Filed under: Italian League
Former Juventus player Gianluca Pessotto was in a serious condition in hospital on Tuesday after falling from a window at the club’s headquarters.
The 35-year-old former defender, now the club’s team manager, suffered multiple fractures and internal bleeding but was in a stable condition, the hospital said.
Pessotto was found clutching a rosary having fallen some 15 metres from a dormer window in the building’s roof, police sources said. Pessotto hit two parked cars before landing on the ground sustaining multiple fractures.
‘In all probability it was a voluntary move by Pessotto,’ an investigative source who asked not to be identified said. A Turin hospital official speaking on Sky Italia television said police were investigating a suicide attempt.
Pessotto, who took up the post of team manager last month after 11 years with the team, is not among those facing charges at a sports tribunal due to start on Thursday, but his wife Reana Pessotto has already confirmed reports that her husband had been suffering from depression, adding to speculation that he tried to take his own life.
Pessotto is currently in a stable position, and Italy players Alessandro del Piero and Gianluca Zambrotta have left the team’s World Cup camp in Germany to visit Juventus colleague Gianluca Pessotto in hospital.
Filed under: The Rumour Mill
Juventus
With the club looking almost certain to be relegated to Seria B, some of the Junvetus big stars will be walking out of th club. The latest names to be mentiones are Buffon and Cannavaro. The most expensive goalkeeper in the world is said to be currently in negotiations with Arsenal, but has also mentioned that he prefers to stay in Italy. Cannavaro is also linked with another London club, Chelsea. The Italian press has mentioned that Mourinho is looking to strengthen his back-line and Cannavaro has been mentioned as a possibility.AC Milan star Nesta has also been linked with a move to Chelsea, with William Gallas tipped to move in the other direction as part of the deal. The 30-year-old would also cost in the region of £12.5million. Cannavaro is also a possibility with reports in Italy claiming Juventus have agreed a £15million deal with the Blues.
Newcastle
The Magpies are already looking for a replacement for the injured Owen. Along with long time target Dirk Kuyt, who recently said that he will now start negotiating a move to the Premiership, Darrent Bent is also on Newcastle’s target list, but they will face competition from Tottenham. Speaking of which, Newcastle will also try bidding for Spurs forward Jermain Defoe.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid presidential candidate Lorenzo Sanz has said that he has struck deals with Adriano and an ‘Englishman’, possibly Ashley Cole. But the deal will also see Real Madrid players moving the other way. In total, Sanz has signed four players, two from Inter Milan (one of them is Adriano), an Englishman, and a Portuguese player.
“With [Inter president] Massimo Moratti, I have reached an agreement for an exchange of players between Real Madrid and Inter,” revealed Sanz.
“Those four players are, not to give many clues, two from Inter, another one is Portuguese and the fourth is English.“
Sanz will reveal the players on Thursday.
“On Thursday we will present the four contracts with the clubs and players to demonstrate that we have made signings, not like the others.“
Since presidential candidate Juan Miguel Villar, has already stated that he will bring Manchester United winger Christiano Ronaldo, who also approved a move to Madrid, Sanz’s Portugues player is possibly Chelsea’s Ricardo Carvalho.
The rest..
Arsenal have offered a contract to Tunisia World Cup defender Hatem Trabelsi according to the player’s agent, whilst the right back has also called time on his international career. Arsenge Wenger also revealed that he is keen on Dutch international Dirk Kuyt.
Benfica are paving the way for Simao for a Summer transfer, which might be good news for Liverpool as Benfica might drop their value a little bit.
Maxim Kalinichenko is a £3.5m target for Manchester United, according to reports in Russia. Kalinichenko has been one of the stars of Ukraine’s advance to the World Cup quarter-finals, and is said to have caught the eye of Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson. His club Spartak Moscow have already said he will not go for less than £3.5m.
The man who discovered Zinedine Zidane has died at the age of 85, L'Equipe reported. Jean Varraud spotted the then 15-year-old Zidane playing for a small club in the Marseille league in 1987. He then persuaded Zidane to sign for Cannes, the team where he would make his professional debut.
Filed under: Italian League
Kaka has pledged his future to Milan by signing a five year deal. The deal will keep Kaka at Milan untill 2011. It's a boost to the club who recently parted with their top striker Shevchenko.
Filed under: Italian League
Serie A clubs Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina to stand trial in the nation's biggest sports scandal in a quarter of a century, Italy's football prosecutor has ordered.
Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio are all being investigated on the count of violating Articles One and/or Six of the Sports Justice Code. Milan are indirectly involved and are only being investigated under suspicion of violating Article One of the code.
Article One is a general rule which explains that `whoever is subject to the observation of the federation's rules must do so according to the principles of fairness, correctness and honesty'. Article Six explains that `the execution, through any means, of acts aimed at altering the course or result of a match, or at ensuring an advantage to anybody in the league table is a punishable offence'. If any of the clubs are found guilty of violating Article Six, they face the minimum penalty of automatic relegation to an inferior level. An infringement of Article One is punishable by the docking of points in the subsequent season.
The trial will end by July 9 – the date of the World Cup final.
