Newsie News News
•A couple things on Saturday's match: 1)It was Fiorentina's first win over Roma in more than eight years, 2)Gobbi entered the pitch just over 30 seconds before he scored, which is a Viola record, and 3)Jojo, Jojo, Jojo!
•Mutu said over the weekend that he expects to be back in three weeks and, based on the results of today's checkup, his prognosis actually might be accurate -- according the club, he'll get checked again in two weeks and, if that goes well, will be cleared to play. Woo hoo! (Catania is in two weeks; Samp, the more likely target, is in the three.)
•In other Mutu news, he was in Bucharest on Sunday to shoot an ad for The Romanian Ministry of Youth and Sport, in which he seems to have played a doorman. No idea how on earth that appeals to the young people whoa are the alleged targets of the ad, but that sort of genius is why advertising agencies get the big bucks.
•Big news, everybody: Avramov got his resident alien card. Hurrah! He's apparently the first footballer in Italy to get one, and it was a big enough deal (or a slow enough news day) that the club sent a cameraman with him to record the moment. The guy might be only the third keeper now -- behind a 17-year-old, no less -- but his life in Italy just got a little easier.
•The sporting court met today and heard Juve's appeal for their stadium ban, but they don't seem to have heard Melo's case yet, which means they'll probably hear it on Thursday. Fiorentina are asking for his suspension to be reduced to three matches.
•Based on the alleged amount Lyon are prepared to pay for him, Gila, who Fiorentina bought for €15 million last summer, is now worth €60 million in the transfer market. Not only that, but with 100 goals in the last six season, he's officially the joint-fourth most productive striker in Europe during that time, tied with Fernando Torres and behind Eto'o, Henry, and Loooca. Go, Gila.
•Speaking of the value of Viola players, according to Corriere dello Sport, there are a couple of alleged offers from Germany -- both Bayern and Wolfsburg are said to be interested -- of €40 million for a package of Monty and Seb.
•I don't know how much he'd cost or if anyone is interested, but on-loan Arturo Lupoli is telling the English press that he'd rather stay there than come back to Fiorentina, at least if a return to Italian means sitting on the bench (which it seems like it would).
•Depending on who you believe, Corvino's either in Brazil right now, or he's going right after the Torino match this weekend. Whenever the trip is actually happening, he'll be looking at Miranda and Jonathan, who we keep hearing about, as well as a bunch of other (alleged) possible targets.
•In non-Brazilian transfer targets, here's a nice round-up of the usual suspects. Away from them, the newest, possibly picked-at-random names are Genoa's Thiago Motta, who everyone seems to want, and some 17-year-old Dane named Nicolai Boilesen, who plays at Brondby, has had a trial at Manchester United (at least according to Tribal Football), and is apparently high on a lot of Big Club shopping lists.
•And, finally, in his press conference today [video|audio], Gambit said "the future depends only on us." Preach it, Gambit!
•Mutu said over the weekend that he expects to be back in three weeks and, based on the results of today's checkup, his prognosis actually might be accurate -- according the club, he'll get checked again in two weeks and, if that goes well, will be cleared to play. Woo hoo! (Catania is in two weeks; Samp, the more likely target, is in the three.)
•In other Mutu news, he was in Bucharest on Sunday to shoot an ad for The Romanian Ministry of Youth and Sport, in which he seems to have played a doorman. No idea how on earth that appeals to the young people whoa are the alleged targets of the ad, but that sort of genius is why advertising agencies get the big bucks.
•Big news, everybody: Avramov got his resident alien card. Hurrah! He's apparently the first footballer in Italy to get one, and it was a big enough deal (or a slow enough news day) that the club sent a cameraman with him to record the moment. The guy might be only the third keeper now -- behind a 17-year-old, no less -- but his life in Italy just got a little easier.
•The sporting court met today and heard Juve's appeal for their stadium ban, but they don't seem to have heard Melo's case yet, which means they'll probably hear it on Thursday. Fiorentina are asking for his suspension to be reduced to three matches.
•Based on the alleged amount Lyon are prepared to pay for him, Gila, who Fiorentina bought for €15 million last summer, is now worth €60 million in the transfer market. Not only that, but with 100 goals in the last six season, he's officially the joint-fourth most productive striker in Europe during that time, tied with Fernando Torres and behind Eto'o, Henry, and Loooca. Go, Gila.
•Speaking of the value of Viola players, according to Corriere dello Sport, there are a couple of alleged offers from Germany -- both Bayern and Wolfsburg are said to be interested -- of €40 million for a package of Monty and Seb.
•I don't know how much he'd cost or if anyone is interested, but on-loan Arturo Lupoli is telling the English press that he'd rather stay there than come back to Fiorentina, at least if a return to Italian means sitting on the bench (which it seems like it would).
•Depending on who you believe, Corvino's either in Brazil right now, or he's going right after the Torino match this weekend. Whenever the trip is actually happening, he'll be looking at Miranda and Jonathan, who we keep hearing about, as well as a bunch of other (alleged) possible targets.
•In non-Brazilian transfer targets, here's a nice round-up of the usual suspects. Away from them, the newest, possibly picked-at-random names are Genoa's Thiago Motta, who everyone seems to want, and some 17-year-old Dane named Nicolai Boilesen, who plays at Brondby, has had a trial at Manchester United (at least according to Tribal Football), and is apparently high on a lot of Big Club shopping lists.
•And, finally, in his press conference today [video|audio], Gambit said "the future depends only on us." Preach it, Gambit!