Italian Serie A Team Of The Season 2007/2008

Unfortunately for fans of the Azzurri, Italy´s EURO 2008 campaign is now little more than a distant and shabby memory. While the nation licks its wounds, our resident Italian football correspondant Henry N. consoles himself by taking one last look back at the 2007/2008 Serie A campaign and compiling his Team of the Season:

GK: Sebastian FREY (Fiorentina)

Sebastian Frey’s heroics this season helped Fiorentina to their first Champions League place since La Viola’s glory days of the late 90s. On top of an impressive domestic campaign the Frenchman was also a key player in the club‘s UEFA Cup run and hero of the dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Everton in the Quarter-Finals. He then muscled his way into Raymond Domenech’s French squad for Euro 2008. The big question for Fiorentina fans however is whether or not he will remain at the Artemio Franchi next season with AC Milan reportedly in the hunt for his signature.

LB: Giorgio CHIELLINI (Juventus)

The tough Juve defender has excelled this season and in doing cemented his place in Roberto Donadoni's Euro 2008 squad. His performances during the tournament, particularly against Spain, were nothing short of first class and because of this his stock has certainly risen. No doubt he will benefit from some more Champions League experience next season, presently he is considered to be one of the future cornerstones of the national team’s defence.

RB: Christian MAGGIO (Sampdoria, now at Napoli)

Christian Maggio may not be a name familiar to those who do not avidly follow Serie A but his displays for Sampdoria in the past season have been consistently brilliant. His dramatic last minute winner in the derby match with Genoa indicate he is able to perform even in high pressure situations and he has been touted as a possible entry into the Italy squad post- Euro 2008. Napoli, a club with a huge fan base and even larger ambitions for next season have already secured his signature on a permanent basis, seeing him as the perfect addition to their relatively youthful squad.

CB: Philippe MEXES (Roma)

Since his arrival from Auxerre in 2004, Philippe Mexes has quietly gone about improving his game and in doing so ended up arguably the strongest defender in Italy last season. The departure of Christian Chivu has only sped up his progress and the fact Roma were still in the Scudetto race going into the final game of the season was down in no small part to the imperious French centre back.

CB: Alessandro GAMBERINI (Fiorentina)

Although slightly less bold and brash than Mexes, Alessandro Gamberini was Fiorentina’s stand-out performer in defence last season and it was no surprise that when Fabio Cannavaro had to withdraw from Italy’s Euro 2008 squad due to injury Gamberini was chosen by Donadoni as a replacement. He will be looking to continue to make a name for himself next season and with La Viola participating in the Champions League there is a chance for his skills to be on show to a more international audience.

LM: Antonio CASSANO (Sampdoria)

Ok, I realise that Cassano is a striker but recently Cassano’s best work has come from the left side of attack in an attacking midfield-cum-striker role. Despite his almost trademark histrionics, his performances have been of such quality that even strict disciplinarian Roberto Donadoni was practically forced to pick the ‘Brat from Bari’ in his squad for the summer’s main tournament. He managed an impressive 10 goals in 22 outings for Sampdoria last season but this doesn’t tell the whole story as his contribution to the team goes far deeper than just being a finisher. He is the player all his teammates look to when they need a flash of inspiration or a moment of magic to break the deadlock of a match. If Cassano, now permanently owned by Samp, can keep his ego under control then the club may well be able to build on their impressive season and challenge again for a Champions League spot.

RM: Riccardo MONTOLIVO (Fiorentina)

Hugely unlucky not to make the cut for the EUROs, he was the only person cut from Donadoni’s provisional squad. Despite this, Montolivo has been brilliant for Fiorentina with an eye for a pass that has forced comparisons, and rightly so, with Andrea Pirlo. He will have a chance to shine further next season as Fiorentina get a taste of Champions League football.

CM: Daniele DE ROSSI (Roma)

If last season proved anything it is that Daniele De Rossi is currently one of the best all round central midfielders in the world. He is a ferocious opponent, tackling back and protecting the area in front of defence as if his life depends on it. His range of passing is first class and his shooting from distance is both accurate and powerful. To compare him to Steven Gerrard would maybe be seen as cliché but the similarities are there. It should also be noted that De Rossi (like Gerrard) is playing for his hometown team and draws huge amounts of inspiration from this fact. He held the team together in Totti's absence and is most certianly the permanent Giallorossi captain-in-waiting. Roberto Donadoni has also noted his leadership potential handing De Rossi the captaincy most recently in friendlies against South Africa and Portugal.

CM: Esteban CAMBIASSO (Inter Milan)

The tireless Argentine has once again been at the heart of Inter's success this season. He has managed to add a goalscoring element to his sterling defensive duties which has proved crucial to Inter several times this season. Given Mourinho’s love of a true holding midfielder, Cambiasso should surely be a key component to his side next season.

FW: Alessandro DEL PIERO (Juventus)

Even after a great 2006/2007 season in Serie B following the Calciopoli scandal, not many would have tipped Del Piero to carry the same form over to Serie A but the Juve skipper has proved his critics wrong with a fantastic season, hitting 19 league goals and finishing the division's topscorer, (barring the 1997/1998 season, this is his highest tally to date in the top flight). Despite seemingly disappearing from Donadoni's plans for the summer during the qualifiers, his form since the turn of the year forced Donadoni’s hand into including him for the Euro 2008 squad. Can he maintain the same level next season? It would be foolish to write him off.

FW: Adrian MUTU (Fiorentina)

Perhaps Adrian Mutu would have been considered a rank outsider for a Serie A team of the year before the season started but there has been little doubt that, without Luca Toni alongside him, Mutu has taken up the reins and spearheaded the Fiorentina attack with aplomb. Despite injury he has scored more in 2007/2008 than 2006/2007 and in fewer appearances (17 in 26 in 2007/2008 compared to 15 in 33 in 06/07). On top of that, he has been vital to Fiorentina's progress in the UEFA Cup with an impressive 6 goals in 8 outings. Having been fined more than £9m for his positive cocaine test during his time at Chelsea, a move away from La Viola had been touted but it would now seem that he is going to commit his short term future at least to the Tuscan outfit with an improved contract reported to be on the table.

Subs:

Gianluigi BUFFON (Juventus) - If the team had been made to include Euro 2008 performances Buffon would have certainly been a starter. He remains in this writer's opinion the best goalkeeper in the world so his inclusion as a substitute only serves as testament to Frey‘s performances last season in the league.

Mario BALOTELLI (Inter Milan) - Young and immensely talented. If Mourinho is prepared to give him a chance to prove himself again next season he could play a big part in Inter‘s season. If you haven’t heard of him now, you soon will (or you can get ahead of the game by checking Just Football’s ‘Good Player Guide’).

Marek HAMSIK (Napoli) - Arrived last season at Napoli from Brescia and immediately became a key player in their return to Serie A. Already attracking the interest of the ‘big 4‘ in Italy, Hamsik has a fierce shot and a good range of passing. A fantastic prospect who will only improve next season.

Alexandre PATO (AC Milan) - Given the hype around the young Brazillian before his arrival at AC Milan many felt he would inevitably disappoint as he bedded into the European game. It was not to be as Pato put in a stunning debut performance capped off with a goal at home to Napoli and continued to be the outstanding performer for Milan as the season progressed. Milan chairman Adriano Galliani‘s predicition that he would be European Golden Boot Winner in 2009 was perhaps premature but there is little doubt that the magical Pato will be a star on the world stage in the coming years.

Sebastian GIOVINCO (Juventus) - The young man from Juve was sent on loan to Empoli for the season to gain experience and he certainly did that, becoming Empoli‘s most exciting player in the process. Such was his progress that the Bianconeri have decided to keep him and he may well feature more prominently in the first team next season.

Javier ZANETTI (Inter Milan) - The Inter captain’s continuing zest and enthusiasm for the game shows no sign of depleting despite his age, as Zanetti had another outstanding season with the Nerazzurri. He was perhaps the only player to emerge from their Champions League campaign with any credit and continues to be hugely important to the club both on and off the field.

Or Down You Fall - On Ronaldinho, Eto´o and Deco

`The world is just a simple circle,

You´ve got to keep on turning...´

While EURO 2008 continues to dazzle in Austria and Switzerland, with Spain basking in the glory of eliminating long-standing rivals and world champions Italy, over in the Iberian nation´s second largest city the fallout from FC Barcelona´s miserable season continues following the recent public declaration by new coach Josep Guardiola that Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto´o and Deco are surplus to requirements at the Camp Nou.

At his official unveiling as Barcelona coach Guardiola had this to say on the three stars.

"All of the players in the first-team squad last season are of a very high level. But with the technical secretary [Txiki Begiristain] we are forming a squad and Deco, Ronaldinho and Eto'o are not in our minds."

This final, damning verdict on the trio´s future at the Camp Nou was as crystal clear as it was brief.

For a triumvirate of players that together formed the central, creative hub of one of the most entertaining European sides seen this century, Guardiola´s statement dots the ´i´s and crosses the ´t´s on what represents a remarkable fall from grace. It is one thing to no longer be wanted at a particular club, for whatever reason. Transfers happen all the time. But for these three players to be publicly named and shamed, and more or less held up as symbols of everything that has gone wrong at Barcelona over the last two years is another matter altogether.

At this stage one might jot down some hard stats detailing their various individual and collective achievements while defending the blaugrana of the Catalan giants. In this case I don´t think I need to. Anyone with even the slightest interest in football will be well aware of the magic these three created, along with their teammates. For two years they well and truly ruled Spain. They bewildered opponents. They were electrifying. No-one could get near them.

They played football with a beauty and a carefree joy that provided an enchanting antidote to the climate of suffocate-the-opposition-with-bodies-and-nick-a-draw football that pervaded much of the European psyche. They took on Jose Mourinho, master of the tactical war of attrition and the Frankenstein-like monster created by Abramovich and won, eventually, after some mammoth tussles that made headlines around the world. Together they helped deliver the European Cup to Barcelona, only the second in the club´s history. And they did it all with smiles on their faces, encapsulated in that loveable, buck-tooth grin that became Ronaldinho´s hallmark. I mean for crying out loud, even Real Madrid fans were won over.

These three were at the very epicentre of all that Barcelona achieved. And though of course it is largely irrelevant, it is worth noting that if goal difference were used to separate teams in La Liga, Barça would have won the league for a third year running in 2006/2007 too.

Ultimately, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end. However it is the speed of the demise that is most shocking when analysing the trio´s Barcelona careers. In fairness to Samuel Eto´o it is injuries that have most affected him in Barça´s last campaign, and personally I expect him to move to another club and prove himself yet again, if he stays injury free.

But in the cases of Deco and Ronaldinho the picture is more blurred. Deco started just 14 league games in 2007/2008, Ronaldinho just 13. Though the club regularly covered up for them by claiming the pair were injured, by the end of the season those in charge appeared to lose patience with the smokescreens, and no longer seemed to bother with the cover-up. The worst kept secret in Spain was out. Reports that both players often went out partying and seldom made it to training the next day were finally no longer denied, and the rumours became largely accepted as truth. And with Guardiola´s final condemnation it seems the Barcelona hierarchy have now run out of patience with the duo´s antics.

Where now?

Looking to the future, then, and it seems that Deco, at the centre of a transfer tussle between Inter Milan and Chelsea, should have no troubles in finding a new home. Samuel Eto´o remains one of the world´s most feared strikers and major clubs in both Italy and England are reportedly fighting for his signature.

Ronaldinho however, may find it more difficult. One of the most damning and, for those who remain fond of the player, worrying statements from Guardiola´s press conference was the hint that he does not feel the Brazilian superstar remains capable of motivating himself to hit the Everestian heights he once managed.

"If I felt that he wanted to be the player he was again, he would be here," he stated.

That is some criticism. Thus far, with huge wage demands and Guardiola´s words still echoing in the minds of chairmen everywhere, it is perhaps no surprise that only Manchester City have shown any real interest.

At 30, 28 and 27 years of age respectively, Deco, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto´o are more or less at the peak of their careers. These are not past-it superstars ready for the scrapheap. Nor are they once promising youngsters who sadly failed to fulfil their talent. These are world renowned and on their day quite brilliant footballers who, for whatever reason, took their foot off the pedals and slipped off the track. Now their job is to prove to the world they can get back up. You´ve got to keep on turning. Or down you fall.

EURO 2008: Coachwatch

UPDATE 24/6/08 - Another one bites the dust

With Holland eliminated having been knocked out by Russia, Marco Van Basten´s reign as Dutch coach comes to an end. For so long they looked like the team to beat, but unfortunately for fans of the Oranje, they crumbled when it came to the knockout stages. Another managerial casualty is Josef Hickersberger, who has resigned from his post as Austria coach claiming to be ´empty and tired.´ Somewhat like the team he was coaching then. Roberto Donadoni has also shifted dangerously towards the exit door as Italy coach after a rather lacklustre tournament, as is now in our ´In The Balance´ category. Will Marcelo Lippi replace him at the Azzurri helm? Have your say in the comments field.

COACHWATCH BACKGROUND: With minutes remaining in Basle, and Germany heading towards victory over Portugal, Luiz Felipe Scolari glanced down at the ground looking flustered, lowered his brow and let out a long, sorry sigh. Hoping for a miracle and yet simultaneously aware that as the minutes ticked by his side´s exit from EURO 2008 was imminent, he looked forlorn. Alas there was to be no great escape, and as the final whistle blew it not only secured Germany´s triumphant passage to the semi-finals but also brought to a close Scolari´s five-year tenure in charge of Portugal.

The charismatic, sometimes temperamental Brazilian has for the most part been successful at Portugal. Though failing at the final hurdle at EURO 2004, he has competently overseen the development of the Iberian nation into one of European football´s stronger sides, and he was also responsible for guiding them to only their second ever World Cup semi-final in 2006. He now heads off for pastures new in West London at Chelsea.

One of the givens of international football tournaments is the unavoidable fact that, as sure as night follows day, the international manager merry-go-round swings furiously into action as the competition unfurls. It is with this in mind that we introduce EURO 2008 Coachwatch to keep track of the teams and coaches that end up going their separate ways during and after the tournament. Here at Just-Football, like the CCTV cameras that perenially survey the streets of London we will be keeping a close eye on the sixteen coaches that led the nations they represent into battle in Austria and Switzerland, and pointing out those who fall by the wayside as the competition proceeds.

At the present moment some are gone (Kobi Kuhn, Scolari), some are wobbling (Domenech) and some still stand tall (Van Basten, Bilic) but all this may change as the days go by. Van Basten for example, has already announced he will be departing the Oranje post at the end of the competition, likewise Luis Aragones with Spain. Just how many coaches will still be in their current roles come June 29th when one side proudly lifts the trophy in Vienna?

As at June 24th 2008:

GONE:

Kobi Kuhn - Day 8*
Karel Bruckner - Day 8
Luiz Felipe Scolari - Day 12
Marco Van Basten - Day 14
Josef Hickersberger - Day 17

IN THE BALANCE:

Roberto Donadoni
Raymond Domenech
Otto Rehhagel

SAFE...?

Lars Lagerback
Leo Beenhakker
Slaven Bilic

SECURE:

Luis Aragones
Fatih Terim
Guus Hiddink
Joachim Low
Victor Piturca

(* = Number of days passed since the tournament began)

Who will be next to pack their bags, go a bit loopy and walk out the door or, depending on the circumstances be booted out? Leave a comment, let us know your thoughts...

Holland In A Nutshell...?

Holland are like that guy at the party. You know the one. He turns up, delights everyone with his presence and is the life and soul of the party. He makes everyone smile. He is flamboyant and exciting. But at the end of the night, when all is said and done, he goes home alone, again.

Football in Peru - Los Incas´ 2010 Hopes Shot Down by Uruguay

If ever you are to read a Lonely Planet guidebook for information on a particular country, you will find a section titled ´National Psyche´ that essentially tries to capture the general mindset of a population of millions. In the most recent guide to Peru, the people are described amongst other things as ´stoic´ ´humorous´and full of ´hope.´ If, like myself, you arrived in this most diverse of lands in time to witness the 6-0 beating dished out to Peru by Uruguay in the latest round of South American World Cup qualifiers however, this choice of adjectives would be way down the list of descriptive words used to encapsulate the emotions currently coursing through the veins of fans.

´Embarrassment!!´ roared leading daily newspaper Peru 21. ´How do we rescue our national game?´ asked Correo fearfully. The frenetic sense of angst and injustice was summed up perfectly by one journalist. ´It is not fair that our children are forced to watch such a disgrace as this,´ he wrote, as if the humiliating performance produced by the national team was some sort of disgusting, preordained insult aimed at the people of Peru.

It certainly was a shameful display though, whichever way you look at it. The result leaves Las Rojiblancas rock bottom of the qualification group with just three points from six games and more or less guarantees that they will not be invited to the party in South Africa come June 2010. In ninety minutes they managed just 15% (fifteen!!) possession. And though they have only ever qualified for the World Cup four times, with their last appearance as far back as 1982, the nation´s current, pitiful predicament has caused outrage amongst supporters.

From Montevideo the team were welcomed back at Jorge Chavez airport in Lima to a barrage of insults. Fans hurled eggs and orange peels at the team bus. Pockets of angry Peruvians furiously attempted to breach the police blockades in order to make their feelings known to the players. Even Alan Garcia, President of Peru, felt incensed enough to weigh in with his two cents worth. "I'm not the one to ask the officials or the coach to leave, but if I were one of them, I'm sure I would have been thinking about that. This is shameful" he stated. And all this after the national press had built up to the Uruguay game with such bravado, as shown in the headline picture. El Bocon´s ´Kill or be killed´ slogan clearly failed in its desired effect. If anyone it was the men in red and white whose hopes died away, and the post-mortem is now being publicly and graphically played out in the public domain.

Though far from one of South America´s superpowers, football is a source of great passion in Peru and people clearly take their interest in the game very seriously. On the streets of Lima, children and adults alike don football shirts of the top European clubs, while shirts of the local clubs Alianza Lima, Universitario and Sporting Cristal are also commonly on display. Though the country has few renowned international stars (one of their greatest and most important players - Nolberto Solano, has just been discarded by West Ham, one - Claudio Pizarro, is well and truly out of favour at Chelsea), this has in no way dimmed the enthusiasm for the game in Peru, and often one of the first things friendly locals are keen to discover upon meeting Europeans is exactly what team they support. Though clasicos between the two most successful and best supported clubs Alianza Lima and Universitario are often sell-outs, that the domestic league and national team are not as distinctive as people would perhaps like affords them the opportunity to cast their eyes further afield at the game around the world, and this results in a set of people that are generally quite well-informed about football across the globe. It was a Peruvian taxi driver, for example, that I witnessed inform a Danish Arsenal fan about AC Milan´s approach for Emmanuel Adebayor.

Time for reform

In recent months, the Montevideo debacle has not been the only time that the Peruvian national team has disgraced itself. Prior to Los Incas 5-1 loss to Ecuador in Quito back in November 2007, four players were indefinitely suspended from international duty by coach Jose ´Chemo´ Del Solar over a hotel party scandal. Peru has a strong tabloid press, and it no doubt delighted in breaking the story that Jefferson Farfan, Andres Mendoza, Santiago Acasiete and Claudio Pizarro were caught hosting an alcohol-fuelled party with several women after a 1-1 draw with Brazil in Lima. Currently all four of them still remain suspended from action (on the pitch that is).

At present, with the recriminations and finger-pointing reminiscent of England´s own national team crisis circa November 2007, it remains to be seen in which direction Peru heads as it attempts to get its house back in order. Del Solar will almost certainly lose his job on the back of a thus far dreadful campaign. Other coaching personnel may also leave the national setup. But the problems run far deeper than just a simple cosmetic managerial change. The whole system is being scrutinised, from the country´s youth teams and colleges right up to those in charge at the Peruvian football federation including president Manuel Burga. Juvenal Silva, the head of the country's World Cup Commission, has already announced his intention to resign and with the public angrily searching for answers, a few more people in power may well fall by their swords before the air of acrimony and malcontent dies down.

As one other leading sports journalist in Peru put it, ´The whole system must be changed, now.´

The Reggaeton So Loud, The Screen So Small

Out here in Trinidad, Cuba, the excitement for Sunday's big game is tangible. People's eyes light up when the subject is touched upon. Wild gestures and outlandish curses are passionately and freely flung about whenever the match is mentioned, such is the intensity of debate. Nobody dare miss it. Its going to be huge. The game in question however is not Germany vs Poland or even Austria vs Croatia. Rather, its a baseball match between Cuba and Venezuela, to be held on a hot summer's afternoon in Havana. Enthusiasm undiminished, I try one or two bars lined up along one strip of this quaint, sleepy town and eventually find a tiny screen in what appears to be the kitchen at the back of a loud bar. Germany vs Poland plays out in front of me.

Reggaeton blares out from the massive speakers all around the establishment, but intermittently I hear the odd bit of commentary. Germany are constantly referred to as 'The Powerful Machine.' Every time Michael Ballack is in possession the three others in attendance look up from their card game, smile excitedly and proudly shout out his surname. 'BA-LLACK!!' they cry, heavily emphasising the second syllable. All three work at the bar. I strain my retina and decipher that, in the first half hour, the Germans manage 58% of the possession. They dominate the play quite majestically I think to myself, and just as I do, as if to confirm it the Germans carve open an organised but at times flat-footed looking Poland and Lukas Podolski makes it 1-0, which is how it remains at half time.

At the start of the second half the commentator rolls his tongue for a good thirty seconds, perhaps attempting to drum up some enthusiasm for the spectacle. I have no idea why, but its the most exciting thing that happens until Smolarek's not-so-contentious offside goal and the consequent lively jockeying of Poland coach Leo Beenhakker urging his side to press forward for an unlikely equaliser. A man in a Daddy Yankee T-shirt ambles into the bar with his son just as Artur Boruc makes a magnificent save from Michael Ballack. The man looks up at the screen and walks out. 'BA-LLACK!!' the card-players once again enthuse. Podolski then scores a quite brilliant goal oozing technical mastery, but barely manages a smile. Something to do with the Polish born player's split loyalties, perhaps? In Roger Guerreiro, Poland have their own player of dual-nationality on the field and he looks lively as a second half substitute, laying on a great ball for Marek Saganowski late on, but with a two-goal lead the Germans' begin to play more expansively, pressing home the obvious gulf in class between the two sides before eventually running out clear and deserved 2-0 winners.

I have not quite made up my mind as to whether or not I am such a big fan of the EUROs. Either the technical ability the players and the all-round tactical organisation is so good that teams cancel each other out, hindering excitement levels prevalent in competitions like the African Cup of Nations and the Copa America where end-to-end football is more regularly displayed, or the fear of losing has so manifested itself into the majority of teams' style of play that is has created a slightly more dour brand of football lacking in self-expression. When I see Germany vs Poland I see the fear of making mistakes and fear of being caught out of position more than I see the joy of just playing the game. Am I the only one? I hope as the tournament goes on the nature of the football offers me the opportunity to change my opinion. I want to see an intriguing competition full of excitement, one that lives in the memory for years to come. But from what I have seen so far, and from what I gather of the first four matches, EURO 2008 is yet to ignite.

Upon leaving this dank kitchenette of a bar, I notice the drastic change of temperature. Cool showers have replaced blistering heat. Cuba are beating Venezuela 5-1. I head off into the rain. Behind me, the reggaeton plays on.

Minutes witnessed: 82

God Bless ESPN Deportes

The wooden gate is flung invitingly open. Through the iron grilles of an old colonial style house I spy something that looks suspiciously like a football pitch projected onto a TV screen. A large green mass with dots on it - some in white, some in red. The dots shift around, as though chasing something. If im not mistaken, that is definitely a football. The squinting confirms it. The mathematical cogs in my head start turning, and a quick calculation leads me to conclude the time - about 9.00pm in the UK. I swear thats Nani rolling around on the floor. Gripped by cautious excitement, I attempt to seek confirmation.

'This is...football, right??' I ask the aged man lighting a pipe on the cobbled step by the front door. 'Si' he gruffly responds, with about as much interest as Wayne Rooney in a quiet night-in before a wedding. I marvel at the sight in front of me. That is Nani lying on the floor. And that is Portugal v Turkey. I have found EURO 2008 coverage in Cuba! In a country that cherishes baseball as its national sporting treasure, with boxing and basketball close behind in the affections of the people, witnessing some footage of EURO 2008 feels somehow like a victory to me, however small.

The game itself hardly matters. There are no animations in the top left or right hand corner revealing the score, and only by working out the time back home do I realise the game is nearly over. The Portuguese hit Turkey with a quick counter-attack, Cristiano Ronaldo delivers a sumptuous through-ball to Joao Moutinho and Raul Meireles puts the finishing touch to the move. Only minutes later do I realise that goal made it 2-0, which is how the game ends. In the grand scheme of things that is irrelevant. I am subsequently informed by others that Portugal deserved their win, but this information is superfluous. The important thing now is I am aware of the chance to catch the odd game here and there. So at the final whistle, like Luiz Felipe Scolari, I raise a satisfied smile, fully aware of what is a great result.

Minutes witnessed: 11

A Change of Direction - The Football World From My Window

The 2007/2008 European football season is over. Manchester United conquered Europe, winning their domestic league and also the Champions League 50 years after the Munich Air Disaster, beating Chelsea on penalties on a dramatic night in Moscow. Real Madrid retained their trophy in a La Liga that, for many, failed to satisfy - at the top of the league anyway. Villarreal qualified automatically for the Champions League and provided the sternest test to Bernd Schuster's men, but in truth it was Madrid's title more or less from the moment they beat Barcelona 1-0 at the Camp Nou back in December.

Meanwhile Barcelona now face massive upheaval and turmoil after a dreadful year by their very high standards, with Frank Rijkaard gone and Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Deco and many others sure to follow him out of the exit door. In Italy, Inter Milan retained Serie A after being pushed all the way to the last day of the season by AS Roma, before sacking Roberto Mancini and drafting in a certain 'Special One' to try and take them to new heights, namely the success in Europe they so desperately crave. While Inter won their third straight Scudetto, neighbourhood rivals AC Milan fell apart domestically, and an aging but nevertheless talented squad failed to even qualify for Europe's elite competition, finishing 5th behind Juventus and Fiorentina who took the two remaining Champions League berths.



PSV, Celtic and Porto continued dominance of their respective leagues while in Germany, Bayern Munich are back at the helm thanks largely to the contributions of an Italian and a Frenchman. In France, Olympique Lyonnais were taken further than they have been before in their hunt for Le Championnat in an exciting tussle with Laurent Blanc's Bordeaux, but in the end Karim Benzema and co hung on for a seventh straight league title before making it a double with victory in the French Cup Final. And Zenit St. Petersburg won the UEFA Cup, triumphing over Rangers' brand of anti-football (who am I to criticise, it almost worked. Almost.)



Indeed its been a compelling season in Europe, and one that many fans will remember for years to come.

Now we are left with a summer of endless transfer speculation (Who isn't already bored of the Ronaldo saga) and Euro 2008, which is being extensively covered by the boys over at the Euro 2008 blog created by The Offside. However, at Just-Football, we are temporarily heading in a new direction.


As editor-in-chief and more or less the sole author of the site, I myself am undertaking a change of path this summer, heading to South and Central America for a few months to do some research/travelling/wandering and pondering. And so for the foreseeable future I hope to bring you tales of the football world from my own window, delving into the heart of the vibrant, exciting, passionate beast that is Latin American football. What wonders will I witness while I am out there, who knows. What I do know however, is that there is a huge lust for and interest in the beautiful game in this part of the world, and as such I hope to be able to see first-hand what makes Latin America a hotbed of football fervour. Hopefully I can report to you many an exciting tale. We will continue to keep an eye on the football world as a whole and provide analysis as often as possible, but in the coming months Just-Football will almost certainly develop a Latino-centric flavour!


Stay tuned, and Hasta el Futbol Siempre!!