Socrates

Serie A Week 6 - 2/10/2011 (08:45 p.m.) - Juventus Arena - Turin Giaccherini: AC Milan will be Juventus' first major test of the season The former Cesena winger is looking forward to the upcoming match against the reigning Serie A champions. Sep 29, 2011 Emanuele Giaccherini believes that the visit of AC Milan provides Juventus with their first major test of the Serie A season. The Turin giants are still unbeaten after four games and sit joint top of Serie A with eight points, and Giaccherini feels that the game against Milan will provide some indication as to where Juventus really stand. "We are first and we have to continue like this, but we know that there is considerable room for improvement," Giaccherini told Tuttosport. "Sunday evening we will learn many things." "The game with AC Milan will be our first major test of the season on Sunday night, and we can understand many things." The last competitive meeting between the two side resulted in a 1-0 win for the San Siro side on March 5, 2011. The match between Juventus and Milan kicks off at 20:45 CET.

Serie A Week 6 - 2/10/2011 (08:45 p.m.) - Juventus Arena - Turin Abate plays through the pain in Champions League win The full-back is optimistic that the adductor problem he struggled with at San Siro on Wednesday night is nothing more than muscle fatigue. Sep 29, 2011 Ignazio Abate is hoping that the discomfort he experienced during AC Milan's Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen will not jeopardise his hopes of playing in Sunday

Jean-Claude Blanc to join Paris Saint-Germain as general director The 48-year-old will reportedly assume control over the French cash-rich club in October. Sep 28, 2011 Former Juventus CEO Jean-Claude Blanc is poised to become the new general director of Paris Saint-Germain, Le Parisien reports. The 48-year-old currently has no ties to any club following the opening of Juventus' new stadium, which was his only responsibility with the Serie A side after resigning as CEO in May. Blanc is expected to be appointed as the new general director in mid-October, when PSG change their legal structure. He will handle all administrative and financial matters of the club, replacing the current man in charge of those areas, Philippe Boindrieux, who will reportedly be relieved of his position. The ex-Juventus official will work closely with Leonardo, who was named the club's sporting director in the summer. Earlier in September, retired midfielder Claude Makelele was hired as a consultant to the club, who are joint-first with Lyon in the Ligue 1 standings.

Serie A Week 6 - 2/10/2011 (08:45 p.m.) - Juventus Arena - Turin Quagliarella ready for AC Milan's visit in Serie A The Italian striker feels in great shape after making a full recovery from injury, now it's down to coach Antonio Conte to pick him against the domestic champions. Sep 28, 2011 Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella is sounding fresh and ready for action when AC Milan travel to Turin for Sunday night's big Serie A clash. The league leaders welcome last season's champions to the Juventus Arena, and they have been boosted by the forward's return to action. Quagliarella has not played a full game since January when he injured his knee against Parma. But, having played 90 minutes with the youth team on Wednesday afternoon in which he scored, the former Napoli man is raring to go. "Playing with the youth team was good training for me. I don't know when I will play a full 90 minutes with the first team, but I am ready," he told La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "My knee is no longer giving me problems and the injury is behind me now. "Physically I am doing fine now." Juventus have won two and drawn two in Serie A so far this term, but are tied at the top of the stadings with Udinese. Quagliarella featured in the 1-1 draw against Catania, albeit for just nine minutes.

Serie A Week 6 - 2/10/2011 (08:45 p.m.) - Juventus Arena - Turin Allegri fears fatigue factor Sep 28, 2011 Massimiliano Allegri was glad to have Zlatan Ibrahimovic back, but warned Milan

Serie A Week 6 - 2/10/2011 (08:45 p.m.) - Juventus Arena - Turin Allegri: We'll start thinking about Juventus on Thursday AC Milan coach urges his team to put domestic matters to the back of their minds and concentrate on beating their Czech opponents in the Champions League group stage. Sep 28, 2011 AC Milan will put thoughts of Sunday's match with Juventus to the back of their minds and concentrate on the Champions League group stage clash with Viktoria Plzen, coach Massimiliano Allegri has promised. The Serie A champions host the Czech Republic side in their second Group H fixture, and the 44-year-old tactician has urged his players to focus on the task at hand. "I'll put out my strongest team, then we'll start thinking about Juventus on Thursday," Allegri told giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "All I want to think about now is this match and getting [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic back." The former Cagliari coach also issued a word of warning ahead of Wednesday's fixture, claiming that, despite their low-profile status on the European stage, the Czech champions have the ability to cause his side problems. "They're a well-drilled unit, technically sound and very quick on the wings," he said. "As it's never easy to win matches, we'll have to face them with the right amount of determination." Milan go into the game in a strong position having earned a point away to Barcelona before securing their first league win of the season on Saturday, beating Cesena 1-0 at San Siro.

Serie A Week 6 - 2/10/2011 (08:45 p.m.) - Juventus Arena - Turin Allegri: 'Juventus and Inter are our rivals for the title' The 44-year-old AC Milan coach identifies his side's main challengers for the Scudetto, despite their conflicting fortunes at the start of the Serie A season. Sep 26, 2011 AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri maintains that Inter and Juventus will be his side's main title challengers this season, despite their contrasting fortunes at the start of the 2011/12 Serie A campaign. Inter won their first game of the season on Saturday, coming away from Bologna with a 3-1 victory, whilst the Turin giants top the table following their 1-1 draw in Catania. A 1-0 defeat of Cesena earned Allegri his first win of the season too, but he believes that, in spite of their indifferent starts to the season, the Milan sides will accompany Juventus in the title chase. "Inter and Juve are our rivals for the title," Allegri told Tuttosport. "The Bianconeri have conducted a great transfer market, and the Nerazzurri will fight for the title." Juventus and Milan come face to face when they meet in a league clash at the Juventus Stadium on October 2.

Serie A Week 6 - 2/10/2011 (08:45 p.m.) - Juventus Arena - Turin Conte unconcerned about potential return of Ibrahimovic The 42-year-old coach is unworried that the Swedish striker may return to action in time for the upcoming Serie A contest. Sep 25, 2011 Juventus coach Antonio Conte says he will not make any special plans to counter the threat of AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Sweden international is expected to regain full fitness during the course of the week after sustaining an adductor injury in training earlier in the month. Ibrahimovic remains doubtful for the midweek Champions League game against Viktoria Plzen, but it is believed he will be fully fit by October 2, when AC Milan travel to Turin to face Juventus. However, Conte has indicated his side's preparation for the Serie A encounter will not be affected by Milan's injury list. "We do not prepare for a match based on this or that player being present," Conte told Rai Sport. "We have our own mark, a very precise playing identity, and we want to implement it." The 42-year-old coach acknowledged AC Milan are favourite for the upcoming game, but stressed his side will go out for the win. "The only thing we can do is to try to narrow the gap between ourselves and Milan: we are still growing, they are big already," he concluded.

Serie A - 5^ Giornata - Andata - 25/9/2011 (ore 15:00) Catania 1 - 1 Juventus Gonzalo Bergessio (21') Milos Krasic (49') Stadio "Angelo Massimino" - Catania Arbitro: P. Mazzoleni‎ Spettatori: 20000‎ Serie A - La Juve non spicca il volo a Catania Secondo pareggio consecutivo per la Juventus che al Massimino acciuffa un 1-1 in rimonta contro il Catania. Pareggio giusto al termine di una partita giocata su un campo reso pesantissimo dalla pioggia. Al gol di Bergessio risponde Krasic nella ripresa. Eurosport - Domenica, 25 settenbre 2011

Moggi: 'Calciopoli built on thin air' Sep 27, 2011 Luciano Moggi claims new evidence shows the Calciopoli trial against Juventus was

Calciopoli trial details phone calls Sep 27, 2011 The criminal trial looking into the 2006 Calciopoli scandal is hearing a series of phone calls alleged to have taken place in the run-up to a Juve-Inter match. The latest phone call set to be played in court, relating to the criminal investigation that alleges influence of refereeing selection and officiating standards, is reportedly between former referee designator Paolo Bergamo and former referee Pasquale Rodomonti. Their conversation is alleged to have taken place on November 28, 2004, just three hours before Inter played host to Juventus, a game Rodomonti was assigned as referee. It is claimed in court that this phone call was a direct result of an earlier phone conversation between Bergamo and then-FIGC President Franco Carraro. In that earlier communication, it is alleged that where Carraro expressed that the 15-point gap between the two teams was not important in the Week 29 fixture, that it was important that there were 'no controversies' from the match, in light of Lega Calcio Presidential elections due to take place the following day. The court is set to hear this week the resulting phone call between Bergamo and the game's referee Rodomonti. A transcript of that alleged phone call has already been published and in it Bergamo suggests to Rodomonti that:

Agent defends Chiellini's form Sep 27, 2011 Giorgio Chiellini's agent has defended his client's form at the start of the season, calling criticism levelled at the defender 'excessive'. Davide Lippi came out in defence of the 27-year-old centre-back after he was criticised in light of recent performances that have seen the team drop four points from their last two games. Speaking to Calciomercato.it, Lippi suggested his client was being made a scapegoat.

Serie A Week 5 - 25-9-11 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Gonzalo Bergessio (21') Milos Krasic (49') Angelo Massimino Stadium - Catania Referee: P. Mazzoleni‎ Attendance: 20000‎ Del Piero appreciates the point Sep 26, 2011 Alessandro Del Piero and Leonardo Bonucci insists Juventus should be pleased with the point in Catania. Some were disappointed with Sunday

Lo Monaco: 'Juve are Pirlo-dependent' Sep 26, 2011 Catania's Pietro Lo Monaco has suggested that Juventus are dependent on Andrea Pirlo in the wake of his team's 1-1 draw with the Turin side. The Elefanti sporting director was speaking after watching his team successfully hold Juve on Sunday afternoon. Part of Montella's tactics focused on placing a man-marker on Pirlo, who up until facing the Rossazzurri, had been influential to the Bianconeri's recent performances. Lo Monaco, however, suggested the influence is developing into an over-reliance, when also reflecting on Catania's performance.

'Calciopoli was one big fix', Moggi's lawyer tells court Another court hearing takes place in Naples and the former Juventus director's legal team feel the scandal that has rocked Italian football was a set up from the beginning. Sep 27, 2011 Luciano Moggi's lawyer Maurilio Prioreschi has told the current Calciopoli trial at the Tribunal of Naples that the whole scandal is a fix. Moggi is involved in the civil trial after being handed a lifetime ban by the Italian football authorities following the 2006 scandal. However, his defence team have been presenting evidence of phonecalls which show a number of other clubs held dialogue with designators and referees. Speaking at the hearing on Tuesday, Moggi's legal team argued the whole case should be quashed. "This whole process is a fix," Prioreschi told the court. "Someone has a joke on the phone and then instantly stands accused. The whole case is like this. "This is not a legal process, but a manhunt. This cannot be a case as all the calls which would have been useful to the defence team in 2006 were obscured. "This is an embarrassment and the reason why this process is a fix from start to finish." On Monday, Moggi's lawyer's said they had a call which alleged Inter were being favoured by referees.

Referee told to 'favour the team behind' - The call from before Inter v Juventus in 2004 that Luciano Moggi will reveal at latest Calciopoli hearing As the Calciopoli trial resumes in court, the former general director is ready to deliver another controversial call involving referees. Sep 26, 2011 Luciano Moggi and his legal team are set to reveal another piece of evidence at the current Calciopoli trial in which it appears a referee designator tells an official to favour Inter, not Juventus. The 74-year-old has been banned from football for life and is being tried in a criminal court for his involvement in an organised criminal ring which involved a network of phone calls with former referees and designators as well as former Italian Football Association (FIGC) officials. Ten days ago Moggi said he would reveal "the call that will change everything" when the court holds its latest hearing. Tuttosport have revealed a transcript of the call Moggi's lawyers will deliver at the Tribunal of Naples. The transcript is between former referee designator Paolo Bergamo, and ex-referee Paolo Rodomonti who spoke just before the Inter - Juventus clash of 2004 which ended in a 2-2 draw. At the time Juventus were 15 points ahead of Inter and leading the standings in Serie A. Bergamo told Rodomonti: "There is a 15 point gap between the teams, make sure you are well prepared psychologically. "Play your game and if I am to be honest, if you have any doubts then think about the team behind, not the one in front, do you understand me? "This is between me and you. You know how hard it is to reach the top and if you fall down then it will be silly for you. Be intelligent." The court hearing resumes on Tuesday.

Andrea Agnelli credits Marotta for Juventus revival The club chief admits there are concerns over finances, but is confident his sidekick and their major shareholders will continue developing in the right direction. Sep 26, 2011 Juventus president Andrea Agnelli believes the rate of progress currently being witnessed by the club is all thanks to general manager Giuseppe Marotta. In a letter published ahead of next month's annual shareholders meeting, Agnelli reviewed financial concerns, but said Marotta was lightening the load at every end of the spectrum. "The accounts show a crude reality and we are looking at an intolerable loss," Agnelli said, as reported by Tuttosport.com. "But, thanks to the intervention of Exor, our majority shareholder, we can invert the tendencies and return to the usual objective - to compete at the highest levels. "There have been economic difficulties, but thanks to Marotta a new cycle with profound renovation has been born."