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.

Inter the strongest, Catania the nice surprise, AS Roma the team playing best football, AC Milan the most unsatisfying. These are the results of a survey by a press agency that asked to almost all Serie A coaches their opinion on some questions about 2006.

In particular, they were asked to point out:
1) The strongest team, the nice and the bad surprise.
2) Which team played best football?
3) Players in the spotlight
4) In which percentage “Calciopoli” influenced this season?
5) Will new referees’ inexperience influence this season?

According to most of them Inter Milan is the strongest team, except five coaches that pointed out AS Roma, including Inter coach Roberto Mancini. Catania is a newcomer, but the Sicilians are now fighting for a Champions League spot and they still have to play the match vs Empoli, postponed for bad ground conditions. That’s why the majority of coaches consider Catania the team that did good beyond expectation.

On the contrary, AC Milan is the team that did worse than reasonable expectations, though Ancelotti didn’t give an answer to that (he knows AC Milan had a very bad first half, but everybody there is already in low spirits and he doesn’t want to make things worse). AC Parma’s Pioli honestly says his team was very bad. For almost all coaches AS Roma is the team showing best football (but Mancini says Lazio), while according to them there are two players in the spotlight: Quagliarella (UC Sampdoria) and elder forward Riganò, Messina.

Except for Mancini and Guidolin (Palermo), who don’t answer, Calciopoli scandal is influencing the season for more than 50%, especially because of Juventus’ absence and other teams’ penalization. Only one coach, Arrigoni (Livorno), says it was a real catastrophe just because fans are loosing their faith in football.

At the end, according to the totality of managers, referee’s inexperience won’t influence the season: maybe they can make mistakes, but they won’t privilege anybody in particular.
Please forgive us for all this little talk about nothing, but Serie A will restart only on January 13th! ;)

PS I wish a great 2007 to all Olè Olè guys!

Christmas is just round the corner, but the season is intense and players will join their families only this evening, after day 18 in Serie A. Kick off is at 3pm everywhere, so unusual in these years of pay-tv, and this has the taste of a time when people could only listen to the radio great speakers as Sandro Ciotti and Enrico Ameri. Then, at 6 pm, everybody was watching “90° minuto” on the TV, with the highlights of all the matches.

Really, we’re not so nostalgic, anyway we like to remember a way to live football in the past, especially from the media point of view. Recently, we also had a couple of books celebrating this legendary TV show, “Quando c’era 90° minuto” (Once upon a time 90° minuto) by Antonio Dipollina, and “Il meglio di 90° minuto” (The best of 90° minuto). The peculiarity was that highlights were not commented by Sport-Journalists, but by reporter of the local office of Italian public TV. Necessarily, they were also fans of the local team, and some times they were sending each other messages as if they were ultras or something similar.

After two decades, we look back with tenderness, and we’re conscious that -despite many people say they are disgusted by modern football- evolution and progress is always welcome. Personally, I am absolutely happy about media coverage of football events now, and it’s not because of the overdose of football on TV if we have less people going to the stadium. Maybe here in Italy we could improve stadiums architecture, making them similar to the English ones, while now they are uncomfortable and dangerous.

Ok, I was almost forgetting that this afternoon there is day 18 in Serie A. So, let’s say that new “Winter Champion” Inter would like to finish 2006 with a win, but Atalanta is a test-bed for Mancini’s boys, especially for the absence of Ibrahimovic, Materazzi, Samuel, Cordoba. 20 y.o. defender Marco Andreolli could be in the starting 11. Atalanta is a newcomer but they play a very good football. AS Roma faces Cagliari at home, AC Milan has Udinese away after doping scandal of its forward Marco Borriello, suspended by FIGC, waiting for counter analysis. Siena-Palermo, Reggina-Empoli, Fiorentina-Messina, Catania-Sampdoria, Ascoli-Chievo, Parma-Lazio and Livorno-Torino are the other matches.

Three games in a week, then the longest stop we’ve ever seen in serie A between Dec. 24th to Jan 14th. This evening we’re in the middle of the “Tour de Force”, with Inter Milan and AS Roma away for very dangerous matches. In particular, it won’t be easy for Inter at Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The Nerazzurri has a very bad tradition against SS Lazio, its “bete noir”. They lost twice a scudetto there at the very last game, in 1935 and 2002, with the same score: 4-2. Inter fans don’t forget Ronaldo seated on the bench after the substitution, sobbing like a baby, on that damned 5th of May.

Today it’s another Inter, not only for technical characteristics but also for its strength of mind. Even Adriano’s delay last Monday, when he didn’t show up in the morning training session, something that would have created a case last year, has been tolerated by coach Mancini. So, the Brazilian striker is in today’s match list. SS Lazio is in good shape, after its win in Rome derby the Biancocelesti drew in Livorno (but they deserved to win) and still want to confirm the tradition: last win at the Olimpico for Moratti’s team is dated March 3rd, 1996: 1-0 with an own goal by Alessandro Nesta. Will Inter invert the course? Mancini, former Lazio player and coach, hopes so.

Another “Stadio Olimpico”, this time in Turin, is the stage of the second most important match of day 17, Torino-AS Roma. The Turinese, after a bad beginning of season, has marked 13 points in last six games, drawing only with Milan away. Coach Zaccheroni is very experienced, and President Cairo did well leaving him at his place,even when everybody was asking his dismissal. Young star Alessandro Rosina is new idol for the Granata fans. It won’t be easy also for AS Roma, despite the good match Sunday night (4-0 to Palermo). By the way, for January transfers session the Giallorossi have signed Francesco Tavano, on loan from Valencia.

Elsewhere, Palermo can take its revenge, playing home against taillight Ascoli, AC Milan needs an important success facing outsider Catania (the Sicilian are fourth, fighting for UCL qualifying). Atalanta vs Udinese, Messina vs Parma, Chievo vs Reggina, Sampdoria vs Livorno, Empoli vs Siena (a Tuscany derby) and Cagliari vs Fiorentina complete day 17. We just hope this evening we won’t see all referees’ mistakes as last Sunday, when everybody (players, coaches, executives) made a scene for everything.

Looking at “Renzo Barbera” Stadium in Palermo, and all the streets around at about 7 pm, it was clear that Palermo-Inter would have been the main event in the long history of the “pink and black” team. Unfortunately for Palermo, the match was the most beautiful of the season, but Inter deserved the victory even more than it was at the end (2-1).

After Juventus' relegation, there are four teams that can compete with the Milanese in a single match: AS Roma, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Palermo. Well, it has been 12 points for the “nerazzurri” against them and – except for the derby - all matches were away. Tonight, in front of about 40,000 in attendance, with no empty seats and viewers in more than 180 countries watching the game on TV, Palermo was one of the starts in a spectacular “Sunday Night” match. Mancini made the surprising choice of playing Adriano ahead of Crespo. Cruz and Dacourt for Inter, and Biava and Di Michele for Palermo were injured, and among the Sicilians' starting 11 was the young defender Paolo Hernan Dellafiore, an Italo-Argentinean that Palermo signed last Summer, coming from Inter in exchange for Grosso.

After six minutes, Ibrahimovic shot from 30 meters and Palermo’s goalie Fontana (four years at Inter) made a big mistake, letting the ball pass under his hip: 1-0 for Inter. Palermo is suffering, and Inter have incredible ball possession, and then Adriano, after a chip pass from Ibra, comes very close to scoring the second goal, but his strike is out. Minute 45, a cross from the left, a header by Bresciano, and Amauri scores with a volley that hits the goal-post and goes in: 1-1. Maybe Materazzi could have been closer to the Brazilian striker, but his mistake is just a spot on his perfect first half. In the beginning of second half, the two scorers have to leave for an injury, Crespo and Caracciolo replace them. Adriano shows that, when he plays for the team and not for himself, he’s the valuable player we used to know. The problem is that, after his long absence, he cannot run for 90 minutes, but the injury of Ibra complicated Mancini’s plan.

Materazzi hits the same goal-post of Amauri, but he’s not as lucky as him and Corini saves on the line. An Inter counter-attack gives a new advantage to the “nerazzurri” at minute 60’ with French captain Vieira. Palermo is KO, but in the last five minutes Inter suffers and Caracciolo hits another goal-post, but it’s not enough and Inter wins. The MVP is Dejan Stankovic: a wall, not a midfielder!
Now the ranking says: Inter 33, Roma 29, Palermo 27.

Sampdoria-Roma in the name of Totti. The AS Roma captain runs twice with a thumb in his mouth (his way to exult for a goal after his baby’s birth) to celebrate his double to Sampdoria. The “blucerchati” just try to resist, but at halftime Roma is already ahead 3-1, with its leader in a very good shape. Final score is 4-2 for the “red and yellow” team. Everybody in “Ferraris Stadium” clapped to Totti’s second goal (a fantastic volley from the left), even Sampdoria fans: after today’s match the discussion about his refusal to play for Italian National Team is still open. In fact, Totti dedicated his two goals to Platini and Matarrese (Italian League Chairman) that recently criticized his choice. We think that – though National Team should not be refused by anybody - Totti has the right to say no, but at the same time coach Donadoni has the right not to call him once he’s ready. Anyway, now AS Roma is second in the Serie A rankings, and nobody could bet a single Euro for the final win of a third team which is not Inter Milan or Roma.

After the “Calciopoli” scandal, that sent Juventus to “Serie B” and gave an 8 point penalty to AC Milan, everybody claimed Inter Milan would be the team to win the Italian League. The overall opinion is that only AS Roma of World Champions Totti, De Rossi and Perrotta can cause problems to the “nerazzurri”, while all other teams will fight for third place.

On the contrary, after day 12 Inter is on the top with 9 wins and 3 draws, but on the second step of the podium we don’t find the Romans, but the “pink & black” jerseys of Palermo, just 3 points below Mancini’s team. Obviously “Renzo Barbera” Stadium is sold out for Palermo-Inter, the main game of day 13 scheduled for tomorrow, November 26th at 3pm (GMT +1): 850.000 Euros at the box office, a record for Palermo! Everybody is crazy, and the 37,000 seats capacity of the stadium won’t be enough to satisfy the huge amount of requests from the whole Sicily, and the rest of Southern Italy. No problem, it will be possible to follow the match live in two different pay TV Stations (Sky and Mediaset) and a couple of Web TVs.

Inter went through the “Final 16” of the Champions League last Wednesday, after winning a home match against Sporting Lisbon, while Palermo has been heavily defeated by Fenerbache, in a UEFA Cup match where its main players took a rest. Missing tomorrows match because of a "red card", just midfielder Fabio Simplicio played in Istanbul. Chairman Zamparini gave the media a very optimistic forecast: "Palermo will win 4-1" he said. On the other side, World Champion Fabio Grosso keeps a good memory of the two years spent in Sicily, but now he wants to win at Inter. By the way, the Milanese team, after being assigned the "Scudetto" by the Italian FA last July because of the relegation of Juventus, has quickly become the most hated one in the country, replacing the "black and white" of Turin. That's why everybody but the Inter fans root for Palermo tomorrow. Especially people around Juventus - like Del Piero - hope that finally the Sicilians will win the championship. Coach Guidolin says "thanks", but we bet he is not thinking of the “scudetto”, focusing just on the match vs. Inter. Will David defeat Goliath tomorrow? Let’s wait and see…