Napoli are back

[CarraLegend]

Needed a draw today at 3rd placed Genoa and it finished 0-0.

 

Genoa also up due to Piacenza failing to win and the 10 point gap staying intact between them and the nearest team so the play offs are cancelled.

 

Juve, Napoli and Genoa will certainly push attendances up a lot for Serie A next season.

[magneto]

 

[R A Softlad]

Good to see Napoli back. Great club... my barber will be happy.

[Bo Benn]

My barber isn't bothered. He is from Seville

[NWR]

Good to see Napoli back. Great club... my barber will be happy.

 

I was in Naples watching United v Chelsea in the cup final. I did not realise they were playing at home and my missus was a big worried walking through them all wearing my United shirt.

 

If you like pizza, you have never eaten pizza til you try one there.

Edited June 10, 2007 by NWR

[Gilps]

Like most everything else from their city, I love Napoli. Fantastic to see them back. Serie A just isn't the same without them. Should be a great year next year with them back, Juve back and Genoa upping the number of derbies as well.

[matty]

Should raise the general level of interest for Serie A, which is good.

 

I'm confident the reigning champions will hold their crown again. `

[Gilps]

Should raise the general level of interest for Serie A, which is good.

 

I'm confident the reigning champions will hold their crown again. `

 

You've a good chance, assuming (dangerously) that Moratti doesn't do anything too mental in the transfer market. It's great to have Juve, Napoli and Genoa coming up though - been a while since all the big boys were in Serie A at the same time.

[matty]

You've a good chance, assuming (dangerously) that Moratti doesn't do anything too mental in the transfer market. It's great to have Juve, Napoli and Genoa coming up though - been a while since all the big boys were in Serie A at the same time.

 

That's a very big 'if'.

 

So far, all the gossip seems to surround Milan and Juve, possibly because Moratti doesn't need to do much with his squad. Crespo's staying, the doubts are around Figo and Adriano. SOme reports also that Inter might do some kind of swap deal for Gilardino....a mistake in my book.

 

Yes, I suppose it's good in a way to have Juventus back in A. I don't see Ranieri being the man to take them back to championships, but he'll stabilise them, I suspect. Napoli and Genoa are great old clubs so atmosphere should return. As well as some massive scraps between the fans. Hope they get policing improved.

[Magic8Ball]

Magneto, why the shiver, she looks good for a pensioner

[Gilps]

Loren's still a goddess. Never quite as hot as Gina Lollobrigida, but pretty damn close.

[Kahnee]

That's a very big 'if'.

 

So far, all the gossip seems to surround Milan and Juve, possibly because Moratti doesn't need to do much with his squad. Crespo's staying, the doubts are around Figo and Adriano. SOme reports also that Inter might do some kind of swap deal for Gilardino....a mistake in my book.

 

Yes, I suppose it's good in a way to have Juventus back in A. I don't see Ranieri being the man to take them back to championships, but he'll stabilise them, I suspect. Napoli and Genoa are great old clubs so atmosphere should return. As well as some massive scraps between the fans. Hope they get policing improved.

 

Think it was on SSN this morning that Figo has signed for another year

[matty]

Think it was on SSN this morning that Figo has signed for another year

 

Excellent news.

 

Just reading on Gazzetta that Inter are chasing Sami Nasri from Marseille, with the intention to leave him there for a year and then be the Figo replacement.

 

Inter are also close to signing Chivu from Roma, and Suazo, who I don't know anything about.

 

Also reports that Adriano should stay, having agreed to 'behave better'.

[Gilps]

Chivu's a decent player

[Bailo]

Chivu's a decent player

Decent but from the Ferdinand school of "I can pass a ball, so sod actually defending" school IMHO.

[Gilps]

Talking of Serie A...

 

Italian football is to return to terrestrial television for the first time since 2002 after Channel Five picked up the rights.

Five is expected to air Italian football coverage from the start of the 2007-8 season later this year, with output to be made by sports production company Sunset+Vine.

 

Sunset+Vine, a subsidiary of Welsh firm Tinopolis, already produces cricket highlights for Five.

 

"The main deal is for a highlights programme, although Five do have the rights for live matches as well," said Ron Jones, the executive chairman of Tinopolis.

 

Channel 4 first brought Serie A football to UK television in 1992 following the move of Paul Gascoigne to Lazio and screened matches and highlights until 2002, when it dropped coverage.

The rights were picked up by British Eurosport midway through 2002, with the channel screening matches until 2005, when Bravo and Setanta Sports took over in a joint deal.

 

Bravo announced it would not be screening any more matches from the end of December last year because of poor ratings.

 

Italian football is best known on UK TV for the Channel 4 Football Italia show, presented by James Richardson.

 

A Saturday morning show, Gazzetta, was voiced by the late Kenneth Wolstenholme and also shown on Channel 4.

 

A Five spokesman declined to comment.

[Bailo]

Get James Richardson in and have a Sat morn round-up of the papers. Football heaven.

[Mondavi]

Get James Richardson in and have a Sat morn round-up of the papers. Football heaven.

 

 

Agreed, a programme for football fans. As aposed to the laddish dross of Soccer AM.

 

Don't think I'd find the time to watch live games, but Richardson's show was class, a real gem.

[matty]

Wonderful! get in there.

[Jarg Armani]

a superb bolt from the blue that one!

has to be richardson and his ever changing puddings.

[Magic8Ball]

Loren's still a goddess. Never quite as hot as Gina Lollobrigida, but pretty damn close.

[Gilps]