Serie A

I was there, at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, in Fiorentina fans end. Outside the stadium, a Roma fan shot to 3 Napoli fans. So Napoli ultras (a son of a Camorra boss) didn't want to play, and forced the match to start 45' later. That's why italian football sucks.

I was there, at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, in Fiorentina fans end. Outside the stadium, a Roma fan shot to 3 Napoli fans. So Napoli ultras (a son of a Camorra boss) didn't want to play, and forced the match to start 45' later. That's why italian football sucks.

If that's true, that is a real shock..... not.

Italian shooting an Italian over a football club neither own.

Antonio Conte leaves Juventus

Juventus have announced that coach Antonio Conte has parted company with the Serie A champions.

Conte, whose contract was due to expire in 2015, was appointed Juventus coach in 2011 and led the club to three straight Italian league titles.

La Gazzetta reports the 44-year-old has left the Bianconeri due to a lack of investment in new players so far this summer.

It has also been reported that key midfielder Arturo Vidal could be sold to Manchester United during the current transfer window.

Conte said: "I have decided to terminate my contract with Juventus. I have matured with time and my feelings led me to make this choice. It may be more difficult to keep winning with Juventus.

"An enormous thank you for what you have given to me as a player and as a coach. I have always been close to you. I want to say that the journey taken in recent years has been historic."

Former AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri and ex-Inter Milan, Manchester City and Galatasaray boss Roberto Mancini have been touted as his possible replacement.

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli said on the club's official website: "Dear Antonio, you have been a great leader for our team and today's news saddens me immensely.

"I think about the three years we spent together, the three years in which we rewrote this club's history: three Scudetti in a row, two Italian Super Cups, and perhaps more importantly a period of exponential growth.

"Yet in the face of sentiment and personal feelings even a president needs to take a step back. Barely two months have passed since our last major success and Juventus must continue on its path.

"We'll start again from zero. Zero points in the table, just like all the others, and zero wins. But this club has a young management team that is both talented and close-knit, and in these recent years it has found the ambition and determination to achieve its targets.

"Juventus will start again with a squad of highly talented, professional footballers who will give their all for the new coach and go on writing this club's present and future.

"You have been a part of Juventus' history and I know that whatever choice you make, hearing of a Juventus victory will always bring a smile to your face."

http://www.espnfc.us/italian-serie-a/story/1951233/coach-antonio-conte-leaves-juventus

Serie A is dying a slow death with no money in the game (comparatively). Napoli dumped this morning. Juve dumped in group stage last year. No big names wanting to go to this league. Interesting.

Lost interest after a host of talent left.

Lavezzi, Pastore, Sanchez, Di Natale, Jovetic, Coutinho and some others. It's just a one horse race and they're all run by dickheads from owners to the FA.

Gets worse, seems Torres is going to AC Milan.

From the likes of Inzaghi, Crespo, Ibra, Balotelli to an below average Torres.

Times are hard.

I recommend viewing highlights from yesterday game Parma vs Milan.

9 goals, penalty, 2 red cards, own goal, fantastic goal by Menez. What a game

Did anyone watch the Juve/Roma game?

Just saw the report on the game:

2 Red Cards
7 Yellow Cards
3 Penalties
5 Goals

Even for someone who doesn't like italian footy that sounds like quite a match!

This season is undoubtedly the most scarce of all time.
There are some games that are good to watch, but in general the quality of the squads is really embarrassing, compared to the golden years of Serie A.
The teams currently playing the best football are Lazio, Sampdoria and Cagliari. Roma has quality but is more boring than last year, Juve wins thanks to individual plays, Napoli is too discontinuous, Fiorentina has a full infirmary, also the Pope blasphemes when he sees Milan and Inter games.

This season is undoubtedly the most scarce of all time.
There are some games that are good to watch, but in general the quality of the squads is really embarrassing, compared to the golden years of Serie A.
The teams currently playing the best football are Lazio, Sampdoria and Cagliari. Roma has quality but is more boring than last year, Juve wins thanks to individual plays, Napoli is too discontinuous, Fiorentina has a full infirmary, also the Pope blasphemes when he sees Milan and Inter games.

Should residence of The Vatican not be Roma fans?

Should residence of The Vatican not be Roma fans?

More inclined to support Napoli due to the Argie links with Maradona

Should residence of The Vatican not be Roma fans?

He's a fan of San Lorenzo indeed, but if he was supporter of AC Milan or Inter he'd blaspheme like all fans in this period
Inter can't play football, AC Milan miss a real coach (Inzaghi is incapable and inexperienced).
Berlusconi (always hated politically, now also for football) doesn't even want to sell the club. Poor us.

He's a fan of San Lorenzo indeed, but if he was supporter of AC Milan or Inter he'd blaspheme like all fans in this period
Inter can't play football, AC Milan miss a real coach (Inzaghi is incapable and inexperienced).
Berlusconi (always hated politically, now also for football) doesn't even want to sell the club. Poor us.

Poor you indeed having to watch Torres as your forward 

Poor you indeed having to watch Torres as your forward 

In the last 2 games he hadn't chances to score, but if the performance are these he won't play anymore. At least I hope so
However, our problems are much bigger than the performances of Torres, unfortunately.

The Serie A has really dropped since the money left and the superstars. Need to produce them now. I read Crespo's lament for the Serie A. He was saying how he used to be marked by Nesta, Malidini, Thuram and Cannavaro ... brilliant defenders. He was also saying you can compare Messi and Maradona. Different era's and playing against different styles etc, but mainly because there are no words to describe what Maradona could do.

The Serie A has really dropped since the money left and the superstars. Need to produce them now. I read Crespo's lament for the Serie A. He was saying how he used to be marked by Nesta, Malidini, Thuram and Cannavaro ... brilliant defenders. He was also saying you can compare Messi and Maradona. Different era's and playing against different styles etc, but mainly because there are no words to describe what Maradona could do.

Messi is definitely in the Olympus of the best footballers of all time. As the numbers stand with Messi, Maradona won a World Cup with Argentina, in which he practically played alone, and 2 titles with Napoli (not just a team with Iniesta, Xavi, etc.), in the context of a highly competitive Serie A that was the center of the football world in those years. Everything is questionable, of course.
About the actual Serie A you're right. The problem is that Italian teams don't give enough confidence to young players. The biggest Italian talent (Marco Verratti) went to PSG for an amount within the reach of Juve, Milan and Inter. Especially the latter two would need  a player like him. If Verratti had stayed in Italy, Pirlo would bench him in Juve (nowadays Verratti is much better than Pirlo), in Inter or AC Milan he would be criticized, because a young player who must grow may have difficulty in teams without rhyme.
Interesting players with good potential like El Shaarawy, De Sciglio, Icardi and Kovacic are likely to burn out if they stay in Milan, to be honest.
Regarding the difenders the role is a little lost in these years in my opinion. Serie A difenders aren't at the levels of the past, both because of the lack of money and because of the lack of good Italian defenders. Bonucci and Chiellini make cry in international competitions. Barzagli is the best at the moment, in 2006 he was considered a normal defender. Zappacosta, Romagnoli, Rugani and De Sciglio (if he wakes up and returns to the levels of two years ago) are our hopes for the future.

I watch a fair bit of Serie A and it is entertaining but it is sad to see how some of the clubs like the Milan clubs have got average old foreign players instead of youngsters on their squad list.

Messi is definitely in the Olympus of the best footballers of all time. As the numbers stand with Messi, Maradona won a World Cup with Argentina, in which he practically played alone, and 2 titles with Napoli (not just a team with Iniesta, Xavi, etc.), in the context of a highly competitive Serie A that was the center of the football world in those years. Everything is questionable, of course.
About the actual Serie A you're right. The problem is that Italian teams don't give enough confidence to young players. The biggest Italian talent (Marco Verratti) went to PSG for an amount within the reach of Juve, Milan and Inter. Especially the latter two would need  a player like him. If Verratti had stayed in Italy, Pirlo would bench him in Juve (nowadays Verratti is much better than Pirlo), in Inter or AC Milan he would be criticized, because a young player who must grow may have difficulty in teams without rhyme.
Interesting players with good potential like El Shaarawy, De Sciglio, Icardi and Kovacic are likely to burn out if they stay in Milan, to be honest.
Regarding the difenders the role is a little lost in these years in my opinion. Serie A difenders aren't at the levels of the past, both because of the lack of money and because of the lack of good Italian defenders. Bonucci and Chiellini make cry in international competitions. Barzagli is the best at the moment, in 2006 he was considered a normal defender. Zappacosta, Romagnoli, Rugani and De Sciglio (if he wakes up and returns to the levels of two years ago) are our hopes for the future.

It's interesting because in the World Cup Italy is always a team I believe can win it. The players have technical and tactical ability that makes them formidable even in lean years. However to have a conveyor belt of defenders like baresi, maldini, nesta etc suddenly stop must be down to club policies in youth development not just money dropping out of the game.

I watch a fair bit of Serie A and it is entertaining but it is sad to see how some of the clubs like the Milan clubs have got average old foreign players instead of youngsters on their squad list.

I've lost hope. Italian fans have no patience with the youngsters. El Shaarawy and De Sciglio are criticized for their performances more than the other players in this period. Many fans hope they'll be sold as soon as possible. In a team with Essien (a mummy), Muntari, Mexes, Zapata, Bonera, Pazzini and so on, the problem is the presence of two youngsters who are perhaps the best players we have together with De Jong and Montolivo.

It's interesting because in the World Cup Italy is always a team I believe can win it. The players have technical and tactical ability that makes them formidable even in lean years. However to have a conveyor belt of defenders like baresi, maldini, nesta etc suddenly stop must be down to club policies in youth development not just money dropping out of the game.

I believe the failure of Italy in the World Cup was due to the losing mentality of Prandelli.
Italy and England were eliminated by mediocre teams like Costa Rica (well-organized, to be honest) and Uruguay (Suarez, Cavani and very little else). Before the World Cup I thought they could get to the semifinals
Regarding the difenders, finding new Baresi, Maldini and Nesta is very very difficult. They were extraordinary players, especially the first two. But with the youngsters you must be patient. In Italy, after 2 games, youngsters are immediately compared to past greats (De Sciglio new Maldini, Romagnoli new Nesta, for example). These judgments are meaningless and can hurt their careers.

Was really excited to see El Sharawaay and De Sciglio two seasons ago but injury ruined that. Only ever watch the league now when Udinese play at home because Di Natale will probably score. I love him so much.

Was really excited to see El Sharawaay and De Sciglio two seasons ago but injury ruined that. Only ever watch the league now when Udinese play at home because Di Natale will probably score. I love him so much.

"I would have left Udine only for Liverpool."

Top class player, top class person.
After Fiorentina - Udinese this year, he waited Nicco outside the stadium, a unfortunate child from Florence who is fighting against a terrible illness and gave him his shirt. On that: "Come on Nicco, I'll score for you"