Ronaldinho Finally Sign For Milan

Ronaldinho has agreed initial terms with AC Milan and the Serie A club will now speak to Barcelona about a deal, Milan and the player's agent have said.

The 28-year-old Brazilian has had a difficult few months at the Nou Camp because of injury and loss of form and a move has long been mooted.

The forward is out for the rest of the campaign with a leg injury and a transfer can not officially go through until the end of the season.

'In general Ronaldinho and Milan are in agreement,' his agent and brother Roberto de Assis was quoted as saying on the Gazzetta dello Sport website on Saturday.

Gazzetta said a deal up to 2012 worth eight million euros ($12.6 million) a year was in the pipeline with a few clauses to be agreed.

Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani said: 'There is a general agreement with the player. Now a deal has to be reached with Barcelona. Give us time.'

Spanish and Italian media reports have speculated about a transfer fee of between 20 and 30 million euros while some newspapers have talked about Ronaldinho buying up the rest of his contract at Barca.

Milan are fifth in Serie A and in danger of missing next year's Champions League after a poor season. They were dumped out of this year's Champions League as holders by Arsenal in the first knockout round.

Carlo Ancelotti's men have struggled to score and create goals with Brazilian Ronaldo playing just a handful of games before being ruled out long term with a knee injury.

Fellow striker Alberto Gilardino has been lacklustre and world player of the year Kaka has been far from his best.

Despite their troubles, Ancelotti has been assured of his job next term.

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Kaka Looks Foward To "Beautiful" Game Against Arsenal

The contest pits the Milanese old guard against Arsene Wenger’s young guns. Kaka, whose real name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, recognises that Arsenal will offer a stern test of Milan’s credentials. Nevertheless, he backs the Rossoneri to dump the English side out of the competition and add to the club’s seven European triumphs.

"People have called this tie against Arsenal a match between an ageing team and a new young, up-and-coming side,” the reigning Fifa world player of the year said. “It is a fair comparison, because the average age in the first team here in Milan is 32, but that doesn't mean we'll struggle against them. Experience counts for everything at this stage of the Champions League.”

“This is a game we can enjoy. It can be beautiful.”

Despite Milan’s determination to succeed, Kaka does not underestimate the threat posed by Wenger’s team. Arsenal enjoy a five point lead in the Premiership over closest rivals Manchester United. However, the Gunners crashed out of the English FA Cup 4 –0 last Saturday against United. Many observers believe the Gunners boss decision not to play his strongest team showed that he had given priority to the match against the 2007 Champions League winners.

"This tie against Arsenal will be open and more interesting than if Milan had been drawn against Liverpool or Chelsea, teams that play more in the traditional English style," Kaka conceded. “They play football the way we like it to see it in Brazil, with style, changing position all the time, moving the ball among themselves so quickly.

“They have won Premier League titles, they were in the Champions League final a few years ago and they have real quality."

Wednesday’s Champions League match is seen as crucial to the Milan team which has not hit its best form this season and lies 21 points behind city rivals Internazionale in Serie A. Kaka sees the Champions League game as a chance for Milan to ignite their season.

"We were inconsistent in the first half of the season," said Kaka. "But we have recovered since the turn of the year and have lost only once in Italy since then, even if the top is still a long way off.

“That means the Champions League is the most important competition we're in - win that and your names are etched down in history, far more so than if you win the domestic league. We are too far behind in Serie A, so the priority is completely to win the Champions League again."

Ronaldo To End Career ????

AC Milan striker Ronaldo is fearful he may have to retire after rupturing a tendon in his left knee, claims club owner Silvio Berlusconi.
The 31-year-old Brazilian was carried off in tears after suffering the injury against Livorno on Wednesday and is now set for an operation in France.

"He fears for his career," Berlusconi told Italy's RAI TV.

"I called him last evening and told him to believe in himself. He has enormous physical potential."

Ronaldo is expected to see Gerard Saillant, the same surgeon who treated him for a similar injury to his right knee in 2000.

"As a 31-year-old, he's very young," added Berlusconi of the Brazilian.

"He has an extraordinary physique, and I think within a few months he could return to being the champion that we all know him as."

The striker faces up to nine months on the sidelines after rupturing a tendon in his left knee.

"I don't want to say it's the end of his career because only time can decide - all we can do is stand by him," said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Milan face Premier League leaders Arsenal in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie on Wednesday 21 February.

Ronaldo, who is out of contract at the end of the season, suffered the same injury in his right knee in November 1999.

He lasted seven minutes on his comeback in April 2000 before taking another 20 months to make a full recovery.

Ancelotti said the whole club was worried about the Brazilian, who was named Fifa world player of the year three times and is the record scorer in World Cup finals.

"We're all very sorry and worried about what happened to Ronaldo," Ancelotti added.

"Our players all left the stadium in a hurry to go to the hospital to check on his condition, I think that's the right way to stand by a player who's suffering."

Ronaldo fell awkwardly while challenging for a ball in the air with Jose Vidigal, shortly after replacing Alberto Gilardino in the second half.

"I heard a horrible sound, like a bang, it was a strange sound," said Livorno goalkeeper Marco Amelia, who was close by when Ronaldo fell to the ground.

Honours Even After Four Goal Thriller In Bergamo

It was a highly entertaining game in Bergamo as both sides share the points. Atalanta did well to come back after falling behind twice.

First Half

Fiorentina have been fantastic away from home this season amassing 19 points in ten matches on the road. They started this game with the intentions of continuing their good form as well as stay on course for the Champions League.

The Viola began brightly and they were applying the pressure early on. A nice break from Donadel allowed Ujfalusi to run down the wing and the Czech defender crossed in a delightful ball into the box. Pazzini got their ahead of Rivalta but the Azzurri striker’s header just cleared the bar.

The home side took their time to get into the game as Fiorentina enjoyed plenty of possession. The Nerazzurri looked to be on the back foot and they hardly showed themselves coming forward. Prandelli’s men always looked dangerous on and off the ball and they seemed more likely to score as the first period ticked on.

Atalanta were guilty of giving the ball away on several occasions, Manfredini and Langella looked uncomfortable on the ball and their careless play almost allowed the Viola to punish them. The home side nearly took the lead though against the run of play. Floccari twisted and turned and played in Muslimovic who took a gamble and ran through to beat the offside trap. However the striker fired his effort across goal much to the relief of Frey.

The home side’s chances were few and far between as the Viola stamped their authority on the game. Although they were excellent at coming forward, Fiorentina were not able to find the deadly finishing which would give them a lead. Atalanta seemed happy just to sit back and play on the break but they were also poor in the final third.

Pazzini was the danger man and he gave his side a well deserved lead, Montolivo played a good ball into the striker’s feet and he turned and got his shot under way and it beat Coppola who could only watch the ball cross the line. However the Viola’s lead only lasted a minute as Atalanta got themselves back in the game through Muslimovic who tapped in from close range after latching on to a corner. The Viola seemed to have fallen asleep at the set piece.

The Nerazzurri’s goal seemed to have given them some much needed confidence as the home side came alive after their equaliser. Both sides created plenty of half chances towards the end of the half but the scores stayed level as they went into the break.

Second Half

Fiorentina started where they left off and came out more determined and eager to score. The Viola were excellent at keeping the ball and created some good chances. The best fell to Pazzini but instead of scoring he blasted his effort over the bar. The striker should have scored as the ball fell kindly to him but he scuffed it.

Fiorentina restored their advantage on the hour mark through Semioli. A brilliant three man move involving Pazzini, Ujfalusi and Semioli carved open the Atalanta defence and the striker was able to finish off the cross with a guided header into Coppola’s far post. It was a well deserved goal by the Viola who were dominating the game.

The home side seemed flat and out of ideas and conceding another goal did not help their cause. The Nerazzurri were poor coming forward and the Viola defence looked comfortable at dealing with any threat.

Atalanta tried desperately hard to get back into the fray but bombing forward left them open to counter attacks and the Viola were quite happy to absorb the pressure as the half wore on.

In one final twist Atalanta’s efforts paid off in injury time. It was a remarkable come back by the Nerazzurri. Muslimovic pounced to finish off a fine move. The striker was the fox in the box as he scored a similar goal to his first. It was an easy tap in for the forward as his side fought their way back to take a well deserved point.

Teams

Atalanta(4-4-2): Coppola, Rivalta, Pellegrino, Capelli, Manfredini(Belleri 25), Pinto, De Ascentis, Tissone, Langella(Inzaghi 65), Floccari(Paolucci 75), Muslimovic.

Subs: Ivan, Fissore, Belleri, Radovanovic, Padoin, Inzaghi, Paolucci.

Fiorentina(4-3-3): Frey, Ujfalusi, Dainelli, Gamberini, Pasqual, Kuzmanovic(Jorgensen66), Donadel, Montolivo, Santana, Pazzini(Vieri 72), Semioli.

Subs: Avramov, Gobbi, Kroldrup, Jorgensen, Cacia, Papa Waigo, Vieri.

Cards:

Yellow: Tissone(Atalanta), Ujfalusi(Fiorentina), Muslimovic(Atalanta), Langella(Atalanta), Manfredini(Atalanta), De Ascentis(Atalanta)

Goals: Pazzini (Fiorentina 29), Muslimovic (Atalanta 30), Semioli (Fiorentina 60), Muslimovic(Atalanta 90)

Calcio Debate: Del Piero – Trezeguet & Great Forward

On Sunday evening Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet once again showed just how outstanding their forward partnership is by sharing another three goals between them. Carlo Garganese asks where the Juve-duo rank with some of the great Serie A partnerships of the past…

Anyone who saw David Trezeguet’s second goal against Livorno a couple of nights ago will surely have stood up and applauded the telepathic link-up play between the Frenchman and strike-partner Alessandro Del Piero.

Since the year 2000 when Trezeguet first joined Juve, the pair have been terrorising opposition defences, scoring goals galore virtually every season.

The level of consistency over a period of nearly eight years is something quite extraordinary. Below is the total of combined goals scored by Trez and Del every season from 2000.

2000/01: 24

2001/02: 53

2002/03: 36

2003/04: 36

2004/05: 31

2005/06: 49

2006/07: 38

2007/08 (so far): 23

In total, according to the figures above, Del Piero and Trezeguet have hit 290 goals between them.

When you consider that Filippo Inzaghi was first-choice for large portions of Trezeguet’s first season, while Del Piero was often substitute or substituted during Fabio Capello’s time in charge, then this accumulation is even more impressive.

Then of course there are injuries to consider, as well as the fact that Trezeguet doesn’t take penalties, although of course this is perhaps countered by the fact that Del Piero does.

Many have always doubted whether Del Piero and Trezeguet were really made to be a partnership. Neither is renowned for their physical strength, nor for their ability to hold up the ball, or most importantly for their pace.

Some top strikers have also joined Juventus over the past eight years, probably to give Juve an extra dimension in this sense.

The likes of Marco Di Vaio, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and most recently Vincenzo Iaquinta have all threatened to lead to the downfall of one of the pair.

Di Vaio had an excellent start to his career in Turin in 2002, but soon fell off the radar as it became obvious that he was no match for either of Trezeguet or Del Piero.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined in 2004 and soon became a favourite of Fabio Capello, who clearly preferred the Swede to Del Piero.

Although Ibra was outstanding in his first season, scoring 15 Serie A goals, everyone will remember that he couldn’t hit a barn door in his second campaign, netting just seven times.

Meanwhile Del Piero, who as mentioned above was often used as a substitute (or substituted early in the second half), still managed to score just one less than Ibrahimovic in the latter’s first season (in fact two more if you include Champions League goals), while in 2005/06 he hit the back of the net 20 times in total. Trezeguet meanwhile smashed in 45 during these two years.
This sequence has continued this current campaign. Vincenzo Iaquinta was brought in from Udinese and in truth has made an excellent start to his Juve career. The 28-year-old even dislodged Del Piero as a first-choice starter for a while.

However it soon became clear once again that Iaquinta could not match the [goalscoring] consistency of Del Piero and Trezeguet, and it was only a matter of time until the old partnership was resumed.

At the age of 33 and 30 respectively, the duo are still going very strong, and have already hit 23 goals between them this season, particularly impressive when you consider how weak and embarrassingly uncreative Juventus’ midfield currently is.

At times it is true that Del Piero and Trezeguet do not seem like they are well-suited to each other and a lack of pace can be a problem in some games.

However statistics do not lie and when the partnership is finally broken up for good, the pair will surely go down as one of Serie A’s great deadly duo’s.

Some Great Duo’s From The Past (note these are not necessarily both centre-forwards. They could be two players, like Michel Platini and Paolo Rossi, who just had an outstanding understanding together)

Andriy Shevchenko & Filippo Inzaghi (Milan)

Alessandro Del Piero & Filippo Inzaghi (Juventus)

Giuseppe Signori & Pierluigi Casiraghi (Lazio)

Fabrizio Ravanelli & Gianluca Vialli (Juventus)

Gabriel Batistuta & Francesco Baiano (Fiorentina)

Marco Van Basten & Daniele Massaro (Milan)

Roberto Mancini & Gianluca Vialli (Sampdoria)

Diego Maradona & Careca (Napoli)

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge & Alessandro Altobelli (Inter)

Michel Platini & Paolo Rossi (Juventus)

Francesco Graziani & Paolo Pulici (Torino)

Roberto Bettega & Roberto Boninsegna (Juventus)

Angelo Sormani & Pierino Prati (Milan)

Omar Sivori & John Charles (Juventus)

Calcio Debate: Signing Sissoko A Huge Mistake For Juve

It is common knowledge that Juventus are on the market for a top-class centre midfielder during this month’s transfer window.

This has led to a host of big names being linked to the club, including the likes of Diego, Rafael Van der Vaart and Javier Mascherano.

Ultimately though it seems that the Old Lady have plumped for Liverpool battler Momo Sissoko. “The negotiations with Juve are close to conclusion. I can confirm that there are advanced negotiations between the Bianconeri and my agents.” the player told RMC a couple of days ago.

The 22-year-old Sissoko seems to have this mythical reputation, particularly in Italy, as the “new Patrick Vieira”. In reality nothing could be further from the truth.

The Malian is quite possibly the most over-rated player currently in circulation. He can’t pass, he can’t tackle without getting booked, he has poor technique and his shooting is abysmal as exemplified by the fact he has only scored two goals in his entire career.

The only attributes that Sissoko has in his locker are physical – he has excellent stamina and can run all day long. However does this make him a good player?

Most certainly not, as if this was the case then Olympic athletes would combine football with their track & field careers.

Admittedly at the age of 22, Sissoko is still very young and there is still a lot of time for him to improve. He may surprise me and suddenly develop an ability to pass, tackle, shoot, and control a ball. If he does I hold my hands up and apologise, however I just cannot for the life of me understand why Juventus would be prepared to pay the reported €15m for the player.

Juventus director of sport Alessio Secco had a disastrous transfer campaign last summer, and I am really beginning to doubt his competence at his job.

The Bianconeri splashed out €22m on Tiago Mendes and Sergio Almiron, a huge amount of money on two players that were never going to be a title-winning or Champions League-winning centre-midfield partnership.

Surely it would have been better to spend that money on one guaranteed world-class midfielder?

His other signings from last summer have also failed to shine. Jorge Andrade was awful in the opening weeks of the season before his serious knee injury, while Zdenek Grygera and Hasan Salihamidzic have hardly set the world on fire.

The only new players this season that have impressed are Antonio Nocerino and Vincenzo Iaquinta, and it may surprise you to know that neither of these were Secco’s signings.

They were in fact former transfer guru Luciano Moggi’s players. Iaquinta was tracked by Lucky Luciano for a number of years, while Nocerino joined the Juve youth-system six years ago before being sent out on loan and co-ownership deals.

Indeed the real reason Juventus are performing so well this season is everything to do with Moggi and nothing to do with Secco.

It is the likes of Trezeguet, Chiellini and Buffon who have been protagonists, while even the brilliant crop of youth players that includes likely future Italy internationals such as Sebastian Giovinco, Claudio Marchisio and Domenico Criscito was Moggi’s work.

The imminent signing of Momo Sissoko appears to me only a continuation of the disastrous transfer policy of Secco.