Return of striker Andrea Belotti and the authority shown by a rejuvenated Joe Hart against Roma bodes well for the hopes of Sinisa Mihajlovic’s sideThere were a few, subtle, lost-in-translation moments during Joe Hart’s introductory press conference for Torino this month. When the club president, Urbano Cairo, hailed his new signing’s physical presence, the interpreter swapped the word “tall” for “high”. Happily, nobody took this honest mistake for a comment on how the player might like to unwind.Later on, an Italian journalist asked Hart whether he thought Torino could qualify for Europe. But the interpreter put the question more vaguely, asking simply whether he thought that the Granata could have a strong season. “Of course,” came the reply. “We believe...
Atlético’s sharp thinking and ability to strike when a rare chance is presented earned them a draw against Barcelona, who must now make do without MessiAtlético Madrid took the free-kick but their captain acted like they hadn’t and Koke Resurrección didn’t get up. He was still sitting where Arda Turan had left him, two team-mates over him, two opponents in front of him and the referee looking down at him, seven men standing in a five-metre square, when Filipe Luís poked the ball to Gabi Fernández. An eighth man walked by, barely a metre from him. Barcelona’s full-back turned towards the area and their deep midfielder ambled across, retaking positions they wouldn’t get to. Gabi might as well have whistled...
A player once billed as the next Gianfranco Zola has had a nomadic career, but a fine start to his season offer hope that his promise can finally be fulfilledAt Milan they used to think Simone Verdi could become Italy’s next Gianfranco Zola. His team-mates even started to refer to him by the former Chelsea player’s nickname: “Magic Box”. Just like Zola, Verdi was an undersized second striker with a hint of mischief and spellbindingly brilliant technique. Unlike Zola, he was equally happy striking the ball with either foot.“Even Simone doesn’t know whether he’s better with his left or his right,” insisted the player’s father recently to La Repubblica. For as long as anyone can remember, Verdi has always practised...
It is the joint-worst start in their history, and Valencia coach Pako Ayestarán already faces heat in the media and from within the club itselfThe day before Pako Ayestarán flew to Singapore to meet the Valencia owner Peter Lim and discuss becoming the manager at Mestalla, he phoned Gary Neville to ask for his blessing. Neville was the one who had taken him there in the first place, after all, the man who had publicly insisted “when I go, Pako goes”, and now Ayesteran was about to take his job. It was an “awkward” phone call but, if the Englishman wasn’t entirely pleased, he told Ayestarán to go for it. He also told Lim that his former assistant was the...
Fans in Germany’s happiest city deliriously celebrated after victory over Freiburg, but even Toni Schumacher sees that feet must remain on the groundLong before the final whistle, the crowd had broken into song, about the team, the club, the city and the immeasurable joy of a most magical relocation. As per usual, the 47,000 were gathered to worship at the cathedral to Kölsche self-love, the Rhein-Energie-Stadion, on Friday night, but the 3-0 half-time lead meant that everybody was suddenly somewhere completely different, out of their seats. In the stars.In Germany’s happiest place, the citadel of carnival, people don’t need much of an excuse to have a shindig in the streets: for them, being from and in Cologne is cause enough...