THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[forzaitalia]

Great to see those pictures, particularly the last one. Shitty City can do one. My first De Rossi Roma shirt arrived a few days ago too so that would have just been the icing on the cake, had he left.

Didn't get the chance to watch the game tonight, but 3-0 winners, Osvaldo, Bradley and Destro.

[Lupa]

[DCGweez]

[maro]

Nah, gio, you got the wrong end of the stick about my attitude to DDR ages ago because you misunderstood one of my posts (about the effect of the uncertainty over his future on the rest of the squad). De Rossi's long been my favourite player and I was the one this time last year saying that if he left, I was through. I just like to keep a check on the deluded sentimentality that comes out at such times (though not at all in your post here). I don't think DDR's ever shown feigned loyalty or less than honest motives - I think he's conducted himself like a professional who also loves Rome and Roma. Selfishness is just a synonym for professionalism in this sort of context. His loyalty to the club was an important element in his deciding to renew his contract; clearly, though, it was hardly the only or over-riding factor. He's too much of a professional for that.

I agree that Shitty's money is an emblem of what's ruining the sport, but I also think it's only an emblem of a much wider malaise - I'm not sure their spending is all that much worse than Spalletti's leaving Udinese to come to Roma having just finished however many places ahead of Roma in the table and qualified for the CL. Spags's move was a measure of the realities of calcio, of the entrenched imbalance which means that Roma is a bigger club, with bigger resources, and so is in a position with which, realistically, long-term, Udinese couldn't possibly compete. If you compare that to the way sports with salary-caps work, for instance, the contrast is pretty sharp. The financial imbalances within the game are huge; Roma still benefits more from them than it suffers, I should think. And so, then, if De Rossi were to be sold, it'd just be another measure of this professionalism - it will happen only if it's seen to make commercial/sporting sense for player and club alike and so would be no different from the shedding of Aquilani, Bovo, Mexes, Mancini, Chivu, Pizarro, Juan, Riise, Borriello . . . . It's just that it would make it harder for some Romanisti to continue to cling to their precious myth of 'Roman exceptionalism'.

DDR, so far as I can see, has always conducted himself as an exemplary professional - which is simultaneously a compliment to him and an indictment of the game.

[maro]

ror:

[RomaShield27]

Roma new signing Marquinhos at Gemelli for his medical. Interview with him .



With him and Nico Lopez in our line-up we're sure to scare the shit out of any opposition.

Highlights of last nights win over Aris here, including the Curva and post-game interviews:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsxdor ... mbediframe

Photos of match here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 457&type=1

Presentazione of Piris, Balzaretti, Destro and De Rossi:



from the Gazzetta which says De Rossi will have a conferenza stampa on Tuesday.

Verre scored in his debut for Siena in the 4-2 win over Vicenza in the Coppa Italia (via ).

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Check out the and sign up for the new season of the Prediction League, always a good laugh, plus some special prizes on offer for the winner.

And make .

[RomaShield27]

Confirmed, DDR conferenza stampa tomorrow at 3pm CET. No doubt to put an end to all this rubbish talk. This says he has said no to a transfer anyway:

DE ROSSI: SARÀ ANCORA ROMA – Megaofferta dal City, Daniele dice no
/
20/08/12

Per martedì è attesa l'ufficialità, in conferenza stampa, ma Daniele De Rossi sembra avere già deciso, l'abbraccio del popolo romanista lo ha convinto a rimanere nella sua Roma. I Citizens sono pronti a far pervenire a Trigoria un'offerta allettante, 35 milioni di euro, più un contratto di 4 anni a 9 milioni di euro per il giocatore, ma le sensazioni dopo il clima allo stadio fanno pensare che Capitan Futuro giurerà di nuovo amore ai giallorossi.

Il boato dell'Olimpico quando lo speaker annuncia il suo nome, deve avergli fatto venire i brividi, un boato per una volta maggiore dell'amico e compagno Totti. Quella di domenica era la sua notte e i tifosi glielo hanno fatto capire immediatamente; "De Rossi non si tocca" tuona la Curva Sud e Daniele risponde salutando, applaudendo e confermando tutto il suo amore per Roma. Nemmeno Zeman ci sta all'assalto del City, e dopo aver confermato di aver ricevuto una chiamata da Roberto Mancini, che gli chiedeva apertamente De Rossi, conferma la centralità del giocatore nel progetto: "La società non mi ha chiesto nessun parere, sanno già che De Rossi è fondamentale, sono certo che rimarrà". Tutto sembra portare ad una riconferma di De Rossi a Roma, ma per l'ufficialità occorre aspettare la conferenza di martedì, visto che il mercato è sempre imprevedibile e le sterline del City mettono sempre paura.

Daily Mail are still spouting on about a move:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... njury.html

[DCGweez]

[RomaShield27]

Another one gone. Okaka sold to Parma, and immediately loaned out to Spezia.

AS ROMA: CEDUTO OKAKA A TITOLO DEFINITIVO AL PARMA CHE LO GIRA ALLO SPEZIA
http://romanews.eu / Lunedì 20 Agosto 2012 - ore 17:40

COMUNICATO STAMPA - L'AS Roma SpA rende noto di aver sottoscritto il contratto con il Parma FC per la cessione a titolo definitivo e gratuito dei diritti alle prestazioni sportive del calciatore Stefano Okaka. Dopo la formalizzazione delll'accordo tra Roma e Parma, lo Spezia ha ufficializzato che il giocatore arriva con la formula del prestito secco. Sarà già da questo pomeriggio a disposizione di Serena.

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You can buy tickets for Roma games now through the Roma website, although it still goes through listicket.it (which is an alright service), but nevertheless its good to have them for sale in an organised manner on the official site. Still can't by tickets for away games though.

http://www.asroma.it/en/schedule_result ... ingmatches

[stefano]

[Lupa]

I wasn't being purely sentimental with my comments about De Rossi yesterday. I think it would be a bad business decision to sell him. Who else on Roma is in their prime right now? If he were easily replaced, then surely Mancini wouldn't be pursuing him so ardently, as he could just choose someone else. Incidentally, when did they lift the rules about contacting players that are under contract to another team, or is it okay because they have contacted Roma?

There is also the symbolic value of De Rossi, not just as a Roman Roma player, but wouldn't that mean we were admitting we really are fully in rebuilding mode?

[Italiamia]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/mark ... nited.html

[RomaShield27]

2012/13 SEASON: THE FIRST TEAM’S SQUAD NUMBERS
/ 08/20/2012

Below is the official list, announced by the club, regarding the squad numbers that the Giallorossi players will wear for the upcoming season:

1 Lobont
4 Bradley
5 Castan
7 Marquinho
8 Lamela
9 Osvaldo
10 Totti
11 Taddei
12 Borriello
14 Bojan
15 Pjanic
16 De Rossi
17 Lopez
20 Perrotta
22 Destro
23 Piris
24 Stekelenburg
26 Tallo
27 Dodò
29 Burdisso
42 Balzaretti
46 Romagnoli
47 Lucca
48 Florenzi
55 Svedkauskas
77 Tachtsidis

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No 2 or 3, means more full-backs to come? Castan gets 5, Nico Lopez 17. No 18 or 19. Destro requested 22 from Gayhair, who gave it to him, and takes 12. Stek only 24, Lobont keeps 1. Why is Balzaretti 42 (when 2 and 3 are available)? Florenzi 48.

[maro]

[RomaShield27]

What, colours?

[maro]

?? 42.

And so the vultures circle - around De Rossi, Pjanic, Osvaldo, Bojan . . . . If we make it to the end of the window with all the pieces intact it will have been a coherent summer. If.

[Lupa]

Maybe either Balzaretti or maro has synesthesia.

It will be interesting to see if the team is able to resist all these vultures. I imagine one of those four won't still be here at the end of August.

[RomaShield27]

And what colour is 42? Give me an example.

Spurs after Pjanic as replacement for Modric. Apparently, with DDR staying, Pjanic is surplus to requirements and Zeman needs to sell before he can buy, so says the . Bah, is the mercato over yet? Although a Bojan-Mexes swap is interesting.

[maro]

[maro]

1. Read your Pythagoras.
2. Mexes is fat, unprofessional, finished.
3. The Daily Mail is the tribalfootball of the printed press.