[Centraal] Serie A topic deel 7: Forza Roma!

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Op maandag 2 augustus 2004 12:32 schreef Dylan Dog het volgende:
Forza Viola dan maar he!

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Baggio considers comeback

Roberto Baggio admits he is considering offers for a return to Serie A football this season for Bologna or Fiorentina.

“I have received some interesting offers,” confessed the Divine Ponytail this evening. “I must evaluate my own physical fitness before giving them a response.”

The 37-year-old announced his retirement last season, blaming years of fitness worries and several operations for the decision to hang up his boots.

Many friends and colleagues had tried to convince him to change his mind, but up until now it was to no avail and he was even granted one final Azzurri cap in a 1-1 friendly draw with Spain.

However, the former Brescia man has now suggested a sensational return could be on the cards.

Although Baggio has not named names, it is widely believed the offers he is considering are from Bologna and Fiorentina.

He had his most prolific campaign with the Rossoblu in 1997-98, scoring 22 goals in 30 appearances. His career had been on the downward slide after a disappointing spell at Milan and it was salvaged by Coach Carlo Mazzone – who has also returned to the Stadio Dall’Ara and helped him at Brescia.

Fiorentina remains the club that is probably closest to Baggio’s heart, as it was here he had his first impact with Serie A in 1986-87. Despite recovering from a potentially career-ending ligament injury, he went on to play four seasons with the Viola and became a fan favourite. Supporters famously staged a riot in the streets of Florence when he was sold to Juventus in 1990.

The fact that Fiorentina are back in Serie A just two years after their bankruptcy makes Baggio’s comeback an enticing proposition.

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Op maandag 2 augustus 2004 18:21 schreef Smeich het volgende:
Verander ajb die topictitel eens ff....en héél snel!

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Op dinsdag 3 augustus 2004 10:13 schreef ZIOPPA het volgende:

[..]

Zit niets anders op dan dit topic heel snel vol te maken..

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Viola snap up Valdes

Fiorentina have officially signed Bari’s Chilean creative midfielder Jaime Valdes and beat Sampdoria in a friendly match.

The Viola have been very active on the transfer market since earning promotion to the top flight via a play-off against Perugia.

Valdes had already been heavily linked with the club over the last month, but a deal was finally brokered this afternoon.

Fiorentina have bought half the 22-year-old’s contract in exchange for an undisclosed cash sum plus 50 per cent of Massimiliano Scaglia.

Meanwhile, the Stadio Artemio Franchi outfit beat Sampdoria 3-2 in a friendly clash this evening.

The Blucerchiati took a deserved lead through Fabio Bazzani’s volley and a Francesco Flachi tap-in, but former Real Madrid man Javier Portillo made an impressive debut in the second half and converted a penalty just after coming on.

The fightback continued with Enrico Fantini’s long-range strike and, despite red cards for Daniele Delli Carri and Bazzani, turned it around through Gaetano Fontana’s free kick.

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MUTU NEARS JUVENTUS SWITCH

Juventus are closing in on the capture of Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu, after submitting an offer for the Romania international.
Mutu has demanded showdown talks with new Blues boss Jose Mourinho regarding his future at Stamford Bridge.

Following the summer arrivals of Didier Drogba and Mateja Kezman, Mutu is concerned about his prospects of regular first team football.

It appears he has not been convinced he has a prominent role to play for The Premiership's big-spenders and is set to return to Serie A.

The Turin giants have put together a package to bring the 25-year-old back to Italy after just one season in West London.

Mutu joined Chelsea last summer in a £15.8 million deal from Parma but it seems The Blues are prepared to cut their losses on the hit-man.

Fiorentina are also keen on Mutu but it appears the prospect of UEFA Champions League football with Juventus has swung the deal in their favour.

Juve are understood to have asked Chelsea if they can take Mutu on loan for the season, with a view to a permanent move next summer.

The forward's representative Giovanni Becali confirmed a deal is in the pipeline after Mutu received no assurances from Mourinho.

"Mutu spoke with Mourinho and asked him if he has the same chances of a place like a main player," Becali told skysports.com.

"The coach explained to the Romanian striker that the order is this: Kezman, Drogba, Gudjohnsen and only then Mutu.

"Juve will pay the whole salary of the player and, at the end of the season, they will have the right to purchase him. The loan deal is for free."

The ex-Dinamo Bucharest starlet enjoyed a fine start to his Chelsea career but the goals dried up in the second half of the campaign and he will be aiming to rediscover the goal trail in Italy.

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There is also another legal battle in place, as Perugia director Alessandro Gaucci has seen his appeal to have Parma thrown out of Serie A rejected by the CONI arbitration commission.

“We will go to the civil courts to have justice,” slammed the son of the new Napoli patron. “It is so clear that Parma have registered for Serie A incorrectly that I cannot see how they have failed to accept our appeal. This is a scandalous decision.”

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Betting scandal delays Serie B start

The betting scandal that swept through Serie A towards the end of last season is reaching a head with 40 people recommended for trial and the Serie B season delayed until Sept 12.

The matter will probably be brought before the Disciplinary Commission on August 16 and an appeal to the CAF no earlier than September 3.

Because of these expected delays and possible changes to the entire Serie A and B line-up, the start of the Serie B season will now officially be delayed until September 12, confirmed the FIGC this evening.

Federal Prosecutor Emidio Frascione has asked Chievo, Siena and Sampdoria to be charged with indirect responsibility for the alleged bets, but it’s reported that Modena have the more serious accusation of direct responsibility.

If the players are found guilty of the more serious charges they risk long bans from activity, but the clubs could face a points penalty or even automatic relegation.

Of the 40 people involved, 15 have been accused of illicit sporting behaviour, 10 for failing to report the infraction of rules and 15 for violating the principles of sport. This last group would appear to be those who placed bets on football matches, which is illegal if you are registered as a player, Coach or director of any club.

Those accused of various charges include ex-Siena Coach Giuseppe Papadopulo (pictured), Chievo’s current director of sport Giovanni Sartori, former tactician Gigi Del Neri and ex-Ancona boss Giovanni Galeone.

Sampdoria star and Italian international Stefano Bettarini is included in the list of players accused of illicit sporting behaviour, along with Modena’s Antonio Marasco, while Generoso Rossi, Roberto D’Aversa and Nicola Ventola have allegedly breached the principles of sport.

However, most of the ‘crimes’ these people are accused of involve failing to alert the authorities to the possibility of an infraction of the rules.

Six Serie A games from the 2003-04 season are under the spotlight:

Lecce 0-0 Siena, March 7 2004 http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0304/lec-sie.html
Chievo 1-1 Siena, March 21 2004 http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0304/chi-sie.html
Ancona 0-2 Chievo, April 25 2004 http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0304/anc-chi.html
Modena 1-0 Sampdoria, April 25 2004 http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0304/mod-sam.html
Chievo 2-0 Modena, May 2 2004 http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0304/chi-mod.html
Ancona 2-1 Empoli, May 9 2004 http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0304/anc-emp.html

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Betting accusation clubs proclaim innocence

Sampdoria, Siena and Chievo have reacted to their involvement in the betting scandal sweeping through Serie A, B and C.

“As we have said from the first day,” noted Siena President Paolo De Luca, “we are relaxed. We have full faith in the sports justice system, but these referrals are a mistake and we will prove our innocence.”

In all 40 people were recommended for trial in front of the FIGC Disciplinary Commission by the Federal Prosecutor for a series of charges that run from unsporting behaviour to failing to alert the authorities.

Six Serie A matches are under the spotlight, among them the 1-1 draw between Chievo and Siena.

“I challenge anyone to watch that game and prove it was fixed,” exclaimed De Luca. “It had injuries, a saved penalty, and an incredible late equaliser scored by Nicola Ventola in stoppages. If Chievo and Siena were in agreement, then all those players deserve an Oscar.”

The main evidence appears to be phone calls between directors of sport Nelso Ricci and Giovanni Sartori in the week leading up to the game.

“Let us not joke around here,” added the Siena chief. “It is entirely normal for directors of clubs to make contact before a game, just as they talk on the phone throughout the whole season.”

Chievo - including their former Coach Gigi Del Neri - have chosen not to make any comment on the affair, but Sampdoria have released a statement after the club and player Stefano Bettarini were implicated.

“As Bettarini was accused of something, it is only normal that the club will be charged with indirect responsibility,” noted director Beppe Marotta.

“Sampdoria are totally extraneous to any wrongdoing and even Bettarini will have the opportunity to prove his innocence. Besides, the incriminated match with Modena saw Samp defeated, so there was no interest in it for us.”

The Commission should give its verdict on the betting scandal in mid-August, while the CAF is prepared to rule on any appeals on September 3. Because of this, the start of the Serie B season has been delayed from August 29 to September 12.

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Betting trial opens to chaos

The ‘trial’ into the betting scandal that swept through Serie A, B and C began this morning, but there is already confusion in the courts.

The Disciplinary Commission began proceedings this morning in the Lega Calcio’s Milan headquarters and should be able to give its verdict by the weekend. We remind you that a series of clubs and players – 45 people in all – were accused of betting on games and in some cases planning to fix the result.

However, the opening day was already plunged into chaos when the Commission conceded it was unable to rule on those registered for Serie C clubs (the vast majority of those involved) or those who are no longer part of Serie A and B sides (including the now bankrupt Ancona).

There is a separate Disciplinary Commission for Serie C1, C2 and the amateur divisions, based in Florence. Among those ruled out of the inquiry for the time being are Salvatore Ambrosino, a Grosseto player who so far is the only one to confess any wrongdoing.

Federal Prosecutor Emidio Frascione insisted he would appeal to the CAF for this decision to be overturned, but the ‘trial’ continues. If he wins that appeal, then anything decided in the meantime would be made void and the whole process would need to begin again.

Meanwhile, some star names filed into the League headquarters this morning to give evidence and view the proceedings. They included Sampdoria defender Stefano Bettarini, former Chievo Coach Luigi Del Neri and ex-Siena duo Generoso Rossi and Nicola Ventola.

“I was completely oblivious to any of the charges made by the prosecutor,” insisted Modena President Romano Amadei. “I think that whoever examines the evidence carefully will come to the same conclusion.”

“I and the club are clean,” added ex-Chievo boss Del Neri. “We were dragged into this affair with nothing but lies, but the question remains why did it happen?”

Much of the evidence behind the prosecution comes from the intercepted phone conversations between players.

“Those discussions they had are little more than bar-room talk,” assured Bettarini’s lawyer Giulia Bongiorno. “The Disciplinary Commission needs to fully examine everything they said in those phone calls, because Ambrosino and Saracino did nothing other than exchange their theories on what results could occur, and more often than not they were wrong.”

This process will be rushed through as quickly as possible by the Disciplinary Commission, as any clubs found guilty of match-fixing could be docked points or even automatically relegated.

With this in mind, the start of the Serie B season has been put back to September 11 to leave room for any appeals.

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Proscioglimento per tutte per le squadre, pagano solo i calciatori. Tre anni a Marasco, uno a G. Rossi, 6 mesi a D'Aversa, 5 a Bettarini. Modena in B da -5.

MILANO, 25 agosto 2004 - Ore 13, l'avvocato Stefano Azzali, presidente della Commissione Disciplinare lascia la sede della Lega Calcio. "La sentenza è pronta e non la voglio più vedere" dice, ponendo la parola fine sull'inchiesta iniziata l'11 maggio scorso. Ed eccola, la sentenza:
Cinque punti di penalizzazione al Modena nel prossimo campionato di serie B. L'ex giocatore del Modena Antonio Marasco è stato squalificato per tre anni. Cinque mesi di squalifica, invece, per l'ex difensore della
Sampdoria Stefano Bettarini, un anno di squalifica per Generoso Rossi. Prosciolto Nicola Ventola. Quindicimila euro di ammenda per la Sampdoria. Prosciolte Chievo e Siena. Nessuna retrocessione, ma il Modena partirà da meno 5 in classifica nel prossimo campionato di serie B.

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Siena escape demotion threat

Siena won’t be relegated to Serie B after the verdict into the match-fixing trial was finally revealed.

The prosecution had asked for some stiff punishments, including the enforced demotion of the Tuscan side into the Second Division.

But Siena have today breathed a huge sigh of relief after the disciplinary commission handed out lighter sentences than many initially feared.

Siena have been cleared along with Chievo Verona and Sampdoria who were also under investigation for alleged involvement.
Modena have been told that they won’t be relegated to Serie C but they will start the new Serie B campaign with a deduction of five points.

However, a number of players have been handed lengthy bans given the evidence heard in the trial which commenced on May 11.

Antonio Marasco, who spent last season at Modena, may never play again after the 34-year-old was given a three-year suspension.
Goalkeeper Generoso Rossi, formerly of Siena, has been told that he will be banned for a year.
Defender Stefano Bettarini, who is now out of contract at Samp, will be out of action for five months.
While Coach Giuseppe Papadopulo, who left Siena over the summer, has been given a six-month stop.
There are also six-month stops for Siena’s Roberto D’Aversa and Pescara’s Maurizio Caccavale.
A Five-month suspension also awaits Como player Alfredo Femiano.

All others involved, including Inter striker Nicola Ventola and former Chievo boss Luigi Del Neri, have been acquitted.

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Totti to face Fiorentina

Roma’s Francesco Totti should be available for Week 1 of the new Serie A season despite his ankle injury.

The No 10 picked up the problem over the weekend and he’s subsequently been forced out of Wednesday’s international against Moldova.

However, the Italian is expected to be fit enough to face Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico next Sunday afternoon.

The 28-year-old was at the Trigoria training base on Monday where he received extensive treatment.

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Old shirt for new Parma

Parma have unveiled their new shirt – deciding to revert to the jersey they first wore back in 1913.

The Tardini outfit have used blue and yellow in recent years but they will now appear in a white shirt with a dark blue cross on the front.

"It is emotional to see it again," stated director Luca Baraldi at today’s official presentation. "This is a return to our origins and a dream for all our fans."

The club are trying to start a new era after they lost the financial support of major backers Parmalat last term.

Yet despite some high profile departures over the summer, Baraldi is confidently looking ahead to the new campaign.

"We have a squad of 31 players of which 27 of them are aged 25 or under," explained the official. "A third of our players are also internationals."

Arrigo Sacchi, Parma’s transfer consultant, is also optimistic about the strength of the players at Silvio Baldini’s disposal.

"The value of this season’s side is no different from the one we had in the second half of the last campaign," stated the former national boss.

"Our objective? So long as the players give their very best then we will be happy with whatever we achieve."

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Chievo-Inter a Paparesta, il Milan trova Pieri

Trefoloni per Brescia-Juve, Collina per Cagliari-Bologna

ROMA - "Quest'anno ci sarà il nuovo sorteggio: divideremo le partite in 3 fasce e anche gli arbitri. Il numero minimo di partite per fasce sarà di 3". Pierluigi Pairetto ha dato il via al sorteggio arbitrale per la prima giornata di campionato spiegando la novità introdotta per questa stagione. Ecco i direttori di gara della prima giornata, in programma nel week-end:

Sabato
Ore 18, Chievo-Inter: Paparesta di Bari
Ore 20.30, Milan-Livorno: Pieri di Genova

Domenica, ore 15
Atalanta-Lecce: Rodomonti di Roma
Brescia-Juventus: Trefoloni di Siena
Cagliari-Bologna: Collina di Viareggio
Palermo-Siena: Saccani di Mantova
Parma-Messina: Rizzoli di Bologna
Reggina-Udinese: Tombolini di Ancona
Roma-Fiorentina: Dondarini di Finale Emilia
Ore 20.30, Sampdoria-Lazio: Rosetti di Torino.

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Op donderdag 9 september 2004 00:21 schreef ZIOPPA het volgende:

[..]

Is nog niet duidelijk wie eerste doelman is. Hebben in de voorbereiding allebei ongeveer evenveel wedstrijden gespeeld en Mondonico laat er zich ook niet over uit.

Vind dat Cejas wel een kans verdient na een topjaar in Serie B, denk dat Lupatelli de voorkeur krijgt omdat hij in de voorbereiding toch wel beter stond te keepen.

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Fiorentina: infortunio per Cejas, salta la Roma

Sospetto stiramento per il portiere argentino

FIRENZE - Infortunio per Christian Cejas nel corso dell'allenamento di stamattina. Per il portiere argentino della Fiorentina si teme uno stiramento. Cejas ha lasciato lo spogliatoio con le stampelle e salterà certamente la partita
dell'Olimpico contro la Roma.

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Chievo - Inter 2
Milan - Livorno 1
Atalanta - Lecce 1
Brescia - Juventus 2
Cagliari - Bologna 2
Palermo - Siena 1
Parma - Messina 1
Reggina - Udinese X
Roma - Fiorentina 1
Sampdoria - Lazio X

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Op maandag 13 september 2004 09:36 schreef ZIOPPA het volgende:

[..]

Beetje jammer van het verlies; minuut voor de goal haalt Mexes de bal met wel erg veel geluk van de lijn..

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Niet ontevreden over het spel; zondag tegen Cagliari 3 punten!

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Op maandag 13 september 2004 09:10 schreef Dylan Dog het volgende:

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Komt nog wel goed hoor. 1-0 uit bij Roma is voorzien. Vanaf nu gaan 'we' pas voetballen...

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Player of the Week: Seedorf (Milan)

There were a few raised eyebrows when Milan signed Clarence Seedorf from Inter in 2002. Not because he swapped one San Siro club for another, but simply because there were doubts over how good he really was.

However, the Dutchman has silenced his critics over the last 12 months with some powerful midfield performances, in a Milan team that allows him to deliver his full potential. The latest example of that came on Saturday in the 2-2 draw with Livorno.

He not only netted twice against the newly promoted outfit but his overall display, after Milan goalkeeper Dida was dismissed early on, was good enough to see him named as our first Player of the Week for the 2004-05 campaign.

The former Real Madrid ace isn’t a prolific scorer from midfield, but the goals that he does net are often memorable. The brace he bagged on Saturday evening were quality strikes from a player who illustrated why he was recently handed a new deal until 2009.

Seedorf wasn’t the only player to have a good start to the season though. Cristiano Lucarelli impressed in the same game as his two goals gave Milan a real scare. The Livorno striker was a constant danger and was also unfortunate to have a third goal disallowed.

Adriano saved Inter, probably not for the first time this season, by unleashing another unstoppable drive to ensure a 2-2 draw at Chievo. Gianfranco Zola and Paolo Di Canio, despite his altercation with Simone Inzaghi over who would take a penalty, also deserve credit for their return to the top-flight as Cagliari and Lazio collected victories.

The term also began well for Vincenzo Montella as he netted the only goal in the win against Fiorentina. He's had an injury plagued last 12 months but could he be the striker that Roma have been looking elsewhere for?

Juventus impressed many at Brescia in Week 1 with a good team effort. Pavel Nedved, after a quiet start, stole the show even if Zlatan Ibrahimovic also excited during his second half substitute appearance – keep an eye on him.

The only negative for the Bianconeri was an out of form Alex Del Piero. Apart from a free-kick, he did little to scare a very distracted Brescia defence. How long before boss Fabio Capello decides to field Ibrahimovic and Trezeguet together instead?

Villain of the week is Roma’s Antonio Cassano. He marked his first game as the club’s new vice-captain by getting himself sent-off. This boy claims to be maturing but when he put his hands all over Giorgio Chiellini’s face, a dismissal was inevitable.

It was also a negative 90 minutes for Inter ‘keeper Francesco Toldo. Although the centre-back partnership of Sinisa Mihajlovic and Marco Materazzi didn’t help, Toldo looked shaky against Chievo. He needs to find his best form and quickly after the summer arrival of Uruguayan international Fabian Carini.

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Op maandag 13 september 2004 15:01 schreef pfaf het volgende:
Parma 0-0.

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Op maandag 13 september 2004 15:22 schreef Marty het volgende:

Dit jaar maar weer een paar keer naar een wedstrijd toe.

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Op dinsdag 14 september 2004 08:56 schreef Marty het volgende:

[..]

Nou, niet meteen boos worden...

_{Zat ook een beetje krap bij kas vorig jaar, anders was ik vast wel een keertje wezen kijken..}

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Op dinsdag 14 september 2004 10:22 schreef Marty het volgende:

(hier worden ze Napoletani genoemd )

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Op dinsdag 14 september 2004 13:53 schreef ZIOPPA het volgende:

Deze week trouwens Coppa Italia:

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Atalanta chief Ruggeri quits

Ivan Ruggeri has resigned as the President of newly-promoted Atalanta after clashing with home fans.

Ruggeri made the announcement last night following the 4-1 Coppa Italia win against Reggina.

"I have resigned from my position," he stated. "For now the club remains the property of the Ruggeri family but I am leaving."

Boss Andrea Mandorlini added: "I really don’t want to say anything because this is a sad day."

Nerazzurri fans turned on Ruggeri on Thursday after some of his recent comments about them.

Ruggeri moaned that he was not happy with the amount of season tickets sold, around 8,800 so far, despite the money he’s spent on strengthening the squad in the summer.

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Player of the Week: Montella (Roma)

After scoring the winner against Fiorentina in Week 1, Roma’s Vincenzo Montella said that he wouldn’t speak to the media again until he netted 15 goals this season. Given the disastrous last year he’s just had, many believed that the pint-sized ace would be remaining silent for some time to come.

Yet after just two games, Montella now leads the Serie A scoring chart with four goals following his splendid hat-trick against Messina. His Roma side may have lost 4-3 to the Sicilian outfit but Montella did enough to be named as our Player of the Week.

His three goals on Sunday afternoon proved that the former Sampdoria crowd favourite still has plenty to offer. The Giallorossi may have tried to sell him in the summer, as sporting director Franco Baldini recently revealed, but Montella could just be the striker that the club have been looking for elsewhere.

Montella has had his difficulties recently both on and off the pitch. He spent the majority of the last campaign on the sidelines with a knee injury and he’s also had to deal with some family problems. Nevertheless, the old Montella seems to be back and ready to prove his critics wrong.

Juventus’ David Trezeguet is also returning to his best after his struggles in the 2003-04 campaign. The Frenchman scored both as the Old Lady of Italian football maintained their 100 per cent record against Atalanta. Gianluca Zambrotta, Lilian Thuram and Fabio Cannavaro also impressed.

Bologna may have lost 2-0 to Milan but veteran goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca made sure the defeat wasn’t heavier. Playing in his 533rd Serie A game, the veteran was simply sublime as he constantly frustrated a Rossoneri side who didn’t score until seven minutes from the end. It was a deserved victory though with Marco Cafu and Kaka shining.

Adriano was again phenomenal for Inter who were unfortunate enough to come up against an in-form Luca Toni. Lecce’s Valeri Bojinov, Serie A’s answer to Wayne Rooney, was also excellent in the destruction of Brescia as he bagged a brace.

Fiorentina marked their home debut with a victory after Fabrizio Miccoli found the target. Even if the Viola have to thank goalkeeper Cristiano Lupatelli who made some vital saves in between the sticks.

It was also a good weekend for quality goals. Riccardo Zampagna’s chip to secure the win over Roma was worthy of Francesco Totti but it wasn’t the best strike in Week 2. That honour goes to Reggina’s Emiliano Bonazzoli who volleyed home, in Marco Van Basten Euro ‘88 fashion, against Lazio.

There were some disappointments in Week 2 though. Daniele Bonera got himself sent-off for Parma after his reckless challenge cost him his second yellow card of the night. The entire Roma defence, notably Philippe Mexes and Matteo Ferrari, were disastrous. While the inability of three Inter players to tackle Lamberto Zauli of Palermo, who crossed for Toni to score, means they are still waiting for their first win of the Serie A season.

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Op maandag 20 september 2004 16:43 schreef methodmich het volgende:
Wie heeft de toto gewonnen?

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Zeman has Cassano problem

Antonio Cassano is set to return to action on Wednesday, much to the annoyance of Lecce boss Zdenek Zeman.

The Roma ace was made available for the game after his two-match ban was cut following a second appeal.

"I knew that his suspension would be reduced and I’m not surprised by what has happened," Zeman told Radio Incontro.

"However, the gesture that saw him dismissed did deserve to be punished with a two-match ban. Now we’ll have one more problem to deal with in midweek."

The 22-year-old was red-carded in Week 1 after he pushed Fiorentina’s Giorgio Chiellini in the face.

"Cassano is a great player but it isn’t the first time that he’s acted in such a way. I hope that he can mature before his career ends," added the tactician.

The Week 3 game will be an emotional occasion for the Czech who was sacked as Giallorossi boss in 1998.

"I was very happy in Rome and, in my opinion, the Roma fans are the very best in the world. I was very disappointed to leave," he continued.

"Will I shake the hand of President Franco Sensi? Of course, we’ve greeted each other on many occasions since then."

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Op woensdag 22 september 2004 10:36 schreef Doc het volgende:

[..]

Zo te lezen is dit HET land voor Zlatan. Nooit meer 6 wedstrijden geschorst ...

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Player of the Week: Lupatelli (Fiorentina)

How things can change in the space of a year. This time last season, there were some doubts over whether Cristiano Lupatelli would ever play again after a serious knee injury jeopardised his career. Yet the ‘keeper is well and truly back after an inspirational performance in the 0-0 draw at Palermo.

Lupatelli, who joined the Viola from Roma in the summer, was simply immense at the Stadio Barbera. Whatever questions the Sicilian players asked, the No 1 had all the answers for. The 26-year-old had already impressed at the weekend against Cagliari, but his Week 3 display will live long in the memory.

The former Under-21 international simply saved everything, including an Eugenio Corini penalty which is rare indeed. The midfielder had netted his previous 14 spot-kicks but was denied by a flying Lupatelli save, who then instantly got up to his feet to block a follow-up shot. Taking into account Ivan Pelizzoli’s dodgy display against Lecce on Wednesday, Roma may have got rid of the wrong shot-stopper.

Lupatelli’s heroics just outshone that man Adriano again. The Brazilian put in another sublime display to give critics even more ammunition to the claim that Inter are basically a one-man team – no wonder boss Roberto Mancini has yet to rest the 22-year-old.

After just 13 minutes he rattled the Atalanta crossbar with a 35-yard chip. He then sealed a win late on when his powerful solo run, from the half-way line, resulted in a rasping shot from the edge of the area. It wasn’t his best strike, seeing as ‘keeper Massimo Taibi made a right mess of it, but it was enough to give Inter their first win.

Other stars of Week 3 included stopper Fabio Cannavaro as his Juventus defence are still unbeaten after a 3-0 win at Samp. Cagliari owed their victory to the outstanding performances of Mauro Esposito and David Suazo – keep an eye on them this term.

Bologna won at last with the help of Tomas Locatelli whose first half display against Parma was stunning. He not only scored but proved a constant problem for the Tardini defence. Young Massimo Loviso also made a telling contribution.

At the Olimpico, Valeri Bojinov enhanced his reputation again as Lecce almost collected a victory. The Bulgarian hit the post and scored as his Giallorossi side grabbed a splendid 2-2 draw against Roma. Biggest shock of the night went to Messina though as Milan were defeated 2-1 at the San Siro. Goalscorers Domenico Giampa and Riccardo Zampagna were the pick of an excellent bunch.

The best goal on Wednesday evening was scored by Inter’s Alvaro Recoba. His close control, turn and shot was just the latest illustration of how gifted this player is. What a pity he continues to be infuriatingly inconsistent. Antonio Cassano’s toe-poke and David Trezeguet’s volley also deserve a mention.

On the negative side, Nicolas Burdisso will not remember his Inter debut fondly. His short back pass resulted in an Atalanta goal. Massimo Maccarone also had a nightmare for Parma. But all football fans should spare a thought for Francesco Totti. He decided to take his penalty against Lecce with a cheeky chip, or a ‘spoon shot’ as the Italians call it, only to see Vincenzo Sicignano stand still and catch the ball.

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Bologna - Roma 2
Fiorentina - Sampdoria X
Inter - Parma 1
Juventus - Palermo 1
Lazio - Milan X
Lecce - Cagliari 1
Livorno - Atalanta X
Messina - Chievo 1
Siena - Reggina X
Udinese - Brescia 1

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Zeman’s Lecce target Europe

Lecce’s fantastic start to the season has got their President dreaming of UEFA Cup qualification.

"It is our aim to get into Europe in the next two years," revealed Quirico Semeraro on Thursday.

The Giallorossi have collected five points from their first three games, including last night’s 2-2 draw at Roma.

And Semeraro is convinced that the decision to appoint Zdenek Zeman (pictured) as boss will prove decisive.

"We are keeping a tight hold on him and I would have said the same even if we had lost 4-0 to Roma," added the chief.

"Apart from being a great tactician, he has perfectly understood the project which we have begun here.

"We are a club who keep a close eye on our finances and our youth system. We are also realistic when setting targets.

"If we can comfortably stay up and keep our best players, then UEFA qualification will be our objective next season.

"This isn’t a dream. With Zeman here, this could turn into reality."

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Player of the Week: Shevchenko (Milan)

Although Andriy Shevchenko was quick to praise his teammates following the 2-1 win at Lazio on Sunday, it would be fair to suggest that Milan may have lost at the Olimpico had he not been on the field of play. Although capital ‘keeper Angelo Peruzzi made some fine saves throughout, Shev’s brilliant brace handed his 10-man side three crucial points.

The Rossoneri certainly needed Shevchenko to return to form and he didn’t let them down. Jon Dahl Tomasson, Pippo Inzaghi and Hernan Crespo haven’t looked in great shape so far this term which only increased the pressure on the Ukrainian to deliver. He certainly did that and in some style.

His first goal may have resulted thanks to some slack Lazio defending but Shev impressively co-ordinated himself to blast the ball home. His second was even better as he skipped past two Lazio defenders to pick out the top-corner with a powerful strike. He proved to be the only real difference between the two sides in the Eternal City.

Shevchenko concluded the Week 4 scoring but the first strike of the weekend went to Bologna’s Mourad Meghni. Dubbed the ‘new Zidane’ on his arrival at the club four years ago, the 20-year-old finally illustrated why against Roma. He was surprisingly given a starting shirt and he repaid boss Carlo Mazzone with two goals of the highest quality.

The Frenchman was excellent throughout for the Rossoblu, as was Tomas Locatelli, against an unrecognisable Roma. The Giallorossi were simply awful at the Dall’Ara with Leandro Cufre, Marco Delvecchio and Antonio Cassano arguably the worst of a very bad bunch. No wonder Coach Rudi Voller, who quit after the game, admitted he was embarrassed by their display.

It was a different story for Parma boss Silvio Baldini, whose youngsters grabbed a point at Inter. Although all of the side did well, Domenico Morfeo proved just how important he will be to the team this season. The attacking midfielder was immense, rekindling memories of his time at Atalanta when the big clubs would regularly send scouts to watch his performances.

The Tardini outfit though were denied the three points by substitute Obafemi Martins. The Nigerian came on to score a brace after another ineffective performance from Christian Vieri. The Italian, who is clearly struggling for form, started alongside Adriano yet again but came off to the whistles of the home crowd. How many more chances is boss Roberto Mancini going to give him?

Other good individual displays over the weekend were offered by Gianluca Zambrotta of Juventus, in the 1-1 draw against a very organised Palermo outfit, and Lecce’s Guillermo Giacomazzi. Cagliari’s Mauro Esposito did his hopes of a first international call-up no damage with another goal.

Brescia’s Daniele Mannini also deserves a special mention but for all the wrong reasons. He decided to take advantage of Morgan De Sanctis’ injury to chip the ball into the empty net as the Udinese No 1 lay on the ground. Whatever happened to fair play?

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Op maandag 27 september 2004 13:29 schreef pfaf het volgende:
Parma.

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Udinese want Brescia rematch

Udinese have confirmed that they will appeal against their 2-1 loss to Brescia following Daniele Mannini’s controversial winner.

The latter netted his first Serie A goal as he took advantage of an injury to Morgan De Sanctis.

The ‘keeper lay on the ground, after being clearly caught by Giuseppe Sculli, but the referee failed to award a foul.

Brescia subsequently played on, much to the anger of the Bianconeri, for Mannini to chip the ball into the back of the net from outside of the area.

"I’ve been in this game for 40 years and never seen anything like it," Udinese patron Giampaolo Pozzo told TV show ‘Il Processo di Biscardi.’

"We will appeal and I think the time has arrived for the Federation to review the current rules in place.

"Now we hope that the referee accepts that he made a technical error in order for the match to be replayed."

Referee designators Paolo Bergamo and Pierluigi Pairetto have since stated that the official should have stopped the game due to the ‘keeper’s injury.

The pair have also urged players to respect fair play rules in such circumstances.