Injury Updates (Etc.)
•Mutu saw the doctor today and has been definitively ruled out of the Slavia Prague match on Wednesday. No decision's been made yet on Juve but, from the tone of the release, it looks 50-50 at best.
•In other Mutu news, the International Center for Drugs and Human Rights seems to be joining his appeal against FIFA's Chelsea decision in some capacity. Whoa. From what I can tell, they see the way Mutu's turned his life around as a rare example of someone recovering completely from drug use, and are concerned about the message that will be sent if his recovery (professional and otherwise) is taken from him. Damn right! (If I'm reading it right, they also seem to be worried he'll turn to coke again if the verdict is upheld. I wonder if he's flattered they want to help, or offended they think he'll collapse so utterly if things go even further south.)
•Getting back to the injuries, Gambit is good to go, and will probably start alongside Dainelli in Prague. Woo hoo! Also, he's supposedly getting ready to sign an extension to his contract, in order to stay happily in purple for a bit longer.
•Monty, meanwhile, is still resting, and seems likely to miss out on the Juve match. Boo.
•Papa Waigo went before the press over the weekend (video) and, while he seems to accept that a move is likely, he says he'll always be connected to the club because of the Juve match last season. &hearts He also talked about the football school he founded, funds, and gets supplies for in Sengal. Papa Waigo rules.
•Kuzi was the press victim today (video), and announced that he loves everyone. Good to know.
•There were apparently scouts from Spurs in attendance when the Viola played AZ last week, watching one Mario Alberto Santana, in whom they've been expressing interest all summer. Unless they offer a massive, massive fee, though, it's hard to imagine the Della Valles would sell -- the man can play up top or in the midfield, and does it awfully well. He'd be a big loss, especially in a season as packed as this one hopefully will be.
•The Arshavin story has been dug up against by goal.com, using the same "there's an unnamed Italian team with a CL spot interested" quote from his agent that was being trotted out at the start of the month. Yawn.
•In other baseless rumor news, C4 have turned a throwaway remark by ADV about Toni "return[ing] to us in a couple seasons" into a verbal agreement between the player and La Viola. Um, no.
•And, finally, there's apparently a long Viola article in the September Italian GQ which, among other things, features Frey, Gambit, Donadel and Pazzo holding forth on gays in football. From what can be discerned through Google Translate (not a lot), Gambit seems by far the most enlightened, while Donadel insists he's never met a gay footballer. *tries not to laugh* [ETA: revbiscuit generously translated the section where they talk about the gay issue here -- she's much better than Google.]
•In other Mutu news, the International Center for Drugs and Human Rights seems to be joining his appeal against FIFA's Chelsea decision in some capacity. Whoa. From what I can tell, they see the way Mutu's turned his life around as a rare example of someone recovering completely from drug use, and are concerned about the message that will be sent if his recovery (professional and otherwise) is taken from him. Damn right! (If I'm reading it right, they also seem to be worried he'll turn to coke again if the verdict is upheld. I wonder if he's flattered they want to help, or offended they think he'll collapse so utterly if things go even further south.)
•Getting back to the injuries, Gambit is good to go, and will probably start alongside Dainelli in Prague. Woo hoo! Also, he's supposedly getting ready to sign an extension to his contract, in order to stay happily in purple for a bit longer.
•Monty, meanwhile, is still resting, and seems likely to miss out on the Juve match. Boo.
•Papa Waigo went before the press over the weekend (video) and, while he seems to accept that a move is likely, he says he'll always be connected to the club because of the Juve match last season. &hearts He also talked about the football school he founded, funds, and gets supplies for in Sengal. Papa Waigo rules.
•Kuzi was the press victim today (video), and announced that he loves everyone. Good to know.
•There were apparently scouts from Spurs in attendance when the Viola played AZ last week, watching one Mario Alberto Santana, in whom they've been expressing interest all summer. Unless they offer a massive, massive fee, though, it's hard to imagine the Della Valles would sell -- the man can play up top or in the midfield, and does it awfully well. He'd be a big loss, especially in a season as packed as this one hopefully will be.
•The Arshavin story has been dug up against by goal.com, using the same "there's an unnamed Italian team with a CL spot interested" quote from his agent that was being trotted out at the start of the month. Yawn.
•In other baseless rumor news, C4 have turned a throwaway remark by ADV about Toni "return[ing] to us in a couple seasons" into a verbal agreement between the player and La Viola. Um, no.
•And, finally, there's apparently a long Viola article in the September Italian GQ which, among other things, features Frey, Gambit, Donadel and Pazzo holding forth on gays in football. From what can be discerned through Google Translate (not a lot), Gambit seems by far the most enlightened, while Donadel insists he's never met a gay footballer. *tries not to laugh* [ETA: revbiscuit generously translated the section where they talk about the gay issue here -- she's much better than Google.]