February 2012
15 posts
4 tags
Giuseppe Signori: 100-word hero #15
Another guest post, this time from Jimmy Areabi otherwise known as @fantasista1077 on Twitter. On a star who has been a bit tainted of late…
With tiny size 5 feet but packed full of dynamite, Beppe Signori was capocannieri three times in Italy’s top flight.
Told he was too small to make it, his left boot was like a cannon, firing in shots from all distances - almost tearing through the...
January 2012
10 posts
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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.
December 2011
10 posts
4 tags
Best of Rinaldi's Blog 2011
In the spirit of Christmas and New Year, here is a quick rundown of what I think has been the best stuff on my blog in the past 12 months.
It is entirely personal of course, but feel free to take a look around and disagree or agree with what I have selected.
One thing is for sure, there has been plenty of nonsense posted. Links to much of it below…
January - Roberto Baggio v Maradona...
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Giuseppe Bergomi: 100-word hero #11
They call him Lo Zio, the Uncle, but Beppe Bergomi was just a teenager when he helped his country win the World Cup - even if his fine moustache belied his tender years.
Such early triumph can become a millstone but not for someone carved out of Nerazzurro rock. He became the heart of Inter and Italy’s defence for years to come.
Strength, anticipation and determination were his stock in trade...
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Inter v Fiorentina: How Trapattoni delivered the...
First appeared at Serie A Weekly
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”...
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Roberto Mancini: 100-word hero #10
It is that Football Italia and Rigore! legend Dave Taylor again, with a topical look at a man facing a Champions League managerial crunch night this week.
Roberto Mancini was a free-kick specialist whose awareness saw him out-think some of the world’s best defenders in 80s Italy. The Jesi born forward had skills few could compete with.
The dynamic relationship he shared with Gianluca...
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One season with Socrates: Fiorentina's farewell to...
It is not the kind of thing you forget in a hurry. When your team snaps up a member of the best side never to win the World Cup – at least in the eyes of most of the British media since 1982 – it constitutes a pretty memorable moment. If he happens to be their eccentric mastermind, it is an event which might live in your mind forever.
That whole Brazil squad which was sent home from Spain by a...
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UEFA Euro 2012: What are your #groupofdeath and...
There are just 64 different routes for Italy, or any other nation for that matter, to win the European Nations next year. The restricted nature of the tournament means there are a relatively small number of potential four-team combinations. But how to judge what would be a dream group or constitute a group of death?
Italy go into pot two, thus avoiding any chance of meeting Germany, England or...
