HAMSIK FOR JUVE ?

Napoli ace Marek Hamsik has long been a target for clubs on the peninsula, but the Slovak’s agent has revealed there is also interest from abroad.

The former Brescia midfielder has been impressive for the Azzurri in the past two seasons and although the Partenopei do not wish to sell him, the situation could be very different if it was the player himself who asked for a transfer.

“There are so many clubs after him,” said agent Jurelaj Venglos.

“Still I cannot say the names of the teams interested. Juventus may be one of them but I cannot say anything.”

According to reports the Bianconeri have already offered Napoli £13m as well as Vincenzo Iaquinta in a part-exchange deal.

In Turin, ‘Marekiaro’ – as they call him at the San Paolo – would be the perfect replacement for Pavel Nedved, who is on the verge of retirement.

“Next month I will go to Italy to see him. We will talk about the future but I haven’t arranged a meeting with President Dino De Laurentiis yet,” added the agent.

“I honestly don’t know whether he will stay or go but in football everything is possible.”

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Bianconeri are also following Atletico Madrid ace Maxi Rodriguez for next season. Like for Hamsik, the price range would exceed £15m.

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Conte link with juve

The 39-year-old, who played for the Bianconeri between 1992 and 2004, amassing 295 appearances, has guided Bari to a six-point lead at the top of Serie B.

Antonio Conte believes God will ultimately decide whether he ends up becoming the next trainer of former club Juventus.

If Claudio Ranieri were to get the sack at the end of the season, Conte is reportedly the hot favourite to replace him.

Juventus drew against bottom placed Reggina on Sunday and fell to third in Serie A, annoying the club's fans, who adore Conte.

When asked about rumours linking him with the Bianconeri bench, Conte replied: “There are still three games left until the end of the season.

“I am thinking about the present and here, in Bari, the present is a dream. The rumours make me happy and fill me with pride, but I know that Bari is Conte's current present.

“As for the future,” the former Italy international concluded. “I am a Christian and therefore feel that God sees and provides.”

The Italian Press believe a deal for Conte is very much in the works and that Bari want Ciro Ferrara as his replacement.

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Regina vs Juventus 2 - 2

NIGHTMARE EPISODE STILL CONTINUE !




Reggina (3-5-1-1): Puggioni; Cirillo, Valdez, Santos; Adejo, Vigiani (72’ Cascione), Carmona, Hallfredsson, Barillá (83’ Corradi); Brienza; Ceravolo (58’ Cozza). Coach: Orlandi.

Juventus (4-4-2): Buffon; Grygera, Mellberg, Ariaudo, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Marchisio (36’ Poulsen), Zanetti, Nedved; Iaquinta, Del Piero (75’ Amauri). Coach: Ranieri.

Goals: 27’ Barillá (R), 48’ Del Piero pen. (J), 69’ Hallfredsson (R), 73’ Zanetti (J)

Booked: Puggioni (R); Mellberg, Marchisio (J)

“Juve saved face in a way, but we should have won. We tried, but gifted half-an-hour to Reggina, who took advantage by creating several chances,” shrugged the Coach.

“Then we got out of our shells and proved we wanted to win a match that had seemed to be lost. We only saved face to a degree.”
This was the latest in a long line of poor Bianconeri performances and the pressure is on to deliver.
“When we play with intensity, we have shown what we can achieve,” continued Ranieri.
“At this moment in time our limitations are becoming apparent, those that were not seen when we beat Real Madrid and Milan.
“It is true that we lack the quality that other sides have in midfield and when we are not 100 per cent fit, we struggle to disguise those limitations.
“Was it a dip in form or motivation? Probably both, but we are starting to get important figures back.”
Amauri made his return after six weeks, but was only a substitute in the final stages for Alessandro Del Piero."

JUVENTUS

Buffon- 6.5: Still not peak performance , Perhaps he could have done a little better on the first goal, but the defence are to blame for not marking Barilla. Had absolutely no chance with the second.

Grygera- 7.0: The pick of the Juventus defence. He was able to get down the right very well and play in crosses and also kept Vigiani relatively quiet.

Mellberg- 6.5: On the ground, he was a bit susceptible, but in the air he was fantastic. Overall, a decent outing for the Swede.

Ariaudo- 6.0: The youngster had big shoes to fill, covering for Chiellini. At times, he was muscled out of the play by Reggina's attackers. However, he made a few key tackles in the first half.

Molinaro- 5.5: He simply should not be starting at a prestigious club like Juventus.

Camoranesi- 6.0: The Italian international added some creativity and was involved in the second goal. However, he disappeared from the match for long spells.

Zanetti- 6.5: Scored a goal on his return to the line-up. At first, he did not seem up to dealing with Reggina's speed, but he adapted and was one of the best players of the match.

Marchisio- 5.0: Given a chance to shine, the central midfielder did not impress and was subbed off due to injury after 37 minutes.

Nedved- 7.0: Rolled back the years with an excellent performance. He was full of running and constantly involved in the attacking play, carving out some promising opportunities.

Del Piero- 5.5: Despite rolling in a penalty, the captain confirmed his poor form with a disappointing outing.

Iaquinta- 7.0: His finishing was wayward. However, he earned a penalty for his side and assisted Zanetti's goal. He was always an outlet in the offensive end.

Substitutes

Poulsen 6.0, Amauri 6.0

REGGINA

Puggioni- 6.5: Perhaps lucky not to receive a red after plling down Del Piero. The shot stopper made an excellent finger tip save from Iaquinta in the second half to help his side to a draw.

Cirillo- 7.5: He marshalled the defence extremely well and made some decisive clearances. A very accomplished performance from the captain.

Valdez- 6.0: The centre-back was a bit slow dealing with through balls, but otherwise was solid at the back.

Santos- 6.0: He made few mistakes during the match, but at times struggled to contain Camoranesi and Nedved in one-on-one situations.

Adejo- 6.5: He bombed upa nd down the right side all afternoon. His assist for the opening goal was excellent, even if he did needlessly give away a penalty.

Carmona- 5.5: Playing in front of the defence, he perhaps allowed a bit too much room for Zanetti and Poulsen in the second half.

Hallfredsson- 7.5: A wonder goal from the Icelandic player that made the crowd go wild. His strike gave Buffon absolutely no chance!

Barilla- 6.5: He took his header well and hassled the Juventus players to regain possession on a number of occasions.

Vigiani- 5.5: He started out well, but was completely anonymous after the first 15 minutes at the Granillo.

Ceravolo- 6.0: He had a great solo run for half the length of the pitch in the closing stages of the first-half, but other than that his lack of experience was evident.

Brienza- 7.0: The skilful player shined and caused plenty of problems with his dribbling, including when he set up the Amaranto's second goal.

Substitutes

Cozza 6.5, Cascione 6.0, Corradi N/A

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PREVIEW REGINA VS JUVENTUS

Juventus

The players who performed against Lazio took part in light running exercises the day after the match. Gianluigi Buffon trained in the gym while Giorgio Chiellini and Nicola Legrottaglie were rested. Sissoko, Salihamidzic, Zanetti, Ekdal, and Manninger are all in the treatment room. Tiago is suspended following his red card against Inter last week.

Probable Starting XI 4-4-2: Buffon, Grygera, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, Molinaro, Camoranesi, Poulsen, Marchisio. Nedved, Iaquinta, Del Piero.

Reggina will still be reeling from the aftershock of their victory at Atalanta last week. Giovanni Ceravolo’s goal ensured the Amaranto picked up three points for the first time since November, and ended a run of 18 matches without a win. Nevio Orlandi’s side are still requiring a miracle if they are going to avoid relegation, but the 1-0 triumph at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia has instilled a sense of hope.

Four points separate Reggina and Torino, who sit above the relegation trapdoor, but beyond Turin’s sleeping giants the gap to Chievo is 11 points. Consequently, the Calabrian outfit need to keep themselves as close to Toro as possible in the run-in – and that will mean taking a home win against the Granata’s city rivals this weekend.

Goals are the problem for Orlandi though. Reggina have only scored in half of their 32 matches in Serie A this term, and in the 16 they did ripple the onion bag there have only been six matches where they have managed more than a single goal. In fact, the only game they managed to score more than twice was the first match against Atalanta – meaning the Orobici suffer the indignity of a pair of defeats to the bottom club.

Juventus have slipped down to third place after their draw with Inter last weekend and their pride would be dented by falling further behind Milan in the final Serie A standings. This weekend offers them the chance to sneak back ahead of them – as the Rossoneri face a tough test against Europe chasing Palermo.

Their form in recent weeks has faltered. After five consecutive wins their surprise draw against Chievo was followed up by a loss to Genoa and the tie last week with Inter. A return to their winning ways is vital if they are to secure second place, and keep up their slim chance of reeling in the 10-point lead the Nerazzurri have built.

Last season Juve were left fuming when Reggina defeated them with a last-minute penalty. The match was heading towards a 1-1 draw when a Momo Sissoko attempt at clearing saw his overhead kick hit Nicola Amoruso – who infamously won and converted a controversial late penalty for the Bianconeri against Celtic in the Champions League back in 2001-02 – and the veteran striker converted the resultant spot-kick to give the Oreste Granillo side a shock win.

Earlier this term Juve cantered to a 4-0 win. Mauro Camoranesi, Amauri, Giorgio Chiellini and Alessandro Del Piero were all on the scoresheet back in November. Ale’s goal was his 250th in a black and white jersey.

Historically there is a curious pattern to results in this fixture. For the last six years the scoreline has alternated between a 2-1 win to Reggina and a 2-0 win to Juventus. According to the run this season’s match should end with a two-goal win for La Vecchia Signora – although of course such quirky facts as this don’t actually have any real effect on the action this weekend.

Reggina have worries both on the injury front and disciplinary. Strikers Bernardo Corradi and Daniel Adejo, goalkeeper Andrea Campagnolo and midfielder Carlos Carmona are all unfit to play. Meanwhile, centrocampista Edgar Barreto and defenders Maurizio Lanzaro and Andrea Costa are all serving suspensions. However, there is a glimmer of hope that Nigerian attacker Adejo may make the bench.

Juve have their own injury concerns. Their midfield options have been decimated by the fitness troubles of Sissoko, Hasan Salihamidzic, Cristiano Zanetti and Albin Ekdal. The problems are worsened by Portuguese midfielder Tiago being unavailable through suspension. Goalkeeper Alex Manninger is also out so veteran custodian Antonio Chimenti acts as back-up for world No 1 Gigi Buffon.

Keep an eye on: Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus) – Four goals in four games have seen the under-rated striker become Claudio Ranieri’s first choice partner for Alessandro Del Piero.

Last season: Reggina 2-1 Juventus

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INTERVIEW WITH RANIERI ABOUT THIS SEASON AND CANNAVARO

The Juventus coach: "We too asked ourselves about Fabio's age, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity of getting a national team player who could partner Chiellini in the Azzurri at no cost to us. Lippi? Conte? There's no truth to it, I will continue with the work I've started"

VINOVO (Turin), 23 April 2009 - The clouds on the horizon look ominous. But Claudio Ranieri does not want to think about the future, he would rather focus on the one remaining objective for the season: the Coppa Italia. Later on there will be time to think about what will happen at the end of next season. The Bianconeri's manager endorses Cannavaro and thinks he would go well partnered with Chiellini, but mention the name Marcello Lippi and he reacts.

FUTURE - "Some people think that the club has already planned what will happen in the coming months, but that's not the case. There are those who hope to see Lippi return to the bench, but I'm not concerned about the prospect of him coming back, my only concern is to do my job well. After the meeting between Blanc and Lippi, if I was a reporter I would have written the same thing you did. But I'm not going to worry about it: I'm rebuilding this team, and if Lippi arrives at the end of 2010, or Conti, or someone else it means that the club is not satisfied with my work. It's like giving your case to a lawyer and then changing lawyer. I have tried to make progress toward my goals. Often the coach is the last one to know about some things, but what we do is more important than what we think. That's why I hope the lads give it 100% right to the end."

CANNAVARO - "We got the opportunity to assess this player - he's 36 years old. The club's strategy is to focus on young players, on champions and on free transfers. Cannavaro would come at no cost and together with Chiellini and Buffon he should be the core of the defence that goes to the World Cup. We said to ourselves: why not take advantage of the desire to do well at the next World Cup? I gave the ok, now it's up to the club to have discussions. I haven't spoken with the player yet. Two years ago it would have cost a lot to get him off Real. Diego? I like him, I've said so right from the start."

INJURY REPORT - "I left Amauri at home - he still has work to do. Trezeguet has come down with a touch of sinusitis. He trained today and I'll talk to him tomorrow, and assess his availability as late as I can. Marchisio is fit, Nedved had a problem with his knee but today he took a full part in training. I'll have to assess everyone and everything."

STADIUM BAN - "I don't think it's a fair penalty. For fans to be barred from a stadium there should have been repeated issues, but here it only happened in the match against Inter. I'm close to Balotelli, and I'm very sorry. It was right to appeal and I agree that those of us on the pitch must lead by example. The next time if I hear any racist chants I will ask the captain to go over to the terraces and convince the fans to stop it."

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Quaglia 'agrees' Juve deal

Fabio Quagliarella has already told Juventus he will sign for them this summer, according to Turin based daily newspaper Tuttosport. The 26-year-old Udinese attacker has been lined up as a replacement for David Trezeguet,

who is expected to leave the Bianconeri at the end of the season. Quagliarella was reportedly in Milan on Monday where he had lunch with his father, Juventus director of sport Alessio Secco and the club's chief scout Renzo Castagnini. The meeting allegedly took place at the Hotel Principe di Savoia and Tuttosport's sources say everyone was smiling at the end of the meal. Quagliarella has been one of the best players in Serie A over the last three years. He has scored 17 goals in 41 appearances for Udinese this season.

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JUVE VS LAZIO 1 - 2

Lazio are in the Coppa Italia Final after a 2-1 victory away to Juventus inspired by Mauro Zarate's stunner, 4-2 on aggregate.

The Biancocelesti had won the first leg 2-1 by fighting back from Marco Marchionni's opener and reiterated their dominance in Turin. Having fallen 10 points behind Inter, the pressure was on Juve to win the Coppa or end the season empty-handed, so it was no surprise when the Olimpico crowd jeered its squad, Coach Claudio Ranieri and club officials in the final stages.

Goran Pandev and Mobido Diakhite' were out injured, while the home side missed Giorgio Chiellini, Amauri, Hasan Salihamidzic, Momo Sissoko and Albin Ekdal. Alessandro Del Piero, Pavel Nedved, Nicola Legrottaglie and Christian Molinaro were rested in favour of David Trezeguet, Sebastian Giovinco, Lorenzo Ariaudo and Paolo De Ceglie.

Before kick-off Juve fans responded to accusations of racism against Mario Balotelli by unveiling a banner: 'Davids, Seedorf, Sissoko - real champions, real idols.'

Player Ratings

Juventus

Buffon -5.5: He was the busiest of the two goalkeepers on the night as Foggia and Zarate kept him on his toes. The Italian tried but failed to save Zarate's unstoppable drive from distance, it wasn't his fault as the finish was worthy of beating any goalkeeper. He was also unlucky on the second.

Grygera -5.0: The Czech defender made a number of good clearances, but, perhaps, he should have done better to close down Matuzalem for the pass which led to Zarate scoring. He was also unfortunate for Lazio's second goal.

Mellberg -5.5: The former Aston Villa man was always solid in the middle and worked hard on the night. He made some vital blocks and his aerial prowess ensured most crosses into the danger areas were well dealt with when they were fizzed in.

Ariaudo -5.0: The youngster was up against it as he tried to stop Mauro Zarate and he did a good job to frustrate the hit man as he kept a tight lid on his man. However, he was unable to block the striker's super goal. Still a lot to learn.

De Ceglie -4.5: The most troubled of the defenders. He prodded along. Perhaps he should have helped his side on the wings when going forward. He struggled against Foggia's silky runs and always looked second best to the Lazio ace.

Marchionni -5.0: A less than perfect game from the midfielder. His poor clearance early on almost allowed Rocchi to score. Got better as the game went on, but his crossing from the right was less than perfect. Subbed at half time for being ineffective.

Tiago -6.0: The Portuguese was the better of the Juventus players. Only just though. Some nice passing and distribution early on. He was solid in the middle and he helped win back plenty of loose balls. His defending was top-class when under pressure.

Marchisio -5.5: He controlled the midfield well with Tiago, but found it hard to penetrate. He let frustration get to him and earned himself a yellow card for an avoidable foul on Zarate. Not one of his best performances, but he worked well nevertheless.

Giovinco -5.0: The little Italian would have been given a higher rating had his game continued beyond the first half. Showed the odd touch of magic. His crossing and passing into the final third was of exceptional quality. He was always at the centre of the action as he played behind the front two, but this position seemed to make him less effective than when he plays wide on the left wing.

Iaquinta -4.5: He struggled to get into the danger areas and he was marked out of the game by Rozenhal. His partnership with Trezeguet never really gelled on a forgettable night for the hitman.

Trezeguet -6.0: The Frenchman was captain for the night and he led by example. Trezeguet did well to help when his side were on the back foot and he made some vital headers from corners. Good movement off the ball as he found space to shoot, but he was denied a goal by Muslera. Always dangerous.

Subs

Nedved -6.0: Great attacking play and he was unlucky to see his well placed header come back off the post.

Camoranesi -4.0: The Italian was in fine form on the night. He should have started the game such was his second half impact. But he spoiled his game by getting sent off for dissent.

Del Piero -6.5: Made plenty of difference when he came on and scored a magnificent goal using all his skill and prowess. The traditional Del Piero never let his side down.

Lazio

Muslera -6.5: The Lazio custodian was a spectator for most of the game as his side pressed Juve down the other end. However, he did make a good save low to his right from a Trezeguet strike when called upon. He also made a fantastic save in second half on Trezeguet header and he was always alert in Turin.

Lichtsteiner -6.0: The defender got up and down the right wing like a train. He was solid and showed great heart and lungs as he never stopped playing until the final whistle.

Siviglia -6.5: The Italian was clean, calm and composed at all times. He hardly made a mistake in defence as he showed a commanding presence. Siviglia made several vitals blocks and clearances.

Rozenhal -6.0: The former Newcastle man stayed close to Iaquinta and made life hard for the Italian. He used some underhand tactics which went unnoticed by the referee on several occasions, but it did the job for his side.

Kolarov -7.0: The defender was one of the best players on the night for his side. He dealt well with Marchionni on the left. He got down the wing with plenty of freedom to and he provided the assist for Zarate to smash his side into the lead. Scored a great second goal for his side, but he was lucky too as the ball took a deflection which helped beat Buffon on its way in.

Brocchi -5.5: The former Milan man played with plenty of energy and hunger. He was all over the place positively and effectively. He worked hard and was rock solid as he held control of Lazio's midfield but he was replaced early in the second half which explains he lower rating.

Ledesma -6.0: The midfielder was always alert. His high-powered runs and pinpoint free kick delivery were always dangerous. A good performance overall as he helped his side into the final.

Matuzalem -5.5: The Brazilian started the match following his good showing against Catania last week but he blew the chance to impress and he earned a yellow card for foul on Giovinco. As a result, he will not play in the final.

Foggia -6.0: The Italian was the danger man for his side on the night. All of the play came through him and he was the thorn in Juve's side on the left wing. He created several chances with his accurate passing and quick thinking.

Rocchi -6.5: The striker was alert and ready to pounce every time the ball came close to the final third, but, unlike the first leg, he failed to get his name on the score sheet despite his good play. He did the simple things right and he runs distracted the Juve defence.

Zarate 8.5: Zarate should have scored when he was fed by Foggia. Ariaudo failed to pick up his run and the Argentine fired a missile on goal, but it fizzed wide. He made up for that though with a contender for goal of the season. The hitman made Buffon look average with a sublime right-foot strike from outside the box which hit the top corner like a guided missile. Man of the match, he was simply unstoppable as he tore Juventus to pieces.

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Juventus hit with Juventini ban

Juventus have paid a heavy price for racist chants directed at Mario Balotelli during the Derby d'Italia.

Balotelli was jeered by large sections of the Stadio Olimpico crowd during Saturday evening's 1-1 draw.

However, a small number of fans took things further and hurled racial abuse at the Italy Under-21 international.

Sporting judge Gianpaolo Tosel has taken a hard line as Italy continues to try and tackle racism and has imposed a game behind closed doors for Juve.

The game in question will be the fixture with relegation strugglers Lecce on May 3.

While the decision will be applauded by many as a measure against racism in calcio, it may prove controversial.

Balotelli has reported racist abuse from several sets of fans this season but the clubs in question have only received fines.

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BUFFON : WELCOME BACK CANNA

Gianluigi Buffon for one would welcome the “very useful” addition of Fabio Cannavaro to the Juventus squad.

There are reports in Spain and Italy today that the 36-year-old Real Madrid defender has agreed a return to the club he represented from 2004 to 2006, winning two Scudetti that were revoked in the Calciopoli scandal.

His contract expires at the end of the season, so the Italy captain and 2006 Ballon d'Or winner would be a free agent.

“Someone with his experience would be very useful for any team,” Buffon told Sky Italia when asked about the possibility of Cannavaro's move.

“Clearly he cannot be part of the long-term plan considering his age, but in the short-term he can be very important.

“Of course I am biased, as we've been friends for decades!”

Buffon played alongside Cannavaro for Italy, Juventus and before that Parma.

Unlike the defender, Buffon opted to remain at Juve after the Calciopoli scandal and the demotion to Serie B.

It is because of this decision to walk away that some fans are not entirely content with the idea of a comeback.
Cannavaro 'agrees Juve return'

There are shock reports that Fabio Cannavaro is set to return to Juventus at the end of the season.

The Real Madrid defender's contract is up in June and he is unlikely to renew it in La Liga, while he has shown some interest in a Premier League experience.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Cannavaro has already agreed a transfer to Turin, where he played from 2004 to 2006.

He left in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal and 2006 World Cup victory, winning the Ballon d'Or later that year.

The 36-year-old has had a mixed time at Real Madrid, but will be a free agent come the end of the season.

However, the news has not exactly generated enthusiasm among the Juventus faithful, as several forums are full of comments regarding his age, form and decision to leave.

Many have not forgiven Canna for walking out when the club was demoted to Serie B and have urged “an apology” before he returns.

Other World Cup winners such as Gigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero opted to remain in Turin.

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INTERVIEW WITH RANIERI AFTER INTER MATCH

RANIERI "STILL" SHAKE HAND WITH MOURINHO


Claudio Ranieri admits Inter deserve the Scudetto this season, although Juventus “never lose our pride.”

The 10-point gap remains intact after Zdenek Grygera's stoppage-time header cancelled out a Mario Balotelli counter-attack despite Tiago Mendes' red card.

“With 10 men and we recovered from 1-0 down, I'm satisfied,” he said of the 1-1 draw.

“In the first half we caused them a lot of problems down the flanks, then fell apart a little bit in the second and it's not right to let ourselves get surprised on the counter.

“It's true that perhaps there was a foul on [Giorgio] Chiellini to start the move, but we should have been set out better to avoid this type of counter-attack.

“Inter have the best defence in Serie A and so it's tough to create chances against them. We know the type of team [Jose] Mourinho constructs.”

The Scudetto was already lost before going into this head-to-head, as Juve dropped precious points in the preceding weeks.

“Thankfully we never lose our pride and character! Honestly against Chievo and Genoa we had taken our foot off the gas a little bit, but Juve must always play at the height of their passion, determination and enthusiasm.

“I think that at the end of the season, the table doesn't lie. When Inter don't play well, they still win 1-0 or draw with an own goal, but that's no coincidence. They work for that luck and find a way through.

“If we look at a few of our good performances when we were unlucky to drop points, but if we don't get those results and Inter do then it suggests we don't have the same qualities.”

Ranieri also put talk of a feud between him and Mourinho behind them, at least for one night.

“We shook hands before and after the match. Why wouldn't we? There are eye-witnesses if you don't believe me!”

The Bianconeri have now given up on the title, although they risk being caught by Milan in second place tomorrow evening.

“The Coppa Italia is our first concern, obviously, as Lazio have rediscovered their form. After that we need to pick up as many points as possible and we want to end the season in second place. We've been here most of the campaign and feel we deserve that spot.”

Juve must fight back from 2-1 down in the Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio on Wednesday.

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JUVENTUS VS INTER ( 1 - 1 )

nter were in cruise control before Grygera’s late header gave ten-man Juventus a share of the spoils. Goal.com rates the players on show…

JUVENTUS

Buffon: 7.5- Gigi had conceded six goals in the previous two matches but bounced back to keep his team in the game by making great saves from Stankovic and Cruz before Grygera’s equaliser.

Grygera: 7.0- He had a great chance in the 30th minute but more that made up for that miss with a bullet header to salvage the draw

Chiellini: 7.0- Seems to relish his personal battles with Ibrahimovic and tonight it was no different as he banged and bruised the lanky Swede.

Legrottaglie: 6.0- He was rendered ineffective after picking up a yellow card in the 35th minute and is lucky not to have conceded a penalty for a challenge on Ibrahimovic just before Grygera’s goal.

Molinaro: 6.0- Fought hard with Balotelli down the left flank and gave a pretty good account of himself before he was substituted in the second half.

Marchionni: 6.0- The occasion seemed to have got the better of him as he had two glorious chances to chip the ball over Julio Cesar but failed.

Tiago: 5.0- Saved a sure goal with a great goal-line clearance in the 10th minute but foolishly lashed out at Balotelli in the 75th minute and was sent off.

Poulsen: 6.0- He held his own against Muntari and Cambiasso in the midfield and provided the steel necessary in the middle of the park that Juve needed against the Nerazzurri.

Nedved: 5.0- The Czech legend showed his age tonight and failed to make an impact in what was his last Derby d’Italia.

Iaquinta: 5.0- The red-hot Italian striker was virtually non-existent for long stretches of the match and could not handle Samuel’s physical nature.

Del Piero: 5.5- The captain was a bit disappointing tonight by his own lofty standards, and was substituted with the match still hanging in the balance.
SUBS: De Ceglie (62”) 6.0, Trezeguet (74”) 6.0, Giovinco (80”) 6.5

INTER

Julio Cesar: 7.0- Back between the sticks after a one-game absence and made two brave saves grom Marchionni.

Zanetti: 6.0- The influential captain assumed a right-back role and uncharacteristically gave possession away a few too many times

Samuel: 7.0- The ‘Wall’ patrolled the back line with a General’s expertise and made a countless number of vital blocks.

Cordoba: 7.0- Is sometimes guilty of conceding free-kicks in dangerous positions against Juve but did not put a foot wrong all evening long.

Chivu: 6.5- The versatile Romanian can play any position in defence and midfield and was solid for most of the match but will be disappointed with the marking for Grygera’s equaliser.

Figo: 7.0- The old Portuguese warhorse made his 100th appearance in Serie A tonight and showed he still has some gas left in the tank. Showed his class with a marvellous through ball to Muntari in the 71st minute.

Cambiasso: 6.5- Was given the job of protecting the back-four tonight and did it well without any fuss or bother. His positioning is always first rate and tonight was no exception.

Muntari: 7.5- The Ghanaian international sent a picture-perfect cross that found Balotelli to give Inter the lead and had a wonderful second half overall.

Stankovic: 6.0- The Serbian star was absolutely robbed by Buffon in the 79th minute in what looked to be a sure goal and then failed to pick up Grygera’s run for Juve’s equaliser.

Balotelli: 7.0- ‘Super Mario’ had a glorious chance to open the scoring in the 10th minute but atoned for that miss with a cool finish in the 63rd. Has an extremely bright future ahead of him.

Ibrahimovic: 7.0- The former Juve man was given the rough-house treatment by Chiellini and Legrottaglie but dealt the pair a blow as he started the attack that set up Balotelli’s goal. Had a late penalty shout turned down moments before Grygera’s equaliser.

SUBS: Vieira (76”) 6.0, Burdisso (77”) 6.0, Cruz ( 80”) 6.5

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JUVE VS INTER (FINAL MATCH SERIE A)

Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has urged his team to be ready for defending champions Inter Milan on Saturday.

With seven games left to play in Serie A and Inter 10 points clear of Juve, the encounter in Turin is likely to decide the destination of the title.

"Juventus have the duty to beat Inter," said Cobolli Gigli. "It's a question of honour.

"Ten points is a big difference but we cannot give up."

Claudio Ranieri's Juve lost 3-2 at Genoa in the last round and will be under pressure to come out on top knowing a defeat would not only signal an end to their title ambitions but could also see them fall to third in the standings.

The Bianconeri are two points clear of in-form AC Milan, who entertain relegation-threatened Torino looking to pass Juve in the standings.

"We believe it is possible to overtake Juve and climb to second," said AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.

"Juve will have to be careful because they have to play against Inter and for us this is a big motivation in order to leapfrog them in the standings."

Team News

Juventus

Albin Ekdal and Alex Manninger trained aside from the rest of the squad on Wednesday. Amauri has returned to train with the rest of the players. Mohamed Sissoko still hasn't recovered from his foot operation while Hasan Salihamdzic is looking doubtful. Both Mauro Camoranesi and Claudio Marchisio are suspended for this game. Claudio Ranieri is likely to draft Christian Poulsen and Tiago in midfield to replace the Italian duo. Reports in the Italian media have suggested the coach will also leave Alessandro Del Piero on the bench.

Probable Starting XI 4-4-2: Buffon, Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro, Marchionni, Poulsen, Tiago, Nedved, Iaquinta, Trezeguet.

Inter

Amantino Mancini has returned to training three weeks after suffering a muscular strain against Reggina. Luis Jimenez, Victor Obinna and Maicon are all injured. Walter Samuel is looking doubtful, while troubled striker Adriano is still in Brazil. Julio Cesar has recovered and is in contention for a starting place against the Bianconeri. Mario Balotelli is likely to keep his place up front alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Probable Starting XI 4-3-1-2: Cesar, Santon, Cordoba, Chivu, Maxwell, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari, Stankovic, Balotelli, Ibrahimovic.

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JUVENTUS, No fan support for Ranieri ? Who Should Replace Claudio Ranieri As Juventus Coach?

The pressure is building on the hapless Claudio Ranieri, and there have been calls for the Juventus boss to be sacked. Carlo Garganese asks who should replace ‘The Tinkerman’ should he leave this summer…? Who Should Replace Claudio Ranieri ? Give your vote...?


Tuttojuve.com's Stefano Discreti reports that several Juventus fans' unofficial websites have published the results of an online poll concerning coach Claudio Ranieri. The results show that 90% of Juventus fans want Ranieri out at the end of the season. Ranieri is being blamed for the team's Champions League elimination and for losing "easy" Serie A games, for choosing not to sign Spanish playmaker Xabi Alonso last summer (due to tactical reasons), for apparently not showing enough ambition when he talks to the press, for not "giving the team a more daring style" and for allegedly not getting along with the team's main stars (Buffon, Del Piero, Nedved, Camoranesi and Trezeguet, obviously the most popular figures among Juve fans....) . The fans who voted also indicated who they want to replace Ranieri. The wishlist strictly contains former Juventus players and they are : current AS Bari coach Antonio Conte, Genoa's Gian Piero Gasperini (who is also a former Juventus youth team coach), former Italian Under 21 head coach Claudio Gentile and Fiorentina's Cesare Prandelli.

Gian Piero Gasperini

Gasperini is Juventus through and through, having spent 11 years in Turin as a youth player, and another nine as a youth coach, before moving on to senior duties at Crotone and then Genoa. With the Grifoni he has been an absolute revelation, leading the side to promotion to Serie A in 2007 and, in just his second season in Serie A this term, taking the modest outfit to the brink of Champions League qualification. Gasperini’s sides play attractive, attacking football, and his transfer history is also scarily impressive - he would be a popular choice with the Bianconeri faithful.

Luciano Spalletti

Like Gasperini, Spalletti is well known for advocating an entertaining brand of Calcio, and his favoured 4-2-3-1 has been copied by the Premier League big boys, most noticeably Manchester United. Spalletti has been a success at Roma since arriving there in 2005, transforming a club that had been in turmoil after the departure of Fabio Capello. He came ever so close to winning the Scudetto last season, but this term he and his team have struggled. There are also doubts over whether, like Ranieri, Spalletti has a winning mentality.

Frank Rijkaard

Due to Rijkaard’s history with Milan, this would be a complicated coup. Nevertheless, the Dutchman arrived at Barcelona in 2003 at a time when bitter rivals Real Madrid were dominant – a similar situation to what Juventus find themselves in now with


regards to Inter. Rijkaard helped build a world-beating team, with stars like Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Deco, Xavi and Messi, the kind of players that Juve fans dream of. Barca soon dominated at home and abroad – could he do the same for the Bianconeri?

Marcello Lippi

One of the greatest coaches the game has ever seen, it is only a matter of time until Lippi returns to Juventus in some capacity. The 61-year-old is a born winner, and the difficulties he has faced since taking over Italy again may mean that he is open to offers this summer. It is unlikely he will leave until after the World Cup in 2010, but who knows what could happen should the Azzurri have a disastrous Confederations Cup in June. Lippi has had two trophy-laden spells with Juve already – why not a third?

Ciro Ferrara

A legend at Juve as a player, and a hero among tifosi, Ferrara is now building a reputation as a superb youth developer. As well as assisting Lippi for the Italy national team, Ferrara is also youth academy director at Juventus, and he has overseen a host of brilliant youngsters come through the system, including Sebastian Giovinco, Claudio Marchisio, Domenico Criscito and Paolo De Ceglie. These players are the future of Juventus, and there is no one who knows them better than Ferrara. Could he become the Pep Guardiola of Turin?

Other options

Cesare Prandelli (Fiorentina), Manuel Pellegrini (Villarreal), Massimiliano Allegri (Cagliari), Davide Ballardini (Palermo), Walter Mazzarri (Sampdoria), Pasquale Marino (Udinese), Antonio Conte (Bari)

Who should replace Claudio Ranieri as Juventus coach? Juventainment.com wants to know what Majority Juve think...

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AMAURI : "LETS FACE INTER WITH PRIDE"

Juventus striker Amauri is pointing the fingers of blame towards himself and his team-mates for not being able to pose a stronger challenge to Inter.

The Bianconeri are ten points behind the league leaders heading into this Saturday's Derby d'Italia. The Brazilian striker is unlikely to feature in that match, but he believes the reasons behind this season's failures are entirely self-inflicted.

"Not enough personality and bad luck," Amauri complained to La Stampa. “We are behind Inter and it's our own fault.

"We didn't make the step up in quality. We began to relax when we should have taken advantage of Inter's blip. When we have played like a group we have shown that we can beat any team."

Although Amauri feels it will be mission impossible to overhaul the Nerazzurri, he is well aware that they are less than perfect.

"The gap between us is so big,” he bemoaned. “They only won 1-0 against us [earlier this campaign], and they have also played badly in some games this season."

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Secco: Referee penalized Juventus

Juventus’s Scudetto hopes suffered a potentially fatal blow in the last match, as Genoa edged Claudio Ranieri’s men 3-2 in a thrilling and ill-tempered affair.

“I have spoken with the referee, he explained a few things and that was it,” Secco is quoted as saying in Tuttosport.“Genoa had a good game, but I think we can’t help but talk about the episodes this time around. With the result still poised at 0-0, the assistant incorrectly flagged for offside on a clear-cut chance for us.

“And things got worse soon after: we stopped upon hearing the whistle before Thiago Motta’s goal. That truly penalized us and clearly affected the match.

“Moreover, we should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on [Mauro] Camoranesi, who was then harshly sent off. Rocchi just had a bad day, we don’t usually complain but Juve were extremely penalized,” .

"Now we just need to keep calm and united, as only through hard work can we get out of this situation," continued Secco.

"We will continue to battle to finish second, then there is the Coppa Italia, which now becomes our primary objective."

The Bianconeri trail 2-1 to Lazio in the semi-final.

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GENOA VS JUVE 3 - 2

Claudio Ranieri make a horror tragedy in Genoa stadium and I think Ranieri is lack of winning mentality.



Genoa : Rubinho, Ferrari, Boccheti, Biava, Motta, Juric, Mesto (Rossi 43'), Mesto, Jankovic (Oliveira 80'), Palladino, Sculli (Papastathopoulo 79').

Juventus : Buffon, Chiellini, Legrottaglie (Marchionni 74'), Molinaro, Zebina (Grygera 74'), Poulsen, Marchisio, Nedved, Camoranesi, Del Piero, Iaquinta. ( din / din )


GENOA

Rubinho: 6.0- He had no chance on either goal as Del Piero beat him from the penalty spot while Iaquinta expertly chipped the ball over him.

Biava: 6.0- His wayward pass directly led to Del Piero’s penalty but he atoned for his mistake by clearing Nedved's shot off the line in the 57th minute.

Ferrari: 6.0- He was extremely unlucky to concede a penalty as it looked as he got the whole ball on his sliding tackle.

Bocchetti: 6.0- His solid performances have earned him a call-up to La Nazionale but will be disappointed he let Iaquinta sneak behind him for Juve's second goal of the game.

Mesto: 7.0- It was his powerful run that set up his team’s first goal of the match and he was enjoying a great game before Nedved’s elbow prematurely ended his evening.

Juric: 6.5- The tough-tackling Croatian midfielder battled Poulsen and Marchiso all night long and came out on top more often than not.

Motta: 8.0- The Brazilian midfielder took the bull by its horns with a first-half brace and cut an inspiring figure on the pitch tonight.

Criscito: 6.5- He looked calm and composed on the left hand side and will be very proud of his performance this evening.

Sculli: 7.0- The Calabrese hitman is enjoying one of his best season in the Serie A but missed a golden opportunity in the 68th minute and then was absolutely robbed by Buffon just moments later.

Jankovic: 7.0- The Serbian striker showed off his vast arsenal of tricks and flicks and was unlucky not to have found the back of the net with a well placed header in the 72nd minute.

Palladino: 7.5- Almost opened the scoring in the 6th minute as he beat Buffon but his shot was cleared off the line by Legrottaglie. He was a real nuisance all evening long and fully deserved a goal.

SUBS: Rossi (42”) 7.5, Papastathopolous (79") 6.0, Olivera (79") 7.0

JUVENTUS

Buffon: 6.0- He has not looked like the same goalkeeper as he did before his injury and, dare one say it, Juve may want to sell him while his stock is still fairly high.

Zebina: 5.0- The temperamental Frenchman was a liability at the back tonight and he was completely to blame for Motta's second goal just before the half-time whistle.

Legrottaglie: 6.0- The Juve defence have been leaking goals in his absence and he saved a sure goal in the 6th minute but could not stop the Genoa onslaught.

Chiellini: 6.0- He is the first name on Ranieri’s lineup card for every match but he was not his usual indestructible self this evening

Molinaro: 5.0- The much-maligned full-back seemed to hurt his back in the first half and then his neck in the second and never really looked comfortable after that.

Camoranesi: 4.0- The usual architect of the Juve attack was out of sorts tonight and did his team no favours when he was sent his marching orders for a nasty tackle on Sculli.

Marchisio: 6.0- The midfield prospect was anonymous for large portions of the match and picked up a yellow card that means he will miss the Derby d'Italia next week.

Poulsen: 6.0- The former Valencia hardman gave away possession far too often and will give the Bianconeri fans who think he does not deserve to wear the Juve shirt that much more ammunition.

Nedved: 7.5- The Czech legend was fortunate the referee did not spot his elbow which split Mesto’s head open in the first half. He played like a man possessed in the second 45 minutes and was unlucky not to score in the 47th minute

Del Piero: 7.0- Won his side a penalty and then coolly slotted the ball past Rubinho but will be disappointed that Juve did not make up any ground on Inter today.

Iaquinta: 7.0- He continued his red-hot form with a delicate chip over Rubinho that looked like it was enough to salvage the draw.

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GENOA VS JUVE

Derby of 31st round is a very important match for both rivals, though Juventus dropped on nine points behind Inter after drawing with Chievo and hardly anyone believes that bianconeri can challenge the title. They gambled away the chances, lost many points against weaker teams and it is clear now that Juve don’t have the quality to compete with Inter. They travel to Genoa to fight inspired hosts that held on to the fourth place after a minimum triumph in Calabria. Genoa have the historical opportunity to get hold of the Champions league, but it won’t be easy as Fiorentina and even Roma are lurking from behind. We believe, judging from what Gasperini’s team showed this season that they deserve to achieve the biggest success in club history. Juve will host Inter next week, and the will try to win at Marassi in order to keep at least some hope, but the situation in the club is not so good after the clash between del Piero and Ranieri. We are yet to see if legendary captain will be in the starting line-up after staying in the locker room after the break against Chievo.


Genoa ended the negative spell away

This autumn they had problems away, as they couldn't show full potential outside of Marassi. However things changed in 2009, they won even four away matches and they haven't conceded a single goal. Since “Il Principe” Milito is injured, another South American, Tiago Motta will be in charge, Brazilian arrived from Spain as a worn-out player at least that's how the press welcomed him. Now the same press call him “professor". And he is really teaching lessons week after week. In spite of his injury he played an excellent second half in Reggio Calabria and managed to score a winner. If Genoa make it to the Champions league, Motta will be the most responsible. Gasperini still can't get over the convincing defeat to Juventus in the first part of the season and he will do anything to get back at the former club. Milito is out but even four former bianconeri players will be in the squad, Olivera, Sculli, Palladino and Criscito. Some of them are expected to get back in Juve after the season is over.

Ranieri’s post is shaky

The clashes with best players compromised his position in the squad. First he argued with Trezeguet and then with Del Piero who didn't even appear on the first meeting coach asked for after the draw with Chievo. Another proof of the situation in Juventus is Camoranesi's statement that this is not real Juve. Brutally honest Argentinean said that Chievo used to come to Torino hoping not to concede too many goals, today they come to win. Juventus conceded three goals against Veronesi and even though Pellissier scored the third goals in the final seconds of the match, Juve didn’t deserve to win. Buffon and defense are out of form, they miss injured Sissoko, the coach himself is confused and inconsistent with the line-up and formations. Juventus are waiting for the returning leg against Lazio in Cup semifinals but it is hard to believe that the fans will settle for a title in the cup. For club such as Juventus it is an insignificant trophy. Ranieri won’t be making any major changed, Grygera and Salihamidzic are injured, Nedved is rested and he will be back in the team. It remains to be seen if Del Piero will start the game.

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CHELLINI THE FUTURE OF JUVENTUS

Giorgio Chiellini

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of April 5, 2009.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of April 1, 2009.
* Appearances (Goals)

Giorgio Chiellini
Personal information
Giorgio Chiellini
Date of birth	August 14, 1984 (1984-08-14) (age 24)
Place of birth	Pisa, Italy
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Juventus
Number	3
Youth career
	Livorno
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2000–2004 2004–2005 2005–	Livorno Fiorentina Juventus	055 0(4) 037 0(3) 101 (10)
National team2
2004–2007 2004–	Italy U-21 Italy	026 0(6) 018 0(1)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of April 5, 2009. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of April 1, 2009. * Appearances (Goals)

Early years

Giorgio's parents are called Fabio and Lucia, he is one of four siblings, his twin brother Claudio and a brother & sister Giulio and Silvia. He started playing at 6 years of age for Livorno and at first was used as a central midfielder. As he grew up, he was switched on the wing and finally he found his position as a lateral defender. These days, thanks to his flexibility, he can be employed as a central defender too. Juventus He was signed by Juventus in summer 2004, for €6.5 million, but immediately sold on co-ownership deal to Fiorentina for €3.5 million, where he played for 2004–05 season. After an excellent first season in Serie A, Chiellini was recalled by Juventus for the 2005–06 season, where Juventus paid €4.3 million for full-ownership. He has been a regular fixture in the Bianconeri backline in their return to Serie A and was named "Man of the Match" in a game against Internazionale when he won a physical and heated duel with ex-Juve teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović, allowing the in-form hitman no goals. Chiellini extended his original contract from until 2009 to 2011 on October 12, 2006.[1] After the Calciopoli scandal, Chiellini was a starter for Juventus in Serie B.

After their triumphant return to Serie A, Giorgio Chiellini was converted by coach Claudio Ranieri into a center-back, having played left back in his career until this point. Chiellini had a tremendous season, named by many as the best center-back in all of Serie A. Alongside his reborn center-defense partner Nicola Legrottaglie, the duo led Juventus to the 2nd-least conceded goals for the season, despite many penalties awarded against Juventus controversially. The surprising aspect of this is that neither were considered remotely close to pinning down a center-back position in the summer before the season, with Domenico Criscito and Jorge Andrade preferred as the starting duo. On 27 April 2008, Chiellini scored twice for Juventus in 5-2 win over Lazio that confirms Bianconeri's place in Serie A top four.[2] On 26 June 2008, Chiellini extended his contract with Juventus to the year 2013.

On 13 August 2008, Chiellini scored his first European goal of his career as Juve beat Artmedia Petržalka 4-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie.[4] On 17 August 2008, Giorgio injured his left knee again during the Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi against Milan and missed the start of the Serie A season. The extent of the damage is yet to be determined, but he will be unable to play for at least six weeks, possibly even six months. However, he returned marvelously fast to duty, after only a month out.[5] In September, Chiellini made a quick recovery from his injury to start each of Juve's first three UEFA Champions League group games. Despite this, many Juventus supporters believe he is not fully healed as he has made two uncharacteristic mistakes that led to goals in recent weeks. After a few shaky games, Chiellini has regained the form that has seen him nominated by the Oscar del Calcio as the Best Defender in Serie A. On 14 December 2008, he scored the 2–1 goal against Milan in Serie A with a well placed header from an Alessandro Del Piero corner kick. Juventus went on to win the match 4–2. As of 19 February 2009, Chiellini is currently injured and is set to be back for the crucial UEFA Champions League match with Chelsea on 25 February. On 10 March 2009, Chiellini was controversially sent off against Chelsea in a thrilling game. Despite a 2-2 draw, Juventus were knocked out of the champions league.

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BUFFON THE SUPERMAN (its not easy)

Buffon The Superman (It's Not Easy) - Click here for more home videos

BUFFON ME AND ALL OF JUVENTINI FANS WANT YOU STAY TO REACH GREAT ACHIEVEMENT NEXT YEAR !

PROFILE OF BUFFON

Gianluigi Buffon

Personal information
Full name	Gianluigi Buffon
Date of birth	January 28, 1978 (1978-01-28) (age 31)
Place of birth	Carrara, Italy
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Juventus
Number	1
Youth career
1995–2001	Parma
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1995–2001 2001–	Parma Juventus	0168 0(0) 0238 0(0)
National team2
1997–	Italy	0092 0(0)

¹ Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of March 21, 2009.
² National team caps and goals correct
as of April 1, 2009.

Early life and family

Gianluigi Buffon was born into a sporting family. His mother, Maria Stella, was a discus thrower, his father, Adriano, a weightlifter, his two sisters Veronica and Guendalina played volleyball and his uncle,

Angelo Masocco, played basketball. He is also a nephew of goalkeeping legend Lorenzo Buffon (a cousin of Gianluigi's grandfather). Buffon is married to Czech model Alena Šeredová. Šeredová gave birth to son Louis Thomas on December 28, 2007.Early career At the age of just 17, Buffon made his Serie A debut for Parma in a 0-0 home draw against Milan on 19 November 1995. In his fourth season with the club, he won the UEFA Cup. He transferred from Parma to Juventus in 2001, for a world-record goalkeeper's fee of €52 million. Buffon nearly signed with Roma in 2001 following his departure from Parma, but team president Franco Sensi instead opted for Atalanta keeper Ivan Pelizzoli, who averaged less than fifteen appearances in five seasons with Roma. Buffon also claimed that he wouldn't have signed with Roma had he left Juventus in 2006. "That was never a possibility really... I don’t think that Roma had the finances to make an investment of such a nature."

Juventus

In 2003, he received the UEFA Most Valuable Player and Best Goalkeeper awards, and was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. During the annual Luigi Berlusconi Trophy match against Milan in August 2005, Buffon collided with Milan midfielder Kaká while chasing a loose ball, and suffered a dislocated shoulder that required surgery. His operation was successful and he returned to the pitch in November, but played only once as another injury returned him to the sidelines until January. He recovered in time to help lead Juventus to their second consecutive Scudetto and his fourth overall with the club. On 12 May 2006, Buffon, along with former Juventus goalkeeper Antonio Chimenti and many other players, were implicated as participants in illegal betting on Serie A matches while with Parma. The following day, he voluntarily allowed himself to be questioned by Turin magistrates in an attempt to clear his name. While admitting that he did bet on sports (until regulations went into effect in late 2005, banning players from doing so), he vehemently denied placing wagers on Italian football matches. Fears arose that he had jeopardized his chance of playing in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but he was officially named Italy's starting goalkeeper on May 15. The players were cleared of all charges by the FIGC on June 27, 2007. [4] Following Juventus' punishment in the Calciopoli scandal, rumors spread that Juventus were shopping Buffon on the transfer market as a cost-cutting measure, and many teams became interested in his services.[5] However, no deals ever materialized as Buffon elected to remain with Juventus; his agent said: "Serie B is a division he has never won and he wants to try to do this." Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani stated in April 2007 that Buffon's decision to stay proved a catalyst in re-signing incumbent Dida,[6] though Buffon later denied having ever been contacted by Milan. Widely regarded as one of the worlds greatest goalkeepers, Buffon has kept clean sheets against many top strikers. After Juventus won the Cadetti and were promoted back into the top flight, Buffon signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2012.

International career

Buffon was awarded his first cap for Italy at the age of nineteen, as an injury replacement for Gianluca Pagliuca during a qualifer for 1998 FIFA World Cup play-off against Russia. He was called up for the 1998 World Cup finals, but did not play a single game as Pagliuca remained first choice. He was a member of the Italy squad at the 1992 Summer Olympics, the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. He was also the first choice goalkeeper for Italy at the Euro 2000, but broke his hand in a friendly match against Norway just eight days before the tournament started, and had his starting place taken by Francesco Toldo. He kept five clean sheets in addition to a 453-minute scoreless streak during the 2006 World Cup finals; the only goals conceded were an own goal from teammate Cristian Zaccardo against the United States, and a Zinédine Zidane penalty in the final against France, which ended 1-1 in extra time and led to a penalty shootout in which neither Buffon nor Fabien Barthez could make a save. The lone miss was David Trezeguet's effort that clanged off the bottom of the crossbar and failed to cross the line, which enabled Italy's Fabio Grosso to seal the victory for the Italians. Buffon received the Yashin Award for his accomplishments throughout the competition. Buffon was named Italy captain for Euro 2008 after incumbent Fabio Cannavaro was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. In the second game of the group stage against Romania on June 13, he saved a penalty from Adrian Mutu in the 1st minute as the match ended 1-1. Italy were eliminated in the quarterfinals nine days later after a 0-0 penalty shootout loss to Spain in which Buffon made one save.

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JUVENTUS VS CHIEVO 3 - 3

I CANT SAY ANYMORE
CHIELLINI PLAY SO BAD
MELLBERG IS THE WORST JUVENTUS PLAYER IN THIS MATCH
BUT WE MUST TAKE THE LESSON FROM THIS MATCH
FOR NEXT MATCH

THIS IS THE RATINGS :

Buffon -5.5: Not to blame on any of Chievo's goals, but was perhaps a little slow getting down for Pellissier's second.

Grygera -5.0: A little off the pace this afternoon. Did not seem to have the energy to get up and down the pitch, and was substituted at half time.

Mellberg -3.0: A horror show. Caught sleeping for Pellissier's second goal, while an act of stupidity in injury time gifted Chievo the ball, and resulted in Pellissier's hat-trick. That goal has ended any hope of the Scudetto.

Chiellini -5.5: Indecisive on Pellissier's opener, and also caught off-guard for the second. However, he did score a fantastic volley, and headed just wide in the second half.

Molinaro -6.0: The best of a bad Juventus backline. Caused a few problems by Luciano and caught out of position. Did provide the cross prior to Juve's second equaliser.

Salihamidzic -6.0: Started the game well, and provided a great pass for Del Piero's early chance. Then picked up an injury and was forced off on 23 minutes.

Marchisio -7.0: Was doing two men's work in the first half. Completely took charge in the middle-of-the-park after the break, and continued his development.

Tiago -6.0: Awful in the first 45 minutes, Tiago did improve after the break with some sweet passes. Created a headed chance for Chiellini.

Giovinco -7.0: Juve's only bright spark in the first half, Giovinco was prominent down the left and forced Sardo's substitution. Went close with a free kick.

Del Piero -5.5: Missed two fine chances in the first half, and failed to really get a grip on the game. Juventus improved markedly when he was substituted at half time.

Iaquinta -7.5: Anonymous before the break, Iaquinta was like a man possessed after it. Scored the goal that everyone thought had saved Juve, and went close on a couple of other occasions.

Subs

Camoranesi 9.0: Despite being no more than 50 per cent fit, Camoranesi again proved his worth by setting up all three of Juve's goals. His backheel for Chiellini's strike was pure genius.

Trezeguet -7.0: Gave Juve a penalty-box presence, firing just wide and forcing a brilliant save out of Sorrentino.

Zebina -7.0: Excelled down the right flank. Good energy and link-up play with Camoranesi.

CHIEVO

Sorrentino -8.0: May have conceded three goals, but two top-class saves from Trezeguet and Iaquinta proved decisive in earning Chievo a priceless point.

Sardo -5.5: Did well in the first half, and stuck to his task. However, he had real problems after the break against Giovinco and Molinaro, and was substituted midway through the half.

Morero -6.0: Comfortably marked Del Piero in the first half, but struggled against the movement of Trezeguet when the Frenchman replaced the Italian.

Yepes -5.0: Has had a fine season, but Iaquinta's pace caused him all kinds of problems as the game wore on.

Mantovani -4.5: Unlucky to turn the ball into his own net, Mantovani was led a merrydance by Juve substitute Camoranesi. So much of the damage was done down his side.

Luciano -7.0: One of the best players on the pitch in the first half, Luciano created Pellissier's second goal. The Brazilian tired though.

Rigoni -6.0: An honest performance by Rigoni, who could have scored just moments before Pellissier silenced the Olimpico in injury time.

Marcolini -6.0: Was involved in some good moments for his side in the first half, but disappeared and was over-run in the second period.

Pinzi -6.0: Full of running, the quality did not match Pinzi's quantity. Was once rated as one of Italy's most promising youngsters, it has never really happened for the ex-Udinese midfielder.

Pellissier -9.5: What can you say? A stunning performance by Pellissier, who completed a clinical hat-trick to dash Juventus' Scudetto hopes. A thorn all afternoon with his pace.

Bogdani -6.5: Held the ball up well, and linked up with Pellissier. Was unsurprisingly overshadowed by his strike-partner though.

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DIEGO : "MY SON WANT JUVENTUS"

The Brazilian ace’s father has revealed that his son has only eyes for the Old Lady…

Juventus have apparently made Werder Bremen attacking midfielder Diego their top transfer target for next season and his father and agent Djair Ribas da Cunha has confirmed in an interview with Tuttosport that the Bianconeri’s interest is serious.

“I sense that this is it,” he enthused.

“They are very keen on Diego. I don’t think that Werder and Juve have discussed it yet, but I know that they will do it over the next few days. At least that’s what I was told.”

The German club are expected to hold out for at least €20 million to rubber stamp the transfer, but Juve chief Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has made it known that they have the resources to complete the coup.

“As I have said, my son dreams of playing for a club that can aim to win the Champions League,” stressed Djair.

“Juve clearly fall into this category and Diego wants to play there next season. I am working with a few other people to make this happen.”

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JUVENTUS VS CHIEVO REVIEW

Mr Paolo Mazzoleni from the Bergamo will be the referee in this match

Probable First Squad 4-4-2: Buffon, Grygera, Mellberg, Chiellini, Molinaro, Marchionni, Tiago, Marchisio, Nedved, Iaquinta, Del Piero.

Following the international break, Serie A action resumes this weekend and Juventus will welcome what should be a straightforward game against Chievo. The Bianconeri have won five of their last six games heading into Sunday afternoon's battle, and so they should harbour enough confidence to get past the Gialloblu.

Claudio Ranieri will be hoping his side continue to keep up the heat on Inter. Juve are still seven points behind the Nerazzurri who face a potential banana skin away to Udinese. La Vecchia Signora have scored eight goals in their last two games and so they will fancy their chances against a Chievo side who are fighting for Serie A survival down at the wrong end of the table. The Bianconeri can take comfort from the fact that they have never lost to Chievo in any of the last six matches between them. The Veronese side held Juve to a 1-1 draw back in 2006 at the Bentegodi. That was the closest they have come to beating them.

Ranieri's men won 2-0 in the reverse fixture this season. Many will remember Alessandro Del Piero's stunning 30-yard free kick in the first half, before Vincenzo Iaquinta grabbed a second later. Iaquinta has been in fine form for both club and country. The Italian has been putting in the extra effort and it has been rewarded. The former Udinese man scored against Ireland in Bari for La Nazionale during the World Cup qualifier on Wednesday and he will be looking to continue his great form back in Turin. The hitman grabbed a brace of the highest quality against Roma last time out in Serie A, and he will be hoping for more of the same against the Flying Donkeys on Sunday.

The Bianconeri have been working hard in training this week as Ranieri devises a plan to scupper any hopes Chievo have of a survival point. Juve should fancy their chances as the away side have never scored in Turin in any of their last three visits there. In addition, the Old Lady has one of the league's best defences at home. The business end of the season is in full swing, and Juve will need to ensure they do not fall victim to the points-hungry relegation battlers. There is no room for error as anything less than a win could see the Scudetto move closer to San Siro.

Chievo Fighting For Survival

Domenico Di Carlo has been guiding the Mussi Volanti towards survival ever since he took over from Giuseppe Iachini back in November. After having won promotion back to the top-flight last year, Chievo are looking to avoid the drop at all costs. The season's stresses and upheaval seem behind the Bentegodi-based side as they bring stability back to the team and continue their bid for survival with a good run of form towards the end of term.

The first task for the visitors this Sunday will be to stop Juve's relentless attacks. Chievo will be aware that the Turin-based outfit have scored 28 goals at home in Serie A this season, while Di Carlo's men have conceded 18 and scored just 13 on the road. The statistics make for some worrying reading, but on the positive side, the Gialloblu have lost just once in their last six games. That was a 2-1 loss away to Fiorentina back in February. In those six matches, Chievo have won three, drawn two and lost once. Di Carlo's men came up with a shock win against Palermo last time out, and they beat Lazio 3-0 in Rome the week before, thus confidence should be high when the team bus pulls into the Olimpico this weekend.

Sergio Pellissier is the club's leading scorer with six to his name so far this term. The captain will be hoping to lead by example in an attempt to carry his side towards some precious points. The Italian striker has been through plenty of rough and tumble relegation scraps in his nine years at the club, and he has the experience of knowing how to plan an upset. Chievo are on course for survival, but with nine games left nothing is certain just yet. Di Carlo's men are six points above the drop zone; a shock win on Sunday could propel them even further to securing their Serie A stat

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