The Champions League draw always provides entertainment. Even though the random drawing and the whole ceremony is fairly boring, it’s always interesting because it always seems to draw clubs together that are related in some way. Sometimes they’ll gift a club with revenge against a club that knocked them out the year before, or other times provide a real group of death. This time, the interesting thing the Champions League draw did was bring Kaka and Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to Italy (and back to the San Siro more specifically). Yes, Kaka and Zlatan will face their former clubs for one game during the group stage and get to play in front of the fans that once idolized them. (Unless of course they are suspended or injured for the match, which makes this all moot.) Groups of the Italian teams after the jump.

Group A
Bayern Munich
Juventus
Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa

Juventus got an ok group. Bayern Munich is their toughest opponent, while French champions Bordeaux could provide a tough test as well. Maccabi Haifa shouldn’t be a problem but away trips to Israel are never easy.

Group C
Milan
Real Madrid
Marseille
Zurich

Milan were handed a favorable group. Real Madrid aside, Marseille and Zurich shouldn’t provide big scares for the Rossoneri.

Group E
Liverpool
Lyon
Fiorentina
Debrecen

Fiorentina have a rematch with Lyon and have the tough task of facing Liverpool. Debrecen will probably be the group punching bag. Fiorentina’s matches with Lyon will be crucial as Liverpool will be tough.

Group F
Barcelona
Inter
Dynamo Kiev
Rubin Kazan

Inter get to face old friend Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and then face two Eastern European sides, and we all know how those winter trips to Russia and the Ukraine can be.

For more team specific news, visit the Fiorentina, Inter, Juventus, and Milan offside blogs.

We all know by now that Rino Gattuso is not one who keeps his thoughts to himself. He’ll tell you like it is, and he’s not afraid of anyone. (I mean come on, this is the man who choked Marcello Lippi at the World Cup.) Gattuso always gives 110% for club and country, and now that he’s on the sidelines injured he’s become an analyst of sorts, always being interviewed about various topics in the calcio world. The latest thing Gattuso was asked about was the whole Amauri National Team Saga. Gattuso was asked by Sky Italia if it was right if Amauri should play for the Italian national team, and Gattuso said, “You can’t put Amauri’s skill into discussion, he’s a champion. However I think he handled the whole situation poorly. First he waited for Brazil, then he said Italy, now he’s back to Brazil. We, with all due respect, are not Azerbaijan or Finland, we’re Italy. We have won 4 World Cups and our football is inferior to no one. It’s more right if he plays for Brazil.” After the Chelsea-Juventus Champions League match, Amauri was asked what he thought about Gattuso’s comment. Amauri responded quite frankly, “I don’t care what Gattuso has to say.” So now next season if during Milan-Juventus we see Gattuso go in on Amauri in a rash two-footed tackle, we now know why.

So the long anticipated Champions League Round of 16 first legs have come and gone, and all the Italian teams will have to go back to the drawing board. Inter would have wanted to have gotten a better result at home (a win) but now face the arduous task of going to Old Trafford and getting a result (a scoring draw would put the Nerazzurri through). Inter suffered in the first half but provided a better reaction in the second half, however it was too late and the game finished a stalemate. On the other hand, Roma and Juventus have it all to do, as they both must win at all costs, after both sides lost their first legs in London 1-0. Roma honestly did not play well and were very fortunate to walk away from the Emirates only one goal down. The home crowd at the Olimpico will be much help and he expect Roma to be the team we all know they should be (the one that plays fast-flowing, beautiful football). Juventus’ lapse in concentration allowed Chelsea to go ahead today (the failed offside trap) but otherwise the Bianconeri put in a good effort, and deserved at least a draw. We will know see Juventus’ true strength in the second leg and if they are capable of attacking Chelsea and taking the victory. All the second legs will be interesting to say the least, as every team has a chance at going through. For a more opinionated view on things, visit the team’s respective blogs (Inter Offside, Juve Offside, Roma Offside). Unfortunately, because of that annoying thing called copyright, there are no highlights to be found anywhere on youtube or the internet. But if I find them, I’ll post them.

Some of you may be looking at this picture and thinking: “What is this? Who are these players? And why does Sampdoria have a Scudetto patch on their jersey?” Well, those are the Primavera (the top youth side in Italy, similar to reserves in England) sides of Juventus and Sampdoria doing battle in the Torneo Viareggio final. The Torneo di Viareggio is one of the oldest and most prestigious youth tournaments in the world, and every February teams from all around the globe flock to the Tuscan city to prove their worth against top youth sides from all over the world. This year the two teams with arguably the best youth systems in Italy at the moment met in the final. Juventus has always produced young talent for years, and if you do research many players from Serie A to Serie B to even Serie C are graduates of the Juventus youth system. Sampdoria doesn’t have a history of producing young talent but recently they have invested in their youth system and it has worked, as the Blucerchiati won the Primavera Scudetto and Coppa Italia last season. Juventus triumphed today, defeating Sampdoria 4-1. Juventus’ Somalian winger/support striker Ayub Daud was the player of the tournament, scoring 8 goals. And if case you were wondering, the kid with the shaved head in the background of the picture (with number 23 on his shorts) is Sebastian Giovinco’s brother Giuseppe. Serie A + B results after the jump.

Bologna-Inter 1-2
Scorers: 57´ Cambiasso (Int); 80´ Britos (Bol); 82´ Balotelli (Int)
Report. Player Ratings. Highlights.

Catania-Reggina 2-0
Scorers: 35´ Capuano (Cat); 74´ Potenza (Cat)
Report. Player Ratings. Highlights.

Fiorentina-Chievo 2-1
Scorers: 13´ Morero (Chi); 73´ Gilardino (Fio); 90´ Mutu (Fio)
Report. Player Ratings. Highlights.

Lecce-Lazio 0-2
Scorers: 11´ Foggia (Laz); 51´ Kolarov (Laz)
Report. Player Ratings. Highlights.

Milan-Cagliari 1-0
Scorers: 65´ Seedorf (Mil)
Report. Player Ratings. Highlights.

Napoli-Genoa 0-1
Scorers: 69´ Jankovic (Gen)
Report.Player Ratings. Highlights.

Palermo-Juventus 0-2
Scorers: 27´ Sissoko (Juv); 79´ Trezeguet (Juv)
Report. Player Ratings. Highlights.

Roma-Siena 1-0
Scorers: 63´ Taddei (Rom)
Report. Player Ratings. Highlights.

Sampdoria-Atalanta 1-0
Scorers: 61´ Pazzini (Sam)
Report. Player Ratings. Highlights.

Torino-Udinese 1-0
Scorers: 80´ Dellafiore (Tor)
Report. Player Ratings. Highlights.

SERIE A STANDINGS

Inter 59; Juventus 50; Milan 48; Fiorentina 45; Genoa 44; Roma 43; Cagliari 37; Atalanta 36; Palermo 36; Napoli 35; Lazio 35; Udinese 31; Catania 30; Sampdoria 29; Siena 27; Bologna 23; Torino 23; Lecce 22; Chievo 20; Reggina 17

NEXT MATCHES

Atalanta-Chievo; Cagliari-Torino; Inter-Roma; Juventus-Napoli; Lazio-Bologna; Palermo-Catania; Reggina-Fiorentina; Sampdoria-Milan; Siena-Genoa; Udinese-Lecce

CURIOUS FACT

For the first time since a game vs. Piacenza in May 2003, Milan did not field any Brazilian player at any point during the game vs. Cagliari.

FRANCESCO’S SERIE A GOALS OF THE WEEK

Rodrigo Taddei vs. Siena – Taddei gets Roma the 3 points this beauty of a goal vs. Siena. The Brazilian midfielder curls the ball perfectly into the upper corner.

Momo Sissoko vs. Palermo – Sissoko scores a great goal to put the Bianconeri ahead. An imperious run through midfield and a great finish.

Aleksander Kolarov vs. Lecce – The Serbian left-back is known as the Serbian Roberto Carlos for his rocket of a left foot. He shows it here with a great goal vs. Lecce.

Mario Balotelli vs. Bologna – Sure you can say this free kick should’ve been dealt with, but it’s still a great curling effort from some way out.

SERIE B

Ancona-Frosinone 1-4
Marcatori: 10′ Cariello (Fro); 32′ Eder (Fro); 33′ Scarlato autorete (Anc); 51′ Scarlato (Fro); 78′ Cariello (Fro)

Avellino-Vicenza 1-0
Marcatori: 51´ Pepe (Ave)

Bari-Ascoli 2-2
Marcatori: 28´ Pesce (Asc); 48´ Giorgi (Asc); 60´ Guberti (Bar);
92´ rig. Parisi (Bar)

Empoli-Cittadella 0-1
Marcatori: 45´ Meggiorini (Cit)

Grosseto-Livorno 2-3
Marcatori: 20´ aut. Perticone (Liv); 25´ Abruzzese (Gro); 42´ Diamanti (Liv);
52´ Tavano (Liv); 69´ Bergvold (Liv)

Mantova-Triestina 0-1
Marcatori: 66´ Princivalli (Tri)

Parma-Brescia 1-0
Marcatori: 37´ Paloschi (Par)

Piacenza-AlbinoLeffe 1-2
Marcatori: 1´ Madonna (Alb); 6´ Ferraro (Pia); 50´ Madonna (Alb)

Pisa-Salernitana 0-0

Sassuolo-Rimini 1-0
Marcatori: 65´ Zampagna (Sas)

Treviso-Modena 0-1
Marcatori: 10´ rig. Pinardi (Mod)

SERIE B STANDINGS

Livorno 49; Parma 47; Bari 47; Sassuolo 45; Brescia 43; Triestina 42; Grosseto 41; Empoli 40; AlbinoLeffe 38; Vicenza 37; Pisa 33; Cittadella 32; Ancona 32; Ascoli 32; Frosinone 32; Mantova 32; Rimini 32; Piacenza 31; Salernitana 30; Modena 24; Avellino 24; Treviso 23

NEXT MATCHES

AlbinoLeffe-Grosseto; Ascoli-Avellino; Frosinone-Brescia; Livorno-Empoli; Mantova-Bari; Modena-Parma; Rimini-Ancona; Salernitana-Piacenza; Treviso-Sassuolo; Triestina-Pisa; Vicenza-Cittadella

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

As everyone should know by now, the Champions League resumes this week. Inter take on Manchester United at the San Siro tomorrow and Roma travel to the Emirates to take on Arsenal. On Wednesday, Juventus also will be London, taking on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Even though I normally don’t like to root for other teams besides Milan, especially Juventus and Inter, I would love for all the Serie A teams to defeat the EPL teams and qualify for the next round. I hate hearing how the EPL is such a supreme league and how Serie A has become weak. So let’s hope all the Italian teams do a good job!

While Italian football provides excellent quality and entertainment on the pitch, we all know that it equally provides excellent quality and entertainment off the pitch. The crazy owners, the fights in the media between opposing managers and directors, the outbursts in press conferences, and all that other great stuff that keeps us entertained during the week. So here is a collection of the craziest Italian football quotes of 2008. Let’s see who had the best one:

AMAURI IS STAYING AT PALERMO

“Everybody wants Amauri, but he absolutely won’t leave in January. I also really hope he remains with us after June as well. I’m not interested in earning money, I’m interested in having a strong team”. Maurizio Zamparini, president of Palermo (January 9, 2008). Looks like he was interested in the money, as Amauri moved on to Juve for 13 million euro + Antonio Nocerino and Davide Lanzafame.

AND MANCINI IS STAYING AT ROMA

“Mancini told me he wants to stay with Roma. I know his rapport with the club is excellent, or at least that is what he told me. There is great esteem between us and that is why I believe he will stay at Roma”. Luciano Spalletti, Roma manager (January 12, 2008). Mancini went on to sign for rivals Inter.

DON’T WORRY WE’LL GIVE YOU A CONTRACT RENEWAL

“We still have not offered a new contract to Donadoni, but there is an excellent rapport between the federation and Donadoni and our intentions are to offer him a contract between now and February. It wouldn’t make sense to wait until April or May, or even going in Euro 2008 without Donadoni knowing his future”. Giancarlo Abete, FIGC president (January 14, 2008). Donadoni did eventually sign a contract renewal until 2010 – in early June. And there was a clause put in that if Donadoni didn’t reach at least the semi-final the contract would be void and Donadoni let go.

GILARDINO IS A MILAN PLAYER FOR YEARS TO COME

“Gilardino’s future has never been in doubt here. He is an important player for use and he will get his chance to shine”. Adriano Galliani, Milan general director and vice-president (January 21, 2008). Gilardino was sold to Fiorentina at season’s end.

RONALDINHO? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? ARE YOU NUTS?

“Ronaldinho was never really our target because we have decided he wouldn’t fit into our current roster. We have players like Kaka and Pato that we think would have difficulty playing with Ronaldinho. He is not the ideal partner for them. We have never considered Ronaldinho as a player that Milan needs”. Silvio Berlusconi, Milan president (March 10, 2008). Guess who Milan bought after the season was over – Ronaldinho!

WE HOPE MORATTI DIDN’T BET ON THAT SCORELINE

“We have 90 minutes and in those 90 minutes we can score 15 goals”. Massimo Moratti, Inter President, after the Liverpool-Inter Champions League first leg game finished 2-0 in favor of the Reds (February 24, 2008. In the return leg, Inter fell 15 goals short, losing 1-0 and getting eliminated)

ROBERTO MANCINI’S THREE DAY REFLECTION SESSION

“Even though I have a 4 year contract with Inter, these will be the last 2 and a half months of my Inter career”. Roberto Mancini (March 11, 2008).

“No, I’m not leaving Inter, we are ready to fight until the last minute with great intensity for our 3rd consecutive Scudetto and to win the Champions League next season.” Roberto Mancini (March 12, 2008)

“I talked with the president and the players and everything is back to normal. Unfortunately for them they have to deal with me for another 4 years”. Roberto Mancini (March 13, 2008). Mancini wasn’t lying, because Moratti still pays his salary since he terminated Mancini’s contract early this summer.

AGENTS SHOULDN’T PREDICT THE FUTURE

“Roberto will stay at Inter 100%. It would greatly surprise me if he left”. Giorgio De Giorgis, Roberto Mancini’s agent (May 20, 2008).

ON THE OTHER HAND, ANCELOTTI MAY BE GOOD AT PREDICTING THE FUTURE

“Sheva’s son forgot Italian, so that’s why he wants to come back to Milan”. Carlo Ancelotti talks about a possible return to Milan for Andriiy Shevchenko (April 11, 2008)

KAKA HASN’T BEEN THAT BIG OF AN INFLUENCE ON PATO

“Am I going to be a virgin when I get married? No, I’m not Kakà”. Alexandre Pato to GQ magazine (June 2008)

MOURINHO TALKS ABOUT HIMSELF AT THE FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE

“I’m not an idiot”. Jose’ Mourinho, in his first press conference as Inter manager (June 3, 2008).

I GUESS THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN

“Wearing the Flamengo jersey is my dream. I have always loved Flamengo and the Maracanà stadium. I can go from one Rossonero kit to another. It’s all up to me, I have to get back into form”. Ronaldo (June 13, 2008) Ronaldo did sign for a Brazilian club eventually, but it wasn’t Flamengo, it was Corinthians.

DON’T ASK FABIO CANNAVARO FOR MATCH PREDICTIONS

“Spain is very strong, maybe they have a little more quality than us and in the past few years they have done very well. But they’re scared of use because we have tradition and are more of a team: this will be our winning secret. We have rediscovered the spirit we had during the World Cup, and we have to use it to get us to the final. Zapatero sees a 3-2 win for Spain? I’m thinking differently, I see a 1-0 win for Italy. And that’s a score that the Spanish media doesn’t really like”.
Fabio Cannavaro before Spain-Italy at Euro 2008 (June 19, 2008). Spain beat Italy on penalties.

CARLOS DUNGA DOESN’T HAVE A FUTURE AS A TRANSFER GURU

“He will be Inter’s best acquisition and he has a great chance of being Serie A’s top scorer this season”. Carlos Dunga, Brazil manager, talking about Adriano (July 6, 2008) Adriano has been used sparingly by Mourinho and is threatening to leave. For him to be the Serie A leading scorer at season’s end he would have to take some type of anabolic steroid.

I DON’T THINK THE LEGA CALCIO ALLOWS YOU TO SIGN PLAYERS ON AN HOURLY BASIS

“At 2 PM, Mutu was a Roma player”. Daniele Prade’, Roma sporting director (July 26, 2008). Mutu may have been a Roma player for an hour but he went back to being a Viola player.

MOURINHO IS A GOOD PLAYER IN HIS HEAD

“If we want to finish this here that’s fine by me. Ranieri spoke one time and he was happy, then he spoke a second time and was happy, then he spoke a third time, and he was even more happy. I spoke only one time and he got a little mad. If we want to finish it at that then for me that’s fine. He wins 3-1, but my goal was beautiful”. Jose’ Mourinho, Inter manager, talking about his fights in the media with Claudio Ranieri (August 5, 2008).

PAZZINI IS NOT A VERY GOOD PSYCHOLOGIST

“I didn’t stay in Florence to sit on the bench. I’m at an age where it is imperative that I play to improve and get better every day. It’s normal that when you don’t play you get mad, but I won’t make a big thing about it because I am serenely pissed off. Also it will be easier for me, all the pressure is on Gilardino”. Giampaolo Pazzini, Fiorentina striker (September 4, 2008). If all the pressure is on Gila, he’s certainly handled it well. Pazzini will leave Fiorentina this month.

MOURINHO DIDN’T MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION ON EVERYONE…

“Mourinho is someone who you just want to constantly hit in the mouth”. Pietro Lo Monaco, Catania sporting director (September 13, 2008).

CASSANO ISN’T VERY GOOD AT MATCH PREDICTIONS EITHER

“They (Genoa) have to know that we are stronger than them. Tomorrow we will have 26,000 Samp fans against 11,000 Genoa fans, I don’t even want to hear a whisper from the Genoa fans, when they yell, we have to yell more than them, the Marassi stadium has to be a bunker. We are fired up more than ever and Genoa has to remember that I have scored in every derby I have played in: Bari-Lecce, Roma-Lazio, and Real-Atletico. I just need a goal in this derby. If I wake up on the right side Sunday they have to be very scared”. Antonio Cassano before the Sampdoria-Genoa derby (December 7, 2008). Genoa didn’t seem very scared, they defeated Sampdoria 1-0.

I DON’T WANT TO PAY YOU ANYMORE, FIND A JOB!

“If Mancini finds a job it would be great for him. A manager of his quality shouldn’t be unemployed. I hold nothing against him”. Massimo Moratti, Inter president (December 22, 2008). Moratti isn’t just saying that because he likes Mancini, it’s because he’s still paying him money for terminating Mancini’s contract early this summer.

I THINK WE KNOW WHERE ANCELOTTI WANTS TO COACH

“Spalletti should win the Champions League, because I believe he deserves it, and then he can resign and I can take over as Roma manager”. Carlo Ancelotti, Milan manager (December 27, 2008).

Did I forget any? Do you have any more crazy quotes from 2008? If so, post them in the comments section!

Often we always find ourselves arguing with other people about which league is the best in the world. Everyone has their own opinion, whether it’s the English Premier League, Serie A, or La Liga. Well, even though we know this won’t tell us 100% which league is the best, all three Italian teams have been paired with English opposition in the Round of 16 in the Champions League. Draw results (as well as UEFA Cup) after the jump.

With Chelsea finishing second in their group, Juventus faced the risk of drawing them, and that’s exactly what they did. This makes for a nice storyline, as Claudio Ranieri goes back to Stamford Bridge where he was replaced by Jose Mourinho after taking Chelsea to second place and the semi-final of the Champions League. Now he has a chance to prove a point to Mr. Abramovich and knock Chelsea out of Europe.

Inter knew they were going to have to face tough opposition by finishing second in their group. And they drew last year’s champions Manchester United. Jose Mourinho knows Manchester United well after his time with Chelsea, so maybe he has some tricks up his sleeve to defeat Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and continue the Nerazzurri’s European dream.

Roma finished first in their group for the first time in their history. They were hoping for maybe a break in the Round of 16 (Totti even said in an interview he would not like to face Arsenal) but the soccer gods said that the Giallorossi will travel to the Emirates and take on the Gunners. Arsenal play a similar fast-paced style as Roma does and this should be an interesting encounter.

And the best news for Italian soccer fans about all three Italian teams drawing English sides is: you have a great chance of watching your team on ESPN! All they show are games featuring Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool, so your in luck!

Full draw:
Chelsea v Juventus
Villarreal v Panathinaikos
Sporting v Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid v Porto
Lyon v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Liverpool
Arsenal v Roma
Inter v Manchester United

UEFA CUP

In the UEFA Cup, Fiorentina and Milan were handed tricky ties while Sampdoria and Udinese were left off the hook for now.

Milan, having faced German opposition in the group stage (Wolfsburg), finished second in the group and it has come back to bite them. They have to face a Champions League drop-out and have to take a trip to Germany and play Werder Bremen. It will be a tough encounter, and Milan can’t afford to play like they did in the group stage.

Fiorentina reached the UEFA Cup semi-final last year but lost to Rangers. This year they will try to impress in the UEFA Cup again after their Champions League adventure didn’t go so well. They have been handed storied Dutch club Ajax. They aren’t the force they once were, but they are still a tough team and La Viola will have to be at their best to knock off Van Basten’s side.

Udinese have been the best Italian team in the UEFA Cup so far, finishing on top of their group with 9 points. That means they face a third placed UEFA Cup team, and have been paired with Poland’s Lech Poznan. If they get out of their slump and play like they did in the beginning of the season the Friuliani have a good chance.

Sampdoria made it through to the Round of 32 at the last minute, defeating Spanish powerhouse Sevilla 1-0 yesterday in a must-win encounter. They have been handed Ukranian’s Metalist, who were the surprise of their group, finishing first in a group with Hertha Berlin, Galatasaray, and Olympiakos. If Sampdoria can get it together they could surprise.

Full draw:
PSG v Wolfsburg
FC Copenhagen v Manchester City
NEC v Hamburg
Sampdoria v Metalist
Braga v Standard Liege
Aston Villa v CSKA Moscow
Lech Poznan v Udinese
Olympiacos v St Etienne
Fiorentina v Ajax
Aalborg v Deportivo
Werder Bremen v Milan
Bordeaux v Galatasaray
Dinamo Kiev v Valencia
Zenit v Stuttgart
Marseille v Twente
Shakhtar v Tottenham

Not bad for Italian teams in the Champions League this week: 2 wins, 2 draws. Roma and Juventus have to be ecstatic after their victories, while Fiorentina after their draw with Bayern at home can’t say the same. Inter drew away to Anorthosis, but are still top of the group so they can’t really complain but they can’t be very happy either. Quick summaries after the jump.

Fiorentina-Bayern Munich 1-1
Goalscorers: 11´ Mutu (Fio); 78´ Borowski (Bay)

Standings
Bayern Munich 8; Lyon 8; Fiorentina 3; Steaua Bucharest 1

Next round
Bayern Munich-Steaua Bucharest; Fiorentina-Lyon

Fiorentina went ahead at the Stadio Franchi through Adrian Mutu but Bayern drew level late on through Tim Borowski. Fiorentina are now third place and haven’t won yet. They still have a chance to qualify, but must beat Lyon at all costs next round at the Franchi, then beat Steaua at all costs in Romania and hope Lyon lose to Bayern on the last. They have to win and hope things go their way but it looks like more realistically they will fight it out for the UEFA Cup spot.
For more on Fiorentina, read theFiorentina Offside.

Real Madrid-Juventus 0-2
Goalscorers: 17´ Del Piero (Juv); 67´ Del Piero (Juv)

Standings
Juventus 10; Real Madrid 6; Zenit St. Petersburg 4; Bate Borisov 2

Next Round
Bate Borisov-Real Madrid; Zenit St. Petersburg-Juventus

Juventus stunned Real at home tonight with two goals from Alex Del Piero. Del Piero has been awesome so far in the Champions League, and scored two more beauties tonight to lift the Bianconeri past the Merengues. The first was a nice angled drive with his left foot, the second a trademark free kick. Juve are now top of the group with 10 points and can finish the group with ease.
For more on Juventus, read the Juventus Offside.

Roma-Chelsea 3-1
Goalscorers: 34´ Panucci (Rom); 48´ Vucinic (Rom); 58´ Vucinic (Rom);
75´ Terry (Che)

Standings
Chelsea 7; Roma 6; Bordeaux 6; CFR Cluj 4

Next Round
Bordeaux-Chelsea; CFR Cluj -Roma

Roma got a big boost by defeating Chelsea at the Olimpico 3-1. Christian Panucci scored in the 34th minute to put the Giallorossi ahead. After the half it was the Vucinic show. First the Montenegrin striker laser beamed one home from 20 yards out, then he won the ball in his own half and sped down the pitch, beating John Obi Mikel and finishing past Petr Cech. John Terry pulled one back but it should’ve been disallowed. Roma can’t afford to lose anymore and have to beat Cluj and Bordeaux and can’t simply rely on Bordeaux slipping up.
For more on Roma, read the Roma Offside.

Anorthosis-Inter 3-3
Goalscorers: 13´ Balotelli (Int); 31´ Bardon (Ano); 44´ Materazzi (Int);
45´ Panagi (Ano); 50´ Frousos (Ano); 80´ Cruz (Int)

Standings
Inter 8; Anorthosis 5; Panathinaikos 4; Werder Brema 2

Next Round
Anorthosis-Werder Brema; Inter-Panathinaikos

Inter had defensive problems vs Anorthosis and let the Cypriots gain a draw. Mario Balotelli scored to put the Nerazzurri ahead (his first Champions League goal) after a bullet of a free kick from Zlatan Ibrahimovic was parried into the U21 starlet’s path. Anorthosis drew level but then Marco Materazzi headed home from a Balotelli corner kick. Anorthosis scored 2 to bring the game to 3-2, but with 10 minutes to go Julio Cruz headed home a Balotelli free kick and Inter took home the point. Inter remain top of the group with 8 points and should qualify with ease.
For more on Inter, read the Inter Offside.

Juventus gained a morale boosting 2-1 win at the Stadio Olimpico vs. Real Madrid. The goals came from Alex Del Piero and Amauri, and now Juventus sit on top of their group with 7 points. Fiorentina weren’t as lucky today. La Viola suffered a 3-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena, and if they don’t start picking up points their dreams of qualifying for the knockout round will be over. More after the jump.

Claudio Ranieri can breathe a huge sigh of relief as the win over Real Madrid today will take a lot of weight off of his shoulders. The tactician has been under fire recently because of Juve’s string of bad results, but today he put out a squad that was motivated and wanted to win at all costs. Juventus started off great and took the lead after only 5 minutes through none other than Alessandro Del Piero. Amauri put a nice ball through for Pinturicchio, who took a shot from 25 yards out that sailed over Iker Casillas and into the net. The Stadio Olimpico erupted with joy. Juve played well the rest of the half (and lost Claudio Marchisio to injury, replaced by Hasan Salihamidzic) and went into the locker room up 1-0. After the break Juve struck again. In the 49th minute, Nedved intercepted and errant pass and burst down the left wing, putting in a cross for Amauri who got his head to it and with a little help from Heinze put it in the back of the net. Juve were up 2-0. Real Madrid then decided to fight back and took the game to Juve, who for most of the second half were inside their own half. They kept the game alive when Ruud Van Nistelrooy (virtually unmarked) headed a cross past Alex Manninger. 2-1. Juve however controlled the situation for the rest of the match and the Bianconeri took home the victory. For more on Juve, visit the Juventus Offside.

Fiorentina on the other hand were not so happy tonight. Luca Toni faced his beloved Viola for the first time since leaving in the summer of 2007. Bayern went up rather quickly, with Miroslav Klose putting the Bavarians ahead in the 4th minute. Felipe Melo had a good chance to draw level, but messed up the shot. Bayern went 2-0 up through Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Fiorentina looked like they would not be able to come back. The Viola had their chances though, the problem was they wasted all of them. With some better finishing they might have mounted a challenge. In the 90th minute Ze Roberto sealed the victory with a goal that made it 3-0. Klinsmann’s Bayern got the 3 points, and now Fiorentina face a tough task to qualify for the knockout stage. Bayern are top with 7 points, while Lyon are second with 5 points. Fiorentina have 2, and Steaua have 1. Fiorentina play Bayern at home on the next matchday, and really need to get points (a victory would be ideal) to keep their hopes alive, especially since Lyon will play Steaua at home. Fiorentina then travel to Romania to take on Steaua and then will finish off the group at home vs Lyon, which may be a very important game depending on how it goes. For more on Fiorentina, read the Fiorentina Offside.

In tomorrow’s action, Roma face a tough task against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, while Inter take on Cypriots Anorthosis Famagusta.

The Events of 5 Maggio that nobody talked about

If you bring up the term “5 Maggio” to an Inter fan, they will know what it means, and will most probably curse or cry or do something along those lines because they would be upset. For those of you that don’t know, 5 Maggio refers to May 5, 2002. It was the 2001/2002 season, and Inter were one win away from winning their first Scudetto since 1989. Argentine disciplinarian Hector Cuper led the Nerazzurri to the top of the table throughout the year, and had to deal with numerous injury problems and the likes, but still managed to have Inter at the top of the table on the last day. So, on the May 5, 2002, the last day of the season, Inter traveled to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, where they had to get 3 points vs. Lazio. Lazio were really playing for nothing at that point of the season, as other teams were ahead of them in the European spots. Inter made the mistake of thinking it would be an easy win, and lost 4-2, losing the Scudetto to Juventus and making Christian Vieri and Ronaldo cry.

So what are the events of 5 Maggio that nobody talked about? Was it Juventus stealing the Scudetto away from Inter on the last day? Was it the miracle of Chievo Verona, who qualified for Europe in it’s first Serie A season? No, the events we’re talking about is how Bologna lost a historic qualification to the Champions League. Never heard the story? Well I’ll tell you:

In 2001/2002, Bologna started the season with optimism. Francesco Guidolin led the club with 7 Scudetti to their name to a good campaign in 2000/2001, and the roster was good quality. They could rely on Gianluca Pagliuca in goal, Salvatore Fresi in defense, Tomas Locatelli in midfield, and up front they had an impressive attacking trio of Giuseppe Signori, Claudio Bellucci, and an Argentine striker named Julio Cruz (where have I heard that name before?). The roster also had young talents (Alessandro Gamberini, Matteo Brighi, Christian Zaccardo) and experienced veterans (Carlo Nervo, Fabio Pecchia, Lamberto Zauli), and lots of other familiar names. Even though Bologna was a surprise of the season, they were overshadowed by the whole Chievo Verona story, as the Flying Donkeys had an excellent year in the first ever Serie A season, and were even crowned Winter Champions. Bologna held it’s own, staying in the top half of the table, even with injuries to Signori and Locatelli. Players like Pecchia and Zauli, along with the development of Cruz, allowed Bologna to continue the miracle and march towards a Champions League spot. Bologna even held their own against the big clubs, defeating Inter and Milan, and drawing Juventus. On the penultimate day of the season, the Rossoblu defeated Lazio 2-0, so on the last day of the season, the table looked like this:

4. Bologna 52

Milan 52

5. Chievo 51

6. Lazio 50

7. Atalanta 45

Since Parma reached the Coppa Italia final, they got the third UEFA Cup spot, so only 5th and 6th would get a UEFA Cup spot. Bologna had to win at all costs to grab what would be a historic Champions League qualification. If Bologna and Milan both won, Bologna would have gone to the Champions League because of their superior head to head record with Milan (2-1 win in Bologna, 0-0 draw in Milan). Standing in Bologna’s way was Brescia, lead by Roberto Baggio, who spent a season at Bologna in 1997/98. Brescia had to win to escape relegation, and therefore the game was played between two teams that had to win at all costs.

However, Bologna’s dreams faded. Some tall striker named Luca Toni put Brescia ahead in the 43rd minute, and at half-time, Milan were beating Lecce 2-0. So in the second half Bologna had to go out for the win, however Brescia scored 2 more goals (Bachini and Baggio) and the Rossoblu’s dreams were crushed. To add insult to injury, Chievo and Lazio both won, and they leapfrogged Bologna in the table, which meant Bologna, who 90 minutes ago were fighting for a Champions League spot, had to settle for the Intertoto Cup. Rossoblu fans dreamed of traveling to the Santiago Bernabeu or the Camp Nou or Old Trafford, but instead they had to travel to Craven Cottage (where they were defeated by Fulham in the Intertoto Cup final that summer).

It would’ve been a great story if Bologna had qualified, but unfortunately dreams don’t always become reality.

• Fiorentina have drawn Dutch boys PSV, and may well be the favorites to make it to the final, along with this guy……..

(Please come back.)