Socrates

Sneijder: Inter can beat Juventus The Netherlands international feels the Nerazzurri can go for the title, while adding that their Milan rivals will also be in the running for the Scudetto. Sep 10, 2012 Wesley Sneijder is confident that Inter have what it takes to challenge Juventus for the Serie A title this term, while refusing to dismiss AC Milan as title contenders. The Dutchman has admitted that the reigning champions are the favourites, but believes that Inter have the quality to beat them this term after a disappointing 2011-12 campaign. "I do not think that Juventus are stronger than Inter or any of the other teams. We can beat them," Sneijder said to La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "It might look like Milan have fallen apart, but they always have great players. And then there are teams like Napoli and Roma in the race for the Scudetto as well. "It is going to be a long and hard season for all of us. Juventus are the reigning champions and the favourites, but we can definitely beat them." The attacking midfielder then stated that he would like to be Inter captain in the future, but admitted that he's unlikely to wear the armband anytime soon as Javier Zanetti is still going strong, while adding that he could finish his career in the MLS. "The captaincy? If only, but Zanetti will play on until he is 60... "If my wife continues to be an actress, the MLS might be an idea. But not at this point. I want to stay at Inter. I have never thought about leaving Inter. I like the team, the city and the club. "As a minimum I want to stay until the end of my contract." Inter have collected three points from their opening two Serie A games.

Napoli are Juventus' main threat - Zola backing former club to be Serie A challengers The ex-Partenopei player believes the Naples club are The Old Lady's biggest contenders along with Roma, but feels Milan and Inter are not strong enough to challenge. Sep 9, 2012 Watford coach Gianfranco Zola believes Napoli are Juventus' main obstacle in retaining their Serie A title. The ex-Azzurri player, who spent four years in Naples as a player, does not think Milan or Inter are strong enough to challenge, but feels Roma could also be darkhorses in the race for the Scudetto. "Because Milan did not reinforce and Inter don't seem superior to their status last season, there could be room for teams like Napoli and Roma," the former Chelsea star told Il Mattino. Milan are currently reeling from the losses of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, while Inter have lost long-standing veterans in Maicon and Julio Cesar. He is also impressed with the form of 21-year-old Lorenzo Insigne, who has come in to fill the void caused by Ezequiel Lavezzi's departure to Paris Saint-Germain. "I saw him play or Pescara last season. I like him a great deal and hope he has the chance to play and grow at Napoli," stated Zola.

Juventus 2012-13 SQUAD NUMBERS Sep 9, 2012 With the Summer mercato now over, the Juventus Squad Numbers for the 2012-13 season are pretty much finalized until January 1, 2013. Though there have been a few changes compared to last year, nothing too noteworthy or too surprising from what we already discovered during pre-season. One interesting point that should be mentioned is that Juventus have historically been known to use a “standard” numbering system — going from #1 to the last number on the list — without allowing players to pick years of birth or otherwise digits that are too high. As an example, Barzagli had to give up his customary #43 and pick #15 when he was signed in 2011; similarly Buffon changed from the #77 he wore at Parma to the more traditional goalkeeper’s #1. That would perhaps explain a certain number of “forced” choices this year as well. Here’s the numerical run-down: 1 - Gigi Buffon 2 - Lúcio - NEW - 2010-2011 Marco Motta 3 - Giorgio Chiellini 4 - Martín Cáceres 6 - Paul Pogba - NEW - 2010-2011 Fabio Grosso 7 - Simone Pepe 8 - Claudio Marchisio 9 - Mirko Vučinić - 2010-2011 (14) - 2010-2011 Vincenzo Iaquinta 11- Paolo De Ceglie 15- Andrea Barzagli 17- Nicklas Bendtner - NEW - 2010-2011 Eljero Elia 19- Leonardo Bonucci 20- Simone Padoin 21- Andrea Pirlo 22- Kwadwo Asamoah - NEW - 2010-2011 Arturo Vidal 23- Arturo Vidal - 2010-2011 (22) - 2010-2011 Marco Borriello 24- Emanuele Giaccherini 26- Stephan Lichtsteiner 27- Fabio Quagliarella - 2010-2011 (18) - 2010-2011 Miloš Krasić 30- Marco Storari 31- Laurenţiu Brănescu - NEW - 2010-2011 (not assigned) 32- Alessandro Matri 33- Mauricio Isla - NEW - 2010-2011 Fredrik Sørensen 34- Rubinho - NEW - 2010-2011 Luca Marrone 39- Luca Marrone - 2010-2011 (34) - 2010-2011 (not assigned) Among the players already here last season in 2011-12, four players changed their numbers: Mirko Vucinic (from #14 to #9), Arturo Vidal (#22 to #23), Fabio Quagliarella (#18 to #27), and Luca Marrone (#34 to #39). Mirko VUCINIC switched from #14 to #9, the number he had during his Roma days and which last year was assigned to Vincenzo Iaquinta (who remains without an official number this year… now isn’t that the saddest thing you’ve ever heard?). #9 is traditionally the number of the prima punta, the cannoniere who scores lots of goals, and though Vucinic is certainly no Trezeguet, one can only hope he intends to hit the back of the net more than he did in 2011-12 (a resolution we can only give two thumbs up to). Arturo VIDAL went up a notch and switched to #23 (the number he wore at Leverkusen, and worn by Marco Borriello from January to May last season) to leave his #22 to newcomer Kwadwo ASAMOAH. When Vidal was signed by Juventus last year #23 was being worn by Zdenek Grygera, but by the time the Czech defender left before the end of the Summer mercato, Juve had already registered Vidal as #22 with Lega Calcio (you cannot switch mid-season). It is also possible that Asamoah requested #22, but for what reason…? (he wore #20 at Udinese, and wears #10 / 21 for Ghana). Taking advantage of the departure of nouveau Istanbulite Milos Krasic (sold to Fenerbahce), Fabio QUAGLIARELLA grabbed back his #27 (which he wore at Sampdoria & Napoli) and left #18 in the wind. Luca MARRONE switched to #39 and left his old #34 he had last year to new signing and 3rd goalkeeper RUBINHO. No idea here if Rubinho asked for that specific number, or why Marrone changed his. Speaking of goalkeepers, Primavera’s Laurentiu BRANESCU has been officially given a first-team number this season (#31), likely as a sign of the club’s trust in this budding young Romanian talent. Despite Leali’s loan to Lanciano however, Rubinho’s arrival effectively precludes Branescu from ever even seeing the senior team bench this year. LÚCIO grabbed the #2 left to him by… Marco Motta (not really) and was apparently forbidden to pick #6 (which he wore at Inter), surely to avoid any tifosi-backlash that would have resulted in giving Gaetano Scirea’s legendary number to an ex-Nerazzurro (didn’t exactly stop Fabio Grosso though, did it?). So the number went to another new signing, Paul POGBA, instead. Mauricio ISLA picked #33, perhaps symbolically trying to show he will “redouble” his efforts now that he’s at Juve (he had #3 at Udinese, which is also the number he wears in the Chilean national team). Sebastian GIOVINCO, who volunteered to take over Alessandro Del Piero‘s number, was given #12 instead. It is likely Conte prefers having the youngster earn his stripes, rather than being bestowed such a heavy responsibility in his first season back at the club. We approve 100%, especially since it means #10 will remain unassigned for one season, a more-than-rightful homage to our former Capitano as Nick Barbieri discusses in this week’s guest-post. Lastly, loanee Gunner Nicklas BENDTNER was given #17 (he couldn’t pick #52 because Juve doesn’t do high numbers, as mentioned before). Let’s hope he goes the David Trezeguet route instead of Eljero Elia‘s. Note that Bendtner’s original #52 at Arsenal came from the fact he likes #7 (5+2=7), probably explaining his choice of #17 (hey, at least one digit’s there). A few words should also be spent on the few players who — before shipping away on loan — did most of Juve’s pre-season this year. In case they are recalled during the Winter mercato (let’s hope that won’t be necessary), they’d likely be wearing the same number originally picked in July. Goalkeeper Nicola LEALI, now on loan at Lanciano, picked up the #13 left to him by Alexander Manninger. Alberto MASI, now on loan at Pro Vercelli, picked #5 initially (left to him — not really — Michele Pazienza). Richmond BOAKYE, now on loan at Sassuolo, picked #18 (left vacant — as mentioned — by Fabio Quagliarella). Reto ZIEGLER, ever-present on the Antonio Conte shitlist list of “undesirables”, picked #16 (the same one he had during the 2011 pre-season) before being shipped off to Lokomotiv Moskow. Here’s one guy who surely will NOT be recalled during the Winter mercato.

Juventus Stadium Celebrates Its First Birthday Sep 9, 2012 In the last 12 years, I have had the privilege of seeing both of my favorite sports teams open the doors to brand new stadiums that everybody wants to proclaim their love for. They both took years to build, but in their short period of existence, have captured the pure essence of each team that inhibits them. But since this is a Juventus blog, I'm sure not many of you care too much about baseball and the beautiful bay-side ballpark I've spent many of days over the last decade at. (But come on, you gotta admit that setting is absolutely gorgeous.) Because of that, I'll keep it to Juventus Stadium only. Or at least try my best to do so. Today, Sept. 8, is the one-year anniversary of Juventus Stadium officially opening its doors to the public. If Juventus Stadium was a baby, it would probably be a spoiled as hell and need two rooms in its house just for all of the extra presents because of everything wonderful that has happened in its 12 months of existence. But because it's, ya know, a stadium, that obviously not the case. In this one year, Juventus has gone from a club that coming of consecutive seventh-place finishes in Serie A to current Scudetto holders. That's one hell of a ride. And Juventus Stadium has been one of the brightest spots of all during the past 365 days. When Andrea Agnelli declared "Welcome home" to the tifosi at the inauguration, you knew he meant it. The man knows Juve as well as anybody, so when he said those words, there was nothing but complete seriousness behind it. Juventus Stadium was designed to be Juve's fortress. It turned out to be exactly that. Juventus Stadium was designed to be a place that is the definition of 'home field advantage.' It turned out to be exactly that — and more. Juventus Stadium was, as Agnelli said, designed to write a new chapter in the club's glorious history. It's doing just that. You get the point. But all of this ... for a stadium? Yes, for a stadium. Stadiums that are as nice as the one we watch Juve plays at half the time every season are quite rare. How many times in Europe, let alone Italy, can say they have a stadio that even rivals the one that Juventus has? Few. Very, very few. A stadium, in a very unique way, takes the personality of those that are not only there to watch, but those who play on the field that is surrounded by the thousand upon thousand of seats. I've seen it happen in San Francisco since AT&T Park opened in 2000 and the same thing is happening in Torino. Both are models of modern technology and 21st century amenities — most notably, those fancy luxury boxes and top-notch restaurants — but give the old-school kind of feel, which make sense since both teams are enriched such a great history. Further confirmation of this? Just ask those who also see it as their home. Juventus players loving playing there. Honestly, how many times do we hear a Juve player saying that the crowd's support gave them a boost in strength/passion/whatever? Sure, the actual people filling those seats have a lot to do with it. But they aren't there just to be there. They aren't there just to sit on their backside and twiddle their thumbs for two hours. They sing for Alessandro Del Piero, Gigi Buffon, and Antonio Conte on a regular basis. They are there to experience everything that a Juventus game has to offer. And for one whole year — and counting — those who attend a Juventus game haven't seen a Serie A loss. Juventus Stadium is where Juventini come from all over the world to watch their beloved Old Lady play some calcio. It is where, for a lot of us, we only get to see Juve play a few times in our lifetime. And for many others, it is a place that we may never get to see in person and only admire from afar. But regardless of where you are, Juventus Stadium is "our home." There is no denying that. That is what makes it so special. I'll leave you with this video of a few guys you may know a few sentences below the one you have just read. It's pretty damn interesting to listen to what Del Piero said then and look back on it a year later. After everything that has taken place at the stadio since it saw its inauguration, its first win, its first Scudetto. May it just be the beginning. And don't you worry. They will be chanting "c'e solo un capitano" for ADP again.

Juventus in Profile - The Old Lady Has A New Lease of Life Sep 9, 2012 They’re Italian, so it’s tough, but Juventus, known as La Vecchia Signora (the old lady), are not the force of old. Italian champions always deserve respect, and Juventus have made something of a comeback, but they are still trying to recapture past glories. What’s more, they have signed Nicklas Bendtner on loan for 2012-13 from Arsenal. The Danish irritant has yet to make his Serie A debut, but has been signed to give Juve more options up front. Chelsea fans will savour the sight of veteran midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who drove Italy to the Euro 2012 final. Pirlo netted on the opening day of the Italian season when Juventus beat Parma 2-0. They followed that up with a 4-1 win at Udinese. That win put Juventus on top of the first Serie A table. Juventus coach/manager call it what you will, Antonio Conte clinched the title in his first year in charge. But in the summer, Conte was accused of misprision of felony over the latest match-fixing scandal and later suspended for 10 months. So, on matchdays, Massimo Carrera runs the team! Juventus’ title was their 28th and went some way to compensate for being stripped of two titles in 2005 and 2006 due to the match-fixing scandal that engulfed the Italian game. [Note: Why is Italian football so susceptible to bribery, corruption and malpractice? It’s not as if Italian players are badly paid. Perhaps FIFA/UEFA should punish them appropriately – they would soon change their ways if the Azzuri were banned from the World Cup or the top Italian clubs were exiled from the Champions League. Of course, it’s not going to happen.] Since winning the title, Juventus have added to their already huge squad (have you seen the number of players they have out on loan, for example). As well as Bendtner, they spent more than EUR 50m in the summer – not bad for an economy that’s on its knees! Sebastian Giovinco cost EUR 11m from Parma and he’s already netted twice against Udinese in game two. Ghanaian midfidler Kwadwo Asamoah came from Udinese for EUR 9m and his compatriot Richmond Boakye – a striker – arrived from Genoa for EUR 4m. Chilean defender Mauricio Isla was also picked up from Udinese for EUR 9.4m and another defender, Uruguay’s Martin Caceras, cost EUR 8m from Sevilla. Conte described Juventus’ return to the Champions League as “the right place for a club that, for tradition and results, has made and continues to make history in Italian football and beyond.”

He’s not wrong, but regulars at the newly-built Juventus Stadium will be hoping the club makes the right history going forward. As far as the Champions League is concerned, Juventus have made good history, winning the competition twice, 1984-85 and 1995-96. They’ve also been runners-up five times. Interestingly, Juventus was named by FIFA as the most successful Italian club in the 20th century and the seventh most successful in Europe. There’s some pedigree there! So while Juventus have slipped from the lofty heights of the 1980s and 1990s, when a trip to Turin was one of the most daunting for any club, they are on their way back. Chelsea will be up against a side out to prove that it belongs in the top strata of European super clubs. It should make for two interesting games – starting on September 19 at The Bridge.

Zola: 'Napoli the anti-Juve' Sep 9, 2012 Gianfranco Zola believes Napoli “can be Juventus’ main rivals for the Scudetto” this season and advises ‘heir’ Lorenzo Insigne. The Watford manager started his Serie A career in Naples and continues to keep a close eye on their progress. “Napoli can be Juventus’ main rivals for the Scudetto, because Milan did not reinforce and Inter don’t seem superior to their status last season. There could be room for teams like Napoli and Roma,” he told Il Mattino newspaper. Napoli fans are already enamoured with Insigne, the local lad and Under-21 international who has replaced Ezequiel Lavezzi. “I saw him play for Pescara last season. I liked him a great deal and hope he has the chance to play and grow at Napoli,” continued Zola. “In a way, it would’ve been better for Lorenzo if Lavezzi had still been there. He would’ve had a reference point to learn from, like Diego Maradona was for me. “I only advise Insigne to keep his feet on the ground. The atmosphere around Napoli can lift you up very high if things go well and that can mean losing a sense of reality for a 21-year-old. Never feel as if you have arrived.”

Buffon unveils Italy 'tension' Sep 9, 2012 Gianluigi Buffon admits “someone talked a bit too much” on the field in Bulgaria after Italy’s tense and argumentative draw. The Azzurri were often seen berating each other for mistakes during Friday’s 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw in Sofia. “We always struggle a little in the first few qualifiers, then when you are tired it can happen to lose sharpness and become more tense,” Buffon told La Stampa. “This is why someone talked a bit too much on the field.” The pitch-side microphones picked up several conversations, including Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Pirlo discussing who was meant to charge down a shot and repeated instructions to Christian Maggio and Sebastian Giovinco on their positioning. Meanwhile, Buffon is widely expected to sign a contract extension with Juventus over the next few days. The goalkeeper should put pen to paper on a deal holding him in Turin until June 2016.

Lichtsteiner: There is absolutely no reason to leave Juventus The wing-back has made it clear that he is very pleased with the conditions at the Bianconeri, and that a transfer is not an option for him. Sep 8, 2012 Stephan Lichtsteiner has stressed that he is very happy with life at Juventus and has no intention of leaving the Serie A champions any time soon. The Switzerland international was being linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer, but he feels the conditions at his current club are too good to pass up. "The simple truth is that we [players] don't change clubs as easily as some people seem to think. Juventus are one of the biggest clubs in the world and I feel very well here," the right-back said to Le Matin. "I feel loved at the club and we will be playing Champions League football again this term. We're challenging for all trophies. There's no other place where I could find this. "All this has really strengthened my desire to stay here. I have absolutely no reason to leave. "And to be honest, I have not received any extraordinary offers." Lichtsteiner is under contract with Juve until June 2015.

Van Persie would have been a bad choice for Juventus, says Marotta The Turin giants eventually opted against signing the Dutchman, but are pleased with their overall transfer activity, while still keeping tabs on Ogbonna and Llorente. Sep 7, 2012 Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta feels that signing Robin van Persie would have been the wrong choice for the Serie A champions due to his hefty transfer fee. The Bianconeri were eager to lure the Netherlands international away from Arsenal this summer, but eventually decided against signing the attacker, who joined Manchester United in the end. "I have some regrets about Van Persie, but it would have been a bad choice for the club if we had paid €30 million for a player with an expiring contract," Marotta stated to Tuttosport. "We are happy with the business we were able to carry out, though. We signed good, young players with reasonable salaries - Asamoah, Isla and Giovinco. "Additionally, we should not forget that we managed to hold on to Vidal and Marchisio amid foreign interest." Marotta then admitted that Juve are closely monitoring the situation of Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna. The Italy international has a contract with his current club until the summer of 2016 and Torino have so far been adamant that they will not sell Ogbonna. Nevertheless, the Juve director has made it clear that Juve are ready to make a move if they decide to make the defender available. "Ogbonna is a big talent and a player we really like. Juventus would have an obligation to make a move for him if Torino were to make him available on the transfer market," he said. The Juve director then went on to discuss the situation of Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, who was believed to be on his way to the Turin giants in the summer transfer window, and stressed that they remain interested in signing the towering attacker. "Llorente remains an option for us as long as he's on the market. We will look at what's possible in January." The Spain international's contract with Bilbao is due to expire at the end of the season.

Moggi sues Inter for 'spying' Sep 7, 2012 After Christian Vieri won €1m compensation for Inter wiretapping his phone calls, Luciano Moggi announces he’ll demand even more. The club was ordered to pay the sum to Vieri after it was revealed they hired a private detective agency to track his movements and even tap his phone to see if the striker was abiding by the code of conduct. The trial suggested the Nerazzurri were performing these checks on several players, referees and former Juventus director general Moggi. “Vieri was being spied on, but so was I,” Moggi told Radio Kiss Kiss. “When it comes to us, it’ll be even worse. We have requested much more than €1m in damages, but I can’t remember the exact sum. “I am sure my ban from football will be resolved soon. Will I return to the role of director? At the moment I am enjoying myself doing the job of journalists. Some say I still run Italian football? That’s just an urban myth.” Moggi then mocked the Calciopoli trial with reference to this season’s refereeing decisions. “If Juventus had penalties and red cards to their advantage, then that means it wasn’t me behind it! The truth is the Bianconeri focus only on playing. If the referees get things wrong, it’s certainly not the fault of the players on the pitch.”

FIGC 'not in conflict' with Juve Sep 7, 2012 FIGC President Giancarlo Abete insists “there is no reason to have a rapport of conflict with Juventus.” In recent months with the betting scandal and Antonio Conte’s 10-month ban, Juve have released several very harsh statements criticising the “dictatorial” sporting justice system. They also implied the problems with the system stretch back to Calciopoli, while the club has the motto ‘30 on the field’ written on the team jersey – including the two Scudetti stripped in the scandal. “The Federation has no reason to have a rapport of conflict with Juventus,” assured Abete on Sky Sport Italia. “That is true not only because of what the Bianconeri represent, but also the value of Juventus for the Nazionale. “Are we going to call a truce? We have different positions, but I don’t think we can talk about this as a war.”

TACTICAL ANALYSIS: Udinese 1-4 Juventus Sep 6, 2012 Tactics-wise, the two teams fielded their formations as expected. The Bianconeri confirmed the same line-up they vs. Parma, with the exception of Chiellini replacing Marrone and the return of Gigi Buffon between the sticks. Thus, in their customary 3-5-2 line-up, JUVENTUS fielded BUFFON in goal, BARZAGLI-BONUCCI-CHIELLINI (R to L) as the defensive trio. On the outside, LICHTSTEINER and ASAMOAH, with usual suspects VIDAL, PIRLO and MARCHISIO in the middle. The attacking pair was once again formed by VUCINIC and GIOVINCO. UDINESE coach Francesco Guidolin also replied with a 3-5-2: Brkic in goal, Benatia, Danilo and Domizzi forming the backline, Basta (right) and Armero (left) on the wings; Pinzi playing defensive mid in front of the D line and in between Pereyra and new signing Andrea Lazzari (the two mezz’ali). Up front, Fabbrini was paired with Totò Di Natale. Tactical Developments The two squads both lined up with three defenders, five midfielders and two strikers, but similar team positioning does not usually coincide with identical playing philosophy. Indeed, Juventus focus obsessively on ball control and territorial domination while Udinese, especially for big matches, prefer to close up shop at the back and restart with fast counter-attacks, exploiting in particular the running ability & speed of their wingers. Amazingly enough and compared to the Friulians’ usual habits (and those exhibited by teams facing Juventus), with Udinese not holding the ball Guidolin chose not to line up his strikers vertically (which would entail assigning Fabbrini to control PIRLO) but rather horizontally, instructing both to challenge the passing movements of the Juventus defensive trio. PIRLO, who’d eventually be picked up by an Udinese midfielder as each play developed, was thus left relatively free… a mistake which the Friulians would pay for dearly. The two following slides show the position of Fabbrini and Di Natale, during Udinese’s pressuring phase at the start of the Bianconeri’s build-up. On the other side of the field, in a similar situation, Juventus tried to force pressuring by pushing MARCHISIO up towards Benatia and thus challenging the Udinese defenders’ ball movement in even-number situations. In the 10 minutes during which the two teams played 11 vs. 11, Udinese were able to bring the ball towards the Juventus box a few times, in particular thanks to the liveliness of Fabbrini, who moved to receive passes in the intermediate zone (in front of Juve’s defenders and behind the Bianconeri midfield) of the playing field. Juventus on the other hand, with a consistency indicating a clear tactical desire to strike what evidently had been identified as the weak point of the Friulian backline, played several deep balls behind the Udinese defenders. In the first 10 minutes of play, Juve managed to send a lone man through against Brkic on three separate occasions. In the first opportunity shown below, GIOVINCO moves in between Benatia and Danilo and is sent deep thanks to MARCHISIO‘s pass. Juve’s #12 is only a few centimeters short from getting to the ball before the Serbian goalkeeper. It is interesting to note how out of the two Juventus forwards, GIOVINCO was the one instructed to make runs into space and stretch the opposing team. In the slide below, a deep run by the diminutive striker, moving in between Domizzi and Danilo, once again generates — on the long pass of a perfectly unmarked PIRLO — a serious danger to Udinese. Upon reception of the ball by the Juventus forward, deep into Udinese’s half, the Friulians are then forced to commit the foul leading to the penalty kick. In between the two GIOVINCO chances, another great opportunity landed on the foot of LICHTSTEINER. Starting from his now familiar deep right-wing position, the Swiss player performs, in the slide below, his typical cutting move (from outside to inside) and is served with an inch-perfect Andrea PIRLO long ball which surprises Armero. ★ ★ ★ In the 10-minute timespan during which the two teams played at even strength, Juventus were thus able to create serious danger for Udinese, exploiting the Friulian backline’s difficulty at reading the deep runs of Bianconeri players. Antonio Conte’s team confirmed the trends of its 3-5-2, which already emerged during the course of the Parma game. In particular, the runs performed by Claudio MARCHISIO (compared to those of the other mezz’ala, Arturo VIDAL), and the coordinated movements required by the two forwards against an already-deployed opposing defense. Once again, MARCHISIO was continuously able to penetrate towards the center-left of the Juventus attack, leaving the central and center-right regions to the two strikers (in the following two slides, Juventus almost looks like they’re fielding a three-pronged attack with MARCHISIO, GIOVINCO, and VUCINIC). The slide below depicts a PIRLO pass towards MARCHISIO occupying the aforementioned area. Another situation (shown below), illustrates how GIOVINCO moves towards the ball carrier (CHIELLINI), while MARCHISIO makes a deep penetrating run while receiving the ball from Juve’s #12. On the other side of the pitch, the movements of VIDAL were more horizontal and included supporting Andrea PIRLO during Juve’s build-up phase, as well as drifting towards the wing in support of Stephen LICHTSTEINER‘s plays. ★ ★ ★ As mentioned previously in this column, the match furthermore confirmed a trend and tendency that is also a feature of Conte’s 4-4-2/4-2-4 formation: two strikers playing very close together and looking for fast combinations between one another. The tactical choice of Sebastian GIOVINCO as the preferred partner for Mirko VUCINIC is therefore hardly surprising: a typical sequence of Juve’s combinations involves the first forward (the one closest to the ball) making a move towards the ball carrier and, upon receiving the ball, delivering a first-time touch towards his striking partner. It is clear that plays of this kind require quick thinking and a good dose of technique, skills which GIOVINCO possesses in more-than-satisfying amount. For illustrative purposes let us look at a couple of the combinations we’ve just described. In the first play, GIOVINCO moves towards and receives the ball from PIRLO, then plays it first-time to Mirko VUCINIC. The second set of slides depicts the excellent opportunity obtained by GIOVINCO in the 50th minute. In this case it is VUCINIC that moves to meet the ball carrier (LICHTSTEINER) and serves, with a great backheel, a first-time pass towards GIOVINCO who is then able to get inside the box and beautifully use his dribbling skills to create space for himself, but then fails to get his shot on target. ★ ★ ★ With regards to the match’s development, after achieving a one-man advantage and consequently taking the lead, Juventus appeared to be in absolute control. The most common tactical situation was to see Udinese adopt a 3-5-1, and defend low with 5 defenders in line and three midfielders in the middle. After Fabbrini‘s exit (who came on to allow substitute goalkeeper Padelli to replace Brkic in net), Udinese was no longer capable of counter-attacking effectively. Juve were thus able to continuously maneuver with 10 men inside Udinese’s half, looking for the right opening, by alternating central combinations in narrow space and wide penetrations on the wing. As soon as Udinese lost the ball, they were incapable to build significantly durable phases of possession or even minimally dangerous counter-attacks. Juve’s doubling of the score was only a matter of time and was achieved by the end of the first half, thanks to a precise finish by Mirko VUCINIC. After a few minutes in the second half, Guidolin tried changing the match’s inertia by switching to a 3-4-2 and inserting Muriel (who partnered up Di Natale in attack) in place of Pereyra. Udinese’s pair of inner midfielders (Pinzi & Lazzari) was however unable to effectively counteract the Bianconeri’s midfield, thus allowing Antonio Conte’s team to run up the score even more. GIOVINCO‘s 3-0 came almost immediately, effectively marking the end of the game. Comments In the first 10 minutes before the red card, Andrea PIRLO delivered two long balls, one for LICHTSTEINER and another for GIOVINCO (who had moved into space), generating two great scoring opportunity for Juve. The second one resulted in the penalty / Udinese goalkeeper’s ejection but the two plays, along with another one (starring once again GIOVINCO), show how attacking the space behind the Friulian defense was considered — by Juve’s technical staff — to be the most indicated solution to put the Udinese rearguard into serious trouble. This choice resulted to be a winning one because of all the danger it created, and because it also directly left Udinese with 10 men. With their team already in trouble, deprived of Fabbrini‘s ability of stretching the Juventus defense and “hold onto” the ball in Udinese’s offensive third, the Friulians were left unarmed to counter Antonio Conte’s team’s superiority. In Juve’s own merit, the Bianconeri were skilfully able to keep the game under complete control thanks to their ball possession and territorial domination. Against 8 men lined up in front of Padelli‘s goal, generating scoring chances and increasing the team’s lead was not an obvious task, but Juve were able to do just so right before the stroke of half-time, thanks to Mirko VUCINIC‘s calibrated shot. And as soon as Guidolin tried to give his team some offensive options (with the insertion of Muriel), Udinese effectively collapsed, unable — with only two central midfielders — to counter Juve’s passing game. From a tactical point of view, the Udinese match confirmed the trends that were already visible during the Parma game: the movements of MARCHISIO on the forward line, the various movements of VIDAL, the position very high up the field of Juve’s wingers with the team in possession. And, above all, looking to deliver the ball to the strikers with vertical passes on the ground and, subsequently, have these execute narrow combinations between one another. The choice of GIOVINCO partnering up VUCINIC was thus inevitable, due to the former’s ability at passing quickly & effectively in tight spaces. It is also interesting to note the skill with which Juve’s #12 moved into space, inserting himself in the gaps created between the opposing defenders. A skill which GIOVINCO did not possess (or at the very least did not display) during his previous tenure in Turin. Originally published in Italian on uccellinodidelpiero.com

Tacconi doubts Milan clubs Sep 6, 2012 Former Juventus ‘keeper Stefano Tacconi expects Milan and Inter to struggle in Serie A. “They’ll need time.” Both San Siro outfits have made some substantial changes to their squad this summer and Tacconi believes that will hurt them. “Juventus are in pole position for the Scudetto,” noted the former Italian international goalkeeper. “On the second row I would put Napoli, Lazio and Roma. “The two Milan clubs are behind them. They will need some time to return to the highest levels.” Inter and Milan are currently tied on three points in the standings after winning one game and losing one.

Rossi tips Juventus & Napoli as favourites for Serie A title The 51-year-old believes the two perennial rivals are the league's most complete sides, while he touched on his bust-up with Adem Ljajic and plans to reform Italian football. Sep 6, 2012 Delio Rossi has revealed that he expects the 2012-13 Serie A championship to be fought out by Juventus and Napoli. In an interview with Corriere dello Sport on Wednesday, the former Lazio and Lecce boss explained that the superiority of the Supercoppa pair sees them lead the way in the Italian top flight, and gave special mentions to Fiorentina, his former club, and Roma. "The two most complete teams I have seen are Juventus and Napoli," Rossi said. "They both followed a strict philosophy. "Napoli took a certain type of young player, and that will come in handy not only now but also in the future. "Juventus have always targeted players who are already 'built'. "Fiorentina did the only thing they could do - initiate a total revolution. Roma have also recruited well." Rossi then covered a wide range of issues currently affecting the development of Italian football, and identified long-term planning and the downsizing of professional leagues as to what is needed to boost calcio's prospects. "It has become a necessity to sign young players. Economic difficulties have led to a focus on players with lower salaries," he pointed out. "For budgetary needs, our football requires a thorough reform. We should reduce the number of professional teams, and introduce a system for semi-professional clubs. "Serie A and B should cut down in size, while Lega Pro should only have a couple of divisions. "Seventy or eighty professional teams are more than enough. And then if you really want to focus on young players, then you should also start looking at the youth leagues."

Prandelli stands up for Conte Sep 5, 2012 Cesare Prandelli has leapt to the defence of Antonio Conte after his 10-month ban in the betting scandal. “Any of us could be dragged into it, even if only by gossip.” The Italy Coach was asked about Conte’s appeal against the 10-month suspension for failing to report a potential fix to the authorities – charges he has always firmly denied. “I have not changed my mind on the betting scandal,” noted Prandelli. “Conte received a 10-month ban. What did you want, life in prison? Anyone who made a mistake has to pay, but there is a big difference between failing to report something and actual sporting fraud. “In a career spanning 20 years any of us could be dragged into it, even if only by gossip and hearsay.” This seems to be a reference to Filippo Carobbio, the former Siena player whose testimony is the only evidence against Conte. Carobbio claims Conte told the Siena squad the results of two games were already agreed, but the other players at the same team meeting do not share his version of events. Juventus Coach Conte lost the first appeal, but is now taking the matter to the TNAS tribunal.