February 2012
12 posts
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Inter Issues So Much More Than Schoolboy Errors
Now famous across Italy, young Inter fan Filippo recently held up a placard at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, begging his heroes to play well so he wasn’t made fun of at school. Sadly for the kid, whose sad fate has not only been broadcast to the nation but is now the ridicule of Milan fans, light-heartedly displaying a banner of their own urging the Rossoneri to “continue to win, so we can make...
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Juventus Youth Sector Latest: Victorious At...
After an impressive showing in the Group Stage – as detailed in last weeks column – Juventus continued their Viareggio adventure in the knockout stages. With a game every other day this prestigious competition is not only a test of quality but also a great barometer of the depth of the squads on show. This post, part of a detailed weekly series on the Bianconeri Youth Sector, brings all the...
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Napoli-Chelsea Preview: First Goal Wins?
When Argentina were drawn against host nation Italy in the 1990 World Cup Semi Final at Naples Stadio San Paolo, Diego Maradona attempted to exploit the resentment felt among Neapolitans by asking them to support Argentina instead of the home nation. Provoking outrage and shocking locals, the pleas of their captain failed, a prominent banner in the stands proclaiming “Maradona, Naples...
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Remarkable Robur: Assessing Giuseppe Sannino's...
At first glance, newly promoted Siena seemingly offer very little in the way of talking points, sitting in sixteenth place in Serie A and just five points outside the relegation places. They also have none of the big name players seeing out their playing days lower down the table that some of the sides around them possess - such as Cesena’s Adrian Mutu - nor a coach with a compelling...
Juventus Youth Sector Weekly: Viareggio Special ~... →
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Juventus: In Search Of Imagination
Almost a year ago, after another disappointing result for Juventus, club legend Beppe Furino told Roman newspaper Leggo that “the Scudetto is won in the provinces”. The Bianconeri would do well to heed the words of their former captain, a man who knows more than most about winning the league title given that the Sicilian is one of only three players to be an eight time Serie A...
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More Serie A Surprises: Aerial Superiority
Unlike other leagues, Serie A is not commonly associated with great headers of the ball, even among its defenders. While England and English football bring to mind classic number nines and lumbering central defenders, Italy is more readily thought of for bringing culture to the game and beyond the artistry of play-makers such as Gianni Rivera and Giancarlo Antognoni, even the peninsula’s...
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Purple Patch: Fiorentina's Surprising Defence
When looking at Fiorentina from afar, good news is seemingly hard to find. For a club with a history as storied as theirs, Viola heroes such as Giancarlo Antognoni, Gabriel Batistuta and Manuel Rui Costa have never felt so far away. The club appear to be the living embodiment of Murphy’s Law; the owners are disillusioned with the city council over their bid to build a new stadium, their...
Juventus Youth Sector Latest ~ Click To Read →
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David Pizarro: Manchester City's New Magician
Throughout January, Manchester City have been linked with a stream of midfielders as Roberto Mancini searched for an evolution to the centre of his team, so often criticised for being filled with destructive players.
The coach has made a conscious effort to move away from always playing three defensive players, as the marginalisation of Nigel de Jong proves but it has always seemed as though a...
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Serie A On The Score: Settimanale Substitute
Adam joined regular hosts James Sharman and Kristian Jack on transfer deadline day to look back on recent events in Serie A. Among the issues discussed were Napoli’s poor league form, odd winter transfer campaigns from both Milan clubs including the much-delayed move for Catania striker Maxi Lopez. Of course Juventus were a hot topic with the tactics of Antonio Conte, the impact of the new...
January 2012
21 posts
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Another Return To Bianconeri: Juventus Sign Simone...
Hot on the heels of Martin Caceres’ return to Juventus, another defender who wore those famous black and white stripes in 2010 will do so once again. Unlike the Uruguayan however, Simone Padoin will not receive adulation from the tifosi nor see a rush on his shirt number in the club shop. While his transfer was unexpected, the reaction to it was not as the 27 year old only featured twice...
Simone Farina: The Saviour Of Calcio? ~ Click To... →
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The Same But Different: What's Behind The Inter...
During the early 1960’s, New York Yankees legend Yogi Berra watched two other greats - Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris - repeatedly hit back-to-back home runs and commented; “it’s déjà vu all over again”. While Inter’s black and blue shirts could never be confused with the Bronx Bombers famous pinstripes, it is hard to ignore a similar feeling of repetition when...
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Roma and Juventus Passing The Time In Serie A ~... →
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It's Tricky, Ricky!
The form of both Ricky Álvarez and Inter over the past month is largely and undeniably due to the coaching influence of Claudio Ranieri. But while the displays of the Argentinian starlet must be a fantastic source of pride for the man giving him his chance, they seem set to provide the former Roma and Chelsea boss with his biggest dilemma since arriving at the Giuseppe Meazza back in September....
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Juventus Youth Sector Latest: Key Results Plus...
The Winter break ended for the Settore Giovanile this week and the top two teams returned to action in very different circumstances. Both the Primavera and Allievi squads may look back on the weekend as a defining period in their seasons, albeit for very contrasting reasons. This weeks post guides you through the latest as well as exciting news concerning Hörður Magnússon and introduces you to...
Inter Win But What Did We Learn? ~ Click Here To... →
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The Milan Derby: Here We Go Again!
Italian football returned this past weekend, much to the delight of fans of clubs across the peninsula but, as far as two of the teams coming back from their shortened Winter Break were concerned, those fixtures were merely a warm-up for the main event this Sunday evening when Milan play cousins Inter in the 205th edition of the Derby della Madonnina. The match has written the narrative to many...
The Milan Derby: City Rivals By The Numbers ~... →
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Back Up Plan: Juventus Looking For Options Beyond...
The start made by Juventus in the 2011-12 season has been a joy to behold for all fans of the Bianconeri, a huge fillip following some dire years under the previous management regime. As vital a role Antonio Conte, the new stadium and finding a right-back worthy of the name have all played, it is undoubtedly the perfectly balanced midfield trio of Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo...
The Footy Blog Top 100 Players In The World ~... →
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Settore Giovanile Latest: Turin Born Duo Set...
The Campionato, at every age level throughout the Settore Giovanile, remains on its Winter Break, allowing me to fill in some details on those making an impression at Primavera level. With a league and Cup double header against Fiorentina shaping up to be a defining one in their season, and with the 2012 Viareggio Cup looming large, Marco Baroni will require nothing less than the best from his...
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“Two”
– Number of Serie A games won by Juventus during January in 2009 and 2010 combined. Easy to see why everyone connected with the club sees this month as key
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Statistical Oddities: Five Serie A Surprises
With Serie A away on its traditional Winter Break, fans of Italian football are reduced to searching for snippets of information on transfer rumours, training camps as the league builds up to its return this coming weekend. In an attempt to fill the void left by the absence of Calcio (which almost led to some of us watching a Premier League game over Christmas) WhoScored.com takes a look at some...
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The 'Sell Outs' That Are Selling Juventus Fans...
At first glance things could not be going better for Serie A side Juventus this season. The Turin giants are undefeated thus far - the only team among Europe’s top five leagues to remain so - with their eight wins and six draws already including morale-boosting triumphs over Milan, Inter and Lazio. That Antonio Conte has so quickly reversed the fortunes of a club that had begun to slide...
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Juventus Primavera & Youth Sector Latest: Winter...
As he has done all season, Antonio Conte provided us with a talking point this week. With Juventus headed to Dubai for its Winter training camp, the coach chose to include three players from the Primavera in his 26-man squad: goalkeeper Simon Sluga, and defenders Prince-Désir Gouano and Hörður Magnússon. This gave us a chance to profile three players unknown to many, as well as wrapping up the...
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Grading Serie A's Clubs At The Winter Break
It’s not really the halfway point in the Serie A season, but the Christmas break for Italy’s top flight always provides a helpful reference point in analyzing the state of each of the league’s clubs and how their season has progressed. Having played 16 of their 38 games, the league’s sides have shown their strengths and weaknesses as well as having displayed which...
December 2011
15 posts
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Hot Shots Part Two: Serie A's Most Prolific...
Last week we looked at the most accurate strikers in Serie A, bringing you the seven most prolific front-men of the season so far. Yet in today’s game it isn’t just those hit-men who are responsible for scoring goals. With so many teams utilising a formation with just one man up front it is increasingly important that those behind the striker are contributing, and a quick look at the...
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Serie A's Best XI For 2011
As the year draws to a close it presents us with an opportunity to look back upon the players who have made the headlines throughout 2011. Due to the way football seasons are structured this idea, much like the Balon d’Or is slightly flawed in that it often rewards players at what is effectively half-time in their campaign. On the other hand however, it offers us the chance to reward...
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Juventus Primavera & Youth Sector Latest: A Good...
The Settore Giovanile year came to an end on Wednesday night with the Primavera finally playing their postponed fixture against Sampdoria. Resident Youth Sector expert Adam Digby wraps up all the action, as well as the other news in his penultimate SGL piece of the year. The year is over for all the Juventus youth teams and it has been a great end to 2011. The Allievi Nazionali are second but...
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Hot Shots: Serie A's Magnificent Seven
Serie A has long been famed for it’s defensive abilities and tactical organisation, it’s gifts to the world deemed to be tacticians such as Giovanni Trapattoni and Arrigo Sacchi’s breeding defenders the likes of which other countries could only look on in envy of. Yet, as a byproduct of coming up against players such as Gaetano Scirea, Franco Baresi and Fabio Cannavaro on...
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Juventus Primavera & Youth Sector Latest: The Two...
In this week’s installment of the Settore Giovanile feature, Adam Digby reports on the Primavera’s progress in the Coppa Italia and the Future Champions tournament before turning the spotlight on two players who may have big futures at the club, Pol and Carlos Garcia. Marco Baroni’s men continued their great form, emerging triumphant in a game in which they played well below their...
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Carlos Tevez To Milan: Another Pact With The...
They couldn’t could they? After everything Carlos Tevez has done, his every outburst publicised and chronicled in many languages and televised for all to see, Italian giants AC Milan have elbowed their way to the front of the queue to sign the Argentinian striker. While the length of the line of clubs interested in the questionable services of the 27 year old has shortened in recent weeks,...
“I came here and for me it was emotional because being in contact with great...”
– Emmanuele Giaccherini
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It's In The Script: Serie A's Best Readers Of The...
Thanks to the 2006 Calciopoli scandal, saying the word ‘interception’ to most fans of Serie A instantly conjures up transcripts of Luciano Moggi conversations on a Swiss mobile phone, undoubtedly one telling someone on the other end how he alone was responsible for Massimo Moratti’s continually poor record in the transfer market. However this season, perhaps more than any other, stealing...
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Juventus Youth Sector/Primavera Round-up
Continuing the series over on JuventiKnows.com, Adam once again looks at the performances, stories and news coming from all levels of youth football within the club. With wins in the league and Cup the Primavera have had an excellent week while the other teams have finished strongly heading into their respective Winter Breaks. With that in mind there was also time this week to take another look...
"It Ain't Over...." Podcast Latest Episode ~ Click... →
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Old Lady Needs A Hand: Gentlemen, Are You Ready?
Mirko Vučinić divides opinion even more readily than he could ever slice through a defence, his languid playing style - often so relaxed it makes Dimitar Berbatov look dedicated - frustrates as many observers as his incredible skill enraptures others. The Montenegrin striker goes from being ‘Big Game Mirko’ - a moniker bestowed upon him during his time at AS Roma, recognition for his...
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Crazy Inter In Genuine Crisis Or Business As...
As a penalty which could have saved a point is blazed over the crossbar, the anthem ‘Pazza Inter’ (Crazy Inter) rings out from the raucous Curva Nord as the Giuseppe Meazza’s most dedicated fans continue to back their side. But the Italian giants latest defeat leaves them just three points off the Serie A relegation places, are on their second coach of the season after Claudio...
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Serie A's Atalanta Hold Their Heads Up High
Usually, when looking at a league for an interesting and intriguing tale, the formula is very simple. Is there a particular player who’s story people might not know that is currently grabbing the headlines? Which of the big teams are struggling? Which of the smaller sides are surprisingly high in the table? Accordingly, a newly promoted - and perennially yo-yoing club - sitting...
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Udinese Losses See Them Become A Cliché
Lazy stereotypes. Admit it, we’ve all done it. Writing about German football without using the word efficient is the journalistic equivalent of eating a donut without licking your lips. Italian football is slow, dull and built on playing not to lose rather than going for the win. England’s players are fast, powerful but have the first touch of a fumbling teen that got the head...
November 2011
15 posts
7 tags
The Wide Angle: Lichtsteiner, Chiellini and Maggio
The problems Juventus have endured over the past few seasons, through a string of poor quality fullbacks, has been well documented and earlier in the season this blog focused on the investments made by the club at that position over the summer. It looked specifically at the arrival of Swiss international duo Stephan Lichtsteiner and Reto Ziegler and, while the latter barely landed in Turin...
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Lazio-Juventus Preview: Form Pair In Table Topping...
Currently battling away at the top of Serie A, undoubtedly benefiting from poor starts to the season by both Milanese clubs, Lazio and Juventus meet this coming weekend in what looks set to be a highly intriguing encounter. Each have impressed during the early part of the season as both have major strengths and yet both sides are flawed and will undoubtedly rely on the continued malaise at Milan...