Tuesday 15 March
Juve ponder Fiore move
Football Italia
Juventus could be about to rescue the career of Valencia’s unwanted midfielder Stefano Fiore. The Italian hasn’t had the happiest of times in Spain and the Turin giants are ready to end his Liga nightmare.
Fiore joined the UEFA Cup holders in the summer but has failed to settle despite the presence of fellow Italians Marco Di Vaio, Bernardo Corradi and Emiliano Moretti. And now that Italian boss Claudio Ranieri is no longer with the club, Fiore will leave the Mestalla.
Juventus have been linked with moves for Fiore in the past but may now finally land the former Udinese, Parma and Lazio ace. The international is a versatile player and would be welcomed by boss Fabio Capello given Juve’s lack of midfield options. In theory, Fiore’s quality could be used on either flank, as well as in centre midfield alongside Emerson.
The Old Lady of Italian football have good links with Valencia, following the sale of Di Vaio, and Fiore could be netted for just £3m. Fiore would be open to the move, with Juventus allegedly ready to offer him a two-year deal worth £800,000 a season.
Should Juve net Fiore, then the Delle Alpi club are unlikely to pursue their interest in Lecce’s Cristian Ledesma.
Juventus to offer £25M for Roma pair Cassano, Chivu
Tribal Football
Juventus are preparing a mega £25 million bid for AS Roma pair Antonio Cassano and Cristian Chivu. Juve chief Luciano Moggi is also prepared to include Adrian Mutu and Shabani Nonda in their offer to secure the duo, who are on the wanted lists of Europe's biggest spenders, including AC Milan, Real Madrid and Arsenal.
Nonda will arrive in Turin on a Bosman from Monaco in June, but isn't expected to wear a Juve shirt and instead will be immediately loaned out to a rival Serie A club.
Roma's cash problems mean they must consider selling Cassano over the summer, with him free to sign a pre-contract next January ahead of leaving the club on a Bosman at the end of next season.
Juventus striker Mutu laughs off Roma rumours
Tribal Football
Juventus striker Adrian Mutu has laughed off persistent speculation that he will move to AS Roma in the summer.
Its mooted Juve will offer Mutu to Roma in part-exchange for striker Antonio Cassano, but the Romania international said: "I have spoken with Cristian Chivu about Rome, but only because I am interested in taking my summer vacations there.
"My future is with Juventus and all the rumours do not interest me."
Monday 14 March
Chievo Verona 0-1 Juventus: FT Report
ESPN Soccernet
Juventus substitute Ruben Olivera succeeded where his more illustrious team-mates had failed to give his side a last-gasp victory over battling Chievo on Sunday.
Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had all been thwarted in their bid to break the deadlock and Olivera's introduction looked like a last throw of the dice when Juve coach Fabio Capello introduced him in the 77th minute.
But within 10 minutes of his arrival, the Uruguayan forward had netted the only goal of the game and what had looked like being two precious points dropped became a 19th win of the season for Juve. Olivera's goal proved to be the final positive contribution of the match for him as 60 seconds later he was sent off following a confrontation with Alessandro Potenza, who was also shown a red card.
By that stage though, the former Atletico Madrid youngster had achieved what he had been sent on to do and his strike meant Juve re-joined AC Milan at the summit.
The Bianconeri came into the match boosted by their Champions League victory over Real Madrid in midweek, however they found it tough going to create many clear-cut chances against a Chievo side battling to keep out of the bottom three in Serie A.
In the first half, Juve had only two sorties of any note - both of which revolved around captain Del Piero.
In the 17th minute the Italian international saw his deflected free-kick scrambled away to safety by Salvatore Lanna and six minutes later Chievo goalkeeper Luca Marchegiani was forced into action to gather a dangerous-looking cross from Mauro Camoranesi, who was released by Del Piero.
Chievo's best chance of a first half bereft of real entertainment saw Siqueira Luciano's 38th-minute shot deflected behind for a corner off Fabio Cannavaro.
The second half produced far more talking points, one of which came in the 50th minute when Chievo felt the ball had crossed the line following a shot from Sergio Pellissier that thumped against the crossbar and rebounded back down.
However, referee Gianluca Paparesta waved played on and the game remained goalless.
Capello's first change of the match saw Ibrahimovic replace fellow striker Trezeguet in the 59th minute. And although the Swedish striker was not involved, Juve created one of their best chances soon after his arrival on the pitch. The opportunity fell to Camoranesi and he was only denied a goal by a brilliant save from Marchegiani at his front post.
Capello then made his second and final substitution 13 minutes from time, and that one would prove to be the key that would unlock the Chievo backline.
In truth, Olivera's winning goal had more to do with poor Chievo defending but the South American proved to be in the right place at the right time to slot home after the visitors' rearguard had failed to cut out Camoranesi's cross.
Olivera could have gone from hero to villain when he was dismissed along with Potenza because of a flare-up following a tackle by the Juve man, but the visitors managed to hold on without him to collect the spoils.
Capello: “Beautiful Juventus!”
Juventus.com
This is how Fabio Capello commented on the win over Chievo. “It was a beautiful match, we played it with great determination. We had a very good first half and played good football. We finally found the goal with Olivera, a player who’s in a good condition at present.
"Del Piero played a good match, I substituted him because I needed a player to defend and cross dangerously, that’s why I replaced him with the Uruguayan. We’re in a good physical condition, the playground did not advantage us but we still maintained good concentration.”
Zambrotta's Comments
Juventus.com
Between the protagonists of the evening, with two beautiful conclusions that deserved better fortune, there is Gianluca Zambrotta that comments therefore the Victoria of the Juventus in house of the Chievo: "difficult game Was one, the Chievo is a good square, that it runs so much.
"Fortunately we are resolutions to make goal in the end and to conquer the three most important points for classifies it and also because they allow us to continue the begun to Rome and continued positive strip in Champions League against the Real."
Juventus coach Capello laughs off Mourinho comparison
Tribal Football
Juventus coach Fabio Capello has laughed off comparisons between himself and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. Capello is being compared favourably with Mourinho after both men masterminded their teams' progress to the Champions League quarterfinals last week.
"I admire Mourinho greatly," said Capello. "But I am certain I do not see myself in him, as he wouldn't see himself in me. There is a big age difference, after all!"
Sunday 13 March
Trez: Milan are the best
Football Italia
Juve hero David Trezeguet admits that Milan play the better football and reveals the nature of the rare virus that ruled him out for several weeks.
“The Rossoneri are on stunning form,” he told French newspaper L’Equipe. “They play great football, better than we do at the moment.”
Both sides are currently topping the Serie A standings and qualified for the Champions’ League quarter-finals by eliminating giants Real Madrid and Manchester United.
“Milan seem more confident and relaxed in their own system,” continued the Bleus hitman. “If the two starting line-ups are on a par, their bench is of decidedly higher quality.”
Having said that, it was Juve benchwarmer Marcelo Zalayeta who proved crucial on Wednesday with the late winner against Madrid, while Gianluca Pessotto filled in for the injured Pavel Nedved. Trezeguet also gave an intriguing insight into Fabio Capello’s coaching technique in spurring his players on to such a determined performance.
“When I came off the bench on Wednesday night, Capello did not give me any precise pointers or tactical rules. He just told me that I had to make sure Juve qualified.”
He followed that indication to the letter, scoring the goal that took the tie to extra time, but he had missed out the first leg altogether after being struck down with flu-type symptoms.
“During the week I was just exhausted,” explained Trez. “I would train and then be sick, going home with a high temperature. I had a blood test every two days, but nobody could figure out what was wrong with me. Eventually a virologist identified a rare virus I had contracted and gave me the right treatment.”
Lippi hails Italian renaissance
Football Italia
Italy Coach Marcello Lippi hopes the recent success in the Champions’ League will boost the Azzurri’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
“I must compliment everyone for this week’s performances,” said the tactician. “We had a sabbatical year in this competition, like several other nations, but we are back with a bang. These results will benefit everybody and the enthusiasm and confidence will seep through to the Azzurri squad.”
Last season Porto lifted the trophy after beating Monaco in the Final, but the big sides seem to be favourites again.
Juventus eliminated Real Madrid, Milan knocked out Manchester United and Inter could see off reigning trophy holders Porto in their second leg tie next week to make it a hat-trick of Serie A representatives in the quarters – more than any other nation.
“I never thought that Italian football was in crisis, as I don’t run after the ebb and flow of fashion. Our players and teams were strong last year and they remain more than competitive. These Champions’ League results merely confirm that.”
Now the pressure is on Lippi to carry on the fine work at international level, as Italy face Scotland later this month in a crunch 2006 World Cup qualifier.
“I am not a man who runs away from responsibility,” insisted the former Juve boss. “Italian football is strong at both club level and internationally.”
There is the concern than this week the only goalscorers for Juve and Milan were foreign – David Trezeguet, Marcelo Zalayeta and Hernan Crespo.
“Nobody can deny that there are many overseas stars in our clubs, but the essential structure of the teams are purely Italian and we’ll confirm that in the qualifiers. I have total faith that the players will come to the Azzurri camp tired but enthusiastic.”
Saturday 12 March
Chievo Verona v Juventus: Preview
ESPN Soccernet
Juventus take on strugglers Chievo Verona with their confidence levels at an all-time high following their recent triumph against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Things could not be going any better for coach Fabio Capello, who in the space of two weeks has got the better of two of his former teams with important victories.
Last weekend's 2-1 triumph against Roma allowed the Bianconeri to join AC Milan at the top of the Serie A standings with both teams now level on 60 points after 27 encounters.
But it was their midweek victory against European giants Real Madrid that allowed Capello to jump up and down with joy. Juve bounced back from a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1 on aggregate after extra-time and qualify for the Champions League quarter finals.
What made the victory even sweeter was that Juve had managed for the first time to knock out the Spanish outfit, who had never been eliminated before the quarter finals in Europe's elite competition.
"It was a very important game for us against a very difficult rival," said Capello. "It's one of the most beautiful victories of my career, I don't think I can compare this game to any other."
But Capello now faces a dilemma with Uruguay forward Marcelo Zalayeta, who scored the winner against Madrid, in contention for a starting place. With French striker David Trezeguet having recently returned to action and in-form Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessandro Del Piero also available, Capello will have to make some tough decisions.
"Zalayeta has technical and good physical qualities," admitted Capello. "Players like him are a blessing to coaches."
What would complete Juve's fantastic week would be to fly solo at the top of the table by Sunday - a very real possibility considering that Scudetto contenders Milan face third-placed Sampdoria.
The game in Verona is likely to be an easier challenge for the Bianconeri considering Chievo's current form. Mario Beretta's men have failed to score in the past 435 minutes and their hopes of ending their goalscoring drought are even more limited as they face the best defence in the competition at the Bentegodi stadium.
"Juve are an ugly client," said Chievo defender Fabio Moro. "They are synonymous with strength and power and we cannot compete against them technically so we will have to find an alternative weapon and hope for a positive result."
Chievo were unlucky to concede a late defeat against third-placed Sampdoria last weekend which relegated them to 17th spot in Serie A, just two points clear of the relegation zone. Four consecutive defeats have placed the Verona outfit in a dangerous position and for such reason they are determined to end their negative run against Juve.
"In football nothing is certain," admitted Moro. "The league standings do not give us an alternative, we need to get points against Juve."
The good news for the hosts is that striker Federico Cossato is set to return to play having fully recovered from injury. However, they will be without defender John Mensah, who serves a one-match suspension.
Del Piero: How we beat Real
Football Italia
Alessandro Del Piero has revealed the secret behind Juventus’ defeat of Real Madrid in the Champions’ League. The Bianconeri dumped the Spaniards out of Europe on Wednesday, after transforming a 1-0 first leg defeat into a 2-1 aggregate victory.
"We overturned the result of the first match despite the scepticism of some," he said via his personal website. "It wasn’t an easy task. I think that our great determination and humility made the difference on the night. We were able to transform our tension into concentration, plus we had the belief in ourselves until the very end.
"It was a fantastic night in a packed and hot stadium, the joy of having achieved what we did was just incredible."
The Bianconeri captain didn’t play a major role in the game though, being replaced in the 57th minute by David Trezeguet. That substitution made the difference as the Frenchman netted to take the game into extra-time, before Marcelo Zalayeta blasted home the winner.
Man Utd, Juventus told to wait for Bologna's Meghni
Tribal Football
Bologna supremo Giuseppe Gazzoni has ruled out a summer sale for midfield starlet Mourad Meghni. The exciting French youngster is being chased by Manchester United and Juventus, while he is also a personal favourite of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
However, Gazzoni said yesterday: "We know that one day Meghni will leave us. But our intention is to sell him when he is at his peak. He will produce a great end to this championship and show his best qualities.
"I have already made public my valuation of Meghni. We will not accept anything less than £7 million for him."
Meghni, himself, is keen to remain another season with Bologna as playing regularly has pushed him into Raymond Domenech's France squad.
Juventus are favourites to land the youngster once he becomes available. The Turin giants are believed to have negotiated an option on Meghni in January following the loan move to Bologna of defender Nicola Legrottaglie. Should Legrottaglie's deal be made permanent, it could lead to Juve also taking up co-ownership of Meghni.
Bayern Munich's Kovac's denies Juventus agreement
Tribal Football
Bayern Munich defender Robert Kovac has denied reports he has signed a pre-contract with Juventus. The Croatia international is a free agent in June and it emerged earlier this week that he had agreed terms with Juve over a deal for next season.
Sources close to Juve director general Luciano Moggi insisted the story was rubbish and a ploy by the defender's agent to force Bayern into increasing their new contract offer.
Kovac told Bild yesterday: "I have not signed for Juve. My agent has not spoken about a formal offer. With Juve, there has been perhaps telephone contact, but beyond that we have not gone further."
Pessotto wins new Juventus contract
Tribal Football
Juventus have rewarded veteran defender Gianluca Pessotto with a new contract extension. The 34 year-old's current deal was due to expire in June, but after a superb display against Real Madrid on Wednesday night, has been handed a new, 12-month contract extension.
Juventus signing Mutu won't rule out Roma deal
Tribal Football
Juventus signing Adrian Mutu has refused to rule out a move to AS Roma at the end of this season. The Romania international has been linked with a loan move to Roma in the summer, despite signing for Juve only in January.
"I know of the talk about me and Roma," said Mutu, responding to questions about a possible swap deal involving him and Roma ace Antonio Cassano. "At Juve I am happy and I would like to stay here. But in life, you can never predict what is around the corner."
Mutu will be available for Juve towards the end of this season as he serves a ban for drugs use.
Juventus aim to trump Corinthians for Mascherano using Salas
Tribal Football
Juventus are aiming to take advantage of Javier Mascherano's stalled move to Corinthians to pinch the midfielder from under the Brazilian giants' noses. The River Plate star's move to Corinthians has reportedly been held up due to an enquiry into the financial support the Brazilian club is receiving.
River are still keen to push through a deal for Mascherano and Juve are willing to offer striker Marcelo Salas in a permanent transfer to the Argentines in part-exchange for the 22 year-old. Juve director general Luciano Moggi sees the combative Mascherano as the ideal foil for Emerson in the centre of midfield next season.
Parisi welcomes Udinese interest, but prefers Palermo, Juventus
Tribal Football
Messina wing-back Alessandro Parisi says he'd be interested in a move to Udinese next season. The exciting midfielder is the subject of an enquiry from Udinese and declared: "A transfer to Friuli would be another chance for me to improve as a player.
"They are one of the top seven clubs in Serie A and have the chance of playing in Europe next season. But my dream remains to play for a great club. Milan, Juventus, Roma, Inter or also Palermo."
