January 2012
10 posts
2 tags
ESPN's Serie A coverage in the UK needs to take...
Let’s start by saying it is a giant step forward. Instead of cutting to a match moments before it gets under way - or sometimes even after kick-off - we actually get some build-up. And, in place of an abrupt 20-second summing up, we now receive a bit of considered analysis. So credit is due to ESPN for its upgrade of Serie A coverage in the UK.
Sunday evening was my first taste of what...
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Amauri to Fiorentina: a long way for a short cut
The wiggly route of the A11 through Tuscany links the coastal resort of Viareggio with the regional capital Florence. By car, the journey will take you a little over an hour, skirting the likes of Lucca, Pistoia and Prato on the way. It has taken Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira about 12 years – and nine different clubs – to complete the trip.
His route to Fiorentina has been a circuitous one to say...
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Antonio Conte: 100-word hero #14
Another guest post (for I would surely never have picked him!) from Luca Cetta (@l_cetta on Twitter)…
Guts, spirit and devotion. This encapsulates Antonio Conte, for so long an inspirational leader in the centre of the Juventus midfield.
Signed in 1991 from Lecce, Conte wore his heart on his sleeve for 13 seasons. A tactically clever and defensively solid player, he was a scorer of few,...
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Tanque for the memories - Santiago Silva quits...
The great dreams of the summer have withered in the winter’s icy blast. A glorious Calciomercato capture ended up feeling more like a kick in the nether regions. And so Santiago Silva boarded the plane back to Argentina.
His contribution to the Viola cause? A single Serie A goal, from the penalty spot, against nine-man Roma. Even he could hardly muster a novelty celebration for that one.
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Gianfranco Zola: 100-word hero #13
Once again, it’s Football Italia and Rigore! legend Dave Taylor with another great of the game…
“Napoli does not have to look for my heir they have Zola,” said Maradona and he meant it.
From the Interregionale sides of Nuores and Torres to Napoli, Parma, Chelsea and Cagliari the Magic Box was pure entertainment every time he played.
Unwanted by Parma, it was at Chelsea...
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Juventus versus Milan Scudetto races through...
The last time they finished first and second in Serie A has been cancelled from the record books by the Calciopoli scandal. Prior to that, you have to go back 16 years to find a time when they filled the champions and runners-up spot in the league table. So we should really give a warm welcome to a Juventus versus Milan Scudetto fight – it has certainly been a while.
Of course, Udinese might have...
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Rui Costa: 100-word hero #12
“Vai Rui!” was our cry as he weaved his mesmeric way through opposition defences before letting rip a thumping shot or delivering a delicious assist. Balance, poise and vision were his stock in trade and, along with Gabriel Batistuta, he made the Artemio Franchi a special place to be. Cost-cutting meant he moved to Milan where greater glories followed but he never seemed to hurt his old...
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WatchNovara v Fiorentina. A first away win of the season, a Montolivo beauty and Jovetic scores a PlayStation style volley.
