Serie A Season 2011/2012

[ballsathome]

Thursday 25th August 2011

Juventus confirm Giaccherini medical on

Cesena striker Emanuele Giaccherini is undergoing a medical prior to completing his move to Juventus, the Turin club have confirmed.

The 26-year-old will join the Bianconeri in a 3million euros deal, with Juve midfielder Jorge Martinez heading in the opposite direction on a season-long loan - with Juve paying his wages - as part of the agreement.

Giaccherini will pen a four-year contract with Juventus and will become the club's ninth signing this summer.

Juve begin their Serie A campaign at Udinese on Sunday, should the proposed strike over a new collective agreement be averted.

 

[ballsathome]

Thursday 25th August 2011

Osvaldo competes move to Roma

Argentina striker Pablo Osvaldo has completed his move to Roma from Espanyol.

Osvaldo underwent a medical in the Italian capital before signing a four-year contract with the Giallorossi.

Osvaldo joins the Serie A outfit in a reported 18million euro (£15.9million) transfer deal from Espanyol.

"I am very happy to be here," said Osvaldo.

"I have chosen Roma because it is a great club. For me it is an honour to play alongside (Roma captain Francesco) Totti."

Osvaldo has plenty of experience in Serie A having played for Atalanta, Fiorentina, Lecce and Bologna before joining Espanyol in 2010.

He scored 20 goals in 44 appearances for the Barcelona club.

 

[ballsathome]

Thursday 25th August 2011

Serie A strike talks in deadlock

Lega Serie A president Maurizio Beretta was maintaining a hard-line stance despite a strike that threatens to disrupt the season start.

Italy's top-flight players have threatened to strike if a new collective agreement is not signed before the opening games on Saturday. Efforts to reach an agreement between the Lega and the Italian Players' Association (AIC) have so far proved unsuccessful. Our position is clear," Beretta told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The amendments to the contract are those.

"We have negotiated for months and the margin to reach an agreement is not there. "Either AIC signs to say they are willing to pay the solidarity tax or nothing. "If they are willing to pay it as they claim they are, then there is no reason why they should not sign the agreement. "Moreover, for us it's also very clear that coaches should be allowed to make decisions regarding their teams based on the technical requirements."

The AIC are especially unhappy about clubs trying to force players to move in the last year of their contracts and for coaches to force unwanted players to train away from the first team. Clubs also want players to pay a new solidarity tax that applies to high earners. An old collective agreement expired at the end of the 2009/10 season and talks for its renewal continued throughout the previous campaign.

 

[Edinson Cavani]

Friday 26th August 2011

Palermo €4m bid for Rafael rejected

Palermo have had a €4million offer for goalkeeper Rafael rejected by his club Santos.

Palermo are keen to bolster their squad with the arrival of the 21-year-old who has risen to become Santos' first-choice keeper.

"We said no to a proposal of €4 million from Palermo for 70% of Rafael's rights," Santos director of football Pedro Luiz Conceicao told reporters at a press conference.

"We already have a verbal agreement on a salary increase for the athlete.

"Rafael wants to stay and that makes negotiations easier. We are not going to change the length of the contract, but we are going to reward the player which is the right thing to do."

Rafael was instrumental for Santos as the club won this year's Copa Libertadores. It was their first Libertadores title since 1963.

 

[ballsathome]

Friday 26th August 2011

Magath: Kjaer on his way to Roma

Wolfsburg defender Simon Kjaer is set to join Serie A side Roma according to the coach of the German club Felix Magath.

Roma see the Denmark defender as an ideal replacement for Philippe Mexes, who joined AC Milan in the summer.

"He is on his way to sign a contract with Roma," Magath told German media after Thursday's training.

Roma have reportedly agreed a €10million for the defender, although neither Wolfsburg or Magath would confirm this to reporters.

The 22-year-old centre-back has endured tough times at the Volkswagen Arena as the club narrowly avoided relegation last season. Kjaer was also singled out by his coach for underperforming during last weekend's 4-1 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Kjaer played for Palermo from 2008 to 2010 before joining Wolfsburg.

 

[ballsathome]

Friday 26th August 2011

Liverpool loan Aquilani to AC Milan

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani will return to Italy with AC Milan for the rest of the season after agreeing a loan move to the San Siro.

The former Roma player moved to Anfield in 2009 but struggled to make an impact in the Barclays Premier League and was allowed to spend the 2010/11 campaign back in Serie A with Juventus.

Now Milan have moved for the 27-year-old Italy international, with the deal only now hinging on the outcome of a medical.

Liverpool announced on their official website that an option has been negotiated to make the move permanent in the future.

Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli said: "I want to pay tribute to the way Alberto has conducted himself during these discussions.

"Throughout the entire process, his only desire has been to play football and he has put this ahead of any other considerations and at personal cost to himself. We wish him well for the season ahead."

 

[ballsathome]

Strike action forces Serie A delay

26 August 2011

​

The start of the Serie A season has been delayed after players failed to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. A new agreement was due to be put in place after the previous one expired at the end of last season but talks again broke down. The Italian Players' Union (AIC) president Damiano Tommasi confirmed the news on Friday.

"There will be no Serie A this weekend. We tried right up until the end, but ultimately all the talks were in vain," he said. AIC made a last-ditch attempt to ward off the strike on Friday as they proposed a stop-gap solution that would give the parties involved more time to find a permanent solution.

Nevertheless, the proposed bridge-contract based on the agreements reached so far between the different parties, which would expire on June 30 2012, was swiftly rejected by the league's governing body, Lega Calcio. The biggest talking point is the so-called article seven about players who are deemed surplus to requirements by their coaches.

AIC insists that those players should be allowed to train with the rest of the squad, while the clubs want that decision left in the hands of the coaches. The Italian government's decision to introduce an extra tax on wages over 90 million euros per year has been the other issue that prevented parties from reaching agreement.

The clubs feel that the players must pay the tax, rather than the clubs, while AIC feels the employers are responsible for paying the extra tax.

 

[ballsathome]

Saturday 27th August 2011

Juventus close in on Estigarribia

Juventus are on the verge of completing the loan signing of Paraguay international Marcelo Estigarribia from Le Mans.

The 24-year-old passed a medical in Turin and will become Juve's eighth acquisition this summer.

Estigarribia - who can play in left midfield or on the wing - played on loan at Newell's Old Boys last season and impressed at this summer's Copa America.

Juve will have the option to make Estigarribia's move permanent if they pay a reported five million euros at the end of the campaign.

Earlier this week, the Turin giants strengthened their attacking line by signing Cesena striker Emanuele Giaccherini.

 

[Edinson Cavani]

Saturday 27th August 2011

Napoli seal Pandev loan deal

Serie A outfit Napoli have completed the loan signing of Inter Milan forward Goran Pandev on a season-long deal.

The Macedonia international has long been linked with a move away from the club, especially since the January arrival of Giampaolo Pazzini, who has since become Inter's first-choice striker. While the recent departure of Samuel Eto'o to Anzhi Makachkala had many suggesting Pandev could yet remain at the Giuseppe Meazza, that proved not to be the case on Friday, when Napoli announced a deal had been done.

And speaking upon the completion of his transfer, Pandev revealed he was excited at the prospect of playing for another club who would be challenging in the UEFA Champions League this season. "I am very happy to be able to play in the Champions League with a club like Napoli as they are a very important club," Pandev told Sky Sport Italia.

His departure is unlikely to be sorely felt at Inter, with the club being recently linked with moves for Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan, Manchester City's Carlos Tevez and Lazio's Mauro Zarate. In addition, the club have already brought in two young forwards this summer in the form of Ricardo Alvarez and Luc Castaignos.

Despite a fresh start, Pandev will have his work cut out for him if he is to establish himself as a regular starter for Napoli, especially with the duo of Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi ahead of him in the pecking order.

 

[ballsathome]

Saturday 27th August 2011

Milan suffer Flamini injury blow

AC Milan have suffered an injury blow with French midfielder Mathieu Flamini set to be ruled out for at least five months.

The 27-year-old hurt his right knee during last weekend's 2-1 win over Juventus in the Berlusconi Trophy, and further tests have confirmed ligament damage.

The Frenchman will have to undergo knee surgery and is expected to be sidelined until next year.

Flamini, who made 22 league appearances to help AC Milan win the Scudetto last season, will miss the first half of the season, including the group stages of the Champions League.

 

[ballsathome]

Monday 29th August 2011

Juve complete Estigarribia loan move

Juventus have completed the loan signing of Paraguay international Marcelo Estigarribia from Deportivo Maldonado, the Serie A club confirmed.

The 24-year-old is Juve's eighth acquisition this summer.

Estigarribia - who can play in left midfield or on the wing - played on loan at Newell's Old Boys last season and impressed at this summer's Copa America.

"I am really excited," said Estigarribia. "This is a dream come true.

"It is fantastic and also unexpected. I want to enjoy this moment.

"I am very proud to be here at Juventus. It is not every day that you get the chance to play for a big club and now it is up to me to prove that I belong here."

Juve will have the option to make Estigarribia's move permanent if they pay five million euros at the end of the campaign.

 

[ballsathome]

Friday 2nd September 2011

Lazio defend Mauro Zarate exit

Lazio sporting director Igil Tare has defended the club's decision to allow Mauro Zarate to leave for Inter Milan on loan.

Zarate, regarded as one of Lazio's key players since he signed for the Biancocelesti in 2008, joined Inter on Wednesday on a season-long loan deal, which could yet be made permanent.

His departure led to an outcry from the Lazio fans, who felt the club's decision to allow Zarate to leave on loan was a clear sign of a lack of ambition.

However, Tare has since come out to defend the club's actions, revealing that Zarate had essentially forced a move away from the Stadio Olimpico.

"The player's desire was to join a big club and the truth is he did everything to move to Inter," Tare told Il Corriere dello Sport.

Nonetheless, Tare insisted that Zarate left with the club's blessing, refuting rumours that the other Lazio players had been behind his departure.

"Zarate is a young player with great quality, and I wish him all the best.

"In these three years, he tried to do his best and I want to make one thing clear: it is not true that the team or any other player tried to send him out.

"Lazio make their decisions together with the coach, and not based on what the players want.

"I understand the fans' frustration. They feel betrayed, but I can assure that every decision we make is for the sake of the group."

Zarate made a total of 103 Serie A appearances for Lazio, bagging 25 goals along the way.

 

[ballsathome]

Friday 2nd September 2011

Udinese regret Sanchez sale

Udinese director of sport Fabrizio Larini has expressed regret over the €26million sale of Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona earlier this summer.

Sanchez was one of Udinese's key players last season as the club finished fourth in Serie A to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, scoring twelve goals in 31 league appearances.

However, his performances piqued the interest of several leading European teams, meaning Udinese were always going to have a battle on their hands to retain the services of the talented Chilean forward.

Ultimately, it was Barcelona who won the race for his signature, but Larini has since revealed that Udinese were loathe to part with one of their best players.

"Initially, we did not want to sell our best players because we knew we would be playing in the Champions League," Larini said, according to La Repubblica.

"We really hoped to keep Sanchez for another year, but then with the passing of time, there was pressure from Manchester City, Manchester United, Barcelona, Inter [Milan] and Juventus.

"And so in the end, we had to give up and sell."

Sanchez's departure ultimately came back to haunt Udinese as they failed to negotiate past their Champions League qualifier against Arsenal, losing 3-1 on aggregate.

 

[Edinson Cavani]

Friday 2nd September 2011

Delio Rossi turns down Palermo

Italian coach Delio Rossi has turned down an offer to return to Palermo.

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini offered Rossi - who only left in the summer - the job after sacking Stefano Pioli earlier this week.

Pioli was dismissed just three months after joining the club from Chievo and Palermo appointed youth team trainer Devis Mangia as caretaker coach.

"I have read the recent comments made by Zamparini," said Rossi to Gazzetta dello Sport.

"He said he was waiting for my answer. I have already spoken to him and I told him that I don't feel like returning to coach Palermo.

The problem is that Zamparini has a vision of a coach that is different to mine.

"I reiterate that for the time being I do not want to return to guide Palermo and it's not because I have other offers from other clubs."

Rossi left Palermo this summer after leading the Sicilians to eighth place in Serie A and to the Italian Cup final.

 

[Edinson Cavani]

Saturday 3rd September 2011

Zarate ready to prove worth at Inter

New Inter Milan signing Mauro Zarate is ready to prove his worth after agreeing a season-long loan deal from Serie A rivals Lazio.

Zarate was one of Lazio's shining lights last season as the capital city club claimed Europa League qualification by finishing fifth in Serie A. However, the Argentinean was linked with a move away from Lazio all summer long, with reports suggesting he was looking for a new challenge.

And Zarate got his wish on Wednesday when Inter sealed his services on a loan deal which could yet be made permanent. Zarate has recently been hit by suggestions that he is slightly overweight and not in prime condition for the start of the new Serie A season, but speaking at his unveiling as an Inter player on Friday, Zarate was keen on setting the record straight.

"When I was in Argentina with my friends on holiday, I ate a lot of food and so I came back a little overweight, but I have lost this in pre-season and so I am ready to play," Zarate said. Zarate was brought to Inter along with Uruguayan international Diego Forlan to bolster the Nerazzurri's attacking options following the sale of Samuel Eto'o to Anzhi Makachkala.

And while Zarate concedes Eto'o did well for Inter, he believes Forlan and himself can bring something different to the Inter attack. "Eto'o is a great player, but this is a new season and both myself and Forlan are different players." Another new Inter signing, Andrea Poli, was also unveiled on Friday, who like Zarate, joins Inter on a season-long loan deal from Sampdoria.

Poli was quick to reveal his pride at joining the Nerazzurri, and was eager to contribute as soon as possible. "I am very proud to join Inter and I cannot wait to start. "This is a great club with great champions and I want to do well for the team and the coach."

Following a delay to the Italian football season due to strikes, the new Serie A campaign looks set to start next weekend, where Inter will travel to take on Palermo, whom they beat in last season's Coppa Italia final.

 

[Edinson Cavani]

Zenit put off by Lavezzi price tag
Russian outfit Zenit St Petersburg have revealed they came close to making a serious bid for the services of Napoli hitman Ezequiel Lavezzi this summer.

Hamsik commits future to Napoli
Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik insists that his future lies with his current club despite being linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain all summer.

Sneijder: Mourinho asked me to stay
Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder has revealed that Jose Mourinho is the reason behind his decision not to join Manchester United.

De Rossi wants Totti to stay at Roma
Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi is hopeful talismanic captain Francesco Totti remains at the club for the foreseeable future.

 

[Edinson Cavani]

Serie A strike over

4 September 2011

​

The Serie A will kick off next weekend after the Italian Players Association (AIC) said a collective bargaining agreement has been reached. The opening round of games, which were due to begin last weekend, was postponed when the AIC called a strike in protest at the refusal of the union of clubs (LEGA) to sign the collective bargaining contract.

A source from the AIC said on Saturday that the contract was on the verge of being signed early next week in time for the second round of Serie A games. "The contract will be signed either late morning or early afternoon on Monday, September 5. The only things missing are small technical details," an AIC source told the Ansa news agency.

"We only need to review a few things tied to the regulations and our lawyers are working on finalising everything." The agreement will mean the first fixture of the 2011/12 Serie A campaign will be AC Milan against Lazio on Friday.

It came a day after AIC president Damiano Tommasi said they were optimistic the second round of games would be played. "We received the proposal from the Lega's meeting on September 1 and are working on it," a statement from Tommasi read. "There is moderate optimism."

 

[F.Inzaghi]

Reports: Del Bosque rejected Inter
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has reportedly rejected an offer to become manager of Inter Milan.

Boateng: I want to win everything
AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng wants to win everything this season and sees Napoli, Lazio and Juventus as his side's title threat.

Van Basten tips Elia to shine for Juve
Holland legend Marco van Basten believes his compatriot Eljero Elia has what it takes to star for Juventus, after the latter completed a €9millon move last week.

Del Piero undecided on future
Alessandro Del Piero has thrown doubt over whether he will continue playing for Juventus come the end of this season.

Julio Cesar thankful for Sneijder stay
Inter Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar has admitted he is relieved that Wesley Sneijder has remained at the club following a summer of exit rumours.

Report: Jovetic to pen extension
Fiorentina attacker Stevan Jovetic is set to sign a three-year contract extension with the club, according to reports.

 

[F.Inzaghi]

Serie A opener given go-ahead

The Italian football season will finally get under way this week after the Lega Serie A and the players' union put pen to paper on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The contract is a temporary resolution that will last until next June, but it means that the Serie A season will commence on Friday when AC Milan host Lazio. A statement from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) read: "An agreement was signed today by FIGC president Giancarlo Abete, Lega A president Maurizio Beretta and AIC (the Italian Players' Union) president Damiano Tommasi for the new collective bargaining agreement.

"The contract will expire in June 2012." Last month's opening round of league matches were postponed after the Lega Serie A and AIC failed to find common ground. The old agreement expired at the end of the 2009/10 campaign and talks for its renewal continued throughout last season and this summer.

"We are sorry that the signature of the collective contract arrived so late," said Tommasi. "We hope this is a good sign for the next contract. "It is important to play with a collective contract signed. "It is pretty much the same conditions as we had last year but it is a starting point."

Lega Serie A president Beretta, who had come under fire for his reluctance to accept the AIC's proposal last month, said: "It was worth it for us to have a strong stand during negotiations as we have gotten more than we wanted."

The new deal includes six points that were already agreed during previous negotiations. Article seven, regarding unwanted players training away from the first team - something the AIC is strongly opposed to - has been left out of the agreement with a view to being reviewed over the next fortnight.

"Regarding article seven, we will meet with AIC for 15 days, and if no agreement is reached, Abete will have the final say," said Beretta.

 

[Edinson Cavani]

Moggi: AC Milan light years ahead
Former Juventus transfer director Luciano Moggi feels that AC Milan's summer signings will put them in prime position to retain their title this season.

Aquilani ready to stay at Milan
New AC Milan signing Alberto Aquilani is ready to settle down having played for three different clubs in three seasons.

Agent: Capdevila open to Napoli move
Benfica left-back Joan Capdevila's agent Horacio Gaggioli said that the player is willing to move abroad after failing to settle into his new club.

Totti issues Roma rallying cry
Roma captain Francesco Totti has issued a rallying call to his team-mates to urge them to back coach Luis Enrique ahead of the new Serie A season.

Cavani: Sky's the limit for Napoli
Napoli hitman Edinson Cavani is confident the club are capable of achieving great things this season.

Fergie's respect for Maldini and Zola
Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he tried to bring Paolo Maldini to Manchester United and that he also "loved" Gianfranco Zola.