World Soccer News

for week of November 14th

Drogba investigated over coin throwing
Chelsea's great run this season has come to a halt in the fourth round of the Carling Cup against Burnley. While the fans are likely to dismiss the penalty loss as a minor setback, Didier Drogba may find himself out of action should the FA find him guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct. Click to continue reading...

Here's what I found interesting after reading various calcio news sites today:

-First, we have another managerial change in Serie A. Chievo haven't won since the first week of the season and manager Beppe Iachini has been sacked. Taking his place will be Domenico Di Carlo, who was in charge of Parma until March of last season.

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Big rumor from TuttoSport today (which is a Turin-based paper) claiming that Juventus have struck a deal with Sampdoria to bring Antonio Cassano to Torino this summer. Cassano has always been linked with a move to Juve (Bari had given Cassano two options, Juve or Roma, and Cassano chose Roma because it was a better city) and then the Bianconeri have always shown a certain interest in El Pibe di Bari the past few years.

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This headline, Saha becomes a Toffee after passing Everton medical, struck me as curious: how did Saha pass a medical?

I, for one, really hope his injuries are behind him for good - can you imagine? When he's in form he is a cracking striker, and I'd love to see him hit the heights for France.

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La conferenza stampa integrale di Jeremy Menez

Cosa vuol dire per te essere un giocatore della Roma?
"Per me è un piacere essere in una grande squadra come la Roma e potermi allenare con grandi campioni come quelli che ci sono qui".
Sei più simile a Cassano o a Zidane come giocatore? Click to continue reading...

This Saturday the second coming of Lippi happens. The cigar smoking, Paul Newman look-a-like will make his call-ups for the August 20th friendly vs. Austria in Nice (why are we playing vs. Austria in France?). Lippi has said that he will call players that are most in-form from pre-season training, and he has already hinted that there will be some new faces.

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Here's what I scrounged around for today:

-Milan striker Marco Borriello has been operated on and will now start his recovery. Reports are he will be out for around 2 months. (could be less if he puts a lot of hard work into the recovery process.)

-Pierluigi Casiraghi is predicting a big Olympic performance from Lazio striker Tommaso Rocchi.

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1. The stereotype is pretty much true.

The stereotype in Rome is that in the city of Rome most people are Roma fans, while Lazio fans are all from the outskirts and from cities in the region of Lazio. For the most part, it's true, as most people I encountered in Rome were Roma fans, with a few Laziali here and there.

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Real Madrid midfielder Javier Balboa has signed for Benfica for the next 4 seasons in a deal reportedly worth around 6 million euros. The 23 year old is the first in the 2007-2008 squad to leave the club this summer (Cassano did leave for Sampdoria last May, but he had already spent a season there on loan) and he joins former Real Madrid player Quique Sánchez Flores's new project at the Click to continue reading...

VIENNA (Austria), 22 June 2008 - The adventure is over. Spain beat Italy 4-2 in the penalty shootout and send them packing. The magic of Berlin disappears on a hot Vienna night. After a goalless 120', De Rossi and Di Natale miss their penalties, while Buffon manages to stop Guiza's shot. Click to continue reading...

Yup, you've read that right. Spain vs. Italy is in two days, and everyone prepares differently at "Casa Azzurri". Maybe Talentino has a "Hand of God" prepared for Sunday and wants the picture to look good... . Daniele De Rossi juggling: . Gigi Buffon Goalkeeping drills: . Alessandro Del Piero vs. Click to continue reading...

If not for defender Christian Panucci poaching a goal and keeper Gigi Buffon making a fabulous penalty save, the World Champions would already be packing for home. Highlights from the Italy vs. Romania match on Day 7 Footytube Italy 1 -1 Romania Italy: Buffon; Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso; Camoranesi (Ambrosini 85), Pirlo, De Rossi, Perrotta (Cassano 56); Del Piero Click to continue reading...

Uno sguardo a Roteiro

Peggio di quattro anni fa. Pareggio con sputo nella gara d'esordio contro la Danimarca, con bis di 1 a 1 nella gara successiva contro la Svezia e tacco ascellare di Ibrahimovic, per chiudere con l'inutile vittoria nell'ultima gara contro la Bulgaria, col pianto di Cassano ed il biscotto svevo-danese.

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Roberto Donadoni's head is on the chopping block in this live online and radio commentary Euro 2008 group match between Italy and Romania live and he needs to come up with a perfect solution to the world champion's woes or risk being sacked. There might be a complete change in formation and line up for them in this live online streaming match with the team moving towards a more attacking strategy with players who can score. Click to continue reading...

Sampdoria are probably very glad to have got themselves a bargain in agreeing a free transfer for Antonio Cassano from Real Madrid. The troubled Talentino has been on loan with the Genoese side since last August, and, as expected, won't be coming back to Madrid. His successful season at Sampdoria has resulted in a call-up from Roberto Donadoni for the Italian squad in Euro 2008 and some observers Click to continue reading...

Some interesting transfer news and notes today. Marco Borriello will wear the Rossonero jersey once again, as Milan sealed the deal with Genoa yesterday. The Rossoblu received 7 million euro plus the co-ownership of promising young fantasista Davide Di Gennaro. Milan have decided to take a gamble on the target man, who was ever so close to becoming the Serie A top scorer this season.

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As many people expected, the odd man out for the Azzurri is Riccardo Montolivo. The 23 year old midfielder had a chance of staying since Perrotta was injured, but Perrotta is 100% fit and therefore Montolivo was deemed surplus to requirements. The young midfielder will now most probably play in the Olympics this summer, and he will definitely be a main fixture for the Azzurri after Euro 2008 because he is really talented.

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Yes, as the title reads, A.S. Bari is up for sale. For whoever does not know, Bari is a port city in Southern Italy and is the capital of the Puglia region. It is considered the second biggest "piazza" (behind Napoli) in Southern Italy. The club has a long history, and throughout the '90's was a yo-yo club, going up and down between Serie A and B.

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For weeks we have wondered. Del Piero Yes? Del Piero No? Cassano Yes? Cassano No? Who will be the third keeper? Will Borriello Go? Will SuperPippo Inzaghi's great form gain him a place? Is Oddo fit enough to go? Will Donadoni sign a contract extension? Is Lippi coming back? Well, if you still have those questions, you're in luck, because today they have been answered.

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Because of the Pope's visit to Genoa, Sampdoria-Juventus had to be played today at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Samp were closing out a good year, where they impressed under Walter Mazzarri, even challenging for the Champions League spot at various times during the season. It was a real team effort, and the added magic of Antonio Cassano was a luxury.

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(Summary is not available.) Click to continue reading...

World soccer news

for week of March 05

Five games for Cassano for the latest "cassanata"

Cassanata. This is the newly-coined Italian word that signifies "a type of bad, infantile behaviour typical of Antonio Cassano". He is a supremely talented 25-year old forward currently playing for Sampdoria on loan from Real Madrid. Click to continue reading...

Inter paid a visit to Sampdoria this week hoping to put the Champion's League defeat to Liverpool behind them. Unfortunately the trip to Anfield cost them the services of solid and speedy Cordoba. He damaged the ACL in his knee and will be out for some time. Mancini also had to rest Ibrahimovic and Cruz [. Click to continue reading...

Antonio Cassano has been grabbing the headlines for all the right reasons.

The Sampdoria striker lit up the Derby of the Laterns against Genoa with a sublime performance.

Hero status in the eyes of the Doria fans was assured when in the dying moments he bamboozled three defenders before delivering a telling cross for Christian Maggio to score the winner. Click to continue reading...

Antonio Cassano, that troubled yet talented footballer, has found a new lease of life at Serie A outfit Sampdoria, exceeding all expectations to become a key component of a side battling for a Champions League spot. His goal against lowly Siena on Saturday put Sampdoria 6 points behind the 4th placed team in the Italian league and the Genoese side is now looking to make his loan from Real Madrid permanent at the end of the season. Click to continue reading...

Bari bad-boy Antonio Cassano is Sampdoria-bound on a season's loan. Real have desperately been looking to offload him all summer (and probably since his falling out with Capello in October last year). He did not join his team mates in celebrating the winning of the 30th league title and was left out of the squad visit to Austria for preseason training. Click to continue reading...

When Bernd Schuster picked the players that would attend Real Madrid's preseason training camp in Irdning (Austria), Antonio Cassano was conspicuous by his absence. Not that this was surprising, given his recent history at the club after his outburst against Capello last October. The club has been, unsuccessfully, looking for a way out for him ever since. Click to continue reading...