Riccardo Rossi Serie A articles

Serie A (finally) to follow in Premier League's footsteps

Tuesday 05 May 2009 08:00
Most things in life move at a more relaxed pace in Italy.

So, unsurprisingly, it has taken a few decades for Serie A to finally break away from the rest of the Italian football league.

Thursday’s decision to set in motion a plan to follow the model established by the English Premier League some 17 years ago will see the top flight chase the riches at the end of the rainbow without the burden of having to drag Serie B along.

Only Lecce, who feel more at home in the lower division anyway, voted against the inevitable. But in theory everyone should benefit from a greater slice of the television rights that will be available across the board.

So, from 2010, rather than sell their rights individually - where according to La Gazzetta dello Sport the likes of Inter, Milan and Juventus rake in something in the region of 90million euro while those at the bottom end of the scale profit from around three to five million - they will all come under one collective deal.

The breakaway means that Serie B will be left to sink or swim because the 20 percent of the television revenue, which in the last deal amounted to 20million euro, will disappear forever.

It’s life-jackets all round then as those in the lower tier attempt to swim against a tidal wave of insolvencies.

While Serie A has been enjoying relatively healthy average gate attendances – around 25,000 mainly thanks to Inter and Milan – it’s a paltry 6,000 plus change in the lower division.

The feeling is that many clubs in B will overstretch themselves, especially with player salaries in the scramble to reach the promised land of the new Super Liga – no official name has been decided as yet but Super has a certain ring to it.

Then it will be the tricky matter of remaining there.

However, super is how those about to enjoy the good life will be feeling right now. Another season of hanging on in there for the likes of Chievo and Siena, and they can then start enjoying some of the spoils that for so long have been out of reach.

The big clubs will be rubbing their hands with glee as well.

They might have to give up a few crumbs of the pie, but they will be thinking of all those prime-time match slots and sponsors they will be able to bring onboard.

And as their coffers swell, maybe they will even build their own stadiums. Goodness, the possibilities are endless.

Modern football. Who would have thought it would catch on in Italy?

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Milito the man to help Ibra silence San Siro boo boys

Wednesday 06 May 2009 08:00
There can be no other club that has such a fractious relationship with its fans than Inter.

At times, the Nerazzurri may not be much to look at on the pitch, but at least there is plenty of entertainment to be found in the unique interaction between the players and those who attend matches at the San Siro.

Serie Aaaaargh! pitched up at the “stadium of plight” for the Saturday evening dust-up. Lazio were the visitors, but the real opposition was in the stands.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has become the boo-boys' favourite of late, replacing just about everyone else who trots on to the pitch in a black and blue shirt.

The Swede has never been one to endear himself to those who pay to watch him weave moments of magic from those size 13s. And his most recent comments that he needed a new challenge were guaranteed to ensure a less-than-warm welcome at the weekend.

Granted, the announcement of the big man’s name was - on the whole - greeted positively, although it didn’t take long before the first whistles were heard as Inter produced the usual restlessness one feels when you have thrown good money away.

The grumblings soon turned to outright hostility as the striker seemed to drift off, possibly to thoughts of playing a one-two with a Messi or Eto’o.

Misplaced pass, followed mis-control, followed downright clumsiness - and then out of the blue a rapier-like run through the Lazio defence to arrow the ball into the net.

It is doubtful many in the stands would have noticed the scorer’s reaction as he invited everyone to shush. They were too busy congratulating themselves, which demonstrates that the paying public couldn’t care less about a player’s sensitivities as long as the ball ends up in the net.

The gesture confirmed that Ibra is heading to the divorce courts as quickly as Silvio Berlusconi.

But, of course, everyone would kiss and make up if Zlat laid off touting his wares around the European interview scene and committed his future to Milan – the city not the city rivals, of course.

Inter, for their part, could also ensure their star man has less than a long face with a few choice signings - and where better to start than Diego Milito.

The Argentine has been linked with a move to the San Siro, and the hat-trick in the Genoa derby last weekend has only strengthened that buzz.

The ‘Prince’ would definitely take the burden off the big man’s shoulders of having to score the bulk of the team’s goals. At present Inter’s second top scorer is Mario Balotelli, on a mere six.

In fact, Milito could be the perfect foil to give Ibra a shot at the one prize he clearly craves... the Ballon d’Or.

Only Champions League winners usually land the European Footballer of the Year award, which is handy as Inter need that title more than anything else – then maybe the boo-boys will fall silent.

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Ranieri: Where did it all go wrong?

Tuesday 19 May 2009 09:30
Claudio Ranieri has been a dead man walking for some time now, but you would have thought Juventus might have allowed him to walk away a proud man.

The club likes to convey that aristocratic image even though they have long been exposed as scoundrels. In the current hierarchy, they give off the air of technocrats rather than having any passion for the game in mould of the late Gianni Agnelli.

Having publicly backed their man to the end of the season, the suits then did a complete U-turn.

He may have been doomed at the end of the campaign anyway, but now Ranieri has been pushed out of the door marked ‘failure’ - the first Juve coach to have been booted out before the end of the campaign since 1969.

So where did it all go wrong for the dear old mister?

The dressing room

It has been obvious for some time that a number of the old guard weren't playing for their coach anymore.

The “against” camp were clear in their attentions to undermine Ranieri: the public demonstrations of contempt from David Trezeguet when substituted was followed by reported bust-ups with Mauro Camoranesi behind closed doors.

The “for” camp were few and far between and, apart from Gigi Buffon, consisted of players who in other years would not be wearing the black and white shirt.

The “neutrals” - if such a thing exists - could never really be trusted and one wonders if Alessandro del Piero and Pavel Nedved really were sitting on the fence, as they often claimed.

Tactics

Too many scrappy wins turned into seven league games without a victory.

Probably the biggest blunder was starting Del Piero, Camoranesi and Nedved on the bench in the second leg of the Italian Cup semi-final against Lazio when the team was 2-1 down from the away leg.

Too often when performances were flat, the livewire Sebastian Giovinco was given too little time from the bench to influence the outcome.

At times Ranieri could have lived up to his ‘Tinkerman’ moniker and changed the formation to give little Giovinco more freedom – rather than isolate him out on the left flank when Nedved had finally run out of energy.

Transfers

Ranieri did insist on signing Christian Poulsen when Xabi Alsono had been making all the right noises about moving to Turin.

Olof Mellberg was another dud – but then the directors did little to offload Tiago, who has hung around like a bad smell all season.

Injury problems

When they arrived, they arrived thick and fast. A few weeks ago the spine of the team was missing, with Giorgio Chiellini, Claudio Marchisio and Amauri all out.

The midfield has been shorn of Mohamed Sissoko for the run-in and the influential Cristiano Zanetti up until recently.

Gigi Buffon has looked a shadow of the best goalkeeper in the world since his return from a back injury at the start of the year, while knocks and strains have highlighted the squad's lack of depth.

The future

Ciro Ferrara is in for the final two games to instil a united front and will no doubt rely on the old guard to secure third place. And after that?

Well, if it wasn’t for the pesky World Cup, then Marcello Lippi would have been welcomed back with open arms.

Still, we can expect to see the Azzurri coach making more regular visits to Vinovo under the guise of checking up on Fabio Cannavaro, but no doubt offering advice on such matters as possible new arrivals.

All indications are that Antonio Conte will be prised away from newly-promoted Bari to deal with coaching matters and, after a season bedding in, will work with the old maestro once again to finally set the Old Lady back on the road to stability.

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Italy just need more quality players they don't have enough. A top young kid from South America, Eastern Europe or Africa would much rather go to the Premiership or La Liga. The middle of the range kids from those regions would much rather go to the Russian or Ukrainian leagues because they can pay massive wages.

Leonardo looking to create masterpiece in Milan

By painting The Last Supper for the dining room at the city's Santa Maria delle Grazie church, Leonardo da Vinci put Milan on the map.

Now another Leonardo has been asked to make something beautiful out of the city’s other ageing artefact: AC Milan.

The modern Leonardo is very much the archetypal Renaissance man: urbane, well-read, a humanitarian and a linguist to boot. The Brazilian is also young and handsome, which fits perfectly with those whom Silvio Berlusconi likes to surround himself.


"you like Calcio ? "

More importantly, not only does he understand the politics of the club inside out, he has the ear of Ricky Kaka, who he encouraged to join Milan in the first place.

This may help ensure his compatriot remains with the club rather decamp to Madrid – or to Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea.

It’s a smart move by Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani, as Leonardo has an excellent relationship with the players and has been acting as surrogate big brother to Alexandre Pato through his tough period of adaptation to Italian football.

The much more settled teenager, who is set to marry, has recently demonstrated glimpses of that talent that brought him to the fore as a 16-year-old, and under further Brazilian nurturing will no doubt blossom into the real deal.

These are two important elements in Milan’s future success and the figures around which the club will be building the team.

With Paolo Maldini retired and Andriy Shevchenko and Clarence Seedorf set for summer exits, club leadership should now pass over to a much more relaxed Samba camp – and Kaka in particular.

It was important that Maldini was out of the way before the coup took place. The veteran knew there was revolution in the air long before he snubbed Leo during his so-so San Siro farewell a fortnight ago.

The way is now open for the new man to build the team around the dictums sent down from the benefactor: get back to the stylish, attacking football that once was associated with Milan.

Unlike in, say, England, the role of the coach in Italy is to deal exclusively with on-pitch matters – but Leo will maintain a firm link with the hierarchy and Carlo Ancelotti’s former No.2 Mauro Tassotti will play a central role marshalling day-to-day training.

Everyone else will fall into line under the new order with little disruption – and who knows, maybe even Ronaldinho will find some motivation again.

He will certainly be a lot fitter, as the resources of the MilanLab will be exploited to the full for the benefit of the club rather than farmed out to other sporting associations as it has occasionally been recently.

Two other Brazilians, Felipe Mattioni and Thiago Silva, are waiting in the wings but the Italian heart will still exist in the indomitable Rino Gattuso, Massimo Ambrosini and Alessandro Nesta.

The ingredients for success are definitely there and it seems that finally the Rossoneri have got the mix just right.

What would make it that much sweeter would be the arrival of Philippe Mexes, Emmanuel Adebayor and another Samba boy Hernanes – to take the place of Andrea Pirlo.

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milan have potential, if they get rid of pirlo and build their attack around ronaldinho. 4312 style.

not after this (just posted in M&C cause i didn't find a suitable thread )

Berlusconi slams Ancelotti - and lauds own tactics
Reuters

June 4, 2009

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi on Thursday blamed the club's disappointing season on the failure of the coaching staff to follow his tactical advise

"This season Milan didn't play with the tactics I suggested," the Italian prime minister said in a television interview on his own Canale 5 channel.

"They only did so in the last game which allowed us to qualify for the Champions League. Games were lost because in the last minutes the team failed to play the way I advised."

Milan finished trophy-less and third in Serie A last season, only clinching a direct Champions League spot after a victory at Fiorentina in their final game.

Berlusconi also slammed the team selection of former coach Carlo Ancelotti, who left the Rossoneri at the end of the season to become the new manager of English club Chelsea.

"We have champions like Ronaldinho who was only used in the last 20 minutes of games and this led to him losing morale," said Berlusconi.

"People buy their ticket to see Ronaldinho on the pitch for the whole match."

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Leonardo is just (sadly ) a mask.. Silvio picked a man so he can call the shots behind a pretty face.. that explains the choice of experience less Leonardo
Milan is going downnnnnnn

Why get rid of Pirlo ? He has went downhill I know but still is good enough to cut it.

Money talks and Kaka walks as Silvio suffers austerity

Friday 05 June 2009 10:00
Money doesn’t talk in Milan. It screams and shouts and pushes its way to the front of any massed gathering.

The ultras who congregated in front of AC Milan’s plush city centre headquarters on Thursday were always going to have a hard time being heard over the honking of horns, the rattle of passing trams and the rumble of sharp-suited businessmen on their mopeds making their way home after keeping the wheels of Italian finance turning.

The fans did their best with their terrace chants, flag-waving and igniting the odd flare, but it was like shouting into a gale-force wind.

Ricky Kaka is leaving this time, and no end of protests from those who populate the infamous Curva Sud at the San Siro is going to change anything.

It was so different back in January when it was Kaka’s turn to scream and stamp his foot at the very thought of going to Manchester City.

In the end, he got his way – against the wishes of the club and his father/agent.

Then it was an imperial wave from the window of his downtown apartment, but this time he’s out of town – smiling into the camera at Brazil’s training camp halfway round the world.

It is doubtful whether Kaka – who had thousands of Milan-supporting kids in tears at the start of the year at the thought of never seeing him in a red and black shirt again (goodness knows how their parents will pacify them this time) will return to the city to say farewell.

The magnitude of the situation has yet to sink in and this time Silvio Berlusconi will really have to face the music.

Being our leader, he has a small matter of voting in the European elections this weekend.

And even though he appeared on the country’s premier political television programme to drum up some last-minute support, he had to spend most of his time fielding questions about why he was selling his best player.

Of course, it’s all down to the economy, stupid – or should that be the stupid economy. Milan have a 70m euro black hole in their finances and suffered a 19 million euro loss last year – up some 8 percent from the previous season.

Real Madrid’s donation will ease the pressure on that debt and of course there will also be a massive wage bill wiped off the books.

Milan pay Kaka something in the region of 9m euro a year – net. If you want to see how his bank balance is faring by the second check out this sobering little site.

Of course, believe it or not, taxes do have to be paid in Italy and the club have to come up with the 43 percent demanded for the government coffers.

In Spain, the equivalent figure is 24 percent over five years so it’s obviously less of a burden for Real to pay the player the same amount.

Berlusconi explained all of this and more to the county’s rather large TV-watching public, and in doing so came across as one of the masses: a man with bills to pay at the end of the month, a man who wanted the best for his kids, a man who in these austere times had to make sacrifices.

A vote-winner? More than likely, and an electoral landslide would ease the pain of selling off his greatest asset and the best talent to have played in Italy for the last decade.

Besides picking the team, Berlusconi can now impose a wage cap at the club, something he has been planning for some time, with rumours flying that it will be set at a maximum of 3.5m euro a year for new signings (Ed: that’s about £60,000 per week, or less than half of John Terry’s wage) – with the squad average a lot lower.

Then there are a range of changes to save a cent or two, like cutting back on the number of 'free' flights home for South American players, and the comparable perks received by their European team-mates – something that is certain to get the dressing room grumbling at how unfair the world is.

Will these new measures entice the big names to join the club? If they’re in it just for the filthy lucre, probably not.

But then again, it’s still Milan: seven-time European Cup winners, the home of classy football and all that.

Players come and go, but the club will always be there. But try telling that to a young Rossoneri supporter with a No.22 Kaka shirt on his back.

Just as well they aren’t of voting age.

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Why do the Italians vote for a old pervert like that is beyond me.What a cunt.

Mafia -> big companies owned by Mafia -> Mafia company workers -> go to vote = Silvio B
Silvio B protect the mob business

Why Inter should sell Ibra – and buy Eto'o

Monday 08 June 2009 12:44
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an Inter player in as so much that up until last week he wore the club shirt and is the holder of a 12million Euro a year contract bestowed on him by a grateful Massimo Moratti.

Apart from that, the Swede has no qualms about wearing whatever striped shirt is thrown his way – be it black and white, black and blue or red and blue. He threatened legal action if he wasn't allowed to leave relegated Juventus, and his moody temperament and sultry demeanour will not be missed if he packs up and runs off to Barcelona.



The loss of Ricky Kaka would certainly be a major blow to Serie A’s prestige and morale, but the sulky Swede has never won over the Italian football public.

Yes, he finished top goalscorer in the league this season and at times produced some sublime moments of skill – but you would be hard-pressed to remember him producing the goods against either Juventus or Milan. If you need inspiration in key moments then Ibra is not your man – and of course he has been missing in action when it really matters, in the Champions League.

Better then for Moratti to swap one mega-contract for another and get his hands on a proven European performer in Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian is only a year older than his Inter counterpart, can score as many (if not more) astounding goals, has greater pace and seems on the whole to be more of a team player.

Ibra definitely wants to leave Italy, egged on by his agent Mino Raiola who has been letting everyone know how much his client would love to play for Barça. It seems that Eto’o is equally keen on remaining with the Catalans but a 15m Euro signing-on fee and 12m Euro salary – the same as Ibra's current wedge – should soften the blow.

You have to say that in these crazy times it would be excellent value for money.

The real benefit comes on the pitch, where Eto’o’s versatility would enable Jose Mourinho to employ his favoured 4-3-3 – a formation aborted early in the season when the Portuguese noted Ibra’s unwillingness to sacrifice himself more often for the greater cause.

With the more free-moving Diego Milito arriving from Genoa on the back of a 24-goal season to augment the emergent talents of Mario Balotelli, Eto’o would be the perfect spearhead to the attack. With that trio upfront, Inter’s strikeforce would be not only the most in Italy, but also one that would be very pleasing to the eye.

Bringing Eto’o to Serie A would definitely put a smile back on the face of Italian football – while finally getting rid of one unloved long mug.

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Hear hear

I read this yesterday, and before I read it I had a sudden change in heart about Ibrahimovic. As much as I like him, and as much as I disagree with most people, he can go. I won't have a problem with it. But I am not so sure if Eto'o will bring Inter Milan the Champions League title they are aching for.

Mourinho yet to find his fantasista

Tuesday 11 August 2009 09:00
Jose Mourinho had plenty of time during the long-haul trip back from China to mull over his current predicament going into the new season: where to find that spark of inspiration.

Inter may have dominated Lazio for long periods of the Super Cup, but there was little to really whet the appetite that Jose’s second season in charge is going serve up a feast of exciting football.

Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito look a potent strike-force, but what is lacking is that flash of panache to unlock the blanket defences the Nerazzurri will face throughout the campaign ahead.

Ah yes, the fantasista – the name says it all: fleet of foot, already playing two passes ahead of anyone else, the lone maverick in a sea of hard-running athletes who seem to dominate the modern game.


The regista – the deep-lying half-brother to the fantasista – is forever tugging at the heartstrings of Italian football fans.

But while the latter has flourished over the last decade, the former has become more and more of a hazy memory since Roberto Baggio hung up his pony-tail.

Suddenly the search for the perfect 10 is back in vogue.

Juventus bought Diego and AC Milan are relying on Ronaldinho, who was made aware that being a professional footballer in Italy cannot be taken lightly when he was whistled out of a Milanese nightclub last week by a group of Rossoneri revellers unhappy with the Brazilian’s nocturnal wanderings.

Fiorentina have been experimenting with Adrian Mutu playing behind Alberto Gilardino and flanked by two eager workers along the flanks, and Francesco Totti could well drop into a deeper role if AS Roma can capture a commanding target-man to operate alongside Mirko Vucinic.

Even Lazio are getting in on the act, with Francelino Matuzalem handed the ‘free-roaming role’ at the weekend, duly finding the back of the net albeit not in true fantasista fashion as the ball cannoned-off his face – but at least he was in an advanced position.

Mourinho employed Dejan Stankovic behind the front-two in Beijing, but the Serbian’s talents lie in work-rate rather then in sublime individualism, which leaves the Portuguese in something of a quandary less than two weeks before the big kick-off.

Ciro Ferrara, Leonardo, Cesare Prandelli and Luciano Spalletti have all been honing their combinations … be it 4-3-1-2, 4-2-3-1 and so forth.

So who is the number one for Mourinho?

In his mind’s eye Deco would be the dream ticket, but there is no way Carlo Ancelotti is going to make life that easy for a Champions League rival.

So with little chance of acquiring an Art-Deco, the Portuguese has turned his attention to the Dutch impressionists.

Rafael Van de Vaart and Wesley Sneijder will be the two names in the frame in the coming weeks, although the former seems to have been priced out of the running at 25 million euro.

However, it is not as if anyone is going to come cheap for Massimo Moratti, especially when you are searching the market for a work of art.

So unless the Inter owner is ready to open the piggy-bank again, the pretenders to the crown may have an early jump on the champions.

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Who needs Ibra and Kaka? Viva Zapater!

Wednesday 26 August 2009 12:30
It looked like one-way traffic out of Italy this summer. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ricky Kaka headed off to Spain, followed by thousands of Italian holidaymakers discovering that the Iberian coast is a lot more affordable than their own shores.

But there has been at least one welcome move in the opposite direction.

The opening weekend of the season was full of delightful and unexpected performances and topping the bill was without doubt Alberto Zapater.

Zapa who? Well, quite. There had been positive pre-season reports about the former Zaragoza midfielder, but no one could have expected such an eye-catching debut for Genoa against AS Roma.

Not only did he play Daniele de Rossi off the park - not something you can say often - but the 24-year-old scored a free-kick that would have had even Ronaldinho bowing his Alice band in appreciation. Or, further back in the day, Michel Platini putting on his best Gallic shrug and muttering “Mon Dieu”.

With Thiago Motta leaving Genoa for Inter, former local hero Diego Milito gave his old club the heads up on the strapping Spanish international and coach Gian Pier Gasperini got a genuine snip at 4.5million Euros.

La Liga’s loss, Serie A’s gain – and cheers to that.

Zapater wasn't the only player making a sudden impact. Edgar Alvarez has been knocking around Italian football for years, passing from one club to another with hardly anyone noticing him.

In fact, Francesco Totti couldn’t place the name despite sharing a dressing room with the Honduran for a season.

He’s now pitched up at Bari and one man not likely to forget his name is Inter's Javier Zanetti, who was left trailing in the speedy winger’s wake on Sunday evening.

For the ageing Argentinian, made to feel every one of his 36 years, it must have been akin to watching Usain Bolt disappear into the distance – albeit with a football tied to his boot.

There must be something in the water in Honduras: David Suazo is another speed demon from those parts – and let’s hope the popular striker finds a new club before he goes completely to seed at Inter.

Speaking of mysteriously unused Milanese squad members, remember when the Rossoneri had all those oldies lining up in defence and everyone was wondering how a club that had produced the likes of Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini couldn't nurture another half-decent youngster to fill the gap?

Well, one of those trainees-in-vain was Marcus Diniz, who came up through Milan's youth ranks at the Rossoneri after arriving from Brazil in 2005 but was shipped off to Monza and then Crotone on loan deals.

Now 22 and out on loan again at Livorno, the central defender turned in the sort of assured performance in the goalless draw with Cagliari that left one wondering why Milan kept wheeling out Kakha Kaladze, Giuseppe Favalli, or for that matter Philippe Senderos last season.

Marcus wasn't the only eye-catching loanee at the weekend. There has been talk of a goalkeeping crisis in the Italian game, but obviously no one has told Antonio Mirante.

Now 26, the keeper started as understudy for Gigi Buffon at Juventus before becoming another of football’s diaspora: wandering off for brief spells at Crotone (a popular stop-over), Siena and Sampdoria.

Samp were impressed enough to buy half of his registration from Juve before in turn loaning him to Parma, and this weekend his three extraordinary reflex saves did more than anything to earn the Gialloblu a point at Udinese.

The dazzling diamonds may have disappeared, but if you look hard enough there are little gems shining out there in the Italian game.

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great to see Zapater doing great