i have no problem with the punishment, i think it should be more severe.

That said, AC Milan SHOULD NOT get into UEFA by ANY MEANS

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Well, now they can´t sing to Inter Milan anymore that "You´ll never win anything...."

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Lots of drama in football these days. Frankly I'm surprised Italy did so well considering the commotion going on back home during the World Cup. Nice Italian flag tribute at the top of the page Otto.

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<--The man

United close in on £8m Vieira swoop

Manchester United are reported to be close to agreeing an £8million fee with Juventus for former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira.

The Big Sales is starting....??!

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Van Nistelrooy has signed with Real Madrid. The clubs also reached agreement. He will be presented today!

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"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" - Homer Simpson

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Pessotto out of danger! – Molinette Hospital – 17 July

The doctor in charge of his recovery today revealed that the 35-year-old’s life was no longer at risk.

“The patient’s condition is continuing to slowly improve. We can now say that his life is not in danger.” stated Doctor Pierpaolo Donadino. [img]smile.gif[/img]

No.9

Excellent No 9!

Thanx for the info on Pessotto!

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The Empire Strikes Back!

When prosecutors handed out sentences for clubs in the match-fixing scandal, they never actually ‘banned’ any clubs from European competitions, (perhaps they have no right to interfere in UEFA matters), rather they manipulated Italian League points and placings to alter eligibility. AC had 44 points deducted from last season to put them in such a position. However, as said in a previous post, new qualifier Empoli did not have the required licence to take up their place.

Missing the application deadline, they made special application which needed the support of the Italian Football Federation – who have now declined to endorse the application .

I don’t for a moment expect it’s anything ‘personal’ against Empoli, rather that the Federation does not just want teams in the UEFA Cup, they want teams in there that can win it. Empoli can’t, AC can.


Appeals of the Calciopoli verdict start being heard this Saturday, and, publication Il Giornale claims the prosecutor has some 300 new pages of evidence implicating a further two clubs . Revelations to follow

Meanwhile, the game of transfer sillybuggers continues. Currently it seems to be at the stage of last minute defaults – why – to jack-up the price. It works like this. Phase one – ‘I don’t want to move, but I might consider it’; Phase two – ’I am going to move, but now have a better offer from another club’; Phase three – ’yes I know I said we had a deal, but now I’ve decided that money isn’t everything and I have a duty to stay’. So, until pen is put to paper and money changes hands, the ‘will he/won’t he’ game goes on, and the newspapers sell lots of copies with ‘breaking news' .

No.9

The selling of Juve players has begun, I guess:

Real Madrid have agreed a fee with Juventus for the joint signing of Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro and Brazil midfielder Emerson.

"Real Madrid can confirm it has reached an agreement with Juventus over the signing of Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson.

"The players are currently on holiday and will be presented at the Bernabeu after signing their respective contracts."

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For the first time in years Real has decided to buy some defensive players....

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AC Milan defender Kakha Kaladze believes the Rossoneri can win the 2006-7 Scudetto despite a 15-point deduction.

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/sto...351121,00.html

I´m sure the coach appreciates what you´re saying but first you gotta win 5 games to get any plus points...sounds rather difficult to me!

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Well, there are no denials from Juve or in the Italian press about Cannavaro and Emerson signings – yet? No one seems to want to disclose fees, but, alleged ‘insiders’ say £14 to £18m for the pair? Would seem cheap, however, Canna is 33 and Emerson 30. Also have to say, despite Canna’s great World Cup showing, you can’t say the world has been beating a path dispensing big bucks

Four more possible ‘naughty’ boys are getting the once over in the Calciopoli investigation - Reggina, Messina, Lecce and Siena. Nothing firm for the moment, ‘just looking’. The ‘300 pages’ of new evidence turns out to be 300 phone calls, or rather transcripts there of .

Zidane has been given a 3 game ban for thuggery, which is pointless as he’s retired. Oh, and a few thousand fine. Materazzi got a 2 game ban , and fined a few Francs. However, though Zidane’s agent claimed it showed "Zidane was the victim", (please try not to injure yourself falling off your chair in hysterics ), I think FIFA did it to head off trouble. The 2 game ban will keep Materazzi out of Italy’s 2008 Euro qualifiers against Lithuania (don’t laugh) and more importantly France – at home. Italy would want to play Materazzi and he has the balls to play. But, various primeval dross have pledged to disrupt the game. Ergo, embarrassing bad publicity for FIFA avoided.

The thought of slagging off a player on the pitch henceforth leading to a ban is really quite funny. Every time a ref pulls someone up for an unnessecary foul they would only have to say the victim insulted their mother, or called them a terrorist .

No.9

Next stage?!:

European champions Barcelona have snapped up Juventus duo Lilian Thuram and Gianluca Zambrotta following the Italian club's relegation.

The signings were announced by Barca on Thursday on their official website, with the duo set to join up with the club on their pre-season tour of Mexico and the United States.

www.teamtalk.com

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Lazio and Fiorentina have been reinstated to Serie A but Juventus remain in Serie B following their appeals in the match-fixing scandal.

Fiorentina will start the new season with a 19-point deduction, while Lazio will start with an 11-point deficit.

Juventus, the club hardest hit for breaking Italian Football Federation (FIGC) rules, remain in Serie B but have had their 30-point deduction reduced to 17.

AC Milan, who avoided relegation under the original verdict, have seen their 15-point penalty for next season reduced to eight.

The verdict means Milan will play in the forthcoming season's Champions League - along with Inter Milan, Roma and Chievo - but will have to go through the qualifying rounds.

Both Juventus and Fiorentina were given three-match stadium bans, meaning they will play their first trio of home games in their 2006-07 campaigns on neutral territory.

Lazio and Milan were handed two-match and one-match stadium bans respectively.

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Official - AC will play in Europe next season.


In the Calciopoli verdict, as the Italian tribunal did not have the power to ‘ban’ any club directly from European tournaments, much the same result was achieved by reducing last season’s points so various teams moved down the league, low enough to no longer qualify. Of the teams who moved up the league into qualifying position, Empoli did not have the required license to compete, and was not granted special disposition by the Italian governing body, leaving the spot to the next in line – which was AC. After the appeal to the verdict, AC had some points restored which meant they qualified again in their own right. The only way they could be kept out now was by an official ruling by UEFA. After emergency session, UEFA have decided the following:

"The UEFA Emergency Panel, being competent to decide on this matter, came to the conclusion that it had no choice but to admit Milan for the UEFA club competitions 2006-07 for formal reasons because of an insufficient legal basis in the regulations which would allow not admitting Milan under the specific circumstances."

Hmm....., we understand. Sig. Berlusconi (President of AC, media mogul, one of if not ‘the’ richest man in Italy and, until the last National Election, Italian Prime Minister) is know to be a reasonable man. You simply had an offer you couldn’t refuse – good choice

UEFA went on to say:
”UEFA will not hesitate to intervene severely should Milan be involved in any activities aiming to arrange improperly the outcome of a match."

A very odd remark as (a) involvement in the Calciopoli was levied at two officials of AC while acting in official capacities for OTHER Italian football bodies – i.e. NOT for AC, and (b) the only implication of AC themselves was based on one ambiguous 2 minute recorded phone call which was not sited in the verdict? Furthermore, no Italian club has ever been investigated, let alone accused, for any match fixing in any UEFA tournament, where of course UEFA make all the arrangements and provide the personnel.

There is no recorded response from AC, though someone was heard to remark; ”The fish in the Mediterranean are always hungry”

AC face an early head-to-head against Red Star Belgrade on 8th August at the Milan San Siro, and the return on 22nd August. However, with recent events and several injuries still in recovery, AC has four first choice defenders unavailable for Wednesday (Maldini, Nesta, Kaladza and Cafu), the defence to be held together by ‘The Rock’, Alessandro Costacurta.

No.9

Red stripes won – Red stars didn’t

In front of over 50’000, AC birthday boy Pippo Inzaghi (33 today) provided the 1-0 win over Red Star Belgrade at the San Siro.


Despite missing several key defenders, and having had to recall the team from holiday to hurriedly prepare for this Champions league qualifier – a situation dictated by recent point manipulation – AC ended the match unlucky not to have planted more.

The shot that crossed the line was the end product of a classic precision one-touch chain comprising Gilardino, Kaka and Inzaghi. Doubtful for this match due to holiday indulgence, Brazilian Cafu not only played but took man-of-the-match. Return game confirm as 23rd August in Belgrade.

AC Milan
Goal: Dida
Defence: Cafu (Brocchi 79), Simic, Costacurta, Serginho
Midfield: Gattuso, Pirlo (Gourcuff 81), Seedorf, Kaka
Strikers: Inzaghi, Gilardino (Ambrosini 72)

No.9

ps. good win for Ajax in their game

Congrats, No.9. But what should one expect from Milan? I am sure they are motivated to the bone now. Well done, although Red Star is not the team it was years ago, it remains a team to recon with.

Yes, "Lucky Ajax: lived up to its name again. 2 goals bu "The Hunter". This guy is going to be bigger than Van Nistelrooij...Probably already is as word is that Van Basten will take him instead of Van Nistelrooij next week to the friendlywith Ireland...

Too bad Hernan C. decided to go to Inter....I thought he had more common sense.

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Congrats AC and Ajax!

Stevin, just try to hold on as Chelsea is looking for a new striker...If I was Mourinho I definitely would have my eye on Huntelaar!

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Another one!? They just bought Shevchenko and Kalou and they had Drogba and then some....

Huntelaar would do good to stay with Ajax for a few years and mature....But who knows....

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It seems to me that Chelseas method of beating other teams is to steal all the best players first and then play them! Its ridicolous....i'm suprised half of chelsea hasnt complained about playing time yet!

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