Luca Toni to Inter? Or are these just rumors…

Lets think for a second here: Mancini has been backed by Moratti, Inter’s owner, repeatedly. They have now been granted last season’s Scudetto (taken away from Juventus since the Moggi-gate scandal). Inter has Brazilian striker Adriano, Argentine Julio Cruz, Nigerian super-star Obafemi Martins, and Uruguayan Recoba. Now, according to sources such as tribalfootball.com, Moratti has stated that “…one among Trezeguet, Toni and Ibrahimovic will arrive.” How much more can he want???

Rumor has it Fiorentina refused a 16 million euro offer for Toni just a couple of days ago. Although Inter has promised the player they would triple his wages, Inter has not been successful at having Toni “force” his way out. And not that Fiorentina has been reinstated into Serie A, the incentive for the club to sell their sole super-star may be less… and less…

I personally am a huge fan of Luca Toni. We did not see the best of him at the latest WC. The guy literally creates goals out of nothing. I believe he would be a great fit for ManU. But I don’t think Toni would shine at Inter, a club that consistently buys players and destroys them. But then again, that’s just my opinion…

MADRID, Spain (AP) - Manchester United has agreed to sell striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid for €15 million (US$18.9 million), Spanish radio station Cadena SER said Thursday.

Ronaldo watch out. Raul certainly, watch out. It seems as if Fabio Capello is slowly but surely getting is dream team together. He has now signed Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. That means he now has Ronaldo, Ruud, Raul, Robinho (four “Rs”… interesting) and Cassano as his forwards. And Real is still going for Kaká. I am starting to imagine Fabio Capello having headaches over who he should play on the attack. In any case, and after a much publicized drama over the last month or so, Ruud is now the newest “galactico” in Madrid. So far, it’s been Italian WC captain and defender Cannavaro, Brazilian midfielder Emerson, and now van Nistelrooy. Not bad. Not bad all…

Rumors indicate Real will now go for a final push for Kaká. But the move seems unlikely in all honesty. Especially after AC Milan’s second-in-command Galliani called Madrid’s negotiators “bandits” and the player himself said he would stay in Milan. So, what’s the next best thing? Liverpool's Xavi Alonso! He seems to be the next in line for Real Madrid. But remember, the Spaniard has become a fan-favorite at Ansfield, and I seriously doubt Manager Rafael Benitez will let him go easily. Then again, Fergie was all about “not giving Ruud away for free”… remember? Ah… European club football… the paradigm of modern morality and fairness.

This just in from my contacts in Italy (and is still unofficial).

Seems like the appeals process went well for Lazio and Fiorentina and even AC Milan. Juventus will still go to Serie B (will now have to start from -17 points instead of -30 points). Fiorentina and Lazio will be restored to Serie A, but will comence their season with -11 points and -19 points, respectively. And AC Milan, may have only be penalized 30 points from last season. This would place AC Milan third in last seasons Serie A standings and would have the Milan team play Champions League...

I will keep you posted...

Still

Grazie tanti Luciano Moggi

This former railway station clerk is now at the forefront of Italy’s biggest sports scandals in recent history. Because of his actions, the glorious Juventus, along with Fiorentina and Lazio, will play next year in Serie B. They will do so starting with enough negative points to basically guarantee they remain there for at least two seasons. AC Milan, the other team affected by the scandal, will stay in Serie A, but will most likely be unable to play their coveted Champions League. For those of you who have been on another planet these past few months, Mr. Moggi’s involvement with the influencing of referees and referee-designator Pierluigi Pairetto, have caused the shaking of the establishment in Italian football. How much will Mr. Moggi’s actions affect one of the most competitive football leagues in the world? Lets see…

1)      Inter seems like the only club benefiting from the scandal. As a result of the verdict sending Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio to Serie B, clubs like Messina, Lecce, and Treviso will now be back on Serie A. Now, I mean no disrespect to these three clubs, but who would you rather play if you’re Inter? Juventus or Messina? Fiorentina or Lecce? Lazio or… you get the point. Inter will also be awarded the Scudettos taken away from Juventus. Inter has now become the prime contender for this upcoming season. AC Milan will have to overcome a deficit of 15 points, so that pretty much counts ACM out of contention. Inter will have to battle AS Roma and perhaps Palermo. But other than that, this season is Inter’s to win… or lose. For that, Inter should say “grazie tanti Luciano Moggi”.

2)      Because of the scandal, quality teams are being dismantled. Juve has already lost Cannavaro, Emerson and Zambrotta. Other players such as Camoranesi, Nedved, and Vieira are likely to jump ship. Capello did so as well. Fiorentina’s Luca Toni may end up in Inter. And even AC Milan may lose Kaká since the star would like to play the Champions League. Who benefits from this? Clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain. ManU in England. Bayern Munich in Germany. These clubs are getting great players at bargain prices. Not only that, but international players who might have otherwise gone to Serie A will opt to go to other leagues such as the Premiership or La Liga. In all, Il Calcio loses, but many –particularly rich- teams benefit. For that, they should say “grazie tanti Luciano Moggi”.

3)      All the agents, sports representatives, and people who make money buying and selling players such as Moggi’s own son, Alessandro (GEA World) will make money from this scandal. Needless to say, all these folks should say “grazie tanti Luciano Moggi”.

4)      Quite possibly, Italy’s Serie B (Second division) will now be Europe’s strongest, most competitive and exciting second division. Hands down. At least we’ll get to see another Juventus-Napoli classic unfold. I personally can’t wait. Or Fiorentina-Lazio? What other second division in the world will have this much excitement? This will certainly bring more attention (i.e. more money) to Serie B. And this money will have to be shared among the Serie B teams. For that, the entire list of Serie B teams should say “grazie tanti Luciano Moggi”.

5)      Finally, the other European leagues, who will not have to face Juve, Fiore of Lazio in European competitions much be delighted. They may now find themselves facing Messina instead (again, no disrespect). Folks in Germany, France (particularly France), Spain, Portugal, etc must be happy they will not have to face the “gladiatori” of Juventus at least in the coming two years. Italian soccer may take a while to recover from this scandal, a long, painful while… For that, European teams should say “grazie tanti Luciano Moggi”.

But what about the fans? I wonder what we will say to Mr. Moggi when we see him walking down the streets… You tell me.

There’s growing speculation about Kaká’s potential move to Real Madrid this summer. Kaká can certainly be considered a “galactico”. No one doubts that. However, there is the slight problem of his current team: AC Milan.

(In my mind, only two other European clubs can claim to compare to Real Madrid: Manchester United and AC Milan. You can argue all you want. Juventus is great (not so great lately thanks to Moggi-gate) at a national level, but never quite at the European level. There’s Inter also, but nah… Liverpool, and most recently –very recently- Chelsea are also great. But again, they’re not quite at the level of Real, ManU and AC. These teams embody everything that is great, and sometimes not-so-great about football. But anyway, that’s a topic for another day. Now back to Kaká and Real Madrid since it affects two great clubs…)

Kaká is the flagship player at AC Milan. This is especially true since Shevchenko’s departure to Chelsea. Kaká’s influence goes beyond the football pitch. He is an enterprise by himself. He is the new symbol of AC Milan and makes a lot of money for the team. Hey, the kid is an incredible player: tactically aligned, physically gifted, technically perfect, and fast and furious like no other. He’s also a great ambassador for AC Milan: he’s young, well-behaved, good-looking, and beloved around the world. So Mr. Berlusconi may not want to give him up so easily. At least not cheaply…

In my humble opinion, Kaká was one of the election promises Mr. Calderón (Real’s newly-elected Prez) used as his main selling point. Mr. Calderón must now deliver. Real’s newly appointed boss, Fabio Capello, wants the Brazilian in his squad. So far, Real has “only” managed to get Cannavaro and Emerson. These two are great players, but believe me when I say they will not take anyone’s breath away at Bernabeu. Kaká on the other hand, he is made to delight madridistas all over the world and can be –together with Robinho- the epicenter of Real Madrid’s comeback after its three-year hiatus from the football elite. With Zidane and his magic –headbutts included- gone, Real Madrid need a new player to fill in those shoes. Mr. Calderón’s credibility is also at stake. Mr. Calderón should and will push hard to Kaká. But what about Kaká? What does he have to say? After all, the player’s opinion does count. Don’t believe me? Ask Shevchenko…

Kaká’s dad –also his agent- has said Kaká won’t leave AC Milan in bad terms. But he didn’t say he wouldn’t leave. He wants Real Madrid to talk directly to AC Milan. AC Milan will not play the Champions League this season, and that is a bit of a bummer for the Brazilian. Also, he may be tired of the overly-tactic, and creatively-impaired Italian League. Brazilians love Spain and the allure of Las Cibeles in Madrid may be too much for any player to resist. But again, everything has a price. I personally feel AC Milan would lose its best player, a player they need. Kaká can win games on his own for AC Milan. No doubt. But Mr. Berlusconi is, above all, a business man. And if he can milk Real for all its worth, and Real is willing to pay the price, Kaká will be dressed in white next season.