Di Biasi-Giampaolo: "Sometimes They Come Back"
Wednesday, 28 February 07, 09:00 AM
Last weekend, almost at the same time, two presidents confessed their mistakes, by reinstating a coach they sent away before. "I made a mistake" says Torino President, Urbano Cairo, "maybe Zaccheroni could have done better with a squad built by him". The history of the Granata is really unbelievable: Gianni De Biasi, the coach that lead the team to promotion, was sent away before the beginning of the season. Cairo hired Zaccheroni, maybe he thought the Cesenatico coach was more experienced, as he coached Milan, Lazio and Inter.
Five consecutive defeats and a bad position in Serie A table (just a little bit above the relegation zone) put Zac's position in danger. Last Saturday Torino played away at ChievoVerona, and it was clear this was the last ditch for him. Just before the game the Rosina-gate made a noise: Torino striker in his personal website gave bad rankings to the whole team -except himself- and in Verona was sent to the stand. Torino lost 0-3 and the defeat was lethal to Zaccheroni. So, Cairo went back to the past, again with De Biasi.
In Cagliari, it happened almost the same. President Cellino called up Marco Giampaolo last summer after young coach did very well at Ascoli, but as usual it's not easy to work with that kind of Presdient. Cellino is a little bossy, and in Italy we say that executives like him are "Mangia-allenatori" (Coach-eaters), meaning they change coaches just like they change their shirt. That's why Cellino in December sent Giampaolo away, while Cagliari was playing badly but was just in a safe position.
Cagliari had a new coach, the experienced Franco Colomba. But the former Reggina trainer did not satisfy his chairman, who lives in Miami and manages the club from overseas. Last Sunday, after Cagliari's defeat against Lazio, Cellino decided to call Giampaolo again. In the meantime, Giampaolo had left Cagliari, his house and changed the school to his sons in another part of Italy. Unfortunately for him, the coach has still a contract in place; so, if he didn't accept to come back, he'd loose his salary from now until contract expiry.
Tomorrow the tricks of fate -and Serie A schedules, of course- will play off De Biasi against Giampaolo, for day 26. At least one of them won't loose, and a president will be, finally, happier than before.
Five consecutive defeats and a bad position in Serie A table (just a little bit above the relegation zone) put Zac's position in danger. Last Saturday Torino played away at ChievoVerona, and it was clear this was the last ditch for him. Just before the game the Rosina-gate made a noise: Torino striker in his personal website gave bad rankings to the whole team -except himself- and in Verona was sent to the stand. Torino lost 0-3 and the defeat was lethal to Zaccheroni. So, Cairo went back to the past, again with De Biasi.
In Cagliari, it happened almost the same. President Cellino called up Marco Giampaolo last summer after young coach did very well at Ascoli, but as usual it's not easy to work with that kind of Presdient. Cellino is a little bossy, and in Italy we say that executives like him are "Mangia-allenatori" (Coach-eaters), meaning they change coaches just like they change their shirt. That's why Cellino in December sent Giampaolo away, while Cagliari was playing badly but was just in a safe position.
Cagliari had a new coach, the experienced Franco Colomba. But the former Reggina trainer did not satisfy his chairman, who lives in Miami and manages the club from overseas. Last Sunday, after Cagliari's defeat against Lazio, Cellino decided to call Giampaolo again. In the meantime, Giampaolo had left Cagliari, his house and changed the school to his sons in another part of Italy. Unfortunately for him, the coach has still a contract in place; so, if he didn't accept to come back, he'd loose his salary from now until contract expiry.
Tomorrow the tricks of fate -and Serie A schedules, of course- will play off De Biasi against Giampaolo, for day 26. At least one of them won't loose, and a president will be, finally, happier than before.
Like this blog? Help spread the word: 
Inter: record! Milan, Ronie is back
Sunday, 18 February 07, 11:07 AM
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.
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.
Like this blog? Help spread the word:
Inter: fifteen!
Monday, 12 February 07, 12:36 PM
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!
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!
Like this blog? Help spread the word:
-
ANTI_MADRIDISTA said:Johny, that is completley wrong when you say that Robinho is the best player at...
US Commentary said:The US B team lost to the Argentinian A team, as most B teams from any country ...
-
Gabriele
Roma, IT
Un posto diverso da Calciopoli, molto più bello!
On Wambach-Boxx-Lilly, and the US go to the semi-final!