Posts Tagged ‘Giorgio Chiellini’

Euro 2012 ITALY ROSTER – Official List of 23 Players

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

National team coach Cesare Prandelli has made the Azzurri’s roster official, and communicated his list to UEFA.

Compared his previous version, the manager has left out Andrea Ranocchia and Mattia Destro. Doubts remain on the eligibility of Leonardo Bonucci, currently under investigation in the massive betting scandal surrounding Italian soccer this week.

The list also made the squad numbers for the final phase of the tournament official.

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Juventus 3-3 Chievo: Harbinger of B&W Death, Thy Name is Sergio Pellissier (Serie A Matchday 30)

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

Chievo's Sergio Pellissier reacts after scoring the equalizer in the final minutes of the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Chievo in Turin's Olympic Stadium, northern Italy, Sunday, April 5, 2009. The match ended 3-3. (AP Photo)

Bye bye Scudetto. Yet again.

There’s no point in denying it: seeing Juventus dig themselves out of their 2nd-place pit, and overtake Inter in a feat of extraordinary sporting grandeur, will not happen. I have ceased to believe in it. As illusory as that concept might have been for the past 2-3 months, I had continued to keep the faith: it was my duty as a Juventino. But after Sunday’s match vs. Chievo I just feel that fate is against us, and that the Serie A standings yo-yo has been going on for long enough. With 8 matches left to the end, Inter only need only 15 points to clinch their title. That’s 5 wins out of 8… you think the Nerazzurri can’t pull that off?

On the upside for Juve, the infirmary ward is slowly emptying itself: Zebina, C.Zanetti, and De Ceglie have all resumed full training and oh yes, there’s that little Ita-Argie guy. One Mr. Mauro German Camoranesi, the player the Bianconeri so crucially missed during their UCL campaign and who can change the face of a match in a flash: three (well, two and a half) assists Sunday, and 70 minutes of healthy playing time. It’s small potatoes, but a good way to recover from Sergio Pellissier’s hat-trick (bravo to him).

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Chelsea vs. Juventus: The PLAYERS

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

Chelsea vs. Juventus: The PLAYERS

Continuing to surf on La Gazzetta‘s “Serie A vs. EPL” wave, here are ALL THE PLAYERS from UEFA Champions League’s Chelsea vs. Juventus.

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Torino 0-1 Juventus: Chiellini Clinches Derby della Mole, Stadio Olimpico Now Waiting for Chelsea (Serie A Matchday 27)

Sunday, March 8th, 2009

Juventus' Giorgio Chiellini celebrates after scoring against Torino during their Italian Serie A soccer match at the Olympic stadium in Turin March 7, 2009. (REUTERS)

They may not play stellar soccer, they may not score lots of goals, but Juventus know just what it takes to win games. With a single goal by Giorgio Chiellini the Bianconeri got the better of Torino in Saturday’s Derby della Mole, keeping their distance to league leaders Inter at 7 points. Torino’s good performance (especially with regards to motivation -derbies can do that to ya- and goalkeeping technique) was not enough to breaking a Granata losing tradition which has now extended to 14 derby years.

But speaking of Juventus, one could almost say it was good night for Claudio Ranieri as well, the Bianconeri manager being able to rest a good number of his starters (Del Piero, Trezeguet, Tiago and Marchionni) and see some welcome returns (Zebina) in preparation of their UCL return leg against Chelsea Tuesday.

Yeah. Almost.

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Juventus 4-2 Milan: The Inter Antidote Is Here, It’s a Black & White Pill (Serie A Matchday 16)

Monday, December 15th, 2008

“Anti-Inter”. A big phrase for Italian newspapers this week-end, as indeed Sunday’s Juventus vs. AC Milan presented itself as a revealing showdown. One to determine the Nerazzurri’s real contender for the Scudetto race, one to decide historical bragging rights between two teams who, in the past two decades, have won more Serie A champions titles than any other team.

Well, at the end of a dramatically intense and exciting match the Bianconeri have claimed those rights, and thus kept within distance of the Inter “enemy”. On Sunday, the Old Lady won thanks to their playing rhythm, the youthful strength of Marchisio, Sissoko and De Ceglie, but also thanks to the exceptional attacking prowess of the Del Piero-Amauri tandem, a tremendous combination of class and power. Milan displayed some pride and quality, but they lacked physical and playing continuity. It was a night in which the absences of Kaká and Gattuso felt very heavy indeed.

Note: I am still without my computer. Right now I can only post through an old Compaq 900 laptop from the pre-war era. For Juve-AC Milan though, some sacrifices have to made. ;)

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