SSC Napoli

[RomaShield27]

LAVEZZI NEL MIRINO DEL CHELSEA
www.romanews.eu – pubblicata lunedì 6 ottobre 2008

Secondo quanto riportato dal quotidiano inglese Daily Mirror, Ezequiel Lavezzi è nel mirino del Chelsea e del suo tecnico Felipe Scolari, per dare maggiore imprevedibilità al gioco del club londinese. Alcuni osservatori dei Blues avrebbero visionato l'attaccante del Napoli e sarebbero pronti a fare un'offerta di circa 13 milioni di euro per portare il giocatore in Inghilterra già a gennaio.

According to the Mirror, Scolari is a big fan of Lavezzi and will make a €13m bid for him in January.

[tonykart]

Bye Bye Lavezzi.

[Amedio]

[tonykart]

[RomaShield27]

Blues warned off Lavezzi
Italians says striker is going nowhere

www.skysports.com – Last updated: 6th October 2008

Napoli have warned Chelsea off making a move for striker Ezequiel Lavezzi. Reports on Monday suggested Chelsea were lining up a move for the 23-year-old as they look to bolster their attacking options.

Lavezzi has established himself as one of the best prospects in Europe after impressing at the San Paolo since arriving from San Lorenzo last summer. Napoli are keen to keep the Argentine and sporting director Pierpaolo Marino insists the forward is not for sale.

"We have not received any offers for Lavezzi," Marino told Corriere Dello Sport.

"If they(Chelsea) are thinking of making an offer, they might as well forget about doing so because we will reject it straight away. Lavezzi is not for sale at any price."

Lavezzi is under contract at Napoli contract until 2012 and the Serie A side are determined to keep hold of their best players.

[tonykart]

[Amedio]

[tonykart]

Fabio would solidify that Napoli D.

[RomaShield27]

[tonykart]

Oh yeah I forgot. I should not post unless it is a gay inside joke. Sorry, I haven't been on here in such a long time that I forgot how gay you guys are. I will make sure if I see the same thing in another thread I will be sure to make a pointless post like you. Thanks for your intelligence. I feel full now.

[RomaShield27]

Lets have a think for a sec about how "Fabio would solidify that Napoli D", shall we, TK? Fabio Cannavaro, a World Cup winner widely regarded as one of the best defenders of this generation, currently playing at a the highest level at Real Madrid, and although he may be past his very best, there is no doubt he would "solidify" that Napoli D, alright, and add valuable experience a relatively young Napoli side. Your post, TK, was, em, how shall I put it, a tad bid on the obvious side, don't ya think?!

It was merely a sarcastic observation on my part, I see no "gay inside joke", as you put it, and if you can't take it in the spirit it was intended its not my fault. You seem to be getting into a lot of petty fights and disagreements with a lot of users here lately, TK, maybe you should sit back and have a think about why that is, and why you bother coming back here at all with such an attitude.

[Messinterista]

Cannavaro plans Real stay - Defender denies Napoli return rumours

Fabio Cannavaro has rejected reports linking him with a move away from Real Madrid.

Reports have suggested Cannavaro could return to former club Napoli to end his illustrious career.

However, the Italy World Cup winning captain insists he is happy at Real and would be interested in extending his contract with the Spanish titans.

"I want to renew my contract with Real Madrid. I'm very settled and I expect to talk to the club to resolve everything before the end of the year," Cannavaro told AS.

"I don't want to leave because I am happy here and my family is enjoying life in Madrid.

"I want to win the Champions League with this team and only then could I leave calmly."

Source: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 88,00.html

[RomaShield27]

Hamšík the pick of the Napoli crop
www.uefa.com – Tuesday 21 October 2008

Boasting one of the best haircuts in modern football and an exciting array of tattoos, Marek Hamšík has been feted in his home land as the Slovakian David Beckham, and is on the verge of superstardom in Italy with SSC Napoli.

'Strongest weapon'
Just 21, the midfielder is Napoli's top scorer this season with four goals, the last of them helping his side earn a 2-1 win against Juventus – a result which for the first time in 16 years put his side top of the table, albeit only for 24 hours. "My goal?" said Hamšík. "I simply used my strongest weapon – my ability to find the best place to put my shot. I was on target again."

Exceptional skills
For those who have watched the Banska Bystrica-born player since he was a teenager, these skills are nothing new. Skilled with both feet and possessing a powerful shot, he continues to improve, with former Bologna FC and Juventus coach Luigi Maifredi saying of him: "He is a world-class player. I believe he is good enough to win the Ballon d'Or one day."

'A true professional'
Hamšik joined Brescia Calcio from ŠK Slovan Bratislava at the age of 17 and impressed Napoli enough to tempt them to pay €7m for him in July 2007, to make him their second most expensive signing after Argentinian legend Diego Maradona. "He is an exceptional player – a true professional," said club president Aurelio De Laurentiis with evident pride.

'They love me here'
Chelsea FC were said to have taken a close interest in him this summer, prompting Napoli sporting director Pierpaolo Marino to tell one Italian newspaper: "We blocked Chelsea's efforts to get him. Now everybody knows that we want him to stay with us." Not least Hamšik himself, who said: "They love me here. Napoli has fantastic fans."

Style icon
"When I came here from Brescia, a thousand fans waited for me and chanted my name," added the stylish Hamšik who counts clothes shopping and tennis among his off-pitch hobbies. "It was thrilling. I made a good decision to go there." It is a decision that is undoubtedly paying off for Slovakia too. Some questioned his form with the national team earlier in his career, but he has been one of the driving forces as Slovakia won three of their opening four FIFA World Cup qualifiers to move to the top of Group 3. Hamšik's trademark celebration of running to the corner flag stroking his hair could yet grace the 2010 World Cup.

[Messinterista]

Pandev has no fear of Napoli

Lazio striker Goran Pandev isn't scared of facing Napoli on Sunday and demands better after last weekend's loss to Bologna.

After a superb start to the season, Lazio were unexpectedly humbled by lowly Bologna 3-1.

But Macedonian marksman Pandev insists that the Biancocelesti are still confident ahead of a tough trip to Napoli's Stadio San Paolo.

“The good thing about football is that there's always another Sunday,â€

[RomaShield27]

Napoli's film producer owner could not have written a better script for his team's rise up the table
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog ... blog-italy



Now all Napoli need is a cheesy love story and a dodgy cameo from Pele. Or maybe Ally McCoist. Speaking to a Gazzetta hack earlier this week, Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis opined that his team's attack-minded 3-5-2 formation was "like something from a movie". That 3-5-2 had been abandoned in favour of 4-4-2 by the end of yesterday's 1-0 win at Lazio, as Partenopei manager Edy Reja sought to defend his side's lead, but De Laurentiis will have been more than satisfied with the Serie A plot twists that saw his team go joint-top of the table.

"The Napoli fairytale continues," writes Ruggiero Palombo in this morning's Gazzetta dello Sport, and even De Laurentiis - one of Italy's most prominent film producers - must wonder if he could have scripted his team's resurgence any better than this. When he bought the club for €29.25m in 2004, he acquired a team that had just been relegated from Serie B after being declared bankrupt with debts of over €70m. The league agreed to reinstate them in Serie C1 after his takeover, but they had no equipment, no training ground, and, most crucially, no players.

With the help of Pierpaolo Marino, whom he immediately appointed as the team's sporting director, De Laurentiis threw together a team in the space of 15 days ready for the start of the season. In January 2005 they appointed Edy Reja, a man who had managed nearly 20 different teams without ever staying at any for more than three years, as their manager. After losing a promotion play-off to Avellino at the end of the 2004-05 season, Reja led them to back-to-back promotions in the next two years.

Remarkably, Reja was considered one of the favourites for the sack at the beginning of this season despite having led Napoli to an eighth-place finish in their first season in Serie A. Having invested in players such as Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsík and Walter Gargano ahead of their return to the top flight, De Laurentiis was unimpressed that his team had only scraped into the Uefa Cup via the Intertoto Cup. After the season, he made it clear that the Uefa Cup must only be seen as a stepping-stone to greater things.

But Reja remained and De Laurentiis has more recently been heard declaring that the manager "must stay here for the rest of his life". Such over-exuberance can be excused. Napoli hadn't been top of Serie A at the end of a round of fixtures (they were top briefly last weekend, but only because they were playing their seventh game a day earlier than most teams) since the opening weekend of the 1994-95 season.

Reja's tactics have been vindicated by results and his three-man defence has held together admirably despite injuries to several starters, as well as constant barbs from the local reporters who maintain the team will get nowhere playing 3-5-2. Goalkeeper Gennaro Iezzo deserves credit - Napoli are yet to lose this season when he plays - though he had to leave yesterday's game with a back complaint, and it was his replacement Nicolás Navarro who preserved the result by palming a Goran Pandev effort onto the bar.

Perhaps most deserving of praise, however, is Marino - who takes ultimate responsibility for the club's transfers. For all De Laurentiis did invest last summer, his spending appeared more lavish than it really was because Marino used the money wisely. The capture of Lavezzi, responsible once again for Napoli's best play yesterday, at close to €5.5m was one of the most inspired pieces of business the league had seen in years. The outlay was more modest before this season, but Argentinian striker German Denis, who has scored four goals in all competitions so far also looks a snip at €6.3m.

Nevertheless, at some point level-headedness is required and Reja, who had never previously beaten Lazio, may have made a rod for his own back by declaring in the week before the game that the Champions League would become the target if Napoli could get a win at the Stadio Olimpico. Napoli have overcome a tricky fixture list to reach this point having lost just once, and it certainly bodes well that they have already played five away games. Last year they won just three times all season in the league away from the San Paolo, and this term they have done so twice already.

But Serie A is a competitive league right now - and Napoli are one of seven or eight teams capable of beating any other on their day, but just as capable of being beaten. They were second-best to Lazio for most of the first-half yesterday and could easily have been several goals behind before Sebastiano Siviglia deflected Lavezzi's cross past his own goalkeeper in the 61st minute. Mauro Zarate, in particular, was profligate for Lazio, though he was also the source of most of their best play.

"We need to stay calm, with our feet on the ground, because this is a very difficult and balanced league," reflected Lavezzi after the win. De Laurentiis would do well to listen to his leading man. Napoli are right to be pleased with their start, but there is a long way to go yet.

Round eight talking points

• What was that about Inter running away with it? Genoa hadn't kept a clean sheet in their last 29 away games but they did just that against Inter at the San Siro and might consider themselves unfortunate to have left with a 0-0 draw. "I want my players to do what I tell them to," muttered a livid Jose Mourinho afterwards. "Perhaps a few of them don't know who I am yet."

• After a pleasingly quiet first seven weeks, this was the round when the standard of refereeing in Serie A once again became a talking point. Fiorentina's Alberto Gilardino got away with scoring a goal with his hand against Palermo, while Corriere dello Sport's Alessandro Vocalelli was livid over some of the decisions made by Massimiliano Saccani during Roma's 3-1 defeat at Udinese. "A non-existent penalty against [Roma], a clear penalty denied to [Roma forward Mirko] Vucinic," he raved in a front-page editorial. "It is hard to keep getting back on your feet when every time you do they are swept from underneath you."

• However they got there, Udinese are also now joint-top alongside Inter and Napoli on 17 points. Whether or not they have the consistency to maintain their current form - last year they fell late in the season after a bright start - remains to be seen, but with manager Pasquale Marino picking three from four of Simone Pepe, Antonio Di Natale, Antonio Floro Flores and Fabio Quagliarella up front, they will always be one of the most fun teams to watch.

• Milan and Fiorentina have quietly snuck up the table these past few weeks and now both sit just one point behind the leaders. That said Milan were fortunate to beat an Atalanta, who outplayed them for most of the game, and manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted afterwards that the Orobici "didn't deserve defeat".

Results: Atalanta 0-1 Milan, Cagliari 2-0 Chievo, Inter 0-0 Genoa, Juventus 1-0 Torino, Lazio 0-1 Napoli, Palermo 1-3 Fiorentina, Reggina 2-0 Lecce, Sampdoria 2-0 Bologna, Siena 1-1 Catania, Udinese 3-1 Roma

[Carlo Romano]

Shield, though I'd much prefer to see a Roma side truly living up to our nick of la magica dominate Serie A, I too have to say it's a breath of fresh air to see some of the provincial teams get a shot of being in front, particularly a southern side like Napoli!

Of course we all see the gaps which have appeared amongst the recognised leaders because of Juve and Roma both mis-firing, allowing the likes of Napoli, Udinese, Fiorentina, and Catania in and though it's easy to assume that Inter will retake top spot, there are rumours of Mou and some players not seeing eye to eye which won't help them if true...

Still, for the good of the Italian game a little variety won't hurt! The only down side is that at the moment these sides are not ready to represent Italy in European competition at top level.

[RomaShield27]

I agree Carlo, despite our clubs traditional rivalry with Napoli, it is good to see them doing well and progressing as a club. Serie A needs the competition and this young and exciting Napoli side are certainly providing that, and they're probably even too much competition for Roma at the moment the ways things are going for us. And I think its a bit unfair to say Napoli weren't ready for European competition this season, they were unlucky to be drawn against a very experienced Benfica side and were unlucky not to beat them.

[Carlo Romano]

Shield, yes, they were indeed unfortunate in not progressing in the Uefa Cup and if Napoli can retain their present form and Reja doesn't have too many injury problems to contend with, then by the season's end logic tells us there will be an increase in attendances, season ticket buyers, and money to strengthen the squad which should see them ready to launch a Euro campaign which will truly put them back on the map!

Interesting today to see the fans petitioned the club to have the No10 shirt which as you know was retired in honour of the ex pibe d'oro Maradona, reinstated and given to Lavezzi!

I'd like to think this was at least as much influenced by Lavezzi's good play as by the resurgence of the Maradona name in his having being appointed Argentina head coach...

[RomaShield27]

[Messinterista]

Maradona Promises To Pick From Napoli

Argentina coach Diego Maradona has promised Napoli that he will go back to the club and pick players from the Partenopei team for his national side...

The 1986 World Cup winner spent five memorable years in the port city where he is still adored today.

El Pibe d'Or insists he will be visiting the team soon, not just to relive past glories but to think about German Denis and Ezequiel Lavezzi as potential candidates for his squad.

"I know Napoli very well," said Maradona as reported by Calciomercato.com.

"I know they are first in the league and that Denis scored a hat-trick the other night. I'm also aware that Lavezzi is driving the fans crazy.

"From now on I will be following Napoli not just because of my past with them but also because of my interest as the national team coach of Argentina. This is not just a promise, it is my duty."

The former hit-man has also hit out at his critics who don't believe he is the right man for the job.

"What I don't like is all these people saying that I know nothing. They say I don't know football and I don't know about team spirit. I don't like any of this talk at all," concluded the legend.

Source: http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=941823