Lega Serie A – General Discussion

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Soccer-Federation hopes to halt Serie A breakaway
Wed May 13, 2009 11:11am – By Paul Virgo

* Italy should not import foreign models, says Albertini

* Serie A's Champions League failure a worry

ROME, May 13 - The Italian soccer federation (FIGC) hopes its mediation can help prevent Serie A breaking away from Serie B, vice-president Demetrio Albertini said. Last month all but one of the top flight's 20 clubs said they had held discussions about starting a 'Serie A League' after failing to reach an agreement with the second tier Serie B over financial arrangements. Some club presidents said the move is now just a matter of time, but the split has not yet been made official and threats of a breakaway in the past did not come to fruition.

"The federation is seeking to maintain the current situation," the former Italy midfielder told Reuters. "Whether the decision is to split or stay together, it will be a legitimate one. But at the moment the federation must do all it can to make Serie A and Serie B have dialogue and it is."

Several Serie B sides have recently encountered financial problems and a split may make their situations worse.

For their part, the top-flight clubs have watched enviously as the Premiershit, which has prospered since breaking from England's three other professional divisions in 1992, has enjoyed more success with transfers and in the Champions League.

But Albertini said Italy should not try to import foreign football models wholesale. "The characteristics of football are different in every country. You cannot just take the English model and apply it to Italy, where we have always done well," he said.

"I think the national identity should be maintained. We are in the European Union so there is the free circulation of players. We have lots of good foreigners in Italy. We have just as many very good Italians and we are still world champions. "So I think our football model is one to defend and, above all, exploit to the full."

YOUNG PLAYERS
However, the former AC Milan player acknowledged the failure of Italian clubs in the Champions League this term was worrying.

"If a nation that is used to going all the way does not have a team in the quarter-finals, it's an alarm bell," he said. "But in the last 20 years Italian teams have reached the final 13 times and two years ago Milan were European champions. "It's true that, in my opinion, English teams are playing more advanced football than us, but we're not so far behind."

The 37-year-old, who also played for Atletico Madrid and Barcelona before retiring from the game in 2005, would like to see Serie A coaches follow the lead of their English and Spanish colleagues by giving more chances to young players.

"It's one of our faults," said Albertini, who made his Milan debut aged 17. "In Italy they often want the already formed, perfect player immediately, while abroad teams have lower average ages. "Sometimes we view them as youngsters when really we should evaluate them as players or for the potential they can express."

He would especially like to see Milan rejuvenate. "There's a lot of talent at Milan, which was shown by the 2007 Champions League victory," said Albertini, who was part of the Milan team that destroyed Barcelona 4-0 in the 1994 final.

"But it's also true they have almost never been in the Serie A title race in the last three or four seasons. So they are less consistent, perhaps because some players are a few years older."

Albertini, though, was enthusiastic about 34-year-old England midfielder David Beckham's arrival at the San Siro. "Beckham has had a very positive impact," he said. "It was sometimes portrayed as a media move but, with great humility, he has shown he is still a good player."

(Editing by Alison Wildey; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Abete leads fractured Lega Calcio
Thursday 28 May, 2009 – http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_ ... ay28q.html

As the Lega Calcio prepares to split into a Premiership-style system, Giancarlo Abete has been appointed to lead them through the process.
The Lega Calcio – a union of Serie A and B clubs – made an historic decision to break away into two tiers, much the same way the Premiershit split off in 1992.

That vote came as they failed to elect a new President, so now the clubs have agreed to put current FIGC chief Abete in charge as a caretaker.

“We all agreed with this nomination,â€

[Carlo Romano]

Ed, I noticed Zamparini's comment on this split was to the effect of "it's the best of a bunch of bad options!" Where would Calcio be without its "characters?"


Like Gaucci, once of Perugia...

[ricky2882]

[tonykart]

Will Rosina leave Toro since they have been relegated? Rolando Bianchi?

[ricky2882]

[tonykart]

[Carlo Romano]

I don't say I agree 100% with Carlo Garganese's selection as the season's best XI of Serie A. I will say however that it's certainly a formidable line-up by anyone's standards. What I'll also say is I'm alarmed that with each passing season, the amount of stranieri chosen over italiani just grows and grows. There are only 2 Italian names in this list! The sooner the better Uefa impliment their new rulings on a 5 or 6 minimum home grown players per team per country the better...now that they have discovered there is no infringement of EEC regulations.


http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/86/italy ... on-2008-09

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Beijing's Bird's Nest to host Italian Super Cup
Tue Jun 9, 2009 11:06am BST

MILAN, June 9 - The Italian Super Cup will be played at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium on August 8, the Italian League said on Tuesday.

Officials had already announced the match between league champions Inter Milan and Italian Cup winners Lazio would be held in the Chinese capital but it has now been decided to use the Olympic Stadium after weeks of uncertainty.

The pre-season curtain raiser will kick off at 8 p.m. Chinese time, eight minutes short of a year since the Olympic Opening Ceremony started in the distinctive stadium.

"The date and time assume an important significance which has been recognised by the Italian league and Italian football," a statement said.

Italian soccer chiefs are playing the game abroad in a bid to increase global interest in Serie A, which has suffered in comparison with the English and Spanish leagues in recent years.

The sale of AC Milan's Kaka to Real Madrid on Monday was another blow to the status of the Italian league.

The Super Cup was due to be played in the United States last year but the plan fell through. It has previously been hosted in the U.S. and Libya.

[Carlo Romano]

Lippi on Kakà, stranieri, and the Wednesday friendly...

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_ ... jun9u.html

[tonykart]

Villarreal Striker Giuseppe Rossi 'Dreams' Of Serie A Return

The former Red Devil would like to secure a move to Italy...

Giuseppe Rossi has been a key player for Villarreal over the past couple of seasons, but has admitted that his ultimate desire is to return to Serie A.

"Italian football was wrong to let me go? Well, you cannot ask me," he responded when questioned by journalists while on international duty ahead of the Confederations Cup, according to tuttomercatoweb.

"I will only say that to return to Italy is my dream."

This is a follow-up on Azzurri coach Marcello Lippi's recent statement, which suggested that all players on the national team should be plying their trade in Serie A.

The press in Italy have suggested that Rossi may return to the peninsula this summer after Villarreal missed out on next season's Champions League, with Inter and Genoa as interested parties.

The 22-year-old last played in Italy in 2007 on a successful loan-spell at Parma from Manchester United, when he scored nine goals in 19 appearances.

[Carlo Romano]

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New ball for all Lega Calcio competitions next season:



http://milano.repubblica.it/multimedia/home/6684191

[tonykart]

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Financial crisis hammers lower league clubs in Italy
Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:00pm BST – By Mark Meadows

MILAN, July 13 - At least four third-tier Italian clubs will not take part in this season's championship because of financial difficulties, soccer federation president Giancarlo Abete said on Monday. Treviso and Venezia, who have both played in Serie A in the last decade, and relegated Serie B clubs Pisa and Avellino failed to give sufficient economic guarantees to authorities.

"They will not enter next season. In these important places for our football, it is now crucial to find businessmen who can breathe new life into the clubs and keep finances balanced," Abete told Italian radio.

Other professional clubs in Italy's third division, now known as Lega Pro rather than Serie C, are at risk of dropping out, officials have said.

Authorities hope any clubs forced to drop out will be able to carry on playing in amateur leagues, but dozens of players who want to stay professional are now seeking work.

Several Italian clubs encountered financial problems in the last few years even before the global economic crisis.

Top flight sides Fiorentina and Napoli went bankrupt and were reformed in the lower leagues before rising back up the ladder.

Officials have been trying to make Italian clubs more financially secure for years but the head of bourse regulator Consob said it had been a mistake for some of them to list on the stock exchange.

Listed AS Roma have suffered from a cash shortage and attempts to strike a deal with prospective buyers have continually failed.

The share price has fluctuated widely and prosecutors have subsequently opened probes into possible market manipulation.

"I believe that listing soccer clubs has been and remains an error," Lamberto Cardia told reporters.

"The enthusiastic declaration of a fan or a match that goes well or goes badly is enough to make the shares jump up or down."

Juventus are also listed on Milan's bourse. (Editing by Kevin Fylan; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Financially strapped Italian clubs pushed out of Serie B
– 15 Jul, 09 | Italy | Finance

Cash flow problems have caused several third-tier Italian clubs to opt out of this year’s Serie B competition. The news was revealed by Italian Soccer Federation President Giancarlo Abete earlier this week and reiterated by Reuters. Abete spoke to an Italian radio station, confirming that at least four clubs have no choice but to withdraw from the competition.

Faced with financial obstacles, Treviso, Venezia, Pisa and Avellino could not provide the necessary guarantees to authorities, leaving the door open for new investment sources. Speaking candidly, Abete noted that the clubs have reached a point where ‘new life’ is crucial, with officials suggesting that other teams could be faced with the same predicament.

The situation has left several professional players jobless, while authorities hope that the clubs will continue to take part in amateur leagues. Even top level Italian clubs Fiorentina and Napoli have experienced bankruptcy, forcing them to make fresh starts in the lower leagues before regaining their strength.

According to Lamberto Cardia, listing soccer clubs on the stock exchange was one of the mistakes to be implemented in the Italian sport, pointing out that a simple match can cause the shares to fluctuate.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - 2009 All rights reserved.

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Blog: Who’s the boss?
– Tuesday 21 July, 2009

Serie A is a level playing field, isn’t it? The Leonardo-Gennaro Ruotolo saga has convinced Steve Wilson that there is one rule for the big boys and another for the minnows

When Serie A kicks off in August there will be some clubs who have a better chance of success because their financial situation has allowed them to buy better players. Some clubs will fare better at home because they have a bigger fan base than their rivals. These, though, are factors affecting individual clubs based on their history and geography, surely no side will be getting a helping hand thanks to rules made by the Italian authorities?

You would think that would be the case, wouldn’t you? But anyone looking at the recent situation involving Milan and Livorno, and their two Coaches, may beg to differ. The Rossoneri appointed former player, and ex-Brazilian international, Leonardo over the summer. The Tuscan side handed a member of their alumni, Gennaro Ruotolo, the reins in May and he guided them out of Serie B via the play-offs. Neither have the coaching badges needed to boss a club in Serie A.

However, due to FIGC rules, only one of them has been granted dispensation to begin the new season at the helm of his side. Which one do you think it is – the high-profile Brazilian taking over the world-famous club or the workmanlike Italian struggling to make his mark in the game at a regional underdog? You don’t need me to fill you in, I think you can guess the answer to the question.

So why are the two novice tacticians treated differently? Simple answer, because Leonardo has played at a World Cup. True, he did very well in World Cup football – winning in 1994 – while Ruotolo managed just one cap for Italy in the Scania 100 tournament in 1991. Nevertheless, both men are going to have to get the relevant badges they need, so why not let both continue in the roles until they have earned them?

This flawed ruling means that should, say for example, a superstar Italian player like Paolo Di Canio and veteran Australian ‘keeper Zeljko Kalac both apply for jobs coaching, before taking the relevant courses, Di Canio would be turned down while the Aussie would be given the thumbs up simply because he played one game at the 2006 World Cup. Forget the years and years of experience a candidate has actually playing in Serie A.

What about Kalac’s cross-city rival Julio Cesar? In the unlikely event that he was not called up by Brazil next summer, he could end his career with only an unused substitute appearance in the World Cup section of his CV. Would that be enough for him to get by if he had aspirations of coaching Inter? Sure, a Coach should have the relevant badges before taking over, but if one club are going to be allowed to flout that rule then all clubs should be given the chance.

The rule which has let Leo in smacks of favouring the big clubs. On a balance, a player who has played at a World Cup is more likely to want to boss a prestigious side. Meanwhile, a grafting Italian – who gave almost 700 League appearances to the peninsula in a 24-year career – is blocked from earning the valuable experience that could help him take the first steps to becoming the next Marcello Lippi or Fabio Capello.

Instead we have a 70-year-old veteran in Vittorio Russo leading the Amaranto into battle next season. But will he actually be in charge? Ruotolo has been appointed his assistant and while officially Russo is the No 1, who would be surprised if it was his No 2 that was picking the team and calling the shots? So a puppet Coach lines up alongside another who has seemingly got through the red tape thanks to his name and reputation – only in Italy.

[Carlo Romano]

I was so glad to read today that Dossena is leaving the EPL and returning to Italy to play for Napoli. But it doesn't make up for the disappointment I feel about Rosina, once considered a real star in the making, being almost certain to go to Russia. His price has dropped from an estimated €18mil to around €6.5mil! It just shows what can happen when a player passes up the chance to move on from a club when he could and should have...in his case, before il granata hit hard times!

http://www.football-italia.net/jul27u.html

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