself.

Job At Eastlands

Mancini has been thrown into the thick of the action straight away. The New Year period will see his side play almost twice every week so the results will have to be brisk.

He has injuries to look at as Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott both maybe out for a period of time to add to City's defensive woes. We are talking about a side here which has shipped in nine goals in its last three fixtures alone.

So this has been highlighted by Mancini as his first area of action. Furthermore, there will have to be a few changes in the midfield as well. Mancio likes playing with a tough-tackling central midfielder someone who City lack.

So a move for a defensive midfielder in the January transfer window looks to be on the cards. Watch out for Matthew Upson of West Ham movin to Manchester, he fits the bill and has admitted he may be close to quitting London.

Also similar to Sven Goran Eriksson's reign at the club don't be surprised to see a few Italians arriving at City. This time however they may be slightly more high profile than Valeri Bojinov and Rolando Bianchi.

What the City job does for Mancini is to provide an opportunity for him to silence all his critics in Italy. Guiding the Sky Blues to a Top Four finish will most certainly win him the respect of everyone alike.

Barca - A Lesson For The Rest

Source - FCBarcelona.cat

Barcelona's victory at the Club World Cup is a lesson for footballing sides around the world. The Catalans showed calm and composure despite trailing till the second last minute.

There have been only a few sides in club football which have been remembered for ages and ages. The Real team of Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Pushkas, the Inter side of Giancinto Facchetti and Sandro Mazzola, the Busby babes are among the elite.

And now one can add the Barcelona of Xavi, Iniesta, Messi to that list. The Blaugrana won their sixth trophy of the year after beating Estudiantes in the FIFA Club World Cup earlier tonight.

However, what left me amazed was the mentality of the players despite being behind for a majority of the game. Estudiantes had taken the lead in the first half through a Boselli strike and Barca had to wait till the 89th minute for Pedro to score the equalizer.

There have been and will continue to be pages and pages of rhetoric written about Barca's dreamy style of play and their fluid passing. But I for once want to talk about the mentality of the team because I believe that this is their most fearsome quality.

This past year the Barca team faced many pivotal moments which would go on to define their success. And stunningly on each and every occasion it was a true triumph of their determination and character.



Mental Strength

Today this was evident once more as Barca continued to play their usual passing game despite the minutes ticking down on the watch. Many teams would have gone gung-ho in their bid to score the equalizer but the Catalans played the only way they know.

There was no panic in the team, no peppering hopeful balls into the box at every opportunity, no crazy forays and long rangers by any player. It was just the normal, pass-pass-pass till you wear down the opposition.

And this wearing down is not only at a physical level but one at a mental level too. To see a team enjoy as much possession as Barcelona and to do so as if its second nature to them, must be truly debilitating for the opposition's morale.

Barca have seldom had to resort to desperate last-minute tactics as they have conviction that their style of play will yield the right result. It doesn't matter if the team is 1-0 down or 3-0 up they always always stick to their principles.

One of the great examples of this philosophy was evident in Barca's semi-final with Chelsea earlier this year. The Blues were totally dominant in the game and many would feel that they deserved to win the tie.

But despite being outplayed and overrawed by the Londoners, Barcelona stuck to their guns till the last minute even after going a man down. The reward was there for everyone to see, Iniesta's last minute goal setup their Champions League conquest.



The True Artiste

I feel the credit for this mental revolution at the club must go to Pep Guardiola who has infused his no nonsense approach into the players as well. The ex-Barca man has definitely benefitted from being a player not so long ago.

Before Guardiola took over, the club was in part shambles inspite of all the quality they had in their ranks. Two trophyless seasons for a team boasting one of the best rosters in the world was simply unacceptable.

What Pep did was to give a sense of direction to the players. There was only one route to goal and though the tactic may have its cons but on the whole it has been greatly successful.

I cannot exaggerate the importance of having faith in the system you are playing in. Even the greatest players have struggled to find their feet if they are being played in an unfamiliar position. In Barca's case every man knows his duties and his responsibilities.

And this is truly a lesson for all managers and player's alike. There are better chances of success if you can play with the belief that your players and your team can get the result.

With the New Year upon us, this will no doubt go down as the year of Barcelona. Hats off to them! They have truly exemplified their motto 'Barca - Mes Que Un Club' [Barca - More than a club].

Mama Mia! - A Nightmare Draw

The UEFA Champions League draw has been made and things don't look good for the Italians as all teams are paired with high-quality opposition. Inter take on Chelsea, Milan take on Manchester United and Fiorentina face Bayern.

All Italian teams face an uphill task if they are to go beyond the First Knockout Round of the Champions League once again. The three sides from the peninsula got probably the toughest opponents they could have drawn.

SerieA champions Inter have been drawn to face the Premier League leaders Chelsea in what promises to be a cracking encounter. It will mark the return of Jose Mourinho facing his older team and one can expect fireworks.

Inter's crosstown rivals Milan, will be up against Premier Leage holders Manchester United. Milan will be slightly confident about this encounter after having beaten the Red Devils on their way to European success three seasons ago.

Fiorentina, the only Italian group winner, have an equally difficult task as they take on Bayern Munich. Bayern's performance against Juventus last week left everyone stunned and the Viola will have to put their best foot forward to have any chances of advancing.

Inter Vs Chelsea

The first leg of this encounter will take place in Milan and so Chelsea will have a distinct advantage. English teams have proven to be the bane of the Nerazzuri for the past two years, so Mourinho will be keen to avoid yet another early exit from the competition.

The fixture will reunite the 'Special One' with his old club and the sentimental value of the tie will be sky high. It will also renew the rivalry between Carlo Ancelotti, AC Milan coach for the past seven years, and Inter just to add to the spectacle.

Chelsea comfortably won their group and were undefeated in the six games. By contrast Inter managed just two wins in their group stages. However, one could put the difference down to the quality of the groups.

Both teams are currently leading their domestic championships and there has been little to suggest they will slip up before the first legs. But as has been all to familiar with the Nerazzuri, domestic success does not necessarily translate into European glory.

The ensemble of stars in the two teams would leave anyone open mouthed. Though Inter may not have the regular household names but in Sneijder, Eto'o, Milito and Balotelli they have a highly formidable side. As for Chelsea their assembly line is packed with the likes of Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Anelka making this an absolutely delectable encounter.

AC Milan Vs Manchester United

Both Milan teams have ensured that the San Siro will be packed with the stature of the opponents they have drawn. Sir Alex's men will travel to Milan for the second year in a row after having faced Inter last year.

One will be able to recollect the same fixture from three seasons back when a Kaka inspired Milan humiliated the Red Devils 3-0. This time however there is no Kaka and Milan's form may gave Man Utd a lot of solace.

But it would be folly to discount Milan as they have already shown their potential in the results over Real Madrid. Milan are the Liverpool of Italy and the European Cup does something to the side so the onus would be on United to take the game to them.

The Red Devils won their group on the last matchday after picking up a win against Wolfsburg. The Rossoneri on the other hand just managed to scrape through their group with an unconvincing draw against FC Zurich.

And this is where the biggest test for Leonardo's team will come. The Milan side have an annoying habit of playing way below par on certian occasions as was witnessed in the 4-0 derby thrashing they got earlier this season.

If Milan are to harbor any hopes of moving forward in this competition they will have to perform out of their socks. If Ronaldinho and Pato can find that deadly touch which is more and more visible these days this may spell the end for United's run.

Bayern Munich Vs Fiorentina

Fiorentina who have had an excellent spell this year were unfortunate to draw the toughest opponents they could have. But the Viola have proved their quality this term and will not be afraid of tackling the Bavarian giants.

Bayern Munich sent a threatening message across the continent after their demolition of Juventus on the final matchday. The team have been reinvented in recent weeks and their strong run in the Bundesliga is evidence of this.

Fiorentina and Bayern locked horns last year in the group stages and the Italians were humbled 4-1 on aggregate. So they would be keen to avoid a similar fate this year, but it must be said the team looks a lot better this time around.

Cesare Prandelli's men haven't had a great start to the domestic season and despite fourth place being in sight they may choose to impress in Europe. The side's European performances have won them many admirers and their Matchday 2 victory over Liverpool was a top notch showing.

If the Viola are to progress further they will need to score in Munich. Bayern are the kind of team who will always find the back of the net so in this case the importance of the away goal will be vital.

The Much Maligned Mourinho

Jose Mourinho's fractious relationship with the Italian media finally broke down at the weekend after he allegedly shoved a journalist. Is it now time for Mourinho to finally adapt to his surroundings or will it serve as the last straw in his Inter tenure?

When Jose Mourinho arrived in the peninsula last summer, journalists were tripping over each other to get a few words from the 'Special One'. His fluent Italian and the use of 'pirla', a Milanese word for fool, in his very first press conference left the media in awe.

But then pretty soon things started going wrong. The honeymoon period was over and the bickering and squabbling kicked off almost immediately. The first sign of a breakup was during the Pietro Lo Monaco incident.

The Catania president was of the belief that Jose "talked too much" after the Portuguese had said his side should have won by five goals. The media is not like a wife it is like the mistress, so they immediately sprang upon this opportunity to blame the tactician.

Things got positively worse from there as Mourinho sent his assistant, Giuseppe Baresi, to talk to the reporters after the Lecce game. Italians are very passionate, as I discussed last time and they took this as a personal snub.

They accused Jose of "lacking respect towards them". But he has always fought fire with fire and hit back at them claiming "they were petty" and disrespectful towards Baresi. The man had a point but within a month there was a clear dislike in the media for Mourinho.

Managerial Tactics

The media soon found a new area to target Mourinho and that were his tactics. Jose had tried using the 4-3-3 system which was successful at Chelsea, with Inter but the team had failed to adapt.

His summer signings of Mancini and particularly Quaresma, for whom Inter shelled out €18 million, were considered as failures. Furthermore, his tactical decisions were subjected to intense debate on all sports shows.

Jose's quickfire tongue made him more enemies than ever. He ended up insulting Ancelotti, Ranieri and Spalletti and thus lost respect even amongst his peers. The Italians were just not used to a frank man speaking straight from the gut.

Inter's failure in the Champions League gave the media all the necessary ammunition to launch another broadside on the manager. They claimed that Mourinho was no better than his predecessor, Roberto Mancini.

So despite Inter winning the championship with a ten point margin in his first season in charge Mourinho was branded as a failure in Italy. According to the press he was just another over-rated manager who had a massive ego.


The Media Blind-Eye

Despite the country-wide Mourinho bashing very little was said about his grooming of youngsters. Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon played brilliantly and the latter was highly impressive towards the end of the season.

How many Italian coaches would have left the responsibility to mark the world's best player in Cristiano Ronaldo to a 18 year old? Not many I am sure. But Mourinho did so and his move paid off as his countryman struggled to make his way past Santon in both the legs.

Mourinho's way of handling Balotelli has been equally commendable as the coach has made his stance clear on multiple occasions. There is no doubt that Mario is a prodigious talent but his personality leaves question marks over whether he would live up to his potential.

This year, the team has moved from being dependent on just a target man and adapted an overall flowing style of football. Inter have the best attack and the defence in the SerieA and credit for that goes as much to Mourinho as to the bunch of players at his disposal.

Mourinho's decision to play with just three defenders and five attackers in the closing stages of the game at Kyiv effectively saved Inter's CL campaign. However, not one Italian paper decided to pay tribute to his tactics and attitude.

But the same papers were quick to tear into Jose after Inter's no-show in the match against European champions Barcelona. Almost every media outlet suggested that Mourinho should quit Inter solely on the basis of the team's performance at Barca.

Here And Now

And then finally came the boiling point on Sunday when Jose insulted Andrea Ramazotti when he was hanging around the team bus. Ramazotti alleged that the Portuguese attacked him and everyone from the Italian Sports Journalist's Union to the league authorities joined hands to blast the manager.

Mourinho was declared guilty even before the trial had got underway. Mo clarified yesterday that the altercation was purely verbal and involved no physical contact.

Even Inter president Massimo Moratti was bemused by this latest incident and has said he will look into it. And thus begins Jose's sternest test in Italy.

Till Sunday Mourinho was safe in the knowledge that his club was behind him but now that may not be the case. Moratti obviously likes the 'Special One' and has leaped to his defence on numerous occasions but this time he has stayed away.

For Moratti too is Italian and knows he risks turning the whole country against his club, if that is not the case already. Inter will know who they face in the Champions League knockout stages on Friday.

And Europe is where Mourinho's destiny will lie. If JoMo is able to inspire Inter in Europe he can expect to be hailed by not only his own team but surely by the media as well. But shall he fail again, don't be surprised to see him booking the next flight out of Milan.

The Italian Opera

Italians have always been a passionate bunch but the current SerieA season has seen this fervor reach new heights. Week in and week out we have had scuffles, protests, suspensions to make for truly dramatic scenes.

When I sit at home watching television I always tend to skip straight to the sports channels. Channels 201 to 380 on Sky are of absolutely no interest to me. They tend to slow my brain activity to vegetative state.

It amuses me how people can watch similarly dressed women lament and scheme about the exact same things in so many different eras, countries and planets. What some choose to call drama I choose to call an utter waste of time.

There are loads of other places to watch live soap operas unfolding and one of the best places to start is Italy. If you were to gaze at the front page of any Italian newspaper you would think you have picked up an edition of 'Dramatic Events of the 20th Century'.

And no they don't have Pavarotti or Bocelli plastered on their front pages they have either politics or football. Who as many may know are related - Berlusconi after all being the owner of AC Milan.

When Silvio got docked last night it made news even in the sporting world for the above stated reason. There have even been parliamentary showdowns over the game, the most famous one taking place after an Inter-Juve game in 1998.

And this season I have seen some of the best plots play out not on 'The Tudors' or 'EastEnders' but on Channel 417, ESPN, home to the Italian SerieA.

HOLY CRAP! THAT WAS CRAZY...

This has been my reaction on so many occasions this season, that if there was indeed a holy crap it would have covered London by now. Tolkien and Rowling would have to write a combined decadology to match the drama of this SerieA season.

This past week probably served one of the best examples of what I am trying to illustrate. Bari, a newly promoted team, beat Juventus, Italy's most successful team. One may attribute this to Juve's poor form but the display put on by Bari was one of such magnificence that it left me spellbound.

Furthermore this is not an one-off result for the team as they have been playing extremely well this season. They the second best defensive record in the league and sit seventh in the table.

If that isn't enough to whet your appetite how about this - Parma, another newly promoted team, are in fourth spot. Holy Crap! That's crazy... The Ducali are a glorious example of team work as they lack any stars in the outfit but have achieved their position through sheer grit and determination.

There was more action in Rome this week as well. If Lazio were in a soap opera, they would probably have had every tearful Coldplay song playing in the background simultaneously. The team hadn't won a game since Matchday 2 and 5000 protestors had lined up before the kick-off against Genoa.

And then just like the ten thousand bullet hole riddled hero of old, the team somehow managed to win the game. The fans in the stadium celebrated with the gusto of a championship victory but it was well-deserved for them.

AVE MARIE

If you thought the on-pitch action was all the league offered you were wrong, the off-pitch action is an extravaganza unto itself. No, it does not take place in a church but would rather make churchgoers cringe in distaste.

There is no Metallica or Black Sabbath track yet composed to fully capture the violently passionate Italians. The last few weeks have in fact been so intense that Italy's football governing body (FIGC) have asked for some calm and peace amongst the teams.

But frankly my dear, no one gives a damn! The ever vocal Jose Mourinho supposedly shoved a journalist who was trying to interview him after the Atalanta-Inter game. Jose, who watched the game from the stands was accompanied there by Antonio Conte, the Atalanta coach.

Both managers were suspended for varying degrees of humiliating the referees last week. Conte, did his best impression of Al Capone as he was seen constantly shouting instructions into his mouthpiece from his private box. At one point I actually thought he had some kind of puppet strings in his hand.

But the highlight of the week came in the Sardinian derby when Eziquiel Lavezzi kicked the ball at Cagliari coach Allegri. The latter was playing some keep ball during stoppage time and Lavezzi administered some of his own justice.

The game saw Napoli surrender their 2-0 lead in the last fifteen minutes only to equalize and make it 3-3 in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

I am sure everyone remembers how Balotelli reenacted his role as a dying soldier in Saving Private Ryan last week during the clash against Juventus. And I have just recounted the events of the last week.As you can obviously see the Italian League is but an opera, so please tune in whenever you can! Forza Azzuri!

Inter Extends Lead Despite Dropping Points

Inter Milan extended their lead at the top of the table despite being held to a draw at Atalanta. Inter's closest rivals Milan were surprised 2-0 at home by Palermo to condemn them to their first defeat since September.

The Inter - Atalanta game had an absurd feel to it as both managers were serving suspensions for their transgressions last week. Inter lined up with the same formation as in the midweek with an attacking trident of Balotelli-Eto'o-Milito.

The move looked to have paid dividends as Milito grabbed his tenth of the season with a quarter of an hour gone. Milito displayed all the strength of his Rambo look-alike Sylvester Stallone to hold off two defenders before firing in.

Sneijder who hits the post in almost every game did so again today with a cracker of a shot which ricocheted of the upright. Inter thought they had doubled their lead when Lucio headed in a freekick but the double barrel shotgun-chested Brazilian was offside.

Sneijder was a tad bit unlucky to be sent off for his second bookable offence after a late tackle on Guarente. With Inter down to ten men, Baresi decided to try to sit and protect the lead. Why managers even try this doomed tactic is beyond me...

Atalanta had more open spaces to exploit and one could see Antonio Conte shouting instructions in an ear-piece to his assistant on the touchlines. Seeing him in that closed VIP box directing his team, made me feel as if I was watching some Bourne thriller with the CIA guys in their suits and mouth-pieces.

The pressure finally paid off as Tiribocchi equalized with only eight minutes left on the clock. The goal suddenly woke up the Inter players who attacked relentlessly until the final whistle but some good defending and better goalkeeping kept them out.



Milan Finally Lose

The past few months have seen Milan go on an incredible unbeaten streak. They have been plain awful at times but still got the result with some last minute goals. However, today they finally got what was coming after another insipid performance saw them lose at home to Palermo.

Milan drafted the discoverer of fire, old Giussepe Favalli, into their defence. The first half was full of action as both sides created a host of chances but neither team really troubled the keeper.

The deadlock was broken just minutes into the second half by the 2 ft 2 inches Fabrizio Miccoli with superb strike. I am sure the reason all these hobbit sized players score so much is because no one can spot them.

Miccoli was up to it again after he positively made a mockery out of two Milan players before crossing in. The ball made its way to Bresciano who made no mistake in front of goal.

With Milan two behind Leonardo tried his best to push as many men forward as possible. Pato and Inzaghi entered the fray but Palermo eventually played out to the final whistle and registered a deserved win.

The results meant that Inter now lead Milan at the top by five points with 36 points from their 16 games. Juventus are third with 31.

Ferrara On The Brink As Juve Lose Again

Ciro Ferrara was left contemplating his future as his Juventus side suffered another defeat to newly promoted Bari.

Football is a strange game in the space of a week extreme jubilation can turn into acute disappointment. Juventus fans oscillated between the two emotions as their team went from victory over Inter to exit from the Champions League and now defeat to Bari.

For the second game in a row Ferrara appeared clueless and his men looked like an infantry without a general. The game in Bari kicked off on a terrible pitch with the penalty box looking more apt for women's mud fighting than a football game.

Meggiorini gave the home side the lead in the eight minute after his strike deflectedly wickedly off Caceres and into the back of Buffon's net. Juventus were shocked after having conceded such an early goal.

There were opportunities for both sides but it was Juventus who finally scored when Trezeguet tapped in the rebound after Diego's initial shot was parried.

The Bianconeri created further opportunities but Amauri was the culprit on multiple occasions. With performances like today's there's no way he is getting into Lippi's squad for the World Cup.

Just before half-time Bari retook the lead as 'Speeedy Gonzalez' Barreto was brought down in the box. He promptly dusted himself off and stroked the ball home from 12 yards out to put the Galletti back in front.


Second-Half

If Ferrara was expecting to see a completely different Juve side take to the field after the break he was about to be disappointed. The Bianconeri were still struggling to find any kind of rhythm in their forward build-ups.

Tiago wasted a couple of good opportunities to live up to his image of 'Juve's worst signing ever'. Fabio Grosso came on for Molinaro and immediately won his team a penalty.

Diego who had been very active in the game, stepped up to take it but kicked it rugby-style and sent the ball flying over the bar. This served to deflate all Juve hopes and the players faces seemed to grow an inch longer with every passing minute.

Ex-Bianconero Sergio Almiron, who had brought down Grosso for the penalty, showed his former team what they were missing out on with a well placed strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards out. At 3-1 with just ten minutes left, there was no coming back for Ferrara's side and noose around his neck seemed to grow tighter.

It was only then that he realised that he had Giovinco on the bench and threw on 'Atom Ant' with the game well and truly over. Unfortunately this was no sports film and despite Gio's admirable contributions his team had to confront the loss.

The way things stand right now it looks increasingly difficult for Ferrara to continue in his position any longer. There are possible replacements available in the market and with Guus Hiddink being recently added to the Classifieds section, this may well be his first and last Christmas with the club.

Crazy Sardinian Derby

It was an absolutely crazy derby between Cagliari and Napoli earlier in the day with both teams sharing the spoils in a thrilling encounter. The 3-3 scoreline told of only half the drama as the game produced some unbelievable derby madness.

Both teams were separated by only one point at kick-off with Napoli having the advantage over their local rivals. It was end t0 end stuff before the Partenopei took the lead after Lavezzi ran at the defence and scored the opener.

The second half produced as much action as the first and Napoli doubled their lead in the 65th when Pazienza was given too much space in the box. At 2-0 however, the match was just kicking off.



Cagliari produced 13 minutes of pure magic as they turned the game on its head going from two goals down to lead 3-2. Larrivey and then Matri scored to equalize the game before substitute Jeda scored with his first touch of the game.

As the game entered stoppage time, the insanity reached its peak as Lavezzi was sent-off for kicking the ball at Cagliari coach Allegri, who was playing dribble boy with the ball after it had gone out for a throw in.

And just when one thought we had reached the climax there was still some action left as Napoli quite incredibly equalized in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Only in Italia!

Juve's Need For Reformation

A tumultuous week saw Juventus beat Inter only to succumb to a humiliating exit from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich.

Juventus fans were left horrified by their team's midweek performance against Bayern Munich. What was particularly disappointing for the fans was that the loss came on the back of an impressive win against champions Inter Milan in the league.

Many believed that the win against Inter would serve as a turning point in Juve's thus far disappointing season. The Bianconeri have flattered to deceive on many occasions but on Tuesday night the team was mauled in front of its fans.

Not many predicted that the Bavarians would get the win they needed to qualify for the next stages. But Louis Van Gaal's team delivered such a comprehensive performance that many in Europe were forced to sit up and take notice.

The defeat meant that Juventus had thrown away their passage to the next round with two sucessive losses in the competition. More worryingly still, the team looked terribly short of ideas and it felt as if a defeatist attitude had crept in amongst the players.

Management Troubles

There have been constant talks amongst Juve fans about the need for the club to dump manager Ciro Ferrara. Pundits and spectators alike have suggested that he lacks the vital experience necessary to groom a top club.

But is it really a problem of the manager? Last year everyone jumped frantically and asked for Ranieri to be fired. He was sacked but has there been any change at the club since his departure.

Anyone following the Italian league will tell you that Juventus have never quite looked like the team that dominated in the pre-Calciopoli days. There have been some very shocking decisions made by the management especially with regards to the youth policy and the transfer market.

Regardless of the man in charge of the club, Juventus have almost stifled their youth products. Everyone apart from the manager seems to have noticed that Sebastian Giovinco is blessed with talent and deserves a starting place.

The same is true of Paolo De Ceglie and Claudio Marchisio and the latter has flourished in recent games after being given a chance. All signs yet have indicated that the current squad is way past its prime and needs some new blood.

The transfer policy has been worse as almost all the signings have failed to live up to expectations or were terribly thought out initially. Christian Poulsen, Tiago, Jorge Andrade, Sergio Almiron are players who in all honesty lack the calibre to ply their trade for a big club.

A Vicious Circle

These bad transfers have been partly responsible for the youth being kept on the sidelines. This year the arrivals of Diego, Felipe Melo and Grosso have had a direct impact on the chances available for Giovinco, De Ceglie and Co.

The three who arrived have not had a major impact on the squad and halfway into the season they are yet to capture the imagination of the fans. On the other hand, Giovinco and De Ceglie have seemed to deliver whenever called upon.

The front-line also suffers from problems of its own as Del Piero and Trezeguet have seen far too many winters. You may have a Ryan Giggs or a Javier Zanetti running the midfield despite, being well into their 30s, but you cannot have a senior attacker.

Amauri never had star quality written over him and Iaquinta needs support from a trequartista. Diego was bought in the summer to fill that very role but he has hardly ever been deployed in that position.

Looking at all these problem areas it comes as no surprise then to find Juventus in the position they find themselves in.

The Way Ahead

The Bianconeri now have the best time to recuperate themselves and prepare for a better second half of the season. They have two relatively easy games against Bari and Catania before the winter break.

If the team can win those fixtures it will give them a degree of confidence and self-belief which it seems to lack currently. It will also help the side prepare for the clash with Milan on the other side of the new year.

The squad should now be able to better focus their attention on the Scudetto as they have exited the Champions League. But with the likes of Liverpool, Valencia, Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan vying for the Europa League a victory in competition will certainly help.

With the year fast coming to a close all Juve fans will hope that the coming year is a better one and that their squad realises its true potential.

Inter Save Grace And Fiorentina Disgrace Liverpool

Source: Inter.it

Inter won 2-0 against Rubin Kazan at the San Siro to qualify for the knockout phases of the Champions League. Fiorentina beat an awful Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield to spectacularly win their group.

Watching Inter in the Champions League reminds me of an Alfred Tennesse novel - you always expect a sad, tragic ending. Though tonight's game was more like a Scorcese thriller with Russian mobsters running wild. The Nerazzuri performed very well against Kazan to book their place to the next stages.

Mourinho started the game with an attacking trident of Milito,Eto'o and Balotelli. Balotelli was sporting yet another new hairdo, no wonder he is late for training, he has his hair to take care of.

And the stupid hair seemed to have worked well for him as he setup Inter's first with a clever back heel to Eto'o who scored in the UCL after an eternity. Inter finished the half stronger and seemed to be well in control of the game.

But after half-time the team tried its best to let the Russians back into the game. Kazan however were playing roulette with their chances and missed all of them. '

Whacky hairdo' came to Inter's rescue once again as he scored a scorcher of a freekick which keeper Ryzhikov completely misjudged. Maybe he thought it was a stray American missile and tried to get as far away as possible.

It was all Inter from there as Kazan continued to waste any opportunities they had and were lucky not to concede another. The win saw Inter go through in second spot behind Barcelona.



Fiorentina And Their Miraculous Run

If someone had told me that Fiorentina would top their group, I would have given the person some cash to help his mental rehabilitation. Now the lunatic from Arkham Asylum must be doing cartwheels on the bed he has been strapped on and laughing at me.

Fiorentina's win over Liverpool displayed once again how bad a side the Merseysiders have become. If Rafa Benitez was the manager of an Italian club he would have been fired by now... TWICE.

The Reds were outplayed once again and this time it was in front of their touted Kop. They withered a number of chances for Fiorentina and found themselves surprisingly ahead when Benayon glanced Gerrard's cross into the top corner.

Fiorentina came back strongly after the half and Gilardino setup Jorgensen for the equalizer. Fernando Torres made his umpteenth return from an injury in a bid to inject some creativity into his team.

But it was like putting a braindead person on a ventilator only prolonging his 'death' for a while. Fiorentina finally buried Liverpool when Gilardino capitalized on Stupid Darby's mistake.

The win gave Fiorentina top spot in their group and means that they will have a considerably easy draw for the knockouts. Liverpool now have the UEFA Europa League to look forward to where they will come up against the likes of Juventus.

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Italians Fail Again In Europe

Juventus have crashed to a humiliating 4-1 loss to Bayern at home and are out of the Champions League. AC Milan have barely made it to the knockout stages after a 1-1 draw against Zurich.

There has to be something highly repelling about Champions League. Maybe the players coming in from the rest of Europe smell funny or are a bunch of ruffians because Italians just can't play against them.

Juventus were "expected" to make easy work of Bayern Munich tonight and seal their place in the last 16. But things don't turn out as expected do they - Obama never expected to win the Nobel Peace Prize but he did.

Juve were outplayed and beaten in such a humbling manner that it was reminiscent of Adolf Hitler giving Mussolini a lesson in war tactics. The Germans were just the better side in every department.

Despite Juventus having taken the lead no Bianconeri fan would have been convinced they would hold on to it. Their performance was so lacklustre that one would have been forgiven for thinking that Bayern allowed them to score an early consolation goal.

Butt equalized for the Bavarians from the spot in the first half before Olic, Gomez and Tymoschuk scored in the second. Juventus got their first corner of the game after the 80th minute by which time Bayern had already earned ten. That stat pretty much sums up the game.

Alpine Vacation

The Milan squad looked like they had come on a holiday in Alps when the team took on FC Zurich. For the entire first half one felt as if the players were waiting to return to their hotel, build a snowman and dress Gatusso up as Santa Claus.

The team was in a festive mood as they attempted to play a passing game which unfortunately lacked any killer instinct. It was no surprise when Zurich took the lead through Milan Gajic's 20m freekick.

Milan were finding it difficult to impose themselves in the game after all they didn't have a player named Zurich. They were finally given a lifeline when Alain Rochat was sent off and Ronaldinho scored from the penalty spot. (Told you they are easy!)

With Zurich reduced to ten men it was as if Santa's reindeers were taken away and the poor old man struggled with that. Milan created a lot of chances but they needed someone to deliver their Christmas gifts so they promptly wasted them all.

The embarrassing draw meant that Milan scraped through to the knockout phases in the most inglorious of ways. With the fate of three Italian sides now decided all eyes will now be on Inter to see if they too suffer from Euro-phobia.

Juventus Still In The Race As They Usurp Inter

Juventus beat Inter 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino to reopen the title race once again. Goals from Felipe Melo and Claudio Marchisio gave the Bianconeri a memorable victory.

The Derby d'Italia lived up to all the pre-match expectations as fans were treated to a cracking encounter in Turin. The game featured all the action it promised but it will be the Juventus fans who celebrate into the night.

Both teams were almost at full strength with Inter only missing Wesley Sneijder and Ricardo Quaresma through injury. The game got off to a fast start as both sides attacked extensively. However the defences held up quite well and neither keeper was really troubled.

Juventus scored in the 21st minute through Felipe Melo when a Diego freekick was deflected in by his Brazilian compatriot. There was more drama as Jose Mourinho was sent off for sarcastically applauding the referee.

Melo was cautioned minutes later as he went in on Stankovic for a late tackle. The resulting freekick saw Buffon pull of a great save to deny Walter Samuel. But Inter were level minutes later as a Stankovic cross was headed in by Eto'o.

After the leveller the game continued its eager tempo but Juventus took charge of proceedings. The Bianconeri tried repeatedly to break down Inter's defence but the Nerazzuri defence held firm.

Second Half

The second half kicked-off with Inter controlling possession and looking more threatening. However, the Nerazzuri seemed to miss Sneijder desperately as they lacked that final ball.

In the 57th minute Milito found himself in space in the box and played it across for Stankovic whose shot was blocked and the resulting melee saw Buffon collect. The Italian shot stopper's quick reactions led to the goal as his throw released Marchisio who in turn found Sissoko.

Sissoko fired a powerful shot which could only be parried by Julio Cesar into Marchisio's path. The young Italian kept all his calm and composure to chip the ball over the Inter keeper to give Juve the lead in the 58th minute.

Giuseppe Baresi, Mourinho's right hand, threw on the much-maligned Balotelli to give Inter more of an attacking option. A chorus of boos greeted the Inter star as he came on.

Walter Samuel was lucky to not be recieve his second booking when he tugged back Del Piero who made some space for himself. Juve were pretty much restricted to their own half after this.

Lucio then missed a glorious opportunity as Buffon uncharacteristically misjudged a freekick and saw the ball go inches past the Brazilian's defenders outstretched leg.



A Frantic End

Martin Caceres who was having a great game almost made a hash of things as his clumsy awkward challenge saw Milito go down in the box. The ref however was not interested and waved for the game to continue.

With under ten minutes to go Inter were desperate to find an equalizer and brought on Mancini for Cambiasso. Things boiled over in the 85th minute as Felipe Melo and Balotelli fought for the ball and the former swung his elbow.

Melo was sent off for his intentions rather than their consequence and Balotelli was booked for simulation as he had gone down clutching his face when in fact there wasn't too much contact. More players got involved in the fracas but good sense luckily prevailed.

As the clock wound down Inter seemed to have run out of ideas and despite getting four minutes of added time they failed to create any chance of note.

The final whistle meant that Mourinho's men lost only for the second time this season and have only a slender lead at the top. Milan's victory over Sampdoria sees them trail their cousins by only four points.

Milan Close The Gap

AC Milan took on Sampdoria in the first game of the evening at the San Siro. The Rossoneri have been in scintillating form of late and continued on their path with an comfortable 3-0 win.

The Diavolo took the lead in just the first couple of minutes when Ronaldinho played the perfect cross for Borriello to head in his fourth of the season.

The former World Player of the Year who has been rediscovering his touch of late was at the center of the second goal as well. He played a one-two with Seedorf who scored in the 22nd minute.

Two became three just moments later as Pato took two bites of the cherry before scoring Milan's third and effectively killing off the contest.

The second half was played at a pedestrian pace as Milan conserved themselves for their Champions League tie in the midweek. Luigi Del Neri however will be worried by his Sampdoria team player's as the team risks slipping out of the top four after having made such a positive start to the season.

Italy Get It Easy But Brazil Have All To Do

The draw for 2010 FIFA World Cup saw Italy being placed in a relatively easy group with Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. Brazil have work to do as they face Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea.

Capetown was abuzz with excitement as the draw for the finalists kicked off in the evening. With France not being seeded there was a possibility of a replay of the previous World Cup final being played out in the group stages itself.

But Italian fears were allayed as they were drawn in one of the easiest groups at the finals. The team will be facing Paraguay in the first game of Group F in Capetown on June 14th.

They will take on New Zealand in their second match at Nelspruit on 20th June. The Azzuri will conclude their group stage when they face newcomers Slovakia at Johannesburg four days later.

Tournament favorites Brazil however find themselves in the so-called 'Group of Death'. The Samba Kings take on Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea in Group G.

Last year's hosts Germany also find themselves in a relatively tough group as they will take on Serbia, Australia and Ghana in Group D.

European champions Spain have an easy path to the knockout stages as they have been paired with Chile, Switzerland and Honduras.




Three & Easy For The Azzuri

The three teams in Italy's group have just managed eight appearances at the World Cup finals combined. Whereas this will be the first time for Slovakia, New Zealand have qualified only once before at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

Paraguay have become regular qualifiers from the South American zone now for the last few editions. They will probably be the team Italy should worry about the most.

The Paraguayans had an excellent qualifying campaign this time which included victories over Brazil and Argentina. And this year they come to the finals with a more complete squad than in the past.

New Zealand and Slovenia are two sides who have nothing to lose and hence can be expected to play fearlessly. However with the exception of a few players there is a real paucity of talent in the squads.

Marcello Lippi's men can now board the flight to South Africa with a little less pressure and should be confident of making a postive start to their defence of the crown.

Calciopoli - Why Are We Still Talking About It?

The 'Calciopoli scandal' which broke out in the summer of 2006 ravaged Italian football, but three years on it is still a burning issue for some.

Luciano Moggi, the ex-Juventus director claimed today that he has proof that Calciopoli was a conspiracy. This is not the first time that Moggi has made pleas for his innocence and it doesn't seem that it would be the last either.

The Calciopoli scandal caused great damage to the reputation of Italian football which seems to be still recovering from its aftershocks. Juventus were relegated to SerieB and as a result a host of talent departed from the team.

However what hurt the Bianconeri more was the fact that their Scudetti for 2004-05 and 2005-06 were revoked and the latter was presented to Inter. This left a highly bitter taste in Juve's mouth, something they haven't managed to spit out yet.

Moggi and a few directors almost immediately after the scandal was revealed and received varying sentences for their involvement. Juve weren't the only team punished as Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio incurred varying penalties.

However it was Juventus who were deemed to be at the center of the scandal and hence they were the only team to be demoted to SerieB.


Aftermath of the Scandal

Following Juve's conviction there was a new regime in charge at the club and it did its best to distance itself from Moggi and Co. But then a few months later things started turning around.

There were always conspiracies that Inter president, Massimo Moratti was the one behind the whole crackdown. People believed that Inter's lack of success in the SerieA had led Moratti to take this extreme step.

They would add further credence to their story as the FIGC chairperson at the ruling would later became an Inter director. Similarly, the phone taps were conducted by TIM a major sponsor of the Nerazzuri.

Inter on the other hand truly benefitted from the scandal as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Patrick Viera joined their ranks after quitting Juventus. The former went on to become a talisman for the club until his departure this summer.

So Inter definitely had a motive to see the downfall of their great rivals. But what about the proof?

The Proof

This is where things start getting really murky as there are conflicting reports about the proof that was brought forth. against Juve . While the conspiracy theorists claim that there was no substantial evidence the prosecutors seemed convinced at the time.

The same Juve board which so eagerly suspended Moggi and denied their part in the scandal started backing his claims. Moggi himself was his ever expressive self and the Italian media continued to give him airtime.

Accusations started flying around and then demands for the revoked Scudetti to be returned. The proof for all of this was never presented and hasn't been till date.

Soon enough almost everyone jumped on the bandwagon to support Moggi's allegations. It seemed that the man convicted for manipulating matches, paying off referees was suddenly the man to be followed.

'It Is All A Conspiracy'

And now Moggi's claims of the whole thing being a conspiracy and him having evidence to prove so. 'Why this proof was not brought forth before?' is a question which just begs to be asked. But no one seemingly wants to ask it.

The problem is now no longer restricted to Moggi as almost every Juve fan will try to convince you of his team's innocence. Innocent or not, the sad part is that they still choose to talk about three years after the incident.

While most of the team management and players have put it behind them, the supporters are still struggling to come to grips with the incident. Everytime Calciopoli is mentioned the fans forget about everything else and rush to defend their club.

The reaction is obviously understandable but isn't it time that they start concentrating on prevailing issues at the club. Whenever Juve have a bad run of form, the fans generally choose to blame Calciopoli and Moggi's consequent absence rather than the current management.

This year Juve did well in the transfer market and brought in some real talent in the form of Diego, Felipe Melo and Fabio Grosso. The first two started the season well but have started to struggle of late.

On Sunday the team suffered its third loss of the season in a surprise 2-0 defeat at Cagliari. The result which followed a 2-0 defeat at Bordeaux meant that the team slipped into third place.

A New Era Undermined

The constant attention that the media and the public give to Moggi is undermining the work of the new Juventus dynasty. Cobolli Gigli, the latest Juve president, also spoke about the revoked Scudetti rather than the way forward when he bid adieu to the club this October.

It is time now that everyone moves forward from the Calciopoli scandal and restricts it to the confines of history. It has done enough damage to Italian football as is.

Last year saw the league recorded some of its poorest attendance in years and not a single Italian team made it past the Round of 16 in the Champions League. The once dominant league today is a shadow of its former self.

The other teams who were implicated in the scandal have done rather well most noticeably Fiorentina. The team today is the only Italian team to have made it through to the knockout stages of the Champions League with a game in hand.

This year there is a very real possibility that four Italian teams will make it to the knockout stages. Now they should capitalize on this opportunity to regain some of the lost pride for the league.

As for the fans there is only one way to go for them and that is forward. Lingering in the past is not going to help anyone and it is time that they start ahead.