August 2011
15 posts
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Udinese v Juventus: When Zico and Michel Platini...
It just might be Serie A’s answer to a cold night at the Britannia Stadium. An icy December day at the Stadio Friuli is the kind of test that a pundit might think would be a step too far for a star foreign player, particularly a boy from Brazil. But, back in the 1980s, there was one golden player ready to prove them wrong.
This was a time when the frontiers had not long reopened to Stranieri...
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Udinese's chance to pile on the misery for Arsenal
It is cruel to kick a man when he is down. And it is seen as the height of nastiness to mock the afflicted. But, in the harsh world of football, Udinese have got to take their chance tonight to make Arsenal’s poor start to the season even worse.
Losing your star players is painful. A bad beginning to your league campaign can compromise everything you hope to achieve. However, for a...
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“I will remember Sunday for a long time. My goal didn’t change the result...”
– Samuele Di Carmine, Cittadella goalscorer with a Viola heart
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Got my Jojo working: Fiorentina's dreams for the...
Stevan Jovetic may never have been more damp in his whole life. As he rose from a giant pool of water on the St James’ Park pitch his Fiorentina strip appeared to have taken on a deeper hue of purple than those of his teammates. Yet despite his soaking he was grinning from ear to ear, just glad to be back doing what he loves best – playing football.
In a summer of fan protests and departures,...
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Please, Udinese, stop playing so well
Every time Udinese cut Arsenal open, Francesco Guidolin must have winced a little. That isn’t to suggest that the Friuli boss was anything less than totally committed to the cause. But, nonetheless, he must have feared that the quality of his players’ performances might see even more of them disappear out the transfer window before the Serie A season starts.
The Champions League...
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Fiorentina: between hope and heartbreak
It is the year of truth for Sinisa Mihajlovic. Last season he could blame injury and transition for a disappointing campaign. This time around the Serbian boss will have to deliver in Florence or he will surely be shown the door. The fans have been in turmoil for some time.
Read more at SB Nation.
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Italy v Spain: the battle of Luis Enrique's nose
If the poet Francesco Petrarca had done Italy World Cup campaigns, it would probably have been USA ‘94. That expedition kept Azzurri fans lurching from exquisite joy to agonising anguish as much as any unrequited love. The sonnet of the summer was a burning dream of glory fused with an ice-cold plea for someone to end the suffering. Our muse was Roby Baggio.
Qualification from the group...
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For the love of Jojo: How Fiorentina fans were...
Sometimes the mountain does come to Mohammed. There are few major grounds closer to my home than the venue for Fiorentina’s only overseas friendly this summer. Myself and a band of hardy disciples had little option but to make the pilgrimage to Newcastle.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
From Dumfries, Edinburgh, Huddersfield and London we congregated on the north east of England...
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Milan v Inter in Italian Supercup showdown - it's...
They definitely protest too much. It might be thousands of miles away from home and portrayed as a mere antagonists’ antipasto but don’t believe a word of it. When Inter and Milan go head-to-head it is never just an amicable warm-up match.
For the Nerazzurri, it’s a chance to deliver a first counterpunch after losing their grip on the Scudetto last year. New coach Gian Piero...
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Alarm on the Arno: why Fiorentina fans have cause...
Let’s face it, it doesn’t add up to a good season. The departures, so far, are Sebastien Frey, Marco Donadel, Adrian Mutu, Mario Santana, Gianluca Comotto and Gaetano D’Agostino. The arrivals, Romulo, Gianni Munari and Andrea Lazzari. Even if you consider the return of Stevan Jovetic as a new signing, it still looks imbalanced.
There are now just three weeks until Fiorentina...
