Today's Latest News 18th Sept: Italian Football

By David Lee Wheatley  @davewh1980  @fluent_football

Juve one step away from Pochettino

Argentine starlet Tomas Pochettino is set to join Juventus in the next transfer window, with an agreement said to be in place and an official announcement set to arrive shortly.

Pochettino, who is yet to make a single first-team appearance for Boca Juniors, was spotted in a youth tournament that took place in June and Juve have kept him under close observation since.

The hope at Juventus was that it’d be possible to continue monitoring his development further before plunging in to buy, but they must act now to ward off rival interest from Verona.

The Italian champions jumped in first before Verona could move on a deal and now it appears only the signatures are missing on the official documents before the signing in pronounced.

A midfielder likened to current Bianconeri star Arturo Vidal because of his grit and technical characteristics, Pochettino is a youngster with a bright future ahead of him.

Efforts are already underway to secure an EU passport for the Boca youth player.

Injury woes for Roma

Juan Manuel Iturbe and Davide Astori both suffered injuries during Roma’s resounding Champions League victory over CSKA Moscow last night.

Argentine Iturbe opened the scoring that eventually led to a 5-1 routing of the Russians, but has incurred a problem with his right quadricep that will require assessment over the coming days.

Additionally, central defender Astori is also headed for the treatment table thanks to a twisted right knee.

The news represents a major headache for Coach Rudi Garcia, who is already without the services of another defender Leandro Castan due to a painful ear infection.

Garcia will need to wait patiently for more clarity from the medical team before he can know for sure how long he’ll be without the pair.

De Jong: ‘We need our fans’

Nigel De Jong has spoken of the challenge facing his side at the San Siro when they meet champions Juventus on Saturday night.

Milan go into the match on the back of an astounding 5-4 away victory at Parma last weekend, which has given them renewed hope of achieving much more than last season’s dismal showing.

“They are the favourites for the title. For us it is important to confront the strongest team,” remarked De Jong.

“We arrive at this game with great confidence. We must believe we can beat them, but to do that, we must focus from the first to the last minute, not to mention that we have in front of us those who have won the last three championships.

“There will be a full stadium and a great atmosphere. For this, we need our fans so much.”

There’s also the small matter of Juve Coach Massimiliano Allegri’s return to his old club to add extra spice to the contest.

Of Juventus, De Jong picked out one particular threat: “My friend Carlitos Tevez. He is a formidable striker.”

Ronaldinho suffers debut nightmare

Former Milan forward Ronaldinho missed a penalty on his debut for Mexican side Queretaro amid great fanfare surrounding his first appearance.

One goal down in the Cup tie with Tigres at home with an hour of the match gone, a foul on the left-hand side of the box resulted in a penalty award for the hosts.

Excitement in the crowd was at fever pitch while the Brazilian legend stood waiting to take the kick.

He ran up with purpose, but ballooned the ball high over the bar to leave his new team still trailing 0-1.

The 34-year-old has certainly seen better days, even if his fitness level is not yet up to the standard required of him and it was indeed an awful penalty attempt.

The scoreline remained the same until the end to send Queretaro crashing out of the competition.

Menez: ‘We want to win’

French forward Jeremy Menez has been talking about his aspirations ahead of the huge Milan-Juve clash this weekend.

Menez, a scorer of three goals in two games including a sublime back-heel at Parma, wants to help Milan recover the Italian title.

Speaking of the challenges ahead, Menez said: “Milan-Juve is a great game where everybody expects.

“We hope to experience a moment like at Parma. It would be nice win again 5-4!

“Juventus? It’s a great team with great defenders.

“It’s up to us find a way to score goals, because three wins out of three would be great.”

Menez then set his sights on his own personal objectives that he would like to achieve.

“I want to score more than ten goals (this season) in Italy,” he stated.

“There is (also) the European Championships in France and it would be nice to play in front of our fans.”

Vidal should make Juve bench

Arturo Vidal is set to make a return to the Juventus squad for Saturday’s crunch meeting with Milan following injury.

Massimilano Allegri stated his belief today that the Chilean box-to-box midfielder should be available to him, if only from the substitutes’ bench in the beginning.

Vidal missed Juve’s 2-0 victory over Udinese and also their win by the same scoreline in the Champions League against Malmo due to a persistent knee injury.

Allegri will hope Vidal doesn’t suffer a recurrence of the problem, which has hampered him throughout pre-season and into the new campaign.

It’s likely that Pereyra, Marchisio and Pogba will start in the middle of the park at the San Siro, with Vidal an option later on in proceedings.

Meanwhile, talisman Andrea Pirlo will continue his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury without featuring on Saturday.

Dani Alves to say his goodbyes

Barcelona right wing-back Dani Alves is reportedly very close to leaving Camp Nou for pastures new in the summer.

The Brazilian international star’s contract with Barca runs out next summer and is unlikely to be renewed, with Head Coach Luis Enrique looking to take the team in another direction.

Alves doesn’t fall into the future plans of the new man in charge and therefore is likely to move on at the expiration of his current deal.

Speaking to Marca, Alves announced: “My contract expires in 2015 and it was a mistake to extend it for another year.”

That pronouncement will alert both Manchester City and long-time suitors Juventus to the possibility of a switch at the end of the campaign.

Of course, talks can official begin from January should a player be out of contract that summer, so expect a rush of offers to begin flooding in for Alves throughout the winter period.

Llorente: ‘We complement each other’

Fernando Llorente believes he and Carlos Tevez are the perfect partnership on and off the pitch for Juventus.

The 29-year-old Spaniard feels they have reached an understanding which means that Juve now have one of the best strike partnerships in Italy.

“Tevez? For our gameplay, we complement each other to the fullest,” said Llorente of his pairing with the Argentine star.

“We both speak Spanish and this helps a lot.

“He doesn’t yet speak Italian very well, and therefore it is an advantage to play with me.”

Both will be looking to continue their good form together when facing Milan on Saturday, on the back of Tevez’s two-goal show in the Champions League against Swedish side Malmo.

Today's Latest News: Italian Football

By David Lee Wheatley @davewh1980  @fluent_football

UEFA offer Inter safety assurances

Inter’s clash with Dnipro in Ukraine on Thursday is set to go-ahead without any problems after UEFA offered broad assurances over safety in the war-torn country.

Though the security alert will remain high surrounding the fixture, UEFA has confirmed that the situation in the capital Kiev is back to normal following tensions over the past few months in Ukraine.

The European governing body understands the risk areas to be elsewhere and so feel happy for the Europa League tie to take place as scheduled on Thursday at the Olympic Stadium in the Ukrainian capital, the risk having been minimised by their decision to move the game from Dnipro to Kiev’s national venue.

Inter will travel from Malpensa this morning before training at the stadium in preparation for their opening group F game tomorrow evening.

Club officials will also take part in a safety briefing with the relevant parties this afternoon to discuss the situation in greater detail.

Totti eyes Giggs’ European record

Roma’s legendary captain Francesco Totti is aiming to surpass the record for the oldest goalscorer in Champions League history when taking on CSKA Moscow this evening.

Manchester United’s recently retired wing wizard Ryan Giggs currently holds the title of eldest goal-getter in the competition, a standard which stands at 37 years and 289 days.

That strike came in United’s clash with Benfica on 14 September 2011 and he’s held on to the accolade ever since.

However, should Totti score tonight or at anytime throughout the tournament into the future, he would claim the credit from his illustrious peer, as he is now aged 37 years and 355 days.

It’s an added incentive for the Roma leader and talisman in what represents his club’s first attempt at Champions League participation since 2011.

Balotelli grabs first Liverpool goal

Azzurri star Mario Balotelli got off the mark last night when in Champions League action for new club Liverpool following a summer move from Milan.

Balotelli has briefly shown flashes of his potential in the opening rounds of the Premier League, but was on hand to put the Merseysiders into the lead eight minutes from time against stubborn Bulgarian newcomers Ludogorets.

It was a fine finish from the ex-Inter and Manchester City man, with a scrappy battle for the ball on the edge of the area resulting in Balotelli emerging in possession and putting it away neatly with the outside of his right foot.

The visitors shocked the whole of Anfield when hauling themselves level just into injury time, but were shattered by a late, late winner by captain Steven Gerrard from the penalty spot to hand ‘Super Mario’ and his teammates a winning return to the elite European competition.

Getting back on the goal trail will provide a little nudge in the direction of new Italy coach Antonio Conte after the former Juve boss left the 24-year-old out of his squad for the recent clashes with Holland and Norway.

Malmo star Konate accuses Lichtsteiner

Malmo left-back Pa Konate has accused Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner of hitting him deliberately in the private parts during the second-half of last night’s Champions League game.

The tie was locked at 0-0 at the time and Swiss international Lichtsteiner is under suspicion for his alleged actions.

“The images speak for themselves,” said Konate.

“I was on the ground and he hit me with force.

“I tried to ask him what he was doing, but he just stared without saying anything.

“I didn’t think to react, but maybe I should do that.”

Stills of the incident shared widely on social media after the event certainly seem to back-up the claim by the 20-year-old Swede.

It remains to be seen if any retrospective action can be taken against Lichtsteiner if at all possible.

Juve’s right-back had a splendid game otherwise, looking especially dangerous when going forward.

Michu set for bench role against Sparta

Napoli’s on loan forward Michu is expected to feature from the bench tomorrow in the Europa League fixture at San Paolo.

The Spanish striker moved from Premier League outfit Swansea City during the summer, but has struggled to impose himself in Naples early on.

His fitness is not at the optimum level required as yet and he will have to settle for a watching brief against Czech side Sparta Prague.

Michu will hope for the call from Benitez during the game in an effort to convince for the Azzurri after an injury-plagued campaign with Swansea last time around.

An ex-Rayo Vallecano player, Michu enjoyed a wonderful first season with the Swans when hitting 18 league goals in 35 appearances. However, he only managed 17 Premier League games throughout 2013/14, scoring on just two occasions.

Despite doubts over Higuain’s ability to make the game, it is likely to be Zapata and De Guzman ahead of Michu in the pecking order, as Rafa Benitez looks set to make major changes from the side which lost disappointingly to Chievo at the weekend.

Seedorf case could reach court

Milan and their former head coach Clarence Seedorf are heading for a potential court case over compensation for the Dutchman’s contract, which runs until 2016.

Talks between both parties have failed to resolve the dispute and a lawsuit beckons if the two are unable to come closer to an agreement soon. Since June 9 when talks began, there have been very few steps forward and now the conversation appears to have reached stalemate.

Seedorf was sacked at the end of last season from his first coaching role and replaced at the helm by Milan youth coach and ex-teammate Filippo Inzaghi.

The Rossoneri legend answered the call of his beloved Milan by accepting the coaching position and giving up his playing career with Brazilians Botafogo at the same time. However, less than six months later it had turned sour and Seedorf was given his marching orders.

On one hand there is Milan, who initially agreed to pay a salary of around €2.5m per year gross, adding up to €5m left outstanding on his deal. On the other there is Seedorf, who had the door closed on him abruptly at the San Siro and won’t give up a single penny.

Even the Italian Labour Minister Tiziano Treu has become involved in the process and he paints a gloomy picture: “We hope for an amicable solution that satisfies both parties, but the last meeting did not go very well and as things stand there is a high risk it will end up in court.”

Mancini denies Lokomotiv contact

Roberto Mancini has moved to deny circulating rumours of his supposed contact with Russian outfit Lokomotiv Moscow over their head coach position.

The Italian left Galatasaray after the end of last season, stating that the club’s ambitions had been different when he initially took over. That statement was seen as a swipe at Gala’s transfer policy, which he felt inhibited his ability to take the Turkish side on to new heights.

Many links have surfaced throughout the last few months, including to the Italian national team and Napoli most recently with Rafa Benitez’s future appearing uncertain.

More speculation suggesting he was interested in becoming coach at Lokomotiv came about in the last few days and Mancini quickly moved to deny such talk.

“I wanted to refute rumours about alleged contacts with Lokomotiv Moscow, a club that I respect very much," he said.

“These are unfounded rumours. I have never been contacted and I have no intermediary in Russia who deals with my interests.

“Since 2009 I’ve been represented by lawyer Silvia Forini.

“Beware anyone who uses my name to get free publicity.”

Mancini will undoubtedly be a sought-after figure for any club looking to hire when considering his impressive record with Inter and Manchester City in particular.

Sirigu opens door to Balotelli

Azzurri goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu has been speaking on the possibility of a return to the national team ranks for Mario Balotelli following his recent omission form the squad.

Fresh from signing a new deal last week with French champions Paris Saint-Germain, the former Palermo stopper had some advice for his comrade when also recalling Italy’s World Cup failure.

“Mario seeks fame,” he explained.

“He’s supposed to be a symbol. If he’d scored against Costa Rica then he would be a hero.

“There was no quarrel in the dressing room.

“Mario is exuberant. He should concentrate on doing well on the field and meet the new (Conte’s) requirements.”

Sirigu was second-choice keeper in Brazil behind Gianluigi Buffon, but featured in the Azzurri’s only victory of the tournament against England in the opening match when his experienced colleague was ruled out through injury.

Lucescu: Watch out for Dnipro

Former Inter coach Mircea Lucescu says his former club would do well not to take victory for granted when meeting Dnipro tomorrow evening.

The team will travel to Kiev today for their Europa League clash, which was moved to the Ukrainian capital in response to safety concerns.

Lucescu, now head coach of Shakhtar Donetsk based within a city embroiled in such turmoil currently, thinks Dnipro will provide a stern test of the Italians’ mettle.

“Dnipro have players capable of hurting opponents, attacking very well on the flanks,” he said.

“It’s a tough team with character, pressing, always giving everything and well organised."

Having been in charge of the Ukrainian side since 2004, the 69-year-old veteran knows the Nerazzurri's opponents inside-out and feels Inter should be very careful in their approach to the upcoming Europa League clash.

His words certainly hand a stark warning to Inter: don’t make the mistake of underestimating Dnipro.

What now for Celtic?

By David Lee Wheatley Twitter @davewh1980

As Glasgow Celtic lurch from one disastrous performance to another under beleaguered new boss Ronny Deila, fans are fearful over what lies ahead for a team deep in transition after Champions' League elimination piled the pressure on the club to find an injection of cash they simply don't have available to them.

Their league season started brightly with convincing wins over St. Johnstone and Dundee United providing an initial healthy outlook to proceedings, while KR Reykjavik were easily disposed of in the second Champions' League qualifying round.

However, the wheels have since hurtled off their campaign alarmingly with the controversial defeat to Legia Warsaw followed by lucky reinstatement into the Champions' League competition, due to the Poles fielding an ineligible player in the dying embers of the second leg when the tie was already completely out of Celtic's reach.

The club were determined to make amends for that shocking 6-1 aggregate loss to Legia by capatilising on their good fortune and advancing beyond Maribor into the group stages. Despite a creditable 1-1 draw in the away first leg making them favourites to advance, the Hoops capitulated at Celtic Park to lose 1-0 on the evening and miss out on an estimated £14m jackpot that would've been theirs had they progressed.

To compound their misery, the green-and-whites have suffered embarrassment in Inverness when falling 1-0 to the current Premiership leaders and then had to come back to force an undeserved draw at home against Dundee either side of that deflating defeat to Maribor. It left observers and supporters alike wondering what the Glasgow giants can do in order to turn the tide.

Financially, they have little room for manoeuvre. Rangers long-term absence from the top-flight has cost Celtic in revenue terms from the disappearance of four guaranteed clashes with their arch-rivals, while television and sponsorship monies total up to a mere pittance in comparison with top European leagues. They will also have to cut their cloth accordingly after forfeiting the Champions' League cash due to devastating elimination.

True, they still have the carat of the Europa League to look forward to, but meetings with Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb and FC Astra don't exactly excite and won't generate a great deal of capital for the club's coffers. Celtic would most likely require a run to the semi-finals if they're to have any hope of a decent level of income from the competition and that won't be easy. Indeed, given their poor performances so far under Norwegian Ronny Deila, it appears a near impossible task.

It's early days for Deila, but the omens aren't good and belief in him on the terraces seems very low. His obvious lack of coaching experience at the highest levels of football doesn't inspire confidence, while the daunting nature of the rebuilding job ahead of him would test anybody.

He recently remarked that English-based footballers literally laugh out loud when Celtic put forward their best wage offer to a prospective signing from south of the border and therein lies his biggest problem. Celtic have no money, they are seen by many as a selling club with a conveyor belt of talent flying out of the door every year in order to simply stay afloat and, furthermore, they can't offer Champions' League football to offset the comparitively poor wages on the table.

With the transfer deadline upon them, Celtic could yet see key central defender Virgil van Dijk moving on with several clubs linked with the Dutchman. They've already lost goalkeeper Fraser Forster to Southampton, while a raft of stars have been drained from the squad over a number of seasons without being adequately replaced.

New boys Tonev, Berget and Gordon haven't yet proved they are better than those who've gone before them and so it currently appears that Celtic aren't as strong as they once were. Much more will be expected of them during the coming months, while more recent purchases Wakaso and Scepovic absolutely must hit the ground running.

For Deila, it's a case of unearthing numerous rough diamonds in the transfer market, while hoping to promote excuberant young talent from the development squad who are good enough to prosper within the senior set-up. The one shining light so far this term has been 21-year-old Callum McGregor and the former Stromsgodset manager will be on the look-out for more just like him.

A tricky balancing act leaves Deila facing an uphill journey that will test him and his staff to the very limit of their abilities. He will point to the fact that Stromsgodset battled against relegation in his first two seasons in charge there, prior to a renaissance leading to the league title in 2013.

However, it's unlikely that such patience will prevail allowing him to complete the job if he fails miserably in his first term in Scotland. Time is not on his side and results must improve dramatically if Deila is to at least buy himself the opportunity to mould the team in his own vision.

Ripping it up and starting again is a course of action those at Celtic Park will wish to avoid if at all possible, but they can't stand by forever should matters significantly worsen. All eyes will be firmly fixed on Deila, as he attempts to turnaround a stuttering start to the season and silence the doubters in the process.

@davewh1980

Young Guns: Alen Halilovic

 

 

By David Lee Wheatley

 

 

17-year-old attacking midfielder Alen Halilovic is the youngest-ever player to represent his nation in a full international and also the Croatian first division's youngest goalscorer in history. With a plethora of European heavyweights scouting him from all across the continent for months, it is FC Barcelona who have finally won the day for his signature in a 2.2million euros transfer.

 

 

Born in Dubrovnik, Halilovic quickly ascended through the youth ranks at Dinamo Zagreb to make his first-team debut in September 2012 as a late substitute within the hostile atmosphere of a clash with rivals Hadjuk Split. A UEFA Champions' League bow followed against Paris Saint-Germain, thus gaining further invaluable experience at the highest level.

 

 

Even better was to come, though, for the diminutive left-footer when breaking into the senior national squad, having represented his homeland at all youth stages up to under-17. Portugal were the opposition on June 10, 2013, as Halilovic broke yet another record due to his tender years.

 

 

Many observers have been swift in comparing the wonder-kid to Real Madrid superstar Luka Modric, but his club have been careful to keep their prize asset from getting too carried away with such high praise. Dinamo bled the youngster slowly but surely into action, with the starlet appearing on 19 occasions and scoring 3 goals this season. However, only eight of those were starts in order to allow the developing midfielder the rest he requires to avoid burn-out issues.

 

 

His current side hold an 11-point lead this campaign domestically, while Halilovic has been further subjected to European competition in both the Champions' League qualifiers and Europa League group stage. He will stay with the 15-time Croatian first division champions until the season's end, at which point the Catalan giants will begin to phase him in gently - after what he hopes will be an adventure at the World Cup in Brazil - with a stint playing for their 'B' team initially.

 

 

Hopes are high that Halilovic will mature and prosper under the expert guidance of one of the greatest training academies in the world, while helping him to fulfil his undoubted potential later on during a projected minimum stay of five years. There is no specific timeframe for his promotion to the big leagues and Barca will surely caress his career with great understanding.

 

 

If he performs as well as hoped, his succession of Blaugrana great Xavi won't be too far into the future and the meagre fee of 2.2million euros will increase substantially with myriad add-ons attached to the deal.

 

 

Twitter: @davewh1980

Time to get tough on racism in football

By David Lee Wheatley

UEFA’s punishment of CSKA Moscow for the latest in a string of racism-related incidents inside various football stadia is far, far too lenient.

What do the ‘fans’ involved care if they must uproot themselves from their usual position to another part of the stadium in order to continue conducting their vitriolic abuse of opposing players from other ethnic groups and races?

The only way for the leaders of European and world football to make a clear stand against such hideous prejudice is to begin deducting points and even banning clubs from European competition altogether.

Actions such as those will send a strong message that such vile behaviour will not be tolerated and will truly strike at the very core of clubs and their followers. A lack of top-tier continental action would harm them from a financial point of view, as well as taking away the prestige which taking part in the Champions League and Europa League delivers. Only then will it prove the zero-tolerance policy that UEFA claim to have for this kind of situation actually exists, as partially (or fully) closing stadia does absolutely nothing at all to deter the morons who perpetrate these heinous crimes.

More drastic and assertive measures from the powers-that-be would also act as a kick up the backside for the clubs themselves, making it impossible for them to ignore what is going on in front of their very eyes. Piffling fines and stadium bans serve not as a deterrent, but more as a way of proving just how toothless the aforementioned organisations are.

Tough new regulations must be put in place swiftly and what a legacy it would be for either or both Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini if they were to spearhead a disciplinary revolution leading to the eradication of such abusive and unwanted behaviour in the seating decks of football grounds across the world.

As we currently stand, the degenerates causing all of the aggravation and trouble are simply laughing at the governing bodies at present and have been doing so for a very long period of time. They would be laughing on the other side of their faces if their beloved clubs were kicked out of European competition for such offences.

With the assistance and backing of lawmakers and the police forces that patrol matches, it’s now high-time FIFA and UEFA got a grip to help rid this disease from the sport we love as soon as possible.

Twitter: @davewh1980

All about Anzhi

By David Lee Wheatley

Recent upheaval at cash-rich Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala left them in a transitional state when they can least afford it, with the new league season in its infancy and the Europa League on the horizon.

Legendary Dutchman Guus Hiddink chose to step down from his position as head coach on 22nd July, fuelling speculation of an imminent move to Barcelona, who were looking to replace Tito Vilanova at the same time. Former Real Madrid and Netherlands leader Hiddink insisting the timing was coincidental and so it proved when Gerardo Martino snapped up the job in Catalonia a day after Hiddink’s announcement.

The 66-year-old signed a new one-year contract in June, but sensationally decided his time at the club was up after two winless fixtures at the start of the campaign.

Having only just signed up as assistant coach at the club shortly after leaving his place on Manchester United’s backroom staff in June, Rene Meulensteen finds himself in full control of team affairs following Hiddink’s surprise departure.

Despite being a relatively young club (founded 1991), Anzhi harbour ambitions to conquer Europe and missing out on a Champions League spot once again is not an option. The new man at the helm certainly has the tools at his disposal to succeed, with big-name stars such as Kokorin, Ewerton, Willian, and Eto’o on the payroll. In addition, former English Premier League players Chris Samba, Yuri Zhirkov and Lassana Diarra impose their vast experience on the line-up.

Meulensteen, 49, managed the senior sides of Al-Ittihad, Al-Sadd and Brondby previously, plus the youth and reserve teams at Manchester United. However, this latest appointment presents arguably his hardest task yet in attempting to please the billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, who took ownership of the organisation in 2011.

Failing to win anything since the Russian second-flight title two years before the change in the boardroom, Anzhi are desperate to add silverware to their trophy cabinet and Meulensteen will be expected to lead the side from deepest Dagestan to significantly greater heights following a third-place Premier League finish last time round.

His first game in sole charge resulted in a 1-1 tie with Krylya Sovetov; Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o handing Anzhi the lead on 59 minutes prior to being pegged back by the minnows 13 minutes later.

Kerimov insists the newly-installed head coach is no interim appointment, instead entrusting him (at least publicly) with the job of hauling Anzhi up to the very pinnacle of European club football.

For the team that trains near Moscow and flies in to Makhachkala for home games due to security concerns, it’s crucial that the millions spent on new recruits begin paying dividends for the passionate people of the North Caucasas region.

Meulensteen has been afforded the chance to finally step out of Fergie’s all-encompassing shadow if he pulls it off, after five years working directly under Sir Alex with the Manchester United first-team. One thing is for sure; he’ll never get a better opportunity.

Follow on Twitter @davewh1980

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