(Gilardino needs a job.)

If you’re a Napoli fan, allow me to express my condolences.

If you’re a Napoli fan and you’re a resident of la citta di Napoli, I don’t even know what to say, quite honestly. How about… “at least you’re not Gilardino,” would that work?

On the other hand, if you are Alberto Gilardino, why are you reading this? You should be updating your resume, packing your bags or turning in your red and black shirts, because FatRon and The Duck just took your job. For real.

If anyone’s wondering “what the hell’s he talking about,” you must not have heard about Napoli’s loss at Milan.

Note that I just said “Napoli’s loss at Milan.” That should indicate that Milan are finally back to their winning ways at San Siro. In addition, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it also indicates the beginning of a late Milan surge, similar to the one we saw late in the season last year. Mark my words; Milan are going to shoot right up the table, and this Brazilian trident of Kaka supporting FatRon and The Duck will be largely responsible. One can only hope that they’ll take some points from Inter along the way. Unfortunately, the next derby isn’t until week 36.

Speaking of Inter (aren’t we always?), they were fortunate to get past Siena this week. Actually, you may recall that there were a few matches earlier in the season where Inter barely escaped with points… before they started kicking Serie A’s collective a$$ convincingly. If we’re back to LuckyInter, I might just start to not censor my curses.

Anyway, here are the highlights from the Milan match, in case you’re curious about this Duck character:

…And here’s Inter squeaking by Siena. I won’t hold it against you if you don’t want to watch:

Categories: Inter, Milan, Napoli, Siena
3 Comments »

(Transfers!)

At last!

As the calciomercato speculation continues, actual honest-to-God deals are finally being made. That being the case, let’s forego the rumors and skip right to the actual transfers, or situations where a transfer is truly very close to being a done deal (according to the player or the team).

Here goes:

Cirillo to Reggina - Simply put, this is a “save us from relegation” move for Reggina, who actually gave Cirillo his start many moons ago. (He’s 30 now.) The defender will be on loan from Spanish club Levante until June, at what point (I’m guessing) Reggina will probably ante up and allow Cirillo to finish his career where it began.

Storari and Jeda to Cagliari - Cirillo isn’t the only Italian being dumped by Levante. I never would’ve guessed that I’d mention Levante twice in one post, but Storari is leaving Spain as well. He was on loan there from Milan, but the Spanish side was having trouble paying the keeper’s salary. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he’s 31, but at this point, Cagliari will take whatever help they can get, I’m sure. Along with Storari minding the door, Cagliari have also managed to pick up Jeda, a Brazilian striker. (I still say there’s a striker assembly line somewhere in that country.) Jeda was on loan with Serie B outfit Rimini. (Hopefully, someone’s told these guys to be nice to Foggia… lest one of Pasquale’s guys will launch a chair at them.)

Sissoko to Juve - Alright, this one’s not 100% official yet, but according to Sisko… I mean Sissoko, the “negotiations are very close to a conclusion.” Anyway, it sounds like a done deal, just about. I probably shouldn’t make fun of this dude’s name though; he’s actually a pretty tough guy with some top-tier international experience. Most recently, he was with Liverpool, and although he hasn’t shined there as of late, he’s never been an attacking midfielder; picture him instead as a younger, taller, African Gattuso. (I think Juve can use one of them.) Oh… this guy’s young too; he’s just 22 years old.

Cardone and Paponi to Cesena - In all fairness, Paponi’s only 19, so there’s no telling what the hell he’s capable of. I guess that Parma realizes they’re never going to find out if they don’t get the kid some playing time, hence the loan to Serie B side Cesena. Cardone, on the other hand, is no “kid,” and it’s likely that the defender’s move to Cesena is more permanent. (Incidentally, it’s been speculated that Paponi’s exit from Parma is in preparation for a Lucarelli entrance. Whether or not that’s the case, I don’t know. Actually, I was going to have an entry on Lucarelli to Parma in this post, but there are still conflicting reports, believe it or not. Some say it’s a done deal, while others say negotiations broke down.)

Bucchi to Bologna - Napoli are loaning Bucchi out to Serie B leaders Bologna, as Zalayeta and Lavezzi apparently have the team’s striker duties locked down. Bucchi is no stranger to Serie B. In fact, during the ‘05-’06 season, he tore it up, scoring 29 goals in 41 matches for Modena. It sounds like a decent plan (might as well keep the guy playing continuously, right?), but I’m not sure that Bologna need Bucchi. They are at the top of the pack, after all.

Maniche to Inter - I really wish that read “Maniche to Viola,” but the Dark Side of the Force is apparently strong with Darth Figo. Anyway, this is another one that’s not 100% official yet, but it’s been said that Maniche could be presented to the Italian press later today. Inter’s getting the Portuguese midfielder on lease (from Atletico Madrid) with an option to buy and a 15,000 mile per year limit.

That’s all for today; once there’s another batch of done-deal trades to talk about, I’ll post ‘em up. If not, the will be matches to talk about, for once!

Categories: transfers
2 Comments »

(Is there any truth?)

Sifting through the garbage pile that is the calciomercato hyperbole-fest is like watching a mediocre movie with a predictable ending. You sit there, somewhat interested in what’s going on, but with an underlying feeling of dissatisfaction… because you just know what’s going to happen in the end. But still, you finish watching the movie because on the outside shot that you’re wrong this time, you don’t want to miss it.

In the case of transfer rumors, you just know that most of the time, what you read or hear is more or less fabricated by some caffeine-fueled sports journalist who wants to be the first to report about (insert rumor here), even though he knows he’s broadcasting conjecture as fact. But still, you read all that you can, on the outside shot that there’s a grain of truth somewhere in the pile.

Today is no exception; rumor pile sits before us, and we’re sifting through it looking for fact, but not expecting to find any. Perhaps it’s futile then, that I’ve pulled what I felt was notable from what’s out there - fully aware that most of it is (probably) complete trash. Nonetheless, we’ll take a very cautious look:

• Roma’s backup ‘keeper, Curci, wants to play more. (That much is probably true. Also true is the fact that Roma fans want to see him play more. Just ask the gang over at the Roma Offside Blog.) Unfortunately however, Roma’s primary ‘keeper, Doni, sees the bench very rarely. Perhaps as a result, Curci may be entertaining the idea of a move. Corriere dello Sport is mentioning Parma and Sampdoria in connection with the ‘keeper, although they don’t specify why they’re mentioning those two clubs, specifically. Update: Curci getting antsy makes sense, as Doni is supposedly extending his contract.
• Goal.com is reporting that Zambrotta may be headed back to Juve. While this would be sensational news if it were to pan out, this is not the first time we’ve heard the “Zambrotta wants to return to Italy” routine. Update: This rumor’s been shot down already. That was fast.
• I’ve said before that Fiorentina are hurting for players, and I was hoping that Maniche would be the answer. Well, the Viola-Maniche connection is becoming less and less of a likelihood by the day, it seems. Not only were the Viola allegedly *just* going after a different midfielder (who’s apparently taken himself off the radar already) but it’s being said (true or not) that Maniche is only interested in Inter, and that Figo is actively lobbying to get his countryman on board.
• More Roma - It appears that very recent rumors about a Manchester City / Roma deal don’t hold water. It was said that Roma would give stepover-stepover-stepover-stepover-stepover Mancini to City in exchange for Italian (yes!) striker Rolando Bianchi. Unfortunately, Bianchi’s agent is now saying it’s not true. That would be in line with what Spalletti is saying about “not expecting reinforcements.”
• OK. This one’s not a transfer rumor, but it made me laugh. - Would you want to see a 40 year-old Panucci playing? As much as I like the guy for his service on Roma and the nazionale… 40!?!?!??!?!?! Dude, this isn’t bowling.
• This one’s not a transfer rumor either. - Blatter’s making sense again! It seems that I’m not the only one who thinks that it’s a bit odd that England has a thing for non-English coaches.

By the way, in case anyone’s wondering when this whole mercato mess ends, it’s over on January 31. (Coincidentally, I’m going away on the 31st, so serieAmerica will be inactive from the January 31 until February 5 or thereabouts.)

Categories: Inter, Juventus, Roma, transfers
3 Comments »

(Is this the new blue jersey?)

I think it is!

Yeah, we already know what the away (white) shirt looks like, and while it’s kind of grown on me since my initial impressions, I’m still not too wild about the super-rounded font.

This blue one though… I think it makes up for the disco-inferno white! To be honest, it comes as a bit of a surprise; were it not for the guys on the BigSoccer forum, I’d have never known about it.  See… I (and most others, in all likelihood) didn’t expect to see the Azzurri home shirt until next month, as that’s when it’s set to be officially unveiled. However, it looks as though some French retailer (go figure) has let the Puma out of the bag.

I’m hosting an image of the shirt below, just in case Puma tells the wonderful French to take their image down.

Categories: Azzurri
6 Comments »

Welcome to my Brazilian-free transfer rumor post!

Why Brazilian-free, you ask?

Well, quite frankly, I think we’ve heard enough about these guys and what they might do. Honestly, if I read one more Ronaldinho/Adriano/Ronaldo/Amauri “article” (if you even want to call the little paragraphs I’ve been reading “articles”), I’ll make like Samir from Office Space and “throw dees piece of sheeet out dee window.” (That would be bad, as I do not have a spare laptop.)
I know, I know. There are recurring rumors published about non-Brazilian players too. I’ll concede that. It just seems, however, like the ones about the Brazilians have been in circulation for far longer. Subsequently, I feel like these guys need to stop partying in Sao Paulo for five minutes and make some *&$%ing decisions.

Alright. Enough about the Brazilians.

Let’s talk instead about big man Cristiano Lucarelli. Goal.com and Calciomercato.com are both reporting that Parma and Torino are the two sides that seem most interested, although Goal.com mentions a few other squads as well, Napoli, Genoa and Milan (yeah, right) among them. Both sites are also saying that we won’t know anything until after January 7, as that’s when the striker returns from holiday. Once he’s back, there are supposed to be meetings with both clubs. As for which of the two clubs has a better chance, Calciomercato.com seems to think that the big man would rather play for Torino, while Goal.com is calling Parma’s bid “serious.” Meh. Whatever.

If Project Lucarelli doesn’t pan out for Torino, they’ve supposedly got their eye on the truly promising young’n Rolando Bianchi, who’s currently with Manchester City. Parma’s backup, on the other hand, is Uruguayan striker Pablo Granoche, who scored five goals in seven matches with Serie B side Triestina. (Does anybody else think that maybe these guys should be looked at as more than just backup plans?)

A couple posts ago, I mentioned Maniche, the Portuguese international who apparently wants out of Atletico. Well, Channel 4 is now reporting that he’s still available, although Juve and Milan have been omitted from the list of interested parties, leaving just ArgentInter and Fiorentina. I feel like I’m watching a horse race on this one. Come ooooooooooonnnnnn purple! Come oooooooonnnnnn Viola! Better yet, it’s like the movie The Goonies, when the kids’ houses were going to be bought out by the evil developers, and they had to find the pirate treasure to fund… er… save the day. So… yeah. Fiorentina are like the Goonies, while ArgentInter are the evil developers. (Who’s Sloth? Bobo?)

Just yesterday, I mentioned Aussie midfielder Mark Bresciano (who currently wears Palermo pink), although it wasn’t in the context of a transfer rumor. As it turns out, Lazio are interested. Wait… did I just say that? Lazio? The same Lazio that still haven’t settled Rocchi’s contract (to my knowledge), and who might lose Pandev? They actually want to buy? All Lazio stone-breakin’ aside, I think Bresciano would fit in well… although that’s not saying much for Lazio, because I think this guy would fit in well anywhere, as he’s versatile and has a work rate that would make Gattuso smile.

Speaking of Lazio, they might want to think about calling back Pasquale Foggia, who’s been out on loan to (and getting into trouble at) Calgiari. Given Lazio’s lack of enthusiasm in renewing their best friggin’ player’s (Rocchi’s) contract, however, I wouldn’t be surprised if they let Foggia slip through the cracks… which Channel 4 thinks is a distinct possibility.

Categories: Fiorentina, Lazio, Parma, Torino, transfers
5 Comments »