There are times in the life of the average non-league fan when he wonders if he is really and truly sane. I had such a moment Saturday as I watched Bath City defeat Chelmsford City 1-0. I was standing on the Bristol End terrace at Twerton Park in pelting rain and howling wind. I was cold and wet and tired. Click to continue reading...

Lot of stars and familiar names in this batch:

• Portsmouth's transfer ban to be lifted?
  
• Kaka doesn't regret snubbing City for Madrid.
  
• Barca rejected Inter's summer bid for Messi.
  
• Nedved returning to Juve?
  
• Third div. Brazilian club and Vieri?

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Saturday's FA Cup First Round Proper match against Grimsby Town was my first ever visit to Lincolnshire. I'm ashamed to say, it was only my third foray north of Birmingham. On that count alone, I looked forward to the journey.
Of course, most everyone else I know thought the idea of going to Grimsby and back in a day was crazy. Click to continue reading...

Bath City played a scoreless draw with Bromley on Saturday, and I was not there to see it. It was the first home match of the season I have missed (except for one pre-season friendly). You might wonder what possibly could have kept me away from Twerton Park at such a critical juncture in City's season. Click to continue reading...

Briefly, I thought I would highlight a few of the best squads in the European bracket that will not play in next years World Cup in South Africa. It is never fun to be a team with a reservation in Heartbreak Hotel, but at least these teams will get a brief vacation this summer. Plus it beats making it there with great expectations and then losing in the finals.

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There are times when being a football supporter is a thoroughly dreadful experience. There are times when it feels like fate has ripped your heart out of your chest, stomped on it, and then done a little dance on it. These times are called losing. If you are lucky these times only occur a bit less than half of the time. Click to continue reading...

Yesterday's against Newport County was one of the away matches I wanted to see most this season. County are not only bitter rivals (well, as bitter as we get in non-league football) but I guessed Newport would be near enough that Mrs Nedved would not begrudge a day pass. Besides, as she comes from a large Welsh family anything that involves going to Wales is generally viewed in a positive light. Click to continue reading...

The village of Willand, home of Bath City's FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round opponent Willand Rovers, is exactly two hours south-west of my home. This was deemed too long a journey for Little Nedved Junior to go on, but Big Nedved Junior was allowed to claim a seat in the Nedvedmobile. Things started off well. Click to continue reading...

Bath City travelled to Dover yesterday, where they lost 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion. I was not there to see it, due to two main reasons: the Dover Athletic fixture is the farthest away of the season, and Mrs Nedved had an important work event over this weekend. Bringing both boys with me on a nine and a half hour round trip wasn't feasible (although this did not stop the supporter club chairman, Powell, from trying to convince Little Nedved Junior to 'ask Daddy to take him to the seaside on the supporters coach' during half time at the Lewes match). Click to continue reading...

Today began with a typical Saturday morning schedule: I dropped my younger son off at a birthday party at 11:30 and drove to the local supermarket to do the week's shopping. I am not a fast shopper. Although Mrs Nedved appreciates my efforts, she will only let me do the shopping when there is a sizable window of time. Click to continue reading...

I have a lot of nice things to say about Wales, and not just because Mrs Nedved hails from a large Welsh family. We visit her relatives regularly, and there were few places better to be this rainy bank-holiday weekend than in Auntie and Uncle's farmhouse. It is in a valley so remote even some sheep need a map to find it. Click to continue reading...

After getting to watch the first three matches of the season live and in person, it was difficult to adjust to the reality that I would have to miss tonight's match anainst Havant & Waterloooville FC. I knew absolutely I would not be able to go, but I still sneaked a look at the train times from Bath to Havant, and checked on Google Maps to see how far the ground was from the train station (1. Click to continue reading...

I was able to attend today's home match against Welling United for one reason only - I took both children. Oh sure, it is a bonding experience that some day I will look back on with a tear in my eye, et cetera, but really it was a chance for my wife to have some time on her own for the afternoon. Three weeks into the summer holidays and Mrs. Click to continue reading...

Juventus legend and Czech veteran Pavel Nedved, who announced his retirement last season, changed his mind, so he will probably continue playing.

Juventus offered the 36-year old midfielder to prolong his contract to another season, but the Czech refused that announcing the end of his career.

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Let me just start out by saying that I have never liked Goal.com (the English version at least. The Italian version is actually pretty good because it just posts articles from Italian newspapers, so at least you know you're reading from a source). The English version always seems to have stories without sources that look like they were just thought up at that instant and posted, and I have never liked their opinions on Italian calcio.

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La stagione della Juventus è iniziata, oggi c'è stata anche la presentazione, con annesse visite mediche, dell'ultimo colpo di mercato, il giovane nazionale brasiliano, proveniente dalla Fiorentina, Felipe Melo (entusiasta dell'avventura che sta per vivere e soprattutto molto fiducioso: "Se si lavora, la Juventus può vincere tutto", queste le prime parole in bianconero del centrocampista). Click to continue reading...

Ancelotti, Maldini, Nedved and Figo have gone, while Kaka and Ibrahimovic could follow. Where now for Serie A?
Italian season ends with an exodus to leave the future unclear. Click to continue reading...

The last day of the season was a Sunday of goodbyes. Goodbye Maldini (retirement), goodbye Nedved (retirement, but may come back with another team), goodbye Figo (retirement, desk job with Inter probably), goodbye Ancelotti (Chelsea), goodbye Mazzarri (has to look for a team), goodbye Zenga (all signs are pointing towards Lazio, but maybe taking a year off), goodbye Quagliarella (signed for Napoli), goodbye Torino, Lecce, and Reggina (Serie B), goodbye Milito and Thiago Motta (off to Inter), goodbye Serie A every weekend, and then the two almost goodbyes that will be followed all summer by the press are those of Ibrahimovic and Kaka (who if reports are right will be playing each other in La Liga next season).

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Al igual que en la Liga española, la temporada en Italia concluyó con una jornada decisiva en la que los nervios y la emoción fueron protagonistas. Al ya conocido campeón, el Inter de Milán, se unieron Milan, Juventus y Fiorentina (en este orden) en los puestos que dan derechos a la disputa de la Liga de Campeones de la próxima temporada (los dos equipos lombardos y los bianconeri irán de forma directa, mientras que la escuadra 'viola' tendrá que disputar la previa).

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Pavel Nedved dice addio alla Juventus e ai colori bianconeri, o meglio ribadisce le intenzioni già manifestate ampiamente in precedenti momenti e situazioni. Nessun ripensamento, la scelta è definitiva per il 37enne calciatore originario della città di Cheb. 8 lunghe stagioni a Torino (246 gare disputate e 51 gol segnati), un impegno sempre massimo, qualità e quantità , sono alcune delle note che hanno caratterizzato l'avventura a Torino del biondo centrocampista ceko, il quale ha avuto la fortuna e la bravura di vincere il Pallone d'Oro. Click to continue reading...

(Siena-Juventus 0-3)
SIENA (4-3-1-2) - Curci; Rossettini 71' Del Prete), Ficagna, Portanova, Rossi; Vergassola, Coppola, Galloppa (51' Zito); Jarolim; Calaiò, Maccarone (63' Ghezzal). All.: Marco Giampaolo.
JUVENTUS (4-4-2) - Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, De Ceglie (80' Mellberg); Camoranesi, Zanetti (70' Poulsen), Marchisio, Nedved; Iaquinta (82' Trezeguet), Del Piero. Click to continue reading...

(Juventus-Atalanta 2-2)
JUVENTUS (4-4-2) - Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, De Ceglie (78' Zebina); Camoranesi, Zanetti (72' Trezeguet), Poulsen, Nedved; Amauri (61' Del Piero), Iaquinta. All.: Claudio Ranieri.
ATALANTA (4-4-2) - Consigli; Garics (42' Pellegrino), Capelli, Manfredini, Bellini; Defendi, Cigarini, Parravicini, Cerci (70' Peluso); Doni, Plasmati. Click to continue reading...

(Serie A: I gol della 34esima)
Domenica 3 maggio ore 15
CATANIA - MILAN 0-2: 27' Inzaghi, 54' KakÃ
FIORENTINA - TORINO 1-0: 58' Vargas
JUVENTUS - LECCE 2-2: 11' Konan, 55' e 67' Nedved, 92' Castillo
PALERMO - CAGLIARI 5-1: 29' Migliaccio, 38' Miccoli, 49' Jeda, 51' Tedesco, 58' Cavani, 87' Succi
ROMA - CHIEVO 0-0:
SIENA - NAPOLI 2-1: 11' Kharjia, 25' Maccarone, 80' PiÃ
UDINESE - ATALANTA 3-0: 42' e 75' Quagliarella, 90' Pasquale
ore 20. Click to continue reading...

(Juventus-Lecce 2-2)
JUVENTUS (4-3-1-2) - Buffon; Grygera (68' Zebina), Mellberg, Legrottaglie, De Ceglie; Camoranesi (46' Poulsen), Zanetti, Nedved; Del Piero (46' Marchionni); Amauri, Iaquinta. All.: Claudio Ranieri. LECCE (4-5-1) - Benussi; Polenghi, Fabiano, Esposito, Giuliatto; Giacomazzi, Edinho, Vives (72' Papadopulos), Ariatti (92' Basta), Konan (82' Castillo); Tiribocchi. Click to continue reading...

(highlights di Genoa-Juventus 3-2)
GENOA (3-4-3) - Rubinho; Biava, Ferrari, Bocchetti; Mesto (42' Rossi), Juric, Thiago Motta, Criscito; Sculli (80' Papastathopoulos), Jankovic, Palladino. All.: Gian Piero Gasperini.
JUVENTUS (4-4-2) - Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie (74' Marchionni), Chiellini, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Marchisio, Poulsen, Nedved; Iaquinta, Del Piero. Click to continue reading...

Fratelli sono furente. Siamo a lunedì e ancora non ho affatto smaltito la rabbia per lo scempio a cui ho dovuto assistere ieri. Le uniche note positive della gara sono il recupero di Camoranesi e lo stato di forma di Iaquinta. Tutto il resto, a mio parere è da buttare. Il nostro allenatore ha detto di aver visto una Juve a due facce; lenta, approssimativa, svogliata e senza idee nel primo tempo e più volitiva, rapida, e concreta nella ripresa.

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La Juventus de Turín consiguió una importante victoria ante la Roma en el Stadio Olimpico y se situó a cuatro puntos del actual líder, el Inter de Milán, que mañana recibirá la visita del colista Reggina. Con una gran actuación de Iaquinta, que anotó dos de los cuatro tantos de la escuadra bianconera, los de [. Click to continue reading...

Otro sábado de futbol en Europa. De repente, como cualquier nube que interrumpe un precioso día soleado, una voz misteriosa resuena en el aire.``A todos los futbolistas con características ofensivas, hagan el favor de presentarse en la zona izquierda del campo de juego. Grandes, pequeños, habilidosos, rápidos, precisos, cualquier cualidad es valida, solo se busca que sean decisivos y Click to continue reading...

Según publica el diario The Sun, la Juventus de Turín tendría a Luka Modric como el principal candidato para sustituir al checo Pavel Nedved, que se retirará del fútbol al término de la presente campaña. El propio agente del jugador del Tottenham, Sabatino Durante, lo define como un jugador polivalente y que puede jugar "donde [. Click to continue reading...

(David Silva si avvicina alla Juventus)
David Silva, 23enne esterno sinistro del Valencia, si avvicina sempre di più alla Juventus. E' lo stesso talentuoso calciatore spagnolo a mandare messaggi d'amore alla società torinese ("la Juventus mi piace") e a Del Piero che incorona come proprio idolo. Click to continue reading...

Trayectorias opuestas se cruzarán esta noche en el Estadio Olímpico de Turín. El Chelsea, con un pasado reciente glorioso en su país y en el que luchó durante varios años por alzar la "orejona" se enfrenta a la Juventus, que ha sufrido en los últimos tiempos la antítesis de lo que han vivido los de [. Click to continue reading...

Juventus is pulling out big guns to buy Valencia's David Silva. According to Calciomercato, the clubs will meet next tuesday with in Turin with a FIFA agent to discuss a possible transfer of the Spanish star. The FIFA agent was chosen by Juve's board to held negotiations. The Italians are expected to pay around €20 [. Click to continue reading...

The Italian giants, who still seek a replacement for Pavel Nedved, are hoping to land the Portuguese international midfielder for a fee of €6.7 million. According to a report in British tabloid newspaper The Sun, Italian giants Juventus are keen to take Chelsea midfielder Deco to Turin at the end of the season. Click to continue reading...

Juventus were left impressed by Cassano's showing against Inter and now they want him in Turin. Juventus have stepped up their interest in Sampdoria playmaker Antonio Cassano as they continue the search for Pavel Nedved's replacement. The Blucerchiati hero was sublime against Inter in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday night. Click to continue reading...

El club turinés podría estar preparando una suculenta oferta de 32 millones de euros por Dirk Kuyt, según aseguran varios medios italianos e ingleses. La Juve podría incluso haber contactado con los agentes del jugador holandés, de 28 años, que sería el objetivo principal de la escuadra transalpina de cara a la próxima temporada, cuando [. Click to continue reading...