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JANUARY 2002 Serie A Post Match Comments Chievo V Juventus "This is a very serious defeat that weighs down on the shoulders of the directors, coach and players. We will think carefully about what action to take in response to this result. Will there be massive changes to the team? These are issues that must be resolved after May 6. Up until then we will carry on with these players. We shall see what we have achieved before deciding on the next step." - Adriano Galliani "The third goal knocked the stuffing out of us. Next time I'll ask my players to cut off their hands just in case they happen to be near a cross. The first spot kick was ridiculous, the more I see it the more ridiculous it gets. The same goes for the second penalty but that's football. Juventus did not need these gifts from the referee to win the match and yet they scored from a set piece, an own goal and a penalty. Really, well done." - Luigi Del Neri "I had a good feeling about this game. Juve were very determined and created many interesting opportunities against a fearless Chievo." - Marcello Lippi Atalanta V Fiorentina "I must thank our youth system that allows us to pluck talented players who are ready and able to decide a Serie A match. Cristiano Doni has for some time been ready for bigger clubs than this. I only hope that he carries on playing this well until the end of the season." - Giovanni Vavassori "The usual disasters in defence helped Atalanta on their way."- Ottavio Bianchi Lecce V Brescia "We are paying for the absence of very important players such as Sebastian Cimirotic, Alessandro Conticchio and Lorenzo Stovini. Our squad is not large enough to do without them." - Alberto Cavasin "The team wanted this victory desperately in order to dedicate it to Vittorio Mero, his family and especially his 18 month old son Alessandro. I hope he sees the videotape of this match in 15 years time so he knows how much his father was loved by his team-mates." - Carlo Mazzone "I shared a room with Vittorio Mero when we travelled to away matches. Today I scored my first Serie A goal. I hadn't netted at all for almost two years. Vittorio helped me to put that ball in the net today, I am sure of it." Emanuele Filippini Milan V Udinese "We cannot blame that missed penalty for this defeat as the team had the chance to win. We started out well and on 2-0 up we relaxed. The team stretched out and became less compact. It is a psychological problem, the squad is too easily scared of setbacks and does not stick together. The fans are absolutely right to protest, they deserve more than this." - Carlo Ancelotti "We risked collapsing in the first half hour but a great Udinese performance emerged to fully deserve this win. These are important points for us as they reward players who have always given 100%." - Giampiero Ventura Perugia V Verona "After the first half I thought getting a draw would have been a real achievement. We weren't fighting back but it all changed after the break. Was the introduction of Fabio Gatti and Jung-Wan Ahn decisive? I don't know, but you need some luck with these matters. I congratulate Oscar Cordoba, it isn't easy to make your Serie A debut less than a week after setting foot on Italian soil." - Serse Cosmi "Unfortunately we often lose leads like this with a great first half performance and a dismal second period. The team needs to understand that a match lasts 90 minutes. Perugia deserved it, we played badly and that's the end of it." Alberto Malesani Roma V Piacenza "I think we played very well against a difficult opponent. Piacenza were determined and physically very fit throughout the 90 minutes" - Fabio Capello "It was a good game but we knew Roma were superior as a team and as individual players." - Walter Novellino Torino V Lazio "The road to avoiding relegation is still a long one and fraught with difficulties. We must not kid ourselves that three consecutive wins means we are safe and there is much work yet to be done." - Giancarlo Camolese "I'm disappointed with this defeat as we really didn't do much with the ball when it came to the crunch. Torino controlled the rhythm of the game and hit us on the break with an excellent Cristiano Lucarelli goal." - Alberto Zaccheroni Venezia V Inter "We seem to step up onto another level against the big clubs. We made some winning decisions and deserved this result. I believe the penalty was correct as Pippo Maniero was pulled back." - Alfredo Magni "I don't think there was enough contact to say that was a penalty. Inter missed too many chances and on the left flank Vratislav Gresko had real problems controlling Fabian Valtolina. I believe Venezia have several important players and they don't deserve to be at the foot of the table. Italian football is extremely difficult as throughout the season there are no easy games." Hector Cuper Parma V Bologna "The performance depends on your opponents. Bologna are an excellent team so it was only right that we defend with an extra man at the back. Nonetheless it must be said that our squad does not deserve to be battling against relegation." - Gedeone Carmignani "We did not give anything away although the two early goals were due to distraction at the back." - Francesco Guidolin Ronaldo And Assuncao Out For A Month Ronaldo missed yesterday's game away to Venezia after straining a thigh during a practice game. The striker has suffered a succession of muscle injuries after finally returning to action from a career threatening knee injury. Roma midfielder Marcos Assuncao, the best free kick specialist in the World, torn the meniscus in his left knee during Roma's victory over Piacenza yesterday. He is expected to be out of action for a month. Stam And Guardiola Sentenced Lazio defender Jaap Stam and Brescia midfielder Josep Guardiola have been banned for five months and four months respectively after testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone last November. Stam was also fined £30,000. Brescia Midfielder Dies In Car Crash 27 year old Brescia Midfielder Vittorio Mero died after a car crash on Wednesday after travelling to Milan from Brescia. Brescia's Italian cup tie with Parma was cancelled prior to kick off as soon as news filtered through to the players. Mero leaves behind a wife and 18 month old son named Alessandro. John Gregory Resigns "John's resignation is sad, was most unexpected but has been amicable. I can understand how John feels regarding his need for a break and this is a reflection on the pressures that managers endure in modern day Premier League football. I personally wish John and his family well in all they do in the future and he will always be welcome at Villa Park. We will not rush into a replacement appointment as John and Stuart both have previous management experience."- Doug Ellis "Following my resignation as manager of Aston Villa yesterday and the subsequent speculation as to the reasons for that resignation. I would like to make it clear I resigned for personal reasons. I have been very happy during my four years at Aston Villa and thoroughly enjoyed the pressures of football management. I send my good wishes to everyone connected with the club and wish them every success in the future." - John Gregory 20 JANUARY 2002 Serie A Post Match Comments Fiorentina V Milan "We play with far too much fear and that is of no use to anyone. Each time the ball comes into the box the players look terrified. That is why the only times Milan ran into our area there was a goal and a penalty. It is absurd. The players put in the maximum effort for a minimal result. We must turn the corner." - Ottavio Bianchi "We gave away two points. This draw was borne of our silly mistakes that were paid for dearly. The result was all down to various incidents. Andriy Shevchenko's penalty miss, Gennaro Gattuso's red card and the final equaliser from Adriano." - Carlo Ancelotti Bologna V Chievo "It takes a strong team to beat Chievo and we managed it by applying pressure to the midfield and running constantly, just as they do. The real difference was our ability in front of goal." - Francesco Guidolin "We created many chances in the first half but in Serie A certain lapses of concentration will get you into trouble. The many players missing are no alibi as we have a squad up to the task." - Luigi Del Neri Inter V Parma "Overall it was a good performance but we wasted too many chances on the counter attack. 1-0 was too slender a lead for most of the match and a single error could have cost us two points. Alvaro Recoba can be free to do what he wants upfront but he must also collaborate with his teammates and become a team player." - Hector Cuper "The early goal changed our approach to the whole game. Effectively we went close to scoring in the first half but had more problems after the break." Gedeone Carmignani Juventus V Atalanta "It was a difficult match psychologically because we played against Atalanta three times in 10 days. Keeping our concentration was very important and we just needed time to grow on all levels. Our objective at the start of the season was to reach this point tactically, technically and psychologically. Let's hope we can keep this up until the end." - Marcello Lippi "We knew there were problems but this defeat showed them up with great clarity. We collapsed at their second goal and were unable to convert the chances we had early on." - Giovanni Vavassori Lazio V Perugia "I am happy with this performance. They showed character and proved what I had been saying all along, that we only played two really bad games against Bologna and Piacenza. We were extremely motivated and determined, even able to recover from the blow of seeing our two strikers limp off injured. I am pleased with Stefano Fiore's performance and if he continues like this he'll certainly get some first team football." - Alberto Zaccheroni "Perugia weren't even here today, we may as well have stayed at home. Losing to Lazio is not a disaster but obviously with this scoreline it's another matter. Let's hope we learn from it." - Serse Cosmi Udinese V Roma "We lost what would have been two deserved points. It's a shame that Roberto Muzzi missed again, but he has only failed to convert two penalties in a long line of successful attempts. He remains our spot-kick specialist and it's up to him if he feels like taking more in the future." - Giampiero Ventura "Roma played a good first half and effectively weren't very accurate in front of goal. Udinese punished us for those few mistakes and were rarely dangerous. It's obvious that Francesco Totti is notable by his absence but we are not Totti dependent." - Fabio Capello Verona V Venezia "This is our fifth consecutive home win and we can't have asked for more than that. The team was wonderful in the first half but we must underline Venezia's merits in making us suffer after the break. They don’t deserve to be bottom of the table." - Alberto Malesani "It's the usual story, we work so hard and get nothing out of it. It's been happening for several weeks now and this time the absence of Pippo Maniero really made itself felt. The situation has always been tough for Venezia but we must carry on." - Alfredo Magni 19 JANUARY 2002 Vava Dies Aged 67 Former Brazil striker Edvaldo Izidio Netto or Vava as he is better known, passed away in a Rio de Janeiro clinic on Saturday, aged 67 after a stroke. Vava played for Vasco da Gama, Atletico Madrid and Palmeiras. Vava was a member of Brazil's World Cup winning teams in 1958 and 1962 and scored in both finals. 15 JANUARY 2002 Ref Sacked For Scoring! FA referee Brian Savill was sacked after scoring a goal during an amateur match between Earls Colne Juniors and Wimpole 2000. Wimpole were losing 18-0 when Savill smashed a volley into the net. He said : "At the hearing I confirmed my earlier observations that the incident was a spur of the moment action. Also that it was not something that any other referee should consider doing. I shouldn't have done it but it was done in the best of humour. I just can't accept that they haven't got a sense of humour. I anticipated at best a slap on the wrist and a written warning and at worst a suspension." Bianchi New Fiorentina Coach Former Napoli coach Ottavio Bianchi has succeeded Roberto Mancini as coach of Fiorentina. Mancini cited family reasons for his resignation last week : "This simple press statement will hopefully allow the team to prepare for an important match with Chievo this Sunday with greater serenity. Following yesterday's meeting in Rome with President Vittorio Cecchi-Gori, director Giuseppe Pavone and secretary general Raffaele Righetti I was verbally attacked by five fans in front of my house in Florence. Despite an exchange of ideas they threatened to increase the level of their attack. The fear of creating such problems for my wife and three children pushed me to the conclusion that my work at Fiorentina could not continue. I thank Valeria and Vittorio Cecchi-Gori for giving me the opportunity to work with such a glorious club as AC Fiorentina and to live in the splendid city of Florence. The fans have understood for some time how difficult our situation is. I hope to have contributed in a positive manner to resolving problems and in any case have always done the very best I could. I underline the great professionalism and attachment to the club shown by these players despite the daily difficulties reaching the very limits of our patience. I thank the Presidents whose sensitivity allowed them to loan us their players free of charge." Derby Sack Colin Todd "The decision made by the Chairman and Board of Directors was unanimous and Colin has been aware the Chairman was not happy with the way things have been going. Everyone at Derby County remains committed to helping this club stay in the Premiership and with 16 games to play the overwhelming feeling is that we need a change of direction and new impetus." Official Statement Robson Praises Dyer "He could do for Sven what he does for me, there's no doubt about that. All he has to do is repeat what he has done for Newcastle this season and he'll be a top class international. Dyer's a real talent, a great one touch player. He knows when to play the first time pass and when to use his pace to get past people. He saw the gaps against Leeds and got it right every time." Gregory Still Whining "We've spent between two and three million in the last 12 months (this season alone Aston Villa have spent £13.5 million) and we're in about the same position as this time last year. You've got to spend a lot of money to even stand still in the Premiership. You cannot afford to rest on your laurels." John Gregory Di Canio - Club Want To Sell Me "It is clear that the club has put a price on me and I am for sale even if Southampton, Watford, or Macclesfield pay £3.5 million but I have never said I am desperate to leave or play in the Champions League. If Macclesfield come in for that money they will sell me to Macclesfield and this is clear. If the club want to sell you it means you are not in their plans but the fans have given me everything since I have come here. Glenn spoke to me two weeks ago and said that he wants to keep me." Ronaldo - Championship A Three Horse Race "I hope that is the last Sunday that I have to watch the games on television even if I did enjoy myself. I saw some good goals. Obviously I enjoyed Vieri's and Recoba's strikes. Bobo was great again because he broke the deadlock against a very organised side. Roma and Juventus are having a great season and I think the race for the title will be a three horse race with us included. Even if we shouldn't underestimate Milan and Lazio who specialise in comebacks." - Ronaldo Trap Predicts Bright Future For Gati "He's lightweight but has amazing spirit and temperament that reminds me of Giuseppe Furino (Juve star of the 70's). He's a player that looks to impose himself on games. It will be interesting to see how far this youngster can go." Giovanni Trapattoni Allardyce - Ricketts Deserves England Chance "My view is that Michael has done enough to warrant at least being looked at by England. England have three friendlies coming up and we're talking about a player who has scored plenty of goals. Bolton don't create as many chances as some of the big teams in this division so for him to have scored as many times as he has is fantastic. Perhaps it's worth just putting him in the squad and seeing what he's capable of because in my view he has certainly earned it this season." - Sam Allardyce Sampdoria Sold Oil tycoon Riccardo Garrone has been named honorary president of Sampdoria but the identity of the new majority shareholder is unknown after the club sold 94% of their shares. The sale ends the Mantovani families 23 year ownership of the club. Serie A Post Match Comments Venezia V Juventus "We are growing as a team and must carry on like this if we wish to catch up to Inter and Roma. We had problems on an icy pitch, especially in defence but, despite the conditions, we held control for long periods of the game. The old guard has given that extra quality to the team and in so doing allows the individual players to improve." - Marcello Lippi Piacenza V Lazio "We really needed this win, for the players and the fans. The protests against me were from a small minority and it's all been cleared up now. I really must thank the players. They gave heart and soul to get these three points. If we always play like this then relegation will not be a problem." - Walter Novellino "We were poorly organised on Hubner's goal but the result is a consequence of this performance. You reap what you sow and we suffered Piacenza's determination. Apart from Hernan Crespo striking the woodwork we did very little." - Alberto Zaccheroni Milan V Brescia "It isn't over yet. The season still has a fair way to go and there will be more important developments between now and May. We gave away the first half by playing with a very slow rhythm. Things went a little better after the break although I admit that recently we are having problems in creating room to move in. I expected a rather more convincing performance from everyone." Carlo Ancelotti 9 JANUARY 2002 No New Signings For Milan And Juve "Milan will not be entering the transfer market. We are well covered in all departments (!) and no new players are needed." - Adriano Galliani. "It's not true that we are set to buy someone imminently. There is speculation that we are contacting a number of clubs but that is not the case. We are working on strengthening our squad but only for the start of next season. We are simply evaluating the quality of players in Italy and abroad. Doni is an excellent player that has exploded onto the scene but that's it." Marcello Lippi The 1995 Ballon D'or Conspiracy "The 1995 edition of the Golden Ball wasn't what it seemed. It was won by Maldini and it was a well known fact. I was aware that Paolo had won because as I had claimed it in 1994 it was up to me to hand him the award. Then something happened and it was decided that George Weah collect the prize." "I have spoken to Maldini about this on a number of occasions because I have great admiration for him. It's a real shame that this happened but we know that this kind of thing takes place in such events. It's even occurred to me. In 1992 I should have won it before it was given to Marco Van Basten." Hristo Stoichkov Gheddafi Major Shareholder In Juve! Libyan leader Colonel Moammar Gheddafi's investment firm Libyan Arab Foreign Investment bought 6.4 million shares (5.31%) in Juventus on Tuesday at a cost of approximately £14 million. A statement from Juventus read : "The sale of a large amount of stocks to an important investment firm confirms the big interest there is in our club and in our projects to develop the area of entertainment." Parma To Send Nakata On Loan? "Nakata is an important player for this club presently and in the future. We have no intention of selling him but he may be allowed to finish the season elsewhere in an attempt to rediscover his form, especially with the World Cup just a matter of months away." - Parma spokesman Giorgio Bottaro Coco Delivers Barca Ultimatum "I would like to stay until the end of the season at Barcelona and have a chance to be picked for the World Cup with Italy but it'll happen only if I play a decent number of games. However, if I don't play on Sunday for example, I will respond in a different way to bids coming from Italy." - Francesco Coco Nesta Out For A Month Lazio captain Allesandro Nesta underwent surgery earlier today on a knee injury he picked up during Sunday's match against Inter at the San Siro, the second time this season he had been injured at the San Siro. He is expected to be out of action for between four-five weeks. 7 JANUARY 2002 Capello Sets National Team Deadline "I have a contract with Roma that expires next year. I've told the President that I'm ready to stay and I don't think there will be any problems. I'm not thinking about the national side at this moment in time even if I could consider it in a couple of years." - Fabio Capello Di Vaio Wants Italy Place "If I continue playing well then I will try the most difficult of tasks, to impress Trapattoni. It is a beautiful feeling to be at the head of the scorers chart. If you look at those scoring goals this season you will see that many are Italian. Perhaps playing against the most difficult defences in the world has allowed us to learn to excel. I'm sure this is the time of the attacker, as before it was the time of the defender." - Marco Di Vaio Serie A Post Match Comments Roma V Torino "Totti has improved in every aspect of his game. He's matured, plays for the side and is now performing on the pitch just as he does in training everyday. His goal on Sunday was down to the fact that he has total belief in his own capabilities. He can play as a striker or as an attacking midfielder. We're so fortunate to have a player like him in the side because he really is a great." Fabio Capello Inter V Lazio "I believe that Chievo play the best football but Roma are certainly the side that I fear most. They are the current champions and are now first in the table again. Lazio are a very strong side and the draw was a fair result even if we shouldn't forget Kallon’s effort that hit the post and Vieri's shot at the death." - Massimo Moratti Lecce V Milan "I think the win was deserved and will do us good. We too are in the race for the top spot. The result is important because of the poor recent form and injuries that we’ve had to cope with. Lecce didn't give us too much space and that first half was possibly one of the most difficult since I've been here but I never stopped believing that we could get the win and after the break we did increase the pressure." - Carlo Ancelotti Doni Free To Leave At End of Season "All I can say is that he (Doni) will stay here until June. Then he can go to whichever club he wants to." - Atalanta sporting director Giuseppe Marotta International Federation of Football History and Statistics Referees Ranking 1. Pierluigi Collina (Italy) 2. Anders Frisk (Sweden) 3. Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark) 4. Vitor Manuel Melo Pereira (Portugal) 5. Horacio Marcelo Elizondo (Argentina) 6. Hugh Dallas (Scotland) 7. Dirk Zier Gerardus Jol (Holland) 8. Markus Merk (Germany) 9. Urs Meier (Switzerland) 10. Stefano Braschi (Italy) |