AC Milan general spiel 2.0

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goalkeeper Marco Storari and he arrives on a loan basis until the end of the season, the club have announced.

A statement on their official website reads:

"U.C Sampdoria S.p.A communicates to have acquired the temporary sporting rights of Marco Storari from Milan. The goalkeeper, who will take the number 30 jersey, will train for the first time with the rest of the team at Bogliasco this afternoon."

Storari is on his way to Genoa and he is looking forward to the move.

"I am going there now to sign. I want to thank Milan for this chance," he told Sky Sport Italia.

Earlier, Sampdoria president Riccardo Garrone had hinted at a deal when he told the press, "There is a good chance that we will sign Storari."

The glovesman arrives as an alternative to the injured Luca Castellazzi who is out for at least 45 days with a ligament tear to his left knee which he sustained last week against Napoli.
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Haha nice one Galliani, lied to us all again by saying he wont be leaving!

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Just who exactly is Milan's number one these days, anyway, when they are all fit? Milan need to stop farting around with all these old journeyman jokers and splash some cash on someone decent like Akinfeev. Or Doni.

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BONERA TO MAKE SERIE A RETURN


AC Milan defender Daniele Bonera is relishing Sunday's Serie A clash with Siena as it represents his first league game after almost a year on the sidelines. Bonera made his long-awaited return to action in midweek, playing the first half of Milan's Coppa Italia victory over Novara. It was his first appearance since the beginning of March and he is delighted to be back in action.

"After a period in which I was training with the squad I also came back in an official match," Bonera told Milan Channel. "It was important for me, above all because the feelings that a game gives you are unique.

"You more or less do all the movements in training but the match remains something different - there are no pauses, there's the opponent ... so many things. The moment of truth came and I reacted quite well to this test. I am ready.

"Now what's important, after everything that happened, is to remain fit. Whether I play on the left or the right will come after the coach decides."

Bonera's return is another boost for Milan whose confidence is sky high following their 3-0 victory over Juventus. That result - their ninth win in 11 league matches - saw the Rossoneri remain eight points behind Inter Milan, with a game in hand.

Leonardo's men are looking to continue that run against Siena who will be hoping their second visit to the San Siro is more enjoyable than last week's where they saw victory turned into defeat by two last-minute Inter goals.

Siena have never beaten the Rossoneri on their home turf with Milan winning six matches and the other being a goalless draw but Bonera is still expecting a tough match.

"We're only thinking about Siena," added Bonera. "We're taking it game by game.

"A difficult game is waiting for us on Sunday, we all saw Siena against Inter. We have to give the right importance to a game which is really very important."

Alexandre Pato is returning to full fitness but is unlikely to be risked in light of the upcoming Milan derby while Massimo Oddo, who is also on the comeback trail, will not be ready by tomorrow. Major doubts remain over the fitness of Kakha Kaladze, Marek Jankulovski, Filippo Inzaghi, Marco Borriello, Gianluca Zambrotta and Clarence Seedorf, while captain Massimo Ambrosini is suspended.

Siena head to the San Siro in a perilous position at the foot of the Serie A standings. Had they clung on for two more minutes last week against Inter, victory would have handed them an important boost with regards to the table as well as their confidence. As it is they are now four points off safety and new president Massimo Mezzaroma admits they need something special to secure their safety.

"It is a very difficult challenge," he said. "We will need almost a miracle to stay up, but in sport difficult challenges are those that are nicest and most stimulating.

"I will look at the players in the eyes and see if they have the desire to fight and sweat in this shirt. "I want players who are attached to this place and those who don't have these characteristics can leave."

Siena are also beset by absentees with Marcelo Larrondo, Gael Genevier and Francesco Parravicini all major doubts while Abdelkader Ghezzal is on Africa Nations Cup duty. Brazilian pair Reginaldo and Cribari are suspended.

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6 is usually the default score.

beckham was shite today. but then again, there wasn't much pressure on him to go out and create too many opportunities. he just played possession at every opportunity.

we definitely need pato back for the derby, and if we can get the pimp back to that would be an extra bonus.

and how about antonini eh? he was fantastic today, but his form is always a roller coaster, sometimes up sometimes down, never consistently good. lets hope he has a good game vs. inter.

borriello is in great form, does fantastic work in building up play; and he's in the form of his life. i just hope that the management doesn't scupper the dzeko deal because of borriello's form. i dont think borriello can be world-class, dzeko would be a much needed addition.

but above all, we need fullbacks and a technical midfielder.

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Milan are following Chelsea winger Joe Cole, who is in the process of negotiating a new deal at Stamford Bridge but could walk out if he doesn't get one, according to Milannews.it.

The report claims Cole is not happy with what he has been offered by the English club, despite coach Carlo Ancelotti appearing confident that a deal would be struck last week.

"It's the same situation as last week," the Italian told reporters at his Friday press conference.

"They [Cole's representatives] are talking with the club. I think that Joe is very quiet, very calm and is training very well.

"He is improving his confidence and I think he'll tackle the second half of the season very well. It's important he signs. He's an important player - not only this year but in the future as well."

Manchester City are also said to be lurking in the shadows, but Milan are monitoring the situation and could come into play should Cole reject an extension offer from Chelsea. His current deal expires in the summer, meaning he would be free to join another side.

The Rossoneri have a good trading relationship with the Blues, giving them the edge if the idea of an exit takes off.

Despite the report though, Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani did say their market was "closed" on Saturday.

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joe cole could be very useful in leo's lineup. do i believe the report, though? no

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Club Focus - Milan - Ronaldinho is enjoying playing again and soaking in the love
– By Rami Soufi

Ronaldinho is back and there is no doubt about it as he continued his torrid scoring run with a remarkable hat-trick against Siena.

Scoring three goals in one match is an achievement but the Brazilian star chose to take things a step further by scoring each goal using a different approach. The first came from the penalty spot, the second from a header and the third from a great individual move capped by a vicious long-range shot. The former Barcelona star put in a display reminiscent of his heyday when dribbling past a couple of players was the least expected the moment he stepped on the field. The Brazilian ace has completed his resurgence but more significantly he has propelled Milan within shooting distance of city and title rivals Inter. The Nerazzurri’s once sizable lead has now been whittled down to six points with the Milan derby looming ahead. To make things even more interesting the Rossoneri have a game in hand which means victory next weekend will give them the opportunity to tie the Nerazzurri if the postponed game is won as well.

Ronaldinho deserves much of the plaudits and so does Coach Leonardo for sticking with the once controversial player who was being referred to as a ‘has-been’ early in the season when his partying habits were making the news instead of his contributions to the Rossoneri cause. The playmaker was reportedly close to heading back to Brazil and even more shockingly was rumoured to be pondering retirement. These claims now seem like a distant memory from the past and it is hard to believe the star was on the verge of breaking down. The Coach’s faith in Ronaldinho and the player’s own commitment have led to this remarkable rebirth. The player will now be able to focus on securing a spot in the Brazilian squad headed to South Africa 2010.

Leonardo and his star player deserve much credit for Milan’s revival but there are a few other heroes at Milanello without whom the climb up the table would have been rather impossible. To start with, the defensive partnership between Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva has been an absolute rock at the back to the extent the Rossoneri are currently tied with the Nerazzurri, Fiorentina and Bari for the best defensive record with 19 goals conceded. Nesta has been particularly impressive as he has completely recovered from the injury which sidelined him for all but 13 minutes of last season. The former Azzurri star is once again displaying his astute leadership at the back and playing with such confidence forcing the Italian Press to clamor for his recall to shore up la Nazionale’s defence. Marcello Lippi could certainly do with a rejuvenated Nesta given Fabio Cannavaro’s inconsistent form this season.

His partner Thiago Silva has not only settled well at the San Siro but also excelled often compensating when Nesta was out injured or rested. The Brazilian centre-back has to rank as one of the best captures made by an Italian side during the past year. One other player noteworthy of praise for his hard work and commitment is striker Marco Borriello who has certainly played his way into Lippi’s plans provided he continues with his current scoring binge. Borriello chipped in with a delightful goal in the 4-0 rout against Siena but more importantly he has finally recovered from the injury which threatened to cut short his career. The Italian striker was behind the penalty-kick converted by Ronaldinho as he was chopped down by Siena’s goalkeeper Gianluca Curci forcing the ref to brandish a red card to the offending Curci. Sending-off the visiting custodian might have been a harsh decision but the penalty decision was correct and did change the complexion of the game in Milan’s favour.

How ironic is it to have three players who were basically written off turn out to be your team’s most vital contributors? As much credit as Adriano Galliani and Co will take for their faith in Leonardo at the start of the campaign, the plaudits for the Coach’s faith in some of his underachievers is all the more admirable, particularly in Borriello. He could have persisted with Filippo Inzaghi after his brace gave Milan the much needed win in Marseille or chosen Klaas-Jan Huntelaar after his injury-time double against Catania yet Leonardo often reverted back to his first-choice striker when available and fit. The story of Nesta, Ronaldinho and Borriello could each provide enough ammunition to write a book but in the case of Milan the perfect ending will be if the three can lead the side to the coveted Scudetto.

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Real Madrid star Kaka could be set for a shock return to Milan, according to Sportal.it.

The report claims former Rossonero Kaka has been highly criticised by the Spanish media following his performance during the 1-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao.

Speculation of a return is now rampant after AS.com wrote a critical report on the Brazilian, saying: "Kaka's work rate is light years away from what made him one of the best players in the world."

The Spanish paper also referred to his €65 million price tag as worries continue over Kaka's form.

"He is not able to make a difference and the coach Manuel Pellegrini is alarmed and doesn't know what to do with him," claimed AS.

This has led to Italian media claiming Kaka could be pushed out of the club and made to return to Milan.

In their report, Sportal.it adds: "Milan fans can begin to start dreaming, as sometimes players do return."

Despite the speculation though, the idea being floated around about Kaka's return seems highly unlikely. Furthermore, neither club nor player have passed comment about an exit.

Kaka signed a mega six-year deal with Los Merengues in June 2009.

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Milan Midfielder Gennaro Gattuso Opens Up Fish Store

Goal.com 2 hours, 46 minutes ago

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Milan stars turned out en masse yesterday for the grand opening of midfielder Gennaro Gattuso’s fish shop, Il Corriere dello Sport reports.

The likes of Ronaldinho, Massimo Ambrosini, David Beckham and Christian Abbiati headed out to Gallarate, a city in the province of Varese where Gattuso has been living for the past eight years, to witness the event.

Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta was also in attendance as the duo are long-term friends due to their Calabrian origins.

“Someone might even smile at it, but this fish store is a dream come true for me,â€

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I wonder why Sheva and Ricky have flopped after leaving us? the odd thing is i wanted Sheva to fail with a passion, if he never scored again it would not have bothered me, but Kaka i cant help but like the guy, i feel bad he is stuck with a team he does not seem to have settled into well, is Ronaldo taking all the credit and Ricky needs to be the star man? as much as he said he could not do it at Milan i secretly think he enjoyed and thrived on the pressure of doing it himself, as PM said we all seem to have stepped up a gear now and we seem to be better for his depature.