November 2010
70 posts
“I hear that we are talking about the Scudetto & qualification for the next...”
– Simone Pepe knows his history
Heroes In Black & White (19): Giuseppe Furino
Somehow in England it has become known as “the Makelele role”. Other descriptions include Eric Cantona famously dubbing Didier Deschamps ‘a water carrier’ & the now popular ‘holding player’. In Italy it has been known for many years as a mediano, that deep lying defensive midfielder, responsible for breaking up opposition attacks, shielding the defence &...
More Than A Number One: Why Superman Must Stay
Last week Juventus welcomed the return of Gigi Buffon to training after recovering from the back surgery he required following his the injury sustained in South Africa this past summer. Recently he had begun to attend games & his lack of appearances at both the Stadio Olimpico & the training facility at Vinovo were defended by new director Pavel Nedved, who spoke of the difficulty of being...
Match Review From Zonal Marking: Click Here To... →
For anyone not aware ZonalMarking.net is a brilliantly conceived website analysing the way matches unfold tactically. Here is their typically excellent review of Juventus-Fiorentina.
Juventus-Fiorentina: Honours Even As Rivals Battle...
Juventus went into this game on a nine game unbeaten run that had seen them steadily climb the table while Fiorentina had endured a nightmare start to the season under new coach Siniša Mihajlović. The Viola took an early lead from a testing Juan Manuel Vargas cross that Marco Motta headed into his own goal.
From that moment on we saw what has been one of the most obvious differences between this...
“Del Piero and I often stop at the end of training to try out free kicks. There...”
– Simone Pepe (yes, it’s a joke)
"It Ain't Over...." Latest Episode: Click To Play →
Back Where It All Began: Alessandro Del Piero v...
Today Alessandro Del Piero is one of Italy’s most instantly recognisable footballers, known throughout the world as a striker of extraordinary ability & a man of undoubted class. His loyalty & dignity are admired even by those with a healthy distain of anyone who has ever worn the black & white stripes of Juventus.
Back in 1994 however things were very much different. Then he...
When Beppe Marotta Speaks, Il Tifosi Listens
On Thursday night Juventus Director Genral Beppe Marotta was a guest on Radio Radio’s “Il Bianco e il Nero” show. Since his arrival the former Sampdoria man has had very little to say outside of the usual bland comments we have come to expect from men in his position. However here he was extremely candid on a number of topics, injuries, the media, the new contract signed by...
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Juventus & Fiorentina: More Similar Than They Care...
When football fixtures are produced every summer fans inevitably look down the schedule for certain fixtures, almost always the ones against their biggest rivals. Some are born out of respect & repeated competition such as the one between Juve & Milan, others are local encounters, like the ‘Derby della Mole’ against Torino. Other however have roots born out of sheer hatred, a...
Serie A Weekly Podcast: Click To Play →
Adam & new voice Brian from “The Zygo Soccer Report” & “1560 The Game” in Houston join Kevin to discuss this week’s Champions League success for Roma and Milan. Additional topics include Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pazzini, Rafael Benitez, Marco Borriello & then the main events for Week 14 this upcoming weekend in Serie A. The first of three podcast...
Update: Official Giorgio Chiellini Signs Until...
Juventus were boosted on Tuesday by the news that Giorgio Chiellini has agreed a conract extention that will expire on June 30, 2015. This replaces his current deal which ran only until 2012. The defender has arguably been the clubs most influential & consistent player since the return to Serie A three years ago.
However on Wednesday the Vice-President of the Italian Footballers’...
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Inner Strength: Rebuilt Midfield Lies At The Heart...
There are many reasons for the failings of last season, but as many people pointed out even before that ill-fated campaign began the real issue was the poorly constructed midfield. While the signing of Diego was a great move & rightly applauded, bringing in a trequartista of his undoubted class was always doomed to failure unless it was counterbalanced with the addition of a deep lying...
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Heroes In Black & White (18): Andrea Fortunato
When watching your - or indeed any other - team play, sometimes a players skill, ability, temperament or attitude reaches out and touches your heart. Certain players just connect with certain people immediately, forging a bond that lasts beyond the time at a specific club or the duration of their International career. Some are obvious; Roma fans can point to Francesco Totti, Napoli have...
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Talking Tactics: It's 4-4-2, But Not As We Know It
In another examination of the system being deployed by Juventus, today focuses on the two different shapes the team currently use when not in possession. With an impressive defensive record over the past eight games - conceding only four goals - it is strange to think this new-found solidity comes such a fluid & changing setup. Even more oddly is the discovery that the choice between the two...
“We found a very difficult situation & made the decision to take Juve back...”
– Andrea Agnelli
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Genoa-Juventus: "Picnic" Proves A Piece Of Cake
A new addition to for the television companies this season is a 12.30 Sunday lunchtime slot & Juventus headed to Genoa for their first taste of what Alessandro Del Piero has labelled Serie A’s “picnic fixture”. The Bianconeri started in great form, shredding the hosts new founded defensive solidity easily, the returning Milos Krasic their tormentor in chief.
Despite some...
"It Ain't Over...." Latest Episode - Click To Play →
Buon Compleanno Mister! Primavera Destroy Torino
Today is the fortieth birthday of Juventus Primavera coach Giovanni Bucaro. How better to celebrate than mastermind his team’s 4-1 thrashing of Torino with goals from Francesco Margiotta, Gianluca Carfora & Marcel Büchel. Much credit must go to captain Manuel Giandonato who not only scored himself but was impressive throughout, as was Niccolò Giannetti. The two midfielder’s...
Juventus Tertiary Review: Player Ratings In Black...
One third of the season has already passed &, with the International break giving a pause for thought, perhaps an ideal opportunity to look at how the players are performing so far. Regular readers will know that following each game in Serie A there is a quick review on Il Tifosi, complete with player ratings. Using these over the twelve games so far an average rating has been compiled to rank...
Serie A Weekly Podcast: Hat Tricks For Everyone
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Adam appeared on the Serie A Weekly podcast to discuss both Juventus & the league in general. With a huge weekend of action giving plenty of talking points regular host Kevin helps disect the draw with Roma & future transfer targets for il Bianconeri
Then various topics are looked at; Zamparini & Garrone’s intentions to sell their clubs...
Juventus: Forever Italy's Black & White Reflection
The history of Juventus & the Italian national team are so entwined as to be almost inseparable. The peaks of both often mirror one another, with Italy’s moments of triumph always arriving when the squad is based around its most famous club. Indeed six of the top ten most capped Internationals have been at Juventus at some point of their careers.
The two main reasons for this trend are...
Juventus Search For A Bomber: Is The Answer...
Almost every assessment of Juventus this season seems at some point to reach the conclusion that the one thing the team is missing is that elusive “proper striker”. The absence of a line leading, goal-poaching, twenty five goal a season Capocannoniere challenger is deemed to be the missing piece in the Bianconeri jigsaw assembled by Beppe Marotta this summer.
Many match reviews,...
“I don’t consider Juve to be a stepping stone, they have the right to sign...”
–
- Alberto Aquilani
Heroes In Black & White (17): Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram is, alongside Jürgen Kohler & Paolo Montero, one of the three best foreign defenders the club has ever seen. In stark contrast to the other two he exudes calm & everything about his game radiated class. While the other two were robust, old-school defenders who collected yellow & red cards like medals, Thuram was first & foremost a footballer. Cool in possession,...
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Frederick Sørensen: The Lake, Lyngby, & A Leap Of...
In late July Juventus were in the midst of a huge rebuilding process, a new President, Director General & Coach had already been appointed & a huge number of players were in the midst of moving both in & out of the club. However one young arrival went almost unreported when Frederik Sørensen embarked on a twelve day trial at the summer training camp at Pinzolo.
That experience did...
Juve-Roma Analysed By ZonalMarking.net - Click To... →
For anyone not aware ZonalMarking.net is an absolutely brilliant website, analysing games & players from a tactical perspective. It’s brilliant insight & impartial viewpoint make the match reviews essential reading, never more so than when it features your team.
Today’s look at this weekend’s Juventus-Roma encounter is no different, a must read for Bianconeri fans.
Juventus-Roma: The World Seemed Upside Down!
On a weekend where the top six in Serie A face off against one another, playing the anticipo on Saturday night gave Juventus a real chance to make a statement of intent. However after a hectic start & an incident filled few minutes leading up to half time, the game ended in a draw which was probably fair, despite both teams having chances to win.
This game had a strange twilight zone feeling...
Friends, Romans & Countrymen: Aquilani v De Rossi
When tonight’s encounter at Turin’s Stadio Olimpico gets underway, it will be highly emotional for a number of the participants. Both coach’s will not only be facing former clubs, but clubs that dispensed with their services in a quite undignified manner. Gigi Delneri was only Roma boss for five months & Claudio Ranieri was the first Juve coach to be fired in mid-season for...
"It Ain't Over...." Latest Episode - Click To Play →
Talking Tactics: Juventus Slowly Becoming A...
Since Gigi Delneri took control of the team there has been constant talk of his system, of the methods he used in achieving impressive results in Verona & Genoa & how he would bring those same ideas to Turin. The constant theme, from Andrea Agnelli & Beppe Marotta above him, the players working for him & even some fans, has been one of patience. It is widely accepted that this...
Brescia-Juventus: Rigamortis At The Rigamonti, A...
For the second game in a row Juventus were made to work extremely hard by an allegedly lesser opponent but, unlike Cesena, Brescia held their nerve, did not panic & did not self-destruct. They stayed strong & compact, happy to hit Juventus on the break despite being at home, a typical provincial Serie A approach that must be applauded.
Unlike other leagues these smaller sides in Italy are...
Heroes In Black & White (16): Omar Sivori
This series has already discussed the exploits of John Charles & Giampiero Boniperti, two men who formed part of one of the best Juventus teams in the clubs storied history. It is arguable that none of that success would have been achieved without the contribution of El Cabezón Omar Sivori, who arrived in Turin at the same time as the Welshman for a then world record sum of £91,000.
Unlike...
Armand Traoré: In On Loan, Out Of The Shadows?
On transfer deadline day this summer Juventus signed three players, all on loan & all defenders. The first was Leandro Rinaudo who played against Cagliari but went off injured after 75 minutes & will be out until the new year. The second was Frederik Sørensen, the 18 year old who went straight into the Primavera team but made an impressive first team debut against Cesena this past...
