The Revival of Calcio

perhaps not right now, but it would be great if either you or Italy Offside guy come up with a post calculating the development of our coefficient race vs Germany. Thanks.

Posted from  Australia

That’s a fantastic idea. I’ll have to look more into it cause I’m not sure exactly how it works but I’ll have a post up in a few days.

Posted from  United States

Just for the record (as no one else seems to realize) Juve’s next game is away to Bordeaux, who is already qualified.

juve, milan, inter, fiorentina r all goin through!
inter will get knocked out next round, juve and prolly fiorentina will go to quarters, and milano will win it for the 3rd time this decade! thats my prediction and u heard it here from me first

You could just use this:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2010.html

Italy have performed better than Spain this season. How about that?

Posted from  Denmark

Now let’s hope for Roma, Lazio, and Genoa to qualify.

Fiorentina beat Steaua Bucharest 1-0 last year, the one game we won in the competition last year

Another dominating display from Italian teams (except the blue side of Rome), and another douching of EPL teams. Loving it!

Posted from  United States

Whilst I agree with the sentiments expressed, are you sure guys are Italian? Do you not know the bad luck involved in counting your chickens before they have hatched. At this current point not only can all 4 Italian teams go through but all 4 Italian teams could go out as well. The only team genuinely sitting pretty is Juve who only require a point.

Fiorentina too only require a point but allow me to steal something from someone briefly, I quote:

“A few points from a Fiorentina follower:

1. Lyon beat us 1-2 at home in the Champions League last year.

2. There is a feeling of animosity between the sides – Lyon scored a highly controversial goal in the game at the Stade de Gerland which resulted in a bit of a brawl – tensions still seemed to be running high this year, when Alberto Gilardino was sent off for an elbow. The two sides don’t like each other and Lyon will not want to roll over.

3. Our best centre-back, Alessandro Gamberini, pulled up last night with a hamstring injury – we look very dodgy without him.

4. Liverpool should turn over Debrecen easily – we put nine goals past them in two games without playing our best football.

5. I don’t fancy our chances at Anfield. If we lose to Lyon and Liverpool beat Debrecen, then Liverpool just neat to beat us at Anfield (our away record in Europe is abysmal) to qualify.

Much as I’m looking forward to laughing at Liverpool, I’m not going to
start yet.”

Of course it’s an unlikely scenario, but in football as we all know, anything can happen.

Inter NEED to beat either Barca (again, unlikely) or Rubin, the team that beat and drew with Barca)

Milan, we all know the Real results, and the genuinely unfair dissallowing of Silva and Pato’s goals BUT, do we forget how easily they capitulated to Zurich? They do that again and I’ll bet they’re out.

Yes, all this is unlikely and things look rosy, but please, for the sake of my sanity and our nation’s superstitions, wait until we’re all through to celebrate or declare the revival of something that has never ever died.

well said pepe i was rying to comment about bad luck too. anyway all our teams should be focused untill the fifth round at least and good luck for our Italians team

hey…the azzurri are playing holland in about a week in a friendly. what do you reckon? will lippi experiment? who would you put in the team? who’s worth giving a trial in this, the earliest of stages before the actual tournament?

Posted from  Australia

We got holland on the 14th and sweden on the 18th, could be time for some experimentation, pazzini could be called up

Posted from  Canada

Balotelli should be called and so should Giovinco. These two have played very well in the last month on both the domestic stage and cl. Since this is an exhibition it should be a great time to give these two a try. Not to mention Santon and Rossi were initailly thrown onto the national team for a lot less than what these two have been doing.

Then you have the obvious call up experiments to make. Lippi would be an idiot not to end the cassano feud now and call him up for these games, along with pazzini and foggia. I would also call Cigarini, a bright spot at napoli, and a pair of defenders from Palermo/Bari who have been rock solid.

That would be ideal. If Gattuso/Pepe/DiNatale are there then heck, we’re not going anywhere fast.

Also, just to touch again on Cassano, if he calls him up, he will avoid an entire winter of “WE WANT CASSANO” Banter – not to mention if the guy is poor, then he has an excuse NOT to bring him to South Africa.

santon in casiraghi squad 4 next 2 qualifiers.

Posted from  United States

balotelli 2 called by casiraghi 4 next 2 qualifiers.

Posted from  United States

Italy also needs another midfield creative point, especially when neither Totti, Cassano or Giovinvo is not up front. Pirlo cannot do it all by himself. I would give Montolivo another chance.

i reckon definitely get foggia, pazzini and cazzano in there. i reckon mannini a go too.

Posted from  Australia

Fiorentina’s fate is far from sealed. They have to tie Lyon minimum.

Italian teams have improved vis-a-vis Liga and EPL but still have much work ahead of them.

Posted from  Canada

i think the italian teams are quite underrated

Reminder for the guys dreaming to see Cassano in Azzurri; Forget about Antonio Cassano. Marcello Lippi won’t call him up. He should do, but he won’t. The fued between Cassano and Lippi is deep so deep and it is personal. Sampdoria President hint was clear that things are very ugly between C & L. After doing some researches of my own it is clear to me that the dispute goes back during and after the calciopoli drama. Cassano himself knows what Lippi’s son has done during that time and he has been advised to shutup his mouth about it for the interest of the game in Italy and for the image of the coach who managed a team to win World Cup 2006. In addition, Lippi is untouchable after his triumph in Germany 2006. That is the truth and the fact.

“I would give Montolivo another chance”, ya i agree with vivaldi. fiorentina is doin well right now and montolivo is one of the reasons for that, people r sayin raf palladino is re-emergin and so is montolivo too, both of them have problems with consistency, and if they can continue this good form till may then they should get call ups. i think montolivo should get called up for the friendlies at least

camoranesi played a really instrumental role in juve’s game against atlanta provin he still’s got it