News Roundup as We Try to Get Back to Work

By: Martha | December 27th, 2007

Karim B. •Milan did NOT give permission to Flamengo to talk to Ronaldo! They want to keep him and his gimpy leg and his steadily growning hair and gut until the end of time.

•As Steven reported this morning, Crazy Zampa has confirmed that Juve want both Amauri and Andrea Barzagli. He’s listening, he says, but isn’t “selling anyone for the time being.” He also has announced he hates Adriano Galliani, for those of you who were wondering.

•Arturo Lupoli is damn well going to get himself loaned out somewhere for the second half. The latest options, according to the press, are Parma, Napoli, Modena and Derby County, where he spent last season on loan. According to Lupoli’s agent, the lad is “not short on offers,” and he’s in talks with Fiorentina to sort something out.

•Poor Nedo Sonetti is gone (again); Davide Ballardini, who coached Cagliari briefly during the 2005-2006 season, now has the job of trying to find a way to keep them from the drop. Good luck with that, Davide.

•Shut up, Inter. You can’t have either Simone Barone or Paolo Zanetti, because Toro are keeping them. Go drool over Elano instead.

•Lazio are reportedly looking to reinforce the defense in front of whoever is their first choice keeper come January, and they’re being associated with both Samp’s Stefano Lucchini and Milan’s little-used Dario Simic. The latter could arrive in exchange for Guglielmo Stendardo, who has been fighting with coach Delio Rossi and told Claudio Lotito he wanted out by summer. If this happens, it appears pouting works — let that be a lesson to you, young footballers.

•Surely this is being taken wildly out of context, but Channel 4 are reporting that Karim Benzema’s agent has told some press somewhere that his client would be the perfect January signing for Milan. Cue wild frenzies of denial from this corner of the internet.

•Corriere dello Sport, meanwhile, are claiming Milan are in talks with Liverpool for the gangly services of Peter Crouch. Hee. And, of course, there’s always that €30 million-plus dream of Didier Drogba.