Odds and Ends Ahead of the Azzurri Match

By: Martha | August 22nd, 2007

Don’t make him kick your ass. •FIFA’s latest rankings came out today and the top five remain unchanged, with Italy third behind Brazil and Argentina and just ahead of fourth-place France and Germany, who remain fifth. The rest of the top ten are: Croatia (!), The Netherlands, Spain, the Czech Republic and Portugal.

•Kaka to Arsenal?!

•It’s about time for some more Adriano-to-Real rumors, don’t you think? Today’s come courtesy of Il Corriere dello Sport, which insists that Real have seen the light and want to bring in Adriano to backup Ruud van Nistelrooy, who still isn’t getting any younger. Of course, Adriano isn’t getting any less fat, either, but if they want to overlook that, who am I to judge?

•Rino Gattuso pulled up with a slight muscle problem and likely is out of today’s friendly (which will surely kill him, but is likely to make Carlo Ancelotti a very relieved man).

•Just in time to refute his own Real rumors, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has pledged his devotion to Inter, telling the press he thinks of no other clubs, and will shortly sign an extension. We’ll see if he’ll repeat all that at this time, next year.

•Apparently Cristian Riganò failed to turn up in ~~Sevilla~~ Valencia to sign his contract with Levante, so that saga is destined to drag out even longer.

•Palermo may have given up on their dream of signing Marco Amelia, but they (as well as Fiorentina) remain very interested in Lazio’s midfielder/defender Valon Behrami. The hope is that if Lazio fail to qualify for Champions League, they’ll be feeling a financial pinch and will be willing to sell the 22-year-old. Palermo have reportedly offered €10 million, while the Viola would spend less cash, but offer Manuel Pasqual as compensation.

•Slovakian fans serenaded an under-strength France side with chants of “Materazzi, Matterazi” as they watched their team beat them 1-0. Slovaks rule.