… and all through the land, rumours, scandal and transfer talk were at hand! What better way to end the year here at Futbolita, at least where calcio is concerned, with a look at what lies ahead in the upcoming year?
Barbara Berlusconi – daughter of disgraced former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, member of Milan’s board of directors, and Alexandre Pato’s girlfriend – has been the subject of much speculation as of late, with many gossip magazines claiming the beautiful blonde is carrying Pato’s child. However, Vanity Fair Italia reported earlier this week, Barbara and Pato, currently on vacation in an undisclosed location, have denied the rumours and are NOT expecting. Pato’s become accustomed to seeing his name in print, however – mostly because of his rumoured big-money move to French side Paris-Saint-Germain. Pato was linked with a move to PSG; however, Milan CEO, Adriano Galliani, expressly disclaimed the rumours yesterday morning, stating that there had been no negotiations, a statement later confirmed by Pato’s agent. However, another member of the Milan family IS making the move to Paris: Carlo Ancelotti was unveiled today as the club’s new manager, seven months after being ruthlessly sacked by Roman Abramovich.
Of course, as the January transfer window looms, transfer talk is rife. Milan still have their eye on Carlos Tevez and Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano. In other transfer news, Alberto Gilardino appears set for a move to Genoa, whilst Marco Borriello appears poised to make another stop on his continuous tour of every club in Italy, this time at Juventus – la Vecchia Signora awaits his signature on Monday.
… and, as the new year begins, the spectre of match-fixing scandal rears its ugly head. Former Piacenza defender Carlo Gervasoni has given testimony to Roberto Di Martino, the prosecutor investigating match-fixing, and this testimony (if taken as true) reveals some pretty damning allegations. Palermo’s 2-1 win over Bari and Lazio’s 4-2 victories over both Lecce and Genoa are the games at issue, and Gervasoni implied that those who attempted to manipulate these results looked to bribe the players involved. Gervasoni has named a staggering 20 footballers involved in the alleged match-fixing. As the investigation continues, it looks to be a long time before the dust settles.
Finally, something to look forward to: another friendly match for gli Azzurri, this time against the United States! In a statement to La Gazzetta dello Sport about Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale, Cesare Prandelli has confirmed both that gli Azzurri will face the USMNT in their final friendly fixture before Euro 2012 and that Antonio – the Serie A’s capocannoniere for two seasons running – has earned a recall to la Nazionale. The Americans have a long history with Italy, but have never managed to defeat the four-time world champions, with seven losses and three draws since the series began with a 7-1 Azzurri victory at the 1934 World Cup. The teams faced off at two subsequent World Cups: Italy defeated the U.S., 1-0, at home in Rome in 1990 and the teams played to a draw, 1-1, in 2006 in Kaiserslautern – the year gli Azzurri went on to lift the World Cup for the fourth time. The most recent meeting between the two sides came in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, with a decisive victory for Italy , 3-1 – thanks to two goals from none other than American-born Giuseppe Rossi. Given such statistics, gli Azzurri seem to be the sure favourites.
Don’t let Andrea’s blasé appearance deceive you: an exciting year lies ahead, indeed!
Image via Daylife
