We need to get this bloody image of Daniel Agger from our minds, pronto! Quick, Pippo
Inzaghi... do something! Anything....
Anyway, all you ferosh futbolitas have probably heard of the epic show from Italy called
Chiambretti Night. Well, their exotic dancers have been known to serenade the likes of
Mourinho and Ancelotti 'live' on Botox Berlusconi's TV network as
music plays in the background.
Last week, I asked you to vote for you favourite 20 players of the decade, here in this very post,
are the Top 100 players of the last 10 years, voted for by you, the readers and bloggers of the
offside. First thing I want to say is thank you, everyone for the absolutely amazing response [...] Click to continue reading...
Kaka made his glorious return to his old home for Tuesday's Champions League tie between
Real Madrid and AC Milan a loser-free lovefest that ended in a 1-1 draw. The San Siro gave their
returning hero a warm welcome as both sides had their chances to take three points in the wide open
match.
Giant-killing in the Champions League, troubles for two London clubs and one from the south
coast of England all get a look in on this week's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post.
Good
Always good when a minnow brings down a giant, and that is exactly what
happened last night as FC Zurich stunned AC Milan 1-0 at the San Siro.
With one (Red) exception, all major favorites won their games in the Champions League's second
round of group play. Then there was AC Milan, who have already struggled so much this season they
barely deserve to be favorites of anything. Case in point: FC Zurich came away 1-0 winners from
their visit to the San Siro today. Click to continue reading...
The Rossoneri were BOOED off the San Siro last night after another dismal
performance against Bari and Leonardo actually believed that they
deserved it. Is he throwing in the towel, already? Tio might as well release post-match
statements centering around lines like : "We tried our best today.
(video gol e highlights di Udinese-Milan) TABELLINO UDINESE (4-4-2): Handanovic, Isla (27' pt Basta), Coda, Domizzi, Lukovic, Lodi (37' st Sammarco),
Inler, D'Agostino, Pepe (32' st Sanchez), Floro Flores, Di Natale. All.: Marino MILAN (4-3-1-2): Storari, Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Zambrotta, Gattuso (14' st Abate), Pirlo, Flamini,
Seedorf, Pato (14' st Ronaldinho), Inzaghi (28' st Huntelaar) All. Click to continue reading...
Fox Soccer's coverage of the Champions League games is something to behold. No longer are we
tied to ESPN's choice of which game we are allowed to watch. 10 of this week's 16 matches are
available either live or on a delay. That is unbelievable, and a massive step forward.
It poured rain throughout the game in Marseille on Tuesday, and Milan's white Champions League
kits do not have a sponsor.
Filipo Inzaghi brings you freshly poached links 10 things a football newbie would say [Goal]
Barcelona sign 7-year-old [Dirty Tackle] Dimitar Berbatov's uncle is an exorcist (with special Hard
Tackle photo) [The Sun] Pepe Reina says league title is unrealistic this season [BBC] One of many
rants on Adebayor by Arsenal fans [Caught Offside]
On Monday August 17, the Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi took place with AC Milan taking on Juventus.
The competition is an annual friendly to honor AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi's father and is
at the San Siro. This is the last warm-up for both clubs before starting the Serie A 2009-10
season. Here's a recap of the match along with video highlights.
E' ufficiale. Julio Ricardo Cruz è a tutti gli effetti un giocatore della Lazio. Bel colpo per la
società di Claudio Lotito che regala a Ballardini un attaccante seguito anche dai "cugini" della
Roma (il mister giallorosso Spalletti, qualche giorno fa, aveva detto "Cruz lo seguiamo, ci
piace"). La Lazio è stata, tra le squadre di calcio interessate al puntero sudamericano, quella
più veloce, la Roma ha atteso troppo facendoselo letteralmente "soffiare". Click to continue reading...
Milan fans must face the stark reality of their upcoming 2009-10 campaign.Despite the infusion of
five youngsters in the last 30 minutes of last evening Club America game the Rossoneri look old and
tired and we are not even in August. Their is an abundance of age and wisdom but no pace.Both
collectively or even from Bippo Inzaghi who still beats people in open space on what i call fear
speed. Click to continue reading...
With a spending spree over £80 million this season, Manchester City have shown their ambition -
they want to break this "Top 4" and plan to do so, with a shower of new forward players being
bought. The strong, determined and talented Tevez will add to the height power of Santa Cruz and
Adebayor, while the pace of Robinho and Bellamy will be crucial.
New AC Milan coach Leonardo has a task on his hands this summer. The Brazilian boss has already
lost compatriot and former ballon d'Or winner Kaka while former Rossoneri boss Carlo Ancelotti is
constantly linked with bringing his former players with him to Chelsea. It would seem that Leonardo
is targeting a big striker to hold the ball up and poach a few goals and he has been linked with
two who are among the best in the business – England's Peter Crouch and Brazilian hotshot Luis
Fabiano.
John Arne Riise finally nails one with a blistering shot. Ambrosini answers in the second half
as Artur parries Inzaghi's shot into his path. Menez puts the Giallorossi up catching the Milan
defense flatfooted. I have to say this was not one of Maldini's best games. Ambrosini responds
seconds later as Artur fails to stop Kaka's cross.
It as they say, quite complicated. Adebayor has been talking from both sides of his mouth which
helps him maintain his options. Does he have the gumption to stick it out with his stock hitting
rock bottom or start anew?
Silvio Berlusconi is very keen on landing the Togolese striker but Milan's summer shows a lot of
upheaval.
(Udinese-Milan 1-0. D'Agostino su calcio di rigore) (2-0. Zapata da pochi passi, sull'angolo di D'Agostino, il migliore in campo) (2-1. Ambrosini) UDINESE: Handanovic; Isla, Zapata, Felipe, Pasquale; Inler, D'Agostino, Asamoah; Pepe (44'st
Lukovic), Quagliarella, Floro Flores (25'st Sanchez). Click to continue reading...
With just four games remaining in many of the top leagues in Europe, we thought we'd give you a
regular round-up of what's happening around the continent as the 2008/09 comes to an end. As you'll be aware by now, the latest Bundesliga action is summarised in Duffman's Bundesbag report
every Tuesday or Wednesday here at SPAOTP, so for the purpose of these updates we'll concentrate on
the top flight elsewhere. Click to continue reading...
AC Milan - who seem to be playing weekly football like old veterans do - kept their title
chances alive with a 2-0 win over Catania last night. And Pippooooo and Kaka both
scored! Yes, we see the light in your eyes.
Milan opened the scoring on 27 minutes after Kaka burst into the area and fed Inzaghi for his
trademark poacher's finish.
4 matches remain in the 2008-09 Serie A season and after week 34 the only thing that was settled
was the participants dueling for the last Champions League spot. Fiorentina kept 4th place with a
1-0 home win over relegation threatened Torino. Peruvian midfielder Juan Vargas scored to keep
i Viola 1 point ahead of Genoa for the last Champions League spot.
Attractive AC Milan to face Catania on Sunday AC Milan are certainly back to their best! A
controversial 3-0 thrashing of Palermo last weekend showcased some excessive beautiful football
with Kaka scoring twice from the penalty spot and Inzaghi netting a header in between... The
Rossoneri looked far from impressive in the first part of the Seria [. Click to continue reading...
What can you say about Pippo Inzaghi? At the age of 35, the goal poaching extraordinaire is
still giving 110% on the football pitch and is still scoring goals. His latest feat came this past
weekend, where Inzaghi scored a hat-trick to contribute to Milan's 5-1 drubbing of Torino. That was
actually his second hat-trick of the season, as he put 3 past Atalanta a couple of weeks ago.
As I picked up a newspaper on Sunday, I was faced with the spotty adolescent face of Manchester
United's latest teenage ‘sensation', Federico Macheda. After making a cameo appearance from the
Old Trafford bench (cushioned armchairs in actuality), the 17-year-old Italian showed a neat touch
and a curling shot to clinch the game for his team against Aston Villa.
At the winter break, most people had already hypothesized that Chievo would be returning to
Serie B next year. But with the arrival of coach Domenico Di Carlo, the Flying Donkeys have played
with a reborn spirit in this second half of the season, and have racked up 21 points since the
winter break (only Inter, Juve, and Milan have earned more).
