Moggi: Ronaldinho Is The Worst Signing Of The Year
Moggi has blasted Milan's transfer policy and he believes they would have been better off leaving Ronaldinho in Barcelona...

Disgraced Calciopoli mastermind and former Juventus transfer Guru Luciano Moggi believes Ronaldinho was the worst signing of the summer.

Moggi is currently serving a ban from the game but he is never shy of sharing his opinions. His latest is likely to cause some uproar in Milan as well as stir a reaction from Rossoneri vice president Adriano Galliani, it was the bald-headed man who brought 'Dinho to San Siro.

"The worst signing? Well there are buys like Ronaldinho," Moggi told 7itv.tv.

"Not because he isn't worth the money but he plays a mild rhythm even though he knows how to do everything with his feet.

"However, things are different in Italy and when the tempo increases, Ronaldinho's stays the same. He just watches the game. Maybe he does something from a free kick.

"I think he finds it difficult when he plays with Kaka up front. I think Milan made a mistake when signing Ronaldinho. They should have bought a defender."

The Brazilian seems to shine when he doesn't play with Kaka, but to say he is the worst signing of the season maybe a stretch too far from Moggi.

Salvatore Landolina, Goal.com

Milan Confirm Interest In Liverpool Defender Agger
Milan could move for Daniel Agger in January, they have confirmed, but he's not their only target...

Milan have been linked with Liverpool stopper Daniel Agger in recent weeks, a transfer rumour which has raised a few eyebrows. The Dane has undeniable quality, but he's struggled badly with injury, becoming a ghostly presence at Melwood on account of his metatarsal problems.

Furthermore, the former Brøndby man's recent comeback has been tumultuous and a fall-out with boss Rafael Benitez has been reported. Veteran centre-back Sami Hyypia has thus been called upon.

As far as the Rossoneri are concerned, Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta need replacing, while former Arsenal man Philippe Senderos has been shaky. Thus, they've been tipped to bid around €8 million for unsettled Agger.

Adriano Galliani, vice president at San Siro, has now confirmed that the club are eyeballing a New Year swoop for Agger.

He is quoted as saying by Tipsbladet.dk: "We are going to sign a new defender in January, there's is no doubt about that.

"We have kept a frequent eye on Agger and his situation at Liverpool and have, of course, noticed the problems that Agger and Liverpool have on agreeing on a new contract.

"We have a list of three or four names that could be used in the defence... Agger is one of those names.

"We are sure to make a bid for one of them in January."

Other names in the mix are thought to include the even more unsettled William Gallas of Arsenal and Palermo starlet Simon Kjaer.

Greg Ptolomey, Goal.com

He was implying how low Matrix's skill level is!

He was implying how low Matrix's skill level is!

Don't worry acid, it's as you said, a Ronaldo fever...

Moggi: Dinho buy was a mistake
Wednesday 10 December, 2008
Disgraced former Juventus director Luciano Moggi has criticised Milan's decision to sign Brazilian star Ronaldinho.

The former FIFA World Player of the Year made a slow start to life in Italy but he has become invaluable over the last few months.

However, the ex-Barcelona man hasn't managed to impress the ever outspoken Moggi.

“The worst signing of the summer? Well, there are buys like Ronaldinho,” he told 7itv.tv.

As Walter Novellino prepares to make his return to the Torino bench, Scott Fleming evaluates the Italian trend of firing and re-hiring tacticians

Italian Coaches are a proud breed. This fact is immediately evident upon viewing any 90 minutes of Serie A football, when the camera repeatedly pans to the touchline to reveal the pristine, manicured Coach.

Some bosses can’t quite pull it off, step forward Gigi Del Neri, but it’s difficult to deny that Marcello Lippi, with his trademark cigar, or Cesare Prandelli in his purple leather jacket, are the epitome of cool.

With this in mind you have to wonder why some Italian tacticians have subjected themselves to such humiliation in the past few years.

Time and time again they have been sacked, only to naively return to their post when the chairman calls out in desperation once more, when the next poor sod has been disposed of. It all seems so undignified.

Not only are they condoning the decision to fire them in the first place, but they risk compounding their torment with a second consecutive firing. It’s the Presidents, not the Coaches however that truly deserve scorn.

As with most controversial issues in Italy’s great game, Maurizio Zamparini deserves a chapter all to himself. The man who has sacked and re-hired Francesco Guidolin innumerable times at Palermo outdid himself with his treatment of Stefano Colantuono.

Fired in his debut season with the team in a respectable eighth position, he was later re-hired and cruelly sacked after one measly game this season, by a man who clearly never had any faith in his abilities. With his actions Zamparini carelessly derailed the career of one of the most promising Coaches Italy has produced in years.

Only Marco Giampaolo, current Coach of Siena, has had enough self respect to reject a return, when the dastardly Massimo Cellino tried to lure him back to Cagliari last season. That said Giampaolo had already tasted a double sacking at Cellino’s hands in the 2006-07 season.

Now we see Walter Novellino, the latest victim of this bizarre trend, return to the hot seat at Torino, but given what we’ve witnessed at Palermo, Cagliari and elsewhere, I suspect chairman Urbano Cairo’s finger lingers near the button of a James Bond-esque ejector seat.

Serie A teams can't defend..

Mihajlovic: Mou knows nothing!
Saturday 13 December, 2008

Sinisa Mihajlovic has hit back at Jose Mourinho as their row escalated. “He cannot truly understand football.”

The trouble started when former assistant manager Mihajlovic said he had been right to freeze out Adri last season for unprofessional behaviour when he reportedly fell back into old habits.

Mourinho was furious and declared, “If Inter can give a second chance to someone who spat in the face of an opponent, then why not Adriano?”

The reference to the eight-match ban Mihajlovic was given for an unseemly incident when playing for Lazio against Chelsea's Adrian Mutu prompted a reply.

“I cannot talk to Mourinho about football because he has never played and therefore cannot understand,” snapped the Bologna tactician.

“I did some stupid things in my time and have always paid the price for them. That's not justifiable, but the only ones who can understand are those who have done this job as a player and he never has.

“Besides, I don't see the connection between what I said and his response. I would never dare speak badly of Inter, in fact I always talk to my team about them in glowing terms so they can understand the difference between Bologna and a big club.”

Mihajlovic instead turned the blame on to the media for misconstruing his statements about Adriano.
“The truth is when I was talking about Adriano I didn't want to accuse Inter of anything.

“I was actually criticising the media, because Roberto Mancini and myself had the same problems with Adriano and yet we were called incompetent for taking the same action.”

Mihajlovic was celebrating after securing his first victory on the Bologna bench, thrashing Torino 5-2 following five consecutive draws.

::channel4::

Beckham Confirms His Arrival Date At Milan
English star midfielder David Beckham has announced on his website that he will be joining his new Milan team mates in Dubai on 29 December.

The 33-year-old Los Angeles Galaxy player is transferring on loan to Milan to maintain his fitness during the MLS close season and stay in contention for an England squad place.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has in the past made it known that he would like to sign Beckham on a permenant basis, but Galaxy and the midfielder have said he will return to the US in March for the start of the 2009 Major League Soccer season.

Beckham revealed on his website that he will be beginning his loan spell with the squad in Dubai on 29 December, where he will meet up with the Rossoneri at their winter training camp. He will be officially unveiled to the fans on 20 December.

The official statement read: “David will join up with his new AC Milan team mates later this month for their Emirates Winter Training Camp in Dubai. He'll arrive in the United Arab Emirates along with the the rest of the Milan squad, including Ronaldinho, Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko on 29th December before beginning training the following day.”

Beckham is also expected to watch Milan's last official game of the year against Udinese on 21 December.

I Could Have Joined Milan - Buffon
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon revealed he came close to joining Milan In the summer of 2006.

Juventus goalkeeper Gigi Buffon is still out injured, so he will not be able to take part in this weekend's big match against Milan. Today he revealed that he could easily have been on the other side, as he came very close to signing for the Rossoneri in the summer of 2006, when the Calciopoli scandal had just broken out.

"It's not like I decided not to go to Milan," he said. "They asked me if I wanted to stay at Juventus and there was a negotiation for me between the two clubs, but apparently after a while there was some sort of problem between them.

"At that point I said, 'I don't see why I should leave, I'm doing fine here, even if we go to Serie B.' This was a relief for Juve, because they had assumed I wanted to leave.

"When I saw there was some disagreement between them, I said that I didn't want to leave at all costs, and that if they wanted me to stay I would have stayed. And that's what happened."

Buffon joined Juve from hometown club Parma in the summer of 2001 for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper. It's very likely he will end his career playing for the Bianconeri.

Danilo Pochini, Goal.com

Juninho judges Alex and Dinho
Saturday 13 December, 2008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The world’s top free kick specialist, Juninho Pernambucano, gives his verdict on Alex Del Piero, Ronaldinho and the Italian who inspired him.

This Sunday’s San Siro battle will see set piece stars from Juventus and Milan face off, so Olympique Lyonnais hero Juninho will naturally be watching.


“They are both so good and very different!” he told the Corriere dello Sport newspaper.


“Del Piero tends to use his strength more often and that is why he manages to make the ball move almost in a straight line.


“Ronaldinho, however, has a more subtle touch and tries to bend it as much as possible.”


Juninho is widely considered to be the world’s best free kick taker, but he took inspiration from watching Serie A as a youngster.


“At the base of it all you need a natural ability, then your work in training helps to complete your technique.


“The man who inspired me was Roberto Baggio! He was phenomenal, just incredible!”

Christ, are you posting every Milan story?

Fly, Donkeys, Fly! (Chievo's nickname is 'the Flying Donkeys').

To honour Chievo's brave battle today, my signature will remain this way for the rest of the season.

Factoid of the day: 41 goals were scored in Serie A this matchday, compared to 25 for the EPL, 23 for Spain (so far, 1 game still in progress), 24 for Germany, and 26 for France (1 game still in progress).

1/10 of them were by Juve in today's match. Meaningless, I know.

10. Stefano Tacconi

A playboy off the field, but a Super-Man on it. He became the only goalkeeper to lift every club trophy on offer while with Juventus from 1983 to ‘92. He won seven caps before retiring in 1995, only to return to amateur football at 51.

9. Ivano Bordon
Played in over 380 games for Inter from 1970 and won two Scudetti. Nicknamed The Bullet by Sandro Mazzola, he was absolutely ice cool in the most heated of moments. A deputy to Dino Zoff in 1982, he gained 22 caps before hanging up his gloves.

8. Aldo Olivieri
Nicknamed Always Standing Little Hercules, he helped Italy retain the World Cup in 1938, winning 24 caps altogether. Noted for his timidity off the field, the Torino No 1 was a giant on it and was noted for launching long kicks into opposing boxes.

7. Angelo Peruzzi
Played for Juventus between 1991 and ’99 after a spell at Roma before his moves to Inter and then Lazio. Struggled with regular muscle injuries, he missed out on the 1998 World Cup Finals but still managed to win 31 caps. Deservedly part of the 2006 World Cup triumph.

6. Francesco Toldo
A consistent, hard-working goalkeeper, he rarely puts a foot wrong and his penalty saving exploits in the Euro 2000 semi-final against Holland are now legendary. He started his Serie A career with Fiorentina in 1993 and is still on Inter’s books at 36 after winning 28 caps.

5. Walter Zenga
The Spider-Man made World Cup history in 1990 by going 518 minutes unbeaten until he flapped at a Claudio Caniggia header in the semis. An Inter hero after 11 seasons at San Siro, he won a Scudetto and a UEFA Cup along with his 58 caps.

4. Gianluca Pagliuca
He made his Azzurri debut in June 1991 and was Italy's No 1 for the 1994 World Cup, winning 39 caps. He moved to Inter after the Finals and was the bulwark of their defence with his excellent reflexes and acrobatic talents.

3. Giampiero Combi
One of the greats of Italian football, he became the first goalkeeper to captain a World Cup winning side in 1934. He won five titles with Juventus and played 351 games in Serie A, keeping a clean sheet for a then record 934 minutes.

2. Dino Zoff
The king of goalkeepers captained the Azzurri to their 1882 World Cup win and was the oldest player to ever win the trophy. The Juventus No 1 won a then record 112 international caps and was also a member of Italy's European Championship winning team in 1968.

1. Gianluigi Buffon
Buffon first played in Serie A for Parma in 1995 at just 17 before moving on to Juventus in 2001 for a record £32m fee. A shot-stopper of power, presence and complete unflappability, he is regarded as one of the top goalkeepers of all time.

I'm surprised they didn't list Sebastiano Rossi at least. Perhaps I'm showing both age and bias, but I always rated him very highly. (He's the Milan keeper who holds the record for most minutes played - 929 - without conceding a goal.)