Seria A and Coppa Italia News

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ok this is a topic to post only updates about the Seria A and Coppa italia for 2007/2008

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Three new acquisitions scored in Juventus' 3-1 win over Parma in the third round of the Italian Cup on Wednesday.
Cristian Molinaro, Sergio Almiron and Hasan Salihamidzic found the net for the Bianconeri, while Paolo Castellini converted a penalty kick for Parma.
The victory also gave new Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri a win over the team he left after steering it away from relegation last season.
Molinaro headed in a cross from Giorgio Chiellini in the 62nd minute, Almiron converted a free kick through Parma's wall in the 73rd and a long shot by Salihamidzic deflected in off Parma defender Marco Rossi in the 82nd.
Castellini converted a penalty in the 75th after Jonathan Zebina was called for pushing Igor Budan inside the area.
Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved were left off the roster for the match.
Juventus will face Empoli in the fourth round.
Napoli advanced 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw with Livorno. Francesco Tavano put Livorno in front in the 81st and Napoli defender Maurizio Domizzi equalized in the 88th.
Udinese beat second-division Bari 3-0 but may have lost Italy forward Antonio Di Natale to injury. Michele Paolucci scored twice and Di Natale converted a penalty before carried off with an apparent left leg injury.
Alessandro Rosina scored in extra time as Torino beat Rimini 3-2 to earn a match with defending champion AS Roma.
Robert Acquafresca scored twice as Cagliari defeated Siena 2-1, and Reggina edged Piacenza 3-2 to get a meeting against Inter Milan.
Andrea Soncin scored in the 120th minute as second-division Ascoli advanced past Atalanta 2-1. Catania eliminated Triestina 4-2 on penalties and next will face AC Milan.
Catania coach Silvio Baldini watched from the stands after being banned until Sept. 30 for kicking Parma counterpart Domenico Di Carlo in the backside during the teams' Serie A opener Sunday.
The next round - to be played in December and January - will be two-leg encounters, with the top seeds entering play.

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ROME (AP) - AS Roma has won two tough road games to open the Italian season and the complements are rolling in for the club's exciting play and effective economics.
AC Milan star Kaka even likened Roma to Brazil.
"They've got the idea of never giving the ball away, playing for the beauty of soccer," Kaka said. "It's similar to us Brazilians."
Six of Roma's starting 11 also arrived for free. Captain Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani came through Roma's development system and Alexander Doni, Rodrigo Taddei and Max Tonetto were acquired without payment.
The total cost of the starting linup from last weekend's 2-0 win at Palermo was €29.6 million (US$40.4 million), roughly the cost of two players from any of Italy's three wealthiest clubs - Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.
Two weeks ago, Roma began the season by beating Inter 1-0 in the Italian Super Cup.
"If Roma confronts all the games with the same conviction and determination, and it doesn't have any attention lapses like last year, it's a candidate for the title," said Fabio Capello, the coach who guided Roma to its last title in 2000-01.
Totti, who has been with Roma since he was 13, sees a difference between the 2000-01 team - which relied on a trident of forwards (Totti, Gabriel Batistuta and Vincenzo Montella) - and this year's unit.
"That Roma was centered on individuals. This one is based on the collective, and playing together," Totti said.
Roma's athleticism overwhelmed both Inter and Palermo. Former FC Barcelona midfielder Ludovic Giuly has fit right in, Aquilani is back in form after an injury-plagued season, and Mirko Vucinic has improved on the left wing.
"Two tough stadiums. Not many teams would win both," said De Rossi, a fixture on Italy's national team. "We've given a strong signal to everyone, but most of all to ourselves. We're maturing."
Roma hosts Siena in its home opener Sunday, before which Totti will receive the Golden Shoe award as the most prolific scorer in Europe last season - with 26 goals.
Defending champion Inter, meanwhile, heads to Empoli on Saturday in further crisis following a 5-0 friendly loss to Barcelona on Wednesday.
Besides the super cup loss, Inter was also disappointed after drawing 1-1 at home with Udinese in its league opener. Goalkeeper Julio Cesar was expelled from the Udinese game, meaning Francesco Toldo will start against Empoli.
Inter's biggest problem has been its physical form.
"You can definitely call us a work in progress," said Ivan Carminati, Inter's head athletic trainer. "But I can assure you we are working hard. If we've had problems in these first two games it's only because our team is muscular and powerful. Players with these type of characteristics take longer to come into form."
AC Milan faces Fiorentina on Monday to allow an extra day of rest following the European Super Cup match against Sevilla on Friday. Milan opened the season in style with a 3-0 win over Genoa.
Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo is out with a right ankle injury after scoring in the Viola's 3-0 win over Empoli. Martin Jorgensen and Franco Semioli are expected back from injury and Fiorentina is also excited about another midfielder, Zdravko Kuzmanovic, who impressed against Empoli and scored twice for Serbia in a loss to Belgium last week.
Juventus, which scored five goals against Livorno in its Serie A return, visits Cagliari, which has also had an impressive start - beating Napoli in its opener and edging Siena in the Italian Cup.
Lazio, fresh off qualifying for the Champions League, visits Sampdoria, which faced Hajduk Split on Thursday with a chance of making the UEFA Cup.
Italy forward Antonio Di Natale was hurt in Udinese's 3-0 win over Bari in the Italian Cup on Wednesday and could miss Udinese's game against Napoli.
Napoli lost its Serie A return to Cagliari but showed signs of improvement by beating Livorno on penalties in the Italian Cup with only 10 men.
Catania hosts Genoa for its first match at home in seven months following the killing of a policeman during a riot after a game against Sicilian rival Palermo in February.
The widow of slain policeman Filippo Raciti will attend the match but Catania coach Silvio Baldini is banned for kicking Parma counterpart Domenico Di Carlo in the backside.
Sunday's other games are: Atalanta vs. Parma, Livorno vs. Palermo and Torino vs. Reggina

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Calcio Headline News30-Aug-2007

Thursday 30 August

Gazzetta dello Sport
It's Champions League time: Milan, Inter, Roma and Lazio await the draw
Goodbye Puerta - Galliani and Braida attend funeral
Corriere dello Sport
Juve's goal fest, Inter are a mess: Bianconeri beat Parma 3-1 in Coppa Italia while Nerazzurri lose friendly to Barcelona 5-0
Champions League draw: Nerves in Rome and Milan
Tuttosport
Juve on goal rampage - Another three against Parma thanks to Molinaro, Almiron and Salihamidzic
Terrible Inter lose 5-0 at Barcelona: Adriano refuses moves to Manchester City and West Ham

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Juventus are expected to wrap up new contract talks with Alessandro del Piero today.

Del Piero's brother, Stefano, will meet with Juve directors this afternoon to thrash out final details over Alex's deal. The 33 year-old is prepared to accept Juve's pay-cut demands, with his wages dropping from £3.5 million-a-year to £.2.5 million-a-year.

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There are growing rumours in both Italy and Spain, that Azzurri skipper Fabio Cannavaro could be sold to AC Milan before the end of the transfer window closes this Friday.

The 33-year-old centreback has repeated on many occasions already this summer that he has his heart set on staying at Real Madrid, but according to the latest reports a last-minute transfer cannot be ruled out.
Chelsea and Juventus both failed to make much headway in their bid to secure the services of Cannavaro, but AC Milan are said to hold the best cards despite having entered the frame late.
Real’s official line is that the World Cup winner and current World Player of the Year is not for sale, but word is that an offer in the region of 7m euro could change that stance very quickly.

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Fiorentina are making a last-minute market plunge with a bid for Juventus attacker Raffaele Palladino.

Fiorentina sports chief Pantaleo Corvino has informed Juve he's willing to offer £7 million for the Italy U21 ace, who cannot be guaranteed regular first team action this season. It's understood the final decision will be left to Palladino and Corvino is confident he can convince the forward that he can have a big future in Florence.

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Friday 31 August

Gazzetta dello Sport
Champions League draw, smiles all round: Milan and Inter ready to dominate, Roma can get Manchester United revenge and Lazio can get through
Corriere dello Sport
Moratti's fury after Barca defeat: 'An Inter side cannot play as badly as that. It's time to start winning'
Alex's day: Del Piero's brother talks to Juve and a deal is close
Milan and Inter get friendly draw, Roma and Lazio face titanic battles
Tuttosport
Alex is Mr Juve - Two-year signature imminent after Del Piero wins battle over contract
Champions League, the Italians are ok: Milan and Inter get lucky draws as Roma and Lazio go for second place

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Inter loans Recoba to Torino

Alvaro Recoba will move to Torino on loan for the rest of the season, Inter Milan said Friday.
Torino will reportedly pay Inter €500,000 (US$680,000) for the Uruguay forward, who is under contract with Inter through the 2008-09 season.
In 261 appearances for Inter, Recoba has scored 72 goals. He was also loaned to Venezia for the second half of the 1998-99 season after joining Inter in 1997.
At Torino, Recoba will join an attack featuring Sasa Bjelanovic and Nicola Ventola, another former Inter player.
The move means struggling striker Adriano will likely remain with Inter. The club had floated the idea of loaning out Adriano but the Brazil forward resisted, saying he either wants to stay or leave on a full transfer.
Friday is the last day of the current transfer period.

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Materazzi plots early return


Defender Marco Materazzi says he will be out of action for two months, not four as originally forecast.
He suffered a bad thigh injury last week in italy's 3-1 friendly defeat in Hungary and doctors said he could be out until next year.
"I'll be back in two months," the Inter Milan centre back said on Thursday as he signed copies of his new official biography 'A Life as a Warrior'.
The book charts his rise from a misfit with English Premier League Everton to World Cup winner.
Materazzi was in confident mood after Inter were drawn with PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce in Champions League Group G.
"They are tough teams but I believe they are all within our reach. We are Inter and we must never forget this," he said.
"We clearly have a few problems with suspensions and unfortunately my injury has added to these but we must not start crying about them."