It is quite early to discuss next season’s Champions League particularly with the World Cup looming ahead but Inter’s historic treble was much more than a great achievement. It proved once again how difficult it is to repeat as a champion in Europe’s elite club competition. For the Nerazzurri winning the Champions League is the ultimate experience having waited for more than four decades to repeat as champions of Europe.
President Massimo Moratti helped fund the building of the Nerazzurri squad and brought in Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho with the specific objective of bringing European glory to Milan considering the current Serie A title holder have not won the Champions League since the 1960s. Previous boss Roberto Mancini succeeded in breaking the dominance of Juventus and Milan since the early 1990s but failed to combine domestic success with an extended run in Europe’s elite competition as he never guided the Nerazzurri to the Final.
Mourinho succeeded in winning Serie A, Coppa Italia and the Champions League yet he is racing to the exit door leaving the Nerazzurri in a delicate situation following the best season in the club’s history. Players such as Maicon and Diego Milito are now being linked with a move to Real Madrid which is Mourinho’s likely destination. It is only time before Mourinho is confirmed as the boss in Madrid unless he has a change of heart and opts to stay with the Nerazzurri. Other clubs are beginning to assess their chances of luring some of Inter’s key players to leave the peninsula as Arsenal have reportedly shown interest in goalkeeper Julio Cesar while Manchester City are looking to capture midfielder Esteban Cambiasso. These reports might not become reality but all these claims are a major distraction for a club celebrating a historic treble and with some of the star players headed to South Africa 2010.
Assuming Mourinho and some of the players jump ship, the Nerazzurri will be losing some key components while skipper Javier Zanetti is only getting older despite his consistent displays. Zanetti deserves credit for his fighting spirit and for putting in solid performances time and again despite his age. Below is a brief look at some of Inter’s main competitors for next season:
Barcelona: The former holders were ousted by Inter and will be looking to regain their lost title. Barca are one of the most talented teams in the world with Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez leading the charge. Barca have added a star name in the shape of striker David Villa while the Catalans remain in pursuit of Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas. If they do sign Fabregas then the team will likely start the next La Liga season and Champions League campaign as one of the favourites.
Real Madrid: The record winners of the Champions League will welcome with open arms Mourinho who has made it clear he will only leave the Nerazzurri for Madrid. In Madrid he will have greater individual talent to work with yet less of a cohesive unit and a weaker team spirit. Mourinho will be motivated to turn this team of stars into a strong and unified squad. Los Galacticos already have former Milan idol Kaka and world record signing Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks but it would not be a surprise if Mourinho asked for Maicon and Diego Milito to be signed from Inter. If they do, then Los Galacticos will be considered as a firm favourite considering they only missed on La Liga title by three points and many forget it does take time for news players to gel together.
Chelsea: Ironically Mourinho was shown the doors at Stamford Bridge because he failed to bring European glory to the London club but he did punish his former&nbsp;employers by eliminating them in the knockout stages of the Champions League by beating them twice home and away. Chelsea hired former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti and the Italian succeeded in leading the Blues to a historic double&nbsp;by winning&nbsp;the Premier League and FA Cup in his first season in charge. Ancelotti made it clear his main objective for next season is to repeat the domestic double and to win in Europe. While Chelsea have a strong squad with experience and talent, the players as individuals are below the talent level of Spanish giants Real and Barca.
Bayern Munich: Bayern proved they are a solid team after a slow start to the season and the final in Madrid was perhaps a small representation of their season as they only began to show their potential after conceding the first goal to Inter’s hero Milito. The Bavarians will have Arjen Robben (despite rumours linking him with Juventus; &nbsp;just unlikely to happen for a number of reasons) and French star Franck Ribery will apparently return after missing the Champions League final due to suspension. The Germans are a solid group but like Chelsea they are not on par with Real and Barca if individuals are compared on a position by position basis.
Manchester United: Manchester have one of the best managers in Sir Alex Ferguson but he can certainly be stubborn leading him to make the odd mistake here and there, particularly when it comes to offloading certain players or refusing to bring in the appropriate players to replace outgoing stars. The Red Devils did not replace Cristiano Ronaldo and their challenge for Chelsea in the Premiership and before that in the Champions League tie against Bayern&nbsp;&nbsp;faltered once it became clear Wayne Rooney is carrying injury. If Manchester do not sign a couple of solid players, in particular one goal scorer to complement Rooney, then they will likely fall short in the early knockout stages with perhaps a quarter-final spot at best.
There are other less likely contenders but the strongest ones would be Italian duo Roma and Milan yet the two sides have a number of limitations such as their restricted budget for bringing in players and in the case of the Rossoneri an aging squad. Milan will need Brazilian stars Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato to stay and will hope a capable coach will take charge at Milanello to promote a few promising players from the youth sector and sign a number of quality players to reinforce the team. As for Roma they have do not have a deep bench and their first team is often riddled with injuries due to the age of some key players such as Francesco Totti. It is unlikely either squad will win the Champions League but they can play the role of a spoiler if their stars remain healthy and fit.
It is quite hard to repeat in the Champions League as shown by the famous Milan side in the 1990s which dismantled Barca 4-0 in an epic encounter only to loss the next year in the final to Ajax Amsterdam who in turn were defeated the following year by Juventus. The Bianconeri would go on to play in two more consecutive finals yet the curse of repeating would also prove to be their downfall despite having the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero (at his peak).
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What Next For Inter After Winning The Champions League?

What Next For Inter After Winning The Champions League? - World Soccer Talk

This weekend witnessed the conclusion of all of Europe’s major football action and there was a unique outcome considering three clubs were able to combine the league and cup trophies together. Bayern Munich won the domestic double in Germany while Chelsea added the FA Cup on Saturday after their triumph in the Premier League the previous weekend. In Italy, Inter were able to retain their Serie A title to add it to the Coppa Italia trophy won against Roma.
All three clubs have had great seasons and have achieved a historic feat despite Bayern having done the double before and the fact Arsenal and Manchester United have done the double in England in recent years. Still this was Chelsea’s first domestic double and manager Carlo Ancelotti deserves lots of credit after taking charge this summer and finally putting to rest the ghost of Jose Mourinho who returned to haunt the London club in the Champions League this year. Since Mourinho’s departure Chelsea have failed to win the Premiership yet have now won the league and the FA Cup double in Ancelotti’s first season in charge, an achievement even the outspoken Portuguese was not able to complete during his successful spell at Stamford Bridge.
As for Bayern Munich they have rebounded after a poor start to the season and their 4-1 destruction of Juventus in Turin in the Champions League served as the turning point of their current campaign confirming their status as a serious threat both in Germany and Europe as well as building tremendous confidence amongst the Bavarian club’s players. Bayern won the DFB-Pokal after crushing Werder Bremen 4-0 in the final with the club’s two star players Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery managing to put their name on the scoresheet. Now the Bavarians will eye a historic treble by attempting to win the Champions League next Saturday in Madrid.
Finally, Inter were successful in retaining their Serie A title yet perhaps suffered the most considering the title was in Roma till the 57th minute when Argentina striker Diego Milito succeeded in scoring the winner against Siena to secure the Scudetto to Jose Mourinho’s men. The Nerazzurri were challenged the most amongst the three teams considering Roma put up a brave fight and only conceded the title on the last day of Serie A. The Giallorossi actually let slip of the title when they could not convert their opportunities in the first-half of the match against Sampdoria when they were leading 1-0 only to throw away the match and lose 2-1 courtesy of a Giampaolo Pazzini double. The Nerazzurri also had to overcome the stubborn Giallorossi in the Coppa Italia final when another crucial Milito strike secured the trophy for the Milan side.
At this stage, the Nerazzurri will turn their attention to achieving a historic treble by beating Bayern in Madrid to lift the Champions League trophy. If they succeed in doing so then Inter will have achieved something special and Mourinho might step down after having won the most prestigious trophy in Europe. Regardless of who wins the Champions League, Bayern and Inter have had a great season and England’s Chelsea have also completed a great achievement by winning their first double. It will be interesting to see how those three clubs will do next season when the likes of Manchester United and Juventus will attempt to wrestle away the title from their grip. Bayern will likely continue to dominate in Germany unless they lose Ribery and Robben or one of them. Robben has been particularly crucial in the big games such as the clashes against Fiorentina and Manchester United in the Champions League when his club was in desperate need of goals and inspiration.

Bayern Munich, Chelsea & Inter Achieve Domestic Double!

Bayern Munich, Chelsea &amp; Inter Achieve Domestic Double! - World Soccer Talk

Giampaolo Pazzini scored a double against Roma to lift Sampdoria to a precious 2-1 win and more significantly the Azzurri hopeful handed the title advantage to Inter while confirming his club’s European credentials ahead of Palermo and Juventus.
With Inter now in the lead, the only match which could see them potentially drop points will be away against Lazio who can secure their status in Serie A by winning their match with the Nerazzurri. It is difficult to see Inter drop any points in their remaining three games yet in football anything is possible so Roma must make sure to win their remaining fixtures to keep their hopes alive of winning the Serie A title.
As for Sampdoria they have achieved two precious wins in recent weeks against Milan and most recently Roma. Striker Pazzini must have done his chances no harm after his double-strike against the Giallorossi with the winning goal showing his predatory instincts in front of goal. Azzurri boss Marcello Lippi must be pleased to see Pazzini deliver some important goals after he had scored the winner against Milan last weekend.
Pazzini will be competing with Roma striker Luca Toni, Juventus attacker Vincenzo Iaquinta, Fiorentina hitman Alberto Gilardino and Udinese captain Antonio Di Natale for two or three spots on the Azzurri squad headed for South Africa 2010. A late addition might be Roma skipper Francesco Totti who appears to be interested in playing but has left it to Lippi and indirectly the Azzurri players to decide his fate provided he remains healthy. Totti’s main concerns are his fitness and how the international players perceive his return following several years in self-imposed exile from international football.
Pazzini’s late winner effectively rules out the possibility of seeing Juventus finishing in the coveted fourth-spot which permits Champions League participation. Juve did ease past Bari after a 3-0 win in which second-half substitute Iaquinta was in rampant mood scoring twice and having another mistakenly ruled out for a phantom offside call by the referee. Despite the victory the Bianconeri remain a massive 6 points behind Sampdoria with only 3 games before the end of the season. Juve will likely have to settle for a Europa League spot which is actually not something to be ecstatic about since this inferior competition (compared to the elitist Champions League) will exhaust Juve’s players and results in unnecessary distractions next season.
The next three rounds of Serie A football will determine whether Pazzini’s winner has handed the title to Inter and deprived Juve of Champions League football while paving the way for the striker to participate in South Africa 2010.
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Juventus & Roma Hurt By Giampaolo Pazzini Double

Juventus &amp; Roma Hurt By Giampaolo Pazzini Double - World Soccer Talk

Roma were able to fight back and beat their city rivals Lazio after trailing 1-0 at half-time. There were major events during the match starting with the missed penalty by Lazio and then the two surprising yet key substitutions made by Claudio Ranieri. The former Juventus boss removed both of his stars Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi at the half and his move paid off because the substitutes put in a lively performance in the second period.
The Giallorossi obviously owe the win in no small measure to Mirko Vucinic who scored a brace and remained calm during the tense moments of the match. While Sergio Floccari missed Lazio’s penalty-kick the Montenegrin confidently converted from the spot to draw the teams level. The victory puts Roma on top a point ahead of Inter with four matches remaining in the Serie A season.
Inter were able to beat fallen giants Juventus 2-0 on Friday in an expected win considering the struggles of the Bianconeri this season. The Nerazzurri struggled to breakdown the Old Lady despite the visitors playing with 10 players after Mohamed Sissoko was sent-off for a silly bookable foul in the first period. Sissoko had earlier received a yellow card so the meaningless foul on Javier Zanetti yielded the second yellow card and meant the referee had no choice but to issue his marching orders. There were debates as to whether the first yellow shown to Sissoko was a merited one but there are no doubts he deserved to be cautioned the second time.
Inter did deserve to get all three points and the goal which broke the deadlock was a stunner by Brazilian full-back Maicon who showed great skills to control and then volley the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon. It can be said the Bianconeri were not horrible during the match but they were overmatched the moment they went a player down. One player who ought not to be chosen for the Azzurri squad headed to South Africa 2010 is Brazilian born Amauri who recently became an Italian citizen. The experienced Marcello Lippi said he would consider picking Amauri yet it is mind boggling as to why the struggling forward could be chosen ahead of other worthy strikers.
Juve’s defeat was not Amauri’s fault yet coming in as a substitute the only notable contribution he made was his messy attempt to clear the ball and block Maicon who easily tricked Amauri to launch his classy strike which effectively won the match for the Nerazzurri. Simply put, Amauri just cannot do anything right at the moment and his season has been nothing short of catastrophic considering the high expectations placed on his shoulders.
On another front, Milan were effectively eliminated from the title race after a 2-1 loss in Genoa to Sampdoria who were grateful for strike duo Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini for scoring the two goals. The next two rounds will be crucial in determining the destination of the title. Next weekend Roma will host Sampdoria in a tricky match but the Giallorossi ought to be able to defeat the visitors who have already lost nine games away from Genoa this season. As for the Nerazzurri they will have a relatively easy match against the visiting Atalanta who are struggling in the relegation zone. The visitors did achieve a good result this weekend by beating Fiorentina but Inter will be a better quality opposition.
The title race might be decided during the last round of fixtures when Inter Milan and Roma travel to take on Siena and Chievo respectively. Roma will have the advantage of being able to focus on the league while Inter will be distracted by the two titanic clashes against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final. The Nerazzurri are still on course for a historic treble while the Giallorossi could still achieve the domestic double since they are going to play Udinese in the return leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final.
It will be an interesting few weeks for Calcio fans with the supporters of Milan, Juventus and Lazio perhaps the least content amongst the tifosi across the peninsula. As for the supporters of both Roma and Inter, this could be a rewarding season or it could as easily turn into a disappointing campaign depending on the results.

Roma Stage Comeback Win In Rome Derby To Return Top

Roma Stage Comeback Win In Rome Derby To Return Top - World Soccer Talk

Milan were once again guilty of wasting an opportunity to close in on city rivals Inter after the Nerazzurri drew 2-2 in Florence a day prior to Milan’s match against Catania. The Rossoneri were determined enough to fight back to earn a 2-2 draw against visiting Catania but the club’s response came perhaps a little too late. Leonardo and his players were aware of Inter’s 2-2 draw with Fiorentina since the game was play a day earlier yet they appeared to tackle the challenge of beating Catania in a casual manner. They ultimately paid the price and are now behind Roma and Inter by four and three points respectively.
With five matches remaining in Serie A anything is possible and a four point difference can be overcome yet the recent performances of the Rossoneri have left a lot to be desired and their remaining fixtures will see them take on five clubs with European ambition. Sampdoria, Palermo and Juventus are fighting to win the coveted fourth spot which allows the club to play in the Champions League qualifying round while both Fiorentina and Genoa are aiming to play in the Europa League. Thus, considering the form of the Rossoneri (as well as key injuries to Alessandro Nesta and Alexandre Pato) and the quality of the opposing teams left on the calendar, Milan do appear to have blown their chances of fighting for the Scudetto.
This leaves new leaders Roma and current champions Inter as the main contenders for the Serie A title. The Giallorossi have a major advantage which is the fact they are focused on the league and do not have to play in Europe while the Nerazzurri are facing a major distraction in the shape of the extremely difficult semi-final tie against Barcelona in the Champions League. The two additional matches in Europe might seem like nothing but in reality Inter will have to expand a lot of energy in order to continue their course and try to advance to the final in Europe. The Nerazzurri have been desperate, in particular their president Massimo Moratti, to achieve European success and add it to their dominance on the domestic front.
Coach Jose Mourinho will have to focus much of his attention the next couple of weeks on containing Barca’s lethal hero Lionel Messi and midfield schemer Xavi Hernandez who was behind most of Barca’s attacks against Real Madrid in the 2-0 triumph in El Classico. Unfortunately for Mourinho the danger does not end with these two quality players because the Catalans have other weapons such as Andres Iniesta, former Inter star Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry. Clearly this enticing match-up will consume a lot of time, energy and preparation&nbsp;from both Mourinho and his players.
In the midst of all this the Nerazzurri must still face the semi-final return leg in the Coppa Italia against Fiorentina and then take on fallen giants Juventus on Friday. Provided Mourinho rests many of his key players against la Viola, he will still have to put a strong team against the Bianconeri because a defeat or draw combined with a Roma victory could effectively hand over the title to the Giallorossi. Juventus might be struggling and look unlikely to head to Milan with the aim of beating Inter but if the Bianconeri have one last opportunity to redeem themselves then it would be by beating the Nerazzurri. The Calciopoli scandal, Inter’s recent dominance in Serie A and now the latest rounds of Calciopoli news have created an increasingly intense rivalry between Inter and the Old Lady. The Bianconeri players will try their utmost to upset Inter or at least snatch a draw in order to halt Inter’s progress in the league and also keep their hopes alive of making the Champions League.
While fatigue, exhaustion and European distraction might signal the downfall of the Nerazzurri, Roma will have to be careful not to let their one point lead slip away because nerves could be a decisive factor in the title race. The Giallorossi squad, except for Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi who won the World Cup with Italy, have little or no experience winning major trophies. The club’s coach Claudio Ranieri has often been labeled as soft and incapable of delivering on the big stage. Ranieri has never&nbsp;won the league title in Spain, England or Italy so this could serve as the perfect opportunity for him to&nbsp;earn his first major trophy.
Roma’s schedule appears easier on paper but they still must deal with Lazio in the Rome derby which could be a tricky prospect considering Lazio are still in danger of fighting for survival despite being outside the relegation zone. This round of matches will be crucial because Roma&nbsp;and Inter can drop points against Lazio and Juventus respectively. If they both lose and Milan win then the Rossoneri can jump right into the chase. However, in all likelihood the title race is going to boil down to Roma’s ability or lack off to win the remaining fixtures with the players not showing any signs of nervousness.
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Serie A Title Between Roma & Inter After Milan Drop More Points

Serie A Title Between Roma &amp; Inter After Milan Drop More Points - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2004" src="/files/2010/01/Ranieri-220x300.jpg" alt="Ranieri" width="220" height="300"></figure></div>Juventus will take on Roma in Turin in perhaps one of the round’s biggest clashes and certainly only second behind the much-anticipated Milan derby. The Bianconeri have been struggling and the dismal run of results shows no sign of abating. Coach Ciro Ferrara has received much of the criticism but as pointed out in a previous article (Please refer to How Long Before Ferrara Is Shown The Door written on January 18 for more details) the former Bianconeri defender cannot be blamed for all the problems in Turin despite his inexperience.
Ironically this weekend features a clash between Juve’s past in the shape of sacked Coach Claudio Ranieri and his successor Ferrara who took over the final three games of last season. Ranieri was shown the door because the Old Lady risked losing a guaranteed Champions League spot and the decision to fire him was justified given Ferrara won the three games to secure automatic qualification for Juventus. The current Roma Coach had done all he could in Turin but it was clear he was not the right man to bring glory back to the Old Lady. Ranieri has always been labeled as the man capable of building a solid foundation but not the who can win the ultimate prize- a league title or a European trophy. Unfortunately for Claudio his record backs this hypothesis given he failed to win the league titles in England, Spain and Italy up till now. Ranieri’s greatest achievements have been the Copa del Rey and Coppa Italia triumphs with Valencia and Fiorentina respectively. Otherwise, Ranieri ranks as one of those managers who often came close but could not win the big title- he finished second with Chelsea in the Premiership and second with Juve in Serie A last season (last three games were under Ferrara).
Ranieri seems most comfortable in less stressful environments or where the levels of expectation are relatively lower as shown during his stints with Fiorentina, Valencia and Parma. All three clubs are not on par with Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain or Juventus, Milan and Inter in Italy. Even in his current job with Roma the expectations were not high given he took over a struggling side. Credit Ranieri with Roma’s resurgence as the Giallorossi are now third in the table while Juventus have continued their slump and are fifth in the standings.
The Bianconeri host the Giallorossi at a critical point of the season and a defeat for the home club must surely close the Ferrara chapter in Vinovo. Juventus cannot afford to drop more points because the visitors will pull further ahead. Qualification to the Champions League must remain the priority given the Serie A title seems a far shot. Of course if Ferrara can claim a top three finish, win the Europa League and the Coppa Italia then he can survive another season and he could use this as a platform to improve on the club’s fortunes. The main issue here is this is the best case scenario for Ferrara and given the club’s form it is unlikely the Bianconeri will be able to bring in two trophies while making it to Europe’s elite competition next season.
The Coppa Italia path is littered with obstacles starting with league leaders Inter and in case of making it to the semi-finals then a solid Fiorentina side will be firmly waiting to spark a surprise against the Old Lady. In the Europa League Juventus must face Dutch powerhouse Ajax Amsterdam and again there are no guarantees of making it passed them. Under the current form Juve will be an easy prey for all aspiring teams just as Bari, Catania and Chievo have shown.
In the case of Roma, Claudio has seen the club go undefeated in the last eight matches in all competitions (Serie A, Coppa Italia and Europa League). While Ranieri was all along the wrong man for the Juve job, the Bianconeri board have shown the tendency to repeat their mistakes as they once again chose the inappropriate Coach for the hot seat.
The link between Ferrara and Ranieri revolves around the Bianconeri board and the series of calamitous decisions taken by the club’s management. The Juve directors were justified in sacking Ranieri but in choosing Ferrara they set themselves up for failure once again and who will be the man likely to have the last laugh? None other than the agreeable Ranieri who can inflict severe damage on the Turin club if the Giallorossi win the match. Ranieri will have defeated Juve in the head-to-head clash, he would&nbsp;have paved the road for a top four finish and most likely undermined&nbsp;the Turin club’s&nbsp;chances of making it to the Champions League next season.
While the Milan derby will shape the Serie A title race, the clash in Turin will not&nbsp;be short on drama as it&nbsp;will&nbsp;influence the Old Lady’s season and decide the fate of Ferrara.

Juve-Roma: Will Ranieri Have Last Laugh?

Juve-Roma: Will Ranieri Have Last Laugh? - World Soccer Talk

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