Parma defender Fernando Couto was banned for three matches by the Italian league Tuesday for spitting at an opponent.
The incident with Livorno forward Erjon Bogdani occurred during Parma's 3-2 win Sunday.
Couto will miss games with Palermo, Siena and Juventus.
27 October 2007
Former Siena coach Luigi De Canio is the new manager of Queen's Park Rangers according to Italian media reports.
The Championship side, recently bought by Formula One magnates Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, are bottom of the table and sacked John Gregory earlier this month.
Reports in Italy said 50-year-old De Canio had signed a two-year deal late on Thursday but QPR have made no official comment.
Several high profile Italians have been linked to the post because of Briatore's involvement, with reports saying the Renault team boss turned to De Canio after talks with former Palermo coach Francesco Guidolin broke down.
19 October 2007
Genoa Coach Gian Piero Gasperini says that Juventus have always been unwilling to give their young players a chance because they have forever wanted immediate success.
The Bianconeri currently have an exceptional batch of young players coming through at the club. The likes of Domenico Criscito, Giorgio Chiellini, Antonio Nocerino, Sebastian Giovinco, Claudio Marchisio and Raffaele Palladino are all tipped as stars of the future.
Gasperini was a coach of the Juventus youth team from 1994 until 2003, before moving on to take the job as head coach of Crotone. As a player he also grew up in the Bianconeri youth system, joining the club as a nine-year-old before being released to Palermo when he was 20.
Having spent more than 20 years at the club, Gasperini is well-placed to offer his opinion and he believes that Juventus have always favoured buying established stars, rather than giving their youngsters a chance.
'Juve have always been a little snobbish with their young players,' said the 49-year-old. 'I am not sure why this is but perhaps because there was always the necessity to win things immediately and so it is not easy to give the youngsters a chance.'
Since the Calciopoli crisis in 2006, Juventus have adopted a different approach and with a plethora of talented players coming through, the future looks bright for the Old Lady.
18 October 2007
Palermo's Amauri has been linked with Manchester City, although the Sicilian club are far from keen to see their star striker leave.
The 27-year-old Brazilian , who has played in Europe all of his career and in Italy since 2001, is currently one of the most highly-rated frontmen in Serie A.
Roma have been closely linked with the player and his agent Mariano Grimaldi insisted earlier this week that talks between the two clubs had taken place.
"I know directly the two sides are talking," Grimaldi said.
"I hope that a deal is done as it would be a proud day for me and my client if he joined Roma. Amauri can play first or second striker and he has a great relationship with Francesco Totti as they met during a spell at an injury clinic."
However, president Maurizio Zamparini gave the suggestion short shrift.
"There have been no discussions between Palermo and Roma," he said.
"The agent, as all agents, has only one problem; he talks too much. What he says is fantasy, Amauri is fundamental to Palermo's future."
City have been linked as they also continue to look at Australian midfielder Mark Bresciano - who they nearly signed in the summer.
Sven Goran Eriksson still wants Bresciano, but Amauri is also now believed to be high on his list of targets.
Indeed City could have a trump card with unsettled front-man Rolando Bianchi a possible option for Palermo - which could give Eriksson the leverage to land both players, with finances also not really an issue for the Premier League club following Thaksin Shinawatra's summer takeover.
One issue of Amauri is that he would not currently qualify for a work permit to play in England - but he has applied for Italian citizenship which would negate the need for any permit.
Indeed Amauri, who has never represented Brazil, is set to reject their overtures of his homeland and pledge his international future to Italy - once he gains his passport.
15 October 2007
Francesco Guidolin has finally confirmed he has received an official offer to manage Queens Park Rangers.
Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, the men taking over the West London club, want the Italian to guide the team up the Championship table.
After denying the story for so long, the former Palermo boss has conceded he is on the brink of moving on - even though a contractual issue is believed to be holding things up as he is still tied to Palermo despite leaving in May.
"Yes [the Briatore offer is concrete]," he told L'Espresso.
"But we are still far from saying that there is an agreement and I am ready to head for London. Also, on this, I will say that on Sunday I will be at Stadio Friuli."
Palermo are at Udinese for their next Serie A assignment and this comment would suggest any switch to England will not take place until the following week.
English tabloid speculation has indicated that the new man will be handed a £20 million transfer kitty with Alessandro Del Piero of Juventus rumoured to be an ambitious target.
12 October 2007
QPR'S new boss Francesco Guidolin has been given a £20million transfer war chest - and will launch an audacious bid to bring Alessandro Del Piero to Shepherd's Bush.
Juventus legend Del Piero, 33 next month, is expected to leave the Serie A giants after not being offered a new deal and has already been made an offer by MLS club New York Red Bulls.
But QPR's new owner Flavio Briatore, the Formula One tycoon, wants to see whether he can lure Del Piero to Loftus Road in one of the most unlikely transfers ever seen in English football.
Del Piero remains one of the biggest names in world soccer - and Briatore knows that signing him would put Rangers on the map.
Former Palermo boss Guidolin, 52, has already made moves to bring in ex-Juventus chief scout Franco Ceravelo - and that link could prove influential.
Rangers are currently in deep relegation trouble but Briatore is desperate to make them the glamour club of the Championship - on the way to regaining the top flight.
Briatore has already welcomed his ex-girlfriend, supermodel Naomi Campbell, into the directors' box at QPR - Del Piero would be another unlikely arrival.
03 October 2007
The shadow of derby day defeat is looming large over Torino as influential midfielder Simone Barone will be sidelined for two months.
After a four-year wait for the return of the Derby della Mole, the Granata were shaken by a late David Trezeguet winner last weekend.
As boss Walter Novellino was recovering from a stinging defeat he received news that Barone had damaged ligaments in his knee.
The ex-Palermo man is unlikely to feature before Week 15's battle against Inter and there are other injury woes for Toro.
Central defender Cesare Natali has strained his thigh and may miss Sunday's game against Sampdoria.
Meanwhile, Gianluca Comotto and Alvaro Recoba have missed training to recover from muscle fatigue.
01 October 2007
Palermo supremo Maurizio Zamparini has hit out at Coach Stefano Colantuono after the Rosanero's 3-1 defeat at Empoli.
The Sicilians had led through Uruguayan youngster Edison Cavani, but they were hit by three second-half goals and lost 3-1.
The result was a shock given that the Aquile were unbeaten in four and had defeated Milan in midweek, while Empoli were searching for their first win of the campagn.
It seems that the heroics against the European champions were quickly forgotten by the fiery Zamparini.
'I am waiting for Colantuono to turn this group of excellent individuals into a team, just as Inter have,' he told Il Corriere dello Sport.
'I just saw a flimsy performance which was our worst of the season. Our position in the table is the result of moments of class rather than us playing well and Colantuono's sole task is to make us into a unit.'
Three points are a must for the ex-Atalanta boss as his men face Reggina in a crunch match next weekend.
