When a top team has to sign many and many players in the January window, it means that something is going wrong during the season. Injuries, or bad results. This special transfer period hasn’t a long tradition in Italy, and we never had a club winning the Scudetto because of transfers in this period. We just remember three years ago, when Inter was fighting with Parma and Lazio for the qualifying round of Champions League, and in January signed best players of its opponents, Adriano (Parma) and Stankovic (Lazio). Of course, at the end Inter could go through with its fourth place.

Nobody who understands a little bit of football could think that without Sheva and with Oliveira replacing him, AC Milan could be stronger than before. When Galliani last summer said “at Christmas we’ll be overtaking Inter”, referring to the 8 points penalization, we thought it was an expedient to keep everybody in the club in high spirits. And nobody, neither Galliani himself, could believe his words.

That’s why now, after less than five months, and after Inter was not overtaken but it’s thirty points above, Galliani had to amend some mistakes. The best that he could do is having a revenge on his cousins by signing Ronaldo after a long shilly-shally about the price (it’s hard to understand for an old Ronaldo fan that Oddo was signed for more), and AC Milan has also to pay 112.000 euros to Inter, due to FIFA rule that gives money to clubs that contribute to player’s growing. Funny, isn’t it?

Palermo lost Amauri for a knee injury (his season has ended), so president Zamparini has just replaced him with another South-American, Edison Cavani of Danubio Montevideo. The 20 y.o. Uruguayan forward arrives one day later other forward Matusiak. Maybe Caracciolo will leave, with final destination Milan (red-black side). We will know in the next two hours.
Fiorentina has signed another 20 y.o. player, but a midfielder. Zradko Kuzmanovic from Swiss club FC Basel. That’s all, the rest of transfers could be good for someone to save from relegation or improve a couple of places in Serie A ranking. And it’s even normal that a club like Inter, which normally makes a lot of transfers, both inbound and outbound, this time lies in wait for next season’s transfers.

Last week we talked about the bookmaker SNAI that suspended bets on Inter win in Serie A. Well, today’s news is that they are already start paying all the betters four months before the end of the season. If we were superstitious, as we like Inter, we would buy a lot of charms. Anyway, in their shoes we would have waited 10.30 pm next Sunday, at the end of the match between the Nerazzurri and AS Roma (second in ranking, 11 points below), before paying.

At that time, if Roma doesn’t get the 3 points, can we really consider the Italian championship finished with 16 games still to play? Maybe yes, maybe not. Of course yes for bookmakers, if we consider that another one is just accept stakes only on the final gap between Inter and the second, probably Roma.

The Romans tried to put some pressure yesterday by beating Siena, while Inter had to face Sampdoria in the evening. It’s already so tough, to meet Inter this year. And Sampdoria did its best to make its life more complicated when Delvecchio tried to become the new Zidane, though this time his head butt hit Materazzi’s chin. Red card to him, yellow for Inter’s defender, and everything easier especially after Ibra’s header and Maincon goal after a counter attack.

Now, Inter –as we said- is eleven points clear at the top, but also Roma is now 7 points over Palermo. It looks like the most exciting story is the battle for fourth place the last that give Champions League qualifying stage. Now, Lazio and Catania have 30 points, Empoli and Udinese 29, Atalanta 28, Milan 27. Team that can go through are these, for less than a sensational second half by Fiorentina. Lazio –very good in Palermo even after Oddo went away- and Milan for its strength are the teams that can have more chances.

Milan would have even more chances, of course, with Ronaldo. The Brazilian is not available for Champions League, but could be helpful to reach next season’s qualifying round. But…is Ronaldo already an AC Milan player? Not at the moment. Galliani is in Madrid, but there’s still a mismatch in terms of player’s value and also of payment conditions. Tomorrow is the day. Anyhow, in place of Galliani we wouldn’t risk loosing Ronaldo for half a million euro, after that last summer Milan signed Oliveira for many millions more!

Some days ago we posted about Ronaldo and what his old fans were thinking about his arrival at AC Milan. Now –it’s an official news- Ronaldo is a Milan player, so we would like to know what Red and Black fans think. Best hypothesis is R9 will be unhelpful to Ancelotti, but some of them really have difficulty accepting the Brazilian Forward.

Bisax, a great fan of the Rossoneri and also a good writer, says: “Still think that there are very few people than can define themselves “Milan Fan” and at the same time exult for the arrival of the Madrid “Gordo”. For a lot of reasons. It comes to mind a “Rivaldo effect”, the Brazilian champion that came at the end of his career to hole up in Milan. Very good media deal, but insignificant on a football basis. And this is only one reason that brings Milan fan to refuse Ronaldo. It’s not for a comparison to Vieri, accepted (not welcome) to show Inter that we are able to “recycle” players they give up. No one deluded himself that Vieri could revive at Milan, no one marvelled when he left, no one misses him.
The main problem, I think, is following: Ronaldo IS Inter.
De facto Ronaldo was and still is, in any Milanist’s mind, an Inter player. In those years when he wore black and blue jersey he became every inch that club’s icon, its joys and sufferings. Ronaldo sobbing like a baby on May 5, 2002 IS Inter. This, a Milan fan cannot forget. And cannot forget Ronaldo is a traitor!
When he ran away during the night, looking for glory (he didn’y find) at Galacticos, he betrayed not only his fans, but also his opponents that hated him as we hate all dangers, but at the same time respected him. With that escape (different than Sheva’s one) Ronaldo lost all that respect.
That’s why I was so happy when I read the negotiation failed. That’s why I’ll have difficulty accepting him.”

Daw is a blogstar of the website “Il Cannocchiale” (more than one million visits) and he likes the idea of Ronaldo at Milan just in spite of Inter fans.
“Let’s talk turkey -he says- we have only one goal this season: the Champions League win. Red and black executives have just bought Ronaldo that won’t play in Champions League. What to do with him? His purchase has to be inserted in an extra sport field, it’s a sort of spite to our cousins Inter fans. As Italian league, once “the best league in the world” is having a break –all main teams not interested to Serie A, winner already determined last September and “Serie A Ltd.” value fallen over – the only satisfaction we have is to see Ronaldo the Phenomenon with red and black jersey. I’d say to Milan executives: next year, please, let’s come back to do things seriously, don’t be pranksters anymore”

Butirrometro is one of the Milan Blog Club entertainers: “Ronaldo would have been a good purchase only for free. Sign a player for 6 million Euros for an 18 months contract is not a good deal. It would make sense only if the contract would be longer or the player younger. It’s 6 million Euros you see vanish in 18 months.”

To finish, blogger “Rossonero di Vergogna” (Red and Black with Shame) is the one in the Milan Blog Club that would like a change in management ad say “Milan to Milan people”.
He put in his blog 10 ironic reasons why it’s good to see Ronaldo at Milan:

1) He’s Brazilian (well some years ago Galliani didn’t like Brazilian then he changed his mind) just like Kaka, Dida, etc.
2) He’s an over 30 as everybody at Milan, even newcomers
3) He’s not very professional and likes discos more than football as Inzaghi, Brocchi, etc.
4) He has already won
5) It’s a purchase done for mass media like Rivaldo, Redondo, etc.
6) He’s free of charge (not true, but who cares if AC Milan goes out of business?)
7) He’ll score in the derby like Bobone Vieri
8) He is making Moratti gnaw (oh, I think he’s laughing, fall guys!)
9) Because with Milan Lab he’ll be in a better shape like Crespo (the we’ll give it back to cousins)
10) Because in Brazil he’s named Ronaldinho. Well, we’ve signed Ronladinho too!

PS: it's amazing that, on arrival at Milan Airport, Ronaldo found his old Inter fans, and no Milan supporters...

It happens that a team wins 13 consecutive matches breaking all records, and leads a league with 11 points advantage, and this team is Inter Milan. It also happens that main Italian bookmaker, SNAI, decides to suspend bets on Inter due to its evident superiority. Matchpoint, another bookmaker, keeps Inter quote, but it has been lowered to 1,01, meaning that if I bet 100 Euros, I win just a one euro coin.

Inter numbers are impressive: 54 points in 20 matches, best attack and best defence. Though we think that such a result should be underlined and maybe celebrated, we understand that when you are too strong and kill the competition, a lot of people might hate you. Anyway, this doesn’t justify some “whispering campaign” against Inter, lead by journalists we like to define “Moggi’s widows”. You've got to know that sport journalists are one of the categories whose image have been destroyed by Calciopoli. Last summer we could listen to wiretaps with some of main sport journalists asking Moggi and Co. what they should have written or said. Well, they are still in their place, just a couple of them were suspended by the Association of journalists for a short period. And they still are good friend of Moggi.

Last Sunday Inter won at home vs. Fiorentina. The Viola scored after 5’ with Luca Toni, and that was the only shot on goal they did in the whole match. In five minutes (19’ to 24’), two goals by Stankovic and Adriano put Inter back in control. In the second half, Inter slowed down the rhythm of the game and scored with Ibrahimovic, whose goal has been disputed by the Florentines, who stated that the ball was not completely in goal. Viola coach Prandelli and sport director Corvino after the match said none of Inter goals, especially the last one, was valid. Immediately Moggi’s widows put some poison into Inter’s win, assuming what Prandelli and Corvino said, without considering that the referee denied a couple of penalties to Inter.

In general, media like Turin newspaper Tuttosport (who is leading this campaign) and TV program Controcampo, would like to show that always the leading team has favours, and the same happened to Juventus or AC Milan during last years. And they would like also to let us know that the doubts we had in the past about Calciopoli are the same they have now. "If everybody is guity, no one is guilty", is their slogan. The problem is that they forget –or pretend to- all the stuff that came out in May 2006. A player gets a yellow card and won’t play against Inter the following weeks as he will be disqualified? Inter is doing something wrong as Juventus did, they say. But in one case we know about phone calls between Moggi and the referees chiefs, where Moggi asked to give some players a yellow or red card, now it is different.

Let’s just put an eye on some statistics of current season until now, they are self-explanatory:

Inter: 51 yellow cards, 4 red cards, penalty kicks: 3 in favour, 4 against
AS Roma: 45 yc, 1 rc, penalty kicks: 5-5
AC Milan: 37 yc, 1 rc, penalty kicks: 3-2
Palermo: 51 yc, 4 rc, penalty kicks: 5-1
Fiorentina: 47 yc, 2 rc, penalty kicks: 1-0

And here you have Ibrahimovic's 3-1 goal

Second half of Serie A starts this weekend, and everybody is waiting for an Inter false step. This championship is a sort of dictatorship. This time is Fiorentina trying to trip the Nerazzurri at San Siro, and it would be a revenge of the match played in September when Inter won 3-2 with Cambiasso’s and Toni’s doubles and the goal of Ibrahimovic. Mutu and Ujfalusi are disqualified but Mancini is distrustful and says Toni can support by himself the attack of the Viola. Inter will have Adriano-Ibra as forwards, Crespo still a little bit out of form and will seat on the bench. Last time in San Siro, on September 2005 for day 5, Inter won 1-0. It could be Inter’s thirteenth consecutive win: here in Italy, 13 is a lucky number, not like in Anglo-Saxon countries.

Roma travels to Livorno and it won’t be easy: Spalletti has to think up a new midfield, as De Rossi, Pizarro and Cassetti won’t play. The Tuscanian coach is thinking of Chivu as midfielder, let’s see. Livorno away is a hard nut to crack, especially after what happened this week: the heavy defeat in Bergamo (1-5), the president who sacks coach Arrigoni and players’ riot that makes Spinelli change his mind (we already talked about this, here). It’s obvious today the Amaranto of Livorno will do all their best to prove Spinelli’s decision was wrong.

The Sunday night game is at Stadio Olimpico in Roma, where Lazio and Milan will play for a place in UCL qualifying rounds (ok, maybe it’s too early, but we think this could be the duel for forth place). Here main issue is the decision taken by Lazio technical staff not to put Massimo Oddo in the players’ list for the match. The reason is: AC Milan probably will sign him already in January, so Lazio coach Rossi doesn’t want him to play against his next club. It’s absurd because it sounds like questioning his professionalism, especially foe the captain, meaning that he is respected by the club more than any other player. “Oddo won’t play because he asked to go away, not because is dealing with Milan” Delio Rossi says. Should we believe? He already asked to go away, even before other matches, but he always played.

Here you have the complete list of today’s matches (3PM CET), in brackets the first round result:
Inter-Fiorentina (3-2), Livorno-Roma (0-2), Catania-Cagliari (1-0), Siena-Chievo (2-1), Udinese-Messina (0-1), Empoli-Sampdoria (2-1), Parma-Torino (1-1). This evening (8.30PM CET) Lazio-Milan (1-2). On Saturday, Atalanta won away at Ascoli (3-1), draw without goals between Reggina and Palermo.

Italian football never stops suffering: a new scandal has come out, this time referred to some clubs’ wrong balance sheets. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Milan, Turin, Genoa and Rome are investigating the legal representatives of Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma, Juventus, Lazio and many other teams of any professional football leagues.
The main reason is the overrating of some players, after that Berlusconi government voted a law (later on considered illegal by EU) authorizing football clubs to spread debts over many years. What happened? The clubs –i.e. Inter and AC Milan- exchanged some young players, giving them a higher rate than they had according to the market, in order to put incomes for their sale in current balance-sheet and spread the expense for the purchase over many years. In this way, the profit and loss account of the company was better than it should. But not only players were overrated. Another example? Juventus Turin sold his headquarter with a 15 million Euros income to a real estate agency on June 30th 2005 (last day of the football season) and then the day after (in the following season) rented it.

So, though the worst situation in terms of criminal law is for Juventus, AS Roma and Lazio, as they are quoted in Italian Sock Exchange, according to Sport Justice Code (more interesting to football fans) Inter Milan is really in trouble. The reason is that without that malpractice Inter could not join in Serie A 2004-05. Art. 7 no. 3 of the Sport Code says: “The club that, by means of accounting irregularities, tries to or succeed in joining a championship to which it could not be admitted according to federal law at the moment of the fact, is punished with one of the sanctions established by art. 13, letters f), g), h) and i). So, if Inter made those accounting irregularities (at the moment there’s only the request of Public Prosecutor in Milan), and if without those irregularities Inter –as it seems- could not join Serie A in 2004-05, it risks one of these sanctions: one or more points of penalization, demotion to last place of the ranking, ban from its championship (Federal direction to assign a lower championship), and revoke of the Italian Championship title.

Though risk is high (for the club and even more for Massimo Moratti who has signed the balance sheet), and though, on the sport law side, prosecutor Borrelli says that last summer his office already investigated on it and will go on, Moratti and Inter seem to be serene, and so are Galliani and other clubs’ executives. Maybe they’re right, if we consider that Mattia Grassani, a lawyer and maximum expert in sport right, says that “in my opinion limitation has expired. This issue might be controversial, but documents has been presented in 2003-04, so the hypothetical crime cannot be prosecuted”. Just for your information, sport laws say that an irregularity involving clubs can be prosecuted within the end of the second season after the one in which the irregularity has been done. So, Inter Milan submitted the documents in 2003-04, while those documents had been used to join Serie A in 2004-05. If 2003-04 is the season, Inter is safe, in the second case there will be for sure a trial.

Whatever happens, it’s another chapter of Italian football’s “Black book”, and we cannot see how could it be better in the future if there’s always indulgence and no one will be appointed in order to write new and more rigid rules. And we cannot accept the thought that in Italy everything works this way, sport has to be a field in which probity is main valour. We see dark clouds over Italian sky, if this won’t happen, especially if we consider that next choices of Football Association executives will probably done in the name of Restoration (Matarrese was FIGC chairman in 1987 and he’s one of the main candidates after commissioner Pancalli will leave).

Maybe Ronaldo will stay in Madrid, but in the last two days everybody speaks of his possible arrival at AC Milan. Today we've asked to some of the most famous bloggers, well known as Inter (former Ronaldo club) fans, their opinion on that.

Pietro is ironic: “IMHO, Ronaldo at AC Milan is a BIG problem, but only for the club in via Turati, as they will have to enlarge the doors at the training centre in Milanello. There, everything is custom-made. For Smoje or Steinar Nielsen, I mean. Milanello is good for Ronaldinho, Fernandinho or Fernanda Lessa, that’s why they signed Vieri. But Ronaldo no, he’s too large. After that, Galliani and Braida are enlarging all Milan Lab machines, especially after space insemination done by Borriello, pointed out by Catholic Church and the Vatican.
As Inter fans, we must be happy about this transfer, we love good playing and we’ll see a fantastic team with very fast strikers, assisted by Kaka’s class. Potentially the same great team we saw in Autumn 2006, hilarious and amusing. It’s clear that AC Milan and Inter Milan balance sheets have been artificially fed with fake revenue, but still weight less than Ronaldo. So, I wouldn’t worry too much, unless they get crazy and spend a lot of money, Berlusconi will put his normal line-up, made by desperate thirty-year-old men.

Satirical website Interistiorg owners just ask themselves: “Fatso at AC Milan: a question of hours. Where the hell are terrorists when we need them?”

Cavaliere is an old fan of the Brazilian star: “I think it could be a very good deal for AC Milan, it would make club’s technical rate better and also its possibility to score. Of course, Ronie would improve any team in the world, especially if he trains with method. I am an Inter fan but also a Ronaldo fan, so I have to say –unfortunately- that if I’ll watch him with our rival it will make me sad”

Iruben is distrustful: “As Inter fan I think that Ronaldo at AC Milan won't be interesting news. Inter is going so well that Ronaldo is just a far far far memory. AC Milan is going so bad that they need another striker. Unfortunately (for the rossoneri) big young names won't come to Serie A. Meanwhile Ronaldo (for what I read on newspapers) would like leaving Madrid. If the Brazilian is back to Milan (the town) I'll be just curious to check if he's ready to play (will he need to be trained?), especially when you think about the strong Italian defenders. It won't be easy, anyway.”

Last but not least, writer and blogstar Rudi has presented again an old post he wrote when Ronaldo was supposed to play for Inter in 1997. He had a lot of trouble sleeping because of some Inter’s defeats, that neither the Juve failure in Champions League final vs. Dortmund could heal. Then, Rudi says “Some days later, while cruising, in a flash I saw something with the corner of the eye that was like an electric shock to me. I turned back until the newsstand where there was a poster with a newspaper’s headlines. The dimension of the letters reduced the headline to a couple of words: Moratti and Ronaldo. Suddenly, the black and blue colour came back like nothing, full of a bright perspective: the arrival of a Brazilian star calle "The Phenomenon", with his way of laughing after scoring a goal, other newcomers with exotic names, a new coach born in Bologna province, AC Milan not qualifying for next year’s European Cups. Moratti and Ronaldo. I have to tell this to Katia. She has to know it’s not the end, it never ended: this is the simple, precarious truth of football. With incurable hope, now I know the worst passed and everything begins again.”

Livorno is one of the emerging teams in last years. The old club of the dock-city of Tirreno sea, after its best period in the 30s and 40s of last century (they lost a Scudetto just for one point in 1943), after decades of ruins, third and fourth division championships and a couple of bankruptcies, were back to Serie A in 2004 as a final result of the club’s purchase by Aldo Spinelli.

The former Genoa president is a competent and passionate of football, as he brought the Rossoblu to an historical fourth place, the best result after their 9 titles from1898 and 1925. It’s no accident that Genoa fell down after he left Ligurian capital, and Livorno rose from hell and came to Paradise. But Spinelli is one of those presidents that not even one coach would like to meet in his life: he likes to change, for example last year he fired Donadoni, now National team coach, while Livorno was qualifying to UEFA Cup. The same he did yesterday, sacking Arrigoni live on TV, telling to interviewers that “I have never been ashamed like today, I asked the coach to take the team to a training camp and he didn’t”. It’s not the first time that Spinelli talks dirty to his coach. He said before Livorno-Fiorentina last September saying that Arrigoni’s line-up was frightening. For your information, Livorno won 1-0. And,always for your information, Livorno is in the middle of the rankings, and doesn't risk relegation.

The news is that some players don’t like Spinelli’s decision, and it really looks like a riot. Captain Lucarelli, a legend in Livorno, said yesterday “I hope he will change his mind and this is only a vent. Otherwise, maybe there will be news also about me!”. And January is the transfer window month…
Marco Amelia, the third Italian goalie at the World Cup, is even harder than his team-mate: “Spinelli told us he’d like to resign, let’s hope he has the courage to do it”. And while Arrigoni seems to be happy for players’ solidarity, according to rumors Spinelli thinks about hiring Vincenzo Torrente, a long time employee of his as a player in Genoa, now coach of Rossoblu “Primavera” team (under 20). Let’s wait and see.

After twelve consecutive wins, Inter Milan completed first half of the season with 16 wins, 3 draws and no defeats. Now, a radio program (Catersport) put a price on Inter’s head called “Batti i Bauscia” (beat the Bauscia, one of Inter’s nicknames). The good thing is that prizes for the first team defeating the Nerazzurri will be gifted by radio listeners. At the moment the jackpot is: 11 python sandals, 11 bottles of wine (Barbera d’Asti), 13 shiatsu massage cures, 11 salamis with pistachio, 11 kg pignolata (a Sicilian dessert), 30 lithographs and one painting. This is the second edition, after last year’s “Batti la Gobba” (beat the “Gobba”), won by AC Milan players after they beat Juventus, “la Gobba” for its enemies.

UPDATE! TODAY, AFTER PLAYERS' RIOT, PRESIDENT SPINELLI DECIDED TO REINTEGRATE COACH ARRIGONI

Well, the average level of the Italian league fell-in after its enlargement to 20 teams, then some top teams have been penalized and cannot fight for final win, but Inter’s record is something really difficult to make.

The first winning match was the 4-1 vs. Livorno, but the 4-3 win in the derby last October was the sparkle that started this long strip that is still open but since yesterday, after the 3-1 vs Torino, is the longest all time in Serie A. The match at “Stadio Olimpico” in Turin was not easy in the forecast, you never know what may happen after Christmas holidays –in fact in Serie B Juventus lost away at Mantova-, and Torino was in a good shape and could make some problems to Javier Zanetti & c.

The problem for other teams is that Inter has physical, technical and strategic supremacy over any rival it ever had in this season, at least in National championship.Yesterday in Turin, Adriano scored first goal, a header after a perfect cross by Maicon, an underrated player that, as a friend of mine -a journalist- says, in another context would have already been named “the new Cafù”.

First half finished with other three chances for Inter, again a header by Adriano and a shot of the Brazilian striker finished out, then a far shoot by Vieira saved by Torino goalie, Abbiati. In second half, Torino never gave the feeling of being a danger the Nerazzurri, but at 58’ Fiore tried to serve Stellone but the ball touched the famous Materazzi’s chest, beating Julio Cesar: 1-1.

Well, great teams come out in difficult times. Do you know how many time passed for Inter to score its 2-1 goal? Thirteen (13) seconds after the kick-off! And Ibrahimovic’s goal is one of the best in the season, the Swedish was so good in keeping the ball not too high and its angle shot finished into the far corner. Torino was never able to come close to the draw, and at the end Vieira served Adriano with a beautiful chip pass and Abbiati committed a foul on Adriano that was going to goal: red card to Torino goalie, Materazzi scores from 11 metres, it’s the final 3-1 goal.

Now, after AS Roma’s draw in Messina (1-1), Inter Milan has a 9 pts advantage at the end of the first half.

You can see here the highlights of the match, please click here and then click on “highlights” on top at the right.

Ok, we’re addicted to football, but three weeks without it are really too much for anyone. Here in Italy, we do not have the good British tradition to play more than usual during Christmas holidays, but we have never had such a long stop. It’s really a nonsense to play three-time in a week, between Dec. 17th and 23rd, and then hole up. We understand that playing friendly matches in Bahrain or in the Arab Emirates can make you earn some millions of Euro, but Italian fans are certainly unhappy about that.

Consequences of a long stop. We don’t have to be surprised if Serie A –a long time ago number one in Europe- is now fourth in attendance, after Bundesliga, La Liga and Premiership. Christmas holidays are a nice period, schools are closed and so a lot of offices. People have a lot of time to spend in fun, and go to the Stadium for a football match is supposed to be a leisure activity: unfortunately, players are elsewhere. This is just one of the reasons (others are uncomfortable stadiums, without parking, etc., and violence everywhere) of a fall that seems to go on.

Transfers. “Calciomercato” is occupying a large part of the newspapers, not only because of January window, but also regarding next season. You can read a lot of bullshit, and it’s not easy to understand if there is something true, or at least seeming. Consider that a club like Juventus, which is a glorious club but now in Serie B and still fighting to be promoted, according to the sport press could have this team next year: Buffon, Zapata, Grygera, Barzagli, Heinze, Amantino Mancini, Malouda, Mavuba, Nedved, Klose (Claudio Pizarro), Ronaldo…
Roberto Mancini is still waiting for his contract renewal at Inter Milan, and incredibly coach and chairman Moratti are discussing about…the doctor: Mancini had an argument with doctor Combi and wants his dismissal as a condition to accept a new contract. Let’s wait and see, Josè Mourinho could join Inter together with Cristiano Ronaldo. 2008 is the centenary year, Massimo Moratti has 100 million Euro to spend for signing new players, and the Portuguese is one of the candidates to wear the black and blue jersey.

Sexual doping, or just an excuse? The lack of football matches makes us talk also about gossip. AC Milan striker Marco Borriello has recently tested positive for prednisolone, a banned substance based on cortisone, after AC Milan-AS Roma. Now Argentinean showgirl Belen Rodriguez, Borriello’s girlfriend, says it wasn’t doping, but only love. She states doping was due to an unprotected sexual love, as she took an ointment to heal an infection, but also the AC Milan forward caught same infection and took same ointment, which contained the banned substance. Some doctors say this is not possible, as this kind of medicine are not absorbed by the liver. So, as Borriello is wating for counter-analysis, this seems to be an excuse, such as Fernando Couto’s shampoo, containing –according to the defender- a little bit of nandrolone.