|
Post by Didi on Sept 8, 2006 7:12:49 GMT -5
Finally the new season starts The new Serie A season gets underway in Italy this weekend, with title favourites Inter Milan away to Fiorentina on Saturday evening.After months of trials and tribulations, calcio is preparing for the start of a new, cleaner season this weekend with Inter installed as the clear pre-season favourites. After winning the World Cup, normally euphoria would greet the start of the season but the glow of the victory in Germany has been somewhat overshadowed by all the match-fixing scandals. For the first time in 77 years, Serie A will not include Juventus Football Club in the 2006-07 season after they were relegated and stripped of their last two Scudetto wins for being found guilty of match-fixing. The biggest benefactors from the Italian Football Federation's (FIGC) internal investigation were Inter, who not only inherited the 2005/06 Scudetto, but were able to rub salt in Juve's wounds by signing Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic from them. Roberto Mancini's side begin the campaign in Florence on Saturday night as the defending champions and, after another summer spending spree, are favourites to win the league on the field this time around. Having already won the Italian Super Cup, they face Fiorentina on Saturday hoping to put 22 points between the two sides. Although a win is only worth three points, the results of months of investigations and trials means four clubs in the top flight will have a battle on their hands to move out of the red. Fiorentina are the club worst-hit with a 19-point deduction to overturn before they can start putting points on the board. Reggina start with -15 points, Lazio -11 and AC Milan -8, which makes Inter an even stronger favourite for the title. Milan, despite the handicap, are still fancied to push their city-rivals far this season and will be keen to move out of the bottom four as soon as possible. Whatever the result of their opening fixture with Lazio on Sunday, both sides will still occupy the 17th and 18th positions in the league. That leaves Roma as the fiercest competition to Mancini's side and they are the first in action on Saturday at home to Livorno. Palermo have strengthened their squad this summer despite the losses of World Cup heroes Fabio Grosso and Simone Barone and, despite the distraction of UEFA Cup football, could benefit from the punishments to Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio to go one better this term and join Europe's elite in the Champions League next season. Their season starts against a Reggina side condemned to a season-long struggle against relegation. Meanwhile, Chievo, despite declaring their sole aim is to avoid relegation, will be aiming to book a place in Europe again next season after almost making the Champions League this year. The "Flying Donkeys" lost to Levski Sofia over two-legs for a place in the Champions League, but still represent Italy in the UEFA Cup. They entertain Siena on Sunday. Sampdoria seemed cursed during the second half of last season and have not won a game since February 12. Walter Novellino will want to set the record straight on Sunday against Empoli. Avoiding scenes of Samp's last home game of last season against Lecce when the home fans turned their backs to their team for the final 30 minutes of the game will be Novellino's priority. "That was an ugly scene which I will never forget," he said. Alberto Zaccheroni celebrates his return to coaching in charge of Torino in the final game of the weekend on Sunday evening, with Parma the visitors to the Olympic Stadium. Zaccheroni, who led AC Milan to the Scudetto in 1999, was appointed as coach on Thursday
|
|
|
Post by Billy Davey ツ on Sept 8, 2006 14:59:49 GMT -5
it's too long. Could you say all that in a couple of lines? ;D Forza Milan!
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Sept 9, 2006 5:45:50 GMT -5
it's too long. Could you say all that in a couple of lines? ;D No! ;D
|
|
|
Post by Bizzle on Sept 9, 2006 11:43:31 GMT -5
FORZA INTER
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Sept 9, 2006 11:46:32 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Superguiller. on Sept 9, 2006 19:00:13 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Sept 10, 2006 3:56:19 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Sept 10, 2006 11:00:03 GMT -5
AS Rom - AS Livorno Calcio 2:0 (1:0) AC Florenz - Inter Mailand 2:3 (0:2) Chievo Verona - AC Siena 1:2 (1:0) AC Mailand - Lazio 2:1 (1:0) ATALANTA BERGAMO - Ascoli Calcio 3:1 (3:0) FC Messina - Udinese Calcio 1:0 (0:0) Sampdoria Genua - FC Empoli 1:2 (1:1) US Palermo - Reggina Calcio 4:3 (3:1) Cagliari Calcio - CATANIA CALCIO 0:1 (0:0) Milanisti pezzo di merda!
|
|
|
Post by MG on Sept 10, 2006 11:20:02 GMT -5
juve drew in their first match ;d
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Sept 10, 2006 11:39:57 GMT -5
juve drew in their first match ;d without the help of the referees it's gonna be tough for them ;D
|
|
tyler
Oasis Roadie
Posts: 437
|
Post by tyler on Sept 10, 2006 16:48:07 GMT -5
FORZA ROMA juve drew in their first match ;d YYYYYEEEEEESSSSS What a big pleasure is this...
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Sept 10, 2006 16:57:49 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Sept 11, 2006 18:40:59 GMT -5
Del Piero: Noel asked me to join City
Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero has admitted he was lured to join Manchester City by Oasis star Noel Gallagher.
"I've been here 14 years and have a strong bond," he said. "I owed it to the Agnellis [the owners]. I couldn't leave the Old Lady like this.
"Noel Gallagher did ask me to go to Manchester because we're friends through music. I dee-jay and we have the same record label. He gave me my gold disc and came to the World Cup semi-final. He's my lucky mascot."
source: football issue, Birmingham
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Sept 21, 2006 7:27:25 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Oct 2, 2006 8:31:48 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by masterplan200 on Oct 2, 2006 8:47:17 GMT -5
Didi, Parma got relagated didn't they? Not sure that's all
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Oct 2, 2006 8:54:34 GMT -5
Didi, Parma got relagated didn't they? Not sure that's all No - they still play in A
|
|
tyler
Oasis Roadie
Posts: 437
|
Post by tyler on Oct 2, 2006 11:10:17 GMT -5
First! Not so bad... ;D Palermo look to be on fire too
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Oct 28, 2006 11:53:11 GMT -5
Juventus penalty reduced by 8 points; Lazio and Fiorentina also get reductions
ROME -- Juventus had its penalty in the Italian match-fixing scandal reduced by eight points on Friday by an independent arbitration board.
Juventus was stripped of its 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles, demoted to Serie B, and docked 17 points by a sports tribunal in July. In having its penalty reduced to nine points, the Turin club improved from 20th to 12th place in the second-division standings.
Juventus said the sentence "recognized at least in part the enormous commitment and spirit of sacrifice shown by the club."
The arbitration board set up by the Italian Olympic Committee also ruled on three other clubs involved in the scandal.
Lazio's 11-point penalty in the top division was reduced to three points, and the Rome club moved from 18th place to 13th. Lazio lawyer Giammichele Gentile said he was "partially satisfied."
Fiorentina had its 19-point penalty cut to 15 points, and remained in 19th place. The Florence club has indicated it may appeal to an ordinary court.
AC Milan did not have its eight-point penalty reduced. The club issued a statement saying the sentence "does not deserve any comment on the behalf of AC Milan."
Appeals hearings for the two other clubs sanctioned in the scandal, Reggina and Arezzo, are expected in November.
The sentences are expected to be the final decisions handed out by sports authorities in a scandal that began six months ago, with sentences that have undergone two revisions.
The Italian Soccer Federation on May 2 opened its investigation into phone wiretaps that suggested match fixing.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press.
--------------------
lol
|
|
|
Post by Bizzle on Oct 30, 2006 18:09:37 GMT -5
Inter 4-3 Milan
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Oct 31, 2006 17:46:39 GMT -5
Inter 4-3 Milan nice game, but who cares about the derby in milano? Just the one in Rome is important...
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Dec 11, 2006 14:29:51 GMT -5
this one is for you tyler: ;D ;D ;D
|
|
tyler
Oasis Roadie
Posts: 437
|
Post by tyler on Dec 11, 2006 18:14:41 GMT -5
Shut it! ;D ;D ;D Better luck for us next time...
|
|
|
Post by Didi on Dec 12, 2006 5:26:13 GMT -5
Better luck for us next time... you were lucky not to lose 5 or 6:0
|
|
|
Post by Superguiller. on Dec 12, 2006 19:47:28 GMT -5
Lazio will be lucky to finish in the top 6 IMO.
And the Scudetto is already nerazzurro. Forza Inter!
Ha!
|
|