We might be dating ourselves a bit here, but the last time we really expended much thought on Sampdoria was back in the early 1990s when they won their only scuddetto –and then later hired a lad from Lancashire named David Platt. But the Blucerchiati are back in vogue thanks to their comprehensive...

Everything about Adrian Mutu was too good to be true, from the game winning goals to the model girlfriends, to the celebrity parties. Unsurprisingly he became the face of reckless football superstardom and the butt of countless one-liners. All this was no more than a cheater’s just desserts? Until...

Torres for Messi? Pato for Villa? While footy fans spend hours debating superstar transfer swap deals, rarely is one actually pulled off. The most recent player for player swap of any real significance occurred in 2007 and involved Chelsea’s William Gallas plus £5m for Arsenal’s Ashley Cole. Although...

You’ve heard the old adage: “Everyone has a price.” But are there exceptions in the high-stakes business of world football? In the past couple of days it looks increasingly likely that Manchester City are going to fail in their bid to lure Chelsea’s John Terry up north.  Despite...

It was a season to forget for Roma fans. For several years the club had been Inter’s main competitor in Serie A. But last season was different. A string of injuries combined with a lack of consistency resulted in a miserable league record. There were some unsettling rumours floating about too. While...

The Associated Press reports that US International defender Oguchi Onyewu has joined AC Milan on a free transfer. The announcement ends months of speculation surrounding the towering defender’s next assignment. Following an impressive spell with Standard Liege where he played a pivotal role in...

All this talk about the death of Italian football must be rankling a certain Jose Mourinho. After sitting out most of the previous season (perhaps polishing the Ferrari that Roman Abramovich gave him), the self-proclaimed Special One signed up for the top job at Inter Milan last summer.  At the time,...

It’s fair to say that up until last week it was inconceivable to think that a club would splash out ₤80m on a single player. Smashing Kaka’s short lived world record transfer by more than ₤20m, the Ronaldo saga proves that in football, anything is possible. It will take a numbe of seasons...

Long time coming? Yesterday AC Milan announced the departure of long-serving coach Carlo Ancelotti. As expected, Chelsea today responded to Italian reports by releasing a statement of their own confirming Ancelotti’s arrival at the Stamford Bridge club. While the particulars have yet to be divulged,...

The rest is history Manchester United, Inter Milan and Barcelona were yesterday, as expected, crowned champions of their respective leagues. Hats off to the table toppers Having had to endure a cagey last 5 minutes against an unusually aggressive Gunners side, the Old Trafford faithful saw through the...