Serie B Among Gianluigi Buffon's Greatest Moments With Juventus

Juventus goalkeeper Buffon suggests Serie B demotion was a good experience.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has said his experience in Serie B was among his best at the club as he celebrates his 10th year in Turin.

Speaking to Juventusmember.com, the Italian international said: "My first big joy was winning the Scudetto of May 5 [2002], and then the [2003 Champions League] final in Manchester, which is always a historic memory despite the negative outcome. And, there is the game against Rimini in Serie B."

Buffon's success with Juventus has been rewarded with his appointment as captain of the Italy team.

"It's a great reward, sooner or later it was bound to happen after making my debut 14 years ago," he said.

"I have to say it's an honour to wear the armband, but there are many captains in this national team."

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Milan Goalkeeper Christian Abbiati Suffers Head Injury Against Tottenham

Milan 'keeper Christian Abbiati was forced to leave the field after 20 minutes into the Rossoneri's Champions League match against Tottenham.
Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati picked up a head injury after colliding with Peter Crouch during Tuesday's Champions League encounter with Tottenham Hotspur.

Abbiati came off his line to punch a cross away, but upon doing so, collided with the towering forward.

Upon getting up, he turned to the linesman and complained of a strong pain in his head, and was unable to stand up properly. He was stretchered off after 20 minutes and replaced by Marco Amelia.

Abbiati was taken to hospital to undergo scans, and Goal.com Italia have reported the custodian suffered minor trauma to the cranium.

The Rossoneri went on to lose the match 1-0 courtesy of a Crouch goal in the 80th minute.

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Fiorentina Know How To Beat Inter - Sinisa Mihajlovic

Mihajlovic eyes maximum points against Inter.
Fiorentina coach Sinisa Mihajlovic believes the Viola can beat Inter in Wednesday's clash at the Artemio Franchi.

Mihajlovic is aware of Inter's strengths, but was at pains to stress there will be no way through at the Artemio Franchi.

"Inter have everything to win the Scudetto, but they must pass through Fiorentina first. And if they don't win tomorrow it will be tough for them," Mihajlovic told the press.

"I want them to win the title, but tomorrow we want to win and we will do all we can to place them in difficulty.

"I know the Inter environment and we won't give their front three the chances to hurt us.

"Winning against them would be massive, and we have to be focused and show consistency like we did against Palermo."

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Udinese Announce New Stadium Plans

Giampaolo Pozzo, Udinese's president, has confirmed plans are well underway for the redevelopment of the Friuli.
Udinese president Giampaolo Pozzo is hoping to have a new stadium in place and fully operational for the 2013-14 season after announcing plans to redevelop the unpopular Stadio Friuli.

The Friuli is often nearer empty than full, even for the biggest matches, as views from around the terraces are far from the pitch action.

Three-quarters of the stadium is also exposed - with no roof offering cover from the elements - a major problem as it sits near the Dolomite mountains.

"We hope the works for the redevelopment of the Friuli can begin from next June or July so they are complete for the 2013-14 campaign," Pozzo told the press.

"The Mayor, Furio Honsell, is doing his best to speed up the times so we can get started on the work as soon as possible."

The new stadium will hold 22,000 spectators, and the stands will be closer to the pitch.

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Milan's Alexander Merkel Will Play For Germany

Agent Arthur Beck has confirmed Alexander Merkel's intent to play for Germany.
Multi-national Milan starlet Alexander Merkel has made up his mind as to which country he will represent internationally. The midfielder, who was born in Kazakhstan to Russian parents of German ancestry, has decided to play for Germany, where he spent the majority of his youth.

"For Kazakhstan, Alexander will not play; for Russia also no. He will play for Germany," his agent, Arthur Beck told Express.

Merkel, who moved to Milan in 2009 after spending most of his youth at Stuttgart, has featured for the German youth national teams at U-15 to U-19 level. He made a breakthrough in 2010, and in January this year scored his first goal for Milan in a 3-0 win over Bari in the Coppa Italia.

In the autumn, there was speculation over his potential call-up to play for Belarus, but the player himself scuppered the rumours in December. He appears not to have changed his mind since.

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Roma's Daniele De Rossi In Manchester United Link

Manchester United in for Roma's Daniele De Rossi, according to English reports.
Manchester United are preparing a €40 million bid for Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi.

Goal.com Italia says reports in England claim United see De Rossi as the heir to Paul Scholes, and Sir Alex Ferguson wants to try to land him in June.

It will take a mega €40m, and the latest reports follow on from Monday's Real Madrid link.

However, De Rossi has, on previous occasions, maintained his allegiance with Roma.

He is seen at Trigoria as a leader, and 'capitan futuro' for life after Francesco Totti.

Roma's new American owners are also keen on establishing a top team capable of winning major titles, and thus they are unlikely to sell one of their prized assets.

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Napoli Striker Giuseppe Mascara Dreading Catania Clash

Mascara does not want to face his old club on Sunday evening.
New Napoli signing Giuseppe Mascara has admitted that he wants to avoid facing his former side Catania at the weekend at all costs.

The two teams are set to lock horns on Sunday evening, and the 31-year-old claims the Rossazzurri fans are angry over his departure.

"The fans are angry with me, but I could not let a chance like this slip at my age, moving to a team that is in second place in the standings and has a good possibility of qualifying for the Champions League," Mascara told Corner.

"I have a love for the city of Catania which has given me a lot. The fans have always been close to me throughout my time. For me, it was a very tough decision to go to Napoli, but I knew playing with the Partenopei would be a big step in my career.

"I did not betray anyone and would not mind that Sunday's match would never arrive, and that it gets cancelled."

There is a possibility the forward could be used alongside Edinson Cavani in the starting line-up, as Ezequiel Lavezzi is likely facing a ban for spitting on Roma's Aleandro Rosi.

"I repeat, if I could, I would not play in this match," he affirmed. "I thank the management at Catania for treating me like a son, with lots of affection, but I have made a professional choice."

The former Italian international has made two league appearances for the Azzurri since his move in January. His contract with his new club is set to expire in June 2013.

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Milan Star Zlatan Ibrahimovic Reveals He Snubbed Manchester City Last Summer

Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he turned down a big money move to Manchester City in the summer.
Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed he held discussions with Manchester City over a possible summer move before opting to join the Rossoneri.

The Sweden international admitted he wanted to join a top team who would have instant success, rather than help build a side up to dominate in the near future.

The Eastlands outfit were reportedly prepared to offer a record-breaking amount to secure the then-Barcelona hitman.

"I had a couple of talks with City and they had a fantastic project going on but I'm not one of those players who wants to go there and play for money," the 29-year-old was reported as saying to Sky Sports.

"For me, it's important to see what kind of future there is, what kind of possibilities there is. For me, the project of City is not now.

"I think in a couple of years they will be a top team but Milan now is at the top and for me, I want to be playing at the top when I'm 29 rather than 32.

"It was not about money. If you are a great player there is money everywhere," he concluded.

Ibrahimovic has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season for the Diavoli, firing them to the top of the Serie A table and a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

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UEFA President Michel Platini: Juventus Will Return To Being A Big Club Soon

UEFA president and former Juventus midfielder Michel Platini says the Bianconeri fans need to be patient as the side rebuilds, and will become a big club in due course.
UEFA president and former Juventus attacking midfielder Michel Platini says the Bianconeri fans need to be patient as the side rebuilds and aims to return to the top of Italy and Europe.

The Frenchman admits the Turin giants were one of the biggest teams in world football, and have every intention of returning to those glory days.

"The fans must understand that it will take some time to return to being a big club," Platini said to Gr Parlamento. "If they consider themselves true supporters and they really love the side, they will stay near them doing the tough times.

"This is how a person can be considered a true fan.

"Juve was the biggest club in the world, but then had a small problem, which saw it end up in Serie B. They had to let many champions leave.

"Juve is going through a cycle, and they will return. I am not sure when, but they will," he concluded.

Platini played for the Bianconeri between 1982 and 1987, winning two Scudetti, a European Cup [now known as the Champions League] and an Intercontinental Cup. He also helped France to win the 1984 European Championship.

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Eugenio Fascetti Confident Antonio Cassano Can Deliver Scudetto To Milan

Former Bari coach Eugenio Fascetti says Antonio Cassano is a key person who will help Milan win the Scudetto.
Former Bari coach Eugenio Fascetti believes former Biancorossi player Antonio Cassano can now help Milan win the Scudetto at season's end.

Fascetti was the tactician that gave Cassano his Serie A debut, launching his footballing career in 1999.

"For Milan, the acquisition of Cassano was vey important," the 72-year-old told Ansa in an interview. "Antonio is an element that when he plays well, he can give a very handy contribution to the side as they try to win the Scudetto.

"He has integrated himself well at Milan, and is doing really well linking with [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic."

The last time the Rossoneri won the Scudetto was in 2004/05. The 28-year-old has already made eight league appearances for the club, scoring a goal and providing five assists. The side take on Tottenham in the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday evening.

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Juventus Must Do More Than Just Accept They Defeated Inter - Alessandro Del Piero

Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero says his side must move on from defeating Inter, and concentrate on doing well for the remainder of the season.
Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero has revealed the club needed a victory against rivals Inter in order to confirm the hard work they had been showing on the pitch recently.

Del Piero believes the Bianconeri now need to continue to show the good form for the remainder of the season.

"I am very happy for the victory on Sunday night," the 36-year-old told Corriere Dello Sport. "The win will be used a moment of growth because it continued our good form from the match against Cagliari.

"I think the team clicked after our match against Palermo, after the loss we did not deserve. It helped to kickstart the side, and helped us reach the result against thee Nerazzurri.

"But we cannot become content with just beating Inter. It is only a match, and the road ahead is still long. Now we must play in the same way hoping to climb up the ladder.

"We now know we can play in that manner and get a positive result, and this is important for us. I was also very happy with the amount of enthusiastic fans at the match, as it was a wonderful sensation.

"I hope we can bring many more satisfactions to the fans in the future," concluded the striker.

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Milan's Champions League Experience Will Be Too Much For Tottenham

Ibrahimovic claims Milan's years of Champions League background will be the difference against Spurs.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ready to play a part in helping Milan to dump Tottenham out of the Champions League.

Ibrahimovic has no doubts Milan experience will be key in dismantling the Spurs threat as he reads the European script which will not be short of fresh drama.

"It's a massive advantage having people with experience, and here at Milan there are many players who have won the Champions League," Ibrahimovic told the press.

"Tottenham are a team who are always growing and they have excellent elements within the team.

"But I will always try to score goals, and it will be important to win. However, we have to be careful when taking any risks, as we don't want to concede."

Ibrahimovic was quizzed as to whether he sees himself playing in the Premier League.

"I don't know. But you can never say. I saw my future when I chose to come to Milan, not [Manchester] City, where I could have gone to.

"I am happy at Milan and I am thinking of staying here for the next four years."

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UEFA President Michel Platini: Italian Stadiums Are A Disaster

Platini insists financial fair play will happen, and has told Italy's football powers to get moving on building new stadia.
UEFA president Michel Platini has spelt out the reasons for financial fair play, and said Italian football is still playing catch-up in terms of stadium infrastructure.

Speaking to the Italian press, Platini said he feels Calcio has plenty of housekeeping to do to clean up the image it holds around Europe.

His argument revolves around the state of stadiums.

"Italian football won the World Cup in 2006, and Inter are the current world club champions, but not everything is right," Platini said.

"The stadiums in Italy are not in good condition and the image is not nice because empty stadiums are a real disaster.

"Laws over redevelopment of infrastructure and stadiums is very important.

"Italian football will be backwards without stadiums compared with other European countries."

And the chief took the opportunity to detail his financial fair play plans.

"We will have financial fair play. It's a UEFA congress decision backed by all European clubs," he added.

"All the football families want to do something. European football has lost plenty of money, and I have to help football be careful in future.

"There are difficult things to do, but we have to do them because it means the future of European football."

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Luciano Moggi: Good Win For Juventus Over Inter But Don't Forget Calciopoli

Moggi tells Juventus to fight for Calciopoli justice after beating Inter on Sunday.
Luciano Moggi has heaped praise on Juventus following their 1-0 win over Inter, but said they cannot forget about Calciopoli.

"The game in Turin was not a nice one. Juventus played well, but in terms of spectacle there was nothing," he told Gold TV.

"The game was decided by errors. Ivan Cordoba's mistake on Alessandro Matri's goal, and then Samuel Eto'o's miss.

"Then there were many do-gooders who said to turn the page and forget about Calciopoli.

"People like Massimo Moratti and Leonardo want silence over Calciopoli, and I understand why.

"I don't understand why Gianluigi Buffon is looking forward without having received justice. Maybe he has not been following developments in Naples."

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Juventus Must Use Inter Victory As Kickstart For Remainder Of The Season - Giorgio Chiellini

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini says the win over Inter will provide a boost to his team-mates for the remainder of the season.
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini believes the Bianconeri's 1-0 win over Inter will kickstart the side into doing well for the remainder of the season.

The home side were able to get some important players back for the clash, and the Italian international says that possibly finishing in fourth place should not be the team's aim - but going higher.

"The win needs to be a reference point for us, as we aim to kickstart our season," Chiellini told Sky post-match. "We refound several players that were out of action, and also refound our rhythm.

"We can go far this season, and do not need to limit ourselves in order to just reach the Champions League."

The defender - who was used at left-back this evening - said it was equally as important not to concede a goal.

"Not conceding a goal is a very important signal, as we suffered - and were lucky - but the victory is nonetheless deserved," he added.

Juventus move up to sixth place withthe victory on 41 points.

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Inter Coach Leonardo Bemoans Disappointing Loss To Juventus

Inter coach Leonardo says his side had their chances to score, but failed to do so against Juventus.
Inter coach Leonardo admits his side struggled to create scoring chances against Juventus, and cannot blame striker Samuel Eto'o for missing his attempt late in the match.

The Brazilian believes could not get into the match during the first-half, and played much better in the second-half.

"We struggled to create the action in the fisrt-half. Juventus played a great match, being compact when it could, making it hard for us to get past their defence," the tactician told Sky after the match.

"In the second-half, we did very well. We were almost the whole half in attack, but Juve defended well, and looked to be dangerous when on the counterattack.

"It was not Eto'o's fault [that he missed an open-goal chance from inside the six-yard box]. The strikers did well, but it was the movement of the ball by the rest of the team that was quite slow.

"I expected a tough Juventus side. The team is returning to some form."

Leonardo also denied he would have to change certain aspects of his team, saying he will now focus on the Nerazzurri's match with Fiorentina in order to make up the points lost this evening.

"I don't think we will change things. You only need to see the results of our past few fixtures," he added. "We are a team that fights, and now we have a chance on Wednesday to get more points.

"I saw a positive group this evening, and am satisfied with how we played, especially in the second-half. We lacked a touch of class tonight, but came to life in the second-half."

Inter remain in fourth place on 44 points, eight points behind league leaders and cross-town rivals Milan.

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Luigi Del Neri Praises Juventus' Psychological & Mental Strength In Victory Over Inter

Juventus coach Luigi Del Neri has praised his side's mental strength in defeating Inter 1-0 this evening at the Stadio Olimpico.
Juventus coach Luigi Del Neri says he is very happy with the Bianconeri's mental and psychological strength, as they defeated Inter 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico this evening.

The tactician heaped praise on several of his players including Alessandro Matri, Giorgio Chiellini and Frederik Sorensen.

"We have played well in our recent matches, including against Palermo and Cagliari, but tonight we demonstrated that we are strong both psychologically and mentally," the tactician told TuttoSport.

"Matri, Toni and Barzagli have all given strength to the side since joining. We are taking things one match at a time, being attentive to the game's needs. We may suffer on occasions, but we obtain what we require.

"My aim is to do well with Juventus, and not be a rival to Inter. I want to bring joy to the Juventus fans, as they deserve it. Tonight, we won against a strong side.

"I am also surprised with Chiellini doing so well as a left-back. But I mus also praise Sorensen, as he kept Eto'o very quiet this evening. A young person who marks him so well is to be applauded," Del Neri concluded.

Juventus move into sixth place on the ladder, on 41 points.

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Inter Still Know They Are A Quality Side Despite Losing To Juventus - Maicon

Inter right-back Maicon says he knows the Nerazzurri are still a strong side despite losing to Juventus this evening.
Inter right-back Maicon believes the Nerazzurri can claim victory against Fiorentina midweek despite losing to Juventus 1-0 this evening in the Derby d'Italia.

The Brazilian international also admitted he prefers to concede the lead during these types of matches, as he plays better.

"Juventus deserved to take the lead, looking back on the first-half, but after the break, we deserved to win as they pushed players behind the ball," Maicon told Inter Channel post-match.

"The ball did not go into the net tonight, as things went bad this evening for us. But in the second-half, we did much better. We are relaxed, and know what we can do going forward.

"The match in Florence [against Fiorentina] will be decisive for the Scudetto.

"I generally like to play catch-up football, because it means I have to give everything I have mentally. Unfortunately, when you take on the big sides, they mark me well, and don't let me get past them," added the defender.

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Leonardo Bonucci: Juventus' Victory Over Inter Means A Lot

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci says the Bianconeri's win over Inter was important, as they are the reigning champions.
Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci says he is delighted the Bianconeri weere able to keep a clean sheet at home, especially against bitter rivals Inter, defeating them 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico.

Bonucci also admits the arrival of Andrea barzagli has helped the side be much more assured of themselves in defence.

"This victory means a lot to the team," the Italian international declared to Sky post-match. "Last year, Inter won everything and we wanted to do well for our fans.

"We were able to also win a match without conceding a goal at home. The arrival of Barzagli has helped us to do so, as he provides more assurance at the back.

"Maybe in certain matches, we lacked something extra, but at the start of the season, we needed time to get to know one another."

Bonucci also clarified the incident with Vincenzo Iaquinta, as he asked his team-mate to look more active whilst on the pitch.

"I tried to fire him up, hoping he would be harder at the ball, but it was nothing more than that," he concluded.

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Juventus Striker Alessandro Matri 'Happy With Performance And Goal' Against Inter

Juventus striker Alessandro Matri says he is happy with the side's performance and his goal against Inter.
Juventus hitman Alessandro Matri has admitted to developing a good partnership with Luca Toni, as the duo helped the Bianconeri to a 1-0 over rivals Inter this evening.

Matri scored the winner on the half-hour mark and is pleased his goal was the decisive moment in the match.

"I think that already in Cagliari, I noticed a good understanding with Luca," the striker told the club's official website after the match. "Im happy with the performance and the goal.

"This is the first time that I have played for Juventus in one of those matches that I loved to watch on TV and to know that it finished 1-0 thanks to my goal, well, it gives me a lot of pleasure.
"I didn't think to have started this well so quickly [for my new club], but I've always believed in myself. When you join a team that’s so important you have to work hard and I'm doing it to improve myself, and playing with so many champions makes it that much easier."

Matri also explained the strange pain in his side, that he felt midway through the second-half, which warranted him to wear some sort of protection for the remainder of the match.

"I don't think that I was knocked. I turned and I felt a pain my ribs," he explained.

The club has reported he will undergo preliminary scans this evening to see the extent of the injury.

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