Italy coach Pierluigi Casiraghi has included 4 Empoli FC players in his team for the friendly against France on 21 August in La Spezia.
Midfielders Sebastian Giovinco and Claudio Marchisio, both on loan from Juve, forward Nicola Pozzi, on loan from AC Milan, and defender Lino Marzoratti are the quartet representing the UEFA Cup contenders in the 1st Azzurrini team to be named since the UEFA European U21 Championship in the Netherlands.
Casiraghi will also count on Villarreal CF's new signing Giuseppe Rossi, Arturo Lupoli and Robert Acquafresca in attack. "We have lots of players of good skill up front," Casiraghi said.
"Now we must make sure they develop well at their clubs. I hope they improve even more, because the U21 side and Italian football require them." Italy will resume their qualifying campaign for the 2009 UEFA European U21 Championship against the Faroe Islands on 7 September.
Italy squad
Goalkeepers, Andrea Consigli (Rimini Calcio), Salvatore Sirigu (US Cremonese).
Defenders, Marco Andreolli (AS Roma), Domenico Criscito (Juve), Lino Marzoratti (Empoli FC), Marco Motta (Udinese Calcio), Francesco Pisano (Cagliari Calcio), Andrea Ranocchia (AC Arezzo), Fabiano Santacroce (Brescia Calcio).
Midfielders, Luca Cigarini (Parma FC), Paolo De Ceglie (AC Siena), Daniele Dessena (Parma FC), Sebastian Giovinco (Empoli FC), Claudio Marchisio (Empoli FC), Piermario Morosini (Vicenza Calcio), Gabriele Paonessa (Bologna FC), Andrea Russotto (Treviso FC).
Forwards, Robert Acquafresca (Cagliari Calcio), Arturo Lupoli (ACF Fiorentina), Nicola Pozzi (Empoli FC), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal CF).
05 July 2007
Empoli FC sign forward Rej Volpato and attacking midfielder Sebastian Giovinco from Juve as they plot their domestic and European assault for the coming season.
Volpato, 20, scored 6 goals in 22 Serie B games last season whilst on loan at AC Arezzo having previously played 13 times in Serie A during a similar spell at AC Siena.
Juve, who have only been promoted back to the top flight, will retain 50 per cent of his playing licence. The 20 year old Giovinco, who joins Empoli on a one season loan, is considered one of the Turin club's brightest prospects.
He made 3 Serie B appearances last season and made his Italy U21 debut in 2007-09 UEFA European U21 Championship qualifying last month. Both players will hope to get a 1st taste of European football when Empoli, who finished 7th last season, enter the UEFA Cup 1st round in September.
23 June 2007
There were no real surprises as the blind auction envelopes to resolve co-ownership deals were opened this afternoon.
Fabio Quagliarella will leave Sampdoria after Udinese outbid them by £570,000, whilst Lazio offered more than Palermo for Stephen Makinwa.
BELINGHERI (ALBINOLEFFE-ASCOLI) ASCOLI
BOTTONE (VARESE-TORINO) TORINO
BRIVIO (FIORENTINA-ATALANTA) ATALANTA
CAROBBIO (GENOA-ALBINOLEFFE) ALBINOLEFFE
CAROTTI (CREMONESE-PARMA) CREMONESE
CASSETTI (ROMA-LECCE) ROMA
CAVAGNA (AREZZO-FOLIGNO) FOLIGNO
CESAR (CATANIA-CHIEVO) CHIEVO
CIARCIA (TERNANA-CROTONE) TERNANA
CODA (UDINESE-EMPOLI) UDINESE
COMOTTO (TORINO-ROMA) TORINO
CROCE (AREZZO-PESCARA) AREZZO
DE FALCO (PESCARA-FIORENTINA) PESCARA
DEL SOLE (SANREMESE-PARMA) PARMA
DI DEO (FROSINONE-TERNANA) TERNANA
DIAGOURAGA (SAMBENEDETTESE-CHIEVO) CHIEVO
DIDIO (REGGINA-TERNANA) TERNANA
FELCI (PESCARA-GIULIANOVA) PESCARA
FIUZZI (CUOIOPELLI-EMPOLI) EMPOLI
GAZZI (REGGINA-BARI) BARI
KONKO (SIENA-GENOA) SIENA
MAKINWA (LAZIO-PALERMO) LAZIO
MASIELLO (SIENA-GENOA) GENOA
MATTEINI (PALERMO-EMPOLI) PALERMO
MILANI (BARI-CITTADELLA) CITTADELLA
NOSSA (SAN MARINO-INTER) INTER
OLA (CESENA-TERAMO) CESENA
OLIVERI (PESCARA-CHIEVO) CHIEVO
OSVALDO (LECCE-ATALANTA) ATALANTA
PEDRELLI (VENEZIA-BOLOGNA) VENEZIA
PELLICORI (CESENA-PIACENZA) CESENA
PEPE (UDINESE-CAGLIARI) UDINESE
QUAGLIARELLA (SAMPDORIA-UDINESE) UDINESE
RINALDI (CARRARESE-GENOA) CARRARESE
RUSSO (GROSSETO-MESSINA) GROSSETO
SAVIANO (CASSINO-CHIEVO) CHIEVO
SIMONETTA (AREZZO-ROMA) AREZZO
SPITONI (GENOA-PERUGIA) GENOA
SORRENTINO (GROSSETO-PARMA) GROSSETO
VALERI (GROSSETO-INTER) GROSSETO
19 June 2007
Fabio Bazzani will join Serie B club Brescia after signing a 2 year contract with the Rondinelle.
The forward will leave Sampdoria on a free transfer after 5 years at the Marassi, as said by Brescia's official website bresciaonline.it.
'Sporting director Gian Luca Nani announces that Brescia and Bazzani have agreed to a 2 year deal this morning, with an option for a 3rd,' read a note posted Monday
'Bazzani is presently on holiday abroad and will meet his new teammates in mid-July for pre season training.'
The forward had already put pen to paper with Livorno, however then asked to free himself from the contract after the Amaranto fans protested against his arrival, supposedly due to political reasons.
The 30 year old will join Coach Serse Cosmi, whom he worked with at Arezzo in 1999-2000, scoring 20 goals in 31 matches, and Perugia in 2001-02, netting 10 times.
Bazzani's spell in Genoa was plagued by a series of injuries that have kept him out for months at a time, however he was vital in their promotion from Serie B with 16 goals in 2002-03.
15 June 2007
Udinese have completed the signing of Arezzo forward Antonio Floro Flores, who has joined the Zebrette on a co-ownership deal.
The Bianconeri are close to losing Vincenzo Iaquinta, who should soon finalise his transfer to Juve, and have chosen the 24 year old to reinforce their attacking options.
'Udinese Calcio announce that they have secured the services of forward Antonio Floro Flores, born in 1983, agreeing to a co-ownership deal with Arezzo,' mentioned a note posted on the Friulani's website.
'The player will be officially unveiled to the Press Friday, June 15 at the Stadio Friuli.'
The forward started his career with Napoli, making his Serie A debut in 2001 before moving to Sampdoria on loan deal in 2003-04, appearing only 4 times due to an uneasy relationship with Coach Walter Novellino.
After Napoli's bankruptcy Floro Flores was signed by Perugia where he netted 6 goals in 23 matches, plus 2 more in the play-offs which finished with the side's defeat against Torino.
However, Perugia also went bankrupt and the forward joined Arezzo in 2005, scoring 28 times in 79 appearances with the Tuscan minnows before they were relegated from Serie B this season.
14 June 2007
Crotone goalie Angelo Pagotto maybe facing a lifetime ban from the game after failing a drugs test for the 2nd time in his career.
The Italian Olympic Committee said Wednesday that the player was found to have traces of cocaine in his system after the 2-0 Serie B loss to Spezia on April 28.
The 33 year old is now hoping that his B sample comes back clean otherwise his career could potentially be over.
Pagotto was already banned for 20 months in 1999, during his Perugia days, when he tested positive for cocaine in a match against Fiorentina.
The shot-stopper, who could now be handed a lifetime ban under Italian sporting law, started his Serie A career with Sampdoria, before joining Milan, Perugia, Empoli and Reggiana.
After his 1st ban came to an end, he returned to action with Triestina before moving to Arezzo, Torino, Grosseto and in the end Crotone.
Pagotto is the 3rd player to test positive for cocaine this season after Francesco Flachi of Sampdoria, who was given a 16 month ban, and Messina goalie Nicholas Caglioni.
13 June 2007
Italian Serie B side Arezzo failed in their bid to escape relegation to the 3rd division Wednesday after a civil court upheld the penalty handed down to them in last year's match fixing scandal.
Last August, a sports court ordered the Tuscan club to start the 2006-07 season on minus 6 points after they were found guilty of seeking favours from referees.
They finished the season inside the Serie B relegation zone, 3 points from safety.
Wednesday's decision by a regional court in Lazio effectively finished their expects of avoiding the drop.
Several other clubs, that included Serie A giants Juve, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio, were also punished in last year's scandal, however Arezzo were the only ones to take their appeal to the civil courts.
12 June 2007
Arezzo council have asked Italy's football federation to investigate Juve's 3-2 defeat by La Spezia Sunday which relegated their town's club from Serie B.
Juve were drawing 2-2 before conceding an injury time goal which sent Arezzo down and gave La Spezia the chance of staying up via a playoff.
'Arezzo council will ask the Italian football federation to speed up actions, in the immediate future, that can guarantee perfect regularity in a championship until the final day,' it mentioned in a statement Monday.
Arezzo manager Antonio Conte, who played for Juve, has also expressed his anger at what he saw as a poor display from his former team.
Juve were promoted to Serie A this season after last year's demotion for their position in a match fixing scandal.
Arezzo are awaiting a court verdict on whether the 6 point deduction for their part in the scandal should be reduced, meaning they still have a chance of staying in the 2nd tier.
11 June 2007
Former Juve captain Antonio Conte has blamed the lazy 'disrespectful' Bianconeri for dooming his Arezzo side to relegation.
The Tuscans needed to beat Treviso and hope that Spezia did not become the 1st team in the history of Serie B to win in Turin if they were to avoid the drop.
However, a 3-2 result at the Stadio Olimpico saw Spezia and Verona enter the play-outs, sending Arezzo straight down to Serie C1.
'There is immense disappointment and bitterness,' mentioned Coach Conte. 'I have a good deal of respect for the Juve fans, however very little respect for the squad.'
Since securing the top spot in Serie B, the Turin giants have lost both their games under caretaker tactician Giancarlo Corradini.
'It is painful to be relegated this way, however it helps me to understand things I already knew,' added former midfielder Conte.
'In sport there is so much talk and everyone made it appear as if the rot was removed to clean up the game. If this is clean football.'
Spezia's 3-2 triumph in Turin was only grabbed in the final minute when Padoin had taken advantage of an error from Jean-Alain Boumsong.
'When someone is very disappointed, he can said things that he will probably regret later,' replied Juve GM Jean Claude Blanc.
'I think that whoever saw this match can have no doubts. If we must have given football a different image, then before making statements like that people should think long and hard.'
Spezia had taken the lead twice before in the match, however in both occasions Juve had equalised within 90 seconds.
