Socrates

La difesa della Roma é come il suo allentore .... ridicola.

Il boemo rischia la panchina stasera.

Moggi aveva parlato di un 6-0 .....

3-0 Alessandro Matri

2-0 Arturo Vidal

Rigore

Lapo giosce come alla play station ....

1-0 Andrea Pirlo

Taddei da difensore non vale molto.

Taddei pirlone.

Punizione dal limite.

Zeman non fa marcare stretto Pirlo .....

Marchisio trova una deviazione in angolo.

Serie A - Week 6 - 29-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Line-ups: Juventus-Roma Sep 29, 2012 Juventus look to Alessandro Matri and Mirko Vucinic as they welcome Roma’s Francesco Totti, Erik Lamela and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo. Tonight’s 19.45 UK time kick-off is an epic grudge match, made even stronger by the presence of Juve’s decades-old ‘enemy’ Zdenek Zeman. There are reports the stewards around the Roma bench have been trebled to ensure the Czech’s safety. The Bianconeri have a Champions League tie with Shakhtar Donetsk coming up, so rest Sebastian Giovinco and Fabio Quagliarella. Vucinic returns to face his former club, joined by Matri and Claudio Marchisio. Only Simone Pepe is still on the treatment table, but Paolo De Ceglie and Martin Caceres take the wings. Roma have a very impressive away record, but have stuttered at home this season, so hope to continue that trend in Turin. Miralem Pjanic, Bogdan Lobont, Dodo and Michael Bradley are still out of action, but Osvaldo returns from an injury lay-off to start in the trident with Totti and Lamela. This sends Mattia Destro and Nico Lopez to the bench. Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Caceres, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Matri, Vucinic Juventus bench: Storari, Lichtsteiner, Lucio, Isla, Marrone, Padoin, Pogba, Asamoah, Giaccherini, Quagliarella, Giovinco, Bendtner Roma: Stekelenburg; Taddei, Burdisso, Castan, Balzaretti; Tachtsidis, Florenzi, De Rossi; Lamela, Osvaldo, Totti Roma bench: Goicoechea, Svedkauskas, Romagnoli, Piris, Marquinhos, Perrotta, Marquinho, Lopez, Destro http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 6 - 29-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Juventus vs. Roma PREVIEW – Cage Match with Zeman’s Wolves Sep 29, 2012 While Milan and Inter remain Juve’s chief rivals year-after-year, there are some contests with bitter hatred between the two sides, regardless of table position. This week has presented us with two: the first was of course the Bianconeri’s away trip to Firenze. Even in case of a disastrous season the Viola can usually (somewhat) redeem themselves by defeating Juventus, and they tried their damnedest on Tuesday, outplaying the Old Lady but obtaining no better than a 0-0 draw. Juve’s rivalry with Roma has been similar in recent years, but this season has two major added plot twists to the match. First, the media has touted the Giallorossi as a potential title contender to dethrone Juventus, although the jury on that is still very much still out. Adding fuel to the fire is Roma’s appointment of Zdenek Zeman as coach. There’s no lost love between Juve and the Bohemian, despite his uncle (who coincidentally died on May 5th, 2002) playing for the Old Lady and coaching the side to two Scudetti. Zeman was — to use an euphemism — “critical” of Juventus in the 1990s, accusing the side of abusing medication and doping to “run longer”. Much of the Bianconeri Zeman accused have gone on to become coaches after retirement. Gianluca Vialli, Ciro Ferrara, and of course, Antonio Conte, were all members of that Lippi side. The trio (and other members of that team) have criticized Zeman after his return to prominence, Vialli jokingly declaring “Pescara plays well, wins, and runs quite a bit. I wonder how Zeman would feel if someone started to suspect where all that energy came from…” As for Ferrara, the Blucerchiati manager stated before Roma-Sampdoria that while he thinks Zeman is a good coach, “he is not a good man”. Zeman’s mouth-flapping didn’t stop in the 90s of course. Recently, the coach criticized the FIGC and Juventus for allowing Antonio Conte to coach during the work week while still suspended, but what is most surprising is that with Juve’s relentless pressing, possession, and hard work — making fitness levels high & injury rates low — Zeman hasn’t yet accused Conte of doping his players yet. The last time Zeman coached a team against the Bianconeri was in 2006, in Serie B. His Lecce side was battered by Juventus in both games, which includeda lovely Marchionni chip following a stunning Camoranesi turn, an even more impressive Camo goal, and Paolino De Ceglie’s first goal as a professional. From the first minute to the last, Juve fans endlessly insulted Zeman at Stadio Olimpico and the coach commented his surprise at the venomous reaction, complaining that 90 minutes of insults resulted in no ban but if any had said “boo”, there would have been a fine or suspension for racism. Juventus Massimo Carrera and Antonio Conte have been practicing a bit of rotation recently. Pirlo was rested against Chievo, and Marchisio & Vucinic did not start in Firenze. While there was a lot of turnover for the Chievo match, Juventus fielded a strong XI against Fiorentina, and will certainly do the same against a squad some consider a potential title challenger. There’s been a lot of talk in Serie A about how poor Andrea Pirlo was against Fiorentina, with many pundits claiming the regista was fatigued from playing too many games (despite not playing against the Flying Donkeys). There’s probably too much discussion about his fitness levels, and not enough about the great tactical job Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella did in flooding the midfield and marking Juve’s playmaker. Juventus have dismissed any idea that Pirlo is exhausted or should retire from the Nazionale, and in the pre-Roma press conference, goalkeeping coach Claudio Filippi (standing in place for stand-in coach Massimo Carrera) stated unequivocally that Pirlo would start against the Giallorossi. With Marchisio and Vidal given a bit of a break in recent games, it’s very likely we should see the M-V-P trio back in action. The main changes are likely on the left flank and in attack. Kwadwo Asamoah admitted after the Fiorentina match that he was suffering from a bit of fatigue, so he could be swapped for Paolo De Ceglie. Up top, Sebastian Giovinco and Fabio Quagliarella didn’t particularly excel against the Viola, and rumors out of training suggest Conte will start Juve’s most common duo last season: Matri-Vucinic. The two never seemed to work well together, but may be given another go in the continuing search for a starting strikeforce. JUVENTUS (3-5-2) Buffon Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini Lichsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie Matri, Vucinic BENCH: Storari, Rubinho, Lúcio, Cáceres, Marrone, Pogba, Asamoah, Isla, Giaccherini, Bendtner, Quagliarella, Giovinco Starting %: Bonucci 65-35% Marrone, Lichtsteiner 60-40% Isla, De Ceglie 55-45% Asamoah, Matri 60-40% Quagliarella Injured: Pepe (matchday #6) Suspended: - Roma The Giallorossi came off a disappointing season under former Barcelona B coach Luis Enrique, who resigned after a 7th place finish. The Spaniard had Roma playing some attractive goalscoring football at times, but was unable to instruct them how to defend a lead or maintain defensive resolve. Evidently, the Roma management didn’t see any point to fixing the defensive issues, so they doubled down on attack with Zdenek Zeman. The chief difference between Zeman and Enrique is ball possession. The Spaniard wanted his side to play much like Conte’s: dominant in ball control, patient build-up play, and a reluctance to hit on the counter. Though both Zeman and Enrique have leaky defenses, Zeman’s style is quite different: it is direct, fast, and the Czech manager doesn’t care much for possession unless it comes with goals. Zeman criticized his side in their first outing for “pointless horizontal passing” that allowed the opponent to settle in position. To play direct, attacking football, the team has to be mobile. Luis Enrique played with a fair amount of youngsters, but Zeman has gone further, putting young players like Alessandro Florenzi and Panagiotis Tachtsidis directly in his starting lineup. The club also sold Borini to Liverpool for €13.3m and let Bojan and Borriello leave on loan, as the B-grade trio did not have the pace or direct ability that players like Mattia Destro or Pablo Daniel Osvaldo possess. As expected of Zdenek Zeman sides, Roma’s results have been erratic: they defeated Inter at the San Siro with some great attacking play, yet lost to Bologna in a shock defeat and drew 10-men Sampdoria, letting both teams back into the game despite grabbing the lead first. It’s hard to say what Roma side we will see at Juventus Stadium Saturday, other than the fact that it will be attacking, it will be motivated, and will surely have gaps in defense. The defense is the Achilles heel of both Roma and Zeman at the moment. They’ve conceded a league-leading 10 goals thus far (2 per game), tying Zeman’s record with his previous side Pescara. The back unit doesn’t look particularly solid as a team, nor individually, and Dutch goalkeeper Martin Stekelenburg has not really proven himself as a consistent shot-stopper thus far. It will certainly allow for Roma “ex” Mirko Vucinic to exploit space, and hopefully Matri to bag a badly needed goal. ROMA (4-3-3) Stekelenburg Taddei, Burdisso, Castán, Balzaretti Tachtsidis, De Rossi, Florenzi Lamela, Osvaldo, Totti BENCH: Goicoechea, Švedkauskas, Piris, Romagnoli, Marquinhos, Perrotta, Marquinho, Tallo, Destro, N.López Starting %: Taddei 60-40% Piris, Lamela 60-40% Destro Injured: Pjanic (matchday #7), Bradley (#7), Lobont (#9), Dodô (#9) Suspended: Guberti (August 2015) With all due respect to Viola fans, Juventus-Roma is the biggest match thus far this season for the Old Lady. The media has hyped the Giallorossi as a title contender, and their attacking play will certainly prove a test for a Juve backline that has not played at the same level as last year. With Zeman thrown into the mix, it adds a whole new level to the match. There’s no reason the Bianconeri shouldn’t win this match. Roma have a deficiency that has lasted from Spalletti, to Ranieri, to Luis Enrique, and to Zdenek Zeman: BLACKOUTS. They are a mentally weak side, prone to lapses in concentration and lashing out at opponents. There’s no doubt that Juve will get on the scoreboard tomorrow. To defeat Zeman, Conte/Carrera need to play smart. The team needs to be aware of the counter-attack and the directness of Roma’s offense. It’s a strategy that has troubled la Vecchia Signora at times, as shown best by the games against Napoli in the last 12 months. Fortunately, this game is at home, not at the San Paolo, and the crowd will be firmly in Conte’s camp. That could be the decisive edge for Juventus. Vincere è l’unica cosa che… CONTE! http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 6 - 29-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Juventus-Roma Preview: Round 6 — Hosting Zemanlandia Sep 29, 2012 I don't know about you guys, but I've been waiting for a good, old fashioned Juventus beatdown. It's been awhile since we've seen one of those. Well, maybe not a long, long time. But it does seem like it's been a few weeks. Since the games come 72 hours after one another these days, it seems like a much longer period of time. I'd like to change that. I'm sure you all would, too. Juventus completely throttling their opponents is fun — and not just from the fan perspective. It's fun to write about Juve destroying their opposition. And what do you know — Roma's coming to town! How convenient! Okay, so that might have been a little mean. Or maybe it wasn't. You can decide. Just don't hold it against me. There's a general notion out there in the press and amongst the players that this is a pretty important game. I wouldn't disagree with that one bit, especially considering the gallons of gasoline — aka rambling in the press — a certain Roma manager has poured on the flames since he returned to the job. (Seriously, though. Does he ever find a microphone or opportunity to express his opinion in an interview that he doesn't like? Goodness.) So, yeah. This is a big one. I'm not going to avoid it. Playing Roma is always an important game, no matter what time of the season it is being played. Let's just hope that Juventus left all that struggling and meh kind of performance back in Florence. Away we go. AVANTI! LE CHIAVI We're all familiar with the way Zeman plays his football — all offense, not much defense. It's only being magnified this season now that he's back in Italy's top flight. Combine his usual offense-only tactics and Roma being Roma, it's no wonder they're currently sitting in 10th. It's just the way that things have gone this season in Rome that pretty much sums up what currently separates the two clubs. GOOD NEWS Aaron Giambattista@agiamba OptaAaron: 3- The number of times Juventus has scored 4 goals against Roma since they trounced us 4-0. #juveNews Roma's goal differential this season: Minus-2. Seems about right. Another good thing: 44 undefeated matches and counting. The quest for history continues. BAD NEWS Andrea Pirlo isn't being Andrea Pirlo. That's bad. Really bad. I'm not saying the #PirloBeard is responsible for the slump — and that's not because I love the facial hair/mane of hair combo. Pirlo looks gassed and I'm not the only person to recognize that. While I think he'll be fine in the long run, I wonder how he'll cope with it right now. Juve surely need to give him more time off, but looking at the schedule in the next month or two, it's not like there's a lot of clear opportunities to do so. WHAT TO WATCH FOR ● The Pirlo Effect. Will he or won't he show up? I'm not talking about to Juventus Stadium, I mean whether or not he'll actually make an impact. His sub-par performance against Fiorentina was part of the pressing in the midfield, part that fact he's still searching for form. Things should be a less crowded in the midfield with Roma likely to roll with a 4-3-3, and hopefully that means Pirlo will be able to play back to the level we have all come to love. ● Whether or not Leo Bonucci plays. As we know, Bonucci played through a thigh injury against Fiorentina earlier in the week. He sported a pretty huge wrap in the second half and has trained away from the rest of the team leading up to the clash with Roma. If he can't go, then in steps Luca Marrone, the midfielder-turned-defender. And if that happens, I'd be totally okay with it. It wouldn't just allow Bonucci to rest and get healthy, but also give Marrone — who played damn well as a defender during the preseason — some much-needed game time. ● Which striker starts alongside Mirko Vucinic. One striker seems like a given to start, the other one is completely open for debate right now. Some are tipping Alessandro Matri to get a rare start, others are saying Fabio Quagliarella will keep his starting spot up top. Sebastian Giovinco is obviously in the mix as well. Basically nobody really knows who is starting with Vucinic against Roma. ● lol roma My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini; Caceres, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Vucinic, Quagliarella *Juventus probable XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini; Caceres, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Matri, Vucinic *Roma probable XI (4-3-3): Stekelenburg; Piris, Burdisso, Castan, Balzaretti; Bradley, De Rossi, Florenzi; Lamela, Osvaldao, Totti * - Lifted straight from the GDS website because I felt like it. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 6 - 29-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Juventus v AS Roma Preview : Old Foe Zeman Visits Turin Sep 29, 2012 Juventus lost their 100% record against Fiorentina in last round but will be looking to bounce back against another bitter rival, AS Roma on Sunday. The presence of Zdenek Zeman, who has often derided the club in past will act as an added incentive in this match. Team News and Tactical Brief Juventus Juventus didn’t have the best of times against Fiorentina in the last match. In some ways it was possibly the most insipid performance showed by the team since Antonio Conte took over. Bianconeri’s 3-5-2 formation was replicated by Fiorentina and the teams cancelled each other out for most of the match. Juventus were hampered by the poor performances of Pirlo, Giaccherini and Giovinco and thus didn’t have enough bite in their attack. Bolstered by the home crowd, Fiorentina came close to scoring twice in second half as Jovetic hit the cross-piece with a header while Ljajic shot wide despite being one on one with Buffon. Things didn’t improve much in second half as Juventus failed to create goal scoring chances. As the final whistle went it felt more like a point gained rather than two lost. The Carrera-Conte coaching team has a few headaches to worry about before facing AS Roma. Arturo Vidal looked jaded against Fiorentina and mistimed several tackles, one resulting in a yellow card. Vidal picked up an injury against Chelsea but hasn’t been given a full rest since then. The Chilean is likely to be a vital player against Zeman’s energetic and high pressing midfield but his fitness is something which may become a problem. Claudio Marchisio was rested against Fiorentina and he is likely to claim his spot back ahead of Giaccherini. Andrea Pirlo also had an ordinary game but he is likely to start again with Paul Pogba getting a substitute role some time later in the match. Sebastian Giovinco’s form will be another cause of concern for the Bianconeri. The diminutive striker was wrestled off the ball easily against Fiorentina and didn’t seem to combine well with any of his striker partners. He may not start against Roma with Mirko Vucinic joining forces with Quagliarella. AS Roma have been weak defensively till now, not a totally unexpected scenario from a Zdenek Zeman coached side. Juventus will be looking to take advantage of gaps in Roman defence which is why it is vital that Pirlo shakes off his recent underwhelming form. Fatigue will be an issue for Juventus. Their opponents have played just once in past 10 days while Juventus had to play 3 matches, including two away trips. Expected Starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Vucinic, Quagliarella AS Roma AS Roma’s season has been a roller coaster ride till now, as one would expect from a Zdenek Zeman side. The Lupi’s 3-1 away victory over Inter was hailed across the peninsula for the breathtaking display of attacking football. Zemanlandia had arrived. Few days later Roma raced to a 2-0 lead against Bologna in 16 minutes as the fans started wondering if they would see a tennis score. The script didn’t quite go that way in second half. The home team had incredibly shipped in two goals on 72nd and 73rd minute and completed the capitulation just before the final whistle to lose 2-3. Zemanlandia had well and truly arrived. After being awarded a 0-3 victory over Cagliari, Roma once again slumped to a disappointing home draw last week, allowing newly promoted Sampdoria to snatch a 1-1 draw. Zeman’s team has effectively won just one match out of five and they will be looking to bounce back with a win against Juventus. Zdenek Zeman is likely to deploy his typical 4-3-3 formation which relies on high pressing and a fast passing game aimed at exploiting gaps in opposition defence. The central defensive pairing of ageing Nicolas Burdisso and Serie A newbie Castan has been a major weakness for Roma, who have conceded 8 goals in 4 matches. Maarten Stekelenburg has not been very convincing either and it was his mistake which led to Sampdoria’s equalizer in the last game. Frederico Balzaretti will be a very important player for the Giallorossi against Juventus as he would be looking to exploit the space behind right-wing back Lichtsteiner. The most interesting battle will take place in midfield where the trio of Michael Bradley, Danielle De Rossi and youngster Alessandro Florenzi will clash against one of the best midfields in Europe. Bradley, especially, had been very impressive when he played against Juventus for Chievo last season and will be looking to maintain his form. Roma Academy product Florenzi has been a bright example of Zeman’s faith in youth but he will be tested in the pressure cooker situation of Juventus Stadium. Talismanic captain Francesco Totti celebrated his 36th birthday few days ago and he continues to be an inspiration for Roma. Totti’s rise to prominence came during Zeman’s first stint in Roma 15 years back when he was used as a left winger-forward. Few expected Totti to perform to the levels he has done till now, playing in the exact same position. The Roma captain has so far provided two assists and scored his 216th Serie A goal against Sampdoria. Totti is likely to start on the left flank with Eric Lamela on opposite wing. Osvaldo, Roma top scorer till now, will play as the center forward. Expected Starting XI (4-3-3): Stekelenburg; Balzaretti, Burdisso, Castan, Piris; Bradley, De Rossi, Florenzi; Totti, Osvaldo, Lamela Players to watch out for Mirko Vucinic (Juventus) “Big game” Mirko has often shown the ability to rise to the occasion for a high-profile match. Vucinic has not found the back of the net in past few matches, despite starting the season on a high and will be looking to get his scoring touch back against his former club. Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma) The highest paid player in Serie A is likely to play a major role to nullify the threat of Andrea Pirlo in midfield. In Zeman’s system he is also likely to push up for goals and his ability to score long rangers will be an asset. Prediction Juventus 2-1 AS Roma This match will have an added animosity thanks to Zdenek Zeman’s uneasy relationship with Juventus. Home advantage is likely to play a big part in this match. Blast From The Past http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Inter Milan accused of 'spying' on Moggi Sep 28, 2012 Only weeks after Christian Vieri was awarded €1 million in damages because former club Inter Milan 'spied' on him, a private investigator has claimed the Nerazzurri also targeted the then Juventus managing director Luciano Moggi. Juventus fans waves his 'I hate Inter' scarf during Luciano Moggi's trial in 2010 Working in conjunction with Telecom Italia, Inter have been accused under oath by Emanuele Cipriani of ordering illegal wiretaps on the telephones of Moggi and fellow former Juve director Antonio Giraudo as well as former referee Massimo De Sanctis and the GEA World sports agency, controlled by Moggi's son Alessandro. The offences allegedly took place in 2002-03, although the statute of limitations on the Calciopoli case has expired, meaning Inter and their management will face no further punishment. However, Moggi - given a lifetime ban from the game for his role in Calciopoli - promised to follow Vieri's lead and sue the club. Speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss, he said: "Vieri was being spied on, but so was I, and when it comes to us, it'll be even worse. We have requested much more than €1 million 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 a journalist. Some say I still run Italian football. That's just an urban myth."

Serie A - Week 6 - 29-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Destro: I will shave off my beard if I score against Juventus The 21-year-old has promised to remove his facial hair if he scores, while revealing that the presence of Zdenek Zeman played a key role in his decision to join the Giallorossi. Sep 29, 2012 Striker Mattia Destro has vowed to shave off his beard if he scores his first official goal for Roma in the away game against Juventus. The former Inter starlet has yet to find the net for the Giallorossi since joining them in the summer transfer window, and he is hoping to open his account against the hosts on Saturday. "Scoring against Inter or netting versus Juventus? I'd prefer to score against Inter. It's always an extra motivation to play against your former team. However, I promise to shave off my beard if I score against Buffon on Saturday," Destro was quoted as saying by Tuttosport. "It hurts that I have not scored yet. It's all about scoring goals for a striker. You start thinking about it when you don't score and try to find out what goes wrong. "It's quite simple really. When you play at Roma, you can not afford to miss big chances." The Italy international then went on to explain his decision to join Roma rather than Juve in the summer transfer window. "It was a very difficult decision. In the end, I opted to join Roma because everybody told me that attackers score a lot of goals under Zdenek Zeman." Saturday's encounter between Juventus and Roma is scheduled to kick off at 20:45CET. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 6 - 29-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Nicola Rizzoli 'It's about morality', 'He is a terrorist' - The story behind the bad blood between Zeman & Juventus Roma's Czech coach has become notorious when pointing the finger at the Bianconeri in what escalated into a huge drugs debate, and hostilities have continued ever since. Sep 29, 2012 By Kris Voakes | Italian Football Writer It started with a broad statement on the state of modern football, but ended with one of the most eye-opening trials in the sport’s history. When Zdenek Zeman called into question the use of extensive medicinal practices at the top of the game, his use of Juventus as an example opened the door for a long-lasting rivalry which will reignite when his Roma side visit the Old Lady in Serie A on Saturday night. In a 1998 interview with L’Espresso, Zeman – then, as now coach of the Giallorossi – addressed the issue of doping in sport on the back of the infamous Festina case of that year’s Tour de France, and in doing so expressed concern over the thought processes of players and clubs in relation to the use of supplemental substances in football. The 65-year-old stated that he felt a certain unease about players’ reliability on some medicines, claiming: "I’m sure that many players in Serie A, probably even in my own Roma side, have difficulty giving up on certain substances." However, he went on to apportion part of the blame on the nature of the sport under the increasing glare of the wider world, adding: "Football today is more an industry and less and less a game … Football must get out of the pharmacy." His interviewer then asked a question which would light the blue touchpaper under calcio, requesting Zeman to relate that point to Juventus, over whom he had previously raised eyebrows as to their “muscular explosion”. “My amazement starts with Gianluca Vialli and goes all the way to Alessandro Del Piero,” he replied. "Zeman is a terrorist. He doesn't deserve to stay in football" - Gianluca Vialli Those observations were greeted with disdain by all at Juventus, Vialli going as far as to call Zeman “a terrorist”, while coach Marcello Lippi asked that Zeman be suspended from football for five years, and the club sought advice over the possibility of libel action. However, Zeman’s words were pounced upon by Turinese public prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello, an apparent Juventino, who opened a two-year investigation which would result in the Bianconeri going on trial for alleged ‘sporting fraud’ and ‘illegal use of medicines’. At the crux of the matter was the misuse of legal substances for unusual purposes, including the administering of anti-depressants and pills generally used to treat heart trouble and issues relating to the brain. It was discovered that the Juventus medicine cabinet stocked as many as 281 different substances, with trial judge Giuseppe Casalbore claiming: “The State Attorney’s consultant has suggested that, in truth, 281 medical specialities of various type and nature, like those kept by Juventus, represent the normal stock of a small-sized hospital.” After an exhaustive process which would see countless Juventus players including Zinedine Zidane, Vialli, Del Piero and current coach Antonio Conte take the stand, director Antonio Giraudo was cleared but club doctor Riccardo Agricola was given a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of administering illegal substances including the banned EPO. While Coni (the Italian Olympic Committee) asked that the FIGC hand down a two-year ban on Agricola, the nation’s footballing body wanted to wait for the legal process to bear its course and refused to act before the doctor’s appeal had been heard. In the meantime, Juve kept Agricola on their staff and stood shoulder to shoulder in their defence of him. The FIGC also decided against launching an investigation into how pharmaceuticals were being administered within football in general, instead deciding to go along with whatever the trail verdict decreed without exploring the moral angle any further. Agricola was later cleared on appeal, but Zeman believed he had been justified in his earlier conclusions, asserting that Juve had circumvented the ethics of sport in order to become as successful as they had under Lippi in the mid-1990s. "People think I have found myself ostracised by the football community but the truth is that the vast majority of people in this world are with me on this issue," he told ESPN’s Paddy Agnew. "For me, sport has its own morality. If you want to improve your performance, you do an extra lap of the pitch or an extra circuit in the gym. You don’t take a pill and sit in the sun for an hour. That’s the morality of sport." In a memorable TV stand-off, Lippi and Zeman came head-to-head in a show which highlighted the bitterness developing between the Old Lady and the Czech. "Players like Angelo Di Livio, Moreno Torricelli, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Massimo Carrera are still winning, even with their new clubs," observed Lippi. "They were said by their coaches to be model players for their professional attitude. That’s why my Juventus won a lot. That side had extraordinary mental and moral strength." Lippi, by then Italy head coach, went on to claim that Zeman too had presided over clubs which had used similar practices in regards to medicines. “Yes, we used restorative products at Lazio, but only for a month and only at a dosage of three grams per day, not the 20 grams that Juventus used.” During the entire process, which would last around eight years from the time of Zeman’s original L’Espresso interview to the end of Agricola’s appeal, there were questions asked of other top clubs, and of football as a whole. It emerged that, as Juventus had claimed throughout, their practices were relatively commonplace throughout the upper echelons of the sport, and to an extent both sides were justified in their arguments. "I find it sad that Juventus consider themselves clean when they stock 281 different types of pharmaceutical products," claimed Zeman in 2004. "Sports disciplinary bodies, which ought to have moral and ethical guidelines that go far beyond the penal code, ought to have looked into the case, investigating not just Juventus but all Italian football at that time. Instead, they did nothing." While Juve have had a fall and rise of a very different type since those days, Zeman has spent the majority of his time in the lower leagues. However, promotion with Pescara last season earned him a second call from Roma, and, whichever club he leads, he remains as honest and open when asked for an opinion on the Bianconeri as he was in 1998. He contributed to the rhetoric around the Calciopoli proceedings by calling former Juve director general Luciano Moggi "the greatest puppet master in football", claiming that the transfer guru was complicit in several of his hasty dismissals, including at Napoli and Salernitana. The Czech believed that Moggi held enough power to carry out a vendetta for his sullying of the Old Lady's name. “I think a coach who is suspended for a long time should not coach at all,” said Zeman recently when inevitably questioned on the validity of Conte’s current touchline ban, enforced due to his alleged knowledge of match-fixing at former club Siena. "If you can’t coach on a Sunday, you should take yourself out. If it was me I would resign, then return if I was asked.” His path appears forever destined to cross theirs. That is just the way of the Italian football world: a scandal happens, there is mention of Juventus, and Zeman is questioned. So often these days, football matches are billed under a different heading: Ronaldo v Messi, Suarez v Evra, or Mourinho v Mancini. But in the grand scheme of things, there is perhaps nobody who has affronted an entire institution in the way that Zeman did with Juve 14 years ago. Rightly or wrongly? That is still debated to this day, and each public meeting increasingly becomes a game of one-upmanship in the never-ending argument. On Saturday night at Juventus Stadium, they meet again, for the first time in Serie A since 2000, and this morning's La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport headline says it all about the match-up that really counts: "Juve v Zemen" The match itself is just a battle though. The war will continue unabated. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Juventus can go all the way in Champions League, says Trezeguet The former Bianconeri star feels the Serie A champions could spring a surprise in European club football's elite competition after impressing in their Chelsea opener. Sep 29, 2012 River Plate striker David Trezeguet believes that Juventus have what it takes to win the Champions League this season. The former France international, who wore the Juve jersey from 2000 until 2010, was impressed with their performance in their Group E opener against Chelsea, and believes they have a number of world-class players in their squad. "Juventus really impressed me against Chelsea. They are a united team and are very well organised. They can go all the way in the Champions League if they can keep up their current form," Trezeguet was quoted as saying by Tuttosport. "The team's spine is of the highest level. Players such as Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo and Mirko Vucinic are all world-class." The 34-year-old then voiced his opinion that Juventus lack a real finisher, but added that it is up to the coach to decide whether to field a typical striker or not. "They don't have a player with my characteristics, a real finisher. I had faith in Alessandro Matri after his good start, but I don't know what's happened with him. "It all depends on what the coach needs, though. He decides what kind of player he wants to field." Trezeguet scored over 100 goals in Serie A during his spell with the Serie A champions.

Serie A - Week 6 - 29-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Elkann sets controversy aside Sep 29, 2012 Juventus patron John Elkann hopes tonight’s clash with Roma can be talked about for the football. “Let’s set the controversy aside.” The lead-up to this match has been even more fiery than usual due to the presence of Zdenek Zeman and his decades-long criticism of Juve. “Roma are historic rivals and playing against them is always an exciting match,” said Elkann, one of the heirs to the Agnelli empire. “Therefore, for one night, let’s set the controversy aside and focus on the football.” While Juve might rotate the squad slightly for their Champions League commitments, Roma are not in Europe at all this season. “We’ve started the competition well and it makes us very proud to see Juventus in the Champions League.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 6 - 29-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Destro: 'If I score against Juve...' Sep 29, 2012 Mattia Destro has pledged to “shave off my beard” if he scores against Juventus tonight and reveals why he chose Roma ahead of the Bianconeri. The Italian international is still looking for his first goal in a Giallorossi jersey and hopes to break that duck tonight. “There has to be a first time. At least I hope so...” he told Tuttosport. “I made big mistakes in the draw with Sampdoria, as on the first chance I should’ve volleyed it and on the second I tried a chip. “When I play badly, I am the first to recognise it. A Roma striker has to score when he has a great opportunity. The goal is everything for a forward and if you don’t score then you start thinking about it constantly, focusing on mistakes and playing incidents over in your mind. There’s no way out.” Destro has made a pledge for tonight’s game at the Juventus Stadium. “My beard brought me good luck last season and I like it, but I promise that if I score against Gigi Buffon tonight, I will shave it off.” Ex-Siena hitman Destro was at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war with Juventus and Roma over the summer, eventually opting for the Olimpico side. “It was not easy. At the end of the day I decided to play for Roma because they told me that with Zdenek Zeman the strikers are more likely to score lots of goals. In theory, at least! “All joking aside, apart from the Coach I also chose to come here because there is a strong project based on young players. Reading the papers there certainly seemed to be a strong interest from Juventus. “Would I play abroad? Until recently I would’ve said no, but now I think England or Spain would be fun.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - 6^ Giornata - Andata - 29-9-2012 (ore 20:45) - Juventus Stadium - Torino Arbitro: Nicola Rizzoli Verso Juventus-Roma: I bianconeri sono chiamati alla riscossa contro il 'nemico' Zeman, la Lupa vuole scoprire se per lo scudetto c'è anche lei. Reduci dalla prova opaca contro la Fiorentina, gli uomini di Conte vogliono confermarsi padroni del torneo. Ed il tecnico bianconero ha parecchi motivi di rivalsa verso il boemo. Sep 28, 2012 PROBABILI FORMAZIONI JUVENTUSBuffon Bonucci, Barzagli, Chiellini Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah Vucinic, Matri ROMA Stekelenburg Piris, Burdisso, Castan, Balzaretti Bradley, De Rossi, Florenzi Lamela, Osvaldo, Totti QUI JUVENTUS 'Titolarissimi' in campo per Antonio Conte nella sentitissima gara contro la Roma del 'nemico' Zeman: unici ballottaggi quelli tra Lichtsteiner e Isla sulla fascia destra e tra Matri e Quagliarella in avanti come partner di Vucinic. In entrambi i casi sono favoriti i primi. Bonucci, sofferente a Firenze, dovrebbe farcela. Possibile sorpresa a sinistra, dove De Ceglie insidia lo stakanovista Asamoah. QUI ROMA La Roma ritrova De Rossi e Osvaldo, candidato a comporre il tridente offensivo al fianco di Totti e Lamela (preferito a Destro), ma deve rinunciare ancora a Pjanic, fermo ai box per un problema all'inguine. Mediana completata da Tachtisidis e Florenzi, sulla destra Taddei è ancora preferito all'incerto Piris. L'ULTIMA SFIDA 22/04/2012, Juventus-Roma 4-0: doppio Vidal stende la Lupa IL MOMENTO Difficile dire di una squadra imbattuta da 44 partite che debba riprendere la propria marcia, eppure la Vecchia Signora ammirata pareggiare a Firenze non è parsa la solita schiacciasassi della gestione Conte: contro uno Zeman ipermotivante ci si aspetta una grande reazione. D'altra parte il boemo andrà a Torino sicuramente per vincere: qualora ci riuscisse, si porterebbe a -2 dai bianconeri. Non inganni il pareggio col Bologna, i giallorossi sono in palla avendo tirato oltre 20 volte verso la porta dei felsinei. PERCHE' GUARDARLA Mettere assieme Juventus e Zeman nella stessa distinta consegnata all'arbitro è già garanzia di tensione sportiva galoppante: le motivazioni a gettare in campo la massima carica agonistica sono altissime da entrambe le parti. Se poi aggiungiamo che la Roma non andrà certo a fare le barricate allo 'Juve Stadium', ma anzi punterà decisa ai 3 punti, goal e spettacolo sembrano assicurati... Testa a Testa Serie A ‎- 22 aprile, 2012 - Juventus 4 - Roma 0 Coppa Italia ‎- 24 gennaio, 2012 - Juventus 3 - Roma 0 Serie A ‎- 12 dicembre, 2011 - Roma 1 - Juventus 1 Serie A ‎- 3 aprile, 2011 - Roma 0 - Juventus 2 Coppa Italia ‎- 27 gennaio, 2011 - Juventus 0 - Roma 2 Ultime 5 Partite Juventus 25 settembre, 2012 - Fiorentina 0 - Juventus 0 - Serie A 22 settembre, 2012 - Juventus 2 - Chievo 0 - Serie A 19 settembre, 2012 - Chelsea FC 2 - Juventus 2 - CL 16 settembre, 2012 - Genoa 1 - Juventus 3 - Serie A 2 settembre, 2012 - Udinese 1 - Juventus 4 - Serie A Roma 26 settembre, 2012 - Roma 1 - Sampdoria 1 - Serie A 23 settembre, 2012 - Cagliari 0 - Roma 3 - Serie A 16 settembre, 2012 - Roma 2 - Bologna 3 - Serie A 2 settembre, 2012 - FC Internazionale 1 - Roma 3 - Serie A 26 agosto, 2012 - Roma 2 - Catania 2 - Serie A Previsione Ci sono notevoli incentivi per la Roma per far bene qui, con Zeman in panchina e solo una vittoria in 14 partite contro i rivali ma i Bianconeri, che non sono stati completamente convincenti contro la Fiorentina nel loro ultimo incontro, avranno un potenziale offensivo superiore alla balbettante difesa giallorossa. Juventus 2 - 0 Roma http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/