The Official Azzurri thread 2

[tonykart]

Rosi may be what Abate should have been. The next generations Zambrotta. I always hate to use comparisons like that, but lets face it, we need a full back who is actually good in this Italy side. I do have faith in Maggio, but he is older than id like.

[maro]

I think Cassani's done well for the Azzurri in the last couple of games.

[tonykart]

I like both the Palermo fullbacks, especially Cassani. His ability to play both sides adds to his value and he is significantly more charismatic than the drab Criscito who gets so much un-deserved attention.

[maro]

For me, above all he's a generally accurate player - which is just about the single most important thing for a fullback. And then on top of that he does have some nice quality going forward. Defensively he's sound and he makes the right decisions (when to sit, when to push, when to challenge, when to tuck in). Accuracy is not something that I have come to associate with Motta - or with Italian fullbacks in general over the past three or four years.

[maro]

I also like what I've seen of Criscito, though. I think he'll become a very good player.

[RomaShield27]

Report: Byron Moreno arrested
Tuesday 21 September, 2010 – http://www.football-italia.net/sep21cc.html

Former referee Byron Moreno, who caused controversy in Italy’s 2002 World Cup elimination, has reportedly been arrested for smuggling heroin. The ex-official was stopped at JFK airport in New York, according to DEA sources who spoke to the Ecuadorian media.

It is reported he had at least 6kg of heroin stashed in his underwear as he went through customs.

Moreno became notorious when he officiated Italy’s second round exit to hosts South Korea in the 2002 World Cup.

He rejected several penalty appeals, disallowed at least one goal for incorrect offside calls and sent off Francesco Totti.

Italy lost 2-1 in extra time to a header from Ahn Jung Hwan.

Moreno was later suspended for 20 matches and investigated by FIFA after the game between Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito and Barcelona Sporting Club of Guayaquil went on for 13 minutes of injury time.

He had only signalled six, but Liga de Quito were trailing 3-2 and ended up winning at the 101st minute.

Moreno was also accused of falsifying his report to hide the number of minutes actually played.

At the time of this match, he was running as a candidate for election on the Quito city council.

He eventually retired in 2003 and is now working as a commentator in Ecuador.

[Italiamia]

mer set 22 14:28


Sono passati otto anni, ma quella faccia rotonda, inespressiva, con la palpebra calata a mezz’asta e un cartellino rosso in mano è un ricordo che resterà vivamente impresso nella memoria collettiva sportiva italiana. Era il 18 giugno 2002, a Daejeon, è la Corea del Sud, che organizzava la 17esima edizione dei Mondiali insieme al Giappone, avanzava ai quarti di finale battendo l’Italia 2-1 grazie al golden-goal realizzato da Ahn Jung-Hwan (allora attaccante del Perugia) al 117’. Una partita che definire "sospetta" sembra quasi riduttivo, segnata da una direzione arbitrale piuttosto scadente se non partigiana, come testimoniano numerosi episodi, dal rigore concesso ai coreani, all’espulsione di Francesco Totti per doppia ammonizione nei tempi supplementari al gol annullato a Damiano Tommasi, sempre nell’extra-time. Ne seguì un putiferio che spaziò dalle contestazioni feroci della stampa italiana al tentativo di trasformazione dell’abritro in un personaggio televisivo, ma la carriera di Byron Moreno sarebbe durata ancora per poco.

A quattro mesi di distanza da quel SudCorea-Italia 2-1, Moreno venne infatti sospeso dalla FIFA per 20 partite dopo aver clamorosamente favorito il successo della Liga di Quito (città per la quale si era candidato come consigliere comunale) nella partita contro il Barcelona Sporting Club: concesse, infatti, 13 minuti di recupero per permettere alla squadra di Quito di ribaltare il punteggio e falsificò il tabellino sul suo taccuino. Nel maggio del 2003, alla sua terza partita dopo la sospensione, venne di nuovo squalificato per aver espulso tre giocatori del Deportivo Quito nel pareggio per 1-1 contro il Deportivo Cuenca. E quello fu il suo ultimo arbitraggio.

Martedì sera è stato fermato all’aeroporto di New York, con 6 chili di eroina addosso. Certo, nulla a che vedere con quell’arbitraggio disgraziato del giugno del 2002, ma qualcuno che a quel Mondiale c’era si è comunque voluto togliere qualche sassolino (o montagna) dalle scarpe.


GIANLUIGI BUFFON - "Sei chili di droga? Secondo me ce li aveva già nel 2002, ma non nelle mutande... in corpo! Ma, battute a parte quando gente di sport resta coinvolta in vicende di stupefacenti, significa che sta raschiando il fondo del barile... e vuol dire anche che si è perso il vero senso dello sport, che sarebbe anche quello di salvare tanti ragazzi dalla strada e da altri giri pericolosi, come, appunto, quelli della droga".


GIANCARLO ABETE - "L'arbitro Moreno? Ce lo ricordiamo bene...- è chiaro che non si possono mettere in connessione le due situazioni, ma arriva la conferma a posteriori che la qualità di Moreno come soggetto garante non gli si attagliava in modo particolare. Sarebbe una forzatura collegare a distanza di otto anni l'uno dall'altro i due episodi. Ma mi pare che l'arresto per possesso di droga avvenuto ieri all'aeroporto di New York sia la certificazione, per usare un termine caro all'equitazione, che il percorso dell'arbitro Moreno non sia certo un percorso netto".


ANGELO DI LIVIO - "Avevamo dei sospetti allora su Moreno, soprattutto per il modo di comportarsi nei nostri confronti. L'espressione della sua faccia era l'emblema della persona che è. Lo sanno tutti come andò la partita con la Corea del Sud, questa è una persona che non merita rispetto e che deve sparire dal mondo dello sport".


CHRISTIAN PANUCCI - "Moreno? La colpa è stata della Fifa che si era affidata a un incapace. Non si può stare a parlare di una persona che non era seria, ma la vita prima o poi porta il conto a tutti. Ci siamo arrabbiati parecchio per quanto accaduto nel 2002 in Corea e tutti hanno visto quello che ha fatto in quella partita e il suo comportamento. Se quello era il compito di Moreno a lui non si può dire niente, la colpa è stata della Fifa".

http://it.eurosport.yahoo.com/pallonate/article/19461/

[juventino_italiano]

Fifa sure knows how to pick'em!

[Messinterista]

[Carlo Romano]

MI, Byron Moreno is just enough of an idiot to be capable of doing someone's dirty work and when caught, making it look like it was his own idea all along...that's been clear for a long time!

---------------------------------------------------------

I figured this post belongs more here than in the Tana dei Lupi...

Cesare Prandelli's comment on the Brescia-Roma officiating... the now infamous "catalogue of howlers!"

“I would’ve felt the same way as Ranieri and behaved the same way. Technology will come into the sport sooner or later, hopefully as soon as possible so we can avoid this controversy. If the proposal of the five officials passes, then I hope they are real referees and not extra linesmen.”

Does anyone else here remember when FIFA/Uefa decided to scrap the linesmen and use three referees? It failed and they had to reintroduce the linesmen! Prandelli must be aware of that too but perhaps his memory is failing him, though I take it to be he actually means here that he hopes it will be a 3 referee/2 linesmen setup and not 5 referees. He is however right about the technology part and the sooner that happens the better!

To say I have mixed feelings on his second suggestion of today, a friendly to test the water on a Totti - Cassano front two for la nazionale is putting things mildly. Totti has become Roma's most famous player. He is a thoroughly remarkable and very special man. But Prandelli talks of engineering this friendly match and presenting it as a reunion of two old friends. Can the time and effort really be spared on such a project, given our obvious need to get a settled team together as quickly as is possible, and even supposing this experiment works for now, where will that leave our Azzurri in 2012? Totti will be 34 in two days, and therefore nearly 36 by then. You all know my belief in the need for young, alert, fully fit players...especially in attack.

Italia doesn't need this unless we can by then afford the luxury of bringing him along as a super sub, il salvatore della patria for want of a better description. How likely is that though, given our present condition?

[RomaShield27]

Totti won't come back for the Azzurri now. He is too old and the demand of still being a fundamental part of Roma will start to take its toll on him even more as the season wears on. It'd be interesting to see, though, if he'd accept a call from Prandelli to come out of retirement, even for a short period, but I can't see it happening.

[juventino_italiano]

Pointless....This Italy's problem wont be at the front, it might be at the back

[p_maldini_3]

might be?

italy's biggest problem is lack of quality central defenders.

[Giacomo]

I don't think so because by the time of euro2012 Ranocchia will be a fixture in the central defence and there is still Chiellini, Bonucci and Gamberini.

[RomaShield27]

I am not at all convinced by Bonucci. He was good at Bari but since joining Juventus he has not looked that impressive. Sure, he probably needs more time, and will be a solid defender, but I'm not so sure if he'd be Azzurri starting material all the time. Ranocchia is much better, he is likely to become Chiellini's regular centre-half partner. I also rate Bocchetti for the future, although I'm not sure if his move to Russia was good for him.


Gazzetta ‘reveals’ Prandelli squad
Friday 1 October, 2010 - http://www.football-italia.net/oct01c.html

La Gazzetta dello Sport has predicted the 23 players whom Cesare Prandelli will select for Italy’s next two Euro 2012 qualifiers. The tactician will announce his squad on Sunday ahead of Friday’s game against Northern Ireland and then the tie against Serbia.

The three goalkeepers are expected to be Bologna’s Emiliano Viviano, Salvatore Sirigu of Palermo and Parma’s Antonio Mirante.

The paper claims that certainties in defence will be Mattia Cassani [Palermo], Lorenzo De Silvestri [Fiorentina], Leonardo Bonucci [Juventus], Giorgio Chiellini [Juventus], Cristian Molinaro [Stuttgart] and Luca Antonelli [Parma]. Two more defenders will be selected with Palermo’s Cesare Bovo, Sampdoria’s Daniele Gastaldello, Cagliari’s Davide Astori and Andrea Ranocchia of Genoa fighting for selection.

In midfield, Andrea Pirlo [Milan], Daniele De Rossi [Roma], Claudio Marchisio [Juventus], Riccardo Montolivo [Fiorentina], Angelo Palombo [Sampdoria], Simone Pepe [Juventus] and perhaps Cagliari’s Andrea Lazzari are being tipped for inclusion.

Five players will be picked in attack, those being Antonio Cassano [Sampdoria], Giampaolo Pazzini [Sampdoria], Alberto Gilardino [Fiorentina], Giuseppe Rossi [Villarreal] and Fabio Quagliarella [Juventus]. Despite his decent form at Roma, Marco Borriello will apparently only be on stand-by.

The pink paper also goes as far as naming Itay’s probable starting XI for their Northern Ireland test: Viviano; Cassani, Bonucci, Chiellini, Antonelli; Montolivo, Pirlo, De Rossi; Pepe, Gilardino [Pazzini], Cassano.

[Bagg10]

They're just trying to sell papers.

[Bagg10]

Italy: Borriello earns recall
Sunday 3 October, 2010
Riccardo Montolivo has been left behind, but Italy recall Marco Borriello, Stefano Mauri, Domenico Criscito and Gianluca Zambrotta.
The Azzurri continue their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign at Windsor Park in Belfast on Friday October 8, kick-off 19.45 UK time.

They then welcome Serbia to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, commonly known as Marassi, in Genoa on Tuesday October 12. The game starts at 19.50 UK time.

The squad gets together to begin training at the Coverciano ground near Florence on Monday afternoon.

Fiorentina Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic had publicly appealed for Montolivo to be left out so that he can cure his recurring ankle injury.

Lorenzo De Silvestri has been called up by the Under-21 side for their European Under-21 Championship play-off, so Milan veteran Zambrotta gets the call instead.

Genoa defender Criscito and Lazio midfielder Mauri also return to the squad along with Roma striker Borriello.

Parma full-back Luca Antonelli and Sampdoria’s Daniele Gastaldello should find a space on the bench.

Italy won their first two qualifiers, 2-1 in Estonia and 5-0 against the Faroe Islands last month.

Goalkeepers: Viviano (Bologna), Sirigu (Palermo), Mirante (Parma);

Defenders: Cassani (Palermo), Chiellini (Juventus), Bonucci (Juventus), Criscito (Genoa), Zambrotta (Milan), Gastaldello (Sampdoria), Bovo (Palermo), Antonelli (Parma);

Midfielders: Pirlo (Milan), De Rossi (Roma), Palombo (Sampdoria), Lazzari (Cagliari), Marchisio (Juventus), Mauri (Lazio), Pepe (Juventus);

Forwards: Borriello (Roma), Cassano (Sampdoria), Gilardino (Fiorentina), Pazzini (Sampdoria), Rossi (Villarreal)

http://football-italia.net/oct03s.html

[Bagg10]

-------------------Viviano

Cassani-----Bonucci-----Chiellini----Criscito

----------De Rossi---Pirlo---Marchisio

------------Pepe----------------Cassano
---------------------Pazzini

[RomaShield27]

Gilardino out for Italy due to knee problem
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) -Center forward Alberto Gilardino has been ruled out of Italy's upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Serbia due to a left knee muscle problem.

Fullback Luca Antonelli was also sent back home shortly after arriving at the Azzurri's training camp Monday due to a bruised toe on his left foot. Coach Cesare Prandelli said he needed a couple hours to mull over who to call up as replacements.

Italy was already without goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and forward Mario Balotelli, who are each recovering from surgery. Midfielder Riccardo Montolivo was also left out of the squad, due to a more minor injury. Italy will play Northern Ireland in Belfast on Friday, then host Serbia in Genoa four days later.

[RomaShield27]

FANS PROMISE AZZURRI ROUSING RECEPTION
www.football365.com – Posted 06/10/10 07:57

Northern Ireland supporters are promising to crank up the atmosphere at ramshackle Windsor Park on Friday when former world champions Italy arrive for their Euro 2012 qualifier. The fans are in bouyant mood following the 1-0 victory against Slovenia in the opening match thanks to a vital goal from Manchester United rookie Corry Evans.

Italy, for all their experience, could be in for a daunting time at the old Belfast stadium, especially as 3,000 temporary seats have been installed following the demolition of the Railway Stand. A 14,500 capacity crowd is expected at a ground where both England and Spain have been defeated in recent times.

Gary McAllister of the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs said: "Italy's visit to Belfast is one of the most anticipated games for some time.

"A positive result would give everyone a tremendous boost for the Euro 2012 campaign. As always, the fans have an important role to play in creating another magical atmosphere.

"Let's try and get to the ground early. Sacrifice that one last drink you have with your mates before the game and save it for afterwards - we could be toasting another historic night at Windsor."

Northern Ireland captain and Fulham defender Aaron Hughes sees no reason why Northern Ireland cannot pull off another shock. Italy stumbled past Estonia in their opening match and are in a period of transition.

Hughes told www.fulhamfc.com: "At home over the last few years we've had some really good results.

"The England and Spain games will be talked about for years and we beat a lot of good teams that were ranked higher than us at home.

"Our home form is strong and we should go into the game with plenty of confidence. But it would be extremely dangerous to go into the match thinking Italy aren't what they used to be because the team is full of quality players.

"We face a tough test and we have to do everything we did against Slovenia in the first game and a little bit more." Northern Ireland follow the Italy match by travelling to the Faroe Islands for another qualifier next Tuesday.