Giant, Honking News Roundup For Your Weekend Reading Pleasure

By: Martha | February 16th, 2007

Totti. For Vodafone. •A quick update on stadium news: 1)The San Siro has been cleared to host Milan’s Champions League match again Celtic in March, albeit with a limited attendance. No matter how few fans get in, there will be 4500 tickets reserved for Celtic supporters. 2)Bari, too, got the all-clear — that ground is hosting Italy’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland on March 28. 3)Night matches are back, already. Apparently everything is fine now.

•Claudio Ranieri fell just short of picking up a European point in his first game in charge of Parma, when his team gave up a goal in the last 10 minutes and lost to Braga 1-0. To make matters worse, Ranieri’s appointed leader Fernando Couto picked up an injury right before the game and couldn’t even make the bench. Not the best of starts for wor Cluadio.

•Just days after opening his arms to the briefly exiled David Beckham, Real’s embattled Fabio Capello is now making noises that sounds a lot like doors opening for one Antonio Cassano. Apparently he’s regularly training with the team and, as soon as he gets fit — in body and soul, of course — he’ll be back in the side. But Capello wants to make sure we understand that “In my career nobody has ever forced me into any decision. I am a free man who decides with his own mind.” Because he would never bow to outside pressure. No sir.

•Speaking of outside pressure, even though Carlo Ancelotti told the press just yesterday that he would start Ronaldo up top alongside little Gila in Milan’s match tomorrow, the news today is that it will be Ricardo Oliveira instead of Gilardino. Gee, I wonder where he got that idea.

•Richard Vanigli, known to most of us as That Bastard Who Broke Totti’s Ankle Last Year (if you have a strong stomach — I’m looking at you, Laurie — the video is here), is planning to cement his forgiveness by getting Totti’s jersey after their match tomorrow. Good luck with that, Richard.