May 2012
17 posts
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Marcel Desailly: 100-word hero #32
A new man to the blog this week with the long overdue debut (that’s my fault) of Dominic Bliss - the man behind @theinsidelefty and known as @Dominic_Bliss on Twitter.
Marcel Desailly taught me to reimagine the art of defending. For the man nicknamed ‘The Rock’ was undersold by his moniker.
A World Cup winner with France in 1998, he showed me, in his latter days at Chelsea, that the...
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A purple pilgrimage: when buying a football strip...
The man in the only sports shop in the village used to beam widely every time he saw us. A father and son freshly landed from Scotland on a pilgrimage to purchase Italian football merchandise. He could almost hear the till ring as we walked through the door. In those days before mega stores and online trading, it took a dash more dedication to don the colours of your Serie A favourites if you...
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Seba Veron: 100-word hero #31
Back to the guest posts this week, courtesy of Richard Graham (@RPG_1988 on Twitter) with another glorious baldy. If you like it, check out his blog at Lazy Man’s Calcio.
With his shaven head, goatee and knee tape Juan Sebastián Verón looked more like a pirate than a footballer.
However, when the ‘Little Witch’ stepped onto the football pitch he couldn’t help but produce magic.
UEFA...
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Mario Balotelli: 100-word hero #30
No Balotelli, no party.
A figure loved and loathed in equal measure, Super Mario is never less than gripping entertainment.
His off-the-pitch antics often run the risk of obscuring his talent. But, when it shines, it is truly blinding.
Briefly with Lumezzane, he was snapped up by Inter where he showed how inspirational and infuriating he can be.
A move to Manchester City provided more of the same...
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How Roberto Mancini proved he could manage in the...
Roberto Mancini is used to confounding the critics. They said Sampdoria could never win the Scudetto - but he teamed up with Gianluca Vialli to prove them wrong. Then his own Serie A colleagues questioned his coaching credentials - so he delivered silverware with every single team under his control. And now, in the most dramatic fashion, he has silenced those who thought he was not ready to...
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A farewell to Fiorentina: why the Viola revolution...
“We need to sign players who see Florence as a starting point. Fans need to be allowed to dream and enjoy themselves again. The ideal thing would be to get a good mix of youngsters and experienced players like we had a few years back.”
Thus spoke Fiorentina supremo Andrea Della Valle, and who could argue? A lacklustre draw with Cagliari was a fitting end to a mediocre season for the...
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Bruno Conti: 100-word hero #29
He could bob and bamboozled like a little Roman elf possessed by the devil of dribbling. After loan spells with Genoa, by the early 1980s he had become the most mesmeric and magical wideman in the Italian game - a giant for the Giallorossi. His zenith came in a spectacular three-year peak any player would envy. His lengthy locks skipped round defenders to win the Mondiale at Spain 1982, a...
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Juventus and the Scudetto: How nine years can seem...
For some sides it would seem like an instant, but for followers of Juventus it felt like a lifetime. After nearly a decade of abstinence, they have a Scudetto which will remain in the record books. Normal service has been resumed.
Back in 2003, of course, it was just the continuation of a period of prolonged success. The Bianconeri were a domestic and European powerhouse with a global...
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Delio Rossi v Adem Ljajic: how the red mist...
Delirio Rossi – Rossi Frenzy – the banners read when Fiorentina replaced Sinisa Mihajlovic as Coach earlier this season. It was supposed to indicate the fans’ delight at finally getting shot of their Serbian boss. Few would have forecast how aptly it would sum up the moment of madness which put paid to his successor.
The stunned looks of the players on the Viola bench said it all. Like the rest...
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“It was a few seconds which let out months of stress. I am sorry because the...”
– Andrea Della Valle, on why Delio Rossi was sacked after his skirmish with Adem Ljajic
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Alvaro Recoba: 100-word hero #28
He was one of Massimo Moratti’s favourites and also won the heart of Twitter’s most prominent Venezia fan, and my cousin, Marco Rinaldi (@marcoarrinaldi). Little wonder with the skills he possessed…
El Chino Recoba was a player who seemed to have the world at his feet (his left foot, at least) but who never quite made the breakthrough his talent deserved.
His greatest moments...
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