Lega Pro Review – Giovanni Stroppa Making The Hills Come Alive In The Sudtirol
In the late eighties and early nineties Giovanni Stroppa was an attacking midfielder who was an integral part of the all conquering AC Milan dynasty. Stroppa was a product of the Milanello youth academy and he would later continue his top-flight career at Lazio and with the iconic Zdenek Zeman in Foggia.
'Gianmaria Cesaro free from the pirates hands' - Sorrento fans threw themselves into the campaign to have Cesaro released from the hands of pirates
With Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello and Zeman all major influences in his playing career it is no surprise to see the 44-year-old now making great strides in his first coaching role at C1 side Sudtirol. This week, Stroppa has been speaking about how much he is enjoying life in the beautiful city of Bolzano and the comparisons he sees between his current employers and that of the team that gave him his big break.”It is obvious to everyone that you cannot compare Sudtirol with Milan” explained Stroppa “we are a very small club but the organisation here is reminiscent of my time at Milanello”
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As you were in Serie A – the imminent return of the natural order
Serie A is boring, again. Last season saw an end of season run-in where four sides were potential candidates for the Scudetto. Post-World Cup seasons can often throw up surprises, perhaps because players in the top sides will have exaggerated schedules.
Alessandro Del Piero: a reminder of how things were
The league enthralled neutrals worldwide as Napoli, Udinese and Lazio chased Milan all the way to the title. This season, though, we are seeing a return to the normality of the pre-Calciopoli era – at one point Inter even threatened to re-assume the position of perennial losers.
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Triestina’s tribulations – Time is running out at the Stadio Nereo Rocco
After Relegation from Serie B last season Triestina sit a disappointing 11th place in group B of the Lega Pro first division. But the disappointments don’t end there for the Trieste based club. The coach was sacked just a few weeks ago and the owners, past and present, have allowed huge debts to accumulate, crippling the club.
Triestina: Real fans...
A courthouse decision has requested that the club is declared bankrupt. It is a situation which is repeating itself over and over again up and down the Italian peninsula. Time is running out to save Triestina Calcio.
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Enrico Preziosi Should Shoulder the Blame for Genoa’s Inconsistency
Genoa fans must be the most confused fans in the entire Italian peninsula. Take for example the protagonists of our story: Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo. Here is the recounting of a conversation had between the three of them at the last Genoa home game.
Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo: Genoa's three most confused fans (Image via scotthuckphoto on Flickr)
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Lega Pro Review – Stefano Borgonovo’s Como Shirt Enters Football’s Hall Of Fame
30 years ago, a promising young 17-year-old striker called Stefano Borgonovo made his debut for Como in a Serie A game against Ascoli. It was the clubs debut season in the top-flight of Italian football and Borgonovo looked to have the world at his feet. While the club where he served his apprenticeship fell out of the limelight, Borgonovo continued to enjoy the trappings of a top professional footballer spending time at AC Milan, Fiorentina & Udinese which ultimately led to three International call-ups for the Azzurri in 1989.
Stefano Borgonovo: A hero in Como, also won a Scudetto, European Cup and Intercontinental Cup with Milan under Sacchi.
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Luciano Re Cecconi: A tragic demise, 35 years ago today
Today marks the 35th anniversary of Luciano Re Cecconi.
“Every Lazio mediano, sooner or later, has to be compared to him [Re Cecconi]. He was the most generous, the most loved and, sadly, the most unlucky.” (Cristian Ledesma, Lazio vice-captain)
Re Cecconi won the title with Lazio in the 1973-74 season. His death was an awful accident that perhaps portrays the general mood of day-to-day Italian life. It should never have ended like this though, you can read more about the event in a piece I wrote for Equaliser Blog in May.
Equaliser blog – Death in the afternoon
Could Juventus’ 18-game unbeaten streak be holding them back?
Juventus currently hold the longest unbeaten streak in Europe’s top 5 leagues. The bianconeri have gone 18 games without losing now and have made some dramatic comebacks along the way. Questions still remain though regarding whether or not they have what it takes to win the league.
Alessandro Matri: desperate for release
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