Zola backs Chelsea
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola believes his former club Chelsea will beat Juventus in the Champions League.
The Bianconeri was paired with the Blues in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Zola has been voted to greatest player of all time at Stamford Bridge.
“I think Chelsea will win but only just,” Zola told Tuttosport.
“I think the match between the Blues and Bianconeri will be very interesting.
“On one part there is the prestigious Chelsea of my career and, on the other, you have Claudio Ranieri who gave me so much. I am sure the game will give some good and spectacular for everyone.
“I think it will all come down to whoever is in the best form physically.”
[Source: Tuttosport]
Written by Hakon Hoyland · Tags: English Premier League, General Soccer News, Transfer News & Transfer Rumours
Lampard hails Owen
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard does not believe the Blues need to make a January move for Michael Owen.
Owen, who is out of contract in the summer, has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
The midfielder told The Sun: “Obviously, it’s the manager’s decision. Michael’s a top player - he showed that with the goal he scored against Portsmouth last week, it was an unbelievable finish, top quality.
“If he is fit, which he’s struggled with a bit, he’s a top, top player.
“At the right price, whether it’s for us or not, he’s going to be a good buy for someone for sure.
“But with Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba fit, I’d look at us and say we’ve got enough.”
[Source: The Sun]
Written by Hakon Hoyland · Tags: English Premier League, General Soccer News, Transfer News & Transfer Rumours
Beckham expected at San Siro to watch struggling Milan
David Beckham will get plenty of headlines when he arrives in Milan on Saturday but his new temporary employers will probably be wishing he could take to the pitch against Udinese a day later rather than watching the game from the stands.
AC Milan have been beset by injury problems to key players this season and are sweating over the return of Kaka ahead of this weekend's match.
And with Andrea Pirlo forced off at half-time during Wednesday's 2-2 UEFA Cup draw against Vfl Wolfsburg and Gennaro Gattuso out probably for the rest of the season, now would be a good time to blood the former England captain.
However, Beckham cannot start playing for Milan until the January transfer window opens and in the meantime, coach Carlo Ancelotti shows no sign of letting up his complaints about injury problems.
“This is a difficult time for us because we've been decimated by injuries which prevents us from taking to the pitch with the team we want to or from playing our best,” moaned Ancelotti.
As well as Pirlo coming off against Wolfsburg, on-loan Switzerland centre-back Philippe Senderos lasted only eight minutes.
“Senderos had a classic back spasm, Pirlo felt a muscle problem and, given the current emergency, it was better not to risk him after the break, and on top of that (Clarence) Seedorf (who played the full 90 minutes) hurt his knee.
“We need to stand strong and deal with these problems and the next few days will be very important to prepare for the Udinese challenge.
“Individually everyone is giving his all but it's very difficult to play under these conditions because we're forced to play several players out of position.”
However, Kaka, Pirlo, Seedorf and even France midfielder Mathieu Flamini all look likely to be fit at the weekend leaving only long-term absentees Alessandro Nesta, Gattuso, Marco Borriello and now Senderos missing.
But while Ancelotti has bemoaned his sick-list, midfielder Massimo Ambrosini had a more sober assessment of Milan's predicament.
“If we want to win things, this team has to overcome this difficult period,” he said.
Sunday's visit of Udinese is thus a must win game for Milan, although with a nine point deficit to champions, leaders and bitter city rivals Inter Milan, every match will be until they have drastically shortened the gap.
The plus side for Milan is that Udinese are the team in the worst current form in Serie A having not won in seven matches since topping the table in early November.
However, they did show glimpses of returning to form by sprinting out to a 3-0 lead over Lazio last week, before their defensive frailties came back to haunt them and they were pegged back to 3-3.
In other matches Inter travel to Siena on Saturday night while second-placed Juventus face a trip to Bergamo to play Atalanta.
AS Roma defend an eight-game winning run, including five in Serie A, as they travel to Sicily to face Catania hoping to put more pressure on the teams holding European qualification places.
Third-placed Napoli have a tricky trip to Torino while fifth-placed Fiorentina travel to Genoa to face Sampdoria.
That match will pit Serie A joint-top goalscorer Alberto Gilardino against Sampdoria captain and mercurial genius Antonio Cassano, a challenge Gilardino is looking forward to.
“Antonio Cassano is an exceptional talent, a player who in any moment can produce something incredible. In my opinion he should be in the Italy squad,” said the former Parma and AC Milan forward.
Italian league fixtures
Saturday
Lazio v Palermo, Siena v Inter Milan
Sunday
AC Milan v Udinese, Atalanta v Juventus, Cagliari v Reggina, Catania v AS Roma, Chievo v Genoa, Lecce v Bologna, Sampdoria v Fiorentina, Torino v Napoli
Written by SoccerNews · Tags: Serie A
Ramos chasing wingers
New Real Madrid boss Juande Ramos has admitted that he would like to sign a new winger in the January transfer window.
The Spanish giants have been linked with Ashley Young and Aaron Lennon.
He told AS: “It is true that the market for wingers is limited and the clubs that you call raise the price because they know that we need the player.
“It is important that we bring in a right winger to help us in the UEFA Champions League and in the league.
“There are some interesting players in the English market and I know clearly who they are. I have told the club what I think and now it is a question of money.
“It seems to me that with (Arjen) Robben on the left and another player on the right we would be complete. Although Robben can play on the right, I prefer wingers to play on their strongest side and not switch over.”
[Source: AS]
Written by Hakon Hoyland · Tags: General Soccer News, La Liga, Transfer News & Transfer Rumours
Ronaldo looking to excel at new club Corinthians
The 32-year-old 1994 and 2002 World Cup winner and European footballer of the year in 1997 and 2002 has not played officially this season though appeared in Morocco in a United Nations-organised match in November.
The former Real Madrid forward told television station SporTV: “I am now setting myself new goals and I want to make the most of this opportunity at Corinthians to excel, and perhaps return to Europe, though this is not a current goal.”
Ronaldo, who seriously injured his left knee in February last year and was out-of-contract with AC Milan in the summer, will be presented by the second division champions on a one-year contract on Friday. No transfer fee has been revealed.
He added that patience would be needed in a “gradual” comeback. “It has been nine months since my operation and during my comeback little muscular problems could arise which in themselves may not be serious but which would be painful and could mean I lose two or three weeks.”
Written by SoccerNews · Tags: General Soccer News
