Coppa Italia: Fiorentina's last dream

From Bleacher Report

In terms of prestige it is pretty much accepted that the Coppa Italia ranks somewhere between the European tiddliwinks championship and the World conkers title.

It is almost always compared very unfavourably with its English equivalent, the FA Cup. Crowds are small, most big teams field understrength sides and you can count the number of shocks on the prongs of your pizza fork.

Poor scheduling, two-legged ties and an often cumbersome seeding system have never really given the competition a chance. It is in need of the kind of emergency makeover that could even kill the undying enthusiasm of Ty Pennington. It needs demolition and complete reconstruction.

This week, however, it has thrown up one of its more intriguing ties. The reason, quite simply, is that it means quite a lot to one of the participants and not very much to the other.

So all of the elements are there for an exciting semi-final clash between Fiorentina and Inter.

The reigning league champions won the first leg by a single goal in the San Siro but a packed Stadio Artemio Franchi will be hoping the Viola can turn the tie around on Tuesday. They warmed up with a thrilling 2-2 draw when they met in the league on Saturday.

Cesare Prandelli shocked a few pundits by fielding an apparently weakened side for that game. The Tuscan team has little hope of finishing in a top four spot in Serie A and getting back into the Champions League. He seemed to favour the cup clash.

That might seem puzzling given the lack of stature of the Coppa but look a little closer and it starts to make more sense. Fiorentina have a strong tradition in the tournament with six victories to their credit. More importantly, their coach has yet to win a trophy with this side.

Praise for their fine performances in Serie A and Europe has been nice, but there is really no substitute for a bit of silverware.

Up north in Milan, however, the TIM Cup (to give it its sponsor's name) is a less welcome distraction. Jose Mourinho's side are still in the hunt for the league and Champions League. There is little doubt this is the least attractive leg of their potential treble.

Yet they would be well advised not to snub the competition too much. Imagine how they might feel if they went out to Fiorentina and then missed out on their other two goals? Bad results can be contagious and the cup would at least be a small consolation if everything else goes wrong.

The Milanese, of course, have a squad designed to cope with such situations. Even their reserve side is one which most Serie A managers would love to have at their disposal. Defending a single goal lead should not be beyond them.

Even with Dejan Stankovic, Davide Santon and usual Coppa goalkeeper Francesco Toldo missing there is a formidable look to the Inter team. Fringe players like Marco Materazzi, Macdonald Mariga and the recently rehabilitated Mario Balotelli will all hope they get a chance to shine. There may even be room for young talent like Rene Krhin and Marko Artaunovic.

Fiorentina hope to respond with a trio of important returns. Cristiano Zanetti, Marco Marchionni and Juan Manuel Vargas are all likely to be reappear after missing the weekend clash.

The match comes, of course, at an unwelcome time for Inter. They face Juve in the league on Friday and Barcelona in the Champions League after that. That may just trip them up.

Mourinho will not be too worried about elimination if his side can secure at least one of its other seasonal targets. For Fiorentina, a final spot against either Roma or Udinese would be a major consolation for European and Serie A heartache.

The script should be that the game matters so much to the Viola that they grab the victory they need. But since when has football ever followed any kind of logic?

Inter Milan's Great Escape: Jose Mourinho's Magic Or Just Good Fortune

From bleacher report

Inter Milan made a huge withdrawal from the Bank of Lucky on Saturday night.

Or, if you prefer, Jose Mourinho pulled off another managerial masterstroke.

Whatever your viewpoint, there is little doubt that the Milan giants completed one of the most amazing comebacks of the season to overcome Siena. The fact that they needed to produce such a performance is worthy of some reflection.

So let's work this through from back to front.

League-leading Inter defeated bottom-of-the-table Siena 4-3 with a Walter Samuel goal in injury time.

That was the equivalent of a kicker catching a winning touchdown pass or perhaps a pitcher thumping a vital home run.

The big Argentinian defender does not score many goals and those that he does are usually with his head, not a sweet turn and shot worthy of his countryman Diego Milito.

It was a finale fitting for such a crazy game.

Massimo Maccarone had given the visitors the lead only for Milito and Wesley Sneijder to turn the game on its head. That should have been the end of the story.

Instead, Albin Ekdal and Maccarone struck again to put the little Tuscan side on the brink of victory.

Jose Mourinho's famous unbeaten home record, which has lasted longer than most modern marriages, was suddenly under threat.

Inter looked tired, jaded and out of sorts. Siena were worth their win, or so it seemed.

The final minutes, however, were cruel to Alberto Malesani's side. Firstly, Sneijder curled home another beautiful free-kick to equalise. Then Samuel, put up front to help hunt an improbable winner, stuck the knife in still further.

It was a script we have seen several times before.

Mourinho loves to shove men forward in a desperate attempt to win a match, often asking his defenders to improvise an attacking role. It worked out perfectly this time.

The question is just how long can it go on working?

Inter's squad has been hurt by injuries and Sammy Eto'o heading off to the African Cup of Nations, but still they should have brushed Siena aside with ease.

But for much of the weekend's game, the side with the best attack in Italy looked unable to beat the nation's weakest defence.

Spectators were left struggling to decipher what the result actually meant.

Was it a sign of weakness that Inter nearly lost to one of the poorest sides in Serie A? Or did their never-say-die attitude send out a signal of intent to their rivals?

Maybe it was a bit of both.

The side from the San Siro have been far from convincing of late and have a tough run of matches coming up.

So far, they have shown enough resilience to maintain a healthy lead at the top of the league and the Siena game demonstrated they will not give it up easily.

Indeed, if there is a lesson to be learned, it is possibly a simple one.

If Juve and Milan are serious about taking Inter's crown they will have to show the same hunger as Mourinho's men did on Saturday night.

Mancio's next mission

From Bleacher Report

Watch out England, the Italians are taking over.

The national team is in the hands of Fabio Capello, the league leaders belong to Carlo Ancelotti, and struggling West Ham is under the guidance of Gianfranco Zola.

Now the biggest of your big spenders have Roberto Mancini.

If things keep going at this pace, we’ll be able to change the Premiership brand into Serie A by the end of the next decade or so. But what are Manchester City getting for their many million pounds?

Well, Mancio was certainly one heck of a footballer. His elegance, class, and improvisational skills made him a star performer for Bologna, Sampdoria, Lazio, and Italy.

The less said about his brief spell with Leicester City the better.

As for his coaching career to date, it has certainly carried one key component more than any other—trophies.

He started out as assistant to Sven Goran Eriksson (where have I heard that name before?) at Lazio but got his first proper job at Fiorentina in 2001. In something of an emergency situation due to their financial difficulties, he took a patched-up Tuscan side to the Coppa Italia final and won.

He also ensured their Serie A survival, but with the club in turmoil off the pitch, he moved on to pastures new just a year after taking his first managerial trophy.

It was, however, out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The big-spending days at Lazio had gone and Mancio once again found himself trying to manage a club obliged to sell its best players. A Coppa Italia was delivered again as he triumphed in adversity.

It was only in his third coaching position, at Inter, that he got a bit of money to spend.

With Italian football in the eye of the Calciopoli storm, he delivered three league titles in a row.

His supporters saw that as confirmation that he was one of the finest young managers of his generation. Detractors complained that he had been handed one title and won the others because his major rivals were either not in the league or significantly penalised.

Manchester City fans can reach their own conclusions.

It was Europe, however, which ultimately proved fatal to Mancini in Milan.

All conquering at home, he could not deliver a team which performed to the same levels in the Champions League. Mind you, it has also proved beyond Jose Mourinho so far.

Now he takes up the fresh challenge of the Premiership and, presumably, trying to break into the top four some time soon.

As a player he was known for attacking flair and he likes his teams to play with a certain panache too. However, over time he has learned to give them the bite necessary to produce results.

Only time will tell if he can prove himself in a different country.

But one thing is for sure. If he can put Manchester City into the Champions League it would rank alongside anything he ever achieved in Italy.

The Crazy World Of Milan

From Calcio Italia

Carlo Ancelotti has got it easy. While his new team Chelsea stroll past average opposition almost every week, his successor at Milan is having kittens. You can say what you like about Leonardo’s Rossonero regime, but definitely not that it is boring.

Sunday’s rollercoaster display came against in-form Cagliari and the result was in doubt from beginning to end. Ultimately, it took four goals from four different scorers to see off the battling islanders. No wonder the new man on the bench in the San Siro looks a little older every time we see him.

How Carletto must chuckle down at Stamford Bridge if he ever switches on the Serie A highlights. He can lord it over a League where there are teams tactically inept enough to concede nine goals in a single game. Poor Leonardo seems to find himself involved in a knife-edge thriller every week.

Doubts have to remain about the sustainability of this approach. Surely the wheels must eventually fall off the Milan challenge. However, a bit like one of those plate-spinning acts, it is good fun to watch – at least until it all comes crashing down.

Meanwhile, Inter brushed off Bologna on Saturday evening after a Marcelo Zalayeta strike had threatened to spoil their build up to Barcelona on Tuesday. The Nerazzurri remain far and away the most solid team in Italy. The only negative element was a red card for Douglas Maicon which might make them suffer while he is suspended.

Juve kept up their challenge by seeing off Udinese courtesy of Fabio Grosso but it was a workmanlike display. The Bianconeri were never troubled, to be sure, but they rarely produced much attacking flair either. It will not, one suspects, have had Inter quaking in their boots.

Resurgent Roma enjoyed the fruits of a Francesco Totti hat-trick as they saw off revelation side Bari. But Fiorentina were unable to defeat another surprise package – Parma – as they succumbed 3-2 in the Artemio Franchi. The result catapulted Francesco Guidolin’s men into Champions League contention.

At the bottom end of the table the most significant results were wins for Livorno and Atalanta over Genoa and Siena respectively. It allowed them to join Bologna and Lazio on 12 points after the latter played out the only game without goals in the top Division at Napoli.

A quick scan of the standings suggests there has rarely been a more balanced season in Serie A – at least if you clip Inter off the top. You can argue about the quality of play but not the openness of all the major issues, bar the Scudetto. And, you never know, a steady Juve and this madcap Milan might yet have something to say about that.

The Sick Men of Europe

If ever you needed a feeling of impending doom, then our European candidates provided it at the weekend. Of all seven Italian sides involved in the Champions and Europa Leagues, just one of them recorded a victory. And that was courtesy of a Stevan Jovetic penalty.

You could argue, I guess, that what is Europe’s loss is Serie A’s gain. The top of the table has an interesting look with Samp sitting pretty, Fiorentina and Udinese in the hunt and Inter and Juve already losing precious points. But while the domestic battle is entertaining, the omens for continental conflict are decidedly grim.

Certainly, there was no shame in Jose Mourinho’s men losing by a single strike to Samp (Vai Pazzo!). They tried their hardest to get back on level terms but could not muster a goal. However, having quietly accepted a draw in their opening clash with Barcelona, surely nothing more than a win will do this week. Rubin Kazan might sound more like the magic words of a sorcerer than a football team but they would love to make Inter’s Champions League dreams disappear.

Our other two “big guns”, Juve and Milan, were both held at home by the BB gunners – Bologna and Bari. I tend to think Juve’s result was the more disappointing, only because the Bianconeri have shown more promise this term. It was very unlike them to throw away a lead and an away trip to Bayern is never a simple prospect. The least said about the Rossoneri, the better. I like little Bari’s attitude – with pace and flair on the break – but they should have been no match for Leonardo’s men. Even Zurich must think a trip to the San Siro is not as daunting as it once was.

The only weekend winners were Fiorentina – courtesy of the talismanic Jojo. They were far from impressive against Livorno while their Tuesday night opponents, Liverpool, were dishing out a summary thrashing. Mind you, as my father pointed out, it was only against Hull.

In the Europa League corner, Roma left it late to salvage a draw with Catania. Lazio could do no better than a share of the spoils at home to Palermo and Genoa slumped to defeat against in-form Udinese. Our capital teams both face sides from Sofia this week and must get back to winning ways. The Grifone, I suspect, would be happy with a draw away to Valencia.

It does not look good, I admit. But hope still springs from somewhere in my soul. Every so often Italian football produces the goods in adversity. I hope this turns out to be one of those weeks.

Dead and buried?

It's the first real chance to take the temperature of Italian football in a European context. Many have been rushing to pronounce the patient dead already. Over the next three nights we will get a better diagnosis.

The departures of Ibra and Kaka have been cited as symptoms of our illness. Well, the Swede-you-would-most-like-to-slap is coming back to the San Siro - all attitude and arrogance. The rest of Italy's Champions League contenders will go up against the best that France has to offer.

I fear for Milan and Fiorentina, I am hopeful for Inter and optimistic for Juve. They could all deliver a real tonic for Serie A if they manage to grab any kind of positive result. Then we will get an indication of our strength in depth when the Europa League takes centre stage.

By late Thursday night we will have the readings from the heart monitor. Is Italian football's decline terminal or is it responding to treatment?

ROUND ONE: He may be old but Super Pippo still knows where the goal is. His second strike was pure class to defeat Marseille. Juve got a draw which was probably fair on balance of play - but annoying after taking the lead.

ROUND TWO: Inter content with a draw, I reckon, typical Jose Mourinho approach - happy to hold Barca at bay. Still seething about Fiorentina. With 11 men against 11, we produced a very efficient display - better than last year's 2-2. Gila sending off compromised the whole night. Still, take it on the chin and move on.

ROUND THREE: Maybe the worst night of all. Genoa record a handsome win but Roma and Lazio lose to the might of Switzerland and Austria. Deary me...

Harbour hopes

It was Genoa's weekend, no doubt about that, and not just the Rossoblu half of the port city. With Sampdoria also recording a third victory out of three the two teams from the Stadio Luigi Ferraris top the Serie A table. Along with Juventus, of course.

The Doriani had to sweat for their victory - Gigi Del Neri admitted they were fortunate to beat his old team Atalanta. And, although, the scoreline suggests otherwise, Genoa had to work hard against Napoli. They went behind to a Marek Hamsik beauty when down to ten men. But, luckily for them, referee Tagliavento decided to even things up by sending off Campagnaro and giving them a penalty. At ten versus ten, they upped the tempo and a beauty from Giandomenico Mesto swung the game in their favour. Hernan Crespo and another penalty completed the destruction. The man in black got pretty much every major decision wrong, harming both teams in the process.

On Saturday, the Bianconeri saw off Lazio thanks to goals from Caceres and Trezeguet (with a little help from Muslera). If I was a Laziale, I would not despair, the team played OK. It was a tough encounter with plenty of bookings but Juve simply had more hunger for the win. The signs are good for Ciro Ferrara.

Elsewhere, it was Gila goal to the rescue for Fiorentina against a stuffy Cagliari side (half the team they were last season). Milan struggled to a drab draw with Livorno, Tony Christmas smashed a hat-trick to give Udinese a first win and Roma got their first points with a come-from-behind win over Siena to give Claudio Ranieri a triumphant debut.

Oh, and I almost forgot, Samuel Eto'o struck a sublime goal to help Inter see off a resilient Parma outfit. He will hope to reproduce the same when Barcelona come calling later in the week.

Io sto con Mario

Novara should be ashamed of itself. Or at least, a small section of Novara should be ashamed of itself. Or, possibly, the whole of Italy should be ashamed of itself.

There is no use trying to hide it or sugar-coat the facts, there was a section of the crowd at Italy's Under 21 game with Luxembourg which jeered Mario Balotelli. And it wasn't the opposition fans - given that there were hardly any. It was a painful aspect to what should have been a pleasant and victorious night.

Some people have got an issue with a black man playing for the Azzurrini and, eventually, the Azzurri. It is one thing to hope he fails when he is playing for Inter, that goes with the territory for talented footballers. However, it crosses a line, to my mind, when you start whistling your own country.

There must be a section of Italian society which can't accept Super Mario - which is pretty rich from a country which has seen its own populace emigrate around the world. I have written before about how questionable I have sometimes found Balotelli's attitude on the field of play. But now, I feel, I am beginning to understand it.

The Nerazzurri starlet was ready to walk off the pitch last night as his own fans howled when he rocketed a free-kick over the bar. Thankfully, Gigi Casiraghi talked him round and moments later he was on hand to thump home Italy's second. It was the best answer to the morons who had been whistling a few moments earlier. Long may he continue to respond to them in that way.

Tripping off the tongue

It was, to be fair, a UK commentator's nightmare. Paolo De Ceglie coming off to be replaced by Nicola Legrottaglie. Thanks to ESPN, it came out something like Dee Chiggly making way for Lee Grott Aggily.

This has been one of the highlights (or lowlights) of the return of Serie A to British screens. Chiellini becomes Chee-ell-eeny, Marchisio is Mar-cheesio, Maicon is transformed into May-son, and, most endearingly, Amauri becomes Amore.

So, yes, the song is true. When the ball hits the net, for Juve you can bet - That's Amore!

However, what ESPN has been graced with is some exciting football. Week one gave them the blistering battle between Genoa and Roma. The weekend gone by was not short on drama either.

What to say about Milan's capitulation in the derby? There was the amateur way they had to send Rino Gattuso back out when he was injured and ended up getting him sent off. There was the stubborn refusal to replace Ronaldinho when he was totally out of the play. And then there was the forlorn look of Leonardo like a man drowning.

Yes, he looks good in the white shirt which seems to be de rigeur for Coaches this year. Yes, he is a nice and intelligent guy. Yes, he may make a great manager in time. But, at present anyway, it looks like he has been given an impossible task - rival Inter and Juve without the players needed to do so.

The Bianconeri, for their part, despatched Roma with some style. It has been a bad start in terms of results for the Giallorossi but they will not play Genoa and Juve every week. Ciro Ferrara looks to have a real gem in Diego and Fiorentina fans knew he was getting a good one when he snapped up Felipe Melo.

It has been an exciting start to Serie A but la Nazionale now takes centre stage. An away day in Georgia and home clash with Bulgaria could all but seal a trip to South Africa to defend our World Cup crown.

Euro draw reaction

Remember the days when Milan blasted their way through Europe, gunning down their rivals along the way? Those times may well be long gone but I have used them as a yardstick to assess Italian teams chances of progress in Europe this year. Each side gets an "Arrigo Rating" with a maximum of five awarded to the team most likely to progress.

MILAN - Our only top seed could have landed more comfortably, but their prospects must be reasonable. They face the unknown element of the Galacticos and old boy Ricky Kaka at Real Madrid. They could be brilliant but, I suspect, they might be rusty in the opening rounds. The other teams are Ligue 1 runners-up Marseille and Swiss side Zurich - both of whom should be beatable either home or away. Rinaldi's rating - Three Arrigos.

INTER - Our top dogs only merited second seeding and paid the price by landing champions Barcelona. A first chance to see who got the best out of the Ibra-Eto'o deal. Dynamo Kiev and Rubin Kazan make up the numbers, surely able to be swept aside by Mourinho's men. Rinaldi's rating - Four Arrigos.

JUVENTUS - Potentially got the kindest draw with the weakest top seed in the form of Bayern Munich. Bordeaux are French champions with old acquaintance of Serie A Yoann Gourcuff in top form. Maccabi Haifa should be a tricky away trip and no more. Rinaldi's rating - Four Arrigos.

FIORENTINA - Always likely to face the toughest task and no doubt it ended up that way. Liverpool and Lyon have an impressive track record in the Champions League in recent years. However, they do have the comfort of little Debreceni as their last opponents. Rinaldi's rating - Two Arrigos.

In the EUROPA league the draw has also been made too. Roma get to take on the English with Fulham in their group along with CSKA Sofia and Basel. Got to fancy their chances (Five Arrigos). Lazio meet Villareal, Levski Sofia and Salzburg (Four Arrigos) . While Genoa are in the hunt along with Valencia, Lille and Slavia Prague (Three Arrigos if they use their full team).

Let the games commence...

Ah, it has been a long summer. Too long. There has been the Ashes, I suppose. And there was that thrilling finale to the British Open with the elderly Tom Watson so cruelly denied. But - just the same - give me this Sunday my Serie A.

In fact, things start on Saturday. Fiorentina head to Bologna to try to pick up their form after a shaky display but good result at Sporting Lisbon. Later in the day we get a chance to see how the new Milan is shaping up. They face a tricky wee trip to Siena. This is the post-Maldini, Kaka and Ancelotti era. It hasn't looked great so far but the crunch comes with competitive matches.

Reigning champs Inter have a pretty straightforward looking debut at home to Bari on Sunday. Pick of the days fixtures are last year's revelations Genoa at home to last year's disasters Roma and a potentially red-hot Palermo v Napoli match. Should be plenty to debate following those matches.

It is also the dawn of a new era for UK-based Calcio fans. We get ESPN covering Serie A for the first time this weekend. Initial signs look quite good. I enjoyed their coverage of the Scottish Premier League clash between Dundee Utd and Hearts the other night. Here's hoping they get some cracking matches to get the ball rolling.

Bird's Nest date for Supercoppa

Our first taste of all-Italian action for the season takes place on Saturday - in a Bird's Nest. Inter take on Lazio for the Supercoppa in the Chinese stadium of the same name. It will give an initial health check on the two teams.

Both sides have been transformed a fair bit in the summer. The Nerazzurri begin the post-Ibra era and all their new big names are expected to take part. So, worth tuning in for a glimpse of Lucio, Thiago Motta, Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito getting their first competitive outing in blue and black.

For Lazio, it is more about their Coach. Davide Ballardini replaces old "Squinty Tie" himself, Delio Rossi - whose reward for winning the Coppa Italia was to be shown the door by the Biancocelesti. It has always been thus in Italy.

The Roman outfit have also just signed former Inter hitman Julio Cruz. Be very interesting to see if he plays. The "Law of the Ex" as they call it in Italy would dictate that he should be among the goals if he does meet his former employers.

Addio sogni di gloria!

And the lights went out all over Europe. Max Tonetto battered a penalty over the bar to seal the fate of the last Italian team left in the Champions League. A bitter feeling indeed.

It would be easy to wallow in despair, I guess. But let's look at things a little less harshly. Yes, Inter were pretty well beaten but even they had their moments at 1-0 down to turn the tie around. Roma went out after an extended penalty shootout. And Juve were worth something more from their two ties with Chelsea.

Of course, the results are the ultimate verdict. No teams in the quarter finals is something of a disaster. Especially when England has four. However, if you want the glass to be half full let's think of the green shoots of recovery. Marco Motta at Roma, Cristian Molinaro and Claudio Marchisio at Juve, Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon at Inter. It is something to build on.

It may take time for the great Premiership to collapse but, sure as anything, it will not dominate forever. There are creaking signs in some corners with the debt their clubs have amassed. However, until then it is hard to compete. All three Italians gave it their best shot but, in the end, they came up short. Better luck next year. At least, I hope so.

Och aye the Mou!

From Calcio Italia

It is the easiest thing in the world to carp and gripe about the team which leads your League. It almost seems only right that Inter should take a bit of stick due to their position at the top of the table.

The trouble is, if you do it too often, you can lose sight of the qualities which put the team there in the first place. I confess I have been guilty of this myself. The Nerazzurri rarely produce the kind of football that is pleasing on the eye. And they have been the beneficiaries of a few kind refereeing decisions. But they do have a quality I reckon all of their challengers lack – backbone.

Look at the players down the spine of this Inter side and you will start to see what I mean. Julio Cesar is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti are the kind of versatile and relentless footballers any team would love to have. And Zlatan Ibrahimovic forms an impressive attacking line all on his own.

The rest of the squad bristles with guts and commitment too. Nicolas Burdisso, Walter Samuel, Ivan Cordoba and Marco Materazzi are the kind of men you would like to have on your side in a fight. While Dejan Stankovic and Douglas Maicon provide the sort of surging power that even the national grid would love to harness.

Add to that the little matter of two of the most interesting young Italian talents of Serie A and you get a heady mix. Davide Santon and Mario Balotelli may not be the finished article but they are pretty exciting prospects. The simple fact that they can hold their own in this Inter line up speaks volumes.

It is this strength in depth and real resilience which has put the Nerazzurri so far clear of their rivals. Juve are the only ones who come even close in the character stakes. Roma and Milan look flimsy and weak-willed in comparison. It’s fine to criticise Inter and it goes with their territory – but it should never obscure the fact that they are, actually, a pretty good team.

Boring, boring Inter

Is it just me or has Jose Mourinho succeeded in making Inter really boring? I suppose that is always a criticism of winning teams but some have done it in more style than others. Sunday night's Milan derby victory was another example of the result being much better than the performance.

I am sure he does not care - nor did the Interisti celebrating at the end of the game. But I can't help feeling this is short-sighted. With Man Utd on the horizon it surely won't be enough to pack the team full of hard-working, physical players plus Ibrahimovic for a slice of magic.

I hope I am wrong but I have been less than enthused by the boys in black and blue of late. We shall see what happens come next week.

Good draw, bad draw?

Italy's four troops for the Champions League battle found out their group enemies yesterday. My first reaction was that they all landed pretty favourable sections. None of them will have it easy but, equally, none of them face an impossible task.

Inter, as top seeds, got the best of it, I reckon. Bremen, Panathinaikos and Anorthosis should hardly have Jose Mourinho quaking. As always, if the Nerazzurri don't progress, they only have themselves to blame. Prospects of progress: 90%

It fell to Roma to land Johnny English in the form of Chelsea. They were the Premiership side I would have preferred to avoid. I reckon Liverpool or Arsenal would have been an easier task. Still, the other group members - Bordeaux and Cluj (queue a lot of toilet jokes from the Scottish speakers out there) - are not unbeatable. Prospects of progress: 70%.

Juventus landed a more sticky looking section. Real Madrid and last season's revelation Zenit make tough contenders. I reckon the Russians were a third seed nobody wanted. Still, there was the consolation of BATE Borisov or whatever they are called as bottom dogs. The Bianconeri should still have what it takes to get through. Prospects of progress: 60%.

As a fourth seed, Fiorentina were always likely to land the toughest group but it did not go as badly as it might have. Lyon, Bayern Munich and Steaua Bucharest is not easy but not entirely out of reach. It also throws up the delightful prospect of Luca Toni coming back to Florence. All in all a real test of how the Viola are developing as a team. Prospects of progress: 35%.

First blood to Mourinho

If this was the shape of things to come, then it should be a good season. Inter and Roma stood toe to toe in the San Siro last night with the Nerazzurri just coming out on top.

It looked like being a one-sided affair after Inter got ahead through Muntari and started to play with some composure. However, they never got the extra goals they needed and Roma hit back through a De Rossi screamer (Julio Cesar might have done better).

Then up popped Mario Balotelli late in the game to turn things Inter's way again only for Mirko Vucinic to equalise once more. The final twist came from the penalty spot with Francesco Totti missing what could have been the winner for Roma. Eventually, a Juan spot-kick was saved and Javier Zanetti converted the winner for Inter. At last, a nice advert for the Italian game. And a winning start for the Special One.

The Special One strikes

It did not take long for the first mind games to begin. Jose Mourinho has picked his first victim - Claudio Ranieri. "He is about 70 and he has won a Super Cup and a little cup," he is reported to have blasted at the Juve boss. Ah, what fun!

Certainly, after the pastings some of the Italian teams have been taking pre-season, this banter between bosses might be the only fun we get this year. I never take too much out of friendly games but you have got to be worried. The gap between the Huge Debt League and the rest of Europe is getting bigger and bigger.

I hope that once the action gets under way we can find the tactics to get some decent results. Otherwise, I fear we might be watching a more and more triumphal march for the forces of England.

Is he worth it?

I know he is a good player and all that but is all the ballyhoo about Frank Lampard worthwhile? Would he really transform Inter into Champions League contenders? Or is it just a show of strength from the Nerazzurri and Mourinho?

All answers gratefully received.

Stepping into the Jose era

The managerial scene in Italy just got very interesting. With Roberto Mancini shown the door at Inter, in steps a man likely to liven up press conferences everywhere - Jose Mourinho (aka The Special One). Spalletti, Ancelotti and the rest better watch out for those mind games.

You've got to feel a bit sorry for Mancio. I know I had my reservations about his coaching abilities but delivering three titles in a row (by a roundabout means) is no mean achievement. Mind you, just ask Gordon Strachan if that is enough to buy you love.

The clear statement of intent with the Mourinho appointment, however, is a move for the Champions League. While Inter have dominated at home, they have failed to produce the goods in Europe. If there is one thing the Nerazzurri will hope he can address, it is that failing.

However, we would do well to remember that with an even greater budget at Chelsea he was unable to deliver that prize. Nonetheless, he retains a reputation - perpetuated largely by himself - as one of the biggest managerial names in the world. If he can deliver a Champions League to Inter then few could argue with is quality. It has only been 40 years or so since they last won one, after all.

* On a sad note, I see Riccardo Montolivo has been left out of the Italy 23 for the European Nations. As a Viola man, I am upset and hoped he could have squeezed out Roma's Alberto Aquilani. Still, Forza Azzurri.