Socrates

Euro 2008 Preview: Portugal-Turkey What: European Championships, Group A Who: Portugal vs Turkey When: Saturday 7 June 2008, 20:45 CET Where: St. Jakob-Park, Basel Referee: Herbert Fandel (GER) Euro 2008's second match features 2004's losing finalists and a side that failed to reach the last tournament. It's an intriguing clash as Portugal take on Turkey in Basel... Bad Memories Portugal come into this game with their last European Championship game, of course, having ended in tragedy. A last-gasp defeat to the Greeks in front of a partisan crowd in Lisbon put paid to any illusions of gaining their first ever piece of silverware, and some might ask if their best chance ever has gone. It's a fair question - there's nothing like home advantage, after all, and there's a lingering feeling that the squad, now bereft of the likes of Pauleta and Figo, lacks a certain something. But at the same time there are grounds for optimism. After a rocky qualification path there is less pressure on the side than previously, and, of course, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Carvalho and Quaresma are beginning to hit stride. Still, defensive worries continue to dominate, and victory is thus far from assured. Something To Prove Thankfully for the Portuguese, the same applies to the Crescent-Stars. The Turks seem to have regressed since their glory days of reaching the semi-final of the 2002 World Cup, especially given that they have missed out on both major tournaments since then. Even reaching this one was no sure thing: it took a late surge past Norway for the Turkish side to squeeze through alongside hated rivals Greece to the final tournament. Yet here they are, and with a large Turkish contingent living in Switzerland, it's something of a home from home for Fatih Terim's men. That's a positive, for just like Portugal this is a side that tends to play better when surrounded by domestic comforts. And they also seem to look the part up front. Nihat and Erding enter the tournament in massively high confidence; at the back, though, it may be tougher to keep things tight. FORM GUIDE Portugal 31 May 08 - Georgia ( H ) - WON 2-0 (Friendly) 26 Mar 08 - Greece (N) - LOST 2-1 (Friendly) 06 Feb 08 - Italy (N) - LOST 3-1 (Friendly) 21 Nov 07 - Finland ( H ) - DREW 0-0 (ECQ) 17 Nov 07 - Armenia ( H ) - WON 1-0 (ECQ) Turkey 29 May 08 - Finland (N) - WON 2-0 (Friendly) 25 May 08 - Uruguay (N) - LOST 3-2 (Friendly) 20 May 08 - Slovakia (N) - WON 1-0 (Friendly) 26 Mar 08 - Belarus (A) - DREW 2-2 (Friendly) 06 Feb 08 - Sweden ( H ) - DREW 0-0 (Friendly) 21 Nov 07 - BiH ( H ) - WON 1-0 (ECQ) 17 Nov 07 - Norway (A) - WON 2-1 (ECQ) TEAM NEWS Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo, Simao and Quaresma are likely to provide the inventive force for a lone striker - Nuno Gomes, perhaps - while Bosingwa has recovered to play right-back. Predicted Line-Up: Ricardo; Bosingwa, Pepe, Carvalho, Caneira; Veloso, Petit; Cristiano Ronaldo, Simao, Quaresma; Nuno Gomes. Turkey Hamit Altintop is doubtful after his mucle injury but could yet make the side. Coach Terim will most likely stick with a 4-4-2, with either Senturk or on-form Erdinc partnering Nihat up front. Aurelio is likely to be the lynchpin of the midfield. Predicted Line-Up: Recber; Gokhan Zan, Asik, Cetin, Balta; Altintop, Aurelio, Emre, Arda; Nihat, Senturk. PLAYERS TO WATCH Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo: His last trip to a European Championship ended in heartbreak, but so much has changed since then. The Manchester United man has just enjoyed the year of his life as he helped his side to both the Champions League and Premier League titles, scooping the top scorer award along the way. Rumours of his impending move to Real Madrid continue to circulate, but he's stated that all he's worried about right now is Portugal. Turkey - Nihat Kahveci: The Villarreal man may not have enjoyed quite as productive a season as Ronaldo, but in his own way he's back in the big time. The ex-Real Sociedad man cut a mean partnership up front with Giuseppe Rossi for Villarreal and proved himself deadly in front of goal, not least on the counter. With Hakan Sukur having stepped back from the national squad, Nihat can stake a claim to being the next Turkish striking legend. PREDICTION These two sides conceded more goals than any other qualifying team except Poland, and at the other end they averaged around two per game. As such this could be one of Euro 2008's more open ties, but it's worth remembering that both teams tend to do better at home than on their travels. It's going to be very, very close, but Portugal might just squeeze it. Portugal 2-1 Turkey

Euro 2008 Preview: Switzerland - Czech Republic What: Euro 2008, group stage Who: Switzerland, Czech Republic When: Saturday June 7 (1800 CET) Where: St. Jakob-Park, Basel Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy) And so it begins... The opening fixture of Euro 2008 is not quite the blockbuster everyone would be hoping for by any means, but it could well provide an intriguing clue as to how the tournament unfolds. Will we be in for a dramatic, thrilling Euro 2000, with a clash of the titans in the final being decided by a golden goal, or a slightly less thrilling but nonetheless dramatic Euro 2004 in which Greece managed to pull off one of the greatest upsets in European Championship history, entering as a bottom seed but going on to win the tournament? If Switzerland manage a victory then this could be yet another tournament for the underdog, but the Czechs are hardly giants themselves and are missing the two players who are quite easily their most high profile. Legend Pavel Nedved has of course taken the eventual decision to retire from international football while Tomas Rosicky's never-ending battle with injury is ongoing. They will require yet more work after the Championship when iconic target-man Jan Koller calls time on his international career, but he is sure to give his all in one last push to do his part to get his country its first ever major honour on the international stage. They of course reached the final in Euro 96 and the semi-final in Euro 2004 only to see success elude them - could Euro 2008 be their last chance? They are without doubt perennial underdogs and relish such a position. They have always made their way by disposing of sides beneath them in the pecking order, where more star-studded sides tend to stumble. The real test for them will come in the knock-outs, but first and foremost they must maintain their usual prolificacy in the group stages. Facing hosts is never an easy proposition - particularly in the opening game - and Switzerland are coming into the tournament off the back of a couple of convincing wins in warm-up matches. While it must be noted that Liechtenstein and Slovakia are hardly the stiffest of opposition, winning is a habit and if the Swiss army carry this momentum into their opening game they could spring a surprise on their visitors. This modern incarnation of Switzerland is famous for having been eliminated from the 2006 World Cup without conceding a goal; their woeful penalty shootout against Ukraine proved their undoing after what had been an impressive if not all that entertaining qualification from the group stage. Philippe Senderos is almost like another player entirely for his country, but is no doubt helped by the defensive tactics employed by coach Jakob Kuhn. It is their unit that provides strength - with Inler no doubt set to be a star for them - but their problem may be outstanding individual play to create goals. Valon Behrami may prove a key man in this respect. The outgoing Lazio star has already expressed his enthusiasm leading up to the tournament and will relish the attacking freedom he is allowed on the wing for his country, having been played as a full-back at club level. Gelson Fernandes may also have a fair amount of responsibility to create, and having not enjoyed the most morale-boosting time at Manchester City in recent months, there is a chance he may be found wanting. The key to their attacks will be using the flanks to their full effect. Barnetta, Vonlanthen, Behrami, Degen, Lichtsteiner and Magnin are all able down the flanks as full-backs and wingers, and if they use wide areas to break and try and hit the Czechs where they are somewhat weaker, they may well grab the opening day victory the whole country will be hoping for. FORM GUIDE Switzerland May 30 Switzerland 3-0 Liechtenstein (Friendly) May 24 Switzerland 2-0 Slovakia (Friendly) Mar 26 Switzerland 0-4 Germany (Friendly) Feb 6 England 2-1 Switzerland (Friendly) Nov 20 Switzerland 0-1 Nigeria (Friendly) Oct 17 Switzerland 0-1 United States (Friendly) Czech Republic May 30 Czech Republic 3-1 Scotland (Friendly) May 27 Czech Republic 2-0 Lithuania (Friendly) Mar 26 Denmark 1-1 Czech Republic (Friendly) Feb 6 Poland 2-0 Czech Republic (Friendly) Nov 21 Cyprus 0-2 Czech Republic (European Championship qualifier) Nov 17 Czech Republic 3-1 Slovakia (European Championship qualifier) TEAM NEWS Switzerland Despite having played 4-4-2 in their two recent victories, against tougher opposition the Swiss are likely to revert to 4-5-1, with Alexander Frei the lone striker and fellow front-man Streller withdrawn for attacking midfielder Hakan Yakin. Tranquillo Barnetta has overcome an ankle injury and will be fit to start, though Johan Vonlanthen's impressive performances during his lay-off may make competition for the left-wing slot fairly stiff. Veteran defender Patrick M?ller has looked solid in the warm-up games despite recently suffering a cruciate ligament injury and should prevent Johan Djourou from lining up with Arsenal team-mate Philippe Senderos in defence. Probable XI (4-4-1-1): Benaglio - Lichtsteiner, M?ller, Senderos, Magnin - Behrami, Inler, Fernandes, Barnetta - Yakin - Frei. Czech Republic It is likely that the Czechs will not want to risk too much and will therefore start with a similar system to their hosts. Milan Baros will most likely drop to the bench and come on only if they are pressing for a result, with Sionko having earned his place following a brace against Scotland and Pla?il also likely to start. Full-back Zdněk Pospěch has the flu and will be sitting out the game, with Juventus' Zdeněk Grygera a possible like-for-like replacement, though Ujfalusi could play at right-back allowing Radoslav Kovac to partner David Rozehnal in defence. With the possibilities continuing, Matejovsky's place may also be taken by a more creative player such as Jarolim. Probable XI (4-5-1): Cech - Grygera, Ujfalusi, Rozehnal, Jankulovski - Sionko, Matejovsky, Galasek, Polak, Pla?il - Koller. PLAYERS TO WATCH Switzerland - G?khan Inler The 23-year-old will play a key role protecting the defence in a game where Switzerland, despite being the home nation, will be under some pressure for periods of the game. Has enjoyed a tremendous debut season with Udinese and is likely to carry that form through for his national side in this summer's tournament. For the Czechs, it will be a matter of working around Inler in order to ensure they can break through what is sure to be a packed defence. Czech Republic - Jan Koller The big man is likely to be up front on his own and surrounded by a sea of red shirts for long periods throughout the evening. He will have his work cut out, having to knock down several high balls and attempt to put his aerial prowess to good use when attempting to fashion chances on goal. He has just recently announced he will be retiring from international football after the tournament, and he will no doubt be keen to improve on what is already an incredible goal-scoring ratio for his country. PREDICTION Home support has been known to work its wonders in the past and there is nothing to suggest the same may not happen tomorrow evening. However, the form guide tells a story: the Czechs have been clinical in disposing of all inferior opposition while Switzerland have only managed results against the weakest of opposition. A home win would be quite an achievement - and one that definitely cannot be ruled out - but the Czechs should have enough at their disposal to make it a less than memorable opening day for the home support. Switzerland 1-2 Czech Republic

Official Schedule UEFA EURO 2008 Group A Team............Pnts.....Plyd.....W.....D.....L.....GS.....GA Portugal..........6.........3........2......0.....1......5.......3 Turkey............6.........3........2......0.....1......5.......5 Switzerland....3.........3........1......0.....2......3.......3 Czech Rep.......3.........3........1......0.....2......4.......6 7 June 18:00 Basel Switzerland vs Czech Rep. 0 - 1 20:45 Geneva Portugal vs Turkey 2 - 0 11 June 18:00 Geneva Czech Rep. vs Portugal 1 - 3 20:45 Basel Switzerland vs Turkey 1 - 2 15 June 20:45 Basel Switzerland vs Portugal 2 - 0 20:45 Geneva Turkey vs Czech Rep. 3 - 2 Group B Team..........Pnts.....Plyd.....W.....D.....L.....GS.....GA Croatia...........9.........3........3......0.....0......4.......1 Germany........6.........3........2......0.....1......4.......2 Austria...........1.........3........0......1.....2......1.......3 Poland............1.........3........0......1.....2......1.......4 8 June 18:00 Vienna Austria vs Croatia 0 - 1 20:45 Klagenfurt Germany vs Poland 2 - 0 12 June 18:00 Klagenfurt Croatia vs Germany 2 - 1 20:45 Vienna Austria vs Poland 1 - 1 16 June 20:45 Klagenfurt Poland vs Croatia 0 - 1 20:45 Vienna Austria vs Germany 0 - 1 Group C Team............Pnts.....Plyd....W.....D.....L.....GS.....GA Holland...........9.........3........3......0.....0......9.......1 Italy...............4.........3........1......1.....1......3.......4 Romania.........2.........3........0......2.....1......1.......3 France............1.........3........0......1.....2......1.......6 9 June 18:00 Zurich Romania vs France 0 - 0 20:45 Berne Holland vs Italy 3 - 0 13 June 18:00 Zurich Italy vs Romania 1 - 1 20:45 Berne Holland vs France 4 - 1 17 June 20:45 Berne Holland vs Romania 2 - 0 20:45 Zurich France vs Italy 0 - 2 Group D Team............Pnts....Plyd....W.....D.....L.....GS.....GA Spain.............9.........3........3......0.....0......8.......3 Russia............6.........3........2......0.....1......4.......4 Sweden.........3.........3........1......0.....2......3.......4 Greece...........0.........3........0......0.....3......1.......5 10 June 18:00 Innsbruck Spain vs Russia 4 - 1 20:45 Salzburg Greece vs Sweden 0 - 2 14 June 18:00 Innsbruck Sweden vs Spain 1 - 2 20:45 Salzburg Greece vs Russia 0 - 1 18 June 20:45 Salzburg Greece vs Spain 1 - 2 20:45 Innsbruck Russia vs Sweden 2 - 0 Quarter Final Thursday 19 June 20:45 Basel # 1 PORTUGAL vs GERMANY 2 - 3 Friday 20 June 20:45 Vienna # 2 TURKEY vs CROATIA 4 - 2 (Pen.) Saturday 21 June 20:45 Basel # 3 HOLLAND vs RUSSIA 1 - 3 Sunday 22 June 20:45 Vienna # 4 ITALY vs SPAIN 2 - 5 (Pen.) Semifinal Wednesday 25 June 20:45 Basel # 5 - GERMANY vs TURKEY 3 - 2 Thursday 26 June 20:45 Vienna # 6 - RUSSIA vs SPAIN 0 - 3 Final Sunday 29 June 20:45 Vienna GERMANY vs SPAIN 0 - 1 SPAIN EUROPEAN CHAMPION 2008 Thanks to Shaka (Manu)

Juventus have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been honorary presidents, here is a complete list of them: Eugenio Canfari from 1897 to 1898 Enrico Canfari from 1898 to 1901 Carlo Favale from 1901 to 1902 Giacomo Parvopassu from 1903 to 1904 Alfred Dick from 1905 to 1906 Carlo Vittorio Varetti from 1907 to 1910 Attilio Ubertalli from 1911 to 1912 Heinrich Josef "Bino" Hess from 1913 to 1915 Gioacchino Armano, Fernando Nizza e Sandro Zambelli (Comitato di Guerra) from 1915 to 05/04/1916 Corrado Corradini from 05/04/1916 to 17/06/1920 Gino Olivetti from 17/06/1920 to 24/07/1923 Edoardo Agnelli from 24/07/1923 to 14/07/1935 - Enrico Craveri, Giovanni Mazzonis e Andrea Remmert from 15/07/1935 to 04/09/1936 Emilio de la Forest de Divonne from 04/09/1936 to 27/01/1945 Pietro Dusio from 27/01/1945 to 22/07/1947 Giovanni Agnelli (Honorary president) from 22/07/1947 to 18/09/1954 - Enrico Craveri, Nino Cravetto e Marcello Giustiniani from 18/09/1954 to 15/11/1955 Umberto Agnelli from 15/11/1955 to 19/07/1962 Vittore Catella from 27/07/1962 to 13/07/1971 Giampiero Boniperti (Honorary president) from 13/07/1971 to 05/02/1990 Vittorio Caissotti di Chiusano from 12/02/1990 to 31/07/2003 Franzo Grande Stevens (Honorary president) from 12/08/2003 to 29/06/2006 Giovanni Cobolli Gigli from 29/06/2006 to 27/10/2009 Jean-Claude Blanc from 27/10/2009 to 19/05/2010 Andrea Agnelli from 19/05/2010

Chi sar? costui? I 30.000 li raggiungeremo con il server nuovo pi? velocemente (in tutti i sensi).

Chiellini On Calciopoli: I Received No Pressure From Moggi Giorgio Chiellini has given evidence in the case against former Juventus director Luciano Moggi and the GEA World Agency, and says he never received any pressure to be a client of the company. Chiellini is one of many key witnesses in a trial of six men, including Moggi, accused of conspiring to control transfers by intimidating players into signing for the GEA sports management firm. "I never suffered pressure to be represented by Gea,? testified Chiellini. ?The fact that my agent is Davide Lippi [son of Marcello] proves that I made the right choice." Earlier this month former Juventus striker Fabrizio Miccoli claimed that Moggi had marginalised him at the club because he did not take the transfer guru?s son, Alessandro, as his agent. Other key witnesses who have been called to give evidence in this trial, include England manager Fabio Capello, who was boss of Juve from 2004 to 2006, as well as his now right-hand man Franco Baldini.

Juve To Snub Calciopoli & Sew On Third Star? According to reports in Italy, Juventus could be set to snub the legality of Calciopoli by sewing a third star on their shirts when they win their next Scudetto. The Bianconeri have won 29 Scudetti on the field during their history, but they had two championships revoked following their alleged role in the Calciopoli scandal in 2006. At present the Italian league only recognises Juve to have won 27 Scudetti, however managing director Jean-Claude Blanc earlier this week offered scant regard to this. "The number of Scudetti won by Juve is 29,? Blanc told La7. ?And soon we will have a third star on our shirts." It has since been revealed that there is nothing in the Calcio rulebook that prevents Juve from legally sewing a third star on their shirts when they next win the Scudetto. Each star is used to represent 10 Scudetti, and one more championship would take the Bianconeri on to 30 without taking into account the two that have been stripped. "A team may put however many stars on their jersey, there is no regulation defining the issue and the League does not impose this argument," explained Fabio Santoro, Deputy Secretary of the Lega Calcio. "We say that it is an ethical issue. If Juventus wanted to put the third star when they win their next championship it would be their choice, and certainly would not be a violation of the rules. ?The only thing that should be remembered, however, is that with regard to the roll of honours officially recognised by the Lega Calcio the Bianconeri have won 27 and not 29.? Juventus fans have always maintained that Calciopoli was just a conspiracy, and the club may use this opportunity to show how they do not recognise the legality of the penalties imposed following the scandal.

Lippi: I Know Nothing About Calciopoli Former Juventus coach Marcello Lippi says that he knows nothing about the Old Lady's alleged role in the Calciopoli crisis. The Bianconeri were relegated to Serie B, and had their two Scudetti from 2005 and 2006 revoked following their supposed role in the scandal. Bianconeri fans and other figures have always maintained that Calciopoli was just a conspiracy involving Inter President Massimo Moratti, as well as former Telecom Italia President Tronchetti Provera and ex FIGC President Guido Rossi. Now, former Juventus boss Marcello Lippi says that he knows nothing about what the Bianconeri supposedly did during the years 2004 and 2006. ?It would make me happy if Moggi would call me and explain what truly happened in the last two years, because I don?t know," stated the legendary boss, who led Juve to every major honour in the club game during his two spells in charge. Lippi?s comments are interestingly timed as Moggi and 15 other people were called before court yesterday, in what has become known as Calciopoli II. The individuals were there to answer charges that they broke article one of the Italian code for sporting justice. Article one seeks to guarantee correctness and loyalty in the world of sport, and it relates to accusations that Moggi had illegally supplied some referees and club directors with mobile phone SIM cards. If found guilty by the court, Juventus could risk a heavy fine.

Cobolli Gigli: Juve Already Paid For Calciopoli Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli denied the possibility that his club could be punished severely again due to what many are already calling 'Calciopoli II'. On Thursday it was announced that the most that the Bianconeri could suffer due to their implications in 'Calciopoli II' is a fine, since they cannot be punished again for the same crime according to law. This was confirmed by Cobolli Gigli, who now wants to concentrate solely on the sporting side of the Old Lady. "I have the highest respect for the investigation office and for the federal justice members, but we are convinced that we have already paid a high price," declared the Juve president. "It's not the time to keep on paying, but instead that of concentrating on the sport," he added. "If it will be necessary, we shall defend ourselves in the right moment and the right places," concluded Cobolli Gigli.

Juve To Escape 'Calciopoli II' With Fine Juventus are facing the possibility of a fine after 16 people, including former Juve director Luciano Moggi, were brought before trial in what has been dubbed Calciopoli II. It was revealed shortly before World Cup 2006 that Moggi had supplied referees and club officials with SIM cards for mobile telephones. Moggi and 15 others, including Juve and Messina personnel and several referees, are being prosecuted by magistrate Stefano Palazzi on suspicion of breaking article one of the Italian code for sporting justice. The article in question pertains to the codes of correctness and loyalty within organised sport in Italy. The Italian press report that the Bianconeri will only receive a fine, having already been heavily punished in the original Calciopoli scandal when they were infamously relegated to Serie B and stripped of two Scudetto titles. Messina are unlikely to escape as lightly, however, as their president Pietro Franza has been charged with objective and direct responsibility. ?I have clarified everything,? rebutted Franza. ?I am calm and remain at the disposition of sporting justice.?

E' vero, l'ho inserita il giorno dopo perch? la trovo spassosissima.

Tranquillizzati, il risultato ? gi? stato omologato.

Ne ho appena aggiunta una bellissima ... Chiello e Ibra.

Va bene, a te ci penso io.

Amici e amiche di J1897 vi invito a rivolgere i vostri auguri di buon lavoro a due utenti che sono entrati a far parte dello staff dei moderatori: si tratta di due ragazzi molto spesso presenti nel forum e che si sono contraddistinti per le loro segnalazioni puntuali e precise. Benvenuti nello staff a Shaka (Emanuele) e Il Brazzo e buon lavoro.

Cannavaro On Calciopoli: Juve Won Titles Fair & Square Fabio Cannavaro has declared that Juventus won their two Scudetti from 2005 and 2006 because they were the best team and could not care less about the telephone calls accusations. The Bianconeri were infamously relegated to Serie B and had the two Scudetti they had won under Fabio Capello revoked following the outbreak of the Calciopoli scandal in the summer of 2006. Most Juventus players from that time are still bitter about what has happened and stress that they won these Scudetti not because any cheating was going on, but simply because they were the best team. ?Us players from that Juve side that was tried and punished feel like they were our Scudetti that were taken away and we feel the same as Inter do now,? Cannavaro told Il Messaggero. ?We came first because we were the best team and we don?t care much about the telephone calls.?