Internazionale Main Thread III

[Lombardiamia]

[maro]

I can't remember - less than that, I think. I have a vague memory you thought 20 might be too much. I wasn't actually after that pointed a comparison - I was just wondering whether your sense of his quality had changed, whether you were more impressed with him now than you had been. I was surprised by your reservations then and was wondering if you'd been won over at all.

[Lombardiamia]

[maro]

Yes, certainly he's a real threat through the middle. He's technically a very gifted player, but he also works hard and runs off the ball and so the way he and Di Natale (and, in fact, Isla) have swapped positions has been especially effective. Playing more centrally his movement's carried more of a threat for sure.

[Messinterista]

Leonardo in PSG talks?

Inter President Massimo Moratti may have publicly backed his Coach, but there are reports that Leonardo is negotiating with PSG.

According to L’Equipe newspaper, Leo is currently in Doha holding talks with the new owner of Paris Saint-Germain.

However, it would not be to work there as a tactician, but rather as technical director, returning to the role he held at Milan before he was promoted to Coach.

Current boss Antoine Kombouaré is set to remain on the bench and was reportedly at this meeting.

It would also be a comeback in another sense, as Leonardo played for PSG in 1996-97.

This is what fuelled the Gazzetta dello Sport’s suggestions that Inter contacted Marcelo Bielsa to replace the Brazilian.

“I spoke to Leonardo. He’s on holiday in Brazil,” assured Moratti this afternoon.

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/jun14r.html

[RomaShield27]

Is Leonardo gone? Bit of a surprise, that, didn't see it coming. Marcelo Bielsa to be your new manager?

[Totally FRANK]

I haven't read all the reports but it looks like it. Leonardo wants to be a director and not a coach so it seems logical for him to take the PSG job. It could be a blessing in disguise as Leo was not tactically adept.

Any opinions on Bielsa? I know he did a good job with Chile and his teams play attacking football but haven't seen his teams in action.

[RomaShield27]

Bielsa's name was mentioned for a period as a potential new Roma manager, but I was never really keen. He's done very well with the Chilean national team in guiding them to the World Cup last year and is a bit of legend there, but I don't think he's ever worked as a manager with a club in Europe which is a bit unusual. If you were to appoint Bielsa it may tip the balance in your favour in signing a certain in-demand Chilean striker.

[Totally FRANK]

It was the same situation with Scolari when he managed a club team, Chelsea, for the first time and we all know how that went. It's not an easy switch from country to club, especially if you have no prior experience. I read we are looking at Bielsa because of Zanetti and Cambiasso's recommendation.

If Sanchez had a good relationship with Bielsa then it will definitely tip the balance in our favor but we still have to fork out the cash which, we don't seem to have.

[Lombardiamia]

Bielsa hasn't coached in Europe, but that doesn't mean he hasn't coached clubs. He's won 3 Libertadores titles and is quite a legend in Argentina. Can't judge him much but it always is a step forward on Leo..

[Messinterista]

This is exciting news. I was pretty much expecting Leo to stay for next season but if this is the case, then I can't wait for it to happen.

[Totally FRANK]

Wanted Eto’o evaluating offers
Samuel Eto’o could follow Leonardo through the Inter exit after admitting that he’s considering his Nerazzurri future.

The international striker committed himself to the Italian club towards the end of the season, but he’s now failed to rule out a summer San Siro departure.

“It is true that I have a few offers,” the former Barcelona player is quoted as saying. “I have a month off now to evaluate all of them and decide what to do.

“I’m 30, I’m close to my final big contract and we’ll have to see whether I should stay or go.

“My eventual departure is not to try to earn €100,000 or €200,000 more, what matters in my career is being happy in a city, playing for a big club where I can enjoy myself.”

Eto’o was a key player for Inter this term where he enjoyed his most prolific campaign since joining the club from La Liga in 2009.

He scored 21 goals in 35 Serie A games, eight goals in 10 Champions League matches and five goals in four Coppa Italia ties over the last 12 months.

The offers for his services are understood to have come from a number of Premiershit sides and he has admitted that he’s thought about playing his football in England.

“It’s an idea that I have had in my head for a while, it all depends on finding the right club. I’ve had offers from good teams.”

While he opened the Premiershit door, he shut the Nou Camp one. “A return to Barcelona would seem impractical, something impossible.”

Losing Eto’o would be a massive blow for Inter and President Massimo Moratti.

“I don't think any of the others will get offended if I say Eto'o has been our best player this season,” Moratti noted in May. “He's played at such a high level all year.

“In comparison it would be like taking Messi out of the Barcelona team – without him they may not have achieved everything they did."

[Messinterista]

I don't like this talk. I was happy about Leo going but we still aren’t certain about Sneijder and now Eto'o talking like this. Not comforting. I guess we are in for a long off season..

[Totally FRANK]

M_I, Eto'o wanted to extend his contract immediately after the end of this season but for reasons I am not sure he did not. As he has said he is 30 and this is probably his last chance to sign a contract with a big paycheck and IMO he is saying all this to get Inter into giving him a longer contract. If he really wants to win more than making money he will stay here rather than going to Man CIty, probably the only club who want him now. Look at his options. In the EPL, Chelsea got Torres and Liverfekkin'wankscum got Suarez/ the british dude in January. I don't think Wenger will be ready to pay 8m a season as wages. Not sure about Ferguson, the club has the money but Fergie would rather go for someone young than a 30yr old with 8m wages. He won't go back to Barca and they don't need him. Madrid is another option but he hasn't been linked to them recently. If given a chance Mourinho would jump at Drogba rather than Eto'o. Ruling out Germany and France I really don't see a viable option other than Man City.

Even if he leaves it would mean we would keep hold of Sneijder, who I think is more valuable as he is younger and finding a number 10 is rather difficult nowadays.

[Messinterista]

Inter hatch Villas-Boas plan

Rejected by Marcelo Bielsa and apparently Sinisa Mihajlovic, Inter are hatching a plan to take Andre Villas-Boas and striker Radamel Falcao from Porto.

Over the past 24 hours, the Nerazzurri have lost Coach Leonardo to his new job as director general of Paris Saint-Germain, been turned down by Bielsa due to “personal reasons” and seen Fiorentina cling to Mihajlovic.

An official statement was expected from the Viola confirming this, but it did not materialise, fuelling rumours Inter have until Monday to come in for Mihajlovic or look elsewhere.

The options are becoming increasingly limited for the Nerazzurri, who could now turn their attention towards Europa League winners Porto.

Villas-Boas is a big target for many clubs in Europe and seen as the new Pep Guardiola, having found huge success with entertaining football at the age of 33.

The Portuguese tactician has also been linked with Chelsea, among others, but has a €15m buy-out clause on his contract.

According to SportItalia and several Portuguese newspapers, that clause becomes void if Porto sell one of their top stars.

With this in mind, Inter could kill two birds with one stone by snapping up striker Falcao and therefore wiping out the cost of bringing in Villas-Boas.

It’s unclear if this is a written clause in his contract or a verbal agreement with Porto.

Villas-Boas would also be recommended to Inter by his mentor, Jose Mourinho.

The other alternatives remain England manager Fabio Capello or the out of contract Guus Hiddink, Gian Piero Gasperini and Delio Rossi.

Outside bets are ex-Roma Coach Claudio Ranieri and Zenit St Petersburg boss Luciano Spalletti.

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/jun18a.html

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If we are to spend a large sum of money this off season, it needs to be on Villas-Boas...

[Messinterista]

Blog: Leo to Loco to Chaos

Abandoned by Leonardo and apparently rejected by Marcelo Bielsa, Inter’s summer has quickly become chaotic. Rob Paton writes

Inter find themselves in a state of mid-June panic as Paris Saint-Germain tempt away Leonardo and desired successor Marcelo ‘El Loco’ Bielsa apparently turns down their advances.

Infuriated by Leonardo’s timing, and caught short by Bielsa’s apparent pre-contract with Athletic Bilbao, Massimo Moratti’s prime concern surrounds the club’s transfer strategy, one that without a Coach is left with an unclear direction.

The difference between what was targeted under Leo – he requested Real Madrid’s Kaka – and what would have been under Bielsa – energy and width in attack – highlights the influence a Coach with different thinking has on Moratti and Marco Branca’s dealings.

Whilst Bielsa has turned down the role, Inter’s decision to approach him proves interesting. At a glance similar to Leonardo with respect continuing a focus on attacking football, Bielsa still represented a fourth successive cultural shift in team management.

A divisive character similar in nature to Rafa Benitez, Bielsa could have necessitated an increase in influence returning to the role, akin to Jose Mourinho and in sharp contrast to Inter’s attempts to reclaim it under Benitez and Leonardo. More certainly he would have represented a complete refocus of tactics and the aforementioned transfer strategy to what had already begun this summer.

Such change was and remains unnecessary when considering other potential candidates for the role represent a more seamless transference, but Moratti’s desire to initiate this action, even at short notice, falls in line with another theory coming out of the club this week, that direction under Leonardo was increasingly non-desirable.

Whilst PSG’s bumper offer of technical director on a €5m contract appears as a bolt from the blue, reports in Italy indicate Leonardo’s decision to accept is as much the result of a deteriorating relationship between the Brazilian and his President. This primarily concerned the Coach’s ally and tactical advisor Angelo Castellazzi, described as ‘an important reference point’ for his ‘vision of work’. Leo wanted Castellazzi promoted to assistant Coach in place of Beppe Baresi, but where Moratti permitted his move to the bench, he refused to remove Baresi.

Alongside disagreements over bringing Kaka in – Moratti not sharing Leo’s enthusiasm – and over a contract extension – Leo wanted an extra year, Moratti said only on the condition of winning the League – Leonardo can be forgiven for jumping at the chance of moving amid clear signs of a lack of trust from his President.

This is an issue Moratti will have to address whoever he approaches for the role in the coming weeks. With Benitez and Leonardo leaving inside six months with similar rumours of discontent between themselves and both their President and factions of the dressing room, the Inter job is fast returning to what it was pre-Calciopoli, where expectations are higher and clearer than the motivation of those in place to meet them.

Moratti’s intent with both Benitez and Leonardo has been to answer with a cultural shift, but the only success to come from this has been the unsettling of the dressing room, reflected in the growing list of Nerazzurro stars linked with leaving a club.

It is otherwise questionable to consider why just 12 months on from winning a historic treble together, the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Wesley Sneijder, Douglas Maicon, Thiago Motta and Esteban Cambiasso have all intimated a desire to leave.

At the moment, with Moratti happy for significant swings in focus on the bench, his next choice looks set to only accelerate the process of losing some of those names. Pertinently then, the longer the situation without a Coach continues, the more likely that whoever does eventually arrive could be faced with a similar situation that Benitez walked into a year ago – a dressing room in need of but without adequate reinforcements.

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/blogs/rp94.html

[RomaShield27]

Villas-Boas has rejected all approaches for him so far and stated that his time at Porto is not yet done and he won't be leaving for another season or three, so I can't see it happening. Who else you could get is anyones guess.

It is a situation you need to address soon, though. I wonder if this talk of Eto, Snjeider and even Lucio perhaps leaving is coming from the fact that you have no manager, no real bossman in charge since Mourinho left.

[Totally FRANK]

Its very much possible that he will reject us again. He is just 33 and has all the time in the world to move on to bigger and better things. I think Moratti wants to give one last shot as there aren't many great coaches available on the market. Getting AVB will provide us with a solid base and will definitely make players like Eto'o and Sneijder stay.

[Messinterista]

Inter 'will announce Coach soon'

Inter general manager Ernesto Paolillo confirmed “we will announce the new Coach over the next few days,” fuelling reports it’s Sinisa Mihajlovic.

The club is desperately scrambling around for a tactician after Leonardo left to take over as director general at Paris Saint-Germain.

“We will announce the new Coach over the next few days,” revealed Paolillo this evening on Sky Sport Italia.

“We will soon tell you his name. The only thing that disappoints me is this rumour of disagreements within the club, as that is completely untrue.”

If the Nerazzurri are to make the announcement within days, then that seems to rule out Porto manager Andre Villas-Boas.

It would cost €15m to buy him out of his contract with the Europa League winners, so very difficult to complete the process quickly.

There are free agents like Delio Rossi and Gian Piero Gasperini, but everything is pointing towards Mihajlovic.

He appeared to be off the market last night when reports emerged from Fiorentina that the club was keeping hold of him, but the expected official statement did not emerge.

It’s reported that is because the Viola gave Inter until Monday to decide if Mihajlovic really was the Coach for them before releasing him from his contract.

If Fiorentina do let go of Mihajlovic, who is by no means popular among fans, then his replacement is set to be ex-Palermo Coach Rossi.

Meanwhile, Paolillo also commented on Inter’s transfer strategy for the team.

“There could be a big star signing. We are tracking a talented young player.”

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/jun18x.html

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Not happy if this is the case...

[Messinterista]

Inter fly out for Villas-Boas

There are rumours Inter director Marco Branca flew to Portugal on Saturday night for talks with Porto Coach Andre Villas-Boas.

The club needs a new tactician after Leonardo opted to become the new director general at Paris Saint-Germain.

In the last two days the Nerazzurri have been turned down by Marcelo Bielsa and Sinisa Mihajlovic.

Although Villas-Boas’ agent told Portuguese newspaper Record that he would not be interested in taking the job, it’s rumoured Inter are not giving up on Jose Mourinho’s protégé.

It is widely reported that directors Branca and Piero Ausilio flew out to Oporto on Saturday night for intensive talks with Villas-Boas.

There is a major stumbling block in that his contract with Europa League winners Porto, which runs until 2013, has a €15m buy-out clause.

It is believed this clause is void if the club sells one of their top stars, so Inter could kill two birds with one stone by signing both striker Falcao and their Coach.

In his first season at Porto, the 33-year-old tactician won the League title, Portuguese Cup, Portuguese Super Cup and the Europa League.

Source: http://www.football-italia.net/jun19c.html