May 2011
10 posts
3 tags
Riccardo Montolivo: Eternally incomplete or ready...
He came, he saw but he never really conquered. Despite helping to lift Fiorentina from the basement of Serie A to the Champions League, some sections of the Viola support still have their reservations about Riccardo Montolivo. They will not be weeping over his departure plans.
In many ways that seems sum up the fate of a player destined to divide opinions. At international level, too, you are...
3 tags
Milan's Thiago Silva - defender of the season and...
There is something of the Jedi about all the great defenders. They have a sense of anticipation which is superhuman, they can appear to bend events on the field of play to their will and sometimes simply their presence seems to send opponents cowering for cover. The Force is certainly strong in Thiago Silva. The recognition of his outstanding quality is all the more remarkable at a club which...
4 tags
Roma v Sampdoria: When Montella bit the hand that...
These are sombre times for Sampdoria but it has not always been that way. The Blucerchiati have been star turns in some memorable episodes of Italian football both domestically and in Europe. One of their more epic performances was delivered by Vincenzo Montella about 15 years ago – when he helped to destroy a club he would later serve both as player and manager.
It was just the third round of...
3 tags
2 tags
Inter: Blip or bust for Serie A's dominant force?
For those of us sad enough to look back at our football almanacs from time to time, it has been an era almost without precedent. Five Serie A crowns in a row is the kind of achievement only matched a couple of times in the history of the Division. So, it seems the most natural question of all to ask – is Inter’s golden age over or is this just a blip in their dominance? The first thing to...
6 tags
Napoli v Inter: A surprise goal riot at the San...
Even in a city as superstitious as Naples, the omens can sometimes be wrong. The fans turning out for the visit of league leaders Inter in February 1980 had every reason to expect a tense, low-scoring affair. Instead, they were treated to a glorious riot of goals.
These were two old-school Italian sides built on a solid bedrock of rugged defence. The Nerazzurri were a little more expansive but...
3 tags
3 tags
How do Max Allegri's Milan measure up to the...
The trouble with being one of the world’s footballing giants is that the bar is set so much higher to enter its Hall of Fame. At most clubs, any title-winning team would automatically acquire legendary status. At Milan, however, the competition is a little bit more ferocious if you want to see your achievements celebrated down the years. This was, after all, the first Italian club to win...
8 tags
Inter v Fiorentina: How Trapattoni tripped up his...
As he inspected the San Siro playing surface, Giovanni Trapattoni could have been permitted a sentimental smile. Even in his own illustrious almanac of football achievements that most famous piece of Lombardy turf holds a special place. He first carved out his reputation as a player there and, as a manager, it was where he constructed his “Inter da record” (record-breaking Inter).
That team...
5 tags
