2012

[magik9113]

Defending League Champions:
Juventus
In: Lucio (Inter)
Sebastian Giovinco (Parma)
Mauricio Isla (Udinese)
Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese)
Paul Pogba (Man Utd)

Out: The one and only Alex Del Piero (out of contract)
Eljero Elia (Werder Bremen)
Milos Krasic (Fenerbahce)

Coppa Italia Champions:
Napoli
In: Lorenzo Insigne (Pescara)
Valon Behrami (Fiorentina)
Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina)

Out: Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG)

League RunnerUp:
Milan
In: Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina)
Francesco Acerbi (Chievo)
Cristian Zapata (Villareal)

Out: Thiago Silva (PSG)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG)
Alessandro Nesta (Montreal)
Clarence Seedorf (Botafogo)
Genarro Gattuso (Sion)
Mark Van Bommel (PSV)
Filippo Inzaghi (out of contract)

Inter
In: Samir Handanovic (Udinese)
Rodrigo Palacio (Genoa)

Out: Lucio (Juventus)
Mauro Zarate (Lazio)
Ivan Cordoba (out of contract)

Udinese
In: Luis Muriel (Lecce)
Marco Davide Faraoni (Inter)

Out: Samir Handanovic (Inter)
Mauricio Isla (Juve)
Kwadwo Asamoah (Juve)
Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina)

Roma
In: Michael Bradley (Chievo)
Mattia Destro (Siena)
Federico Balzaretti (Palermo)
Dodò (Corinthians)
Castan (Corinthians)
Crescenzi (Bari)

Out: Fabio Borini (Liverpool)
Juan (Internacional)

...Other notable transfers and departures:
-Alberto Aquilani from Liverpool to Fiorentina
-Borja Valero from Villareal to Fiorentina
-Emiliano Viviano from Palermo to Fiorentina
-Maxi Lopez from Milan to Sampdoria
-Dorlan Pabón from Nacional to Parma
-Ishak Belfodil from Lyon to Parma
-Ciro Immobile from Pescara to Genoa

-Marco Verratti from Pescara to PSG
-Marco Di Vaio from Bologna to Montreal

Welcome Back:

[5DOM]

Thanks! added to the directory.

Guessing Juventus are heavy favorites?

[magik9113]

Absolutely. Milan made the entire league take a step down by selling two of the world's greatest players, while Juve is still planning a couple more significant purchases.

Milan still has a solid team, but aside from losing two superstars they lost a ridiculous amount of experience/veteran leadership. I predict they buy a striker to add to the Cassano Pato El Shaarawy mix..(someone like Pazzini, Matri, Dzeko, or Destro) and a third place finish for them

Napoli has not lost much, and replaced Lavezzi with a rising star out of their own youth academy, Lorenzo Insigne, who was huge in getting Pescara promotion from Serie B. They are my prediction for 2nd place and a return to Champs League.

Inter needs quite a bit this summer if they want to even smell Champions League again.

some notable coaching changes are: Montella from Catania to Fiorentina;
Zeman from Pescara to Roma;
Former Juve and ItalyU21 coach Ferrara to Sampdoria
Former Young Boys and Samsunspor coach Petkovic to Lazio;

If it weren't for injuries and multiple rifts between coach Reja and owner Lotito, Lazio could very well have been in Udinese's CL qualifying spot. They may be the sleeper team of the season if Petkovic can find success

[magik9113]

Ibra deal not yet complete...appears he is holding out for an insanely ridiculous salary. source espn soccernet

A bid of around €65 million was accepted for the duo last week, with Thiago Silva completing his transfer, valued at €42 million, on Saturday.

"We continue to hold talks with Zlatan,'' Leonardo told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The negotiations are going forward but I can assure you that today we have no meetings scheduled.''

Ibrahimovic is reported to have asked for a three-year deal worth €15 million per annum, but the French side are currently offering €12.5 million package, for a duration of four years.

The Sweden international was top-scorer in Serie A last season, finding the target on 28 occasions as Milan finished runner-up to Juventus and is currently contracted at the San Siro until 2015.

[magik9113]

21 year old striker Mattia Destro, wanted by every team in Italy, chooses Roma

[and1GS]

Does Bradley project to be a key player at Roma? He's improved quite a bit and seemed to play well with Chievo in the 2 games I saw him.

[magik9113]

Chievo fans absolutely adored him last season.
Here in Italy they've actually made a much bigger deal about the signing than I would have ever imagined. Him and De Rossi have such similar roles, I'm not sure how it will work out...but I believe they'll start next to each other in midfield

[and1GS]

Ya I was going to say the same re: De Rossi. He always seemed like Bradley's ceiling to me.

[magik9113]

Genoa President Preziosi had stated on Friday that Destro should complete his move to the Olimpico “within 24 hours,” but reports emerged in the evening that the striker was struggling to reach a deal on wages.
This would therefore allow Juventus, Inter or Milan back into the race to sign the Under-21 international.

“In my 22 years in football, the Destro affair is the silliest thing that has ever happened to me,” slammed President Preziosi on Sky Sport Italia.
“Inter, Milan or Juve? Destro was promised to Roma and I keep my word. Mattia has the right to turn down Roma, but in that case he will stay with Siena on the €400,000 contract he has and not the millions Roma wanted to give him.”

Despite scoring four goals in Udinese’s first pre-season game of the summer, Luis Muriel has received some sharp criticism from Coach Francesco Guidolin.
“First of all I must say that Muriel needs to lose weight, at least five kilograms before speaking with me,” the tactician told reporters.

Parma President Tommaso Ghirardi has denied interest in Vincenzo Iaquinta, but hails Dorlan Pabon.
“Pabon is the most important signing of my career at Parma. I hope he can prove to be a great bargain by following on from what he did in Colombia over the last two years.”

Juventus have to raise their offer for Robin Van Persie to £25m, so are instead turning back towards Fiorentina’s unsettled Stevan Jovetic. It was reported in England that Juve had seen their enquiry for the Dutchman rejected by Arsenal along with proposals from Manchester United and Manchester City.

However, the Italian media suggest Juventus are already turning their focus towards a different target, as the 28-year-old is too expensive at £25m, especially as he only has a year left on his contract. Jovetic could be available for around the same price and is considerably younger at 22, while he already has Serie A experience. La Gazzetta dello Sport maintains Fabio Quagliarella could be included as part of the deal to sway Fiorentina into releasing Jovetic. Another option is midfielder Andrea Poli, who is currently at Inter but would be bought out by Juve for a co-ownership deal with Fiorentina.

[magik9113]

Napoli-Bayern Munich friendly yesterday ended 3-2, Napoli winning. Bayern was without their German internationals, Napoli without their 2 Italian internationals and Cavani.
Goals by Alaba, Shaqiri (sweet free kick)
and Cannavaro (sweet half bicycle), Pandev, Insigne

tonight Inter, Milan, and Juve play in their annual triangolare...the Trofeo TIM. all 3 teams play each other in 45 minute matches. this year brings on extra insignificance to the tourney as all the italian internationals from the euros will not be there (half of Juves team). should be fun nonetheless

[magik9113]

Inter won the Trofeo TIM...Lucio has been Juve's worst player, gifting a goal to the opposition in both matches hes played in so far this preseason. Juve looked the strongest of the 3 though, even without several starters. Coutinho's potential has been showing this preseason, after recalling him back from his loan term in La Liga.

Today Milan will play Schalke in a friendly.

transfer rumors:
..Juve's Quagliarella for Inter's Pazzini; straight swap is possible. Or Juve could send Matri to Milan and replace him with Pazz.
..Juve increased their bid for Van Persie, but still are about 4 to 5 million pounds short of Arsenal's asking price.
..Uruguay international and Inter, Juve, and Fiorentina target Gaston Ramirez is still more likely to go abroad...Arsenal and Liverpool are among the favorites

[magik9113]

Juventus boss Antonio Conte will face sporting charges of allegedly failing to report attempts to fix two Siena games.

Conte was questioned by the Italian Football Federation’s chief prosecutor earlier this month, after claims were made that he was involved in plans to arrange the outcome of games against Novara and Albinoleffe while in charge of Siena.

While the tactician has been cleared of sporting fraud, he will have to face charges that he was aware of the circumstances around the games.

Conte, if found guilty, could be fined or suspended – with a ban, according to some sources in Italy on Thursday, at around the six-month mark.

The tactician has always maintained his innocence following the accusations made against him by his former player at Siena, Filippo Carobbio.

The FIGC have been investigating the possibility that numerous games have been rigged as part of a numerous betting probes up and down the peninsula.

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci and midfielder Simone Pepe have also been caught up in the drama given their time at Bari and Udinese respectively.

Bonucci will face a deferral for sporting fraud, while Pepe will have to prove his innocence after also being accused of failing to report knowledge of attempted match-fixing in reference to a Bari-Udinese tie in 2010.

It is being alleged that Bologna’s Daniele Portanova and Atalanta’s Andrea Masiello could face lengthy bans too.

Clubs such as Lecce, Grosseto and Siena will also be in the dock as they run the risk of a point penalty for the new season.

Those individuals charged with sporting fraud could face lengthy bans if found guilty.

Hearings are set to start on August 2.

http://www.football-italia.net/21563/ju ... onte-trial

Let it be known that in these trials, once a witness is determined to be reliable, the accused must prove their innocence, rather than actually be found guilty.

[cgf]

Juve will run away with Serie A, but I'm really impressed with how well Napoli have been running their club, Roma has a very talented young roster for Zeman to work with which should be fun to watch and will battle Napoli and the rebuilding Milan squads for the CL spots behind Juve.

[magik9113]

If all goes well for Zeman and Roma, they could very well steal a CL spot from one of the Milan clubs. They also just completed the signing of Balzaretti, the very talented left-back who was also targeted by PSG and Napoli.

Fiorentina acquired Borja Valero of Villareal.

[and1GS]

How's Bojan been at Roma?

[magik9113]

Bojan has been OK. Last season he wasn't really a regular starter but he scored 7 goals. He has to compete for playing time with the likes of Totti, Osvaldo, Lamela, and Destro, but it looks like new coach Zeman likes him.

...Aquilani to Fiorentina
...Krasic to Fenerbahce

[magik9113]

Super Cup Saturday, 8am eastern time.
Juve - Napoli
and the controversy continues...

Napoli and Juve face off in the Italian Super Cup on Saturday in Beijing, kick-off 13.00 UK time.

It’s claimed that Enzo Concina and Claudio Nitti were spotted in the stands of the Olympic Sport Center Stadium today.

Juve were training in the complex alongside a group of children learning judo and the members of the Napoli coaching staff tried to blend in among the parents.

It’s reported they were spotted because of the flash from their cameras and were then confronted by the Juve security team.

According to TMW and Calciomercato, the incident infuriated the Bianconeri, so director of sport Fabio Paratici even called Napoli director Riccardo Bigon to complain.

http://www.football-italia.net/22730/na ... pying-juve

[magik9113]

Zapata back to Serie A, from Villareal to Milan. Now they try to bring Kaka' back

[magik9113]

Supercoppa result:
Juventus 4 - 2 Napoli
in overtime. Goals by Cavani, Pandev; Asamoah, Vidal (pk), Maggio (own goal), Vucinic
quick clip of all goals:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06J2QkS3jzs[/youtube]

match-fixing trial update:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... al?cc=5901

Juventus players Bonucci and Pepe, members of last season's title-winning squad, were cleared of any involvement, as were Salvatore Masiello, Daniel Padelli, Giuseppe Vives, Nicola Belmonte and Montreal Impact striker Marco Di Vaio.

Testimony by former Bari defender Andrea Masiello was dismissed on the grounds that it was too inconsistent, meaning the charges against the Juventus pair were dropped.

Conte banned for coaching during games for 10 months, but can still train team. Appeal is being worked on.

[Mirjalovic]

Lazio wins against Malmoe last night. 2-1.

It seems Onazi will had greater role than last season