Juve Deny Lyon's Boumsong Accusations

The transfer of the defender has now been concluded, but there was little love lost between the two clubs after Lyon had accuesd Juve of delaying the move.

“This is repugnant,” snapped general manager Marino Faccioli in French newspaper L’Equipe recently.

“The agreement had been reached and we sent a private plane to Turin to get the player. We accepted that Boumsong would play the first leg of the Coppa Italia in exchange for having him for the derby with St Etienne on Sunday.

“Now Juve want him for the second leg next week. This is totally stupid. In 30 years of my career I have never seen anything like it. I am astonished.”

La Vecchia Signora denied all the allegations that they had behaved poorly as general manager Jean-Claude Blanc responded to the outburst.

“This is why the controversy stirred up by the French directors is entirely fabricated;" he said.

"Juventus have never changed their idea on the initial objectives and always worked with fairness to achieve a convenient outcome for both clubs.”

The Italian outfit then made an official statement, that began by claiming that they do not respond to statements made by other clubs before responding to a statement made by another club.

“It is not in the style of Juventus to comment on the statements of other clubs, especially if they are regarding negotiations still in progress,” said the press release.

“In any case, Juventus confirm they always behaved in every phase of the talks in good faith, coherence and taking the necessary time to reach a good conclusion.

“Juventus allowed the player and Lyon to speed up the process by authorising contact and a medical, in perfect transparency.”

Sissoko: I Will Sign For Juve In Days

The Malian international has been strongly associated with the Bianconeri for several weeks now, with the only question seemingly being whether he would arrive in Turin this month or in June.


Juve are desperate to bring in a centre midfielder after the disastrous summer signings of Tiago Mendes and Sergio Almiron for a combined €22m.


“It’s just a question of a few days,” said Sissoko.


“In three, or maybe four days it should all be sorted. I know that things are moving – we just have to wait,” said the star, who turned 23 yesterday.

“I have to confess that wearing the Juventus shirt would be the greatest thing. I have been a Bianconeri fan since I was a kid.

“I supported Juve because I was obsessed with Zinedine Zidane and if you loved Zidane, you loved Juve. I then became a fan of Alessandro Del Piero – he is a great player.”

Sissoko also revealed just how important Claudio Ranieri was in his decision to agree to a move to Juventus.


The pair worked together in the past at Valencia, and the Tinkerman is well known to regard Sissoko as being in the world-class category bracket.

“I always got on well with Ranieri and I think that I will be able to settle into the Italian League quickly,” he insisted.

“But I am still a Liverpool player at the moment, even if I have Juventus in my heart.”


The transfer fee for Sissoko is expected to be in the region of €15m, but the majority of Bianconeri supporters have not taken well to the imminent signing.

 

Ranieri Missing Trio For Inter Match

Tomorrow night at San Siro the most interesting tie of the Coppa Italia quarter finals will take place as Inter host Juventus.

It will undoubtedly be a hard-fought game, as always seems to happen when these two sides meet, no matter what competition it is.

The league match in Turin between the two sides was the last game Inter didn't win, and they are currently on a run of 13 consecutive victories. The 1-1 draw was celebrated almost as a victory by the Juve players, and they would consider it a brilliant achievement to knock out their bitter rivals from the Coppa Italia.

However, the Bianconeri will be missing three important players like Hasan Salihamidzic, Pavel Nedved, and Gigi Buffon. All three players are suffering from various injury problems: the Bosnian has a problem to his right calf, Nedved has pharyngitis, while the Italian number one is suffering from a back ache.

That means Emanuele Belardi will take Buffon's place between the sticks, while at least three players of the four players from the youth team Claudio Ranieri decided to call up will take place on the bench.

Juve Forcing Tiago To Agree Tottenham Move

The last few days have seen Juventus and Claudio Ranieri finally give up on Tiago. What is more, even the player himself has made it very clear that he cannot take it anymore, and needs to leave Juventus.

However, Tiago and his advisors are intent on making a carefully considered move, and not rush to the first club that shows interest.

That first club at the moment are Tottenham, who have already struck a deal with Juventus.

A £9.7million (around 13.5 million euro) offer from Spurs has been accepted by the Bianconeri, but Juve now need the player to accept the move, so that they themselves can go ahead with their bid for Momo Sissoko - which is back on.

It is understood that in a bid to convince the Portuguese midfielder to 'pack his bags', Juve have informed Tiago he will not feature for the first team this season, and will have to be restricted to the training grounds for the rest of the season should he choose to stay.

Juve are convinced that 13.5 million is the best they can make from Tiago's sale, and want this deal concluded quickly lest Tottenham turn to other players. However, the player will take his time, it seems.

Ranieri: We're Simply Not Good Enough

“We’re simply not good enough.”

That’s the opinion of the Juve boss, after witnessing his team put out a lacklustre effort against Sampdoria to draw 0-0 at home on Sunday.

Just a week earlier, Alessandro Del Piero’s last-gasp penalty salvaged a 1-1 draw at Catania. These two results leave Juventus 12 points behind champions and league leaders Inter, who came from behind to beat struggling Parma 3-2.

Immediately after the game, Ranieri was not as downcast, insisting that his team were just missing a goal. However, as the feelings sunk in, the opinion has changed.

Now, Rainieri has conceded that there’s little chance of Juventus winning the Scudetto this season.

"We're not at the same level as the big teams," he said.

"Congratulations to Sampdoria, they played well. We had the chances but we needed to convert them. Of course, we can't always win but our position in the league hasn't changed much.

“As for us, I believe we’ll need to strengthen the squad and do our best for the rest of the season.”

Although Ranieri intends to bolster his squad with new players, he has faced frustration in signing the players that he wants.

He said: "We will certainly do something but we have to find the right player for us. If they're looking at Milan or Inter, then they certainly won't be joining us."

Meanwhile, Juve goalkeeper Gianlugi Buffon believes that his teammates shouldn’t be concerned about winning the Serie A crown anymore.

Instead, the Italian international has advised them to be wary with the teams behind them, who are competing with them for the four Champions League places. Fiorentina's third consecutive win cut their gap to Juve to three points while European champions AC Milan have been resurgent. Despite being in ninth place - they have three games in hand on their rivals.

"I've said before that we expect Milan to come back into the Champions League race and they've proved me right and are looking dangerous once again," said Buffon.

Milan spent their three-week winter break training in Dubai and have won both their matches since the Serie A season resumed.

Joel Morrison

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Boumsong Sweats Over Besiktas Link

Boumsong has little prospect of first team football in Serie A this season, with the former Rangers man now looking east for a transfer.

The French international is in talks with Besiktas, but both his transfer value and wages may prove sticking points.

Juventus are said to be holding out for a fee in the region of 4 million euros, while Besiktas are said to be more apt to offer 2.6.

Further, Boumsong's current pay packet - 1.3 million euros per year - could prove problematic for the Black Eagles, as the ex-Newcastle stopper does not want to take a wage decrease to move to Istanbul.

While Juventus are in the midst of a defensive injury crisis, they may still let Boumsong leave, providing that they can capture another young defender, or perhaps even Andrea Barzagli of Palermo.

Barzagli Linked With Juve's Ailing Defence

In addition to youngsters and Olof Mellberg, Juventus have also been linked with Palermo captain Andrea Barzagli as they look to strengthen their back line.

However, earlier confirmed approaches for the Italian international defender focused on an end-of-season move. Now, though, Giorgio Chiellini has picked up an injury, rendering a new defender a matter of utmost urgency for coach Claudio Ranieri.

The idea was that a youngster would sign on in January to act as a temporary replacement before taking to the bench upon Giorgio's recovery. However, it could also be the case that Barzagli's proposed move is brought forward.

Tuttosport reports that the World Cup winner could in fact join Juventus this month as a key winter signing.

However, Palermo president 'Zampa' Zamparini would presumably be unlikely to sanction such a move without first securing a signing himself.

Van Der Vaart Denies Contact With Juve

Van der Vaart has rejected the offer from Hamburg to extend his current contact with the club, and is widely expected to leave for Italy or Spain in the summer.

The club on everybody's lips in recent days has been that of Juventus, with some sources claiming a deal is as good as done.

However, the Dutchman has moved to deny such reports.

"I have had no contact with Juventus" the HSV captain told 'Welt-Online'.

He denied Italian media reports that a deal had already been completed. "It's all still very open" he admitted.

Deschamps: I Wouldn’t Have Signed Tiago & Almiron

The midfield pair signed for a combined fee of €22m in the summer and it was hoped they would provide some much needed quality in the middle-of-the park.


However both players have been huge disappointments, and could leave Turin this month less than six months after first arriving.


“Sergio Almiron and Tiago Mendes weren’t on my shopping list,” Deschamps told La Stampa.

“The club wanted them at all costs, but it was a done deal and it had nothing to do with me.”


Deschamps, who was replaced as boss before the start of the season by Claudio Ranieri, has revealed the players he would have brought to the club given the choice.


“I had other names in mind such as Luca Toni, Kolo Touré and Gabriel Milito,” he stated.


The 1998 World Cup winner is currently out of work but he has signalled his intention to return to management.


“I speak four languages so that isn’t a problem – I’m just looking for the right project,” the 39-year-old explained.

“I don’t think that I want to take a job mid-season, so I think I’ll wait for next term.”

Sissoko Likely To Sign For Juve – Elkann

The Bianconeri are well known to be in the market for a centre midfielder and the deal to bring Sissoko to Turin already looked a certainty after the player himself admitted a couple of days ago that negotiations had reached an advanced stage.

"Juventus will be strengthened,” said Elkann, the grandson of the legendary Gianni Agnelli.


“Juve are having a good championship, and aim to arrive in Europe next year. Consequently, the team will be strengthened.

”The names? It is impossible to say with complete certainty - Sissoko certainly could be the first element, even if Juve’s school of thought has always taught that you should never assume anything when it comes to buying and selling.”


With Sissoko looking almost certain to join the Bianconeri, it seems increasingly likely that he will not be the only new face at the club this month.


With Domenico Criscito having been sent out on loan, and Jorge Andrade out with a long-term knee injury, Juve are desperately short of cover in the centre of defence.

Henry Slams Disrespectful Moggi Over Juve Exit

The French international left Juventus for Arsenal in 1999 after failing to settle in completely, and blamed the former Juventus director for his exit.

"When I came to Juve I had a problem with my back. However, I wanted to play at once," Henry began, speaking to Sky Italia.

"When [Carlo] Ancelotti became manager I began to play all the games. At the start, there was not much to shout about, but after the game against Roma, I began to score and to turn in assists.

"Then something happened with Moggi which I didn't like - I don't want to go into the details.

"My character came out because I am an honest lad and, for me, it was a case of disrespect.

"If that hadn't happened, I would probably have continued to play for Juventus. But after this lack of respect I told them I didn't want to play there anymore and so I left."

The striker also dropped a hint that he was not as comfortable at Barcelona as he would probably have hoped, praising his Arsenal days.

"It doesn't matter how things work out with my new club," he added. "I will never find the same affection that I was shown at Arsenal, partly because I think I will never play for another squad for eight years - my legs won't let me.

"To play for Arsenal for eight years, winning or losing at Highbury, the joy, the sadness, everything was simply incredible.

"You often return to the place that you belong and, therefore, I hope one day to be able to work with the club.

"I have the club in my blood - I always follow Arsenal when they play and I'm happy when they win.

"I'm proud to have played for Arsenal and to be a fan. Before I didn't support any club, but now I'm an Arsenal fan and it's difficult for me to not follow the matches."

That said, it will be his comments about the much-maligned Moggi that will hit the headlines.

Lyon Want Tiago Back On Loan – Report

The 26-year-old signed for the Bianconeri in the summer from the French champions for €14m, however he has struggled to adapt to the Italian game.


Having made just nine appearances, three of these starts, there has been strong speculation that Juve will look to sell the Portuguese midfielder.


L’Equipe claims that Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas will look to take advantage of the situation by presenting a six-month loan offer for the player.


Tiago had two successful years at the Stade Gerland after joining from Chelsea in 2005, making 56 appearances and winning successive French championships.


However if Juve are to offload Tiago in January, they are believed to prefer to sell the player outright, and there has reportedly been a €13m enquiry from Tottenham Hotspur.


The Bianconeri are expected to unveil the signing of Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko from Liverpool in the next few days, and with Parma starlet Luca Cigarini also reportedly on his way to Turin, this could open the door for an exit for both Tiago and the hugely disappointing Sergio Almiron.

Juve Close In On ‘New Andrea Pirlo’ - Report

The 21-year-old is a deep-lying playmaker, who orchestrates the play from in front of the defence, and his style and ability has led to him being labelled by some as the ‘new Andrea Pirlo’.


Cigarini is admired by a whole host of top clubs, but Juventus and Inter had been seen as the two favourites for his signature.


However Controcampo claims that Juventus are set to win the race as Coach Claudio Ranieri has already held talks with the youngster and an agreement is close to being reached.


Parma value Cigarini at £8m, and although Juve are only willing to pay £5m, an agreement shouldn’t be too hard to find.


If Juventus complete the classy schemer’s signature in January, it is possible he will be loaned back to Parma for the remainder of the season.


Cigarini is a current member of the Italy Under-21 set-up and has represented his country at every youth level from Under-18 upwards.


He was part of the same Parma academy which has also produced fellow promising stars Daniele Dessena and Daniele Paponi.

 

I Want To Play In Euros - Legrottaglie

The year 2007 saw a rebirth for defender Nicola Legrottaglie. At the start of the current season, his goodbye to the Juventus shirt seems assured but then, when his transfer to Besiktas did not go through, the defender had a series of strong performances which have earned him a starting place in the Bianconeri's lineup.

Now 2008 is shaping up to be an important year in the player's career, and he talked about his objectives to Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport.

"For a football player, the national team is the highest objective," he said. "Getting back into it after being left out for three years, which disappointed me a lot, would be a great joy. I'm living this new adventure day after day, giving 100%; it's up to [Italy coach Roberto] Donadoni to decide whether to calll me up or not.

"Nevertheless, I'm still thinking about going to the European championship. I think it's right for me to aim for that," Legrottaglie concluded.

Juventus Offer Young Starlets For Zapata

The Bianconeri are certain to strengthen their backline in the summer and have been linked with a host of names around Europe in the past few months.


Colombian stopper Zapata is 21-years-old and is regarded as one of the most promising youngsters currently playing in Serie A.


He signed for Udinese in 2005 from Deportivo Cali, and has since evolved into a key player for the team.


This season he has made 15 appearances as the Zebrette currently sit in an outstanding fourth position at the winter break.


The ‘Corriere’ claims that Juventus are prepared to offer a significant cash sum plus the services of two of Claudio Marchisio, Antonio Nocerino, Michele Paolucci and Sebastian Giovinco.


All four of these players are regarded as stars of the future, with Giovinco in particular rated by many as one of the best prospects to come out of Italy for a number of years.


Zapata only recently signed a new contract with Udinese until 2012, and it is clear that any deal would not be cheap, however the inclusion of two of these talented youngsters may be enough to persuade them to part with the Colombian for less.