News Not Involving Inter

… one more year. (40 year old Palermo players must make Fabio Lupo sweat like a teenage boy in the girls locker room.)

• Speaking of goalkeeper extensions, Gigi Buffon has extended his undoubtedly modest contract until 2013. Come on – he’s a lifer in stripes. I know it, you know it, they know it. News schmews.

• Marcelo Zalayeta has done gone and put himself out of competition for the year with a knee that went through the proverbial meat grinder. Enter Emanuele Calaio …

WAG of the Week: Belen Rodriguez

Belen Rodriguez shot to “fame” in Italy last year when it was revealed it was her STD meds that made boyfriend Marco Borriello test positive for steroids. Oops. Not to worry, though, apparently “skank” is hot, because not only are they still together, but word in the Italian gossip press is that Belen was on the receiving end of some naughty text messages from Bobo Vieri …

Dubious WAG of the Week: Martina Stella

… likes it or not.

Stella seems to be an actual, legit actress (as opposed to, you know, a showgirl who takes her boobs to a movie or two just for kicks) in Italy, on both stage and in the movies, including a bit part in the not-Italian Ocean’s 12. In addition, she’s also a model, though it appears it’s called “spokesperson” when you’re a Serious Actress. All that, and still only 24 — why, she’s got years and years left to build up her WAG resume.

“Ramos Has Become an Obsession”

… in heartbreak for Milan, who at best are going to be the hot new date used to make the long-term girlfriend realize what she’s missing. (Not that Milan will ever admit being interested in the first place.)

WAG of the Week: Rosaria Cannavo

… to be the reason for the recent breakup with the Old Man), Rosaria participates in the usual showgirl activities. You know, posing for pictures, pointing and smiling on TV, appearing on reality shows, trying to ride fake surfboards while wearing postage stamp-sized skirts — that sort of thing.

(In case you were wondering, she’s 26, from Catania, and has “ballerina skills.” So they tell me, anyway.)

Note: News is crazy slow right now, so this will probably be it for the day.

Your Obligatory “WTF is Ray-Ray Smoking?” Post

… but the man can flat-out score goals. Even if he’s just standing in the goal mouth, looking for girls in the crowd, the ball will find him, and it will go in. It’s a weird law of nature, but that’s just how things work when Trezeguet is around.

But Domenech, for some reason, seems to take actual, palpable joy in leaving him out of the side. Witness, for example, his smug comments today about the possibility of Trezeguet making his way back into the team: “David is having a great …

Forget Derbies, Forget Scandals: Coco Wants to Come Back!

… made his first professional appearance, way back in 1995. For him, you see, “calcio is like a girlfriend” you dump and don’t think you’ll miss. It turns out, though, that there’s all kinds of suffering without her, so much that he’s willing to play for free (as long as Milan give him back #77 ) and, by his calculation, can be useful for at least another five years.

Wow. I’m not sure what I find so fascinating about this, but it’s at least partially the ego involved. What …

WAG of the Week: Elena Santarelli (Take Two)

I was going to feature Luis Jimenez’s model girlfriend this week, but her pictures are so skanky — and not even hot skanky, they just pitifully aspire to that level — that I got depressed and went back to look through the classics. Of those who have not yet been revisited here, I think you’ll agree that Ms. Santarelli deserves a second look, despite making herself much less cute with a boob job sometime in the last year or so. …

Midday Odds and Ends As We Pay $7 to Watch the Viola

… the club to “show that, for boys, football is not just an illusion or a bad example.” For girls, apparently, it’s nothing but an illusion. Boys are so lucky.

Friday Odds and Ends

… cold, dead hands. (Really, I’m not a bad person. I’m very sorry his dad died, and that his girlfriend dumped him and that all of it drove him to drink. I just wish the man would shut up about all of his issues and play for once.)

•Marco Materazzi has to go to court in Cagliari, because a German tourist is accusing him of smacking his son. (Matrix claims he just “admonished” the lad.) I’m sorry, but of everyone in Serie A, the one who seems least likely to smack a child is …