Va beh che a Milano non c'è il Circo Massimo, ma credo che fosse possibile festeggiare in modo più popolare la vittoria di uno scudetto tanto atteso. No, dico, un primo anello rosso costa 170 euro, e per vedere la solita corte di nani (non ce l'ho con Paolo Rossi, giuro) e ballerine nerazzurri che hanno campato per anni sulle nostre sconfitte e che ora campano sulle nostre vittorie mi pare davvero esagerato!

E poi, la data: vorrei tanto sapere chi è il genialoide che ha deciso per il 22 maggio. Già che c'eravamo, potevamo aspettare due giorni, c'è il rischio di festeggiare qualcosa insieme ai cugini. Comunque, Moratti ha già detto che probabilmente ridurrà i prezzi, vedremo che succede. Certo all'Inter anche per festeggiare le vittorie succedono casini, ma tant'è, vorrei che si facesse ogni anno questo tipo di discussione.

Tornando alle vicende del campo, ieri a Milano c'era l'agente di Deco, ma tutti vorrebbero anche trattenere Figo. Io ne sarei felice ma non lo biasimo: petroldollari e poco stress sono molto meglio degli euro e delle pressioni. A proposito, sarà mica che la festa costa così tanto perché col ricavato ci vogliono pagare la conferma di Luis?

 

UPDATE: DOPO LE TANTE PROTESTE, LA FESTA E' STATA ANNULLATA. Da Inter.it: La festa per celebrare la conquista del 15° scudetto di F.C. Internazionale si svolgerà domenica 27 maggio 2007 allo stadio "Giuseppe Meazza" in San Siro, al termine di Inter-Torino (38^ giornata della Serie A Tim 2006-2007).

È un anno che mi sento dire che il campionato vinto non valle nula perché manca la Juve e il Milan è partito da -8.

È un anno che mi sento dire che dovevamo dimostrare il nostro valore in Champions da gente che ha sempre rimediato figuracce (leggi Anfield e Highbury).

È un anno che ce la menate con Ibra e Vieira, che vinciamo per merito loro, e non oso pensare a cosa ci avreste detto se non avessimo vinto lo scudetto, come minimo ci avreste preso in giro fino al 2027.

È un anno che ci accusano di complotti e intercettazioni manco fossimo la Spectre.

Ma io vi dico, con Calciopoli 2 e Calciopoli 3, Moggi, Meani e compagnia bella, schede svizzere, slovene e del Liechtenstein, ci starete mica tirando un altro colpo e vi farete penalizzare per sminuire le nostre eventuali future vittorie? Io voglio, se possibile, il prossimo anno vincere eventualmente un campionato "regolare"...

(nella foto Neri Marcoré, che col voice changer e l'id nascosto è riuscito a ingannare il figlio di Moggi e Giraudo fingendo di conoscere gli affari di Lucianone...bravo eh?)

 

La prima del "Corriere dello Sport", giusto per usare un giornale sportivo che non sia diventato un magazine di gossip o l'organo di un club- mette vicine due notizie contrastanti e però interessanti. L'ad juventino Jean Claude Blanc che sostiene la Juve sia da scudetto con Buffon e tre rinforzi, e Julio Cesar in forse all'Inter perché Moratti vuole Buffon.

Io, da interista, lo dico a voce alta: voglio che Buffon resti alla Juve. Non deve andare all'Inter, perché anche se è un fuoriclasse ed è più forte di Julio Cesar, il brasiliano ha dato garanzie di affidabilità e sicurezza e con Buffon i punti dei nerazzurri non sarebbero più di quelli conquistati. Julio ha parato due rigori quasi decisivi, con Siena e Ascoli, ha effettuato interventi decisivi, ha commesso pochi errori. A dimostrazione che è meglio un ottimo portiere con davanti ottimi difensori che un fuoriclasse con davanti Legrottaglie e Boumsong alle prese con Serafini.

Certo, se le risorse di Moratti fossero illimitate potrei essere d'accordo, ma preferirei che i -tanti, tantissimi- milioni che la Juve chiede per il suo portiere fossero spesi in altri reparti, prendendo un sostituto di Figo e un grande attaccante, tipo Van Nistelrooy. E siccome le due cose sono alternative, opterei per il fantasista e il centravanti. E poi, non vorrei nemmeno che andasse al Milan, i rossoneri potrebbero rinforzarsi e infastidirci per lo scudetto.

La mia speranza, devo dire, è vana. Credo che la Juve alla fine lo cederà al Milan. E considero patetici i tifosi juventini che, invece di arrabbiarsi per la cessione del proprio portiere, si inalberano solo se va all'Inter. Come dire, non me ne frega niente se mia moglie mi fa le corna, purché non sia con l'idraulico. Infine Blanc: secondo me è un altro titolo a sensazione del Corsport, ma l'amministratore delegato dice una mezza verità: o effettua i tre grandi acquisti con i proventi della cessione di Buffon, oppure tiene Buffon e con 40 milioni bene che gli vada gli mette davanti un Barzagli o uno Zaccardo.

Insomma, Buffon resti dov'è, tanto - a sentire Tuttosport- avrà attorno a sé una formazione di assoluto valore mondiale...o no? E soprattutto, spero che Julio Cesar, più giovane di Buffon e bravo più di qualsiasi altro portiere al di fuori di Gianluigi, resti con noi.

The triumphal march in serie A (20 wins, 3 draws and no defeats) deceived Inter fans, but in Europe things are different this year. The groups stage started in a bad way, with 2 incredible defeats in Lisbon and home vs Bayern Munich, then three consecutive wins against two irresistible teams as Sporting and Spartak Moscow. And now, retour match in Mestalla will be very difficult. Inter needs to win or draw at 3 to get through the quarter finals. Inter is Valencia's bete noir, and we hope in a good result.

It has been difficult and to play in front of 22000 people in a stadium that can contain 85000, but an absurd regulation gave access to "Meazza" in San Siro only to people with season tickets that are, for yuor information, 35000. Ok, we have to increase security, but we don't think the right way to do this is to keep people outside. Anyway, after kick off Inter starts slowly and ball possession is for Valencia. Coach Mancini cannot field his usual starting 11, as Patrick Vieira suffers with some muscolar problems, so Figo is just behind the strikers and midfield is made by Stankovic, Zanetti and Cambiasso. It's just the Argentinean Cuchu to score for the 1-0: free kick of Figo from the right, Ibra hit the ball with his shoe's sole, Canizares saves but Cambiasso's header goes into the Spanish goal. Probably it was an offside.

Second half: Inter's rythm is lower than before, and Valencia is better, though they played last Sunday in front ofa tough team as Barcelona is. Minute 64: a foul by Dacourt, and David Villa's free kick from 30 metres passes by Inter's wall. It's a fantastic goal, but Julio Cesar could be positioned better, and the wall itself was not so well positioned. Anyway, it's 1-1. Inter takes it badly, but after some time Cruz enters for Crespo, and serves a delightful assist to Maicon, that beats Canizares. Inter is leading again, but it lasts no more than 10' minutes a corer from the right by Villa, and the other David, Silva, finds his life's shot. It's the end: Inter 2, Valencia 2.

It will be hard for Inter at Mestalla on March 6th. Valencia stadium will be -differently from Milan San Siro- a hell-pit, but Inter has to demonstrate that his strenght is not relegated to the Italian border. And Roberto Mancini has to avoid tonight's mistakes, especially in second half. Ok, Vieira was injured and Cambiasso had to go out, but we think he should have send into the pitch Santiago Solari, in Figo's stead or maybe Stankovic. Well, he should have changed his pattern into a classic 4-4-2, but he definitely needed more power in Inter's midfield.

Let's give some ratings to Inter players:

Julio Cesar 5/10: first goal of Valencia is due to his mistake
Maicon 7: now he's also a scorer
Materazzi 6: he catches all high balls, but a little bit slow for Valencia's forwards
Cordoba 5.5: sometimes he misses Villa and Morientes
Burdisso 6: better in his end, he doesn't attack as he should
Zanetti 6.5: it's his best season of the career, and also in this unlucky Champions League is one of the best
Stankovic 5: he's imprecise even in the easiest passes, too tired in second-half
Figo 6: a good first half, then he disappears
Cambiasso 6.5: a goal, then he has to go out for a muscular problem
Crespo 5: just a header close to goal, he touches few balls
Ibra 5.5: not his best night, but as usual he shows some touches of class
Dacourt 6: not a midfield barrier we know
Cruz 6: an assist to Maicon, half of second goal is the Argentinean's

Serie A is quite boring, especially for the first place, but tomorow the last 16 of the biggest European competition comes to the fore. Celtic Glasgow-AC Milan tomorrow, Inter Milan-Valencia and AS Roma-Lyon on Wednesday are the matches of Italian teams. A difficult heath for everybody, very difficult to get through, especially for the Romans. Lyon has been dominating French League for five years, and it should win this year as well, but in Champions League their best result was a quarter final. Now Lyon is a little bit weaker than the beginning of the season, but still a dangerous opponent. Juninho Pernambucano is sure we'll see the rtue Lyon next Wednesday. In Rome the enthusiasm is great, it's first time the Giallorossi get through UCL the groups stage.

Coach Spalletti denies any dispute with Totti after the captain's substitution at Empoli. "French are strong -the coach from Certaldo says- but I'm convinced AS Roma will play two great games". Probably center back Philippe Mexes will take part of the game against his compatriots. If in Rome, Stadio Olimpico will be full, in Milan for an absurd decision only season tickets holders can watch the game, even the ones buying tickets before Catania riots had to renounce, and will get only a full refund of the ticket. Mancini should have his best formation, with many players that just had a rest day on Saturday. Valencia is a hard nut to crack, especially after their win in front of Spain and Europe champions of Barcelona. They have a good forward duo (Villa and El Moro Morientes), and good midfielder. Inter has a lot to loose, and the same is for Italian football: imagine what could happen if the team that is triumphing in the Serie A League was sent off by a Spanish team...
Anyway, Baraja and Vicente haven't been called up due to someinjuries.

AC Milan is maybe the weakest Italian team at the moment in this last-16 tie, but also has the easiest task. Celtic Glasgow has been a surprise of the groups stage, but still seems to be at a lower level than the Milanese. The problem for Ancelotti is that some key players won't take part to the match: Ronaldo already played in Champions at Real Madri), Dida is injured and Gilardino is not sure he will play. Only Oliveira is ok among the forwards. Then, the Celtic Park is a hot stadium, ad the Scottish have a player like Shunsuke Nakamura that can create some danger. "I'd like to be in good condition -the Japanese says- I think it will be a great match". Well, we hope all of these matches will be great, but for the Italian clubs...

Inter 1 Cagliari 0 (Burdisso)
Empoli 1 AS Roma 0 (Pozzi)
Siena 3 AC Milan 4 (Ronaldo 0-1, Vergassola 1-1, Oliveira 1-2, Maccarone 2-2, Ronaldo 2-3, Maccarone 3-3, Ambrosini 3-4)


Burdisso, this is best year at Inter for Argentina defender

This is the last week without night matches, so teams that will play Champions League next Tuesda and Wednesday played all in advance this afternoon. With its 1-0 win to Cagliari (header of Burdisso after 12'), Inter broke all records with its 16th consecutive win in Serie A, and extended its lead to 14 points on AS Roma. A double face match, this afternoon: a good first half, with Luis Figo teaching football and Ibra 'big foot' giving a ball to Burdisso that the Argentinean defendere just needed to be pushed into Cagliari's goal. Second half wasn't really unforgettable, Inter thought too much about Valencia, and just kept the match under control. Cagliari went close to equalize just once, on the other side Stankovic hit the crossbar. So, now let's think about Valencia: it's a pity that an absurd decision kept people out of San Siro, except the holding season tickets ones.

It could have been a quiet Saturday, but forward Nicola Pozzi of Empoli gave with his beautiful goal a big help to Inter. The 1-0 win of Empoli is the biggest surprise of the day, in an empty stadium (the game was played behind closed doors). This is the real difference between the Nerazzurri and their opponents: Inter can start -and win- without Materazzi, Javier Zanetti, Vieira, Maxwell, Maicon, Adriano. AS Roma today field a formation without Chivu, Mexes, Taddei and Mancini: the Romans were unlucky, hit two goal posts but at the end they lost. Now Tuscans -we already talked about them here- are speeding along to Champions League qualifying. AS Roma just needs to forget about the defeat and think of Champions League and Lyon.

Just two points below Empoli we find AC Milan. The Rossoneri got 3 important points in Siena, and Ronaldo scored twice: the 1-0 goal with a header -not exactly his speciality- and Milan third goal after a slalom of Kakà, when he could just score from 3 metres. Surely Ancelotti had a good Ronaldo, we're not sure the Brazilian was of no use to Real and coach Capello. The problem, for AC Milan, is that he cannot play in Champions League, and for Glasgow also Gilardino probably won't be available. Be sure that it won't be easy at Celtic Park next Wednesday, but Milan has been the best Italian team in Europe during these years. A very good afternoon also for Siena forward Maccarone: Big Mac, back from England, scored twice but he couldn't avoid Siena's defeat.

Serie A Table:
Inter 63, AS Roma 49, Palermo 42, Empoli 35, AC Milan (-8) 33, Lazio (-3) 31, Catania 31, Atalanta 29, Udinese 29, Sampdoria 27, Fiorentina (-15) 25, Siena (-1) 25, Cagliari 23, Livorno 23, Torino 22, Reggina (-11) 19, Chievo 18, Messina 17, Parma 15, Ascoli 12.

Inter, Roma, Empoli, Milan, Siena, Palermo, Catania played 23 matches, all the others 22.

Roberto Baggio...turned tail after his retirement

I forgave Marcello Lippi for sending Baggio away from Inter in 2000 only last Summer, as the coach from Viareggio won the World Cup on Italy's bench. Well, it's always been Roberto's destiny to be kicked away by coaches that suffered too much his important presence. It happened at Juventus, when Del Piero came and took his place, it happened at AC Milan, and it happened also at Inter. Baggio left the Nerazzurri with two goals in a very important match vs Parma that qualified them to Champions League. Then, he went to Brescia and everybody said he was over: 95 games with 45 goals in four years were his reply.

Most of all, Baggio for the Italian fans is the heart and soul of the Notti Magiche (magic nights) of the World Cup 1990: Stadio Olimpico in Rome shouted with joy and people couldn't believe their eyes after his goal to Czechoslovakia, a fifty metres ride as he entered the goal with the ball glued to his magic right foot. He had just dribbled six opponents!

Before Cannavaro in 2006, Roby Baggio was the last Italian to win the Ballon d'or and the Fifa World Player in 1993. Then, his mistake in the penalty kicks sequence in World Cup final -Usa 94- was a spot in his career, but back to Italy he won two consecutive Scudetti with two different jerseys: Juventus and AC Milan. Once he left Milan, he did well in Bologna, Inter and Brescia, played another World Cup in 98 and in 2002 fans and media entered into debate with Trapattoni because he didn't bring Baggio to its possible fourth World Cup. The lost versus South Corea helped keeping this debate live, even a lot of time after tha World Cup had finished.

Roberto Baggio will be 40 on the 18th of February, next Sunday. He stopped playing football in summer 2004, and after that we did not hear a lot of him. Now he lives in a large country house close to Caldogno (Vicenza), his home town. He doesn't follow Italian football, just hardly knows that Inter is dominating. From time to time he goes to the stadium, but only while he is in Argentina (over there he owns a farm), in his frequent shooting holidays. In fact, hunting is an old passion of his, and now he can practise it almost full time. He lives in a golden isolation, runs a sport goods shop where his sister works. He still follows Buddhism.

In other words, he enjoys the pleasures of family life (he has a wife and three sons), and lives in a home where he has even built a museum with 300 wood birds, a stuffed wild pig and a small boat with some ducks around. Well, it is not necessary that every top player stays in football world after retirement, but only the great stars will never be forgotten even if they become just family men or everything but a coach. And Roberto Baggio is one of these...

In a surreal atmosphere, with no viewers, Inter won 2-0 against Chievo and this is Nerazzurri’s fifteenth consecutive wind. Real Madrid (46 years ago) and Bayern (in 2005, but not in the same season) have been equalized, but it’s not an European record yet.
Inter scored after 41”, with Adriano from a very difficult angle, then Chievo tried to make life difficult to Julio Cesar but in second half Crespo (with a suspect handball before kicking) scored for the final 2-0.

Roma won at home vs. Parma (3-0, all goals in second half), but we have to remark that before the match (an open door match, we have to specify) AS Roma fans did not participate in a silence minute in memory of policeman Raciti. There were also slogans against police, a shame one week after Catania events. And it’s been the proof that if the stadium is ok, but you fill it with stupid people, violence problem has not been solved.

AC Milan had to face a difficult test, Livorno is a very good team, even more today with Stefano Fiore and Cesar Rodriguez, two former Lazio players. Ronaldo played in second half, but the decisive goal has been scored by Czech left back Jankulosky. At the end, in Milan San Siro stadium season tickets could watch the match, showing that at the end Italians find compromise between “zero tolerance” and anarchy. Everything went well, and we think they will go well next Sunday for Inter-Cagliari.

All matches started at 3 pm, for security reasons, as we already said. But at the end not every match started on time: Messina-Catania, another risky Sicilian derby, started at 4pm due to heavy rainfalls. An important win in Palermo, and Empoli now is fourth and will have to fight against Milan and Lazio (0-0 in Bergamo behind closed doors vs. Atalanta) for the Champions League qualifying round. Fiorentina had a very good afternoon: Toni and Mutu could not play, but their substitutes Reginaldo and Pazzini scored: Fiorentina is officially one of the candidates for fourth place!

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.”

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.