From the papers

July 10, 1999
Juventus Official Site

The football market is still holding its own in the sports papers. Yesterday the Milan market closed but transfers involving Serie A and B teams and foreign clubs will be allowed until 30 September. The Anelka case appears to have reached a conclusion. The possibility of seeing the young French attacker in a Juve shirt now seems to have disappeared. Meanwhile, Udinese have sacked coach Francesco Guidolin "for lack of feeling".

Tuttosport opens its front page with a headline devoted to a sensational swap proposed by Spanish giants Real Madrid: "Seedorf for Zidane". The paper explains that the Spanish club have come back in for Zidane, offering the Dutchman in exchange. Zidane himself, contacted before leaving Marbella, where he was on holiday with his family, is quoted as saying: "My future is in Spain". Inside we read that: "Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz will make an official bid for the player in a few days."

The endless negotiations for Arsenal's Nicolas Anelka are drawing to a close. On Tuttosport's front page, we read: "Anelka, no to Juve's raising of the stakes." The French striker has apparently decided to go to Lazio. The Turin daily reveals: "On Thursday evening Roberto Bettega confirmed to Arsenal Juventus' offer of 60bn lire (£20m) plus Henry. The English were ready to strike a deal but yesterday the player repeated his preference for a move to Lazio."

Two days after the Bianconeri's first warm-up match against local opposition in Chatillon, all the big names are set to join their colleagues at the training camp where the pre-season started last week. This includes players involved in the Italian and foreign national sides and those recovering from injuries, like Del Piero and Fonseca. Everybody is waiting to see new signings Zambrotta, Oliseh, Van der Sar and Kovacevic in action.

On Monday in Saint Vincent, Ancelotti's new-look side will play their second friendly of the season against a Valle D'Aosta XI. The match will be screened live on Rai 2.

Staying with Juventus, as the second week's work gets underway, the Bianconeri coach is reported to be pondering a surprise move. "Ancelotti 'warms up' Del Piero," says Tuttosport. The former Parma coach, who has never been in a position to select Del Piero because of the injury to his knee, is keen to see the striker at work: "Alex is our match winner. I'm curious to see whether he's ready. I want to understand what effect he has on the team, because if he's ready everything becomes much simpler."

In view of the club's imminent debut in the Intertoto Cup, Ancelotti will finally be able to count on all the men in the squad: "The real pre-season starts tomorrow, when the latecomers will start training," he said.

On the other bank of the Po, Torino's Mauro Bonomi has issued a challenge to Juve: "I want the derby now". The defender sings the praises of the club's new French signing Djibril Diawara- "He's tougher than me" and promises the fans a great season. "This Torino will stay up comfortably. It'll be easier for Mondonico, he's got a lot of coaching experience in Serie A."

Gazzetta dello Sport looks at the favourites for the Scudetto- "A guide to the seven big clubs: you can't do without it"- analysing inside the players of the teams that will be fighting it out for the championship. For Juventus, the Milan daily picks out the central defence as a possible weak spot. It speculates that "Djetou of Monaco is more an old-style marker, whereas the German Worns would not be bad as a powerful central defender, composed and competitive."

On the refereeing front the paper explains the League's revolutionary project: "Referees, everything's changing and changing right away". Revolutionary changes are announced for the much-discussed men in black: "They'll earn 130m lire (£43,000) a year, plus 4m lire (£1,300) a match. The referees' chief Gonella will receive an annual income of 220m lire (£73,000), plus 80m lire (£26,600) for his three deputies. There will be weekly meetings in Tirrenia for study and fitness checks. Ballots will decide who referees which match, with a choice of 4 names for every match."

Francesco Guidolin has been fired by Udinese, who have handed the managerial reins to Luigi De Canio- a first job in Serie A for the coach who this year narrowly missed promotion to the top flight with Pescara. Ex-Cagliari striker Roberto Muzzi will be joining De Canio at the Stadio Friuli. Still on the transfer front Roma are about to sign the Brazilian Assunçao ("The club presidents have made a verbal agreement and the player says 'It's a dream'"), while Milan have signed U-21 striker Comandini, who will stay in Serie B for a season with Vicenza. The Rossoneri thus "leave the way free for Inter to get Graffiedi". Inter, still looking for a left-back, are in the hunt for Parma's Paolo Vanoli. The Nerazzurri are willing to offer Parma Djorkaeff, Pirlo, Silvestre or Colonnese for the player, but the man Parma really want is Inter's French midfielder Ousmane Dabo, who is not for sale.

The Gazzetta's front page says that Anelka is definitely going to Lazio- "Arsenal grant Anelka his wish: Lazio it will be"- and adds that Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti can smile at last- "The fact he chose us over Juve makes us proud". But the Corriere dello Sport does not take the French striker's transfer to Lazio for granted. Its nine-column headline- "Juve-Lazio: it's war"- explains the behind-the-scenes activity in the most complicated transfer deal of the summer. It says: "Bettega raises the stakes for Anelka: 65bn lire (£21.6m) plus Henry and Amoruso. Cragnotti indignant over 'silly money': 'I'll wait until Monday then I'll withdraw.'"

Inside, ex-Juventus goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, who won every major honour in his eight years in Turin, issues a challenge for next season: "Inter is the start of a new life for me."

The Rui Costa case has died down, after the player's return from holiday: "As soon as he arrived at pre-season training the Portuguese player sent Trappatoni a message of détente." Rui Costa said: "I am confident, for me and for Fiorentina".
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