Torino Sign Diana & Pisano

The Granata are having something of a desperate season, and are currently just one point and one place above the relegation zone.

They haven’t won in 11 Serie A matches, and with a host of players still sidelined through injury, have been desperate to bring in some new blood.

The club missed out on the signing of Rolando Bianchi, who joined Lazio instead last week, but they have managed to complete the signatures of Diana and Pisano.

Diana has been at Palermo for just 18 months, and has never truly settled since his arrival from Sampdoria.

The 30-year-old right midfielder has won 13 caps, and would have travelled to the World Cup in Germany in 2006 had he not picked up an injury on the eve of the finals.

Pisano meanwhile has made just six appearances in Sicily this season, and joins on loan, with the option to make the move permanent in the summer.

The 26-year-old is a former Italy Under-21 international, however he has failed to show any sign that he could move up to the full squad at some point in the future.

Meanwhile Torino President Urbano Cairo has confirmed that in-demand defender Gianluca Comotto will be staying at the club until at least the end of the season.

The 29-year-old is wanted by Palermo but Cairo says he will not be leaving before the transfer window closes tonight.

“He has decided to stay with us,” said the Toro chief.

“The problem isn’t that he wants to go to Palermo – they are a big team, but he would prefer to finish the season with us.”

Guidolin Furious After Third Succesive Loss

The Rosanero was in particular disappointed with the way in which Roma scored, insisting they took the corner which lead to the goal, a little to quick.


“We had studied this and we knew about it. It’s right that they should try it,” said Guidolin.


“I’m disappointed having conceded in this way, I am also unhappy at other things but we will leave it there.”


“Playing in ten is not easy and we did well to frustrate them.”


Guidolin was also unimpressed with the referee but he preferred not to vent his rage.


“I will not comment because fair-play is shown by not talking about the referee and not with all those useless handshakes.”


Recent Italian media reports have suggested the Rosanero coach could be fired for an incredible fourth time by the same club but Guidolin insisted he could not care less about what his president has to say.


“Palermo is a difficult club. I don’t care what Zamparini says, we are getting better. Our club is one which needs to grow. It’s obvious that what I’m saying might not be taken well by some but I am 52 with plenty of experience and with dignity to move forward and look at those who stand in front of me in the eyes.”


Palermo were hoping they could challenge for the Champions League places but it now seems very unlikely. They might just be in with a shout for the UEFA Cup places.

 

Mancini Wary Of Udinese

Udinese could be the first team to beat the Nerazzurri this season and Mancini has warned of the dangers he is expecting in Udine.

"It wouldn't be bad if we managed to do what we did in the first half of the season in the second half," Roberto Mancini said on Inter Channel

"We collected loads of points last season and we have already earned many this year. Udinese created difficulties for us last season, and the same happened this year in the home game. It was the first day of the championship and it was very hot, and we were playing in ten against eleven after Julio Cesar's sending-off. I remember it being a very difficult game.

Mancini warned that his side will be wary of Udinese’s danger men upfront, Di Natale has scored seven goals this season and Mancini knows that the Bianconeri striker could be the one to cause Inter’s title hopes some damage.

"They have two good strikers in Di Natale and Quagliarella. Di Natale is more expert because he is a few years older, he has great quality and he works hard for the team. Quagliarella is doing very well, both for Udinese and for the national team.

"Udinese have other good players and they have been doing a good job with young players for years. Udinese play well, and Marino's Catania side did well last season. This means their coach is very good, because if he wasn't, it would be hard to do so well in two years with two different teams. So it will be a hard game and we will have to be in top condition and completely focused, because every match in Italy is difficult."

Inter will be hoping for maximum points from their game at the Stadio Friuli, anything less will mean the title race will be wide open.

Prandelli Confident Ahead Of Tuscan Derby

Fiorentina will play in the Tuscan derby against Empoli on Sunday and Prandelli is hopeful that his side will enjoy the second half of the campaign more than the first.


“We are only thinking about the way we are playing rather than the way others play. We have the right enthusiasm to improve even further. I am convinced that we will play more motivated in the second half of the season.”


However the Viola coach is expecting the Empoli clash to be a difficult one but he believes his side will come out on top and more importantly, with maximum points.


“I am expecting a tough battle in the derby, and as usual the stands will be full of Fiorentina fans following us with passion. To take all three points home we will have to accept the way Empoli play, they will be looking to play quick. But I am convinced that we will play to our strength and come away with all three points.”


Prandelli also hinted at the players who may or may not feature in the Tuscan derby.


“Liverani won’t be available, Vieri? I’ll decide after out last training session before the game. Pazzini has shown the right attitude. I don’t think now is the time to talk about transfers however, what matters now is the game on Sunday,” concluded Prandelli.

Serie A Preview: Atalanta - Milan

This rescheduled fixture gives both of these clubs a chance to make up points on their rivals in the standings.

Bad Memories

This match is the reschedule of a postponed fixture from the day on which a Lazio supporter tragically perished back in early November. Although the players had already taken the field and the match having started, it was stopped by the referee due to the protesting of the crowd.

Fans across Italy were extremely upset after hearing of the accidental shooting of Lazio supporter Gabriele Sandri, and the supporters in Bergamo forced the stoppage of play in this fixture after less than ten minutes.

The serious nature of the supporters’ intentions, if play were to continue, was clearly evidenced by the considerable damage to the barriers that separated the stands from the pitch. After Atalanta striker Cristiano Doni’s attempt to calm down the crowd was unsuccessful, the referee had no choice but to stop the match.

Moving on to the playing aspect of this fixture, Atalanta are a different side, at least according to the Serie A table, than they were when the original fixture took place. Back on November 11, the Oribici were in sixth place, on the back of a five-match unbeaten streak.

Currently, however, they have not won since December 2, having lost four of the five matches they have played since their 5-1 home victory against Napoli. This streak of poor results was blighted even further by their loss at the weekend, 2-1 away to Genoa. Following a goal from the penalty spot by Cristiano Doni with less than a half hour remaining, Genoa stormed back to win the match through Marco Borriello and then Luciano Figueroa. Atalanta were a bit unluckly, though, as they hit the goal frame on no less than three occasions.

Atalanta are also playing with heavy hearts, as club president Ivan Ruggeri is currently in hospital with a brain aneurism.

With the crowded schedule Milan now face in the coming weeks due to their involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup, they will need to draw on every member of their squad in order to get the full allotment of points on offer, which is almost necessary at this point to get up to fourth position in the standings by the end of the season.

Sitting ten points adrift of fourth-place Fiorentina, Milan have a lot of work to do. However, they have shown real improvement in the last two matches, largely to do with the addition of young Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato and the return to fitness of Ronaldo. These two strikers, combined with the world’s best player, Kakà, have formed one of the most fearsome trios in all of Europe, despite having only played together on two occasions.

Their first match, a 5-2 victory over Napoli, was one of the most entertaining games of the season. Pato was making his debut, and Ronaldo was just returning from his umpteenth injury spell. The first half of the match was pretty even, with Napoli twice pulling back a goal after Milan had taken the lead.

But the second half was all Milan’s. When Ronaldo scored his second goal of the match inside the first minute following the restart, it appeared as though the back and forth fireworks of the first stanza would be replicated. This was not to be, however. A brilliant strike from the top of the box by Kakà ten minutes onward secured the win for Milan, and young Pato got the debut goal he had predicted a handful of minutes later.

Milan’s next match, which took place this past Sunday, was a difficult away fixture to Udinese, who were in fourth place in the Serie A table at the time. Both sides had numerous opportunities to take the lead, with each goalkeeper (Zeljko Kalac of Milan and Samir Handanovic of Udinese, respectively) keeping his side in the match with acrobatic saves.

The only goal of the game came in second half stoppage time, through the much-criticized Alberto Gilardino, after he made a substitute appearance for Ronaldo in the 83rd minute. Pato possessed the ball, and then passed to Kakà, who set up Gilardino for the finish with a cheeky backheel.

With the matches now coming fast and furious, Milan must take advantage of their bench, and despite Gilardino constantly being linked with a move away to another club, he will be needed in the push for a top-four finish.

FORM GUIDE (last five fixtures)


Atalanta

12/9 Juventus 1-0 Atalanta Serie A

12/16 Atalanta 1-3 Palermo Serie A

12/23 Livorno 1-1 Atalanta Serie A

1/13 Atalanta 1-2 Roma Serie A

1/19 Genoa 2-1 Atalanta Serie A


Milan

12/20 Milan 1-2 Catania Coppa Italia

12/23 Inter 2-1 Milan Serie A

1/13 Milan 5-2 Napoli Serie A

1/16 Catania 1-1 Milan Coppa Italia

1/20 Udinese 0-1 Milan Serie A



TEAM NEWS

Atalanta will be up against it in this match, due to their numerous absences through injury. The injury list includes Costinha, Leonardo Talamonti, George Forsyth and Marino Defendi, while Antonio Langella and Claudio Rivalta are doubtful.

Milan will again put Zeljko Kalac between the sticks, with Nelson Dida still suffering from a knee injury. Other names missing from the list of called-up are Filippo Inzaghi, Massimo Ambrosini and Marcos Cafu. Paolo Maldini is out with the flu. Fortunately, Andrea Pirlo returns from a one-match suspension.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cristiano Doni (Atalanta) – He is undoubtedly Atalanta’s best player. Once rumored years ago to have almost joined Milan, he can show the Rossoneri why passing on him was a mistake.

Alberto Gilardino (Milan) – Ronaldo will most likely start on the bench, and ‘Gila’ could get the start alongside Pato. The pressure continues to mount on Gilardino to score consistently, and finally having a complimentary forward next to him in attack could do a lot for his game.

POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s

Atalanta (4-5-1): Coppola; Belleri, Bellini, Capelli, Carrozzieri; De Ascentis, Pinto, Guarente, Doni, Tissone; Floccari

Milan (4-3-1-2): Kalac; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf; Kakà; Pato, Gilardino

PREDICTION

With Kakà fielded behind a more traditional forward pairing of Pato and Gilardino, he could well play even better than he has recently. Atalanta will not have the defensive solidity necessary to keep out the Milan attack, especially with Andrea Pirlo returning to the squad.

Atalanta 0-2 Milan

 

Coppa Italia Preview: Udinese - Catania

It’s time for the Coppa Italia quarterfinals and, on paper, the least interesting tie is the one between Catania and Udinese (the others being Sampdoria-Roma, Lazio-Fiorentina, and Inter-Juventus). Still, it looks set to be an intriguing tie just the same, especially for Catania, after eliminating Milan in the previous round, reaching the semi-finals would be an incredible achievement.

Both teams are coming off somewhat disappointing results in Serie A. Udinese had to give up their fourth place to Fiorentina after losing 1-0 at home in the last minute against Milan, after giving an impressive performance. Meanwhile, Catania went down to a predictable, and deserved, 2-0 defeat away to Roma.

Overall, though, both teams won’t be too displeased with how they’ve fared so far this season. Catania currently have a five point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone, and Udinese are in the hunt for a Champions League spot. That is pretty much what both sides hoped for at the start of the season, and in Udinese’s case perhaps a little more.

Udinese eliminated Palermo in dramatic fashion at the last 16 stage. After a goalless draw at Udine against the Rosanero, they scored an injury-time goal at the Renzo Barbera stadium through striker Antonio Floro Flores to earn a place in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Catania eliminated Milan with a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Massimino stadium having beaten them 2-1 at San Siro. Although it was something of a shock, Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti later admitted he wasn’t too displeased with his team’s elimination, as it meant they could focus entirely on reaching fourth place in Serie A and the Champions League.

That gives food for thought on the prestige of this competition, but don’t expect either side to hold back in this tie. For both of them reaching the semi-finals of any competition is not an everyday occurrence, so they will give it their all.


FORM GUIDE

Udinese

20/01 (Serie A): Udinese-Milan 0-1

16/01 (Coppa Italia): Palermo-Udinese 0-1

13/01 (Serie A): Cagliari-Udinese 0-1

23/12 (Serie A): Udinese-Empoli 2-2

19/12 (Coppa Italia): Udinese-Palermo 0-0

Catania

20/01 (Serie A): Roma-Catania 2-0

16/01 (Coppa Italia): Catania-Milan 1-1

12/01 (Serie A): Catania-Juventus 1-1

23/12 (Serie A): Reggina-Catania 3-1

20/12 (Coppa Italia): Milan-Catania 1-2


TEAM NEWS

Udinese

Raffaele De Martino, Giampiero Pinzi, Gyan Asamoah, and Tomas Zapotocny are out injured.

Possible formation (3-4-3): Handanovic; Zapata, Felipe, Lukovic; Mesto, D’Agostino, Inler, Dossena; Pepe, Quagliarella, Di Natale.

Catania

Rocco Sabato, Takayuki Morimoto, Gionatha Spinesi, and Andrea Sottil are unavailable due to injury. Sottil is also suspended for this one, as are Gennaro Sardo and Christian Terlizzi.

Possible formation (4-3-3): Bizzarri; Silvestri, Stovini, Nardini, Vargas; Baiocco, Edusei, Tedesco; Martinez, Babú, Mascara.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Antonio Di Natale (Udinese)

A highly skillful striker who has scored some impressive goals this season (seven in all) and who has been in the Azzurri national team set up for quite some time. This summer he looks set to make his first appearence in a major international tournament at 30 years of age. Better late than never!

Jorge Martinez (Catania)

This striker has done surprisingly well in his first season in Italy after being bought from Nacional Montevideo last summer, scoring five times. At just 24 years of age, he may still have an impressive career ahead of him in Serie A. Reaching double figures in the goal-scorers’ list on his first season would already be a great first step.


PREDICTION

Udinese to take a slight lead in this first leg.

Udinese-Catania 1-0

Baldini Facing Defensive Problems

After last Sunday's defeat to Roma, Catania haven't had any rest days in order to prepare for the away match at Udine against their former coach Pasquale Marino's team in the Coppa Italia.

Coach Silvio Baldini seems to have recovered both Mark Edusei and Gionatha Spinesi in time for this match. Both of them should be in the starting line-up, along with Lorenzo Stovini, who out due to suspension last Sunday.

However, Baldini might have some problems in defence as Gennaro Sardo, Andrea Sottil, and Christian Terlizzi are all suspended for this one.

In the center of defence, Cristian Silvestri will play alongside Stovini, while up front, alongside Spinesi, Baldini will probably give room to one of Babú, Ezequiel Llama, Takayuki Morimoto and FrancescoMillesi, who were all regularly called up for the match at the Stadio Friuli.

In the last round, Catania pulled off something of a shock as they eliminated Milan with 3-2 aggregate score, winning 2-1 in Milan and 1-1 in Sicily.

Lotito Happy With Lazio Coppa Italia Progress

His team drew with the Partenopei 1-1 but went through on aggregate 3-2. Lazio have been in silence with the press but Lotito decided to talk with journalists after the game in Napoli.


“Our squad has every chance to do well, even though we rested several players today. The others did really well and we are trying to create harmony within the dressing room,” said Lotito.


“It’s my objective to try and avoid attacks from the media which said that there have been fall outs between players and managers. These people are just trying to destabilise us.”


“People said we haven’t invested when we spent 28m Euros in the summer. Look at Muslera, he did well tonight.”


“We need to judge ourselves on results, tonight we played well and we have gone through. There are other teams out there who are better than us and they failed to go through to the quarter’s,” concluded Lotito


Igli Tare’s second half goal was enough to see Lazio through despite Maurizio Domizzi getting a late equaliser for the home side.


Lazio will now play Fiorentina in the quarter finals.

Lazio Through To Coppa Italia Quater Finals

A place in the quarter finals of the Coppa Italia was the prize up for grabs at the Stadio San Paolo. Napoli came into this game looking to overturn a 2-1 defeat from the first leg. Lazio have been in poor form recently but Edy Reja’s men come off the back of a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Milan on Sunday so both teams were looking to bounce back.


First-Half

Lazio started the half brightly and straight away Valon Behrami tested the Napoli defence but his shot was charged down by Paolo Cannavaro. Who managed to clear the danger. It was raining heavily in Napoli and the surface made for some fast and flowing football.


The home side settled well and replied to Lazio’s early pressure when on five minutes Emanuele Calaio had the chance to put his team ahead. However the player would want to forget about his finish after he blasted the ball over from close range.


The first twenty minutes were balanced and both sides enjoyed plenty of possession football. Most of the play was dominated around midfield as both teams preferred to hold on to the ball rather than throw caution to the wind.


Lazio created a good opening when Mauri tried a spectacular volley from just outside the box. The player showed great technique but his effort was blocked and the ball fizzled out for a corner.


Lazio took the lead through Behrami with a great left foot strike but it was ruled out for offside. The replay shows that the shot took a deflection off Vignaroli who was in an offside position. Lazio were unhappy but it was the right decision.


Delio Rossi’s men were really applying the pressure on Napoli as they tried to take a lead. On the half hour mark the Biancocelesti were awarded a free kick after Gargano handled the ball on the edge of the box. Cristian Ledesma stepped up and smashed the ball towards goal which deflected off Igli Tare. Only a wonder save from Matteo Gianello prevented his side from going a goal down.


Gianello was proving to be Napoli’s hero, pulling off some wonderful saves. He was standing in for first choice goalkeeper Gennaro Iezzo and was definitely showing Edy Reja his choice to select him was the right one.

The end of the half was a scrappy one as both teams gave away needless free kicks.


Right on the stroke of half time Calaio tried the spectacular overhead kick but the Sicilian’s effort was blocked. That was the last action of the first half as the referee sent the teams to the dressing rooms.


Second-Half


Lazio started the second half where they left off. Napoli were making life hard for themselves by giving away possession and for being static. The Partenopei were not really moving and the visitors clearly had the upper hand.


Napoli showed themselves on 50 minutes when former Chelsea midfielder Samulele Dalla Bona volleyed towards goal from 25 yards. The ball just clipped the post. He was unlucky not to score, Muslera was relieved to see the ball go out as he was well beaten.


On the hour mark Lazio took a well deserved lead. Ledesma crossed from the right and Tare was quickest to react ahead of Cannavaro and the Albanian threw himself at the ball and diverted it into the net. There was a suspicion of offside however replays show the goal was perfectly legitimate.


Reja had seen enough and shuffled things around by bringing on Ezequiel Lavezzi and Garics Gyorgy. The coach also changed formation to a more attacking 3-4-3 as Napoli went in search of the equaliser.


The change prompted the Partenopei to move up a gear and Lavezzi began to show his class but the Argentine striker fired wide from Calaio’s cross. Napoli seemed more dangerous with the introduction of Lavezzi who was pulling all the strings.


Napoli were playing a dangerous game by coming forward, always risking a counter attack by the Aquilotti but they had no choice as they tried to get back into the tie.


Tare almost pounced again. The big centre forward twisted and turned his way past the Napoli defence and struck the ball towards goal, but yet again Gianello was ready with the acrobatics.


Napoli equalised through Domizzi to bring the aggregate score to 3-2 in Lazio’s favour. Only ten minutes remained and tempers started to flare with three players receiving yellow cards in as many minutes.


The Azzurri pushed hard to try and send the game into extra time by creating several chances within the last couple of minutes however luck was against them. Cannavaro rose above everyone in injury time only to see his header fly over the bar. The fourth official indicated three minutes stoppages but Lazio held on to go through to the quater finals.





Teams: NAPOLI (3-5-2) - Gianello - Contini, Domizzi, Cannavaro - Grava, Blasi, Gargano, Dalla Bona (Sosa), Rullo - Zalayeta, Calaiò.


LAZIO (4-4-2) - Muslera - De Silvestri, Siviglia(Stendardo), Cribari, Zauri(Kolorov) - Behrami, Ledesma, Mutarelli (Manfredini), Mauri - Tare, Vignaroli.


Goals: Tare 55 (Lazio) Domizzi 79 (Napoli)


Cards: Gargano, Gianello, Cribari, Stendardo, Calaio, Contini, Ledesma.

Yellow

Reja Looking For Lazio Revenge

Napoli coach Edy Reja was disappointed with his side's exit from the Coppa Italia. The Partenopei drew the game 1-1 but where knocked out on aggregate 3-2 after the 2-1 first leg defeat in Rome.


Igli tare opened the scoring for the visitors and Maurizio Dommizzi replied for the home side but it was not enough.


Reja is sad at being eliminated as this was a competition he wanted to do well in but he is looking for revenge when Lazio play Napoli again next Sunday in the league.


“We played well and we put some pressure on them but we were not able to take our chances. Then we made too many mistakes by giving the ball away and we were punished,” said Reja.


The coach was happy with the teams attitude and response after going a goal down.


“We tried hard but we were unlucky, we created some good chances, but unfortunately we didn’t take advantage.”


Napoli meet with Lazio again in Serie A Sunday week and Reja believes his side can beat them then.


“We will try to get revenge for this result when we play again next Sunday.”


Napoli now have to concentrate on getting into the UEFA Cup for next season as they have no other commitments.

Amelia Linked With Palermo Switch

The Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Palermo's director of sport, Rino Foschi, is about to place an audacious bid for Marco Amelia.

The Livorno goalkeeper is wanted throughout the peninsula, but as club president said, "Amelia stays with us - we've had many offers, but nobody's getting him."

However, that won't stop Foschi from offering Italian U-21 international goalkeeper Federico Agliardi and 2 million euros for the Azzurri stopper.

Livorno would prefer a pure cash deal in the region of 5.5 to 6 million euros, but that offer may only be forthcoming from Lazio, who are looking for a long-term replacement for Marco Ballotta.

The Gazzetta further added that bad boy Francesco Coco would like a chance to redeem himself at Livorno after falling foul at Queen's Park Rangers in England.

Tiago Needs To Settle Down - Marchionni

The Portugal star is going through a rough patch with the Bianconeri and has failed to settle down since his arrival in the Summer. However Marchionni believes he knows the reasons why and that Tiago should be given time to settle in.


“I wouldn’t criticise him because against Empoli we all had a brilliant first half. I see him everyday and I must say he has excellent qualities.”


Marchionni believes that Tiago has to adapt to the Italian game and this is not as easy as it seems given the fact the player arrived from abroad.


“For someone who is used to playing in another league it isn’t always easy trying to adapt to Serie A because it is a really difficult league. He has to get used to it and slowly slowly he will get better. I think he is beginning to understand what Italian football is all about.”


Tiago has been linked to several big European clubs, especially after Ranieri publicly spoke of his disappointment with the player. Tiago seems to have his team mates on his side but whether this will be enough for him to remain at the club remains to be seen.

Juve Should Buy Diego-Zico

Brazilian Legend Zico believes Juventus will return to the greatness they once were if the Bianconeri sign Diego.


The Werder Bremen star has been linked with the Old Lady many times this season and Zico insists it will be a good move for the Bianconeri.


It is believed that Diego is valued at 35m Euros and this would be the price Juventus would have to pay to secure his services.


“I’m not surprised they have valued him so much, he is a great player who along with Robinho wrote history back in Brazil with Santos. He came to Europe and won the Champions League with Porto and now he has earned a place with the Selecao,” Zico told Tuttosport.


“I would advise any team with ambition to go for him, he is a champion full stop, a champion who knows how to win.”


Another player who plies his trade in Germany is Rafael Van Der Vaart. The Dutchman has also been heavily linked with a move to La Vecchia Signora but Zico believes Diego would be the better player to buy.


“The Dutchman is a good player, but if you are asking who I would buy then you already know my answer. I can assure you that whoever buys Diego won’t be wasting their money.”

Cannavaro-What Crisis?

Napoli defender Paolo Cannavaro has come to the defence of his club by insisting there is no crisis.


The Azzurri lost 5-2 at the weekend to Milan and they were slated in the Italian press for not living up to their defensive standards. The side had already conceded five in December against Atalanta and Italian media were quick to point to a crisis in defence. However Cannavaro has replied in defence of his team mates.


“I can’t explain how we conceded five goals, but against a side full of champions like Milan these things can happen. I know our fans were unhappy, so were we, but we just have to move on and hope we can bounce back,” Cannavaro told Il Mattino.


Recent speculation in the Italian media had suggested that certain players wanted to leave in the transfer window following the 5-2 crushing at San Siro. However the Napoli defender has played down the talk.


“I don’t know nothing about the transfer market, and to be honest I’m not really worried about it either. I can only talk about myself, I don’t know what the others are thinking.”


Napoli will be hoping for a better defensive display when they take on Lazio for a place in the quarter finals of the Coppa Italia on Thursday evening.

 

It Shouldn't Have Ended 4-0 - Novellino

Torino suffered a heavy defeat in tonight's Coppa Italia match against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico (4-0). The granata returned home eliminated, conceding four goals and scoring none, after winning the first leg 3-1.

At the end of the match, coach Walter Novellino was bitterly disappointed: "At the moment we have to stay quiet, let's allow others to do the talking. Aside from the episodes, the close calls, I think a game like this cannot finish 4-0. [Philippe] Mexes threw himself on the ground for the penalty, but won't comlpain too much about those things."

About Francesco Totti's entrance in the second half, which saw the Roma captain score a brace, he said: "We were all a bit conditioned by that. In the first half we did very well, but then quality makes the difference in the end.

"Totti came in, a great player, and it showed. Too bad we're out, because we did have the chances in the first half. It's an unlucky period for me, but of course that doesn't take away from Roma's qualities," Novellino concluded.

Lotito Blasts Italian Media

Claudio Lotito has revealed that there is no crisis within the Lazio dressing room and he denies reports which had suggested he was going to fire coach Delio Rossi.


Lotito blasted the media for those reports and insisted that they were false and unfounded.


On Tuesday the club went into a press silence and refused to talk to journalists following reports that Rossi was on his way out. However Lotito wanted to clear the air and explained the circumstances.


“It was just another lie when reports suggested I wanted to sack Rossi, I have an excellent relationship with him.”


“This was the reason why I released a statement a few days ago and this is why we did not want to speak to journalists. The club is trying to improve all the time.”


Lotito explained Lazio’s recent run of poor form and once again rubbished the press reports of problems within the club’s hierarchy.


“The league standings don’t reflect the quality of this team, we have had many injuries. In Rome I have been treated like a target and people have accused us of things which don’t exist.”


“We need to learn from the fans here in Naples which applauded their team despite going out of the cup.”

 

Barusso Agent- We Are Talking With Roma

Roma’s Ahmed Barusso has been linked with a move to Genoa after the player’s agent Mauro Cevoli confirmed that he is in talks with the Roma over the Barusso’s future.


Barusso has been linked with a number of clubs including Monaco and Genoa but it seems as if the player may remain in Italy.


Cevoli said, “In the Summer the player was contacted by Atalanta but today I know that Genoa have spoken to Roma.”


“I am currently watching the situation and I will sit down with the Giallorossi and weigh up the player’s options.”


Barusso is currently in Africa for the Cup of Nations with his native side Ghana which could pose a problem for his agent.


The Ghanaian has made several appearances this season for the Rome based club but recent speculation has suggested that he will soon leave.


“The African Nations Cup can pose slight problems in terms of the player moving to another club. The player not being here can complicate our plans even though the competition will offer the player the chance to impress other clubs,” concluded Cevoli.


Last week Cevoli dismissed speculation in La Gazzetta Dello Sport that the player had been linked with a move to England.

Fiorentina See Off Ascoli To Progress

Fiorentina were hot favourites going into this game, following the 1-1 draw in the first leg in Ascoli before Christmas.


Coach Cesare Prandelli fielded largely a reserve side, with only Zdravko Kuzmanović, Franco Semioli and Giampaolo Pazzini in the team who could be considered regulars.


The Viola were comfortably the better side throughout the first period but struggled to break down a resilient Ascoli team, who had drawn five consecutive matches in Serie B before this game.


Pazzini was quite clearly the danger man and was really fired up for the match. The youngster went close with a header but he was denied by the opposition goalkeeper Nicolas Bremec.


Semioli was the next to cause problems for the Ascoli backline but his excellent attempt at goal was again saved by Bremec.

The Uruguayan shot-stopper had to keep his wits about him in the first period as shots also rained in from Kuzmanovic, Martin Jorgensen and Pablo Osvaldo.

Ascoli went in at half-time well satisfied with the 0-0 scoreline and still hopeful of springing a shock.


Fiorentina were hoping it wasn’t going to be one of those frustrating days as Osvaldo headed over the bar just after the half-time interval.


The deadlock was finally broken on the hour mark and it was inevitable that Pazzini was the one to find the back of the net.


However Ascoli refused to give in and Viola ‘keeper Cristiano Lupatelli was forced into a crucial save from striker Filippo Maniero.


On 76 minutes the game, and the tie, was made safe as Pazzini grabbed his and Fiorentina’s second of the game. The ex-Azzurrini raced onto a long ball and finished well past Bremec.


Fiorentina could have grabbed a third before the 90 minutes were up but Bremec did well to deny Danish star Jorgensen.

The Viola now await the winners of the Napoli-Lazio tie. The Biancocelesti hold a narrow 2-1 lead going into tomorrow evening’s match at San Paolo.


Fiorentina: Lupatelli; Balzaretti, Potenza, Mazuch (Ujfalusi 74), Gobbi; Kuzmanovic, Pazienza (Pasqual 79), Jorgensen; Semioli, Pazzini, Osvaldo (Cacia 64)
Ascoli: Bremec; Minieri (Siniscalchi 71), Bellusci, Cioffi, Giallombardo; Guberti, Raffaello (Luci 51), Di Donato, Pesce; Perrulli (Job 62), Maniero


Goals: Pazzini 63, 76 (F)

Buffon Best Modern 'Goalie' - Official Report

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics made the announcement today after analysing its vast databank of statistics, collating its latest figures and then concluding that the Italian World-Cup winner has been the greatest in-between the sticks since 1987.*

However, Buffon does not stand alone at the top of the list, for in-fact he shares his accolade with former Manchester United and Denmark shot-stopper Peter Schmeichel who also stands on 69 points.

German legend Oliver Kahn is in third place on 62 points, followed by free-kick specialist Jose Luis Chilavert of Paraguay (58) and ex-Inter and Italy goalie Walter Zenga (55). Edwin Van Der Sar, Belgium’s Michel Preud-homme, Brazilian World-Cup winner Claudio Taffarel and England’s moustached David Seaman complete the top 10.

However, the art of collating statistics such as these to decide who ranks highest is not appreciated by all players. For as Portsmouth’s athletic keeper David James recently articulated in his Guardian Sport Blog, the computerised method used to attribute points doesn’t tell the whole story.

“You see in [this] data they don't differentiate a great save from an easy save - you get the same number of points for either - so who's the better goalkeeper, the one who catches 20 halfway-line chips, or the one who makes 10 six-yard point-blank blocks?

“You need the human element to define what is quality, and what is not.”

Nevertheless, the IFFHS has made its decision and it also plans a gala in 2012 to mark ‘25 Years of World Goalkeepers.’

The news of Buffon’s achievement is sure to rankle with La Liga viewers, and especially Real Madrid fans, many of whom rank their imperious keeper Iker Casillas as superior to Buffon.

A row over who is the best between the two leading keepers of world football recently broke out after former Juventus defender and Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro labelled his team-mate Casillas as the best in the world.

Italian press, players and fans countered and favoured Buffon. Perhaps the IFFHS readings shall put an end to the dispute, although due to the nature of football dividing opinion it is unlikely.

*The IFFHS data only goes back to 1987 as that was the year it was founded.

Coppa Italia Preview: Juventus – Empoli

New Year Hangover For Juve

Juventus will be looking to earn their first win of 2008 against Empoli following a lethargic performance against Catania in Serie A at the weekend.

The Bianconeri failed to display the kind of form that had seen them win three league games in succession before Christmas, and only managed to earn a 1-1 draw in Sicily courtesy of a controversial last-minute penalty from Alessandro Del Piero.

Juve were particularly poor in the first-half, with midfielder Tiago Mendes being hauled off at half-time after another hugely disappointing performance.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, the Old Lady should be confident of being able to turn around the scoreline at the Stadio Olimpico.

However it is never easy to predict just how committed Juve will be in this game, as historically they have never taken the Coppa Italia too seriously. They have only lifted the trophy on two occasions in the past 25 years, the last time coming in 1995.

Empoli Hoping To Extend Unbeaten Run

Empoli may be sitting in a precarious 17th position in Serie A, just two points above the relegation zone, however they arrive in Turin in a much healthier position than when the two sides met in the first leg in Tuscany on December 6.

Before that match Empoli were sitting rock-bottom of Serie A having picked up just 10 points from 14 league games. However the 2-1 win that evening seems to have sparked a revival for the team who finished in a historic seventh position last season, and they have since remained unbeaten.

This included a superb 2-2 draw away at high-flying Udinese, as well as a 4-1 thrashing of Cagliari.

The Azzurri would have been disappointed to have only drawn 1-1 at home to fellow relegation-battlers Reggina at the weekend, however they should nevertheless come into this Coppa Italia tie in good spirits.

Past Meetings

The last time the two teams met was of course in the first leg on December 6, when goals from Ignazio Abate and Nicola Pozzi gave Empoli a two-goal lead. However Vincenzo Iaquinta’s late strike could prove crucial in terms of eventual qualification.

In total the two sides have met on 16 occasions, with Juventus winning 11, drawing two and losing just three of these games. The last time the two teams met in Turin was on October 31 this campaign when David Trezeguet scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win for Juve.

Indeed the Frenchman seems to thrive playing against the Tuscans as he also scored a treble in a hugely entertaining 3-3 draw in 2004. Current Lazio star Tommaso Rocchi hit a hat-trick of his own that day for Empoli.

FORM GUIDE

Juventus

Catania 1-1 Juventus (Serie A) January 12

Juventus 2-0 Siena (Serie A) December 23

Lazio 2-3 Juventus (Serie A) December 15

Juventus 1-0 Atalanta (Serie A) December 9

Empoli 2-1 Juventus (Coppa Italia) December 6

Empoli

Empoli 1-1 Reggina (Serie A) January 12

Udinese 2-2 Empoli (Serie A) December 23

Empoli 1-1 Genoa (Serie A) December 16

Empoli 4-1 Cagliari (Serie A) December 9

Empoli 2-1 Juventus (Coppa Italia) December 6

TEAM NEWS

Juventus

It is virtually impossible to predict, with any accuracy, team line-ups in the Coppa Italia, but it certainly seems likely that Claudio Ranieri will rest some players from Saturday’s tough match at Catania.

Mauro Camoranesi, Jonathan Zebina and Jorge Andrade remain on the treatment table, while the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved should sit out the game.

Empoli

Empoli are also likely to rest some key players, as it is self-explanatory that Serie A survival is far higher on their list of priorities right now.

Levan Mchedlidze and Juve-owned midfielder Claudio Marchisio are injured, while goalkeeper Daniele Balli is a doubt.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Palladino (Juventus)

The Neapolitan has burst onto the scene this season, and made his debut for the Italian national team in the Euro 2008 qualifier against the Faroe Islands in November. However he is still fourth in the Juve attacking pecking-order and has been used chiefly as a wide midfielder this campaign. The 23-year-old should get a chance to shine in his favoured forward position against Empoli.

Giovinco (Empoli)

The 20-year-old ‘Italian Lionel Messi’ is one of the hottest prospects in European football and is currently on loan at Empoli from Juventus. There has been a lot of talk in the Italian media about Giovinco returning to Turin next season, and the skilful attacking midfielder will be hoping to prove that he is mature enough to play for the Old Lady.

PREDICTION

So much depends on what teams respective Coaches Claudio Ranieri and Alberto Malesani field, however you simply have to favour the home side in this one.

Juventus 2-0 Empoli