Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo

[DavidP]

[taz]

Stefano Pioli has been appointed as manager at the Barbera.

[RomaShield27]

Well that didn't take along. He'll barely have time to get used to his new surroundings before Zamperini fires him for wearing the wrong tracksuit to training or something.

[taz]

Palermo have completed the signing of Mauro Cetto from Toulouse on a free transfer.

[taz]

Josip Ilicic and Armin Bacinovic have signed extensions to their current contracts at Palermo.

[taz]

Palermo have confirmed the capture of Eran Zahavi from Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv.

[Rory Hanna]

I'm going to try and read Zamparini...

His constant controversies and contradictions when it comes to Javier Pastore show that he is resigned to losing him.

That or he's deranged. Probably the latter.

I really like Pastore but Palermo revolve around him too much. We rely on him even when he is going through bad spells, so though I don't want him to leave, at least it would force the rest of the team to stand on their own feet.

[red]

The extent to which Zamparini has been touting Pastore around suggests he is beyond being resigned to losing him and is actually pretty keen to sell him this summer.

And are all teams who are focused on a trequartista (especially with a narrow midfield) not bound to live or die by that player?

It's one of the main reasons I dislike the 4-3-1-2 formation.

[Rory Hanna]

Yeah, you have a point. But at Inter, even when Sneijder didn't have a good game, Eto'o and Milito/Pazzini could make the best of the situation and often come out with a win. At Palermo, there's Josip Ilicic - a brilliant player - but there are no top class strikers, so if Pastore isn't on form then they really are stuck.

[RomaShield27]

Surely thats more to do with how Palermo don't quite have players of Pastore's ability in the positions around him, and so if Pastore is off form then Palermo are not as dangerous going forward. I'm a huge fan of Pastore and i think he will go on to be a great player, but for me at Palermo he often doesn't quite put the effort or desire in that he should because he knows he's indispensable and the main man and so untouchable, which is a shame to see. Certainly whenever I see him play for Argentina he looks like a different player. He plays in the midfield for them, and runs more and tracks back more.

I agree with Red that Zamparini is keen to sell him this summer. If he doesn't leave and has a disappointing season next term, he may (personally) blame that on a desire to leave, but his transfer 'value' will be halved. As it is, his current value is crazy, but not so crazy that a team wouldn't pay that much for him.

[taz]

Palermo have officially signed 20-year-old Uruguayan Ignacio Lores Varela. “This is an extraordinary opportunity for me.”

Winger Lores has completed the move from Defensor Sporting Club and signed a five-year contract this afternoon.

“I am enthusiastic at the idea of wearing the Rosanero jersey,” he told the official club website.

“This is an important and extraordinary opportunity for a young player like me. Palermo are a great side and my fellow countryman who play in Italy told me they are among the best teams.

“I’ve also heard great things about the city and the fans. It is an honour to be here.

“I can’t wait to play alongside Abel Hernandez, as he is a real hero for me and other Uruguayans.

“I also particularly admire Javier Pastore, who is phenomenal. It would be fantastic for me to play with these two champions.

“I will work hard and grow day by day to earn my place in the starting XI.”

[RomaShield27]

Palermo unveil stadium plans
– Friday 15 July, 2011

Maurizio Zamparini unveiled plans for Palermo’s new 35,000-seater stadium. “It will be a jewel.” Juventus become the first club in Serie A to own a stadium when the restructured Delle Alpi is inaugurated next month. Others are eager to follow suit, as Napoli, Lazio and Roma have already suggested similar plans, but Palermo are out in front.

“Owning the stadium is a fundamental component of modern football,” President Zamparini told ANSA news agency. “A new arena would be crucial for our future. Palermo’s new home will have 35,000 seats and it’ll be a jewel. Soon we’ll present the project in full.

“Building work will take six months, so the only thing missing is the red tape. The stadium will bring in more income that can be used to pay for itself. It’ll be a long-term investment for the club and Palermo itself.”

Zamparini has been trying to build a stadium for at least a decade, as he also saw similar plans fall to dust when he was in charge of Venezia. The patron also looked ahead to the season under new Coach Stefano Pioli, whose ideas are very different to predecessor Delio Rossi.

“We’ll have a great campaign and I hope the Pioli era is a long one. He didn’t ask me for any new buys, as he said the squad at his disposal is excellent.

“Our team will not be defensive. If anything, it’ll be more balanced. I will avoid talking to Pioli about the tactical system. I did that with Rossi, seeing as he obstinately kept playing the same way.

[taz]

Premiershit outfit Fulham have signed Pajtim Kasami from Italian club Palermo for an undisclosed fee.

The Swiss midfielder, born in June 1992, has signed until 2015 with the London club.

"Pajtim is a young talented midfielder who has potential, so we are very excited about signing him on a four year contract,” Fulham boss Martin Jol told the club’s website.

“He is a versatile midfield player who can adapt quite easily to more than one position. He is a key player in the Swiss U-21 team.

“I am delighted to have been able to add two talented young players to my squad with the signing of Kasami today and Marcel Gecov last week.

“I believe that they are going to be good additions to the squad both in the short and long term future."

Kasami, formerly of Lazio, only joined Palermo in the summer of 2010. He made 14 Serie A appearances for the Rosanero, 24 in all competitions.

Kasami is the second Serie A player to join Fulham this year after they swooped for Roma full-back John Arne Riise.

[taz]

Palermo defender Dorin Goian has signed for Glasgow Rangers following his successful medical yesterday.

The Romanian centre-back will cost the SPL side £750,000, subject to international clearance and a work permit.

“He’s very experienced, strong, aggressive, tall and definitely something we need and he will certainly be a welcome addition to the team,” insisted Rangers boss Ally McCoist.

“I think what you see is what you get. Like I say, he’s a strong aggressive defender who’ll attack the ball and win his challenges.”

Goian, who has signed a three-year deal, hopes to do well at his new club and claims his experience with Palermo will help him in Scotland.

“This is a different challenge for me, but it is a good one,” he said. “I have changed team and the country I am playing in, but I am a fighter and I know everything here is going to be okay for me.

”I hope the experiences I have had already in my career will help me to do well and be successful here.”

[red]

He'll clearly a cunt.

[RomaShield27]

Agreed. He'll probably be a hugely successful cunt for them, though.

[red]

Every chance, since the refs will allow him to throw his weight around in a way that would never be permitted in Serie A.

[taz]

Palermo have confirmed the sale of Salvatore Sirigu to French giants Paris SG.

Reports of the move gathered pace yesterday afternoon and the transfer has been made official on Thursday.

The Rosanero have released a brief note on their website which reveals that the Italian international has signed a four-year deal with PSG.

The cost of the operation has not been noted, but it is thought that Palermo will net €3.5m for the custodian.

[forzaitalia]

Palermo 2-2 Thun in the Europa League - why are Palermo so bad in Europe?

[taz]