News + Rumors
•Ok, first of, all Seb has done something absolutely even more awful to his facial hair. The inevitability of pictures is a truly terrifying thing. ETA: Much closer, even scarier views of the facial hair in this video. *shudder*
•In less scary news, most of the team have successfully arrived in Spain [travel video here], along with a truckload of gym equipment. All the South Americans -- apart from Melo, whose wife was a little too pregnant to go home for the holidays -- and Mutu missed the morning training session with permission from the club, and are expected to turn up later today. Random training details: Jorgy participated in some of it (Yay!), and Gila scored the first goal of 2009. Go, Gila.
•Here's the schedule for the stay in Marbella, in terms of both training sessions and who is due to meet with the press each day.
•Seb and Dainelli both talked to the press yesterday and made positive noises about the team's goals for 2009, including finishing in the top four and winning the UEFA Cup. In non-Fiorentina news, Dainelli announced that his wife is pregnant with what I think is their first child (Anyone?): She's due in June, and the boy's name will start with a "D," cos that's how the Dainellis roll.
•Pazzo, also, talked to the press, but only to say "I have nothing to say, OK? LEAVE ME ALONE." More or less, anyway. (You Pazzo-lovers need to click on that link and zoom in on the picture. Much petulant pretty.) His transfer rumors remains pretty much the same -- assuming you ignore this bizarre, multi-step fantasy of a move to Napoli -- except with the added new wrinkle of a package deal to Palermo: Pazzo + Pasqual for €7.5-8 million now (that's for all of Pasqual and half of Pazzo), with an additional €4 million-ish for the rest of Pazzo in June.
•And, since apparently packaging the two Ps is the trendy thing to do, Everton are now allegedly interested in Pasqual, as well.
•Gazzetta reported this morning that Corvino has essentially agreed a deal that would send Da Costa to Juve, in exchange for full ownership of Almiron, but that Cesare is not yet convinced that there's a reason to keep the Argie. Da Costa's agent, meanwhile, gave a pissy interview to Tuttosport complaining about his client not playing, and wondering why a team would buy a player and then never use him. Hmm. Possibly cos he's got a bad attitude and sort of sucks?
•In an interview with a Roma fan site, Osvi's agent said Fiorentina prefer to keep his client and sell Pazzo, but that nothing's for sure yet. He also claims that, if Osvi does leave Florence, he'll be sold, not loaned, but that he doesn't care where he ends up -- Florence or elsewhere -- he just wants to play. They've still not talked to anyone at Roma, but there has been contact with Everton and West Ham, as well as "other clubs."
•Genoa, supposedly, are prepared to offer €3 million for Pubes, which I think is about half of what he cost Fiorentina.
•There are reports in both Italy and England that Lupoli's loan to Norwich will be terminated this month and that he'll return to Florence. I can't find any confirmation about this from the club, though.
•Alongside dream defensive target Cristian Zapata (who is valued at about €15 million), Corvino is also allegedly eying Benfica's Luisao for the summer market. Luisao would cost less than Zapata but, at €11 million, ain't cheap, either.
•And, finally, I have no idea if this is true or not, but a Ghanaian site is reporting that two U-17 NT players -- Issa Mumuni and Abdul Bashiru -- are about to start two week trials with La Viola.
•In less scary news, most of the team have successfully arrived in Spain [travel video here], along with a truckload of gym equipment. All the South Americans -- apart from Melo, whose wife was a little too pregnant to go home for the holidays -- and Mutu missed the morning training session with permission from the club, and are expected to turn up later today. Random training details: Jorgy participated in some of it (Yay!), and Gila scored the first goal of 2009. Go, Gila.
•Here's the schedule for the stay in Marbella, in terms of both training sessions and who is due to meet with the press each day.
•Seb and Dainelli both talked to the press yesterday and made positive noises about the team's goals for 2009, including finishing in the top four and winning the UEFA Cup. In non-Fiorentina news, Dainelli announced that his wife is pregnant with what I think is their first child (Anyone?): She's due in June, and the boy's name will start with a "D," cos that's how the Dainellis roll.
•Pazzo, also, talked to the press, but only to say "I have nothing to say, OK? LEAVE ME ALONE." More or less, anyway. (You Pazzo-lovers need to click on that link and zoom in on the picture. Much petulant pretty.) His transfer rumors remains pretty much the same -- assuming you ignore this bizarre, multi-step fantasy of a move to Napoli -- except with the added new wrinkle of a package deal to Palermo: Pazzo + Pasqual for €7.5-8 million now (that's for all of Pasqual and half of Pazzo), with an additional €4 million-ish for the rest of Pazzo in June.
•And, since apparently packaging the two Ps is the trendy thing to do, Everton are now allegedly interested in Pasqual, as well.
•Gazzetta reported this morning that Corvino has essentially agreed a deal that would send Da Costa to Juve, in exchange for full ownership of Almiron, but that Cesare is not yet convinced that there's a reason to keep the Argie. Da Costa's agent, meanwhile, gave a pissy interview to Tuttosport complaining about his client not playing, and wondering why a team would buy a player and then never use him. Hmm. Possibly cos he's got a bad attitude and sort of sucks?
•In an interview with a Roma fan site, Osvi's agent said Fiorentina prefer to keep his client and sell Pazzo, but that nothing's for sure yet. He also claims that, if Osvi does leave Florence, he'll be sold, not loaned, but that he doesn't care where he ends up -- Florence or elsewhere -- he just wants to play. They've still not talked to anyone at Roma, but there has been contact with Everton and West Ham, as well as "other clubs."
•Genoa, supposedly, are prepared to offer €3 million for Pubes, which I think is about half of what he cost Fiorentina.
•There are reports in both Italy and England that Lupoli's loan to Norwich will be terminated this month and that he'll return to Florence. I can't find any confirmation about this from the club, though.
•Alongside dream defensive target Cristian Zapata (who is valued at about €15 million), Corvino is also allegedly eying Benfica's Luisao for the summer market. Luisao would cost less than Zapata but, at €11 million, ain't cheap, either.
•And, finally, I have no idea if this is true or not, but a Ghanaian site is reporting that two U-17 NT players -- Issa Mumuni and Abdul Bashiru -- are about to start two week trials with La Viola.