The Italian Football Thread

God help if they do, absolutely do not deserve it one bit. Nothing pisses me off in football more than when one of the traditional big names is doing very poor most of the season then suddenly in the new year goes on an undeserved fluke run to the top 3 just when you thought we could see someone different or interesting.

Let's hope they get knocked out of the Champ League in the preliminaries!!

God help if they do, absolutely do not deserve it one bit. Nothing pisses me off in football more than when one of the traditional big names is doing very poor most of the season then suddenly in the new year goes on an undeserved fluke run to the top 3 just when you thought we could see someone different or interesting.

Let's hope they get knocked out of the Champ League in the preliminaries!!

What are you on about? Milan had a terrible start, but if the league had started from week 10 onwards then they would be first right now (I think this is correct, don't hold me accountable if I get my numbers slightly wrong).

Recovering after a bad start which was inevitable considering the amount of change that took place at Milan over last summer if anything is something to be praised and showed their worthiness of Champions League football next year.

Numbers and points don't lie - those that end up with enough points get them deservedly. I'd much rather Milan got a CL spot where they will do respectably than some average team like Fiorentina who are 50/50 to even get past the qualification games, thus further jeopardising the Italian coefficients even more.

On the contrary, I'd say they do deserve it. It just goes to show the winning mentality and never say die attitude Max Allegri has instilled in his players. I don't think this is a fluke run by any means. Granted a lot of Juventini and others may be, and indeed have been, a bit miffed at the generous awarding of penalties in Milan's favour, for the most part, this run of form they've found themselves in has consisted of domination of games by Milan and seeing them through in a way that they weren't at the start of the season. The addition of Mario Balotelli has also seemed like a catalyst in this resurgence and goes to show the impact a big signing, and one that is adored by the fans at that, can make.

Wrt to CL, I'd like to see them there because it's good for Italian football on the whole. Fiorentina are good, and I love them to pieces as a team but there's no doubt that they'd struggle to hold their own in Europe. Same goes for Roma, Lazio and atm, Inter too. In the search for those ever important coefficient points, Milan are a safer option when carrying Italy's flag.

Not really. I can see Milan flopping in the Champ League and fluke win over Barcelona notwithstanding, they did very little this year and got a less in the Nou Camp. Juventus are a much safer option and I have always been a Juve hater! And if Napoli keep Cavani they can go far - if. This mediocre Rossineri team can piss off.

Oh yes of course, whatever Milan supporter. Just love seeing bias, don't we? "Those that end up with enough points get them deservedly" - what a load of crap. Not just applying to Serie A of course but there are plenty of occasions where teams win games that they barely deserve to (Arsenal against Norwich last week is another good example) and regardless of how many points they end up with that includes wins and draws that were NOT deserved so go take your boring biased arguments somewhere else.



Not really. I can see Milan flopping in the Champ League and fluke win over Barcelona notwithstanding, they did very little this year and got a less in the Nou Camp. Juventus are a much safer option and I have always been a Juve hater! And if Napoli keep Cavani they can go far - if. This mediocre Rossineri team can piss off.

Oh yes of course, whatever Milan supporter. Just love seeing bias, don't we?

>Claims bias
>Ignores post by Inter fan backing up Milan fan

The only thing biased here is you! I don't know what club you support, but I hope it isn't Inter.

The difference between AC Milan and Inter is that the Rossoneri did their Year Zero project PROPERLY. Their team is full of young talent that was given enough game time to fully integrate into the squad; Mattia De Sciglio, M'Baye Niang, Stephan El Shaarawy, Mario Balotelli to name a few, and then they'll have Bartosz Salamon making a breakthrough soon.

Meanwhile Inter has done **** all to transition youth into the first team (Kovačić aside). Benassi has barely got game time, we sent Livaja out on co-ownership to get more playing time, instead of just playing him at Inter, we sold Coutinho (?!?!?!). 'Year Zero' was just a myth.

So you know what? I envy Milan right now. They had that awful start to the league, because they totally invested in a new project. The results weren't going to come from Day One, they never do with a new project. Instead Inter focused on a bunch of 30+ year olds, who unsurprisingly got injured and left the team with nothing. Milan did well because they formulated a plan and stuck to it. Yes, they brought in Balotelli, but why shouldn't they have? He still fits the bill of the project at only 22.

But of course, you're too biased to see the reality. They have made an important step towards the Scudetto. Now they need to replace Yepes & Zapata with better defenders, and clear out the midfield with some better quality (Nocerino, Flamini, Muntari, Constant, Traore etc are deadweight) and then you have the anti-Juve.

Meanwhile I look at the squad at Inter's disposal at the moment and all I can do is facepalm. Milito was an amazing player. Probably still is in terms of skill. But he's reaching a point in his career where injuries will come to the fore and may mess up his career from now on. Cassano started well but faded before he got injured anyway. Palacio has been amazing but he's already 31. The midfield is beyond a joke at the moment. There is only one solitary bright young hope in this Inter team. Inter needs a Milan-esque turnaround asap.

Juventus cruise to victory over Milan in Turin with a Vidal penalty. Didn't see about 80 minutes of the match so can't comment on performance, but from what I've heard, Conte's use of the 3-5-1-1, with Mirko up top is paying off. Really the formation they should have taken to Munich but w/e. Also, Fiorentina's victory means they go within a point of Milan and CL football. Would absolutely love to see la Viola in Europe.
There was also, unfortunately, some racial abuse directed to Boateng and I think Balotelli too, despite him not playing, for which the club will probably be fined.



Tbh, no one expects Milan to go and win the Champions League anytime soon anyway. They never flop in Europe, ala Man City, and pretty much always seem to make it out of the group stage regardless of any negative situations occuring behind the scenes. Of course Juventus are the safer option, they've slowly been building a winning squad over the past 2-3 seasons and with the addition of a coach like Conte, are seeing the fruits of their labour. Milan are in that building phase at the moment, having recently lost pretty much the entire old guard and their two best players from last season. The difference between Milan and Inter/Roma is that the new players have been given time to develop and form an understanding with each other (De Sciglio, El Shaarawy down the left etc) by a coach that's willing, and able to get results out of them.

You can't expect a 'mediocre' Milan to flop and then go on to say that Napoli can go far if they keep Cavani, when, besides Cavani and Hamsik, they are an infinitely more mediocre team, and you've mentioned it yourself, that's a really big if. Not mentioning Insigne here, because although there's, deservedly, really high hopes of him, we just don't know if he'd be able to replicate this at the highest of levels (probably can).

I'd say given their start to the season, you could say that Milan's current position is nothing short of a miracle but that's pretty much all down to good management of youth, some smart acquisitions that are living up to their expectations and a fighting spirit that Allegri has drilled into these players.

I wouldnt really say Napoli are mediocre aside from Cavani and Hamsik tbh. They have a very good first team but no depth at all.

Reports in from France that PSG have a agreed a 4 year deal with Cavani for a reported transfer fee of 60m.

Not even the Italian press are backing up this story. It sounds like nonsense to me.

Other rumours include Barca bidding 30M for Handanovic, and that it's becoming more and more likely Alejandro Gomez will leave Catania for Inter. The first is fantasy but the second is likely, given Fassone has admitted they're trying to sign him.

Shame it's that Gomez and not the one that plays for Bayern

Been rumours going around lately linking the mighty Juventus to the equally might Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Now there's a player I'd love to see at the Old Lady

...you do realise he previously played for them.. right?

i've been trying ridiculously hard to get tickets for the derby della mole this weekend but the prices are all jacked up since juve can clinch the championship with a win. I prefer torino anyway...

Had a check at the Serie A table, Juventus still leading as expected with Napoli the only threat lagging behind and Palermo in the relegation zone is surprising.