By Anna Italia


Good morning, buon giorno.

What a week guys!  Crazy with so many unexpected results from the first round of the 2008 - 2009 Italian Serie A.  Did your teams win?  Well, my team AC Milan lost in San Siro and it was a well deserved victory to the dedication of all Bologna players not giving up but fighting until the end.

How are you?  Are you happy today?

Here I am ready for our "coffee morning news readings" with my cup of cappuccino, a strawberry banana yogurt, and 2 slices of raisin bread.   Are you ready with your coffee, tea, juice or snack?

Here is the front page of Italy's  sports newspaper "Il Corriere dello Sport" from this morning  Monday, September 1,  2008.

Click Here to Buy Your 2008 - 2009 Serie A Soccer Gear now.  Soccer / Football Gear. Italian Shirts. AC Milan, AS Roma, Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter Milan, Juventus, Palermo, Sampdoria, Udinese

FC Inter Market - Quaresma

Headline says, "Inter, here is Quaresma!  Portuguese arrived yesterday afternoon n Milan."

Anna Italia Opinion -  According to the article Quaresma will be officially presented today as the new Inter player! 

It would not surprised me after Mourinho kept emphasizing to Inter President that Quaresma was the player he needed after the flop of the transfer from Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.

I checked Inter Official website at 5:30 a.m. USA Pacific time and the news was not confirmed yet.

So, I am reporting what the article is saying.  Supposedly the deal was done yesterday afternoon after Porto accepted the deal for 20 million euros plus the contract of Pele as presented by Inter.

Things are running so smooth that Quaresma arrived yesterday at the Linate Airport with an hour delay. Quaresma traveled with Luis Correia, a collaborator of Jorge Mendes.

Right after Quaresma headed to an elegant hotel to have some sleep.

Medical tests, as mentioned in the article are for this morning followed by the signing of a 4-year contract.

What a tense moment!  Imagine that just in case the deal with Quaresma did not go through, Inter was already talking to Spain Club Valencia for Joaquin.

This seems like a short film where every episodes happen so fast that you cannot blink to avoid missing the whole action.  Well, supposedly, Quaresma  after the medical tests went to the official office of Inter in Via Durini at 12:30 p.m. to sign the contract.  Are you following the action? Good, because I am trying to get every move mentioned in the article. After the signing Quaresma had lunch with the leaders of FC Inter and Inter coach Jose Mourinho.  Quaresma will complete his medical tests in the afternoon.

Plannning to travel to Italy or other countries in Europe? I suggest you click the following link: Travelocity for all your European Vacation destinations and Package deals  it include hotels, traveling, airplanes Click Here For a list of Italy Discount Hotel Reservations Of course, let me know about your trip after and which match you watched.  Click here for your car rental.  Choose among 50 car rental companies, including Avis, Alamo, Hertz, Budget, and more.

Thumbs up if the transfer is a reality.

AC MILAN - BOLOGNA

Headline says, "Poor Ronaldinho, great debut but his team Lost against Bologna."

Anna Italia Opinion - It was such a disappointing match where AC Milan had no excuses for losing.  Milan had all their key players including Ronaldinho, Pato, and Sheva.  So, why they lose?  That's the big question.

AC Milan 1 - 2 Bologna

Yet, before finding any excuse, it is fair to acknowledge the good work done by Bologna coach Daniele Arrigoni with his team promoted from the Serie B and having this debut in San Siro is only a dream for him, players, and Bologna fans.

Ronaldinho played well and showed his potential.  He made the assist for the goal of Ambrosini equalizing the 1-1.  Also, Ronaldinho made a perfect assist to Andriy Shevchenko who failed miserably to score when he was all alone in front of Bologna goalkeeper.  Imagine, after the match Sheva at least admits having failed this declared goal. 

Point is that neither Pato could change the score.  Bologna with a group of regular actors as opposed to the "Oscar winning players" taught a hard lesson to Milan in their home stadium. Matches are won in the  90 minutes and with commitment.  Big names are not enough to win a match, but to implement the strategies in the field.


I congratulate Bologna coach Arrigoni for this victory. 

You bet Milan Owner Silvio Berlusconi was totally disappointed too as well as Milan VP Adriano Galliani as they requested Ancelotti to win the Scudetto this year, and losing against a promoted Serie B team is not that encouraging.

FIORENTINA - FC JUVENTUS 

Headline says, "Gila stops Juventus. Nedved in goal, but then Juventus waste chances and Fiorentina resisted until the end."

Anna Italia Opinion - I watched the match and it was an entertaining, suspense, thriller, the adrenalina kept going up and down. 

Fiorentina   1  - 1 Juventus

I was happy to see Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved scoring his goal #67 because he celebrated his 36th birthday on Saturday, August 30!  What a nice way to celebrate, don't you think?

I was also mad with Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli because he kept insisting with his 4-3-3 formation  with the tridente Santana -Gilardino-Osvaldo when it was proven in the  match Slavia Prague - Fiorentina that it did not work.  Without a dount the absence of Fiorentina forward Adrian Mutu for injury was clearly obvious.  This is why Prandelli keeps insisting in finding that Mutu #2 in this trident... but ... so far... there is no #2 with Osvaldo/Santana.  Maybe Gilardino-Pazzini.

Yet, Prandelli preferred to keep forward Giampaolo Pazzini on the bench and started with Osvaldo.  Imagine that when Prandelli substituted Osvaldo and brought Pazzini in the 64th minute a big ovation and applauses from Fiorentina  fans welcomed Pazzini.  Simply, Pazzini once again proving that he is ganing technique and is ready to be a protagonist.  Pazzini provided the assist to forward Alberto Gilardino in the 84th minute to equalize the score. What a moment! 

AS ROMA - NAPOLI

The article talks how Napoli finishing with 10 players could dominate the Roman gladiators and after Napoli was losing, midfielder Marek Hamsik scored the equalizer goal.  The best player for Roma had to be midfielder Alberto Aquilani author of the goal and a fighter during all the match while for Napoli I will choose forward Ezequiel Lavezzi. Although Hamsik equalized the score, but Lavezzi was all over the place being a constant danger for Roma.

AS ROMA  1 - 1  NAPOLI


Cagliari - Lazio

The article also praises a great Lazio because they were losing against Cagliari in the Sant'Elia and ended up beating Cagliari with their former star Pasquale Foggia too amd with 10 players.