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

By: Martha | October 4th, 2007

•For those of you as sick of greasy, freezing streams as I am, Seriea.tv — whose streams have been pretty much flawless so far this season — is showing the Fiorentina-Groningen match RIGHT NOW (for a small fee). Just, you know, FYI.

•Speaking of Viola-Groningen, there’s already been violence in Florence ahead of the match. Hundreds of ticket-less supporters of the Dutch club have reportedly turned up just to cause trouble; 200 of them clashed with police last night, with about 20 ending up jailed for their trouble. The sale of alcohol has been forbidden in the city center today in an effort to keep all the angry people sober, a hopeful move which may or may not keep things peaceful at the ground.

•Chrisitian Panucci has “Juan” tattooed on his arm. Do you think he does that with all new signings? If so, did he get the “Giuly” crossed out after Saturday’s match?

•Fabio Cannavaro is telling the press his Real Madrid teammates don’t defend enough. While this is probably true, I’m not sure the media is the best place to drop your reminders, particularly when you’ve become something of a liability yourself. Really, Canna, if you wanted to play in a league that places a premium on team defending, perhaps leaving Italy wasn’t the best idea.

•Earlier this week, a judge recommended that both Lazio and Roma be fined €480,000 as part of the ongoing false accounting investigation. Though said investigation has appeared in the press as if it implicates only Milan and Inter, as we’ve discussed fairly often, it actually has a reach that extends far beyond those two clubs.

•As expected, Fiorentina’s insta-hero Pablo Daniel Osvaldo has been called into the Azzurrini side for next Saturday’s match against Croatia. The Argentine (obviously) holds an Italian passport, and has already announced he’s going to accept the call-up and tell Argentina to suck it. Aw. Camoranesi must be so proud.

•According to the Italian press, a Vatican-held company has bought Serie C1 side Ancona, and will put a code of conduct into effect, using 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.

Category: Fiorentina, Lazio, Roma, Serie A

Tags: Fiorentina, Lazio, Roma, Serie A

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• Joe |  October 4th, 2007 at 11:05 am

  
  
  

  Where the hell did Osvaldo come from and just how many strikers to the Viola need for God’s sake? And, just how prolific a writer are you, Martha? What a service you are providing.

  All the Italian teams had better get through to the EUFA Cup group stage.

  Posted from United States

  

• tmc |  October 4th, 2007 at 11:52 am

  
  
  

  Osvaldo came from Huracan in Argentina (sweet name), via Atalanta/Lecce, on one of those shady, uniquely Italian co-ownership deals. He got off to a great start, but he’s a young guy (21). And let’s face it, Livorno are atrocious this year.

  As far as Fiorentina Strikers, they do have a lot of guys in the mix, but only one bankable, reliable player right now: Mutu. And even Mutu is more of a “second” striker, as he likes to play out on the wing and sets up almost as many goals as he scores.

  They have Vieri, which is great for all of the ladies/azzurri old boys fans, but he’s 34 and glacially slow at this point. Pazzini has not yet proved he can produce reliably at the first team, Serie A level yet (I think he will start scoring goals and wind up with 10-15 in the league this year but this is a just a guess). Clearly, Lupoli is also not yet ready, as Prandelli didn’t even name him on the list for UEFA Cup eligibility.

  After that, it is primavera players. So, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team make a move in the winter transfer window for a proven striker, but they definitely will next summer. I saw a little scuttlebutt about Wagner Love, the Brazilian CSKA Moscow player, the other day, but Corvino is always looking at someone.

  Posted from United States

  

• chris |  October 4th, 2007 at 12:53 pm

  
  
  

  Martha, have you seen that smooth stache Juan is rockin? The only question is why more people don’t have it. I’m halfway done with his portrait on my back.

  Posted from United States

  

• Francesco |  October 4th, 2007 at 12:59 pm

  
  
  

  What the hell is up with the Italian teams and the UEFA Cup in recent years? Sampdoria and Empoli were both eliminated earlier today and Palermo and Fiorentina are in extra time!

  Posted from United States

  

• Taib |  October 4th, 2007 at 1:22 pm

  
  
  

  Francesco: Italian teams do not care about UEFA Cup.

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• Taib |  October 4th, 2007 at 1:34 pm

  
  
  

  Palermo go out. 4-2 on penalties. All Italian UEFA Cup hopes rest on Fiorentina.

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• Taib |  October 4th, 2007 at 1:45 pm

  
  
  

  Fiorentina go through 4-3 on penalties. So that is one Italian team from four that progressed. Absolutely awful. Awful.

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• kevin |  October 4th, 2007 at 1:46 pm

  
  
  

  UEFA is like the NIT..who cares, really?

  Posted from United States

  

• Taib |  October 4th, 2007 at 1:52 pm

  
  
  

  Kevin: Looks like no one cares in Italy about the UEFA Cup.

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• Martha |  October 4th, 2007 at 2:23 pm

  
  
  

  Man, I’m exhausted from watching that whole Viola game — I wonder if seriea.tv charged me more for all that extra time.

  Chris, I don’t think I’ve noticed Juan’s facial hair. You think that’s what won Panucci over, do you? Please tell he’s not got that horrible, Semioli/Spalletti-style landing strip going on.

  Posted from United States

  

• Francesco |  October 4th, 2007 at 2:48 pm

  
  
  

  Italian clubs dominated the tournament in the 90s but since the year 2000 the UEFA Cup has become more and more unimportant and I guess that’s why the Italian clubs could care less.

  Empoli will probably see this as a godsend because their squad is too thin to handle both competitions anyway.

  Sampdoria could’ve done better but now they can focus on Serie A.

  I’m disappointed in Palermo, I thought they could make a serious run in Europe.

  Posted from United States

  

• Ian |  October 4th, 2007 at 3:22 pm

  
  
  

  If the Italian teams don’t care, they certainly should. The money in the UEFA Cup is bread crumbs compared to the Champions League, but the UC is at least as important when it comes to setting the UEFA coefficients. Italian football could be in for a serious fall in those coefficients if teams like Milan, who carried the league last season in Europe, start to falter. Only the top 3 leagues get a fourth Champions League spot, and Italy is 3rd right now, and only being kept there because France has its own problems. Losing three teams in the UEFA Cup should be worrying to Italy.

  Posted from United States

  

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