Crotone: Welcome to the Big leagues

Even with promotion being a mere formality, Crotone were reluctant to temp faith. Where other clubs would have t-shirts and banners made up and ready to celebrate their achievements the Squali had nothing of the sort.

All they had was the fourth officials board with a large A hastily taped on with gaffer tape that you know was only minutes before resting in the medical bag of the club’s doctor. It is though the perfect metaphor for Crotone’s season, no not that it has been held together by a bit of tape but instead it being one of frugalness and modesty. The Rossoblu have done something nobody surely not even themselves thought was possible come the start of this campaign. Even as the year went on the expectation was that they would fall away, there squad would lack the depth and that the pressure would eventually see them crack. Yet they never did, on the contrary it was their rivals that buckled under the relentless strain of the Calabrian advance.

An advance that has brought the club up into Serie A for the first time in its 93-year history. While this is first and foremost a massive sporting success the morale boost it gives to the city cannot be underestimated. In an excellent article for ESPNfc.com Michael Yokhin outlines that even by southern Italian standards Crotone is a poor town “It has been mismanaged for decades, and the unemployment rate is the highest rate in the country, incredibly estimated at 31% in 2015.” But even in times of economic despair there is always hope and calcio has delivered hope to the people of the town. This can easily be seen in the videos doing the rounds on Twitter and Facebook of the sea of people gathered together in the town watching on giant screens as the drama unfolded at the Stadio Braglia some 1000km away in the north.

When the final whistle did sound it released an out pouring of emotion and joy, none more so than in the heart of Crotone’s remarkable manager Ivan Juric who in the aftermath of the promotion described it as the “biggest thrill of my sporting life”. Juric has done such a remarkable job with the side it is easy to forget it is only his first year in the job after taking over from the Cesena bound Massimo Drago at the end of last season. What’s more Juric has not just taken the final leap with a bunch of perennial play-off hopefuls, he has turned a club who for vast shades of last season were very much in danger of dropping into Lega Pro into the best club in the second tier.

How has he done this in such a short period of time, firstly through an innovative 3-4-3 formation and secondly by perfectly blending the right amount of youth and experience into squad. One such experienced head was Raffaele Palladino the man who got the all-important goal that sent the club up. Now 32 years old Palladino has always been a supremely talented but equally frustrating footballer. On his day the Neapolitan native has the skills to match any body yet that day has not come nearly enough in his career. In fact, Palladino found himself sitting at home without a club until January after the bankruptcy of Parma in the summer. Juric and Crotone though were willing to take and punt and man has it paid off. In his 19 matches since joining he has chipped in with four goals but perhaps more importantly seven assists. On Twitter after the match he described the promotion as “An indescribable Joy, a unique emotion.”

It has not only been Palladino though who has made this season what it was. 33-year-old goalkeeper Alex Cordaz started last season as 3^rd choice with Parma behind Alessandro Iacobucci and Antonio Mirante, he is now the glue that holds together the stingiest defence in Serie B. Along with him at the back in veteran Brazilian centre half Claiton who has been a rock all year long. As mention already it is not only the veterans who have gotten Crotone this far but some very talented young and youngish players. Such as Andrea Barberis, Leonardo Capezzi and the jewel in the crown Federico Ricci.

The on loan Roma player has been a joy to watch this season and is surely set for big things in the game but another year at the Ezio Scida would do him no harm. Slightly up the age bracket Adrian Stoian and Bruno Martella have been immense. Yet even though all these players have been critical to the success one man you feel stands at the head of it all. When Ante Budimir joined at the beginning of the season on loan from St Pauli in the German second tier very little was expected, certainly from the outside looking in. The big Bosnian though has turned out to be one of the revelations of the 2015/16 Serie B season. His 16 league goals this season see him sit fourth in the top scorer charts but it is not only this, his all round play and general ability to make a nuisance of himself has caused havoc for so many a Serie B defence.

Embed from Getty Images

The question now for Crotone is where to next, obviously they are going to party hard for days to come and why not but once the dust settles what way will they approach their new adventure. Juric has already said that he will have a word with the players to see if they want to go hard in the last three matches and win the title or just be happy with the promotion. Come next season though you would have to think that survival will be the main objective and even at that it is going to prove mighty tough. If they are to stay up the retention of the likes of Federico Ricci and Ante Budimir will be key. Let’s not forget this is not a club with money to spend if they are to survive they will be doing it on a shoestring.

However, that is still some way down the road, a problem for another day instead let us concentrated on what an achievement it is that Crotone have won promotion to Serie A. It is something that deserves to be lauded for years to come. Welcome to the big leagues Crotone I’m sure you’re going to fit in very well.

CROTONE, ITALY – APRIL 23: Team of Crotone celebrate after the Serie B match between FC Crotone and Como Calcio at Stadio Comunale Ezio Scida on April 23, 2016 in Crotone, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

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Verratti: “We’ll give Marchisio a gift with a great Euro”

 PSG and Italy’s midfielder Marco Verratti spoke to Sky Sport on the next big challenge of his career, the Euro.

“I’m putting minutes into my legs, it’s a time that I feel good and hope to continue on like this because I want to find myself ready for the Euro. Marchisio? He’s an important player, but unfortunately we’ll have to do without him, let’s hope we can give him a big gift.”

Italy play two friendlies against Finland and Scotland before travelling to their base in Montpellier in France. After that the Azzurri’s first game is against Belgium in their group.

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Examining Napoli and Juventus’ performances through game states.

With Radja Nainggolan scoring an 89th minute winner against Napoli on Monday, Juventus have officially won their fifth Scudetto in a row. It did seem like this would finally be someone else’s year, with Juventus’ slow start and all. But what can you do when a team gains 73 points out of a possible 75, going 25 unbeaten? There’s not a lot you can do.

So congratulations to Juventus, but where did it go wrong for Napoli? Well if you had to pin point a moment it would have to be Zaza’s strike when Napoli visited the Juventus stadium. But did Juventus win simply because they’re more experienced in these title run ins?

Game states is a really interesting analytical tool. Because we cannot quantitatively measure ‘heart’, ‘passion’ or ‘bottle’, game states gives us a bit of an insight. Game states refers to the state of the game the two teams are playing (obviously), essentially there are three states, winning, drawing or losing. It can then be broken into my specific categories such as a +2 game state, meaning a team has a 2-0, 3-1, 4-2, etc. lead on the other team.

The turning point for Juventus came with a derby win against Torino on Hallowe’en, before that win Juventus had a measly 12 points from ten games. The game states from these games are pretty shocking.

A quick look at Juventus’ transformation

(Note: Goals against for the losing game status was removed purely for chart aesthetics. For the record in the losing game state Juventus conceded a goal every 292 minutes (one goal). Another note is that this is only ten games and is a rather small sample size)

(Note: The sample size for the losing game state is small because Juventus only spent 28 minutes in a losing state! Conceding exactly one goal.)

Holy crap. Look at that difference.

In pre-Torino, the obvious problem was goals and this was confirmed in by the eye test. In those early games Juventus seemed so sluggish, and when they did fall behind, they rarely seemed like they could stage much of a comeback.

Post-Torino, it looks like Juventus’ absurd defense provided an excellent base for Juventus’ attack to prosper. Remember, this was an attack that had lost Carlos Tevez and Paolo Dybala was still finding his feet (and game time) in Turin. It appears as though there were nerves during the early parts of the season. As pointed out in my first advanced stats piece, Juventus’ defense was really unlucky and heavily underperforming. As Juventus’ backline regressed to their usual level of play, it seemed to elevate the whole team.

I mean, these numbers are scary. They really are. Juventus rarely went for the jugular when in a winning state (we’ll see Napoli’s numbers in a second) but again, it was the defense that did most of the work. In a drawing state, Juventus were rather likely to score a goal, and once in the lead, they just rarely surrendered it.

Juventus’ offensive numbers really aren’t impressive and game states only enforce that Juventus’ success is built on that incredible defense, perhaps more so this year than ever before.

Those pesky Southerners

Damn. Look at that minutes per goals for ratio. But wait, it gets better.

I guess there is beauty in the numbers. While Juventus’ sturdy defense meant a one or two goal lead was enough to see out the game, Napoli seemed to enjoy going for the jugular.

Even when leading by two or more goals, they scored at a rate of 33 minutes per goal! It’s insane and it’s a testament to what a joy to watch they were this year, regardless of them not winning the title. Napoli’s numbers through various game states really are impressive and even their underlying advanced statistics are great.

It’s likely that any other year this Napoli team win the title. What if Pepe Reina doesn’t just flap at Zaza’s strike? These revisions will haunt Napoli fans forever. Not enough people are talking about just how historic this Juventus side are due to their awful start.

Head to head

(Note: Incredibly small sample for -2, probably best to disregard)

As previously mentioned, Juventus were not as ‘jugular cutting’ as Napoli but were a hell of a lot more pragmatic, which again links back to their foundational defense.

 

(Note: Small sample with Napoli and Juventus’ -2)

Napoli’s defence is still pretty good, especially when they possess the lead in a game, but Juventus’ is different gravy. When in the lead, they rarely ever surrender the lead or give their opponents a chance to get back into the game.

Juventus’ approach could be summed in one word – pragmatic. Like a well oiled machine, Juventus would score and shut up shop for the rest of the game. Mistakes have been ever so rare this campaign and almost every move has seemed incredible calculated, from substitutes to transfer business.

Conclusion

Of course there’s no direct link between game states and ‘experience’, in fact if anything we’ve learned about how Napoli and Juventus’ styles have differed. To be honest, I didn’t think Juventus’ defense was this good and I’m sure their numbers from their past four Scudetto triumphs look a lot like this. As long as this foundational defense stays in place, Juventus are going to keep winning. Even with most of their spine replaced (Tevez, Pirlo, Vidal), this team was still able to go on a historic win even after a slow start. All thanks to the defense.

So in actual fact, maybe it was Juventus’ experience and ‘fight’ that allowed them to stay in the Scudetto race.

As for Napoli, this team was a hell of a lot of fun to watch and I hope their nucleus stays together. This team will definitely be up there next season and who knows, maybe the ‘experience’ from this year’s Scudetto race will invaluable.

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OFFICIAL: Juventus buy out Lemina from OM

The Bianconeri have decided on fully purchasing the rights of Mario Lemina from Olympique Marseille.

The midfielder, acquired on a loan deal last summer from OM, is now a full Juventus player. The club has exercised their right to acquire at full Mario Lemina.

In a statement on the club’s website, Juventus announced the following:

“Juventus Football Club S.p.A announces to have exercised today the right to acquire outright player Mario Lemina from Olympique de Marseille SASP. The contract calls for a payment of €9.5 million in four installments. €3.5 million come May 20th 2016, €1.5 million by November 30th 2016, €1.5 million by February 28th 2017 and a final €3 million by July 30th 2017.”

The value of the acquisition could rise by €1m by reaching determined performance objectives during the contract.

The player signed a deal that keeps him in Turin until June 2020.

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OFFICIAL: Di Natale to leave Udinese, but not retire

Club legend Antonio Di Natale has told the media on Friday that this will be the end of his career at Udinese.

The 38 year old forward scored 226 goals in 439 matches for the Zebrette, and has his sights on the legendary Giuseppe Meazza on the Serie A scoring list.

“I’ve gone two months without playing a game, I’ve had a big muscular problem which has kept me out. I hope to return as soon as possible and be there against Carpi for what will be my last match at the Friuli.

“These have been 12 intense years. My career at Udinese is worthy of a film, but now I’m no longer a protagonist. If I leave, I leave with my head held high, I gave everything.

“I’m proud to have done so much for this shirt, I’ve had a lot of satisfaction and achieved a lot of records thanks to my teammates and the club.

“It’s been the best 12 years of my life. I’m proud of what I did on the pitch, but also off it, rejecting many teams.

“It will be a beautiful emotion to greet all of those who made me feel at home here. I’ll see what I want to do after that, but right now all that counts is Udinese, which is more important than anything. Even Toto.”

Currently, Di Natale sits 6th on the all-time Serie A scoring list, and wants to catch 4th place Giuseppe Meazza before retiring.

“I won’t stop playing. I still have something to give, and I’ll try to chase down Meazza.”

During his 12 year stint he turned down big money moves to Juventus and AC Milan in favor of Udinese. Previously in Serie A he had played for Empoli.

 

 

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Three Reasons Why Roma Should Renew Totti’s Contract

The famous saying “all good things must come to an end” is a saying that does not float to well with Roma, the tifosi and Francesco Totti.

If it were up to the captain he’d never retire it seems, but sadly one day he will have to. As of right now, Francesco Totti is NOT under contract for the 2016/17 season which means as of now his Roma career is ending in just a couple weeks. Soon enough we will find out what the future holds for Il Capitano as the big decision that’s taken over the city of Rome from president James Pallotta will soon happen. What to decide? To either renew Francesco’s contract or to decline a renewal. Of course the #10 still wants to play and the latest reports suggest that Pallotta will indeed hand him a new contract for another year.

Today we will look at 3 reasons why Roma should renew Totti’s contract.

The first reason is Totti still has ‘it’. Maybe not as a starter but as a sub coming late in the game he can still make the difference for Roma. It’s been proven, in Roma’s last four games it was Totti who entered the game as a sub and changed the game for his side. Against Bologna he assisted the tying goal, against Atalanta he scored the game tying goal against Torino, Totti created one of the most memorable games of the season thanks his brace off the bench to give Roma a 3-2 win vs Torino and lastly against Napoli it was him who when he entered changed the game and made a wonderful pass that led to Nainggolan’s game winner. If there is something to take from these past couple weeks it’s that he is someone who can still offer something. Maybe he can’t as a starter for 70-90 minutes, but he can as a sub, when other legs are tired and Roma are in need of some heroic moment, he can still do it.

AS Roma’s fans hold a poster reading “Totti King of Rome” before the Italian Serie A football match AS Roma vs Napoli on April 25, 2016 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. / AFP / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

Secondly, Roma must keep the fans happy and create the best possible atmosphere going into next season. The talk of the country, the talk of the city of Rome has been simply only about Totti. Imagine what it would be like if Roma were to not renew Totti and then next season they see their captain in the MLS? Massive protests (adding to the existing ones) will happen. It’ll create a horrible environment in a season where Roma would want to take their game to the next level and challenge for the title. Roma fans are always behind Totti. They don’t want to see their captain leave when he still wants to play. Totti lifts up the energy within the team and the crowd when he enters the game. Just look at the last couple games to see what he means to the fans, and even players.

Lastly, Totti sells. In terms of a marketing aspect Totti would be great for Roma. We must look at the business side of things as well. It’ll come into play for sure. To this day Francesco Totti is still #1 in shirt sells, despite new faces like Salah, El Shaarawy, Perotti and guys like Nainggolan, Pjanic & Florenzi it’s still the Captain who sells the most shirts. The type of marketing campaign you can have with ‘”Totti’s final year”, would be astronomically profitable. Totti always has and always will sell. It’s not that Totti should be just looked at a product that sells, but this is something that’ll benefit Roma on the business side of things, something the management will for sure want to take into account when making their decision on renewing Totti’s contract or not.

Francesco Totti must remain. This isn’t a case of taking the old dog out of his misery, because the old dog is still flapping his tail.

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Roma submits technical documentation for new Stadium to CONI

Roma have been working over the last few years to submit all the needed paperwork to the government to begin construction of their new stadium.

“Stadio della Roma representatives today submitted technical documentation to the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) for a preliminary review,” Roma stated in an official release.

“This represents the beginning of the final submission process that will see the comprehensive dossier of the Tor di Valle / Stadio della Roma project presented to Regione Lazio.

“As part of this submission, CONI will receive the project’s detailed designs and narrative reports for the stadium, new training complex and Roma Village prepared by a group of national and international team of experts.

“Presenting the stadium designs to CONI is the first step of our submission process,” commented David Ginsberg from Stadio della Roma. “CONI has always been an honorable and important partner for AS Roma and we look to continue this long-lasting partnership for many years to come.

“We also want to confirm our support to CONI for the Rome 2024 Olympic Games candidacy and we hope that Stadio della Roma will play a key role for this important event.”

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Fiorentina set to send back all their loanees except Tello

Fiorentina’s January window was rated as one of the worst in Serie A and for good reason as the club has collapsed in the late going

Paulo Sousa wasn’t happy then and he surely isn’t happy now. He asked for valuable reinforcements and instead got scrap metal. According to Florence based newspaper, La Nazione all the deals that were signed in January will be canceled in the summer. Outside of Zarate, who the club acquired on a transfer, only Cristian Tello still has the possibility to play for his stay while the others will be going back to where they came.

Tino Costa, Yohan Benalouane and Panagiotis Kone will all return to their respective clubs.

Fiorentina will begin negotiating with Barcelona in the event they decide to keep Tello, and ask for a lower fee to acquire him on a transfer.

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Milan interested in Lucas Biglia: The Latest

AC Milan are looking to rebuild their midfield following another disastrous campaign.

Montolivo, Bertolacci and Poli simply aren’t cutting it for the Rossoneri. Now the club is taking a long look at Lazio’s Lucas Biglia in order to revamp the disappointing Milan outfit.

Biglia arrived in Italy in 2013 from Belgium’s RSC Anderlecht and adapted very well to Serie A. He even played in the FIFA World Cup finale with Argentina and has been capped 40 times by his country.

According to RAI Sport, Milan are preparing an offer to submit to Lazio for their captain, the fee will have to be quite steep given the fact the two teams are in the same league.

Biglia fought off some injuries this year, but played in 34 matches in all competitions and directly contributed to 11 goals.

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Juventus ready to make official bid for Andre Gomes

Scudetto. Check. Andre Gomes? It’s a work in progress.

3 Serie A games and a Coppa Italia finale are all that separates Juventus from another successful campaign but they aren’t stopping there.

On the mercato front there’s movement for the midfield with Marchisio being out for a long period of time. Valencia’s star midfielder Andre Gomes is the tier 1 target for the Bianconeri and according to Sky Sports, they are about ready to make an official bid.

In a figure similar to that of Paulo Dybala, Juventus are ready to offer €30 million plus bonuses for the 22 year-old midfielder from Portugal. The bonus package may well be an upwards of an additional €20 million, bringing the total deal to an astonishing €50 million if all goes to plan.

This is because Valencia very highly rates the young Portugal international and won’t let him go easily. However, there is a problem and that is in the player’s agent. Jorge Mendes isn’t convinced about bringing players to Italy. He’d rather make deals with other giants in some cases.

After Juventus present an offer to Mendes, who is on his way to Milan, then he will meet with the president of Valencia and feel things out.

Juventus are looking for a big marquee signing at the beginning of the window to kick-start next season’s campaign which is already being touted as “Champions League trophy or bust”.

So far this season, Gomes has played in 38 total matches and has scored 3 goals for Valencia in all competitions.

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Torino Set To Offer Roma Bruno Peres For Leandro Paredes

With Roma’s interest in Bruno Peres increasing, Torino will look to make the most of it and secure one of the peninsula’s most highly rated midfielders.

According to Tuttosport, Torino are keen admirers of Roma’s Leandro Paredes and have made him their number one target this summer. In order to bring the highly-rated midfielder to Turin, they will offer Luciano Spalletti’s side Bruno Peres, a player the giallorossi have followed closely in recent weeks.

Without Rudi Garcia at the club, the departure of Leandro Paredes is possible. The Argentine midfielder has been in fine form this season for Empoli and has attracted the interest from a number of Serie A clubs. That said, it remains the be seen whether Roma are willing to part ways with the talented midfielder before giving him a chance at the club.

Roma’s interest in Bruno Peres has intensified over the last few weeks therefore this is an offer that they may consider.

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Higuain’s Future Dependent On Second Place Finish

Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain will consider leaving the club this summer if they are unable to claim second place in the closing stages of the season.

According to Tuttosport, Higuain’s future is dependent on Napoli finishing in second place this season. With direct qualification into the Champions League secured, the club will be able to make a stronger case for him to stay beyond this season. Offering him a luxurious salary won’t change anything as the Argentine international wants to be a part of an ambitious project. His departure would stunt a lot of the progress the club has made this season and would set them back considerably.

This season Higuain has been in sensational form for the partenopei and has made a case as the best #9 in the world. With Champions League football within his grasp, Il Pipita will be keen to close out the season strongly. Last season, Napoli let European football slip away in the final day against Lazio, a mistake they cannot afford to make this time around.

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Capello Favorite To Succeed Conte, De Biasi The Outsider

With Antonio Conte leaving the national team post after the Euros for Chelsea, there is a major vacancy.

In recent days, a number of names have been linked with the Azzurri job. In an interview today with Sportmediaset Walter Zenga said:

“The next national team manager will be Gianni De Biasi.”

This is what Carlo Tavecchio had to say about the rumors,:

“Until the 21st of May, I will not be making any decisions as from now to then a lot of things will change that can affect our decision.”

De Biasi, however, has emerged as a legitimate candidate for the job following his good work with Albania. Under his guidance, Albania qualified for their first ever Euros. That said, Fabio Capello remains Tavecchio’s first choice for the job despite the former Russia tactician’s prior denials. The main stumbling block is his wage but certain sponsors will help in this respect like they did with Antonio Conte.

Other than Capello, there are a few other candidates. The names of Ventura, Gasperini and Donadoni have come up but are less possible at this moment and time. With Capello as his main target, Tavecchio is set to push hard for the former Juventus man.

 

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Manchester United, Liverpool the latest to compete for Caceres

When you think of Martin Caceres, you think of an excellent backup to one of the best defensive trios of all time.

However, in that same breath, you can’t help but immediately think of the poor decisions he’s made off the field and a few long term injuries he’s suffered while at Juventus. In the end, it’s that combination that has allowed Juventus to leave his contract expire and thus be signed on a free transfer by another club.

For the past few weeks Caceres’ agent, Daniel Foncesca, has met with the likes of Roma and Napoli who are interested in acquiring the decorated Uruguayan defender. Now there are two new names in the race as Liverpool and Manchester United have reportedly demonstrated concrete interest.

At the end of the day it’s Martin who will make the decision on his future, big clubs want him, for at the moment he’s spoiled for choice.

The 5 time Scudetto winning centerback played in only 9 games this season, due in large part to his club suspension for a suspected DUI, and an Achilles’ Tendon rupture in the early months of 2016.

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Roma Will Sell One of Two Midfield Stars

With the summer transfer window around the corner, it’s being reported that Roma are bracing themselves for a big sale in the midfield.

According to Tuttosport, a sale of a big midfielder at Roma is inevitable. They will however wait to see where they finish the season. At the moment, it looks incredibly likely that one of Miralem Pjanic or Radja Nainggolan will leave the club in the summer.

Right now, Roma would prefer selling Pjanic for two reasons: Firstly, his sale would present a massive profit in their books. Secondly, his 38 million euros release clause means that the giallorossi would be able to reinvest the money right away. However, no club has made a concrete offer for either player as of yet, via Tuttosport.

 

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Balotelli to Miss Euros?

Mario Balotelli.  A name we have all heard before, but one that seems to stick around even after a conversation.

In Antonio Conte’s, his name or conversations  including him won’t be going away anytime soon.

The question on everyone’s mind as of late, will Balotelli miss the European Championship this upcoming summer?

Having had a great tournament in 2012, Italy and Balotelli made an early exit from the 2014 World Cup as they were knocked out of the group stage for the second consecutive time.  This would be the last time Balo would put on the Azzurri blue.

From then to now, Balotelli has been close to the spotlight, but nothing compared to his early career antics.  Today, Balotelli is in the news and in the headlines for different reasons.  Since Balo has learned to ‘behave’ himself, people are focusing more on his ability and performance.

Why else would they be so worried whether he made the final squad this summer or not?

Without Balo, Italy qualified at the top of Group H with 16 goals, but ran into some trouble in the past month.  The first game against Spain on March 24th was what most people would have expected with the exception of Italy’s lack of goal scoring opportunities.  Italy were not creative and un-motivated in the final third and were lucky to net a goal from the boot of Insigne.  A total mental collapse against Germany a couple days later would prove to Conte (if he didn’t see it already) that his 3-5-3 needed some work and that Italy need a proven goalscorer leading their attack.

The fact of the matter is, Italy needs Balotelli.  And I understand that a lot of people will be upset and angry with this statement, but it’s the truth.  Look at the numbers through Euro 2016 Qualifying:

Pelle – 7 appearances, 3 goals

Eder – 5 appearances, 2 goals

Zaza – 5 appearances, 1 goal

El Shaarawy (when he was used as a striker) – 4 appearances, 1 goal

Event in Friendlies from the end of the 2014 World Cup to now, Immobile, Pelle, Okaka, and El Shaarawy have each scored one goal a piece in three or more appearances.

Compared to Balotelli’s 33 appearances and 13 goals for his country, there in no comparison.  Even Giovinco, with 23 total appearances, was only able to muster 1 goal.  It is clear who Italy’s best option is here, but you have to factor in recent performance and quality of play right up to the tournament.

 

With Milan having 3 remaining league games left on their schedule and 1 meeting in the Copa Italia final with Scudetto winning Juventus, Balotelli has the potential to make his case known.  He has started off on the right foot with new manager Cristian Brocchi, but was recently replaced by Jeremy Menez against Hellas Verona.  We are all aware of the poor season Mario and Milan have had, but my concern is, who will be the goalscorer in this years major tournament if Balo doesn’t make the cut?

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Milan Announce Loss of 89.3 Million Euros

Today, Milan announced some bad news in regards to their recent balance as they recorded a hefty loss.

In a meeting today, Milan’s loss of 89.3 million euros was confirmed. Fininvest approved the budget of the financial year on the 31st of December and confirmed the losses as well.

Without Champions League football or any sort of European football for that matter, Milan will once again struggle to turn a profit next season. However, there have been reports suggesting that Milan are subject to a buyout from Chinese e-commerce giant site Alibaba. In recent days, Jack Ma is said to be weighing up  the possibility of acquiring the club. As a result, it may alleviate their financial issues for the foreseeable future. Ma is currently the 29th richest man in the world.

 

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The Best Recent Moments of Italian Football

A look at a few bright spots of the last 20 years for the Italians.

Italy certainly has a storied history on the football world stage, whether it is from Serie A teams killing it in the Champions League or UEFA Cup, or more memorably, when their national team wins multiple world cups, creating nostalgia for their good denizens. Certainly, the Azzurri have had their big moments. Let’s revisit some of the biggest in their national history.

Roberto Baggio at World Cup 1994
You would need a long highlight reel to capture all of his brilliance during this tournament, his infamous Final penalty kick notwithstanding. That famous mullet of his fuelled his equaliser in the dying minutes against Nigeria, only to upstage that moment with his extra-time game winner in the same match. Against Spain in the win or go home stages of the final eight, it was his foot that brought home the 2-1 winner. And to get his team to the Final, it was he who scored a deuce on his Bulgarian opponents. One of the all-time greatest performances in World Cup history.
Fabio Cannavaro at World Cup 2006
Sticking with an overall body of work throughout an entire tourney, the captain of this World Cup winning squad made headlines for the Azzurri by ultimately winning the Silver Ball award given to the most outstanding player in Germany. He was a foundation in his ability to clear balls, win headers against opposing attackers and midfielders, and setting into motion his own team’s offense. When your team only concedes goals on an own-goal and a penalty, you know you have a stalwart defence, and that was exemplified by one Fabio Cannavaro.
Fabio Grosso’s semi-final and Final Goals at World Cup 2006
As part of Italy’s magical run in Germany, Grosso powered them through the final stages in some crucial moments. After a tie game in the semi-final game at the end of extra time with the host country (and the sound of hundreds of thousands of fans screaming for them to go through), Grosso struck magic. The goalkeeper, Lehmann, had not a chance as he watched ball go into the right side of the net after a Pirlo feed for the setup. Against the favoured Germans, not even a new casino savant who had the luck of never losing once at http://ift.tt/1TeDhc2 could have predicted the Italian fortune in this game. Then, against a strong French squad in the Final, during the highest of all stakes penalty shootout, Grosso stepped up big. The man with nerves of steel had a perfect strike right in the top right corner which signalled another World Cup trophy for the Azzurri.

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Juventus, Evra: ”Winning Is A Habit Here”

Patrice Evra calls Juventus a ‘war machine’ where winning is a habit for the Scudetto-winning club and discusses his future with the Bianconeri.

Following his club clinching an historic 5th consecutive Scudetto, Patrice Evra spoke with La Gazzetta dello Sport and revealed what he said in the locker room after their defeat to Sassuolo back in October:

I said to my colleagues: ‘According to you, do you think it is normal that we are throwing away the championship? With all due respect to Fiorentina and Inter, I do not think we are aware of what we are doing. Enough excuses, stop saying that it is a heavy weight wearing this jersey. It is all in our head, we must only run and respect this jersey.’ And that is what it was. Those who play for Juventus, play to win the Scudetto. Those who will wear this jersey next year, will wear it to win the Champions League. This is the objective. It means looking in the mirror and asking yourself: Are you scared or are you up for it? We have done our work. It is not being conceited but winning here is a habit.

On his contract renewal:

I have not yet made a decision. I have had two special years at Juventus, at the end of the season we will meet and I say yes or no. I have to be honest with myself and with Juventus. There are no problems, it is a decision that I have to make.

On their comeback in the league:

We are a war machine. We want to win every game. For Allegri, what counts now is the quality of our performance is worth more than the result because he is already thinking about next year to be at the top in the Champions League.

On the Champions League:

Being eliminated in the Round of 15 was disappointing, because this year the team was more mentally ready than before to win the cup. Juventus is the best in Europe as an organization. My teammates told me that two years ago, there was uncertainty in the Champions League. Now the mentality has changed and you can see it in the big games. We we play against teams like Bayern, I can see in the faces of my teammates that we are Juventus and we can win everything.

On Allegri:

He is a manager who is easy to understand. He makes you see the road ahead. I understood who I was dealing with when we played the return game against Borussia Dortmund. He showed us a series of movements and everything he illustrated happened on the pitch. It was incredible.

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Sassuolo, Carnevali: ”Juventus Are Not The Only Club Following Berardi”

Giovanni Carnevali confirms there are other suitors tracking Sassuolo startlet Domenico Berardi.

In a recent interview with Sky Sport, Sassuolo’s Director General Giovanni Carnevali spoke about Berardi’s future, Eusebio Di Francesco and being the Italian Leicester:

On Domenico Berardi:

Juventus are not the only club following Berardi. There are many assessments that will need to be done and we will do them.

On Eusebio Di Francesco:

We were optimistic about the stay of Di Francesco. We think the same way and share the same ideas. We are proud to continue this project, we were optimistic and in fact, he renewed. For the moment, we are not thinking about the transfer market, there are still three games remaining. We are training to give it our all and to surpass Milan. We will do our work in the best way possible and hope to secure a Europa League spot.

On being called the Italian ‘Leicester’:

They are doing a lot more than us. We will try to emulate them, step by step.

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Roma Fans Start Petition For Totti Renewal

With Francesco Totti’s future hanging in the balance, Roma fans have taken action into their own hands.

Yesterday it was reported that Mauro Baldissoni will fly back to Rome and meet with James Pallotta to discuss the future of Francesco Totti. In addition, they have reportedly set the date of May 8th as the deadline to announce their decision regarding their legendary captain’s future.

In recent hours, it’s been said that the giallorossi will give their captain a new contract. However, his role within the side is likely to be a reduced one. Roma fans are clearly unhappy with the uncertainty surrounding their hero’s future and have started a petition to hand Totti a renewal. At the moment, the petition has 87 signatures and can be found here. The goal is set at 100 signatures therefore it would need a further 13.

Have your say – Do you believe Totti should be handed a renewal? If yes/no, why?

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Juventus To Go All Out For Cavani But Identify Alternative

Juventus’ dream signing this summer remains Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani but will go after an Everton man should it fall through.

Today, Premium Sport reported that Juventus are still dreaming of bringing Edinson Cavani back to Italy this summer. However, they will only find out if it’s possible in a few weeks given the French giants’ other commitments. Should the negotiations for Cavani fail to take off or fall through, the bianconeri have identified another striker.

Everton’s Romelu Lukaku is another player that interests Juventus and they will target him if a potential Cavani acquisition is deemed impossible.

 

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Candreva Wants To Leave, Inter In Pole Position

Lazio’s Antonio Candreva wants out from the capital club and Inter are reportedly the likeliest of destinations right now.

According to FcInterNews.it, Candreva has set his mind on a Lazio departure at the end of this season. The player’s entourage will meet with Lazio’s management in the middle of May to formalize his departure. At the moment, Inter are in pole position to sign the Italian international. However, in the last few days Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid have entered the Candreva sweepstakes. He will reportedly cost potential suitors a fee of approximately 30 million euros.

Inter fans, do you want to see Candreva at your club? By contrast, Lazio fans, who do you want to see come in to replace him?

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Who is Jack Ma, Milan’s Potential Buyer?

Today it was reported that Chinese business man Jack Ma is interested in buying Milan this summer but who exactly is he?

Following the reports suggesting that Ma would buy Milan, Tuttomercatoweb released an article highlighting his resume and profile.

“Jack Ma is from Hangzhou and began teaching English at a university in 1990. At the moment, he’s the 29th richest man in the world. Recently, it’s been reported that he’s a potential buyer for Milan. He made his fortunes thanks to his Chinese giant e-commerce site Alibaba. He founded it in 1998 with 18 others for 60,000 dollars. From then on, many people invested in his venture. It would only take three years for Alibaba to make its return on investment and by 2012, its revenue would surpass that of Ebay and Amazon. Alibaba along with Alibaba Sports Group, owns Guangzhou Evergrande and also owns 20% of Suning, the giant behind Inter’s potential buyout. Ma was also the first Chinese man to appear on Forbes.”

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Roma Face Stiff Competition For Bruno Peres

Roma have identified their right back position as an area for improvement and are reportedly targeting Torino’s Bruno Peres.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Roma are keen admirers of Bruno Peres and will make a move for him this summer. They will, however, face stiff competition for the player’s signature from abroad as his performances have caught the eye of many.

Recent reports coming out of France suggest that Ligue Un giants Paris Saint-Germain are in the market for a right back as Gregory van der Wiel is on his way out. That would leave Serge Aurier as the side’s only right back. As a result, Laurent Blanc’s side have entered the running for Bruno Peres.

The Brazilian has arguably been the league’s best right back for the past two seasons and is crying out for a move to a big club.

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Juventus 2015-2016: The Defining Moments In Pictures

The 2015-2016 season has been a challenging but ultimately successful one for Juventus filled with both joy and heartbreak.

This is a season review in pictures of the biggest moments in the season that was for the bianconeri. Let us know @ItalianFD if you think we missed something here.

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Juventus’ 5th Consecutive Scudetto Highlights Their Superiority Over the Rest of Serie A

Napoli’s loss to Roma on Monday handed Juventus their fifth consecutive Scudetto, a feat only previously achieved in Italy by the bianconeri themselves (1931-35), Torino (1943-49) and Inter*. (2006-2010)

Aside of their first title under Antonio Conte in which they went the entire season undefeated, Juventus have typically strolled to the league title in these past five years. However, this season was very different. With Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal all leaving for greener pastures, new faces came in and were forced to step up. Well, they didn’t quite do this at first. Going into November, Massimiliano Allegri’s side found themselves in 12th place, 11 points off league leaders Roma. Today, they find themselves 12 points ahead second place Napoli and with the Scudetto in their back pocket. Looking back, it’s actually quite funny. By that same token, it demonstrates just how good Juve are in comparison to their competition.

In their last 25 league games, Juventus have claimed all three points in all but one occasion. If you’re not quite good at basic math, that means they took 73 out of a possible 75 points on their path to the Scudetto. Quite frankly, that’s a historic rate. With only Napoli in their way, the Italian champions steamrolled the competition and never looked back after Simone Zaza’s deflected effort beat Pepe Reina on that Valentine’s Day weekend.

Embed from Getty Images

Over the last few days, a lot has been made about Napoli bottling it. While they could have done better in a few of their games down the stretch *cough Udinese *cough, a team that drops two points out of a potential 75 cannot be stopped. We mustn’t also forget that this Napoli side is only in year one under Sarri while Juventus have been dominating Serie A together for the past five years. But I digress. Back to Juventus. They’re pretty good.

With three games left on the season against the league’s cellar dwellers, they may very well hit 94 points. To put things into perspective, they had 12 points after 10 games and already picked up four defeats on the season. Fast forward 25 rounds and they’re still on four defeats. In fact, if Juventus didn’t play any of those ten first games, they would still find themselves ahead of Napoli right now. But how were they able to do it? For one, Allegri doubled down with the 3-5-2 after experimenting with a 4-3-3/4-3-1-2 and provided his men with tactical clarity. On the other hand, his men stepped up.

Sami Khedira, a player who was supposedly finished when he joined on a free from Real Madrid, dominated the proceedings in the middle of the park and is yet to lose a Serie A game. Without a shadow of a doubt, the German international is the signing of the summer. Claudio Marchisio had a similar effect on the side and performed admirably in his first season as the team’s regista. It wouldn’t be much of an article on Juventus without mentioning the importance of Paul Pogba. Simply put, the Frenchman elevated his game to a level previously unseen from him and has emerged as Juventus’ go-to man. In his last five games, il Polpo has scored three goals and registered a further five assists. Pogba’s 2015-2016 has gone a long way to discredit the ludicrous notion that he’s only a vine player. Seriously, stop watching football if you still believe that.

Embed from Getty Images

And what about Gigi Buffon? At 38 year’s young, Buffon had one of the best seasons of his career and broke the record for most minutes gone in Serie A without conceding a goal. The argument could be made that he was actually Juventus’ player of the season. Of course, Paulo Dybala will have something to say about that. The former Palermo man was sublime all year long and made Juventus fans forget about a certain Boca Juniors man. Carlos, who? In most games where Juventus struggled to unlock the opponent’s tight defense in stepped la Joya and made the difference. Speaking of difference makers, the contributions from the underrated Mario Mandzukic cannot be forgotten. Six of his thirteen goals on the season have been match-winners. In addition to his crucial goals, the Croatian exemplified what it means to be a team player and improved the play of those around him with his unselfishness.

The performances of their rearguard must also be noted throughout their comeback. While Giorgio Chiellini’s season was plagued with injuries, Barzagli and Bonucci provided the stability needed down the stretch. Rugani also lent a helping hand and a calming influence when called upon. What’s that saying about defense and championships? Ah, you already know it.

The point I’m trying to make here is that I named about eight players who all played a huge role in Juventus’ success this season. What’s more impressive is that Alex Sandro, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Simone Zaza and Alvaro Morata among others haven’t even been mentioned yet. Scary indeed. How many teams in Italy can boast this depth? Well, none actually.

Fresh off their fifth consecutive Scudetto, Juventus are already said to be targeting a number of world class players in an effort to claim the club’s third Champions League. With the rest of Italy playing catch-up, Juventus are only extending the gap at the top and are setting themselves up for the next five while those around them are searching for one.

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Realistically, where can AC Milan finish this season?

League Play: With 3 games left, how many points can Milan grab?

Frosinone – The last meeting ended in a 4-2 win for Milan, but seeing as though that was four months ago, much has changed.  Frosinone comes into the match being 2nd from the bottom with 30 points.  An easy win, right?  Wrong.  Milan just lost to last place Hellas Verona this past Monday.  What makes you think they can scrape a victory from this one?

Bologna – Before losing to Bologna at the beginning of January, Milan were unbeaten in five games.  You could say Donadoni’s men were hitting their stride (and still are), but you could also say Milan missed their chances, which seems to be the story of the past couple seasons.

Roma – A game of back and forth play, but once again, Milan had numerous chances to put the game away and they didn’t take them.  Holding more than half of the possession through the entirety of the 2nd half and only scoring one goal will not get you all three points against Roma.  After tieing Roma, Milan would go on a 11 game unbeaten run, winning six league games as well as two cup games.

You also have to keep in mind who Fiorentina are playing in their last 3 games as a couple loses would ease Milan’s stretch for 5th place:

Chievo Verona , Palermo , Lazio

Coppa Italia:

Suppose Milan lose their last 3 games of the season…

Technically, their hopes of playing in Europe next season are not all gone.  If Milan have a complete mental breakdown, as previously shown in their recent loss to Hellas Verona, they can still beat Juventus to claim the Coppa Italia.  Winning the league cup grants them full access to a Europa League spot in the 2016/2017 season.

With a spot so crucial to the identity of AC Milan and a chance to erase some of the bad memories in recent years, the weight lies on the shoulders of newly appointed coach Cristian Brocchi.

The thing to remember is, although Milan have been under-performing this season, the Coppa Italia and league play are two different types of competitions.  Just because you are having trouble stringing wins together in the Serie A, does not mean a team faces the same struggle in the Coppa Italia.

 

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Marotta: “Pogba’s Happy Here, He Could Stay.”

Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta spoke to the media about the future of Paul Pogba in an interview.

In his interview with Sportitalia, Marotta confirmed that Pogba could stay. He told reporters,:

“We created a great relationship with him and he himself has said that he’s happy here. The conditions for him to stay are in place.”

 

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Frosinone, Gucher: “I Cried On My Couch After Sunday’s Loss.”

Frosinone’s loss on Sunday to Palermo all but condemns to relegation and their midfielder Robert Gucher is feeling the effects of it.

In an interview with Frosinonecalcio TV  spoke very openly about his side’s relegation hopes:

“Sunday was a very sad day. I went home after the game and cried on my couch. After Carpi’s win, achieving safety becomes a lot harder. We were all following the game. On our whatsapp group, there was a rallying cry for the last few games. We must give it our all. And if we can’t pull off this miracle, hats off to Carpi and Palermo.”

 

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Cesare Prandelli open to Lazio job

Prandelli could be open to a return to coaching with Lazio in the 2016/2017 campaign

In a interview with Radio Radio, the ex head coach of the Azzurri expressed favorably on the idea of an adventure at the helm of the capital side.

“It’s a great team and a great club. There’s a president that knows what he wants to do and is very attentive to everything and therefore, he’ll know what to choose in a timely manner, above all he’ll know to pick the right person for the team he has in mind. I feel that whoever goes to Lazio will have to only coach, without thinking about anything else and therefore that’s a good signal. Then it’s clear that top teams and top clubs are always, for a coach, a reference point.”

Prandelli last coached Galatasaray but was sacked due to poor results domestically and in Europe.

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Brocchi On The Hot Seat: Milan Look To Bring Back Mihajlovic

After firing Sinisa Mihajlovic, Milan may look to bring him back ahead of the final three games of the season.

According to il Corriere dello Sport, Milan are thinking about calling back Mihajlovic to guide the team through the final games of the season and the Coppa Italia final against Juventus on the 21st of May. If Brocchi doesn’t win his next game, he will be fired and Mihajlovic will be brought back. Their defeat to the already relegated Hellas Verona and Sassuolo’s win mean that Eusebio di Francesco’s side are only one point behind them.

After the defeat to Hellas Verona, Berlusconi said,:

“Milan never played this bad under Sinisa.”

After a win in his first game in charge, Brocchi has picked up a defeat, a draw and a feud with Carlos Bacca. At the moment, he’s on the hot-seat as the ghost of Mihajlovic lurks.

 

 

 

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Inter Want Napoli Man To Bolster Their Offensive Ranks

Inter are heavily interested in Napoli’s Manolo Gabbiadini but may have ulterior motives in signing him.

According to Tuttosport, Gabbiadini is a player that greatly interests Inter for a few reasons. Firstly, the player has found the back of the net with regularity when given a chance in the lineup. Another reason they are so keen on him is due to their UEFA Europa League list. Only 21 players are allowed to be on this list and there are certain constraints including a rule that makes it necessary to have players who have come through the Italian setup. Inter have few players who meet this and Gabbiadini ticks this criteria off. More importantly, he is a quality player. For this reason, Erick Thohir is said to be a big fan of the Napoli hitman.

 

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Serie A Team of the Week: Matchday 35

Here is Italian Football Daily’s Team of the Week for Matchday 35:

Goalkeeper:

Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus): Despite being 38 years of age, Buffon continues to show that he is like a fine wine as he gets better with age. In Juventus’ trip to face Fiorentina, Buffon was in excellent form as he kept out the Fiorentina attack and saved a Nikola Kalinić penalty in the 89^th minute to prevent La Viola from taking a point. With the victory and Napoli’s loss at Roma, Juventus became Serie A champions for the fifth season in a row.

 

Defenders:

Andrea Masiello (Atalanta): The balding 30-year-old was solid as La Dea kept a clean sheet against an in-form Chievo side. He made three tackles and, along with the rest of the back four, he allowed the Atalanta attackers to flourish. With their 1-0 win, Atalanta secure their Serie A safety for next season.

Thiago Cionek (Palermo): The Rosanero picked up a vital 2-0 win away at Frosinone as they climbed to 18^th, three points from safety. Cionek, a Polish-Brazilian centre-back, was the leader in the defence as he played on the right side of a back three and was rarely beaten as the Frosinone attack was unable to get past goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.

Simone Romagnoli (Carpi): Alessio Romagnoli’s older brother was in great form as the Biancorosso helped their chances of avoiding relegation with a much-needed 1-0 victory over Empoli. The 26-year-old almost opened the scoring, but his header hit the crossbar in the 67^th minute. Instead, his performance defensively allowed Carpi to remain in the game and, five minutes from time, Kevin Lasagna made it 1-0 to ensure that Castori’s men remain 17^th, three points above Palermo and three points behind Udinese.

 

Midfielders:

Paul Pogba (Juventus): In recent weeks Pogba has showed why he is one of the most wanted players in the world, and he played a vital role in Juventus scoring their two goals in their 2-1 win at Fiorentina. The Frenchman headed down for Mario Mandžukić to put the Bianconeri 1-0 ahead, and then it was his corner that led to Álvaro Morata’s winner. Pogba has proved that he is not just about scoring goals as he continues to get assists; he now has six assists in Juve’s last 13 goals in Serie A.

Fernando (Sampdoria): Samp’s 24-year-old enforcer has been thoroughly impressive this season and was involved in both Sampdoria goals as they condemned Simone Inzaghi to back-to-back defeats after winning his first two as Lazio manager. Fernando scored after being put through by Nenad Krstičić and then calmly beat Federico Marchetti, and then his free-kick led to a goalline scramble in which Lorenzo De Silvestri was able to force the ball into the net.

Bruno Peres (Torino): Despite a pretty underwhelming season for il Toro, Bruno Peres has been outstanding and will surely be heading for pastures new in the summer. Peres was able to grab a goal to make it 1-1 after just seven minutes with a cool finish as he came inside and then hit his shot across Andrea Consigli, but Torino then went on to lose 3-1 as Sassuolo secured their 52^nd point of the season, a club record in Serie A.

Franco Brienza (Bologna): Bologna recorded their first win since Valentine’s Day as they beat Genoa 2-0 at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. Brienza, now 37, was playing some sublime passes and one of them led to Emanuele Giaccherini opening the scoring. He was then involved in the second as it was his inventive flick to Sergio Floccari that led to the former Sassuolo striker doubling the Rossoblu’s lead.

Mohamed Salah (AS Roma): Salah was a pest for Napoli’s defence and he was involved in Radja Nainggolan’s 89^th minute winner. After Francesco Totti played a beautiful ball over the top, the ball made its way to Salah and he calmly waited for the Belgian midfielder to arrive as he passed the ball and Nainggolan calmly passed it into the bottom corner of Pepe Reina’s goal to secure the Scudetto for Juventus.

 

Strikers:

Mario Mandžukić (Juventus): Mandžukić scored the opener as Juventus wrapped up the title with a 2-1 victory away at Fiorentina (and Napoli’s subsequent loss away at Roma on the Monday). The Croatian has been lethal recently and has now scored four goals in his previous five Serie A appearances. The 29-year-old also played a part in Morata’s winner as it was his header back to Patrice Evra that then led to the Spaniard being in the right place to poke home the Frenchman’s blocked shot, just one minute and 45 seconds after Fiorentina had equalised.

Stevan Jovetić (Internazionale): Jovetić appeared to be involved in everything good for Inter and was able to grab two tap-ins as he ensured that Inter beat Udinese 3-1 to make 4^th position their own. Both sides fielded an XI without an Italian player for the first time in Serie A history, but the Montenegrin forward’s goals helped the Nerazzurri as they accept that they will be playing Europa League football next season.

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The Latest On Totti’s Future

Roma are set to make a decision over Francesco Totti’s future and have set a deadline to make an announcement.

According to Sky Sport 24, Roma’s director general Mauro Baldissoni will return either Thursday or Friday in Rome following his trip to the United States. Other than talking about their stadium plans, Baldissoni and James Pallotta will discuss the future of Totti and will make a decision on whether to offer him a contract or not. They have set a deadline of the 8th of May to make an announcement, which is before the Roma-Chievo game.

Will this be Totti’s last season with Roma? Let us know @ItalianFD.

 

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Juventus Eyeing Three Potential Midfield Reinforcements

With their fifth consecutive Scudetto sealed, Juventus have already set their sights on a number of quality midfielders ahead of the new season.

According to Tuttosport, Juventus would like to bring in a world class midfielder this summer. At the moment, Valencia’s Andre Gomes sits atop their wishlist. He is valued at 30 million euros, a fee Juventus find high but would have no problems paying. Another name that has surfaced lately is Gomes’ compatriot and Monaco star Bernardo Silva.

Lastly, Paris Saint-Germain’s Javier Pastore remains a possibility but is their third choice.

 

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Milan Player Ratings vs. Verona

Milan traveled to the Bentegodi late Saturday afternoon to take on last place Hellas Verona in hopes of closing the gap to three points between them and fifth place Fiorentina. 

Coming off last weeks scoreless draw against Carpi, Milan once again wasted a chance to move closer to Fiorentina and an automatic Europa League berth for next season. While the first half was fairly dull, Milan still found away to take the lead into the locker room after forty-five minutes. However, a dismal second half resulted in Milan leaving the Bentegodi with plenty of soul searching to be done as we approach the final matches of the season.

Here are the player ratings for Milan in their loss against Hellas Verona:

Donnarumma(8.0 MOTM): The unanimous best player for Milan on a very disappointing afternoon. Made a huge point blank save on Pazzini only seven minutes into the match. Most of his work was done in the lsat twenty minutes as he made save after save to preserve the 1-1 result for Milan. Unfortunatly, he could do nothing to keep out Siligardi’s extra time winner.

Abate(6.0): Milan’s primary right back but in yet another workman like effort on a disappointing afternoon. Abate showed his energy throughout the match and looked to get forward when the opportunity presented itself.

Zapata(7.5): The 29 year old Colombian international was gifted his first start under new coach Christian Brocchi. Made a critical challenge on Ionita with 6 minutes left to keep the score at 1-1 and was by far the best defender of the afternoon for the Rossoneri. Looked comfortable and concentrated throughout and was never beaten for pace by the Verona attack.

Romagnoli(5.0): The Italian U-21 international was not tested much by the Verona attack in the first half. However, the second half was a much different story, in the 72nd minute Romagnoli was deemed to have handled that ball in the box resulting in a penalty for Verona which Pazzini converted. The likes of Juanito Gomez and Romulo tested Romagnoli’s composure in the last 10 minutes.

De Sciglio(N/A): Also making his first start under new coach Christian Brocchi, De Sciglio injured his face in a tough collision with Wszolek only seven minutes in. While he was allowed to continue after almost 6 minutes of medical attention, the medical staff was not able to stop the bleeding. Therefore we are unable to assess the performance of the young Italian.

Kucka(5.0): The Slovakian put in a very sluggish performance which is very much unlike him given his form this season. Was often lost in the midfield and failed to get involved in the attack when Milan pushed forward. A disappointing performance all around for Milan’s main ball winner in the midfield.

Montolivo(5.5): An average performance for the Milan captain. Montolivo was responsible on the defensive side but failed to really create anything moving forward. Won a few challenges in the middle to retain possession but often got lost in the middle as the ball was worked around him.

Mauri(5.5): The 20 year old was given his first start of the season and battled well in midfield throughout his time on the pitch. Seemed disoriented at times in the second half and made some questionable decisions on the ball resulting in him being replaced by Luiz Adriano with fifteen minutes remaining.

Honda(5.0): The Japanese international looked good offensively in first half and it was his rebound which Menez finished off to give Milan the lead after twenty minutes. Being placed in the trequartista role, Honda did his best to create chances for both Menez and Bacca. However, it was his reckless outstretched arm the resulted in the 94th minute winner for Siligardi.

Menez(5.0): The Frenchman scored his first goal in over a year in the twentieth minute. Tapping home a spilled rebound  off Honda’s effort from 20 yards out, it seemed to be a very positive start for Menez. After the goal Menez continued to look for goal but made a number of questionable decisions. The second half was a dificult one for him as he was consistently muscled off the ball by the Verona back line.

Bacca(4.5): It was simply not Bacca’s day in front of goal. Milan’s leading goal scorer wasted numerous chances throughout the match which ultimatly came back to haunt the Rossoneri. The Colombian had a great chance late on to slide the ball over to Menez to grab a late winner but completely missed the ball. Never really looked on the same page as Menez, arguably the worst performance of the season for Bacca.

Substitutions:

Antonelli(6.0): Came on in the 33rd minute for the injured De Sciglio. Offered much more going forward delivering many quality crosses in hopes of Milan grabbing a second goal before halftime. Controlled the left flank well until late on when Verona started controlling the game late on.

Luiz Adriano(5.5): Was substituted on for Jose Mauri in hopes of strengthening the attack for a late winner. Put in a good effort with only 15 minutes of time but found it difficult to create a chance.

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Serie B Week 38 Round-up

When the Serie B season started 38 matches ago, let’s be honest we all expected a team beginning with the letter C to be sitting top at this stage of the campaign. Never though in our wildness dreams, and I’m guessing theirs, did we think that, that side would be called Crotone.

With promotion now just a formality you are about to hear a lot more about this Calabrian outfit. To put it simply plenty of bandwagon articles will be written over the next number of weeks commending the Squali for achieving what was deemed impossible. For you and I though we have been on the Crotone train for a long time now, that is not said in a smug way but with a sense that this promotion was inevitable from a long way out. Crotone have simply been the best team in Serie B this year there is no way around that fact.

Crotone have achieved the incredible and in the race for views and exposure that may be missed by people in the coming days. So while you can, before the football fanatics, who can’t tell a Cordaz from a Claiton, come to say they have been watching them all year, take a step back and in the quietness of wherever you may read this piece take a moment to admire a team written off by all, including me, who have done something that shakes the very foundations of Calcio itself.

The party began in earnest for the Rossoblu this weekend with a 2-0 win over bottom side Como at the Scida. With the Stadio packed to the rafters and bouncing to the beat of Serie A the hosts took the lead on 25 minutes with the veteran Francesco Modesto latching onto a Raffaele Palladino back-heel to drill low past Simone Scuffet.

Just before the break on 44 minutes, one of the men of the season for Crotone Ante Budimir popped up with his 16^th of the campaign. The big Bosnian rolling home from about seven yards out after more unselfish play by Palladino.

The second half would see no addition to that score line from either side but the vast majority of the fans in attendance could not care less. With that the players of Crotone gathered under the ecstatic Curva Sud, while the world at large looked on processing the remarkable.

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Across from the region of Calabria lays the island of Sicily and on its western tip, just as Crotone celebrated the people of Trapani dared to dream of achieving their very own miracle. Led by the famous Serse Cosmi the Granata have been on a run of epic proportions that has seen them rise to the dizzy heights of third in the table. While the automatic spots are more than likely just beyond reach the play-offs are there’s for the taking.

The latest victory came against fellow play-off contenders Cesena, a club managed by Massimo Drago who incidentally was given the boot by Crotone last season. As for matters on the pitch the Sicilians would take the lead on 37 minutes Antonino Barilla smashing home into the bottom right corner after a lightning quick break up the field.

Cesena would have chances of their own but it would be Trapani who find the net again next. Bruno Petkovic with an excellent header looped into the far right corner after a cross from the left. Cesena would get one back right at the death but it was not enough, Trapani sit third what odds in two fairy tales happening again for the second year in a row.

Second place Caglairi continue to frustrate after they were held 1-1 at the Sant’Elia against relegation threatened Virtus Lanciano. Marco Sau gave the Rossoblu the lead on eight minutes with a terrific effort from the edge of the area, swivelling on the spot the diminutive attacker lofted the ball into the top right corner past a static Alessio Cragno.

However as with recent weeks the Sardinians proved unable to hold onto this lead and on 38 minutes the Frentani were back level. Nicola Ferrari racing onto a long ball over the top, holding off his man before then putting the ball past Marco Storari. 1-1 it finished, just enough for Cagliari, Lanciano still with plenty of work to do.

Talking of Lanciano that allows us to seamlessly transition to matters down at the bottom of the table. Livorno’s win midweek proved nothing more than a flash in the pan as they returned to the regular viewing schedule this weekend with a 3-1 away defeat the fellow relegation candidates Salernitana.

It only took the Granata one minute to get off the mark, Alfredo Donnarumma heading home a corner from the right. On 31 minutes it was 2-0 Massimo Coda, a man whose goals have been crucial in keeping Salernitana in the fight to stay up, with his 15^th of the year. The former Parma man driving home from just outside the box after a horrific defensive clearance feel right into his path.

In fairness to the Amaranto they battled and were unlucky on a number of occasions not to have got back on level terms. They were finally rewarded for this endeavour on 40 minutes when Daniele Vantaggiato made no mistake from the spot.

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Livorno though have been nowhere near good enough this season and they were punished again early in the second half when Antonio Zito finished at the back post after being left in acres of space. Salerntiana would have a man sent off just past the hour but it was not to matter. The Granata’s faith remains in their own hands as for Livorno they are now four points from safety.

As for some of the other relegation battlers it proved to be mixed bag of a weekend. Modena failed to hold onto a lead once again but they can still be somewhat satisfied with a point away to Bari. The result for the Galletti meanwhile sees them drop to fifth.

Vicenza were humbled by Spezia at the Romeo Menti on Saturday evening. The Aquilotti coming away with a 0-3 win that boosts their play-off credentials. Pro Vercelli continue to almost quietly walk through the door to survival while the rest behind continue to bicker.

Still it could have been better for the Leoni after their 81^st minute opener was cancelled out by Luigi Castaldo only 60 seconds later. Daniele Cacia continues to roll back the years as he scored twice in Ascoli’s 1-3 away win against Ternana, the picchio are now five points clear of danger.

In the remaining matches of the weekend, Pescara came from behind to beat Brescia 2-1 and Latina lost yet again this time 0-1 to Virtus Entella, Latina now very much in danger of going down. The final match of week 38 takes place Monday night and sees Novara host Perugia.

Until next week then all Hail Crotone.

 

View Table HERE.

Week 38 Results:

Crotone 2-0 Como, Bari 1-1 Modena, Cagliari 1-1 Virtus Lanciano, Pescara 2-1 Brescia, Pro Vercelli 1-1 Avellino, Ternana 1-3 Ascoli, Trapani 2-1 Cesena, Vicenza 0-3 Spezia, Salernitana 3-1 Livorno, Latina 0-1 Virtus Entella, Novara (Mon) Perugia

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Spalletti lauds his men, but calls for tough decisions ahead

In the wake of the giallorossi’s win over second-place Napoli, Roma coach Luciano Spalletti lauds his men as they pursue to leapfrog the Partenopei in what would prove to be an amazing feat

 

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti spoke to media after an important win that keeps his side in hot pursuit of second place. Here are some highlights of his post-game statements:

“We have dug deep to give it our all. We found a Napoli side that is in good shape. They are really good with possession, and in the second half we played too far back. However, we have stayed united and we suffered even though we created some scoring chances – in the end we won deservedly. It’s more satisfying because we have made a statement: we can take significant steps now”.

On Totti, Spalletti said: “Francesco is useful even for 15 to 20 minutes. He’s excellent in turning over the play and he carries the fans’ support which he transmits to the team, giving an important contribution. The team benefits from this – even though he only played a few balls he makes a difference”.

Roma made a significant dent in Napoli’s stranglehold of second place: “With so few games remaining in the season it’s difficult to leapfrog them. When I came it was hard to think that this was possible. I wouldn’t have expected it but the boys have made themselves available to me and earned everything they have with each passing game and practice. We need to acquire better players even though we’re a good side as is. Over the course of the season one has to look at this roster objectively and make some tough decisions for the sake of growth”.

Roma’s win clinched Juventus’ fifth scudetto: “When we went to Turin we lost deservedly, I’m also to blame for that. I tried to give the team an outline, they listened to me, but we stayed too far back. Juventus seems like an incredible team, one needs to play against them in order to fully appreciate their value. They have changed their formation, men, but whatever Allegri proposed was understood – I think they’re very strong, the gap between them and us is not easy to address”, concluded the giallorossi‘s coach.

 

 

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Antonio Conte and Cesc Fabregas are a match made in heaven

On 11th May, 2011, Juventus announced they had signed Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo. It was later revealed that Pirlo left due to then Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri wanting Pirlo to play in a more advanced role, with Ambrosini and Seedorf playing in front of the defence. Pirlo knew his best position and refuted the idea. The final nail in the coffin was when Milan offered Pirlo a one year deal instead of the three year deal he wanted. A rebuilding Juventus were more than happy to take on what the considered an undervalued player.

Eleven days later Antonio Conte was announced as the new manager of Juventus. In Conte’s three years with Juventus they conquered Italy with frightening dominance, going a season unbeaten and setting a new points record with 102 during the 2013/14 season.

Antonio Conte had capitalised on what Allegri failed to do (but then Allegri capitalised on what Conte had built in 2014/15). Ancelotti knew that registas need a support system, so he surrounded Pirlo with Gennaro Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf, and Milan’s success during the Ancelotti reign need not be read off. At Juventus, Conte surrounded a supposed ‘regressing’ Pirlo with Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio, just as Ancelotti had done.

Arturo Vidal provided some much needed legs to go with Pirlo. Vidal would become one of the best box to box players in world football while playing in Turin, Vidal allowed Pirlo to focus on distributing passes and controlling the game while the Chilean helped out defensively while thriving as a ball carrier. Claudio Marchisio has flourished as a regista since Pirlo’s departure but during Pirlo’s time in Turin Marchisio was more of a Clarence Seedorf type of player. The Italian offered an ability to drive the ball forward yet still had an excellent passing game, not to mention his defensive contributions along with Vidal.

(GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)

It’s clear that Antonio Conte knows how to utilise players in Pirlo’s mould and it’s likely he’ll be able to do the same. Do Pirlo and Fabregas have similar playstyles? Well, not really. Fabregas turns 29 this summer which should be considered his ‘prime’ (minutes played are a far better indicator of how close a player is to their prime than simply their age) but the similarities are there.

Chelsea and Fabregas himself have not enjoyed the most productive of seasons, with the London club currently in ninth place and the Spaniard’s seven assists is a far cry from his 18 assists last season. It’s clear the talent is still there, though. Under Mourinho last year Fabregas had the perfect support system, with Nemanja Matic assuming defense reponsibilties and Oscar dropping deep to create a three man midfield to add an extra outlet for Fabregas, Ramires on the wing also played the role same.

However, the same system hasn’t clicked this season, with Mourinho being fired in December. But now it’s time for the Conte era.

I’m not actually psychic, contrary to popular belief but here’s how I imagine Conte might line-up. The Nainggolan rumours are heating up and the Belgian would be an apt partner to Fabregas. He has pushed himself right to the top of list of best box to box midfielders in the world since 2012 and under Spalletti his stock has kept on rising. Often playing in an a more advanced role with Pjanic behind him, the opposite of how Rudi Garcia lined them up, Nainggolan has evolved as a ball carrier, a passer and still maintained his defensive responsibilities.

This is also assuming an Antonio Conte arse kicking gets Nemanja Matic back in his 2014/2015 form, as the Serbian seemed to be almost the perfect defensive partner for Fabregas. This would also allow Fabregas to play in an advanced role in a 4-2-3-1 as we’ve seen him experimented in this season. When Chelsea need more control in midfield, he would simply drop deeper to resume the 4-3-3. During Chelsea’s title winning campaign, the Serbian seemed the perfect partner for the Spaniard, the defensive capabilities of a destroyer yet he did not possess the usual limited passing game of a destroyer. Chelsea’s fluidity and passing game rarely seemed stalled by him.

When it comes to the summer, Antonio Conte might scrap Fabregas and this whole article may very well be rendered totally irrelevant, but I doubt it. It’s evident that Fabregas still has potential to be the best midfielders in the world despite his struggles this season. A support system doesn’t necessarily mean that a player needs to be ‘carried’, it just means that a player needs roles given to surrounding players so he can thrive in a select few roles. It’s not exactly a new concept, in the 1960s Milan had Balon D’or winner Gianni Rivera, and there was much debate about whether technically gifted players such as Rivera were worth it as you needed a ‘support’ player. Giovanni Lodetti was known as Rivera’s ‘third lung’.

With the ‘lightweight’ Rivera won three Scudetti, four Coppa Italia and two European Cups. Not bad for a player that needed support.

It’s also worth noting that Ruud Gullit touched upon this subject on the BBC’s Match Of The Day (Via @sidcelery)

 

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