Socrates

Prandelli praises Ballon d'Or three Oct 29, 2012 Cesare Prandelli has responded to the news that three Italian national team players have been nominated for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or. Gianluigi Buffon, Mario Balotelli and Andrea Pirlo have been nominated in a 23-man list for the governing body's annual award, and the 55-year-old Coach has congratulated his squad members for recognition of their impressive 12 months. “It is great news for the whole of Italian football,” he told reporters. “It is recognition that gives us great optimism for the future. “It is brilliant to have three candidates for the Ballon d'Or.”

Prandelli praises Ballon d'Or three Oct 29, 2012 Cesare Prandelli has responded to the news that three Italian national team players have been nominated for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or. Gianluigi Buffon, Mario Balotelli and Andrea Pirlo have been nominated in a 23-man list for the governing body's annual award, and the 55-year-old Coach has congratulated his squad members for recognition of their impressive 12 months. “It is great news for the whole of Italian football,” he told reporters. “It is recognition that gives us great optimism for the future. “It is brilliant to have three candidates for the Ballon d'Or.”

Toppling Juventus will be a difficult task, says Napoli sports director The Partenopei chief has commented on the challenge his side will face in beating the Bianconeri this season, but tipped them for a successful campaign. Oct 29, 2012 Napoli sports director Riccardo Bigon says his club face a difficult task in toppling Juventus from the top of the Serie A table. The Old Lady grabbed a controversial 1-0 win over Catania at the Angelo Massimino on Sunday, after which the losing side's president expressed his anger over Gonzalo Bergessio's disallowed strike. "It will be hard if Juventus continue to win when they don't play very well," Bigon told Gazetta dello Sport. "Referees said that every time you go away from the technical area you will be booked, but in Catania this situation was different." Concerning his side's championship ambitions this season, the 41-year-old added: "We are sure that Napoli will fire until the end of the season for the first, second or third position." Juventus, who face Bologna on Wednesday at home, are currently enjoying a three-point lead over Napoli in Serie A.

Sneijder unlikely to feature against Juventus, admits Stramaccioni The midfielder recently returned to the training pitch after a one-month layoff, but next Saturday's encounter might come too soon for him to make his comeback. Oct 29, 2012 Inter trainer Andrea Stramaccioni has revealed that Wesley Sneijder is unlikely to be fully match fit in time for the Nerazzurri's crunch clash against Juventus. The Netherlands international has been out of action ever since picking up a thigh injury in the 2-0 win over Chievo on September 26, but recently resumed training again. However, Stramaccioni has no intention of rushing his playmaker's comeback and feels the game in Turin will come too soon for Sneijder. "I don’t think he’ll make it for Turin. It’s senseless to force it if we just risk losing him again," Stramaccioni said at a press conference. Sneijder has made five Serie A appearances for Inter so far this term, scoring one goal in the process.

Serie A Team of the Week: Di Natale double takes the plaudits in controversial weekend Goal.com looks at the star performers from the latest round of Italian league action at the weekend. Oct 29, 2012 There were big decisions made by officials in Serie A this weekend, but the performances of the players made for some tough calls when compiling Goal.com's latest Team of the Week. Amidst the mayhem at the Massimino came a cool display in between the sticks from Catania's Mariano Andujar, despite not being able to prevent Juventus from taking a controversial victory back to Turin. In defence, Andrea Ranocchia again makes our team after scoring the opener in Inter's victory at Bologna, and he is joined by Andrea Barzagli, who helped Juventus prevent a single shot on target (Gonzalo Bergessio's aside!) against Catania. Davide Astori gets the final spot for his assured display in Cagliari's excellent away day win at Sampdoria. The midfield quartet supplies a little bit of everything. On the right, Juan Cuadrado contributed both with and without the ball as Fiorentina beat Lazio, while Marek Hamsik's superior energy helped him see off Chievo and score Napoli's only goal in their Sunday night win. Esteban Cambiasso repeated a feat he managed in Inter's treble-winning season of three years ago, scoring in a 3-1 win at Bologna, and Jonathan Biabiany was the star of the show in Parma's victory at Torino. Up front, two players emerge from the same fixture. Erik Lamela grabbed a quickfire double to give Roma what seemed like a winning lead, but Antonio Di Natale struck back with two of his own as Udinese took all three points in stunning fashion. The final man in our XI is birthday boy Stephan El Shaarawy, who gave his old Genoa side a torrid time before slotting home AC Milan's winner on Saturday night. ANDUJAR (Catania) RANOCCHIA (Inter) - BARZAGLI (Juventus) - ASTORI (Cagliari) CUADRADO (Fiorentina) - HAMSIK (Napoli) - CAMBIASSO (Inter) - BIABIANY (Parma) LAMELA (Roma) - DI NATALE (Udinese) - EL SHAARAWY (Milan)

Moggi: Juventus referee should have been closed in the dressing room The ex-Italian football administrator has claimed his former club were victims on Sunday, despite having won the controversial match. Oct 29, 2012 Luciano Moggi has attacked referee Nicola Rizzoli for disallowing a Catania goal against Juventus in Sunday's Serie A encounter. The Old Lady secured a 1-0 win over the Rossazzurri at the Stadio Angelo Massimino, leaving the hosts empty-handed after a 'goal' by striker Gonzalo Bergessio was wrongly ruled out for offside. "Refeeres didn't act in bad faith, they made only errors. The assistant, [Luca] Maggiani, validated the goal and then Rizzoli confused him," the Italian told Radio Kiss Kiss. Much controversy has followed the clash and Moggi has given his full support to Catania chairman Antonio Pulvirenti, who claimed after the game he had just witnessed "the death of football". "Catania chairman Pulvirenti should have closed Rizzoli in the locker room," he blasted. "The real problem is that the referees are now insufficient and want to do more than usual and this is the case with Rizzoli. The goal that was disallowed is something that has no real logic. Rizzoli should be punished." Moggi concluded his assessment of the afternoon by defending the Bianconeri, stating that they did nothing to influence the decisions made. "Juventus didn't ask for favours. They are victims."

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Marotta defends Juventus in ref storm Oct 29, 2012 Juventus director general Beppe Marotta has rubbished claims that they are in charge of some sort of refereeing conspiracy. The Old Lady have been placed in the middle of a storm after Catania had a good goal disallowed on Sunday, while Juve won the game with a strike that should have been ruled out. “I agree with the analysis of refereeing mistakes,” Marotta told Radio Anch’Io Sport on Monday morning. “There have been mistakes and there will be mistakes, but I do not accept the allegations being thrown at us. “Or the insinuations that we got the referee to change his decision. I do not want to hear about any kind of plot and I intend to defend the world Juventus. “And who is to say that Catania’s goal, had it been awarded, would have decided the outcome of the game?” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Pulvirenti makes linesman claim Oct 29, 2012 Catania chief Antonino Pulvirenti has alleged that assistant referee Luca Maggiani – the man at the centre of yesterday’s controversial loss to Juventus – is a Bianconero fan. “There is a picture of Juve’s Scudetto on his Facebook page,” Pulvirenti claimed in an interview with Radio Anch’Io Sport. “Everyone can support whichever team they want. But after what happened on Sunday and how he was influenced, tell me what we should think. I’m shocked.” At this time, it seems that the Facebook page in question is not actually his. “I’ve printed it out,” Pulvirenti continued. “If it is not authentic then I will apologise. I’m not an expert, but I do think it is his profile.” Maggiani hit the headlines at the weekend when he ruled out a perfectly good goal by Catania, with the score at 0-0. “We can accept an error, but something more happened,” the Massimino chief continued. “It seems clear that there is psychological sublimation.” Pulvirenti argued after the 1-0 loss that Maggiani was forced into his decision after being pressurised by the Juventus players on the bench. “The Juventus players deserve a severe punishment,” he added. “President Andrea Agnelli, who wants to reform football, should start from the simplest things. “He should ask for his side to be handed a 3-0 loss. That would be a great gesture. Had the roles been reversed, we would have had three players dismissed from our bench…” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Referee may have helped Juventus beat Catania, but conspiracy talk is ridiculous The Bianconeri were helped out by horrendous officiating in Sicily, but they are not the only side to receive big decisions in their favour, and calls of a fix are preposterous. Oct 28, 2012 COMMENT By Kris Voakes | Italian Football Writer We have seen it a million times before, and we will see it a million more. We saw it plenty of times around the footballing world this weekend, with Serie A alone providing plenty of examples. Poor refereeing decisions are the bane of the game’s existence, but they also give the sport's massive band of followers something to chew over in the local on a Sunday night. Yet when it involves Juventus, there are so many extra connotations. On Sunday in Catania, Juve won by virtue of a shocking refereeing call. After 25 minutes, the home side took the lead when Nicolas Spolli’s header escaped the attention of the Bianconeri back-line, hit the post and was tapped in by Gonzalo Bergessio. The Argentine wheeled away in delight, followed by his team-mates. The goal caption on millions of TVs read Catania 1-0 Juventus. The score boxes of most of the world’s internet play-by-play updates said the same. But then came the twist. While Catania celebrated, referee's assistant Luca Maggiani was busy speaking to goal-line official Nicola Rizzoli over the officials’ communication system. He wanted clarification from his colleague as to whether Francesco Lodi had got a touch on the ball as it made its way from Spolli to the post, believing that Bergessio had been in an offside position when the midfielder swung at the ball. After Maggiani and Rizzoli had conferred, referee Andrea Gervasoni was clearly seen asking Maggiani “E’ fuorigioco?” (“Is he offside?”) The answer was in the affirmative, and the goal was ruled out. Only it should not have been. On both the header from Spolli and the apparent touch by Lodi, Bergessio was clearly onside; so much so, he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Kwadwo Asamoah, who was goal-side of him as the last defender. It was a horrible, astounding decision which contributed massively to the Old Lady’s 1-0 win, compounded by a debatable onside call on Nicklas Bendtner in the build-up to Arturo Vidal's winner. But that is as far as we can seriously believe it goes, surely? “The Bergessio goal was ruled out by the Juventus bench, the linesman had given it,” said Elefanti president Antonio Pulvirenti after the game, and he was not the only one to think it. Twitter was flooded immediately with talk of “It is the Juve way” and “Juve are the definition of cheating," but that is always likely to be the first reaction of those with long memories. Calciopoli is still less than a decade ago, Sulley Muntari’s ghost goal remains fresh in the mind, and there have been other smaller incidents since that February controversy which many still point to which have gone in Juve’s favour. But which club has not had a ludicrous decision go in their favour? On Saturday, Ignazio Abate was offside in the build-up to AC Milan’s winner against Genoa, the following day Roma lost to a penalty which was awarded to Udinese for a dramatic fall by Roberto Pereyra in full view of both the referee and the goal-line official. Even Cristian Ledesma’s red card for Lazio at Fiorentina only seemed to come long after referee Mauro Bergonzi had heard calls from the home supporters to produce a second yellow card. Over in England, Manchester United received a helping hand from Mark Clattenburg’s decision to send Fernando Torres off for a dive that never was, reducing Chelsea to nine men in the process. Juventus are not the only beneficiaries of rubbish decisions, but their moments are the ones everybody loves to remember. “Serie A is fixed” alleged one tweet sent to this writer seconds after Bergessio’s disallowed goal, yet nothing similar was sent about the Premier League following the Torres decision later in the day. It’s nothing new in reaction to the Old Lady being helped out by a bad decision, but towards the end of the last campaign it was Bianconeri fans claiming the same as they adjudged themselves to be on the wrong end of several bad penalty decisions. Before the closing weeks, they had been awarded one spot-kick all season, despite a string of notable shouts, leading to press silences being enforced throughout the club at a time when title rivals Milan were being handed penalty after penalty. When it comes down to it, big teams get big calls regularly. In Italy and elsewhere. And champions particularly seem to receive a fair share in their favour. Inter got them post-Calciopoli, they were awarded to Milan in the early part of this decade, and Juventus are benefitting from them now that they have returned as the game’s leading force. But referees make bad calls here, there and everywhere. Just last week, Alejandro Gomez was clearly fouled in the penalty area by Fredy Guarin at a key moment of Catania’s trip to Inter, but no spot-kick was given and moments later Rodrigo Palacio tied up a 2-0 win for the Nerazzurri. It was not nearly as atrocious a decision as Maggiani’s on Sunday, but the sum total was the same. Catania were denied a goal against one of the game’s big clubs. The Catanias, Genoas, Bolognas etc of the world are used to calls going against them. It is the peril of being a provincial side. There is less intangible pressure coming from the ranks of a smaller club when it comes to an official making up his mind on a turning point in the game. Luca Maggiani made an awful error based on something he thought he saw. Just because conspiracy theorists would love to believe he deliberately went in Juve’s favour, it does not mean for one second that he did. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Marotta: 'Ref error not decisive' Oct 28, 2012 Juventus director Beppe Marotta maintains the incorrectly disallowed Catania goal “would not have been decisive in this match.” The Elefantini would have taken the lead when Gonzalo Bergessio’s first half strike was ruled offside, but the referee and his assistants got it wrong. Juve eventually won 1-0 in the second half with Arturo Vidal’s tap-in, though there were offside suspicions here too. “The Catania goal was clean, but it would not have been decisive in this match,” insisted director general Marotta. “Nobody can say Juventus would not have overturned the result, especially if we consider that we dominated for the whole game. “I recognise it was a mistake by the referee, but at the same time I saw our victory was absolutely deserved. “I saw the footage again and there was a consultation between the referee, the linesman and the goal line judge. It therefore seems illogical to insinuate that our players have such power to force officials into changing their minds.” Juventus were once again not exactly impressive and Marotta believes the Champions League participation is taking its toll. “European games are taking away some energy from us and on some occasions you can see the fatigue, but we still performed well and earned the three points.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Pulvirenti: 'Juve harassed ref!' Oct 28, 2012 Catania President Antonino Pulvirenti blamed Juventus for “disallowing the goal with their protests” and harassing the referees. The Bianconeri won 1-0 in Sicily this afternoon, but Catania had scored first with a Gonzalo Bergessio goal that was at first awarded and then disallowed for an incorrect offside call 40 seconds later. “This is the third incident against us. It happened with Parma, then Inter and now you all saw what happened today,” blasted Pulvirenti on Sky Sport Italia. “What are we supposed to do? Sit back and passively accept these things? There are seven officials and nobody seems to notice anything. “The linesman had given Bergessio’s goal, then disallowed it after the protests from the Juventus bench. This is more than mere psychological sublimation to bigger clubs, it is something more. “The Juventus bench disallowed the goal with their protests. It is shameful that players who were warming up like Simone Pepe and Emanuele Giaccherini got the goal chalked off by harassing the linesman. Someone explain this to me! "Mistakes can happen, but the real issue here is that the linesman had made a decision and changed his mind after being badgered and harassed by the Juventus bench." http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Alessio: 'Juve dominated' Oct 28, 2012 Juventus assistant manager Angelo Alessio insists they “dominated” Catania and brushed off the controversial goal incidents in the 1-0 victory. The Elefantini had broken the deadlock with Gonzalo Bergessio, but his goal was incorrectly ruled offside after virulent protests from the Bianconeri bench. Arturo Vidal eventually netted the winner when Nicklas Bendtner was marginally offside in the build-up. “On the pitch we didn’t see much. The linesman lifted his flag, then I don’t know what happened,” Alessio told Sky Sport Italia. Catania President Antonino Pulvirenti was livid and accused the Juventus bench of getting the goal disallowed with their protests. “No, the Juventus bench didn’t do anything. The linesman was talking to the official and he made the decision. “Some of our players who were closer to the incident went to the officials. A mistake can happen and it’s a shame, but we played our game and wasted several scoring opportunities. “We took control from start to finish and dominated with 11 shots on goal, making Mariano Andujar the Man of the Match. That says it all. There was only one team on the field – Juventus – and Catania defended well. “Not allowing anything to players like Papu Gomez, Gonzalo Bergessio and Pablo Barrientos is a great compliment for our defenders. “An incident can happen, we should all just move on.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 The Juventus bench 'badgered and harassed' the linesman into changing his decision, claims Catania president The Old Lady won in controversial fashion after Bergessio's strike was incorrectly ruled out for offside, leaving the Rossazzurri infuriated at the final whistle . Oct 28, 2012 Catania president Antonino Pulvirenti was angered by the officials' performance in his team's defeat to Juventus at the Angelo Massimino on Sunday. The Serie A league leaders secured a 1-0 victory in Sicily, but the hosts had taken the lead through Gonzalo Bergessio in the first half only for the goal to be disallowed for an incorrect offside decision, nearly a minute after the final touch. "This is the third incident against us. It happened with Parma, then Inter, and now here today," Pulvirenti told Sky Sport Italia. "The linesman had given Bergessio's goal, then disallowed it after the protests from the Juventus bench. This is more than mere psychological sublimation to bigger clubs, it is something more. "It is shameful that the players who were warming up like Simone Pepe and Emanuele Giaccherini got the goal chalked off by harassing the linesman." He added: "Mistakes can happen, but the real issue here is that the linesman had made a decision and changes his mind after being badgered and harassed by the Juventus bench. "What are we supposed to do? Sit back and passively accept these things? There are seven officials and nobody seems to notice anything." http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Player Ratings Goal.com was on hand to rate the performers at the Angelo Massimino as the Bianconeri picked up their eighth win in nine Serie A matches in controversial fashion. Oct 28, 2012 Catania Mariano Gonzalo Andújar - Produced some excellent saves throughout and if it were not for him, Juventus would have won comfortably. Nicolás Federico Spolli - Put in a solid defensive display, full of tackles and interceptions. Booked for protesting Bergessio's disallowed goal. A. Rolín - Another solid display at the back. Booked harshly for handball. Nicola Legrottaglie - Made some timely interceptions, including a good tackle to deny Vucinic in the first half. Also desperately unlucky to pick up a yellow for handball. Giovanni Marchese - Bustling run down the left almost provided the opening goal, but sent off for two bookings, including a stupid handball. Sergio Bernardo Almiron - Some direct runs and passes but faded as the game wore on. Francesco Lodi - Had a quiet afternoon but used the ball well. Mariano Julio Izco - Played some clever passes and put in plenty of tackles in an all-action display. Pablo César Barrientos - Endured a poor afternoon. Had little influence on proceedings in any respect. Gonzalo Bergessio - Unlucky not to have given his side the lead, but did not offer much else after that. Alejandro Gómez - Good run down the right in the first half and looked tidy when his side were attacking, but eventually substituted. Substitutions Takayuki Morimoto - Looked lively when he came on and thought he might have had a penalty. Juventus Gianluigi Buffon - Untroubled throughout, though he couldn't get to Spolli's header for the disallowed goal. Andrea Barzagli - Played an important role in a well-drilled back three, not least with his timely clearances. Leonardo Bonucci - Made several interceptions thanks to his ability to read the game, but little else. Giorgio Chiellini - Solid as a rock without ever excelling on what was a quiet afternoon for the Juve defence. Stephan Lichtsteiner - Solid if unspectacular performance on the right. Did not get forward too much but helped maintain his side's shape. Paul Pogba - Looked bright early on and was always looking for a killer pass. Flashed a fierce effort just over in the first half, but faded a little and was substituted. Andrea Pirlo - Pulled the strings as ever. Sharper strikers than Vucinic and Bendtner would have taken advantage of his clever passing. Arturo Vidal - Showed his goalscoring instincts as he bagged the winner. Astute with his passing from start to finish. Kwadwo Asamoah - Lashed a powerful half volley over early on and provided a decent outlet on the left but, like Lichtsteiner, was largely quiet. Mirko Vučinić - Wasted some good openings at the end of the first half and failed to exert any influence on the game. Nicklas Bendtner - Looked sluggish and was often caught offside. Missed a number of chances. Substitutions Sebastian Giovinco - Looked bright after coming on and drew a fine save from Andujar. Should have scored late on following a fine run. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 JUVENTUS SCORES CONTROVERSIAL WIN OVER CATANIA Oct 28, 2012 Defending champion Juventus extended its unbeaten streak to 48 games in Serie A with a controversial 1-0 win at 10-man Catania on Sunday after the Sicilian side had a goal disallowed. Catania thought it had taken a first-half lead when Gonzalo Bergessio fired in but the strike was ruled out after almost a minute of deliberation. The reason for the disallowed goal was not immediately clear -- either offside or a handling offence. In the aftermath of the decision, Catania President Antonino Pulvirenti was banished from the bench and in the ensuing five minutes five of its players were booked as tension between the sides rose. To add insult to injury, Nicklas Bendtner appeared in an offside position in the buildup to Arturo Vidal's second-half goal. Giovanni Marchese was sent off in the 67th minute after receiving his second booking to cap a miserable day for Catania. Pulvirenti, who said the referee apologized to him, was still visibly irate after the match. "It's not only that our goal was disallowed, but Juve's goal was offside," Pulvirenti fumed. "It's the third time decisions have gone against us after the matches against Parma and Inter. An offside goal for them and a good goal which wasn't given to us ... What's most absurd is that the goal was ruled out by the Juventus bench, the linesman had given the goal. The goal was ruled out only after Juve's protests. It's a scandal, a disgrace. They gave our goal and then ruled it out after the protests. Mistakes can happen, but decisions can't be changed after protests from the bench. I want explanations." The stadium rocked with chants of "thieves, thieves" from the disgruntled Catania fans at the end of the match. "On the pitch we didn't see much," Juventus assistant manager Angelo Alessio said. "The linesman lifted his flag, then I don't know what happened. No, the Juventus bench didn't do anything. The linesman was talking to the official and he made the decision. Some of our players who were closer to the incident went to the officials. A mistake can happen and it's a shame, but we played our game and wasted several scoring opportunities. "We took control from start to finish and dominated with 11 shots on goal ... There was only one team on the field -- Juventus -- and Catania defended well. An incident can happen, we should all just move on." Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon kept another clean sheet on his 500th Serie A appearance. With Claudio Marchisio and Lucio injured, Paul Pogba and Bendtner made their first Serie A starts. Juventus should have taken the lead in the 14th minute when Andrea Pirlo's free kick was cleared but only as far as Kwadwo Asamoah, who unleashed a fierce shot from 30 yards, which flew just over the bar. Catania hadn't won this fixture since 1964 but was putting pressure on Juventus. It thought it had broken the deadlock in the 25th minute. Nicolas Spolli's header clipped Francesco Lodi and came off the post, and Bergessio was on hand to smash in the rebound. Catania players were still celebrating when the referee disallowed the goal after consulting with his assistant. It was not clear whether it was ruled out for offside or for a handling offence by Lodi, however replays showed it had come off the Catania player's knee. Juventus then came close to taking the lead several times towards the end of the half. Pogba sent a 30-yard strike just over before a scramble in the area saw Catania gift the ball to Mirko Vucinic but Nicola Legrottaglie recovered in time to block his effort. Vucinic came close but Andujar pulled off a brilliant save to deny the Montenegro striker from point-blank range. Juventus took the lead in the 57th minute when Bendtner, who appeared to be offside, had his effort parried by Andujar but Vidal was on hand to follow up. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Vidal strike sinks luckless Elefanti Oct 28, 2012 A controversial Arturo Vidal goal was enough to hand Juventus victory when the champions travelled to the Stadio Angelo Massimino on Sunday to take on a fiery Catania. Juventus were not at the usual best during the first half but did create a few chances that perhaps on another day may have sent them into the lead. Mariano Andujar, in the Catania goal, can perhaps be thanked by the Sicilian club for keeping the scores level after making numerous good saves, including one strong wristed block from a close range Mirko Vucinic attempt. Catania surged forward on numerous occasions and when Gonzalo Bergessio reacted fastest to tap in at the far post, after a flicked on Giovanni Marchese ricocheted back off the post, the home fans erupted in ecstasy. However moments later, after the referee had discussed the incident with his linesman on the near side, the goal was subsequently disallowed for offside. Replays later showed that indeed Bergessio was onside which left a bitter taste in the mouth of the Catania supporters. Six yellow cards were brandished in a feisty first half but it eventually ended goalless. Twelve minutes after the break, Juventus took the lead after Andujar pushed a Nicklas Bendtner shot into the path off Arturo Vidal who slotted home to hand the champions the lead. In a sickening note for the faithful home support, Bendtner’s initial shot appeared to be taken from an offside position but none the less, the goal stood. In more bad news for the home side, Marchese was shown his second yellow card for deliberate hand ball marched off down the tunnel making Rolando Maran’s job even harder. Catania really struggled after being reduced to ten men and Juventus held out to secure all three points. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Juventus go four points clear Serie A leaders Juventus had Arturo Vidal and some controversial refereeing decisions to thank as they edged to a 1-0 victory at Catania. Oct 28, 2012 After the hosts had a goal disallowed in the 25th minute, and the Sicilians' owner and president Antonio Pulvirenti was sent away from the bench, the home side struggled to maintain a level head and Juve took advantage. Vidal scored the only goal of the game 12 minutes after the interval, which, unlike Catania's effort, should have been disallowed and it was enough to earn the Bianconeri all three points. Catania's afternoon was then compounded as they ended the game with 10 men after Giuseppe Marchese was sent off. Catania started brightly and they looked to have taken the lead in the 25th minute when Gonzalo Bergessio tapped in the rebound after Francesco Lodi's header had come back off a post. The two teams and the referee were returning to the centre circle for the restart, but the linesman called the official over and, after the pair conferred over the radio with the fourth official, the goal was ruled out. Catania's protested and with replays showing an offside decision to be wrong, it seemed the hosts had every right to feel aggrieved although Pulvirenti was a little too animated for the referee's liking and he was dismissed. Nicolas Legrottaglie continued the protests as the sides went in level at half-time, and he had even more to complain about when Juve took the lead in the 57th minute. Nicklas Bendtner, making his first start in Serie A for Juve, was in an offside position when he was sent through by Mirko Vucinic, and his shot was parried out to Vidal, who was on hand to score his third goal of the season. Marchese was sent off 10 minutes later for a second yellow card as he deliberately handled the ball, and from Andrea Pirlo's free-kick, Paul Pogba's header was turned behind well by Mariano Andujar. With only 10 men, and already a goal behind, Catania lost belief and Juve started to sense victory. Andujar denied Bendtner before pushing away a dangerous shot from Sebastian Giovinco and denying Vidal as Juve pushed for a second goal, which they did not need to seal the win. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000 Catania fury at controversial Juve win It was an immensely controversial victory for Juventus, as Catania saw a perfectly good goal disallowed, went down to 10 men and Arturo Vidal’s winner was offside. Oct 28, 2012 The Bianconeri were flying high on top of the table, but smarting from a third consecutive Champions League draw. With Claudio Marchisio and Lucio injured, they opted to give Paul Pogba and Nicklas Bendtner their first Serie A starts. Catania hadn’t won this fixture since the 1960s, but chose to mirror the 3-5-2 system rather than their habitual 4-3-3, giving Uruguayan Alexis Rolin his debut and pushing Pablo Barrientos into a deeper role. Gianluigi Buffon celebrated his 500th Serie A appearance, but it was Mariano Andujar who had his palms stung at the third minute by a ferocious Arturo Vidal snapshot. Leonardo Bonucci went shoulder to shoulder with Gonzalo Bergessio on the edge of the box, but the referee waved away appeals for a foul. A free kick was cleared to outside the area for Kwadwo Asamoah to smash his strike just over the bar. At the other end, Andrea Barzagli had to nod a chipped Alejandro Gomez cross off the head of Bergessio in the six yard area after a splendid run down the right from Papu. Juve did not deal at all well with the resulting corner, but eventually hoofed it clear. Bendtner didn’t get enough power on his header into Andujar’s arms, while Giovanni Marchese got to the by-line and flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Catania were starting to push forward and thought they had broken the deadlock when Marchese’s cross found a Nicolas Spolli glancing header on to the far post, then Bergessio tapped in the rebound. The Sicilians were still celebrating when referee Gervasoni disallowed it on advice from his assistant. The decision was for offside, but the replays clearly show that Bergessio was level both when Spolli made contact and when the header clipped off Francesco Lodi’s knee. Catania were furious and President Antonino Pulvirenti was sent off from the bench for dissent. Over the next few minutes, five Catania players were booked as the tension was at breaking point. Bendtner’s diving header from an Andrea Pirlo free kick clipped the crossbar, though the Dane was flagged offside. Pogba drilled just over the bar from distance with a dipping screamer, but Vucinic should’ve done better when a clearance ricocheted into his path, blocked off at the last moment by Nicola Legrottaglie. Bendtner knocked down a cross for Vucinic, who this time forced a remarkable reaction save out of Andujar from point-blank range. Pirlo also stung the goalkeeper’s gloves towards half-time in the fiery Stadio Massimino atmosphere. Juventus took the lead after the restart when Vucinic threaded through for Bendtner – marginally offside – and Andujar was only able to parry the shot into the path of Vidal to slide into an empty net. Moments later the crowd was further enraged as Stephan Lichtsteiner charged down a Gomez cross-shot with his elbow, but the arm was tight against his body. Vidal went on a mazy run and drilled the angled drive just wide, while Pogba got a hand in the face from Spolli. Catania went down to 10 men after 66 minutes when Marchese picked up a second yellow card for intercepting a pass with his arm. From the resulting Pirlo free kick, Pogba’s free header was palmed off the line at the back post with another great Andujar save. Andujar smothered at Bendtner’s feet from a Pogba pass and substitute Sebastian Giovinco saw a scorching shot pushed out from under the bar by the alert Catania goalkeeper. A Lodi free kick was nodded on to the side-netting by Lichtsteiner under pressure, then Bendtner’s pull-back for Giovinco was crucially intercepted by Spolli. Andujar denied Vidal again with a strong hand pushing the fierce finish round the upright. In the final minute Taka Morimoto went down under an Asamoah challenge, but the referee waved play on, considering the Ghanaian simply stronger than his opponent. In stoppages Giovinco ended a mazy run with an awful finish over the bar. Catania were pouring forward even with 10 men and Giovinco then went on the counter and Legrottaglie brought him down outside the box, but the referee opted against what would've been a straight red card. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catania: Andujar; Rolin, Legrottaglie, Spolli; Izco, Lodi, Almiron (Biagianti 79), Barrientos (Castro 69), Marchese; Gomez (Morimoto 81), Bergessio Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner (Caceres 89), Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba (Padoin 92), Asamoah; Bendtner, Vucinic (Giovinco 79) Ref: Gervasoni Sent off: Marchese 66 (c ) http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) 0 - 1 Arturo Vidal (57′) Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni Attendance: 14000‎ Vidal clinches controversial win for the Bianconeri The Chilean was in the right place at the right time to hand the Old Lady three points in Sicily, but the match will be remembered for two incorrect decisions. Oct 28, 2012 Arturo Vidal tapped home the only goal of the game at Stadio Angelo Massimino to hand Juventus a closely-fought and equally controversial victory against Catania, who had a man sent off and an effort wrongly ruled out for offside in the first half. Gonzalo Bergessio had poked the home side into the lead, only for an erroneous linesman's flag to cut their celebrations short. To make matters worse, Nicklas Bendtner was stood in an offside position in the build-up to Juve's winner, while Giovanni Marchese was dismissed for two bookable offences. Bendtner, who was largely wasteful, headed Kwadwo Asamoah's cross into the ground and straight at Mariano Andujar after 21 minutes, and Marchese produced a dangerous cross after a burst to the byline at the other end as the game opened up following a cagey opening. Bergessio looked to have given the hosts the lead when he tapped into an open net after Nicolas Spolli's glancing header had come back off the post. But the Sicilians' joy quickly turned to fury when the linesman raised his flag for offside, despite the fact that neither Bergessio, nor any of his team-mates, were even close to being beyond the last defender. The home side were clearly angered by the decision and Spolli, Pablo Cesar Barrientos and Marchese were duly shown bookings for infringements varying from dissent to cynical fouls. As the hosts struggled to compose themselves, an offside Bendtner headed Andrea Pirlo's free kick against the crossbar and Pogba sent a dipping effort just inches over the goal to highlight the Bianconeri's dominance. The Elefante picked up their fifth booking inside the opening 38 minutes when Nicola Legrottaglie was booked for handball, just as Alexis Rolin had been earlier in the afternoon. Vucinic had a great opportunity to put his side ahead when through on goal from the resulting free kick, but he was denied by the recovering Legrottaglie. And the Montenegrin was denied again just two minutes later when keeper Andujar reacted well to keep out the striker's close-range effort on the line. Pirlo stung the shot-stopper's palms from 20 yards shortly afterwards, but the game remained goalless at the break. The only goal of the game arrived in typically controversial circumstances 11 minutes into the new half. Vucinic picked out Bendtner with a clinical pass from the edge of the area, only for the Danish striker to shoot tamely - and typically - at Andujar. But the impressive Argentine shot-stopper could only push the ball into the path of Vidal, who tapped into the unguarded net. Replays showed that Bendtner was in an offside position, which did nothing to placate the fired-up home support. Vidal waltzed through the home defence on 64 minutes but could only drag his shot wide, yet the home side were soon to be dealt a near fatal blow when Marchese was shown his marching orders when he picked up his second yellow card for an amateurish handball. As ever, Pirlo drifted the resulting free kick into a dangerous area, but Pogba's downward header was well saved by Andujar. The game lost any impetus following the red card, but Sebastian Giovinco's arrival went some way to adding a new dimension, and the diminutive Italian saw a sweetly-struck effort well saved by Andujar seconds after coming on. Lichtsteiner almost gifted the home side an equaliser with 10 minutes on the clock when he headed past Gianluigi Buffon, but into the side netting. Vidal again stung the palms of Andujar with three minutes on the clock, and Giovinco tore through the home defence before blazing over. It was another significant victory for Antonio Conte's champions, who again showed they have the stomach for a fight as they have done against Chievo and Napoli already this season. Catania, who have not beaten the Turin side in Serie A since 1964, will be furious that they were robbed of the opportunity to do so here thanks to that shocking offside call. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 9 - 28-10-12 (12:30 p.m.) - Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: Andrea Gervasoni HT: Fury at Catania-Juve offside call Oct 28, 2012 Expect the controversy to rattle on for days, as Catania saw a goal incorrectly disallowed and are therefore still 0-0 at the break against Juventus. Tempers are at exploding point in Sicily after a botched offside call. The Bianconeri were flying high on top of the table, but smarting from a third consecutive Champions League draw. With Claudio Marchisio and Lucio injured, they opted to give Paul Pogba and Nicklas Bendtner their first Serie A starts. Catania hadn’t won this fixture since the 1960s, but chose to mirror the 3-5-2 system rather than their habitual 4-3-3, giving Uruguayan Alexis Rolin his debut and pushing Pablo Barrientos into a deeper role. Gianluigi Buffon celebrated his 500th Serie A appearance, but it was Mariano Andujar who had his palms stung at the third minute by a ferocious Arturo Vidal snapshot. Leonardo Bonucci went shoulder to shoulder with Gonzalo Bergessio on the edge of the box, but the referee waved away appeals for a foul. A free kick was cleared to outside the area for Kwadwo Asamoah to smash his strike just over the bar. At the other end, Andrea Barzagli had to nod a chipped Alejandro Gomez cross off the head of Bergessio in the six yard area after a splendid run down the right from Papu. Juve did not deal at all well with the resulting corner, but eventually hoofed it clear. Bendtner didn’t get enough power on his header into Andujar’s arms, while Giovanni Marchese got to the by-line and flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Catania were starting to push forward and thought they had broken the deadlock when Marchese’s cross found a Nicolas Spolli glancing header on to the far post, then Bergessio tapped in the rebound. The Sicilians were still celebrating when referee Gervasoni disallowed it on advice from his assistant. It was not clear whether the decision was for offside – which would be incorrect – or for Francesco Lodi’s handling offence as the Spolli header clipped off him – which would be harsh. Catania were furious and President Antonino Pulvirenti was sent off from the bench for dissent. Over the next few minutes, five Catania players were booked as the tension was at breaking point. Bendtner’s diving header from an Andrea Pirlo free kick clipped the crossbar, though the Dane was flagged offside. Pogba drilled just over the bar from distance with a dipping screamer, but Vucinic should’ve done better when a clearance ricocheted into his path, blocked off at the last moment by Nicola Legrottaglie. Bendtner knocked down a cross for Vucinic, who this time forced a remarkable reaction save out of Andujar from point-blank range. Pirlo also stung the goalkeeper’s gloves towards half-time in the fiery Stadio Massimino atmosphere. Catania 0-0 Juventus (Half-Time) Catania: Andujar; Rolin, Legrottaglie, Spolli; Izco, Lodi, Almiron, Barrientos, Marchese; Gomez, Bergessio Juventus:Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Bendtner, Vucinic Ref: Gervasoni http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Legrottaglie aveva fatto fallo su Seba

Giovinco fallisce lo 0-2.

Bendtner sembra stanco.

Altra grande parata di Andujar.

Conte, il leone in gabbia.