Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang é a última vítima da maldição que, amiúde, afeta os melhores jogadores na fase final de uma grande competição de selecções. O "Neymar do Gabão", alcunha que deriva do visual do atleta, foi a principal figura de uma das selecções anfitriãs da CAN, ao marcar três golos nos três jogos da fase de grupos e ser autor de outras tantas assistências, mas na hora da verdade claudicou e falhou o penálti decisivo que permitiu a passagem do Mali para as meias-finais da competição.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang é a última vítima da maldição que, amiúde, afeta os melhores jogadores na fase final de uma grande competição de selecções. O "Neymar do Gabão", alcunha que deriva do visual do atleta, foi a principal figura de uma das selecções anfitriãs da CAN, ao marcar três golos nos três jogos da fase de grupos e ser autor de outras tantas assistências, mas na hora da verdade claudicou e falhou o penálti decisivo que permitiu a passagem do Mali para as meias-finais da competição.

Many in Italy consider former Azzurri international Roberto as the greatest Italian player of all time. He may have never won the world cup though he did come very close to doing so, nor did he ever win the Champions League or the European Cup as it was called during his time. However, a few days ago the former Inter, AC Milan and Juventus striker, who is now attaining his coaching credentials.

The England national football team will jet off to Poland and Ukraine next summer with the hope of achieving something their forbearers have not. Namely, winning the European Football Championship. Yet the inhabitants of Krakow and Kiev would be hard pressed to place a cigarette paper between our brave English Lions, with their matching suits, [.

I always stated that the decline of the Saudi football was never because of lack of talents but because those talents don't get enough attention to develop and polish their skills. Also, because of lack of the team plays and discipline in general.
Here is one new promising star named Salem Al-Dosari from Hilal, he is 19 years old only, and just up to last January he was not playing for any team, he was a player in "Hawari", that is district teams.

It is well known history to Baggio fans that he started playing with Vicenza then moved to Fiorentina where he was very talented. Then, he became the most expensive player in the world in 1990 when Juventus bought him. However, there is a certain week, where it might be his best week at his young age, that week declared him as the next big thing for Italy.

Bad news for Italy's coach Cesare Prandelli, as one of his most talented forward could miss Euro 2012, on the next June. Antonio Cassano has suffered a small ischaemia after the winning of AC Milan against Roma last saturday. When it happened the player was with his teamates on the airplane, coming bacfrom Rome to Milan.

Bad news for Italy's coach Cesare Prandelli, as one of his most talented forward could miss Euro 2012, on the next June. Antonio Cassano has suffered a small ischaemia after the winning of AC Milan against Roma last saturday. When it happened the player was with his teamates on the airplane, coming bacfrom Rome to Milan.

I admit it, I idolised Roberto Baggio as a kid. He was my hero and I know I was not alone in this. He was the inspiration of a generation and arguably the best Italian player of all time. A slightly biased view perhaps, but one shared by many. It still pains me knowing he [...]

I admit it, I idolised Roberto Baggio as a kid. He was my hero and I know I was not alone in this. He was the inspiration of a generation and arguably the best Italian player of all time. A slightly biased view perhaps, but one shared by many. It still pains me knowing he [...]

Italy finished off their qualifying campaign for Euro 2012 in fine fashion as they defeated Northern Ireland 3-0 with Antonio Cassano again the star. A superb volley for his first strike the Milan striker got his brace after a neat finish past the helpless Maik Taylor. His performance for the Azzurri reinforced one thing: this [.

Ryan Giggs has today been named the winner of the Golden Boot award, which is recognition given to players over the age of 29 who are selected by journalists from all over the world and voted for by fans.

The other nominations for the 2011 award were Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, Carles Puyol, Raul, Xavi and Javier Zanetti.

Some big stars keep playing till their impact on the game fades away slowly overtime. Maradona, Romario, Bebeto, Peter Shilton are some examples. I remember Lothar Matthaus in an interview stating that one of the mistakes he did in his career was to play too late for the national side, especially the Euro 2000 when Germany had paled appearance and linked to his name.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are on high alert after hearing Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic has delayed signing a new contract with the club.
The Montenegrin forward was the subject of a bid from Arsenal in the summer transfer window that was eventually rejected, and now it appears that he is considering his future.

It is now nearly two weeks since the transfer window shut, but there are still stories and rumours flying around. Today there has been some interesting news regarding Arsenal and a failed bid for a Fiorentina striker. Stefan Jovetic, 21 , is being compared to Roberto Baggio, not only in his play, but by the [.

You would be hard pressed to find anyone around here who hasn't heard of Roberto Baggio, Fabio Cannavaro or other relatively recent legends. But Italian football is rich with footballers who were ultra talented and also left their marks on the record books. One of the most incredible of these legends played from 1929-1954.

On 17 July 1994, Italy lost the World Cup Final in a penalty shootout to Brazil when their top scorer of the tournament, Roberto Baggio, sent his attempt over the bar. Simply making it to the Final was a minor miracle for Italy, who opened their tournament campaign with a first-round loss to Ireland.

On 17 July 1994, Italy lost the World Cup Final in a penalty shootout to Brazil when their top scorer of the tournament, Roberto Baggio, sent his attempt over the bar. Simply making it to the Final was a minor miracle for Italy, who opened their tournament campaign with a first-round loss to Ireland.

Con gli 8 rigori trasformati nell'ultimo campionato (record stagionale) Francesco Totti ha raggiunto la quota di 57 penalty segnati in carriera in Serie A. La graduatoria storica è saldamente guidata dal "codino" Roberto Baggio con 68 rigori, il quale precede proprio il capitano giallorosso, stabile al secondo posto ad 11 lunghezze dalla vetta.

African football name enthusiasts of the future unite. Game Intelligence has been on a scouting mission to the 2011 U-17 World Cup for the next batch of wondernames. One name stays cool under the Mexican sun (even without a sombrero)... Chill Ngakosso (Congo AC ... Continue reading →

Some questions just don't have answers. Hamlet, for example, struggled with the almighty question: why are we here?

To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

Which, if scaled a bit in scope and taken less existentially and more pertinently, can be applied to anyone reading this blog.

Holy crap. After this, there are just three more rounds of Serie A action before the summer. Since this may be the second to last ever season of calcio, we really should take the time and enjoy it.

Schedule

Probable Game of the Weekend

Lazio-Juventus.

Il Gran Rifiuto Roberto Baggio's 'Great Refusal' Everyone, it seemed, had an opinion. The barista in the town centre cafe, the teacher at the Liceo Scientifico and the carabiniere at the corner distractedly directing the traffic – they all had something to say on the subject. But none of them seemed able to agree on the final outcome.

Il Gran Rifiuto Roberto Baggio's 'Great Refusal' Everyone, it seemed, had an opinion. The barista in the town centre cafe, the teacher at the Liceo Scientifico and the carabiniere at the corner distractedly directing the traffic – they all had something to say on the subject. But none of them seemed able to agree on the final outcome.

Over the years, there have been many reasons for football fans to admire Fiorentina, not least the myriad midfield talents of such creative stars as Giancarlo Antognoni, Roberto Baggio and Manuel Rui Costa and the goalscoring prowess of the prolific Gabriel Batistuta. Others have been attracted to the romance of following a club from Florence, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, while fashion gurus have simply appreciated the distinctive purple of the team's shirts, which inspired the club's Viola nickname.

Concentrate on the hair, please. Getty Images/Zimbio.

With a pony tailed Andy Carroll scoring an impressive double in last night's Liverpool game vs. Manchester City, not to mention the 'positive' response that the somewhat cute photo of Edinson Cavani prompted in yesterday's 'View From The Sidelines' post, we figured it is time to tackle the question of long hair on 'ballers once and for all.

Italy's elite clubs are struggling in the Champions League and have struggled since 2000 despite two trophies won by Milan and one by Inter in the last decade.

Italian clubs were the dominant force in the 1990s with Milan and Juventus winning the Champions League with Juve reached three consecutive finals.

Italy's elite clubs are struggling in the Champions League and have struggled since 2000 despite two trophies won by Milan and one by Inter in the last decade.

Italian clubs were the dominant force in the 1990s with Milan and Juventus winning the Champions League with Juve reached three consecutive finals.

Amidst all the talk about Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, as well as the many other leading names currently being linked with a move to Anfield, you could understand those Liverpool fans that have forgotten about another international star that is already on the books on Merseyside – Joe Cole.
The 29-year-old England midfielder has had an injury plagued start to his Liverpool career since he signed on a free transfer last summer on a four year deal, and its fair to say that Kop fans are yet to see anything like his best form.

OK Liverpool fans, he has gone now, get over it. Now that he is officially a Chelsea player the question is can they get the best out of Fernando Torres?

Chelsea fans will scoff at this question. Why wouldn't Chelsea be able to get the best out of him? He is a top player, they are a top club.

GENEVA, Switzerland Spanish national and Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, along with Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, Mr. Wilfried Lemke, launched the new comic book "Score the Goals" at the United Nations in Geneva. Following his appointment as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador by Ms.

Hello readers, this is post is actually not my work, it's a contribution from a person that some of you may be familiar with: Steven, who used to write for the Palermo Offside. His story is about one of his favorite players, Dario "The Bison" Hübner, probably one of the most underrated strikers in calcio in the mid to late 90's and early 2000's.

Angelo Fiorini is a must-follow on Twitter for any fans of Italian football. Catch him @Ciociaro78 ... Here he talks us through a breakthrough goal for one of Europe's finest ever players ...

.

In this feature for the 'My Favourite Goal' series I'm going to bring you back to an era before the exotic world of Italian football was brought to our screens by James Richardson and the wonderful Football Italia on Channel 4.

Keigo Yasuda's "Drawing Football" - AFR's most creative football video from 2010

Featuring greats like Zidane, Pelé, Maradona, Roberto Baggio, and Cruyff, forget Nike's "Write the Future" ads. Can you imagine the effort & time that went into this?