STARTERS
Inter Milan has fired head coach Gian Piero Gasperini after just 5 games in charge. 1 loss in the Italian Super Cup. 1 loss in the UEFA Champions League. 1 tie and 2 losses in Serie A. And no signs that the team was going anywhere but down in each of those games. Its not Gasperini's fault at all.

On Wednesday night, as Scotland held on for their essentially-meaningless-yet-pretty-damn-encouraging-all-the-blinking-same win against Denmark, I was locked in footballing discussions.
Scott Johnston of theFootyBlog.net asked me to join him and his co-host Brent Atema of GlobalFootballToday.

AC Milan celebrate their sixth Super Cup title

The weekend played host to two of the world's most intense local derbies as the teams involved fought for the honours in their respective national Super Cup tournaments. Whereas the Italian Super Cup saw two clubs who are virtually equal in all respects face up to each other in the shape of league champions AC Milan and cup winners Internazionale, the same couldn't be said in its English equivalent which saw record champions Manchester United meet up once again with local foes Manchester City with the latter finally demanding more respect from their more illustrious neighbours having won the FA Cup last season.

The next few weeks are going to be a little chaotic, Kickettes. You probably won't notice the difference, as the Weekend Results posts have been a masterclass in eclectisim since June, but couple the staggered start of the European league seasons with staff holidays, shopping extravaganzas and the ineptitude we wear like a badge and you will immediately see that only mayhem can ensue.

Cliché's are, well, clichéd, and even that might be a cliché. They stand as the writing equivalent of using training wheels, working well enough to "fall back on" and "get the job done" but preventing any sort of creativity from shining through along the way. Football is full of such terms, and the 24th Supercoppa Italiana helped to reinforce some of the most popular ones.

Cliché's are, well, clichéd, and even that might be a cliché. They stand as the writing equivalent of using training wheels, working well enough to "fall back on" and "get the job done" but preventing any sort of creativity from shining through along the way. Football is full of such terms, and the 24th Supercoppa Italiana helped to reinforce some of the most popular ones.

The Bird Nest stadium in Beijing, China, is not a lucky ground for Inter Milan. A couple of seasons ago Inter lost to Lazio here and on Saturday they lost 2-1 to bitter rivals AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup final

Starting the game in a pretty new modified 3-5-1-1 system, the Nerazzurri, lead by Gianpiero Gasperini managed to play much better in the first half as their extra midfield players simply crowded out Milan's who only played three man in the vital area.

Down goes Thiago Motta but check out the special event jersey. At least Inter fans in the Far East were given something to remember their heroes by as it was not the final scoreline that caused them to jump for joy. Hopefully for Nerazzurri tifosi this image won't mirror the Italian Serie A season ahead.

Gennaro Gattuso warns Milan they need to bring in "Alberto Aquilani or Riccardo Montolivo, someone with quality."
The Rossoneri fought back to beat Inter 2-1 in the Italian Super Cup on Saturday, but their sluggish first half performance raised questions.
"The way I see it, Milan need a new man in midfield," Gattuso told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

AC Milan overcame city rivals Inter Milan 2-1 in an utterly pulsating Italian Super Cup clash at the Beijing National Stadium in China. Goals by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a 68th minute winner from midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng cancelled out Wesley Sneijder's superb 21st minute opener. In a spiky and frenetic match which lit up the [.

If there ever was a match that highlighted how a football game can be a story of two halves, it was this one. AC Milan managed to claim the Italian Super Cup in Beijing but only after coming back from one nil down with two goals in the second half. In typical fashion Max Allegri's [...]

If there ever was a match that highlighted how a football game can be a story of two halves, it was this one. AC Milan managed to claim the Italian Super Cup in Beijing but only after coming back from one nil down with two goals in the second half. In typical fashion Max Allegri's [...]

The Serie A season begins in a little over three weeks, yet the curtain raiser for Italy's top flight takes place this Saturday. While Inter have been a constant in the Supercoppa over the last six years, this year's matchup holds special significance. Not only is it once again being held in Beijing's historic Bird's Nest Stadium, Inter's opponents are city rivals and last season's Scudetto.

Team and handlers have traveled 8,000 kilometers to face ancient rival Internazionale in this weekend's Italian Super Cup. AC Milan will be aiming to break the deadlock on wins. Both clubs have previously won the annual pre-season competition five times.
[[ This is a content summary only.

Team and handlers have traveled 8,000 kilometers to face ancient rival Internazionale in this weekend's Italian Super Cup. AC Milan will be aiming to break the deadlock on wins. Both clubs have previously won the annual pre-season competition five times.
[[ This is a content summary only.

By Chris Wright

A few snaps of AC Milan training at the Olympic Sports Centre in Beijing ahead of their Italian Super Cup match against AC Milan in the Chinese capital on Saturday.

Alessandro Nesta's face, last photo that's all we're saying...

After having the audacity to hassle a crabby Ibra straight off the plane, everyone in this photo woke up the next day in the trauma ward at Beijing Hospital

Unbeknownst to him, Robinho is injected with a tracking device by the Chinese military

"Right lads, we're going to start with a few little mincing bunny hops"

Clarence Seedorf can't quite decide if he's just seen Jesus Quintana from the Big Lebowski charge past him or not

"Robby, Man City are on the phone.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has left the door open for Alberto Aquilani to remain at Anfield this season.
The Italy international has been heavily linked with a move this summer following his return to the Reds after a year on loan at Juventus.
Fiorentina wanted to take him on another season-long loan but Aquilani rejected their approach last week saying that if he leaves Liverpool again he wants it to be on a permanent basis.

The Wesley Sneijder to Manchester United saga continues to evolve, as the move seems to be picking up steam. But the rumors are somewhat conflicting to say the least.

Reports from England in the last 24 hours suggest Inter have accepted a bid from United, clearing the way for the player to discuss personal terms.

Liverpool outcast Alberto Aquilani could be set to end his Anfield misery by joining AC Milan in a €10 million deal, according to his agent Franco Zavaglia.
Italy international Aquilani is keen to secure a permanent move back to Serie A this summer but, despite interest from Juventus and Fiorentina, no deal has been reached.

Aquilani's Milan Move Still Has Legs

Alberto Aquilani's long-running transfer saga at Liverpool could soon be facing an end, claims his agent. Franco Zavaglia has notably been extremely outspoken about Aquilani's future during the past few weeks and believes that there is ‘truth' in rumours linking his client to AC Milan.

By Chris Wright

Spotted during Inter Milan's pre-Italian Super Cup training session at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing, a lone AC Milan fan is quickly weeded out, surrounded and duly seperated from his shirt by a flock of Inter supporters...

All the while they were missing some truly scinitlating action down on the pitch.

Back again with yet another Italian Serie A new kit release, the Nike Inter 2011-2012 home jersey presentation. The official Inter home jersey release was last Friday, July 8th. Our current FIFA World Club Cup Champions will first wear their new attire during Italian Super Cup against city rivals AC Milan, Derby numero uno boyz.

FC Internazionale have unveiled their new Nike Away shirt for the 2011/12 season. Inter will wear this new shirt for the first time on 6 August in Beijing for the Italian Super Cup against AC Milan.

The next edition of the Supercoppa Italiana (Italian Super Cup) will be held on 6 August 2011 in China's National Stadium in Beijing, known as the 'Bird's Nest'. This year's contestants will provide a Milan/Milano derby - 'eternal rivals' AC Milan and Internazionale Milano - both of which have won the Cup five times since the competition began in 1988.

LONDON, England The football final of the London 2012 Olympic Games will be played at Wembley on Saturday, August 11 next year which means the Premier League's curtain-raising Community Shield will have to go elsewhere. The Closing Ceremony of the Games is the following day August 12 when the Community Shield is [.

The first ever Stoppage Time International Football Blog football awards have been decided. The site had a vote to decide on four categories and the results are now known:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2010 Xavi Hernández

The Spain and FC Barcelona midfielder came top of our Player of the Year poll with 45% of the vote and who could deny him such an accolade after a fantastic year in which he won a second consecutive league championship with his club and was influential in his country's maiden FIFA World Cup triumph in South Africa.