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lola

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  1. Serie A’s Ultras are planning to watch this weekend’s games in silence as a mark of respect for Lazio fan Gabriele Sandri.

    The nation's Ultras have embraced Lazio fan Sandri as a martyr after he was accidentally killed by a police officer on November 11.

    While games will take place this weekend and fans will attend, some groups are planning to protest by singing only songs for Sandri rather than their teams.

    As the Ultras are the most vocal fans who are known for their rousing chants, many games will be played in eerie silence.

    At Lazio’s game against Parma - the only clash where away fans will be allowed to attend - the Biancocelesti Ultras are planning to enter the stadium 20 minutes after kick-off.

    Similar measures were taken by sections of supporters at a basketball game between Milan’s Armani Jeans and Lottomatica Roma last weekend.

    It is hoped that there will be no protests in the streets or any repeat of the ugly scenes that followed November 11’s tragedy.

    Meanwhile, the clamp down on violent Ultras gathered pace with the arrest of six fans in Genoa.

    The men in question were wanted for their actions during the Derby della Lanterna between Genoa and Sampdoria on September 23.

  2. Italian Coaches Fabio Capello and Marcello Lippi are being linked with the vacant England hot seat.

    The Football Association lost patience with Steve McClaren after he failed to deliver qualification for Euro 2008.

    The search for a new boss is set to begin and ex-Juventus man Capello is one name to be mentioned after he joked about taking the job last night.

    “Me as England boss? That would be a great challenge and I am the right age,†he quipped while commentating on Italy’s win over the Faroe Islands for Rai.

    World Cup winning tactician Lippi is also in the frame after refusing the Birmingham City job earlier in the week.

    The 59-year-old has been enjoying a Sabbatical since lifting football’s greatest prize, but he has admitted that he would return to the game if the right offer was made.

    However, Lippi remains an unlikely candidate as he speaks little English and has stressed he wouldn’t work in a country where he couldn’t communicate fully.

  3. ALEX McLEISH told how he stopped a closed-doors training session after spotting a shady-looking observer recording his players from the top of a van.

    The Scotland boss was putting his squad through what was supposed to be a secret session at Dumbarton's Strathclyde Homes Stadium when the mystery man arrived in a chauffeur-driven Merc and clambered on top of a white transit van.

    But the national boss ordered his men to play it for laughs and WAVE for the camera.

    And McLeish insisted the Machiavellian episode will NOT have undermined his big-game plan for tomorrow's crucial Euro 2008 showdown against Italy.

    He said: "Don't worry, no secrets got out! We spotted some guys watching the session and, as it was supposed to be a closeddoors session, we simply weren't very happy about it.

    "One of them was wearing sunglasses, a hooded jacket and holding a camera. We didn't think it was right so we told the players to stop and to give the guy a wave.

    "We found it quite funny. The guy was hardly inconspicuous. Put it this way, I don't think he was Italy's answer to James Bond!"

    Record Sport had earlier in the day tipped off McLeish to the possibility of an unwanted intruder at his lunchtime training session after learning the Italian camp were desperately trying to find out where and when the secret workout would take place.

    The Scotland boss had planned to put his players through their paces behind closed-doors and would have been hoping to work on the set-piece drills which have been vital throughout this incredible quest to reach next summer's finals in Austria and Switzerland.

    McLeish's training routines have recently caught out Lithuania and Ukraine and now the world champions appear to fear they too could be undone.

    But McLeish is keen not to become embroiled in making claims of espionage ahead of tomorrow crunch showdown. Instead, he smiled and said: "If it is the case the guy was sent to spy on us we would take that as a compliment - it shows that they must be a little worried about us."

    However, privately, McLeish is understandably concerned about yesterday's bizarre events.

    A close source said: "No one wants to be accused of paranoia but what happened yesterday was absolutely incredible.

    "When some guy in shades and a hood is being chauffeured around the country in a Mercedes to record our closed-doors training sessions it does get you thinking!

    "Whoever he was he will have learned nothing because we knew to be on the lookout after Record Sporttipped off big Alex - and this guy was not hard to spot!"

    "I don't think this was Italy's answer to James Bond"

  4. Azzurri goalkeeper Gigi Buffon insists that it is Scotland who should be afraid ahead of Saturday’s Euro 2008 qualifier.

    Roberto Donadoni’s side travel to Hampden Park needing just a draw, but the history books suggest a tough test as no Italy side has ever won in Scotland.

    While the Scottish camp has been very upbeat in the build-up to the game, Buffon is confident that the world champions will have too much for them.

    “We could be afraid if we didn’t have experience, but the squad is full of players who have played in Serie A, the Champions League and the World Cup,†he told The Guardian.

    “We won’t find ourselves under-prepared and if anyone is afraid it is Scotland.â€

    However, the Juventus custodian was keen to stress his respect for the opposition.

    “Perhaps compared to us they have been inferior technically, but from the point of view of character they have always had a good squad that can narrow the gap,†he said.

    “As a goalkeeper I have to look out for the strikers and I must say that James McFadden is a very good player and Kenny Miller has also impressed me.

    “These are top players. We aren’t playing against a side from the Scottish Fourth Division!â€

  5. Young Serbian defensive star Branislav Ivanovic is ready to snub Inter to sign for Juventus.

    The 23-year-old has become one of Europe’s hottest prospects since starring in the summer’s Under-21 European Championships in Holland.

    Ivanovic’s club Lokomotiv Moscow have reportedly received offers from Ajax and Monaco, but Juve and Inter are the main contenders for his signature and he is nearing a decision.

    “If I were to leave Lokomotiv, I would want to join one of the biggest sides in Europe – either a team in Italy, England or Spain,†he told Tuttosport.

    “But I would want to have the chance to play a lot and Juve would give me a better chance of that than Inter.

    “I have respect for Sinisa Mihajlovic, but I don’t have any kind of agreement with the Nerazzurri.

    “In any case, I have renewed my contract in Moscow until 2011, so it is the Russian directors who will say whether I can go.â€

    It is believed that Monaco have made the first concrete offer of £7m, but Ivanovic is thought to have ruled out a move to Ligue 1.

    GIRUY INTER! anything to annoy Inter I like :)

  6. interesting i would give it go, but tutorials would be needed :)

    check out my Tutorial Basics thread which is pinned lola shud help u out a bit anything else gimme a pm, a nice tutorial is in there also

    thanks, will give it a go when I get spare time at some point :)

    and then will pm you every 2 mins with questions :lol:

  7. Real Madrid defender Fabio Cannavaro is being linked with a sensational return to the peninsula after hinting at a move to Milan.

    The World Cup winning captain has never fully settled in La Liga since his move from Juventus in the summer of 2006, despite making 40 appearances for the Merengues.

    With Milan looking frail at the back, there has been regular speculation that the Rossoneri may look for reinforcements and Cannavaro may well be tempted.

    “Carlo Ancelotti is an excellent Coach – he really is the best,†the ex-Parma man told journalists.

    “I would form a great pair with Alessandro Nesta and I have the utmost respect for Kaka who I think deserves to be my successor for the Ballon d’Or.â€

    Real boss Bernd Schuster has indicated that Cannavaro is dispensable and there is a chance that there may be discussions over a January transfer.

    The only obvious problem in turning to Canna is that the 34-year-old would be cup-tied for the Diavolo’s European campaign.

  8. Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani has explained how close the Rossoneri came to luring Luca Toni and Thierry Henry during the summer.

    The European champions bounced back from a terrible period with a 5-0 trouncing of Sampdoria on Wednesday.

    However, sections of the Diavolo faithful are still bitter that their side didn’t make a high-profile striker swoop in pre-season.

    “We were tracking Henry for a long time and he would have come to Milan,†Galliani revealed on Sky Sports Italia.

    “But Barcelona offered him a wage bill that was 50 per cent higher. Spanish clubs can afford to do that and it is a big problem.

    “At one stage Toni was very close to signing for us, but sadly he chose to join Bayern Munich in the end.â€

    Milan have been accused of prioritising the Champions League at the expense of Serie A, but Galliani refutes that suggestion.

    “There’s no truth at all in that,†he insisted. “We always finish in the top four and want to do so again even though I warned Carlo Ancelotti that it would be more difficult due to Juventus.

    “It is absolutely essential that we at least secure the fourth spot and all the players and the Coach are aware of that.â€

    Ancelotti’s men face Torino at the San Siro this weekend and there is a faint chance that Ronaldo may make his first appearance of the campaign

  9. Roma captain Francesco Totti will miss Sunday’s game against Milan, but may shake off an ankle injury to play in Wednesday’s Rome derby.

    Er Pupone picked up a knock after a clash with Liedson in the Giallorossi’s win over Sporting Lisbon in midweek.

    Initial fears that the talismanic goal machine may be out for several weeks disappeared as tests showed that the injury wasn’t serious.

    However, while there had been suggestions that Totti could be patched up to play against Milan, it has now been confirmed that he won’t feature.

    Roma’s medical team are now doing everything in their power to ensure that the 31-year-old is available for the Derby della Capitale against Lazio on Wednesday.

    Things look better for midfielder Simone Perrotta who is expected to pass tomorrow’s fitness test and be named in the side to face the Rossoneri.

    Brazilian winger Rodrigo Taddei’s frustration grows as he remains out of action, but he hasn’t ruled out a place on the bench for the battle against Lazio.

    :)

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