|
Maurizio Zamparini (President of Palermo, now in Serie B): Vincono sempre le stesse merde Lega Serie A: Quarta nella classifica UEFA, Primi sul campo Welcome to the 2013-2014 season of Italy’s top flight league, the Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A, or just the Serie A for short. For the first time in ages we haven’t opened the season up with a (new) betting scandal or other criminal activity and that’s making for a very transfer-rumor filled preseason which is much more boring, in my opinion. Is it good for the league? Yeah. Is it good for my personal entertainment? No. That doesn’t mean we wont have plenty of off field antics this year though. With 5 proper derbies (Roma, Milano, Torino, Verona, Genova) and the worst cunts in Italian football (Hellas), you can bet there’ll be some idiotic things said and done. gently caress all that though, the football is good, the rivalries are fierce and the players are great. We may ship all of the superstars to France but we don’t need a team of Galacticos to play a cracking game of football.  Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio Home City Bergamo Manager: Stefano Colantuono Notable players in: Giulio Migliaccio (midfielder, Fiorentina via Palermo), Mario Yepes (defender, Milan) Notable players out: None Trophies: Coppa Italia [1] 62/63 Last finish: 15th Atalanta’s most notable thing this offseason has been staging a party where new signing Giulio Migliaccio drove a tank over cars painted in Roma and Brescia colors. You can’t really call last season a disappointement as the side sold one of their better players (Schelotto) to Inter and essentially relied on German Denis to score all of their goals. Despite a 6 point penalty, they did manage to finish well outside of the relegation zone. No notable partners for Denis have been signed but they still have enough decent players to finish lower-mid table.  Bologna Football Club 1909 Home City Bologna Manager: Stefano Pioli Notable players in: Rolando Bianchi (striker, Torino) Notable players out: Alberto Gilardino (striker, end loan from Genoa), Manolo Gabbiadini (striker, 50% stake to Sampdoria) Trophies: Serie A [7] 24/25, 28/29, 35/36, 36/37, 38/39, 40/41, 63/64, Coppa Italia [2] 69/70, 73/74. Last finish: 13th Bologna did fairly well last year mostly through the resurgence of Alessandro Diamanti and the poachers goals of Alberto Gilardino. They’ve also discovered a small gem in the form of Pangiotis Kone, who singlehandedly took out a very strong Napoli side last year. The loss of Gilardino to Genoa may prove to be their downfall, though Bianchi is no slouch, especially with someone like Diamanti to set him up. There’s the possibility of a relegation fight if they don’t sign another striker, but with some luck I expect them to finish lower-mid table, safe well before the season’s over.  Cagliari Calcio Home City Cagliari, Sardegna (but who knows if they’ll be playing there!) Manager: Ivo Pulga Notable players in: None Notable players out: Thiago Ribeiro (striker, Santos) Trophies: Serie A [1] 69/70 Last finish: 11th Cagliari’s problems stem from their stadium and their ownership. Massimo Cellino, the president, is apparently impossible to work with and prone to bouts of egomaniacal extremism. Last season he was jailed for financial crimes related to the construction and renovation of the Is Arenas, Cagliari’s long sought after new stadium. When he was released on house arrest, he declined and stayed in the jail as a matter of “principle”. Coincidentally, Cagliari won a lot of games during this period, only feeding his lunacy. In any case, it seems like a return to the original stadium, the Sant’Elia, is in the works and the city and the club have agreed to let Cagliari play there until the end of September. Beyond that, I don’t know. On the pitch, Cagliari will be hoping to hold on to Radja Nainggolan and Michele Agazzi, who are both the subject of lots of transfer talk in the papers. Victor Ibarbo and Marco Sau make up a very good attacking force, but the defense is a bit forgettable. With an actual stadium with home fans to play in, I would bet on a mid table finish, maybe even higher. You could tell that playing in no mans land was doing nothing for anyone’s confidence.  Calcio Catania Home City Catania, Sicilia Manager: Rolando Maran Notable players in: Panagiotis Tachtsidis (midfielder, Roma via Genoa) Notable players out: Francesco Lodi (midfielder, Genoa) Trophies: None at the top level Last finish: 8th Despite losing Vincenzo Montella to Fiorentina last year, Catania used their core of Argentinian players to push their way up to 8th place, punching way above their weight for a squad that has traditionally existed to make up the numbers. Now that Palermo’s been relegated, they are the only remaining top flight squad in Sicily. The loss of Francesco Lodi, who has been a member of the side for quite some time and has traditionally been one of the pivots of the starting team, will be felt, but he was getting older and slower anyway, so this may be a good thing. Provided no more players are lost (Alejandro Gomez has been rumored to leave) Catania could easily get in to the EL spots or make a good cup run. Upper mid table finish looks to be in the cards if their squad stays stable.  Associazione Calcio Chievo Verona Home City Verona Manager: Giuseppe Sannino Notable players in: Alessio Sestu (midfielder, Siena) Notable players out: Marco Andreolli (defender, Inter), Luciano (midfielder, Mantova) Trophies: none at the top level Last finish: 12th Chievo had a decent season with the breakout of Cyril Thereau helping things greatly. Striker Sergio Pelissier formerly handled the scoring duties for this side, but Thereau made himself known, even enough to fuel rumors of a switch to a big side like Inter or Juventus. Nothing’s happened yet, though, and people seem to have forgotten that he exists so I expect him to stick around for another season. Chievo will welcome their city rivals Hellas Verona this year in what will surely be a nasty derby, as they also share the same stadium. I would expect Chievo to struggle a bit this year but not so much that they will be relegated. Lower-mid table finish.  ACF Fiorentina Home City Firenze Manager: Vincenzo Montella Notable players in: Mario Gomez (striker, Bayern Munich), Massimo Ambrosini (midfielder, Milan), Josip Ilicic (striker/midfielder, Palermo), Joaquin (midfielder, Malaga) Notable players out: Stefan Jovetic (attacker, Manchester City), Emiliano Viviano (keeper, Palermo), Luca Toni (striker, Hellas Verona) noooooo Trophies: Serie A [2] 55/56, 68/69 Coppa Italia [6] 39/40, 60/61, 65/66, 74/75, 95/96, 00/01 Cup Winners Cup [1] 60/61 Last finish: 4th Fiorentina can probably have a claim to being unjustly denied a place in the Champions League this season. Having been in third place for a long stretch of time, they were pipped in the last few games of the season by a Milan side who may have possibly received a few questionable penalties (but only one more than Fiorentina did, mind) and managed to hold on for a third place finish. Regardless, Fiorentina haven’t looked like a side that is wallowing in self pity, they have made some absolutely stunning signings and are clearly challenging for a CL place this season. Mario Gomez will replace Jovetic as the focal point of the squad and Firoentina fans will be hoping that Giuseppe Rossi returns to being as good as he was before his horrible set of injuries at Villarreal. Josip Ilicic will also be fine cover, if not a starter. The only missing piece seems to be a world class goalkeeper, but there’s still plenty of transfer season left to find one. Upper table finish, CL spots.  Genoa Cricket and Football Club Home City Genova Manager: Fabio Liverani Notable players in: Francesco Lodi (midfielder, Catania), Mario Alberto Santana (midfielder, Torino via Napoli) Notable players out: Sebastian Frey (keeper, Bursaspor), Marco Boriello (attacker, Roma, end loan), Cesare Bovo (defender, Torino) Trophies: Serie A [9] 1897/98; 1898/99; 1899/1900; 1901/02; 1902/03; 1903/04; 1914/15; 1922/34 1923/24 Coppa Italia [1] 36/37 Last finish: 17th Genoa didn’t manage to improve on their barely-not-relegated position last season and this season doesn’t seem to bode any better. President Enrico Preziosi has begun to run this club very much like a business struggling to stay afloat and it shows. They’ll need a new keeper and a new center back to keep from leaking goals and neither have arrived yet. Genoa are loan merchants, so Im sure by the beginning of the season they’ll have reinforced a bit, but with a brand new manager at the helm (and one with no top flight experience, despite being a brilliant player in his day) and a team in transition I expect another relegation battle.  Football Club Internazionale Milano Home City Milano Manager: Walter Mazzarri Notable players in: Ilshak Belfodil (attacker, Parma), Mauro Icardi (striker, Sampdoria), Diego Laxalt (midfielder, Defensor Sporting), Hugo Campagnaro (defender, Napoli) Notable players out: Antonio Cassano (striker, Parma), Walter Gargano (midfielder, Napoli), Dejan Stankovic (retired) Trophies: Serie A [18] 1909/10, 19/20, 29/30, 37/38, 39/40, 52/53, 53/54, 62/63, 64/65, 65/66, 70/71, 79/80, 88/89, 05/06, 06/07, 07/08, 08/09 09/10 Coppa Italia [7] 38/39, 77/78, 81/82, 04/05, 05/06, 09/10, 10/11 European Cup/Champions League [3] 63/64, 64/65, 09/10 UEFA Cup/Europa League [3] 90/91, 93/94, 97/98 Last finish: 9th After what fans were hoping would be their worst season, last season turned out to be even more of a disaster. Andrea Stramaccioni could not get his side working to any sort of effect and the one good game they managed to put in all season was a derby draw with Milan. A 9th place finish is not anywhere near the standard the board or the fans expected, so a sacking was of course in order. Inter took advantage of Mazzarri leaving Napoli to scoop him up and begin a rebuilding year in which they will only have the league to worry about. The signings of Icardi and Belfodil aim to fix the problems Inter had in front of goal and Laxalt and Campagnaro are indications that the defense is being reworked as well. With Mazzarri at the helm Inter sould be able to get to the CL spots but they’ll have a fight to stay there. A return to the once great heights is probably coming, especially with multi gajillionaire Erik Thohir eventually getting a controlling stake in the club, but I’d give it a season before we start taking title again.  Juventus Football Club Home City Torino Manager: Antonio Conte Notable players in: Carlos Tevez (attacker, Manchester City), Fernando Llorente (attacker, Athletic Bilbao), Angelo Ogbonna (defender, Torino Notable players out: Emmanuele Giaccherini (midfielder/attacker, Sunderland) Trophies: Serie A [29] 1905, 25/26, 30/31, 31/32, 32/33, 33/34, 34/35, 49/50, 51/52, 57/58, 59/60, 60/61, 66/67, 71/72, 72/73, 74/75, 76/77, 77/78, 80/81, 81/82, 83/84, 85/86, 94/95, 96/97, 97/98, 01/02, 02/03, 11/12, 12/13 Coppa Italia [9] 37/38, 41/42, 58/59, 64/65, 78/79, 82/83, 89/90, 94/95 European Cup/Champions League [2] 84/85, 95/96 Cup Winners Cup [1] 83/84 UEFA Cup/Europa League [3] 76/77, 89/90, 92/93 Last finish: 1st Despite not having their manager for the better part of a season, Juventus once again walked the league with relative ease and once they got a stranglehold at the top they never let go. Even losing their talisman, Alessandro Del Piero, was not enough to seriously hamper Juventus in league play. At this point, the objective is the champions league and Juventus have made their signings very deliberately, signing two top players for the only positions they had a modicum of a problem with: the strikers. Llorente and Tevez are in my opinion, the missing pieces to this side that should really be European title contenders. I expect them to win the league again as well.  Societa Sportiva Lazio Home City Roma Manager: Valdimir Petkovic Notable players in: Lucas Biglia (midfielder, Anderlecht) Notable players out: None Trophies: Serie A [2] 73/74, 99/00 Coppa Italia [5] 1958, 97/98, 99/00, 03/04, 08/09, 12/13 Cup Winners Cup [1] 99/98 Last finish: 7th, Coppa Italia Winners Lazio had a fine season under Vladimir Petkovic, winning the Coppa Italia against their fiercest rivals, Roma. While the 7th place finish will leave something to be desired, I think you can call it a fair result. Miro Klose will stick around for at least another year and it looks like Hernanes might stay as well. With a defense built in front of Federico Marchetti they are certainly challengers for the Europea League spots. A bit of luck and some smart management might even see them make a good run in that competition as well. In terms of the league, I expect a similar finish to last year.  Associazinoe Sportivo Livorno Calcio Home City Livorno Manager: Davide Nicola Notable players in: Francesco Bardi (keeper, Novara via Inter) Notable players out: Duncan (midfielder, Inter loan end) Trophies: None at the top flight Last finish: Serie B, 3rd place (promoted via playoff) Livorno won a nervy playoff final against Empoli to secure their return to the top flight after a few seasons in the second tier. The last part of the Serie B season saw them slowly climb up the table to the top of the playoff spots and then ultimately win it. I don’t know too much about their squad as I mostly was crying about Vicenza being relegated, but I can tell you that beating that Empoli team was no easy feat, so they must have something going for them. As we saw with Pescara, winning in Serie B means nothing in Serie A, so I expect a relegation fight for the most communist team in Italy.  Associazione Calcio Milan Home City Milano Manager: Max Allegri Notable players in: Riccardo Saponara (midfielder/attacker, Empoli), Andrea Poli (midfielder, Sampdoria) Notable players out: Massimo Ambrosini (midfielder, Fiorentina) Trophies: Serie A [18] 1901, 1906, 1907, 50/51, 54/55, 56/57, 58/59, 61/62, 67/68, 78/79, 87/88, 91/92, 92/93, 93/94, 95/96, 98/99, 03/04, 10/11 Coppa Italia [5] 66/67, 71/72, 72/73, 76/77, 02/03 European Cup/Champions Leage [7] 62/63, 68/69, 88/89, 89/90, 93/94, 02/03, 06/07 Cup Winners Cup [2] 67/68, 72/73 Last finish: 3rd A lot of fans of other teams feel that Milan unjustly qualified for the Champions League due to the close nature of the fight between them and Fiorentina. The fact remains that Balotelli doesn’t miss penalties and in my (biased) opinion, he never tried to act clever in getting one. All that aside, Allegri did just enough to keep his job and will lead the team once more in to the season looking unprepared and wildly confused. The problem with Milan remains its defense, though at least one defender has been signed (Jherson Vergara) and one old turd has been sidelined (Daniele Bonera) so just maybe we’ll see him play. In attack, Milan has an abundance of talent, most notably Mario Balotelli, who will be expected to be the focal point of the whole side. Milan should, and can, be fighting for the CL spots, but it will take something special to defeat Juve this year and only one other team has that, in my opinion, and it isn’t Milan. A 3rd place finish again would be lovely for the fans, though it’ll be a fight to get it.  Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli Home City Napoli Manager: Rafa Benitez Notable players in: Jose Callejon (attacker, Real Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (attacker, Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (keeper, Liverpool), Raul Albiol (defender, Real Madrid) Notable players out: Edinson Cavani (striker, Paris St. Germain), Morgan De Sanctis (keeper, Roma) Trophies: Serie A [2] 86/86, 89/90 Coppa Italia [4] 61/62, 75/76, 86/87, 11/12 UEFA Cup/Europa Leage [1] 88/89 Last finish: 2nd At the risk of ruining it, this could really be Napoli’s year. Edinson Cavani was going to be sold this season, and it was apparent from the middle of the January when he said he wouldn’t turn down (Real Madrid/Barcelona/Manchester United/whoever) if offered. He ended up going to PSG, as is the case for every good Serie A player because we are a feeder league to them. HOWEVER, Napoli has had the best transfer window of any team in this league and I feel that Cavani has been adequately replaced. Rafa Benitez will have his second try in Italy with Napoli and given the players at his disposal and De Laurentiis’s astute purchases, I feel he will do much much better this time around. Though the “three tenors” have been reduced to jus tone (Hamsik), a new manager should be able to bring new life to this side and really push Juventus for the title. It’s an exciting time to be a Napoli fan and Im looking forward to their matches. Title challengers, easy.  Parma Football Club Home City Parma Manager: Roberto Donadoni Notable players in: Antonio Cassano (attacker, Inter), Filip Jankovic (Red Star Belgrade) Notable players out: Ilshak Belfodil (striker, Inter), Trophies: Coppa Italia [3] 91/92, 98/99, 01/02 Cup Winners Cup [1] 92/93 UEFA Cup/Europa Leage [2] 94/95, 98/99 Last finish: 10th Donadoni managed his side to an exact middle of the table finish, though to be honest it flatters them a bit. Belfodil was the breakout star for this side and he really only became a hot property in the second half of the season. Amuari managed to get his goals but he’s, well, he’s Amauri. Parma are on two fronts here, with the signing of Jankovic they clearly want to start investing more in their younger players, but they realized that they would need some help for the present, so Cassano it was. I’d like to see Cassano do well here, but with a battling rather than creative midfield that Parma have, I can’t see him getting a lot of service. He may have to do a lot of the work himself and anyone that’s watched him knows that while he certainly can do it, he probably wont. I expect a mid table finish, possibly lower-mid table.  Associazione Sportiva Roma Home City Roma Manager: Rudi Garcia Notable players in: Mehdi Bantia (defender, Udinese), Maicon (defender, Manchester City), Kevin Strootman (midfielder, PSV), Morgan De Sanctis (keeper, Napoli Notable players out: Maarten Stekelenberg (keeper, Fulham), Marquinhos (defender, Paris St. Germain), Nico Lopez (attacker, Udinese). Trophies: Serie A [3[ 41/42, 82/83, 00/01 Coppa Italia [9] 63/64, 68/69, 79/80, 80/81, 83/84, 85/86, 90/91, 06/07, 07/08 Last finish: 6th, Coppa Italia runner up A disastrous but wildly entertaining first half of the season under Zdenek Zeman meant that Rom were going to have to fight their way up the table from a terrible position. While they did manage to do it somewhat under Aurelio Andreazzoli, he was not going to be a long term manager and losing the Coppa Italia against Lazio of all teams meant that a re-haul was in order. Rudi Garcia was brought in from France and some good signigns have been made to shore up a defense that was full of holes last season. It remains to be seen whether Maicon will actually be any good as he didn’t really play for City, but he knows the league well and should at least be able to offer advice to his teammates. Strootman is the big question mark here as I’ve read from a lot of people that watched him in Holland that he isn’t worth the nearly 20 million Euros Roma paid for him. Osvaldo is more than likely going to leave if Roma can find a buyer, so that leaves a large hole at striker. If an attacker isn’t signed I don’t expect Roma to do any better than scraping in to the Europea League. However, a good attacker could push them in to the edge of the CL fight.  Unione Calcio Sampdoria Home City Genova Manager: Delio Rossi Notable players in: Manolo Gabbiadini (attacker, Bologna via Juve) Notable players out: Mauro Icardo (attacker, Inter), Andrea Poli (midfielder, Milan), Marcelo Estigarribia (midfielder, Deportivo Maldonado, end loan) Trophies: Serie A [1] 90/91 Coppa Italia [4] 84/85, 87/88, 88/89, 93/94 Cup Winners Cup [1] 89/90 Last finish: 14th After a brief relegation scare Sampdoria chugged along to a 14th place finish well before the season ended. Mauro Icardi was a big reason for this and he was promptly snatched up by Inter, supposedly with a month left to go in league play. There’s not much to say about this samp side, they are hoping Gabbiadini will fill the gap but they’ve lost their best midfielder, Poli, to Milan so there’s more to do here than at first glance. Delio Rossi is a good enough manager to keep them up but I expect a struggle. Lower-mid table, possible relegation candidates.  Unione Sportivo Sassuolo Calcio Home City Sassuolo, though home games will be played in Reggio Emilia while the stadium is finished. Manager: Eusebio Di Francesco Notable players in: Simone Zaza (striker, Ascoli via Juve), Francesco Acerbi (defender, Chievo), Antonio Rosati (keeper, Napoli) Notable players out: None Trophies: None at the top level Last finish: Serie B 1st Eusebio Di Francesco’s side had a tough fight with Hellas for the Serie B championship last season but ultimately came out on top thanks to some floundering by the Veronesi in the mid season. Out of the promoted sides, Sassuolo seem to have made the best signings, most notable Simone Zaza, a striker playing for an abysmal side in Ascoli, but who was good enough for Juventus to snap him up and loan him out. Acerbi is not Maldini but he’ll be serviceable for a side simply aiming to stay up. Rosati is talented enough despite his age as well. I still expect this campaign to be about staying up, but Sassuolo have a decent chance at it.  Torino Football Club Home City Torino Manager: Giampiero Ventura Notable players in: Omar El Kaddouri (midfielder/attacker, Napoli), Ciro Immobile (attacker, Genoa via Juve), Cesare Bovo (defender, Genoa) Notable players out: Mario Alberto Santana (midfielder, Genoa via Napoli), Rolando Bianchi (striker, Bologna), Angelo Ogbonna (defender, Juve) Trophies: Serie A [7] 27/28, 42/43, 45/46, 46/47, 47/48, 48/49, 75/76 Coppa Italia [5] 35/36, 42/43, 67/68, 70/71, 92/93 Last finish: 16th Torino lost their two most talismanic players, Bianchi and Ogbonna, this season and will struggle to fill their shoes. El Kaddouri never really got a chance at Napoli but while he was at Fiorentina he showed every now and then that he had some talent. Immobile, on the other hand, is pretty proven and should do well here. I expect a mid table finish.  Udinese Calcio Home City Udine Manager: Francesco Guidolin Notable players in: some guys who will be superstars in 3 years Im sure Notable players out: Mehdi Benatia (defender, Roma) Trophies: None at the top level Last finish: 5th Udinese placed where people expected them to place last year but it was nearly down to the last day. After floundering around toward the bottom of the table, the team righted itself and worked their way up to the Europa League qualifiers. Guidolin always says that his main focus is to avoid relegation, though surely even he must know that at this point in their history, Udinese are way better than that. For those new to Serie A or European football, Udinese’s owners, the Pozzo family, also own Granada CF in Spain and Watford in England. These two teams serve as feeders to Udinese, really, and a place where Udinese can send their younger or less proven players to beef up their skills. If you look at a transfer listing for Udinese, more than half of the players go to or come from these sides. The legality of this hasn’t been contested yet, but I feel like it’s only a matter of time. In any case, Di Natale will score a billion goals and Udinese will finish upper-mid table, probably in the EL spots.  Hellas Verona Football Club Home City Verona Manager: Andrea Mandorlini Notable players in: Luca Toni (striker, Fiorentina) Notable players out: none Trophies: Serie A [1] 84/85 Last finish: Serie B 2nd place A pack of cunts from an embarrassment of a city that some American wrote a book about. Likely to be relegated before the season is over for burning their own stadium down because a black guy looked at them funny. I only follow football for the fashion Given that we are the style capital of the world, here is every shirt from every team this year: http://www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/calcio/calcio/2013/fotogallery/1001192/le-maglie-della-serie-a-2013-2014.shtml?foto=1 Where the gently caress is Sassuolo? A helpful map!  Where can I watch? In America Well, the internet is more than likely your best bet. beIn sport “carries” Serie A but it’s usually limited to the late game on Sunday or Saturday, provided Barcelona or Real Madrid aren’t playing. They also show stuff on tape delay. RAI International (now called RAI Italia) carries a game in each time slot (lunch time, 1500 and 2045) on each game day, but the quality of the broadcast is really bad and also it’s in Italian! In the UK BT Sport apparently has the license to broadcast a lot of the games in the UK, so if you have that channel, that's where you should go! Anywhere else I have no idea! If you know please let me know and I’ll put it here. What should I read? La Gazzetta Dello Sport: Italian sports daily with an English language site that isn't updated often enough. Most of their news is reliable, except when they tell you outright that they heard it coming from an underage prostitute stumbling out of a Sardegnan Villa. Football Italia: A English language site covering Italian football that updates constantly. One of my favorites for English language. Forza Italian Football A site with some news coverage and a lot of decent editorial pieces. English language, best for opinions. transfermarkt.it: A gigantic real life transfer database, the .it version is in Italian and covers Serie A on the first page, but if you go to the bottom there's a .co.uk version that's in English. Has Balotelli missed a penalty yet? The answer is one click away! Gomez Button A German classic gets an Italian translation. Please suggest others! Everything I read tends to be Milan specific and in Italian, but if you have sites that are good I'd be happy to put them here. Who should I follow on twitter/facebook/the yohan kebab? The league itself actually has a very good social media presence, and they post all the time. They post a lot of good pictures and announce important things pretty quickly. Tancredi Palmeri is a multilingual journalist who is mostly worth following during the transfer season; he’s sometimes full of poo poo but every now and then he tells a good story about a player or a manager and such. Gianluca Di Marzio is another good journalist who’s more serious than Palmeri. OptaPaolo for stat dorks Mario Balotelli, of course What to post about in this thread This is the Serie A thread, but feel free to post about Serie B, the Lega Pro, the Lega Dilettante and any other competitions that Italy plays. I’ll also entertain one or two posts about politics, though don’t get carried away. Remember: be excellent to each other:  Enrico Preziosi REAL FAN Cutout  Aurelio De Laurentiis    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIGJwz8OFPI Gigi Galli fucked around with this message at 15:31 on Aug 29, 2013 |
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 02:26
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 4, 2024 15:19 |
|
|
The first official match played by an Italian team will be tomorrow when Udinese plays NK Široki Brijeg of Bosnia in the Europa League qualification stage.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 02:28
|
|
|
I look forward to my Napoli being relegated now that the smoke has been sufficiently puffed up our rear end by the English media.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 02:39
|
|
|
Rafa. Reina. Hamsik. Higauin. This is Napoli's year, book. it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 03:00
|
|
|
tbp posted:Rafa. Reina. Hamsik. Higauin. While Napoli has had an unbelievable transfer window, I don't think they have enough to rend 1st from Juve, sorry Aurelio. (Who's in the lion mask in the OP btw?)
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 05:28
|
|
|
Cavani I think from last year Also this needs to be in the OP imo http://hasbalotellimissedapenalty.com/
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 05:29
|
|
|
Sandwolf posted:(Who's in the lion mask in the OP btw?) Gokhan Inler's unveiling for Napoli https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krU_90yH99Y
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 05:44
|
|
|
After yesterday's match, you could say Milan really has a defense problem. Maybe you should try to poach Gonzalo or Savic, rather than Ljajic!!!
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 06:23
|
|
|
canepazzo posted:After yesterday's match, you could say Milan really has a defense problem. Nope, that would cost money and be intelligent, sorry.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 06:25
|
|
|
Seriouspost: One of the most useful links, especially during transfer windows, is https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk. It's one of the biggest database of players I know, full of info. It's like playing a game of FM. It will let you know who the gently caress Dabro is, how many goals Gomez really scored, is Honda really worth that much; as well as useful info such as contract expiration, name of the player's agent, transfer rumours and so on.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 06:34
|
|
|
Hey good OP as always GD, but it's worth noting that a grip of people stateside can access beIN streaming now:http://www.beinsportplay.tv One day us comcasters will get it too and we can also live in a second golden age of coverage. Oh, how I miss the espn3 days. canepazzo posted:After yesterday's match, you could say Milan really has a defense problem. Yeah, for the past 3 years I think we've all been saying this, and hey! We got Silvestre! I'd put a gun in my mouth but I'm just going to hope that he isn't as bad as Inter was last year. But Keep in mind 0 of those players are first choice and that was a loving strong City team. Still disgraceful defending though. I just wish we'd sign Honda or use that money for someone already. Also, with NDJ back and Poli brought in I'm excited to see this midfield at full strength. It'll be like a real midfield! grvm fucked around with this message at 07:03 on Aug 1, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 06:57
|
|
|
In other news, Pulvirenti (Catania prez) owns: Catania was supposedly about to sign Gino Peruzzi from Velez, until Pulvirenti literally said: "When they interviewed me and I spoke of him I was too drunk. You reckon he'd want to play in Catania when he was wanted by Manchester United? I wasn't of sound mind." However, Gomez (Alejandro, not Mario :P) is really going to Metalist.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 07:41
|
|
|
Drogadon posted:Also this needs to be in the OP imo http://hasbalotellimissedapenalty.com/ canepazzo posted:One of the most useful links, especially during transfer windows, is https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk. It's one of the biggest database of players I know, full of info. It's like playing a game of FM. grvm posted:Hey good OP as always GD, but it's worth noting that a grip of people stateside can access beIN streaming now:http://www.beinsportplay.tv Thanks, bros, links added to the OP. canepazzo posted:In other news, Pulvirenti (Catania prez) owns: This rules, Pulvirenti is underrated as a psycho.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 15:00
|
|
|
I'm so disappointed with Milan's transfer season so far.... It's clear that we're struggling on defence, and I don't understand why we don't focus on those positions rather than go after Honda and Ljlajic.... Our rivals other than Inter have all gotten much stronger on paper, can we do enough to maintain our CL position or to even compete in the tournament? Right now, I don't think so....
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 16:17
|
|
|
I don't know man, while the transfer market hasn't been big this year I think that poli's arrival and the return of de Jong are both huge for the club. While Poli isn't as creative as montolivo he remains a huge improvement over boateng, nocerino, muntari, or any option I'm forgetting there, and IMO the lack of creativity was a bigger weakness than defence last year. Despite our cbs being Mexes and Zapata I don't think the defence was really that bad, especially since they had very little cover from midfield. Having de Jong back should help that. Let's not forget that big money was just dished out in January for Mario. Things really aren't that bad, IMO. We really need someone for the CAM position, but I'm confident well get someone for it by the end of summer (or just wait for January with Honda)
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 16:27
|
|
|
canepazzo posted:Seriouspost: Just a quick reminder not to rely on the name of players agent/agency. Often they list some dodgy oval office (probably getting paid) who has nothing to do with said player. Like this agency is a typical bullshit one.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 16:35
|
|
|
grvm posted:Let's not forget that big money was just dished out in January for Mario. Things really aren't that bad, IMO. We really need someone for the CAM position, but I'm confident well get someone for it by the end of summer (or just wait for January with Honda) Saponara is here for that, he's really quite good and he's still just a kid. Of course I'd like to get Honda too. With the fullback situation finally "Settled" we really need to get some competent center backs. It's funny that we went from having the best center defense in the world with two bumbling fullbacks to two really great fullbacks and a crapshoot set of center backs. From past experiences, Galliani always manages to pull something out of his rear end at the end of the transfer window, so Im not worried just yet, despite the CL qualifier looming close. I just hope it's more of an Ibrahimovic surprise and less of an Emerson one.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 16:37
|
|
|
Forza Juve and to a lesser extent Udinese, fuckers
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 18:04
|
|
|
canepazzo posted:In other news, Pulvirenti (Catania prez) owns: He must have been really drunk to have mistaken a team of Man Utd rejects to be Man Utd
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 18:36
|
|
|
Ok, what's the Sampdoria silhouette supposed to be?
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 22:14
|
|
|
I think it's an awesome sailor man smoking a pipe.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 22:26
|
|
|
Gigi Galli posted:
 "In other Milan news, referees have started their meet up in Sportilia to discuss the new offside rules..." Speaking of which, new offside rules from Fifa this year: No offside for disrupting the GK's line of sight No offside if the defender makes a move towards the attacker (I have no loving idea how this one works) No offside if the defender touches the ball voluntarily, even an offside position becomes onside. Gonna be a mess!
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 22:38
|
|
|
I don't think the last one is new? The "if defender makes a move towards attacker" sounds like proper poo poo. e: I can't find anything about that in the 13/14 Laws of the Game? Also in the interpretation of Law 11 it says "An attacker in an offside position (A) is obstructing the goalkeeper’s line of vision. He must be penalised because he prevents an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball." Hegay fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Aug 1, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 22:50
|
|
|
canepazzo posted:
Oh c'mon the Milan crest just happened to be there, and those are your guys on the pitch!!!! That second one seems insane, I want to see it in action.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 23:12
|
|
|
whowhatwhere posted:Ok, what's the Sampdoria silhouette supposed to be? grvm posted:I think it's an awesome sailor man smoking a pipe. That's exactly what it is; Genova is a port city.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 23:14
|
|
|
canepazzo posted:
Wow, that second one is gonna be so loving stupid. Is there a definition of what constitutes a "move" like there is in American Football or is this completely up to the Ref at the time? Because that sounds like a fantastic way to get games thrown your way.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 01:02
|
|
|
Robviously posted:Wow, that second one is gonna be so loving stupid. Is there a definition of what constitutes a "move" like there is in American Football or is this completely up to the Ref at the time? Because that sounds like a fantastic way to get games thrown your way. This is what I thought of as well. Endless slow motion replays and closeups of a defenders shoes to determine whether "momentum" was established. Just like the endless replays of fingers touching footballs in American football.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 01:47
|
|
|
Chlorine posted:This is what I thought of as well. Endless slow motion replays and closeups of a defenders shoes to determine whether "momentum" was established. Just like the endless replays of fingers touching footballs in American football. The biggest difference is that in American Football, they actual define what's considered a "Football Move" when it's referenced to the rules that use the term. It's not a matter of what the Ref thinks is a football move. There's still replays but for the most part it's clear if it's a good or blown call and all the refs are on the same page. This is just going to be anarchy at times.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 01:53
|
|
|
That rule sounds like a good way for, ahem, creative officials to influence a match. Northern conspiracy imo
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 02:13
|
|
|
OP could also use the Mario Gomez button https://www.gomezbutton.it
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 03:15
|
|
|
So here's an article about the new wording http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/pitchside-europe/fifa-words-offside-rule-tweaks-clarify-confuse-100346024.html It doesn't mention movement toward the opponent, where did you read that canepazzo? I also wonder what language the rules were rewritten in, Im assuming English or French? Also I will add the gomez button!
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 04:01
|
|
|
One other thing to maybe add to the OP, Forza Italian Football has a nice English language Serie A podcast. The production value isn't great, but it's a good resource, and they have correspondents that cover most clubs in the league, which is the best English language info I've heard about smaller clubs. Also, they have a nice segment on Serie B each week as well. http://forzaitalianfootball.com/dovs-doctrine/italian-football-fancast/
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 04:15
|
|
|
trem_two posted:One other thing to maybe add to the OP, Forza Italian Football has a nice English language Serie A podcast. The production value isn't great, but it's a good resource, and they have correspondents that cover most clubs in the league, which is the best English language info I've heard about smaller clubs. Also, they have a nice segment on Serie B each week as well. Yes this! 
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 04:22
|
|
|
tbp posted:Yes this! Do you write for them? I know you've mentioned writing about the league, I've been curious where that is.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 04:24
|
|
|
trem_two posted:Do you write for them? I know you've mentioned writing about the league, I've been curious where that is. Haha yup they've asked around for people to feature on the podcast too but it's always really at inconvenient times
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 04:32
|
|
|
Gigi Galli posted:So here's an article about the new wording http://www.itasportpress.it/calcio/da-oggi-in-vigore-nuove-regole-per-il-fuorigioco-125399 One of them is here, but the wording is super unclear, it mentions "attempts from the defender at a defensive play" so does it mean touch is not necessary? I really don't know, better wait till Lega's or Fifa's site update their rules.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 06:27
|
|
|
I feel like I give that podcast 3 or 4 tries a season but I just can't make myself listen. The site is p good though.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 07:20
|
|
|
Massively downgraded sentences for Mauri and Lazio - respectively 6 months and 40k fine, down from 3 years and 6 points penalty (and fine). It's not that the same shits always win, but also the same shits never get punished.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 10:12
|
|
|
Sky did a bit on the new offside rules - http://video.sky.it/sport/calcio-italiano/fuorigioco/v167054.vid (italian), they speak about the "influencing the opponent part"
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 13:08
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 4, 2024 15:19 |
|
|
canepazzo posted:http://www.itasportpress.it/calcio/da-oggi-in-vigore-nuove-regole-per-il-fuorigioco-125399 Ah yeah, that is really vague. I'd like to see FIFA's big clarification here, because this is going to cause some problems. e: I can't get the video to load (probably because Im in America) but I'll look at it later when Im not at work and can VPN canepazzo posted:Massively downgraded sentences for Mauri and Lazio - respectively 6 months and 40k fine, down from 3 years and 6 points penalty (and fine). And this is loving shameful.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 15:15
|
|