Athletic Events 2022-
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JUVE-MILAN 0-0
 
 

Απολαυστικός και συναρπαστικότατος ο
Λευτέρης στο Ρίμινι. Μπράβο, Λευτέρη!!


LAZIO-JUVE 2-1 (2-3 Aggregate)
 
 
 
 
Lazio-Juve today in Roma. Second leg of
the Coppa Italia semi-final. We have a 2
goal advantage and we need to work hard
to maintain it. For us, it is as if there was
no tomorrow... No angst, no pressure.
FORZA JUVE!!

Είδα τα κορίτσια του Ολυμπιακού μας στον
τελικό και τα χάρηκα. Αυτό το άθλημα θέλει
δύναμη, αντοχή και μεγάλη δεξιοτεχνία.
Για να ανεβεί κανείς σε τέτοιο επίπεδο και
να παλεύει με τους καλύτερους του κόσμου,
δε μπορώ καν να φανταστώ πόση δουλειά,
υπομονή και επιμονή χρειάζεται. Μπράβο
κορίτσια!! Μεγάλη χαρά μας δώσατε πάλι.
Μπράβο και στα κορίτσια της Sabadell,
γιατί κι εκείνα αγωνίστηκαν με πείσμα
και αποφασιστικότητα και προσέφεραν
καλό θέαμα. Κι εκείνα, μετά από σκληρή
δουλειά, καταφέρνουν να πρωταγωνιστούν,
μαζί με τα δικά μας κορίτσια, στο υψηλότατο
επίπεδο του αθλήματος. Μπράβο, κορίτσια!!
 

Μπράβο, κορίτσια!!


CAGLIARI-JUVE 2-2
 
   
 

After a successful night for Italian football,
we are traveling to Cagliari on beautiful
Sardegna today to face Allenatore Ranieri's
troops. Their position on the table is not
enviable, but Ranieri is, without doubt,
one of the Members of the Pantheon, like
Max, and the game will be a difficult one.
FORZA JUVE!!
 
   

The persons are not the key here, even though
my personal feelings for Maestro Carlo are well
known. But the flags on the left really speak
volumes. Good Luck to the Viola and to the
Bergamasci and to Roma and Milan today!


Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga
title for the first time in their history.
BRAVO, BAYER!


Μπράβο, Στέφανε!!


TORINO-JUVE 0-0
 
 
 
 

Also tomorrow, Stephanos is meeting Jannik
in the semifinal of the Monte Carlo Masters.
Stephanos comes from behind, with losses
in their last two matches, but I hope tomorrow
he is able to turn things around and advance
to the final. ΣΤΕΦΑΝΕ, ΜΠΟΡΕΙΣ!
 

Tomorrow, we are hosted by Torino at home.
Yesterday, it was a good day for Italian football.
The Viola were careful and reserved against
Viktoria, but I trust that, in Firenze, they will
unleash their full attacking prowess, dominate
the game, restrict the opponents effectively
and win to advance to the semifinals. Atalanta
won convincingly at Anfield and, unless they
commit harakiri, they should be able to keep
the 3-goal advantage and advance. Finally,
in the domestic strife, Roma ended up with
a 1-goal advantage over Milan, but, with the
super experienced and maverick Pioli and
with the quality Milan has, one never knows.
In any case, the second leg shall be super
competitive and super exciting.
BRAVO TO ALL REMAINING ITALIAN TEAMS!
 
 

It is reported that Thiago Motta is to replace
Max at the end of the season. Motta is a good,
but rather inexperienced coach. I wish him
the best, of course, but I would be lying if I
claimed not to be upset about Max and a
bit worried and anxious about this choice.


JUVE-FIORENTINA 1-0
Wasted and tedious second half and
we almost paid a steep price for it.
We have a hard time learning the right
lessons from past experiences.
 
 
Tomorrow hosting the Viola in Torino.
Let's play with the same pulse and
enthusiasm as we did in the second
half of the Coppa match against Lazio.
Press up high, move to create spaces,
serve vertical passes, shoot and cross.
Force them to defend and stay away
from Wojciech as much as possible.
And we do not want to hear talk of
Max's removal. Let's stay focused on
winning the Coppa Italia and on staying
right on the heels of Milan in Serie A.
FORZA JUVE!!

JUVE-LAZIO 2-0
Fantastic goals by Federico and Dusan.
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 
 
 
Coppa Italia, Juve-Lazio today in Torino.
Let's try and play with passion and gusto
and develop an organized and smoothly
flowing game. We can win this.
Press and mark up high and pounce with
shots and crossings continuously. Impose
your own tempo, force them to be on
the defensive and let's steal this win.
FORZA JUVE!!

LAZIO-JUVE 1-0
Andrea and Fabio need to come out.
Let's put in Wes and Kenan on the right.
Slow midfield, attack and movement.
We need imagination, fantasy, initiative.
And the kids running and moving. Only
the defense is moving. The rest are all
standing, moving lazily and losing the
ball at first touch or pass. Only in a very
narrow window did we see something to
admire and savor.

FORZA JUVE!!

I totally oppose the decision to hold
the Supercoppa Italiana in Saudi Arabia.
If the FIGC thinks so lowly of it, or simply
perceives it as a promotional gimmick,
then there is no reason to hold this ugly
charade at all. If, on the other hand, they
think that it is something worthwhile,
then it should be organized on Italian
Soil. I would strongly suggest holding
it in one or two Provincial Capitals
that, for the last year, they did not have
representation in Serie A so that more
local people get to enjoy the beautiful
sport. Italian mini-tournaments should
take place in Italy. International meetings
and matches are a totally different story.

Tomorrow playing Lazio in the Capital.
Max has called Nikola Sekulov, an
attacking winger from youth, to join
the ranks. Max, whatever you do, do
it calmly, give directions and let the
kids take initiative, use some fantasy
and develop a good game. Please, do
not start changing personnel hapha-
zardly in the middle of the game and
completely damage momentum and
destroy coordination.
FORZA JUVE!!


Πολλά λέγονται και γράφονται τώρα, μετά
τις πρώιμες θριαμβολογίες και τις αναλύσεις
του κ*λου των περασμένων ημερών. Υπάρχει
τώρα δικαιολογημένα μία πικρία και μία
απογοήτευση, αλλά, αν δεν την είχαμε
εμείς, θα την είχαν οι Γεωργιανοί. Αυτό
που κρατάμε είναι ότι έγινε μεγάλη, πολύ
μεγάλη, προσπάθεια, ανεξαρτήτως απο-
τελεσμάτων, και επικροτούμε και επαυ-
ξάνουμε τα λόγια στην ανάρτηση του
Αντώνη Νικοπολίδη, ότι αυτός ο κύκλος
έκλεισε και θα στηρίξουμε τα παλιά και
τα, τυχόν, νέα παιδιά στην επόμενη τους
προσπάθεια. Είτε το θέλουμε είτε όχι,
σε διεθνές επίπεδο, αυτή η ομάδα είναι
ο καθρέφτης του ποδοσφαίρου της χώρας
μας. Στα Ευρωπαϊκά συλλόγων, είναι
δύσκολο να καταλάβει κανείς τί τρέχει
γιατί συμμετέχουν "ελληνικές" ομάδες
με 1-2 έλληνες και 20 ξένους. (Το ίδιο
και με τις ομάδες ξένων κρατών; όχι
μόνο της Ελλάδας, αλλά σ' εμάς είναι
δακτυλοδεικτούμενοι οι έλληνες...).


Imagine, just imagine, how deep the blade
of racism cuts, when you have a top player,
one of the best in the World, reaching a
breaking point because of the abuse.
Can you just fathom how an everyday
person, without kudos and accolades that
can, perhaps, help to alleviate the terrible
pain, feels about such taunting and such
treatment? To all "fans" that are doing
this, I am saying, in the same way that
you would not dare do this in your work
places or in a one-on-one situation, do
not take advantage of mob mentality
and do it in the stadium. Finally, to
Vini, I would say, you are who you are.
You reached a pinnacle in your career.
Do not let this (for which you have no
responsibility and over which you have
no control) depress you and adversely
affect your game. Do your job as well
and as unperturbed as you can, and keep
being among the best.


Σταματήστε τις Ιστορίες και τα Πανηγύρια και
μείνετε συγκεντωμένοι και προσγειωμένοι.
Άλλο Καζακστάν κι άλλο Γεωργία. Κι ας μην
ξεχνάμε οδύρεται πιο απαρηγόρητα όποιος
οδύρεται τελευταίος.


Giuseppe Barone is with us no more...
The Viola lost their leader.


Football is not a game of show for a zoo
or a carnival. It is a game of strategy. We
do not need more goals to make it popular.
The stands are already full. What we need
is better defenses. But, in any case, even
if the suggestions of clowns are adopted,
as long as the rules are crystal clear,
allowing no ambiguities and subjective
interpretations, and VAR stays as the
ultimate judge for the equal and fair
application of the rules on both sides,
then, ultimately, I have no problem with
the adoption of those rules, even if I do
have disagreements as to the reasons
for their adoption.

Max could have been a little less hot tempered,
but Serie A is a very difficult League, which is
underestimated and underappreciated. He has
been doing his job well, but people have always
had high and, occasionally, unreasonable expe-
ctations, such as, e.g., that a single Team has
to, or must, win all its games. I call on fans
and journalists alike, before they ask such
questions (which, to be clear, they have every
right to), to consider what such asphyxiating
and debilitating pressure did; which actions
it led Agnelli to take, how many points and
legal adventures and expenses it has cost
the Club, and how it has affected its personnel.
So DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF PUSHING
JUVE AGAIN TO ADVENTURISM THROUGH
PRESSURE IT IS CURRENTLY UNABLE TO
WITHSTAND. LET MAX DO HIS JOB!!


I hope the Team shows Wes the Respect
that he deserves and the Gratitude he has
earned, and that Wes shows the Club the
same Consideration. When there is mutual
respect, appreciation and Good Will, there is
always a middle ground and a Fair Solution.
Come to an agreement for mutual benefit.
FORZA JUVE!!
 

Maria did not make it in the end, but it was
a great joy seeing her play again in the final
of a major tournament and show high quality
and determination in her game.
BRAVO, MARIA!!


JUVE-GENOA 0-0
The team has been very static in the first half.
They are not moving adequately to create spaces.
In fact, it has, on occasion, been so pathetic that
a player running is bumping into another payer
waiting in front of him instead of opening up to
create spaces for passing and opportunities.
Also Manuel, Wes and Andrea are totally lost.
All the work is done on the left by Filip, Fabio
and Federico.
From this game let's keep, as positives, the
clean sheet and the fact that Max performed
the substitutions on time and not, as is his
habit, during the last seconds.
Not much else to speak of, otherwise. No
good movement, no spaces created. No
imagination, no flair. I think the kids, under
pressure, are forgetting the joy that goes
into playing the game and are uninspired...
 
 
 

Hosting Genoa tomorrow at the Juve Stadium.
Let's defend tightly and not too close to goal.
Go back to the basics to, first, keep a clean
sheet and, then, try to score to stay as close
to the top as possible.
FORZA JUVE!!


Bravo, Maria!! Bravo, Coco!! I hope Maria
wins the tournament.
 
 

It was a bright day for Italian football yesterday,
but the morning has not dawned with the same
promise. In Europa, Atalanta will not only need
an extraordinary effort, but also some magic
from Gasperini, to be able to combat Liverpool,
one of the greatest teams in Europe. And, since
calamity does never strike once, Milan and Roma
were pitted against one another. One consolation,
perhaps is that, whichever of the two makes it
(and Milan at this point, with greater management
stability and, perhaps, slightly higher quality,
seems more likely) has a real chance of getting
into the Final, and there anything can happen.
Fiorentina is facing Viktoria Plzen in Conference.
I think the Viola, if they stay focused and play
well, can go through. In addition, if Fiorentina
is determined and takes the competition really
seriously, they have the power and quality to
win it all.


It is truly unfortunate that the best Team in Serie A,
and one of the best in the World, did not make it
through in the Champions League. I still hope that
Atalanta, Milan and Roma in Europa and Fiorentina
in the Conference can advance today to keep the
chances of bringing a European Trophy to Italy
alive again this year. The best Footballing Nation
on Earth deserves a continental trophy.


FORZA INTER!!


FORZA NAPOLI!!


JUVE-ATALANTA 2-2
Again, one cannot complain that the kids did not
play well. But, as Max has pointed out, the problem
is conceding too many goals too easily. In my view,
this has to do with pulling the defense too far back.
We MUST DEFEND HIGHER UP, before the opponents
get the chance to get too close to our own goal.
Two more things:
1. If we need 4-4-2 to keep the defense intact,
    let's implement it with Gatti, Bremer, Danilo
    and Rugani.
2. When the team is struggling desperately to
    score towards the end, do not bring in cold
    feet. If players do not have the time to warm
    up, adjust and get into the game, they cannot
    help much and they only destroy the momentum.
 
 

Juve is hosting Atalanta tomorrow in a very
important and difficult game. I hope Max and
the kids will be up to the task, very well pre-
pared and extremely cautious, to face a team
that has been increasingly mesmerizing under
the guidance of one of the best, Gian Piero
Gasperini.
FORZA JUVE!!

Extraordinary, marvelous, magical and enticing
poster for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.


I am quite happy today because I like a lot
what I see at the Olimpico in Roma. To me,
this is a strong indication that Daniele De
Rossi will be another very gifted and skillful
Italian manager in Serie A in the years to come.
 

FORZA ROMA!! FORZA MILAN!! FORZA VIOLA!!
   

FORZA ATALANTA!!
Gorgeous images from Lisbon, both because of
the magnificent José Alvalade and because of the
beautiful colors of the team uniforms on the green.
Not only is the stadium spectacular, but it also has
magical posts that attract the ball like magnets!
 

FORZA LAZIO!!


It is not easy... And who can really say they
didn't try? We just have to keep working on it.
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 

Μπράβο, Εμμανουήλ! Μπράβο και στα άλλα
παιδιά, ακόμα κι αν δεν έχουν καταφέρει να
προκριθούν. Ελπίζω να έχουν υγεία και
δύναμη να συνεχίσουν να αγωνίζονται.
Η χαρά της συμμετοχής και η ελπίδα για
κάτι καλό είναι πάνω απ' όλα.


NAPOLI-JUVE 2-1
 
 
 
At the San Paolo today facing Napoli.
I hope that the rumors spreading that
Juve will not extend Chiesa's contract
are baseless and that Max does not
agree with such a decision. In my
view, Dusan, Federico and Kenan
should stay. About Arek and Moise,
I am not so certain. They have shown
some positives, but have failed to
consistently impress. I know that
we have some younger players
away on loan and we could, perhaps,
look for a new addition, but our first
priority should be to keep the ones
that have had the greatest impact in
the Club by extending their contracts.

Μπράβο, Μίλτο! Ίσως να πει κάποιος στο
Μίλτο ότι αυτό το πράγμα με τις δηλώσεις
δεν είναι cool και καταντάει κουραστικό.
Εμείς και οι Εβραίοι έτσι. Ακόμα και στις
επιτυχίες, όταν τα πράγματα πάνε καλά,
αντί για χαρά και αισιοδοξία, εκπέπουμε
απογοήτευση και κλαμούρα, και ύφος
κακομοιριάς. Ούτε και το Αμερικάνικο,
που, και στις αστοχίες και στις αποτυχίες,
όλα είναι great, είναι καλό, αλλά αυτό
το δικό μας παραείναι... σπάει κόκκαλα
και δοκιμάζει τις αντοχές μας...


1. Look at the first Frosinone goal. Seven
    Juventini around the ball and not a single
    person pressing or marking or trying to
    contest the ball. Were we waiting for the
    Captain, Danilo, to show up and save the
    day? I am sitting on the chair watching
    the game. But you are not supposed to
    be sitting and watching; you are there
    to contest and defend vigorously.
2. We should not defend with the formation
    shown on the left. This gives the opponent
    the right to be practically in front of Wojciech
    every time. We should defend as on the right
    and be ready to pounce in attack after stealing.
 
3. On the flanks, move, move, move to free
    yourselves and get the ball. Otherwise, the
    ball will constantly be returning to Bremer,
    Danilo, Rugani and Gatti and going left to
    right in defense. They are there to help,
    but they should not be forced to help
    more than they absolutely have to, and
    stagnate the game. Adrien, Manuel and
    Filip were lost in the first half, as was
    Federico. Weston, Dusan and Andrea
    moved very successfully to create spaces.
Let's pay attention and fix these mistakes.
We need to get going and rise where we
need to be, where JUVE deserves to be!
FORZA JUVE!!

JUVE-FROSINONE 3-2
Good football by Weston, Dusan and Carlos.
Serious team problem with pressing. Frosinone
is pressing us high but we are letting them
approach too close to goal for comfort. We
must press up high on the other end and
disrupt their game closer to their area.
Also, what is happening with Federico, who
is usually fast, lively and dangerous? He seems
too lethargic today. Let's ramp up the pressure
in the second half. We can keep them out and
score a couple more. FORZA JUVE!!
Slimmest of wins clinched at the last second.
Too stressful for complacency and comfort...
 
 
 
 

Very thoughtful and positive changes in
the long jump are contemplated. The goal
is to measure how far an athlete can jump.
Measuring whether they can coordinate
precisely their movement and pace to
start it at exactly a predetermined point
is secondary and should not be such a
destructive factor. New technologies
should allow one to focus on essentials.

It is no secret that I am a big fan and a strong
advocate of Italian football and Italian coaches.
However, some individuals do not seem to have
the right mentality and disposition for that role,
as it happens with every other profession on
our Planet. And, my view, from what I have
seen, is that Gattuso is one of those. I would
recommend that he try to engage in some
other aspect of the sport; perhaps a more
administrative position that does not involve
so much psychology, diplomacy and social
skills as does coaching.


Sad news from Napoli. They were dropping
points in Serie A, but Mazzarri had not been
given enough time and chances to accomplish
his mission. I dread directors who are so hasty
that, if the present is woey, they are unwilling
and reluctant to be patient and give people
a chance to turn things around.


Andreas Brehme is with us no more...


Milan lost 4-2 at Monza, but we should
not rely on others and expect others to
do our work for us. We must be fighting
and, preferably, winning every game.
And, even though I understand winning
all is not possible, at least a good fight
is always possible, organized, focused
and pressing, defending and attacking
vigorously. Only intermittently did this
happen at Verona, and this will not do.
I also want to mention the high quality
football that we see this year from
Atalanta, Bologna and Genoa and to
commend Gian Piero Gasperini, Thiago
Motta and Alberto Gilardino for offering
us this added quality in Serie A. I hope
their teams do well and wish them the
best moving forward.
FORZA JUVE!!

VERONA-JUVE 2-2
Falling below Milan probably this week.
There is a problem in combining, losing
the ball very easily by mistakes, and by
hasty moves and thoughtless passes.
And, in the managerial side, too many
changes too close to one another, which
make the team cold and out of balance.
Max brought in Federico and Alex and
gave them time to adapt and play well.
But then he brought in Carlos, Arek
and Tim, the first of whom has not yet
adapted, and the last two, despite being
good players, having no time to mesh in
and contribute and, in fact, making the
game slower than it had been with
Dusan and Andrea in. Be more careful!
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 
 

Οι περισσότεροι γράφουν ανοησίες. Αφού
ξέρει πολύ καλά ο Κώστας Κοφινάς ότι με
το επόμενο στραβοπάτημα Μπατιρι-μπαρ
και μπαι-μπαι. Αλλά να προλαβουμε να
πουλήσουμε κανα κουραφεξαλο περι
χαμογελου, ηρεμίας, χαράς και καταξιωσης
μπας και πιασουν λιγο τοπο τα παραδακια
του προεδρου πριν σουταρει και τον παροντα
μπατιρι... Παρτε το ολοι χαμπαρι. Ομαδα εν
μια νυχτι απο κανεναν δε φτιαχνεται, οσο
εμπειρος και θαυματουργος και να' ναι.
Χωρις να του δοθει χρονος να ετοιμασει
και να υλοποιησει μεσοπροθεσμο πλανο
και να δωσει στυλ και στιγμα στην ομαδα,
θα φυγει αυριο με την πρωτη αποτυχία.


Μπράβο στο Δήμο που μας θυμίζει πάντα
το σωστό. Δάκρυα, ποιά δάκρυα και γιατί;
Γι αυτα τα κορίτσια που δίνουν τα πάντα;
Γι αυτές τις ομάδες που σε κάθε διοργάνωση,
με συνέπεια και αγώνα, βρίσκονται ανάμεσα
στις πρώτες και των οποίων η ποιότητα
είναι αξιοζήλευτη και παράδειγμα για όλα
τα ομαδικά μας αθλήματα (και όχι μόνο);
Κανένα δάκρυ. Μόνο χαρά, ευχαρίστηση
και υποστήριξη για το επόμενο βήμα.


JUVE-UDINESE 0-1
 
 

I think that Serie A did the right thing to decide
to keep the League with 20 Teams. Even if some
of the teams were really weak, more teams
give the league more interest, and represent
more geographical areas and more fans. The
only down side I can see is the length of the
period of time, and the heavier load, but, as it
is, it does not seem to be forbidding, even
though it is, admittedly, heavy for some clubs.
On the other hand, it plays a leveling role,
since some weaker clubs, with less responsi-
bilities and lighter schedule, have an advantage
over, and may compete more equally with, the
traditional powers, which are typically spread
thinner in terms of the number of competitions
they participate in at European level.

A new gimmick to introduce more murkiness
and uncertainty to benefit the powerful. Those
that cannot live with the equalization that was
imposed by the introduction of VARs are now
thinking of new gimmicks to muddy the sport
for the benefit of their financial backers.


Something is fundamentally wrong with
Marinakis and I hope it is not a mental
issue. After firing Martins, he has been
changing coaches worse than underwear
and showing no patience and no respect,
giving no chance and leaving no time or
space for substantial work. Moreover,
he has hired a person of despicable
character, who a few years ago, would
have been held in total contempt by the
Club for his shady wheeling and dealing
at various fronts, as regards the admini-
stration of "justice" or lack thereof.


Ceferin made the right decision. But I do no
think, nor like, that this should be up to him.
For persons in positions of almost absolute
power, with questionable to nonexistent
checks and balances, no person should serve
more than two term limits. The fact that they
are allowed to go for twelve years gives one
the creeps and sends the wrong message
and bad vibes and chills down one's spine.


Miguel Angel is with us no more...
 

INTER-JUVE 1-0
Mina Rzouki on the BBC. Nothing but the truth.
But Max and the kids are our faith and we still
believe. FORZA JUVE!!
  
 
 
 
 

Εχει δίκιο ο Δήμος Μπουλούκος. Ο Στέφανος
έχει προσφέρει και συνεχίζει να προσφέρει
πολλά. Όχι μόνο στο κόρτ, αλλά και ως
παράδειγμα δουλειάς, υπομονής και επιμονής.
Εξάλλου στο επίπεδο που έχει φτάσει, με πολύ
σπάνιες εξαιρέσεις, κανείς δε μπορεί να κερδίζει
συνέχεια ή να αποφεύγει τα σκαμπανεβάσματα,
αλλιώς δε θα ήταν Άνθρωπος. Να πω ότι και
για το Στέφανο ισχύει ό,τι και για τους άλλους
μας αθλητές και πρωταθλητές, όπως τη Μαρία,
την Άννα και την Ευαγγελία. Τους ακούμε, και
χαιρόμαστε τις επιτυχίες τους, δυο-τρεις φορές
το χρόνο, αλλά εκείνοι (και οι προπονητές τους)
πασχίζουν και παιδεύονται 365 μέρες το χρόνο
για να αποδώσουν αυτό που εμείς χαιρόμαστε
και για το οποίο υπερηφανευόμαστε. Ας τους
στηρίζουμε λοιπόν πάντοτε, και στις επιτυχίες
και στις λιγότερο φανταστικές περιόδους, και
ας ειμαστε κοντά τους όσο μπορούμε, ανεξαρ-
τήτως αποτελέσματος, στις σπάνιες εκείνες
περιπτώσεις που ο ιδιωτικός τους αγώνας
γίνεται δημόσιος προς απόλαυσίν μας.
 
 

I am reading that there is on the table some
informal discussion about possibly returning
the Olympic Games permanently to Greece,
where they belong. I very strongly support
this move and, I believe, that besides solving
the issue of extravagant, unjustifiable expenses
and waste, which make many Nations reluctant
to host, it will reign on the increasingly alarming
trend of commercialization and ethical violations
(including substance abuse), which, of course,
are closely connected and go hand in hand, as,
the higher the stakes, financial and other, the
more enticed teams and athletes feel towards
bending and/or breaking the rules of fair play.
I truly hope that the parties involved make
the right decision and we see this idea stand.


Honestly, I do not think he gets it. And it is
so so sad... But here is a song for him.
 

Jannik Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev 3-6 3-6
6-4 6-4 6-3 to win the Australian Open, but
the Detroit Lions fell to the San Francisco
49ers 31-34 in the NFC Championship Game.
 

JUVE-EMPOLI 1-1
Tragic mistake (and useless) by Arek that
forced Juve to play for 70 minutes with 10
men and made the task very difficult...
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 
 

Juve is hosting Empoli at home tomorrow.
Let's give our Thanks to the Defense that
has been so decisive this year and has
provided the Team with such solid foun-
dations on which to build. The Captain
Danilo, whose experience and class shows
at every play, the pillar Bremer, who is solid
and consistent and, as added bonus, helps
Locatelli in developing the game and also,
occasionally scores, Gatti, who, despite
some avoidable mistakes, has also played
well and, finally, Rugani, who, as I have
written before, never lets us down when
he is called to play a special role, a top-
class defender. I cannot forget Wojciech,
Mattia and Carlo, who provide security
under the posts and, finally, besides Max,
I have to mention Marco Landucci. He is
one of the men whose names almost never
get mentioned, but whom we see in every
game and who gives our coach the brains
and help and to our players the advice and
the encouragement that it takes to excel.
 

The Italian Jannik Sinner and the Chinese
Qinwen Zheng are in the Finals of this year's
Australian Open. A breath of fresh air, it seems.
I would have liked to see Coco, but she was
beaten in the semifinals.
 

"I always invested everything I had. I realized
my resources are not endless and I prefer to
pack everything into this season and then
have a break or stop or whatever. We're not
young rabbits any more and we don't jump
as high as we did.
This team we have with all the super things
we have in this club, they need a manager at
the top of his game and top level. I can't be
there any more. The alternative is I go into
next season and I have to try and get through
it, that's not right."
                                       Jürgen Klopp

I will remember Jürgen Klopp with a positive
feeling for many reasons. His decision and
how he is managing his exit, is also, in my view,
part of his value, his thoughtfulness and merit.


LECCE-JUVE 0-3
On the road again today, visiting Lecce,
down at the heel of the boot, where at
Via del Mare, we are facing the Apulians
of Roberto D'Aversa.
FORZA JUVE!!




JUVE-SASSUOLO 3-0
BRAVO to Max and the kids!
Solid defense, as always, and
sparks of genius from both
Dusan and Kenan up front!
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 

I stand with Sagiv Jehezkel and I call on
the Turkish Footballing Authorities, the
Turkish State and his club to let him be.
His message was not offensive to
anyone and was simply stating a fact.
If we want Israel to face the facts and
to adopt a realistic approach with regards
to occupation, settlements, oppression
and brutalization, and to engage in honest
negotiations for lasting Peace, then we
should not prevent others from stating
facts and supporting their own.
TURKEY, DO THE RIGHT THING!
SAGIV DID NOTHING WRONG.


Bravo to the girls of the Greek Water Polo
Team and to their Coach for winning bronze
in the European Championship! This year's
event was scheduled to take place in Netanya,
in Israel, but, due to the events there, it was
moved to Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
For the New Year, I wish that things in Israel
change radically, that a new government, with
a decent man at the helm, a Peacemaker,
emerges, and that the Jewish State extends
a sincere hand of friendship to its Neighbors,
with an honest desire and intention to make
mutual sacrifices and to negotiate a lasting
Peace. I believe that both Israelis and the
International Community are tired of this
intransigence and this desire for all, which
have led and shall lead nowhere. A new,
visionary and enlightened leader must arise
and take a give-and-take approach that will
make the necessity of moving events away
from Israel in the future a thing of the past.
If we are not optimistic, we have nothing left...


I urge Kvara to dump his agent and I
encourage all other players who are
"banking" with this idiot to withdraw
their accounts. There are very good
reasons for not allowing this parasite
to handle your affairs.
1. You never try to raise the price of
    your own players by belittling the
    value and/or thrashing the reputation
    of other players. This undermines
    the value of your own, since one
    may safely infer that they cannot
    withstand the pressure of a direct
    and fair comparison, without tricks;
2. You cannot sow disharmony in the
    team of your own player. This leads
    to lesser performance, which may
    not affect your own parasitical and
    selfish pockets, but will lead to your
    player losing part of his psychology,
    his cooperative spirit and his own
    enthusiasm.
I urge all players who are represented
by this imbecile to dump Mamuka Jugeli.


JUVE-FROSINONE 4-0
BRAVO to Max and the kids for a game
well played! Especially Weston, Manuel,
Fabio, Tim and Kenan were awesome
this evening!
FORZA JUVE!!

Michigan beat Washington 34-13 in the
NCAA Foot(Throw)ball Championship last
evening to win their first title in 26 years.
BRAVO to the Flagship University of our
State!


Franz Beckenbauer, who amassed fame and
glory as a player and who squandered it all
recklessly as a dealer and an administrator,
is with us no more...
 
 

Coppa Italia week at the Quarter-Finals.
Tomorrow Fiorentina-Bologna at the
Artemio Franchi, on Wednesday, Lazio-
Roma at the Olimpico and, later, Milan-
Atalanta at the San Siro and, closing,
Juve-Frosinone on Thursday at home.


Juve tortured us, even with Salernitana down
to 10 men, but they did the deed and got the
three points in the end to stay close up there.
FORZA JUVE!!
 

Coco took all in Auckland! Bravo, Coco!!


Mario Zagallo is with us no more...
 

Bravo, Coco! I was also very happy to see
Emma back in relatively good shape. I hope
that she takes care, and that she makes sure
to surround herself with some people who
are truly looking out for her, her health and
her form and not only to make a buck our
of her...
 

Juve-Salernitana 6-1
First, to be fair and remain grounded, let's start
by admitting the obvious, that Salernitana did
not put up a decent fight and fell way short of
presenting a sound strategy (with all due
respect to Pippo). Despite this, Juve, under
the limited demands of the game, played really
well. Starting from those deserving the highest
commendations, Rugani, whenever he is asked
to step in and do a job, he works clinically, does
it well and makes us proud. The midfield was
spotless, from a truly World Class Locatelli,
to World Champion Rabiot, to Miretti, to
Cambiaso to Iling-Junior, all centrocampisti
in top form. Finally, Chiesa, absolutely World
Class, unparalleled. Talking (not me) about
Juve lacking stars, Liverpool may have Salah,
PSG Mbappe, but Juve has Chiesa (and not
only). Let me close by referring to details;
What jewels by the youngsters, Yildiz and
Weah!! Not that I did not enjoy Fabio's and
Andrea's goals (Daniele's was so-so), but
Kenan's and Tim's goals were pure magic,
pure wonders, like the most precious and
finest of stones, those that remind you, when
you are watching (especially live), why this is
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SPORT ON THE
PLANET, hands down.
I forgot to mention the most important.
So, with apologies, I append photos in
the second row...
 
 

Max is right not to be concerned about the
market. The existing players have the quality
and, most importantly, the Team Spirit, the
passion and feistiness, and the mentality
needed to attain our goals. With Max at the
helm and with the group available, being
harmonious and working so well together,
we must remain focused, without distractions,
without disruptions and without changes.
LET'S MAKE THIS YEAR A BIG SUCCESS!


After tomorrow, hosting Salernitana at the Juve
Stadium for the Coppa Italia and, then, three days
later, visiting them at the Arechi in Salerno, just
south of Napoli, for Serie A. Let's start 2024 in
the best of shapes.
FORZA JUVE!!

I read that Inter renewed also the contract of
Matteo Darmian! Bravo, Inter! Bravo, Matteo!


JUVE-ROMA 1-0
 
 
 
Back home in Torino tomorrow, hosting
Roma at the Juve Stadium. Let's finish
the year strong and try to remain within
reach...
FORZA JUVE!!

Very good move by the Nerazzurri to renew
Federico Di Marco's contract till 2027. We
want the best of the Azzurri to stay in Serie A.
Bravo to Inter! Bravo to Federico!


And a nice team photo of the leaders, just before
their game at the San Siro against Lecce.


At the Benito Stirpe in Frosinone, southeast
of Roma, Juve did its duty and won the tie
against Frosinone 1-2 to stay close to the top.
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 

They do not seem to have filled the
position of a right extreme (winger)
yet at Miami. May I suggest Rudy
Giuliani? He is retired, needs some
extra cash, has the appropriate
credentials and his great personality
fits well with the whole climate, the
temperament and the idiosyncrasy
of this great state of our union...


Βρωμιά και δυσωδία και ο Ολυμπιακός. Δυστυχώς
αλλα διαλαλεί και άλλα κάνει, όποτε τον συμφέρει
και όποτε τον βολεύει, ο Μαρινακος... Του έλειψαν
οι ποροι να παρει έναν άνθρωπο ευγενικό, με
ήθος, και λίγο της προκοπής; Διαμαρτυρία επί
διαμαρτυρίας, δήθεν, στα in.gr και στα σόσιαλ
μίντια (μάλλον μόνο για το θεαθήναι) για το
ανύπαρκτο ήθος των άλλων και για το πως
λυμαίνονται το ποδόσφαιρο, και καταντήσαμε
να παίρνουμε να μας εκπροσωπεί σκέτος βόθρος.
Αν είναι δυνατόν. Τα' χει χασει παντελως και δεν
ξερει τι του γινεται ο προεδρος. Η μαλλον ξερει
μια χαρα, γιατι εκεί ανήκει κι εκεινος, παρα τα
ωραια τα τραγούδια...


One of the most beautiful gestures in the
service of the Most Beautiful Sport in the
World. The mascots of all teams in the First
and Second Divisions of Dutch Football were
gathered together, by invitation of PSV, and
had a Christmas Feast, sending a strong
message that Football Unites in Love and
Respect and that adversity and competition
end with the Final Whistle and stay on the
pitch, giving their place in Life to Fraternity,
Togetherness and Solidarity. BRAVO, PSV!!


Wise decision to leave out Sandro; he is not
ready. But Weah is too powerful to be left out.
He and McKennie form a formidable duo on the
right flank, very difficult to challenge and tame,
whereas Cambiaso has shown rather little both
in terms of effort and of passion and enthusiasm.
 
On the road again at the Luigi Ferraris in Genoa,
the City of Doria, Mazzini and Paganini, against
the Rossoblù, this Friday, continuing the race
to stay close to the top of the table in Serie A.
FORZA JUVE!!

We strongly support Max for many reasons:
- He is a nice man;
- He is passionate about football;
- He knows what he is doing, and has a
  philosophy and deep knowledge of the
  game that very few can truly profess;
- He nurtures and trusts young talent;
- He places Team above individuals.
- He is part and parcel of the History
  and the Fabric of the Greatest Club
  in the Most Beautiful Sport on the Planet.
We are with him through thick and thin and
it would be a tragic mistake (at this point in
time) to even discuss Juve without Max.


When one joins a pantheon, including the likes
of Gaetano Scirea, Claudio Gentile and Antonio
Cabrini, there is very little one can add. For those
of us who are not of an age to remember, Giorgio
and Leo have created new miracles, new powerful
memories that will persist for as long as this sport
continues to fascinate, mesmerize and exhilarate.


JUVE-NAPOLI 1-0
FORZA JUVE!!
Another big game today in Torino.
Juve is facing Napoli at the Juve
Stadium for a fight to stay as close
as possible to the leaders in Serie A.
 
 
 

Monza-Juve 1-2
I do not think it is judicious to play in the
same way against Inter or Fiorentina or
Monza. And this game showed exactly
the reason why. When a team is stronger,
with multiple advantages, can dominate
and can put pressure and surround the
opponent's area, they should definitely
be doing this and asking for a second.
Defending against all opponents, even
with only a one goal advantage, may cost
in the end a steep price. These comments
are in no way meant to contradict Max's
urging to take every opponent seriously
and to not underestimate anyone nor are
they meant to take away the credit from
the Team for wanting it so bad and fighting
until the last second. But, let me add,
that Federico, who did his best to get up
high and finally scored the last minute
goal, should try and do a little better at
critical moments in defense. If he watches
Lautaro's goal in the game with Inter, it
should become clear that sometimes
sliding and pushing the ball away at
critical moments before reaching an
opponent in the box is a life-saver and,
in my view, it is, in fact, a distinguishing
features of a good defender from a world
class one.
FORZA JUVE!!
     

What has been happening in Manchester
United for a long time has hit Andre in the
head like a brick and, from one of the
steadiest keepers, with enough credit
to be counted as a major contributor to
the stunning success of Simone's Inter,
has, suddenly and in very little time, be-
come like an untrustworthy and shaky
newby in a team that is perpetually
searching and not finding...


Very good news! It seems that Maestro Carlo
is intending to extend his contract with Real,
with, hopefully, the outlook of finishing his
career not at the helm of the Brazilians, but
at the helm of the Azzurri! BRAVO, MAESTRO!


Juve-Inter 1-1
The midfield was lethargic yesterday.
Neither Kostic on the left nor McKennie
on the right were at their best and it
did not help that Rabiot was not either
and that Cambiaso continued with one
of his usual unimpressive performances.
A very promising start, however, for
Nicolussi, who was a bit shaky, but
that was to be expected at such a
game and at such a demanding role.
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 

FORZA AZZURRI!!


Juve-Cagliari 2-1
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 
 

Solid defense, but otherwise unconvincing
performance, with the team unable to hold
the ball, develop a good game or recover
the ball up high. One step forward and two
steps back it seems sometimes. Fiorentina
deserved a win, or a least a tie, but we had
Bremer, Rugani & Gatti in exceptional form...
 
 

Sunday, we are supposed to visit the Viola
at the Artemio Franchi in beautiful Firenze.
There are, however, reports of extreme
weather phenomena in Tuscany that are
causing both loss of life and extensive
flooding and damage. We'll have to wait
and see.
FORZA JUVE!!


Our second biggest mistake, and, unavoidably,
our second biggest fiasco...


It took a lot of effort and stubbornness,
but the kids did everything right and did
deserve this win! And Kean sizzling and
burning, on fire!.. Juve-Hellas Verona 1-0!
 
 
 

Milan-Juve 0-1
FORZA JUVE!!
 

Juve-Torino 2-0
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 
 

At Bergamo this Sunday, facing Atalanta.
A much better appearance, hopefully, so
as to be able to seriously contest the 3
points and stay in touch.

Not great. Barely enough...

Returning to Juve Stadium in Torino on
Tuesday, hosting the Apulians of Lecce
from the heel of the Peninsula.
FORZA JUVE!!

Μπράβο, Μαρία!!
 

Very poor performance overall at Sassuolo,
with a give away by Szczesny and a terrible
own goal at the worst moment by Gatti.
I guess lack of focus and poor control.
Except for McKennie and Chiesa, we saw
very few positive things or commendable
efforts. I am still wondering, what is the
use of packing the midfield if it does not
serve to dominate the game and leaves
the back naked and totally exposed?
We CAN and we MUST IMPROVE. We
must show consistency and passion and
we must press relentlessly but, at the same
time, show readiness to run back quickly to
defend when the opponents break through.
 
 
At the heart of Emilia-Romagna tomorrow,
Sassuolo-Juve.
FORZA JUVE!!

Juve-Lazio 3-1
Max has found the perfect balance and the
perfect starting eleven and, not only that,
but perfect substitutes (with the exception
of Cambiaso, who does not seem to have
gotten in the team spirit, nor does he seem
willing to sweat his shirt for the team).
Other than that, exceptional performance
both from the starting eleven and from the
kids that came in at exactly the right spots.
                            Szczesny
             Gatti       Bremer        Danilo
McKennie Miretti Locatelli Rabiot Kostic
   (Weah)  (Fagioli)                         (Cambiaso)
                      Vlahovic  Chiesa
                        (Milik)   (Kean)
FORZA JUVE!!
 
 

Our greatest mistake and it doesn't seem to
be going away that easily. It just feels so
burdensome, stifling and oppressive that
this, one of the Greatest and Most Revered
Jerseys in the History of Football, has been
associated with this player, at such great
cost and at such low return... A chronicle
of a failure foretold. But one cannot change
history, one can only learn from it.
 

I am embarrassed and disappointed on Juve's
behalf. Something happened this summer between
Max and Leo and, even though Leo had served
the team so well for so many years (and become
a flagship of our central defense together with
Giorgio), it seems that the team's behavior was
disrespectful and that they tried to sweep the
affair under the rug. If we want (and we do)
players to show loyalty and stay in the same
clubs for extended periods of time, then those
clubs MUST reciprocate and treat players that
have served them well for many years with the
respect and the dignity they deserve, regardless
of personal agreements or disagreements.


Back to Torino on Saturday hosting Lazio.
FORZA JUVE!!

Bravo, Coco!!
 
 

Fútbol-wise, he clearly knew what he was doing,
but behaviorally and mentally, he was not fully
there. It is absolutely puzzling and quite astounding
to have person V applaud someone who is accused
of inappropriate behavior towards one of his team's
key players and who took away much of the luster
of the greatest of all possible footballing triumphs,
and that same person V saying next morning that
he did not approve of that other person's behavior.
Can anyone be so unstable and equivocating? Can
someone feel such great obligation and loyalty so as
to contradict themselves in order to shelter someone
whose actions are preposterous and whose behavior
is totally unjustifiable, simply because that someone
has helped and supported them before? In my view,
such a stance shows permissiveness, immaturity and
superficiality and, perhaps, unrepentant machoism.


International Break this coming week.
Teams are contesting a spot for the
upcoming (June 14 - July 14) Euro
2024 in Germany. The Azzurri are
facing North Macedonia on Saturday
and Ukraine at home on Tuesday in
what should be must-win games.
After Roberto Mancini stepped down,
the Azzurri are now managed by last
year's Scudetto winner's coach Luciano
Spalletti, one of the Best in the World.
So the expectations are really high.

Goalkeepers: 1 Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG) 21 Alex Meret (Napoli) Ivan Provedel (Lazio) 12 Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham)

Defenders: 23 Alessandro Bastoni (Inter) 4 Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina) Nicolo Casale (Lazio) 13 Matteo Darmian (Inter) 2 Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli) 3 Federico Dimarco (Inter) 14 Gianluca Mancini (Roma) 6 Alessio Romagnoli (Lazio) 15 Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta) 4 Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma)

Midfielders: 18 Nicolo Barella (Inter) 16 Bryan Cristante (Roma) 19 Davide Frattesi (Inter) 5 Manuel Locatelli (Juve) 10 Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma) Matteo Pessina (Monza) 8 Sandro Tonali (Newcastle)

Forwards: 14 Federico Chiesa (Juve) 11 Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds) 17 Ciro Immobile (Lazio) 7 Matteo Politano (Napoli) 10 Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli) 9 Mateo Retegui (Genoa) 20 Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio) 22 Nicolo Zaniolo (Aston Villa)

FORZA AZZURRI!!


Empoli-Juve 0-2
Not the performance one is expecting yet.
Enough to beat Empoli (which put up a good
fight, but also has some distance to cover),
but it would not have been anywhere close
enough to contest games against the giants.
Max and the kids, keep working at it!
We CAN and we MUST do much better.
FORZA JUVE!!
 

This weekend we are traveling to the
Stadio Comunale Carlo Castellani at
Empoli on the south banks of the Arno,
which connects Firenze with Pisa. The bar
this year has been raised quite high and
I do hope that both Max and the kids take
each and every game very seriously. It is
not suitable for a Team like Juve to have
players who are watching and following
the game from afar without being always
on the ball, running and pressing and
contesting plays everywhere. I am the last
person that wants to be harsh, but last
weekend in Torino, only Tim Weah and
Federico Chiesa showed extraordinary
passion and we should demand this from
everyone. And we miss Cuadrado because
he was indefatigable and was giving all he
had, playing with inexhaustible energy,
vitality and passion in every single game, as
befits a Club with History Second to None.
FORZA JUVE!!

Μαρία, ναι μεν είστε επαγγελματίες, αλλά ένα
σπορ είναι. Δεν είναι ζήτημα ζωής ή θανάτου.
Το ζητούμενο είναι να το χαίρεσαι όταν ασχο-
λείσαι και να σε χαιρόμαστε κι εμείς όταν σε
βλέπουμε να παίζεις. Η νίκη μετράει, αλλά
είναι δευτερεύουσα. Και η απογοήτευση
είναι μέσα στο πρόγραμμα, αλλά προς θεού
μην αφήσεις κάτι τέτοιο να σε χτυπήσει
ψυχολογικά και να σου αφαιρέσει τη χαρά,
το πάθος και το χαμόγελο στα οποία μας
έχεις, καλώς ή κακώς, τόσο συνηθίσει.


Juventus-Bologna 1-1 at the Juve Sadium.
Improved performance in the second half,
but, perhaps, too little too late. Something
has to give so that the team is not moving
only when they are losing.
FORZA JUVE!!
Juve is not pressing at all up high and its
defense is too shaky. We need two central
defenders and a 4-4-2. The five at the mid
field right now do not dominate the game
at all. So I do not see a reason for having
them there and leaving the defense open.
Let's place Rugani and Gatti in charge of
the central defense. Weah, Fagioli, Locatelli
and Rabiot should be enough in the midfield.
Since things have not been working, let's
not stick to failed recipes. Max, shake
things up! I hope you are not the only
one that does not realize that things do
look pretty bleak and lame right now.
Lack of enthusiasm, lack of inspiration...

To all their critics out there, let me say, in the
context of other developments, that I so much
wish that being "coward", "shameful" and
"pathetic" would mean embracing someone
and recognizing that they were as good, as
stubborn, as driven and as effective as you
had been. BRAVO, KATIE & NINA!!
And to conclude, let me quote Katie's own
admirable and memorable words:
"To walk away healthy and with a gold medal
while celebrating with my friend that had
jumped just as well was a no-brainer...
I understand that people want to see a clear
winner but in this instance it was without a
doubt the right decision, and one that I will
never regret."

BRAVO to our own Katie Moon and to Australia's
Nina Kennedy for both their performance at the
Pole Vault in the World Athletics Championships
in Budapest and for an exemplary, so much needed,
show of sisterhood and sportsmanship. BRAVO!
 


With the selfishness, the avarice and the mind
he carries, he will end up thrown away in al-A
al-H or al-N somewhere, basking in millions,
while desperately trying to get some extras by
advertising for the butchers on social media,
and trying to coerce the greedy parasites, like
Ceferin, in certain high places, to allow them
to play in the big leagues. What a shame and
degeneration. By someone that does not need
either the money or the extra fame. Just due
to an uncontrollable, maniacal self-destructive
attitude which has gotten hold of his entire being...


COWARD & DEVIANT PARASITE INFANTINO,
WHY ARE YOU NOT COMING OUT TO DECLARE
THAT THIS WAS NOT THE BEST WORLD CUP
EVER, BECAUSE, EVEN THOUGH THE GIRLS
GAVE EVERYTHING THEY HAD, YOU INVITED,
AS AN OFFICIAL GUEST IN THE FINAL, A DERAILED
AND DEVIANT INDIVIDUAL WHOSE BEHAVIOR
WAS NOT ONLY UNACCEPTABLE AND PROVOCATIVE,
BUT WHO SHAMELESSLY AND OPENLY SEXUALLY
HARASSED ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE
WORLD TO SHOW WHAT A MAN CAN DO AND
WHAT THE POSITION OF THE SEXES SHOULD BE?
WHY ARE YOU STILL HIDING AND HAVE NOT
COME OUT MAKING A CLEAR STATEMENT ABOUT
WHAT THE ENTIRE GLOBE WITNESSED UNDER THE
AUSPICES OF THE FIFA YOU DIRECT SO SHAMEFULLY
AND UNSUCCESSFULLY? DO YOU NEED COMMITTEES
OF INQUIRY, INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS, GRAND
JURIES AND BLAH BLAH BLAH, EVEN IN SITUATIONS
WHERE EVERYTHING IS PLAIN FOR EVERYONE TO
SEE BEFORE MAKING A CLEAR AND UNEQUIVOCAL
STATEMENT AND TAKING A POSITION? WHAT NEEDS
TO HAPPEN FOR FIFA TO STAND FOR ONCE WITH
THE RIGHT SIDE AND DO THE RIGHT THING? DO
WE HAVE TO WITNESS A GRABBING OF THE PART
THAT OUR EX-PRESIDENT SUGGESTED OR AN
OPEN RAPE ON STAGE FOR YOU TO SPEAK UP?
WHAT A DEBASE, WHAT A SHAME FIFA HAS COME
TO UNDER INFANTINO. NOW THEY HAVE PROGRESSED
FROM FINANCIAL SCANDALS AND MISMANAGEMENT
ALSO TO SEXUAL AND DISCRIMINATORY DEVIANCE.
BRAVO AVARICIOUS PARASITE INFANTINO!

Both Cata Coll and Mary Earps are keepers
of Teams that contested this year's World Cup
in the Final Game. So there is no question that
they are both excellent keepers. But, in my view,
neither of the two was the best keeper of the
tournament. It is easy, however, to understand
why one of the two would be selected, since those
distinctions usually accompany, deservedly or
not, the success of their respected teams. So be
it! But let us neither overstate the facts nor
overdo the touting and/or the celebration.


Unless we call things by their proper name and
are not hesitant or intimidated in calling a spade
a spade, equality, stopping sexism and ending
discrimination will never be attained.
With tolerance of such outrageous behaviors, in
official ceremonies no less, sexism, discrimination
and tacit support of unacceptable and harmful
working environments will be perpetuated with
us as accomplices. The entire footballing world
should be up in arms and vocally and unequivo-
cally demanding the resignation or firing of
Luis Rubiales. IS FIFA SERIOUS ABOUT
EQUALITY AND CREATING SAFE PLACES
AND STANDING FOR THE GIRLS' RIGHTS
TO ENJOY THE SPORT IN ENVIRONMENTS
NOT STINKING WITH HARASSMENT AND
DISCRIMINATION? Because, if I ever saw a
scene that reeked of harassment and sexism,
this is absolutely it. PUNISH RUBIALES NOW
IN A PARADIGMATIC WAY TO SEND A CLEAR
AND STRONG MESSAGE THAT THE FEMALE
PLAYERS DO NOT CONSTITUTE HIS PERSONAL
PROPERTY OR HIS HAREM TO HANDLE AND
DO WITH AS HE LIKES.


Season Opener for Juve at Friuli.
Udinese-Juventus 0-3
FORZA JUVE!!


A special page for the
2023 World Cup
Australia-New Zealand

I hear that Spalletti and Conte are possible
choices for the Azzurri and, why not, also,
Maestro Carlo, if one opts for a caretaker
until Maestro Carlo finishes his obligations
with Real. But, in any case, the choices are
very high class. I wish there had been a way
to entice Maestro Carlo to try the National
Team as the final stop in a magnificent career.


European Football has become very competitive
and, to face that competition and fair better, the
strategies are demanding better and better co-
herence, organization and coordination between
teammates. As a result those with big egos and
unable or unwilling to subject themselves to the
team's interests as a whole, and to Team Spirit,
find themselves thrown away to the middle east,
no matter the talent and no matter the losses
that their clubs incur to get rid of them. In
specific games, players that try to do too much
themselves consistently and do not coordinate
readily with their teammates stick out like a soar
thumb. The latest player I remember seeing in a
game that comes to mind was Colombia's Linda
Caicedo, who, despite being very talented and
quite fast, she was trying to do a bit too much
by herself, even when she could have involved
some of her teammates in the mix, with, perhaps,
more impressive and better outcomes.


And while the girls are giving us unforgettable
moments, both in the field and in their humanity
and sisterhood, the Greek Prime Minister will be
attempting to cope with violence by inviting for
a meeting in his official residence the European
boss of bosses, the arch-oligarch and gangster
Ceferin, and the local gangsters, the presiding
hypocrites of the four most powerful football
clubs in Greece. And all that, because the only
way that one can eradicate violence, which is
to counter it with police action and arrests and
to impose heavy penalties, both monetary and
in terms of exclusion of clubs from competitions,
these gangsters are unwilling and/or unable to
use. This is a charade to show that they care,
whereas, in fact, they do not give a rat's as*
about the grave, crashing circumstances that
have been developing and worsening under
their watch, or, rather, under their apathy and
their complicity.


Μπράβο, Μαρία!!


Μπράβο, Στέφανε!!


Because they are leeches and parasites and they
are surviving through the dole of oligarchs, they
do not care to do the right thing for the sport.
They are only concern is to fatten their pockets
and to maximize their own revenues, without
any scruples or ethical barriers whatsoever.
IMPLODE UEFA KNOW! PLUNDERING OF
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SPORT MUST STOP.
 

Δεύτεροι στον κόσμο. Πρώτοι στις καρδιές μας.
After a nerve breaking game, Greece bowed to
Hungary in the Final of the Men's Water Polo in
the World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka,
Japan. A compelling game for the men who forced
the powerful (now) four-times World Champions
to resolve the tie (10-10) in the penalties (14-13).
 

This just continues to break my heart... It just confirms
the wisdom that an early success, accompanied by fame
and money, is a mixed "blessing". She was just 18 years
old, probably lost, and, certainly, naive and ignorant, and,
almost in no time, the vultures, smelling blood, anxiously
and greedily swooped, damaged her health, destroyed
her career, and left her in pieces, all for profiteering.
A SHAME AND A PITY. SO HEARTBREAKING...


I do not exactly know what it is... It may be ambition,
it may be extreme egoism, detached from reality, or,
it may simply be unchecked avarice and greediness.
Why on earth would a player, like Kylian, want to
participate in a charade, wasting away the best years
of his career, except, perhaps, for the biennial Euro
and World Cup competitions? Is it so hard for
someone who is way passed monetary anxieties and
concerns to stick to a path that makes the love of
one's craft a priority, and his career most useful,
most promising and most inspiring, rather than
bowing to a temptation to become a moneymaking
tool and a charlatan in a despicable and dangerous
circus?


Gigi is retiring at 45, with a career second only
to that of the Great Dino Zoff. He will stay in
History and be remembered, without a doubt,
as one of the Greatest Keepers in the History
of the Most Beautiful Sport on the Planet.
Since, his retirement brought something else,
loosely related, to my mind, I seize the oppor-
tunity to mention it. The way the Azzurri
played against Spain in the semifinal of the
Nations League may be an indication that it
is time for Mancini to let someone else try
rebuilding and reorganizing. I know there
have been discussions about Maestro Carlo
joining Brasil after his stint at Real. BUT
would it not be the most suitable, the most
appropriate and the most amazing thing if
Maestro Carlo was to retire at the helm of
the National Side, bringing, or at least
making a hard and honest effort to bring,
by using his vast experience and tremendous
power,  a Fifth World Cup Trophy to Rome?


After Milan sold Tonali to Newcastle, today
Inter has sold Andre Onana, a powerful and
steady keeper, to Manchester United. Sad day
for Inter and a happy day for MU, which has,
justifiably, moved to offload de Gea, who,
despite an initially overpraised reputation,
has not proven a very steady hand under
United's posts.


I am reading that Juve is selling Vlahovic
and trying to acquire Lukaku. If it is simply
a matter of finances, one cannot say much.
If not, this switch is a terrible idea and I
hope that Max did not agree. Vlahovic is
just at the beginning and very promising,
whereas Lukaku is really in decline, and I
do not think he'd be able to help that much.
Let's not make the same mistake, like with
Ronaldo and with Pogba. We must be very
deliberate and cautious, especially in view
of the recent financial difficulties.


I need to say a few things about Maria and Stefanos.
I will be more lenient with Maria than with Stefanos
and I apologize in advance.
Stefanos had been in a discreet relationship with
a serious, thoughtful, kind and beautiful girl, who,
apparently, supported him a lot behind the scenes,
without constantly appearing in the social media
and causing distractions. He got out of that rela-
tionship and, of course, this was his right and
exclusively his business and concern.
But should we be surprised that the way things
appear to be right now, Stefanos has a hard time
concentrating on the business at hand and cannot
focus properly, being in the social media doing
unnecessary and mindless stuff even in the middle
of very demanding and challenging tournaments
and matches?
On the other hand, Maria should think seriously
about her coaching team. I know that loyalty is a
big issue (especially in Greece) and I know that
they added recently Mark in the coaching team
to shake things up. However, as in all sports and
with all coaches, there is a certain point in time
when one has to part ways, if only because things
get old and one needs some refreshing new ideas
and some change of scenery.
This would not necessarily mean that Tom was
a failure or unsuccessful. It would simply mean
that it is high time to try something different,
that may, perhaps, fit her style better.
I am making these comments, lovingly and with
care. I am concerned that what we would have
liked to see and what they would have wanted,
is slowly, as their ages progress, slipping out of
their hands and, for me, that would be a real pity
and disappointment. I think that, with small
adjustments, they can improve dramatically
and become even more competitive and contest
more titles. All of us are hoping and wishing to
witness such a state of affairs before time slips.


Taking a look at the Coaching Staff for the upcoming
season of Serie A, it is again clear that the Italian Clubs
are placing well-deserved confidence in the talents and
skills of Italian Coaches, unequivocally the best on the
Planet. Only four clubs are starting their preparations
for the new season with foreign coaches at the helm:
The Champions, Napoli, of course, switched from the
super-experienced and super-capable Luciano Spalletti
to the Frenchman Rudi Garcia.
Roma and Salernitana have the Portuguese pair of
Jose Mourinho and Paulo Sousa, respectively, and,
finally, Torino is staying with the Croatian Ivan Juric.


Sad news for Milan. One of their most valuable
players, Sandro Tonali, was sold to Newcastle,
with, of course, a very lavish deal, which, in my
view, the Club should have resisted. In any case,
Italian Football offered us a mixed bag last season.
On the one hand, exhilaration, since all three
European Finals featured an Italian club, a long
overdue situation for the best domestic competition
on the Planet. On the other hand, neither of Firenze,
Milano or Roma were able to welcome a Cup,
unlike in 2022, when, Roma, at least, was able to
welcome the Europa Conference League Trophy.
The gamble now is to try not to weaken the rosters
by the lure of offers to snatch up the most valuable,
but to strengthen them further, also adding some
talented Italian youth, so that next year may
become even more successful than the last.


Συμφωνώ απόλυτα με το Γιάννη Λαμπίρη.
Φυσικά και όλοι αγαπάμε το Γιάννη και του
ευχόμαστε ό,τι καλύτερο (κι ας μην είναι
στους Pistons). Όμως αντικειμενικά, για
την Ελλάδα είναι ένα mixed blessing.
Αφενός χάρις στο ταλέντο, την προσπάθεια
και τις εξαιρετικές επιτυχίες του, έχει κάνει
πολλά νέα παιδιά να ονειρεύονται και να
ασχολούνται και να αγαπάνε το μπάσκετ
εκ νέου. Και, επιπλέον, έχει θεαματικά
αυξήσει τη φήμη και προβάλλει την Ελλάδα
ασταμάτητα, όπου κι αν βρεθεί και όπως
μπορεί, με την Αγάπη και την Καλοσύνη
του, παρά τα τόσα όσα πέρασε και υπέφερε,
που μόνο ο ίδιος και η οικογένεια του ξέρουν.
Αφετέρου, όμως, έχει ταλαιπωρήσει την
Εθνική ομάδα και τον κόσμο της ασταμά-
τητα. Φυσικά έχει τις υποχρεώσεις του έξω
και χρειάζεται να φροντίζει ανελλιπώς την
υγεία του, ώστε να μπορεί να τις φέρει εις
πέρας. Όμως τα συνεχόμενα "ήξεις αφήξεις"
και "κάθου και περίμενε", το άγνωστο στο
σχεδιασμό και η ασυνέπεια και έλλειψη
συνοχής και σταθερότητας έχουν βλάψει,
αντί να βοηθάνε, την Εθνική Ομάδα.
Μακάρι να μπορούσε να δεσμευτεί ο Γιάννης
ότι, οσο αντέχει, θα ήταν πάντα εκεί, αλλά
αφού αυτό είναι προφανώς δύσκολο ή αδύνατο,
καλό είναι να αποφασίζει και να ειδοποιεί εκ
των προτέρων και εγκαίρως για κάθε διοργά-
νωση, ώστε να γίνεται ο σχεδιασμός και να
μην υπάρχει αυτή η αβεβαιότητα και το εξου-
θενωτικό σασπένς μέχρι και την ενδεκάτη ώρα.


Παρακολουθώ πάλι τα παιδιά που προσπαθούν
για ό,τι καλύτερο στο Ευρωπαϊκό Πρωτάθλημα
Ομάδων στην Κρακοβία. Μπράβο σε όλα τα
παιδιά που συμμετέχουν! Διάβασα σήμερα για
τον Εμμανουήλ, το Μίλτο, την Κατερίνα, την
Ελίνα και την Πολυνίκη.
   
 


Simone with an explosive starting line-up
that shines and sparks... FORZA INTER!!
 

The dream of three Italian titles this year was
not to be... Mourinho let the Spaniards coast
by, hands down, with a Roma side playing so
defensively after scoring and before suffering
the own goal that it was only a matter of time.
Only Mourinho did not see it coming and
thought that it was a game well played...
But, credit to a coach who brought his team to
two successive European Finals, despite errors.
 

Forza Juve!!


Hosting Sevilla on Thursday for a spot in the Final
of the Europa League. Being out of competition for
Coppa Italia and having conceded the Scudetto to
Napoli, it is imperative that we do the best possible.

  Danilo Bonucci Bremer Sandro
Cuadrado Locatelli Rabiot Kostic
              Chiesa   Di Maria

But, once more, Max knows best!
FORZA JUVE!!


And at Bergamo, Juve won 0-2 against Atalanta,
with the youngster Samuel Iling opening the score
and Dušan sealing the deal deep in injury time, to
climb second in the table. FORZA JUVE!!

Another thrilling game follows in which, at the
Olimpico, Mourinho's Roma is facing Simone's
Inter. I see the starting lineups and it is a game
in which the who-is-who of the Azzurri defense
(whom I wish Juve had in its own composition)
are shining: Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco
Acerbi, Bryan Cristante and Matteo Darmian
are all present. (I just realized, instead of who's
who, one may call them the ABCD of Italian
Defense!)

A thrilling game on in San Siro, with Pioli's Milan
hosting Sarri's Lazio. The Milanese are ahead 2-0
with goals by the Frenchmen Ismaël Bennacer and
Theo Hernández.
 
  

Today, against Lecce at the Juve Stadium.
And Lazio hosts Sassuolo at the Olimpico.
Let's win this. FORZA JUVE!!
 

Juventus is playing Bologna this evening and, as
the Nerazzurri won 3-1 against Lazio at the San
Siro, there is a unique opportunity to move second
in the table by winning!
FORZA JUVE!!

I agree with Giannis 100%. We are used to expecting
only wins from our coaches, our teams, etc. But, in
every game one side must win and the other must
lose, and in life, both joy and sadness are part of one's
experiences. It is absurd that people are so eager and
find it so easy to lambast and criticize a loss, even
when the losing side exhibits a fighting spirit. And
even more disturbing when we see coaches who have
built a team throughout many years, getting fired
just because of one (or a few) unpleasant results.
But, perhaps, one needs to look elsewhere for the
real reasons. One needs to look at the exorbitant
and disproportionate amounts of money that those
people are making in a very short time and what
is financially at stake. Maybe that is the reason
why the demands on them are unrealistic. Simply,
because the rewards they receive are also unrealistic
and out of whack with what real life should be about.
After all, a coach, say, has a job like everyone else.
Why is it that he gets millions on dollars as a salary
every year? With players, it is similar, but more
complicated. But again, things have to change.


We need to put up another good fight tonight
at San Siro to reach the Copa Italia Final.
FORZA JUVE!!

Juve made a good effort last night against Napoli,
but, at the last minute, Raspadori's shot went
through Szczesny at the back of the net and the
Team was unable to secure a tie. A pity, but,
nevertheless, a game well played against the
indisputable leaders of this year's Campionato.
   
   
   
   

FORZA JUVE!!


 

   
   
   

   
   

Από το κακό στο χειρότερο ο Ολυμπιακός στη
μετά-Martins εποχή... Και τώρα, λέγεται ότι θα
προσλάβει τον Γκατούζο... Καλά οι ιθύνοντες
της ομάδας δεν είναι Έλληνες; Δεν μπορούν να
καταλάβουν ότι Ελληνική ομάδα με τις απαι-
τήσεις του Ολυμπιακού (που απολύει όποιον
προπονητή χάσει ένα παιχνίδι) και ατομάντζα
με την προσωπικότητα Γκατούζο αποκλείεται
να κάνουν χωριό και να συνυπάρξουν αρμονικά
για πολύ, και ότι θα επέλθει ακόμα πιο ηχηρή
συμφορά και αποτυχία από τις πρόσφατες;


FORZA JUVE!!
 
I know that it is a Dream, but aren't some dreams
supposed to come true? What a joy it would be if
all three trophies this year went to Italian hands?
The Champions League to one of this year's Big
Three, the Europa to Juve or Roma and, last, but
not least, the Conference to the Viola? While there
is a chance, while the chances remain, we, ardent
fans and followers of the Best League on Earth,
can dream on...

I agree with Maestro Carlo. But, in my view, it
is not over-usage that has resulted in this weird
and unpleasant situation. On the contrary, it is
precisely because VAR has been so beneficial in
eradicating arbitrariness, and because being
arbitrary and capricious is in the interests and
is the bread and butter of UEFA, FIFA and the
largest clubs, that UEFA and FIFA have found
other ways to defeat the effectiveness of the VAR
and reduce its equalizing influence by the back
door. And a notorious such case is the new rule
concerning hand-balls that no one seems to
clearly understand, that referees use totally
at whim, and to whose application VAR, of
course, cannot contribute, since it is unclear
what to do in the first place, and, therefore,
seeing it again leaves it equally puzzling, murky
and doubtful, as it is to start with. For VAR to
be able to do the right thing and to contribute
to the game decisively, there should be no
ambiguity to the rules. Ambiguities benefit the
strongest and should be eliminated aggressively.


FORZA JUVE!!
Juventus Probable XI (3-5-2):
                                  Perin
                      Gatti, Bremer, Danilo
Cuadrado, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic
                         Di Maria, Vlahovic

Roberto Mancini has selected the Team to face
England on Thursday. FORZA AZZURRI!!

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Wladimiro
Falcone, Alex Meret, Ivan Provedel.
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi, Leonardo Bonucci,
Alessandro Buongiorno, Matteo Darmian, Giovanni
Di Lorenzo, Federico Dimarco, Alessio Romagnoli,
Giorgio Scalvini, Leonardo Spinazzola, Rafael Toloi.
Midfielders: Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante,
Davide Frattesi, Jorginho, Lorenzo Pellegrini,
Matteo Pessina, Sandro Tonali, Marco Verratti.
Attackers: Domenico Berardi, Federico Chiesa,
Wilfried Gnonto, Vincenzo Grifo, Simone Pafundi,
Matteo Politano, Mateo Retegui, Gianluca Scamacca.

   
   
 

FORZA JUVE!! LET's DO THIS, MAX & KIDS!!
 
   
   

I do not agree with everything that Dionisis Dellis is
writing about the Campionato, Italian Players or, of
course, the Pantheon of Italian Coaches, which does
not only have an Unparalleled Past, but a great Present
and Future, based on that Tradition. But it is good
that he visited this topic and that he, at least, admits
a "comeback" of a Giant that was never out of class
or play, but only on paper, if one bases its judgement
entirely an successes, failures and, alas, revenues and
expenditures... In heart and soul, and passion, Italy
has never been second to any other European Nation.


Greek football lost one of its wizards.
Mimis Papaioannou is with us no more...


FORZA JUVE!!
   
 

Μπράβο στα κορίτσια της ΑΕΚ μας, που έγραψαν
Ιστορία, παίρνοντας το πρώτο Κύπελλο Ελλάδας
στην Ιστορία του Συλλόγου. Μπράβο και στην
Ελίνα μας, που είχε μία ακόμα μεγάλη επιτυχία.
 

FORZA JUVE!!
 
   
 

Μπράβο, Εμμανουήλ!


Μπράβο, Μίλτο! Μέσα στη στενοχώρια, την πίκρα
και την απογοήτευση, έμεινες συγκεντρωμένος και
κατάφερες ό,τι μπορούσες, ό,τι καλύτερο. Μπράβο.
Μπράβο και στα άλλα παιδιά που προσπαθούν για
ό,τι καλύτερο σην Πόλη. Είδα, χθες, η Κατερίνα
προσπάθησε, και πολλοί πέρασαν στους τελικούς.
Σε μία χώρα που, παρά τις δηλώσεις περί του
αντιθέτου και τις ωραιολογίες, τα πάντα είναι
οπισθοδρομικά και, σε πολλούς τομείς, μπάχαλο,
και η πρόοδος βραδεία και οι υποσχέσεις κενές,
αγωνίζεστε με πάθος και αφοσίωση και κάνετε
θαύματα. Από εσάς, τα νέα παιδιά, που με νύχια
και με δόντια παλεύετε και προσπαθείτε και δεν
εγκαταλείπετε, παίρνουμε κάποιες ελπίδες.


FORZA JUVE!!
   
 

Μπράβο και στα κορίτσια του Πόλο του Ολυμπιακού
μας, που, αν και το πάλεψαν, δεν τα κατάφεραν φέτος
να μπουν στο Final Four του LEN Champions League.
Στενοχωρηθήκαμε, φυσικά, λίγο, αλλά, όπως και κάθε
χρόνο, τα κορίτσια είναι Πρωταθλητές στις καρδιές
μας και τα ευχαριστούμε γιατί πάντα τα δίνουν όλα.


Μπράβο, Λευτέρη!
 

WE CAN DO THIS! LET'S GO ALL THE WAY!
FORZA JUVE!!


Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου σήμερα στη Νάντη!
The ANGEL OF MARIA conveyed the Joyous
Message by scoring a hat trick, and placed JUVE
in the Round of Sixteen of the Europa League.
FORZA JUVE!!!
   
 

Χάρηκα πάρα πολύ σήμερα με την επίδοση της
Βεατρίκης. Δεν είχα πάρει πρέφα τα περί της
παρελάσεως που αναφέρονται στο άρθρο και
η αλήθεια είναι ότι δε με ενδιαφέρουν αυτά πολύ.
Τα θεωρώ αχρείαστα, καθότι όλα τα παιδιά μας
τα αγαπάμε το ίδιο, χωρίς διακρίσεις. Η Βεατρίκη
είναι μία νέα κοπέλα και, αν μπορέσει να συνεχίσει
και αν υποστηριχτεί κατάλληλα, θα φτάσει πολύ
ψηλά. Αλλά είμαστε ήδη πολύ ικανοποιημένοι
και πολύ περήφανοι από την προσπάθειά της.
ΜΠΡΑΒΟ, ΒΕΑΤΡΙΚΗ!!


Funny that Phil McNulty of the BBC writes about
``Alisson's uncharacteristic error"... I am wondering
which Alisson he meant; probably not Becker... Unless
he writes about the Alisson Becker of his dreams and
not the, very often, unstable Alisson that all of us have
been witnessing for so long. Alisson is a good keeper,
when he is good, but the fact that his performances
and his reliability vary cannot be doubted. That is
why, in my view, it is better, especially for teams that
rely more on defensive prowess and not on extraordi-
nary and lethal attacking capabilities, to have keepers
that are, perhaps, not so highly marked and valued,
but are steady and more reliable.
   
 

FORZA JUVE!!
   
   
 

FORZA JUVE!!
   
 

It is not that he is is untalented. But it is true that
he is totally unprofessional. When he realizes that,
regardless of how much money you receive, you
must act professionally and be a professional to
succeed, it might be too late, as his prime time
may, by then, be over. What can one say? Some
people mature later than others and, by then,
they have dug themselves into a deep hole from
where it is very difficult to pull themselves out.
Neymar is 9 years older than Vini, but, in ethics,
behavior and professionalism, Vini is leading
hands down, as if the ages had been reversed...


Forza Juve!!
 
 

Juve and City cannot be the only clubs engaging
in creative accounting, so to speak. I am wondering
if there exist double standards in these investigations
or whether, even worse, some European clubs enjoy
"protection" from being investigated and from
repercussions. After all, there are many clubs that
did not buy a Ronaldo once in their lifetime, but
are buying "Ronaldo"s every season, and some
of them multiple ones. Are they all squeaky clean
in their manipulations and in their books? Or are
they flying under the radar and evading detection
by other means?


I applaud Poland's statement. Given the fact that
the Olympic Games should reflect the Olympic
Spirit of Brotherhood and of Fair Competition,
not only in Athletics, but also in Life Itself, and,
by extension, the Ideals to which All 193 Nations
on the Planet have subscribed to and aspiring to
attain, and, given the Historic Significance and
Precedent of Truces and Ceasefires during the
Games, which shows the weight that Peace had
in the Spirit of the Games throughout their
History, unless Russia decides to end its assault
on Ukraine, there is no ground for allowing
Russian athletes to compete. I call on all
States to ponder the question "Are we going,
once more, to put individuals, personal dreams
and personal ambitions (in theory not so much
unlike Putin's) above the Common Interest and
the Common Good, above Peace, Security and
Prosperity, in making those decisions?" My view
is that THE OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE
OLYMPIC SPIRIT DESERVE BETTER and
I call again for disbanding the greedy and
avaricious "International Olympic Committee"
and for a decision to bring permanently the
Olympic Games back to Greece, where they
Historically belong, so that the Underlying
Fundamental Values and Ideals have a chance
to survive and thrive again.


The kids were quite organized and played at times
very good football to clinch a spot in the semi-finals
of Coppa Italia. FORZA JUVE!!
 
 
 
 

Max and the kids, there is no excuse for being
complacent and not give everything we got for
the Coppa. Max, field the most powerful team
possible, without exceptions, and, players, give
all you've got to bring it to Torino!


After the point deduction Juve is going from bad to
worse, precipitously falling into a bottomless abyss..
GUYS, GET A GRIP! THIS CANNOT CONTINUE.
 
 


Amid very unfortunate and disturbing developments,
Juve is facing Atalanta today. It seems that some people
are incapable of learning lessons from past affairs and
from past shameful intrigues and punishments...
But the Team is an idea, It is nobody's property and
nobody's fief and the Bianconeri will not surrender to
a few corrupt, rotten and self-destructive individuals
who, under the delusion they are helping, are causing
extraordinary and very severe damage and disrepute.
FORZA JUVE!!


What an epic at the Australian Open! In 4 hours
and five sets Stefanos beat Jannik Sinner 6-4 6-4
3-6 4-6 6-3 to reserve a spot in the quarterfinals.
Μπράβο, Στέφανε!!
 
 
 

FORZA JUVE!!
 
 

It was no good. A one-sided game at the San Paolo
yesterday... Only Napoli showed up in Napoli...
 
 
 
 

FORZA JUVE!!
   
   

Stefanos prevailed against Matteo in the United Cup,
but Lucia beat Valentini and sent Italy to the Final,
where, tomorrow, it is facing our United States.
 

Gianluca Vialli is with us no more...
 
 

I do not mean to say that what Berhalter did was OK or
that he did not deserve being reported. In my view, on the
one hand, he deserves more to be criticized for not being
a brilliant coach (more, since the person that suffered from
the incident not only forgave him, but, apparently, thought
it trivial enough to marry him), and, on the other, I rather
completely and vehemently disagree with the logic that led
to the "revelations". The reasoning that, "because I gave
grace and, now, that someone close to me is going down
and the grace was not returned, I shall take someone else
down, since he did something worse than the person close
to me" is absurd. The mother should be mature enough to
know that you do not report for that. You report some
incident when it happens, if you consider it grave enough
and worth reporting. You do not take someone down
based on the relative gravity of his actions compared to
what another person's actions were and how much they
cost them. What punishment or pain you inflict on
another (perhaps guilty) person cannot either alleviate
or lessen the gravity of the actions or the culpability of
another person involved in a totally unrelated event.
Let me conclude by saying that in my view:
1. Berhalter should not continue coaching Team U.S.A.,
    on the merits (or, rather, demerits) of the case, because
    Team U.S.A. has the potential of performing much
    better with a different, better and more experienced,
    truly World Class Coach.
2. Team U.S.A. must combat nepotism, inbreeding and
    unprofessional familiarity, which, from what is now
    transpiring, are rampant and creating problems.
    One cannot have a circus of personal relationships
    surrounding, interfering with, disrupting and/or
    diminishing a team's focus when they are trying to
    play at top level. In no other camp, especially those
    having honest ambitions, in this Wold Cup did we
    witness such absurdities unfold, and this is another
    reason why Berhalter's capabilities, modus operandi
    and intentions have to be questioned and he has to go.


FORZA JUVE!!
 
 

ΜΠΡΑΒΟ, ΜΑΡΙΑ!! ΜΠΡΑΒΟ, ΣΤΕΦΑΝΕ!!


Daniele Verri reports again very thoroughly about
the predicaments and the dire straits that Juventus
is finding itself in before the restart of the season.
It is a real disappointment that, while the tide was
high, not only did the people in charge not plan
wisely for a rainy day but, on the contrary, it seems
like they were engaged in creative, borderline legal
or illegal, manipulations and maneuvering to muddy
waters and make things, which had gotten out of
touch and out of control with the idiotic buying of
Ronaldo, sound more palatable than they actually
were. Max and the kids have now a humongous
and very challenging task to accomplish and a
very high hurdle to overcome: To stay focused on
the game and try to put those administrative issues
and developments on the side, even though they are
necessarily affecting them and the club. And the
Club MUST LEARN MANY LESSONS. First
and foremost among them, that if a harmonious
and cooperative spirit (unlike the situation with
Ronaldo) prevails, one does not need superstars,
extra-large names, or spending to the point of
suicide and/or bankruptcy to do well. All it takes
is to PLAY AS A TEAM and GIVE ENOUGH
CHANCES TO THE YOUNG PLAYERS that
can come up big and help the team in ways that
are surprising and unpredictable. Max and the
kids can do this. WE MUST BUILD ON THIS.


I stand with Vini. He does his job with distinct
dedication and professionalism and he does not
deserve (no one does, but him, in particular) to
be harassed and abused by mindless and hateful
"fans". This is not what Humanity is about and,
consequently, this is not what Football, the most
exciting and beautiful, the most Uniting Sport
on the Globe, should be about. Vini, focus on
doing your work right and speak out when you
see things that embarrass us and shame us all...


Pele is with us no more...
 

It sounds like the Arabians did not develop or follow
the developments in the field of psychology and of
management at all, and they live and breath under
the false impression that money can buy everything.
It has been reported that Ronaldo was offered 500
million dollars for a 2.5 years contract. They think,
without any analysis of his personality, that they are
going to receive what they are paying for. READ
MY LIPS. THIS PLAYER IS TOO PROUD and
THINKS OF HIMSELF TOO IMPORTANT to
move his legs and use his feet for Al Nasr and other
"nonentities"  for what he still considers to be
his level. You are spending your petro-dollars
again in vain and, like in many other cases, you
are wasting them simply because you have them.
This is the biggest difference between clubs that
have them and spend them wisely and purpose-
fully and clubs that have them and throw them
out the window without the least care in the
world, and it shows why, if you continue on this
path, you will never become a team to speak of.
 

Very good, strategic and intelligent move by France to
keep Didier Deschamps for at least another four years
at the helm. A word of advice for him. Be cautious to
avoid the pitfalls that led to Jogi Löw's overstaying his
welcome and ultimate demise, amid poor finishing and
controversy, as coach of the mannschaft.


Διαβάζω για τα βραβεία που απένειμε ο ΠΣΑΤ για
τη χρονιά που φεύγει. Φυσικά και είναι πανάξιοι
όσοι βραβεύτηκαν φέτος, αλλά ακόμα πιο μεγάλη
αξία προσδίδει το γεγονός ότι περιβάλλονται
όλοι από εξίσου αντάξιους συνυποψηφίους, που
μπορεί να μην αναδείχτηκαν νικητές στη βράβευση,
αλλά ήταν όλοι νικητές στις καρδιές μας τη χρονιά
που πέρασε και μας έδωσαν μεγάλη χαρά και
συγκίνηση, ακόμα κι όταν δεν κατάφερναν να
διακριθούν ή να πάρουν κάποιο μετάλλιο στους
αγώνες που συμμετείχαν. ΜΠΡΑΒΟ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ
ΤΟΥΣ ΑΘΛΗΤΕΣ ΜΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ ΤΟΥΣ
ΠΡΟΠΟΝΗΤΕΣ ΜΑΣ. ΤΙΣ ΚΑΛΥΤΕΡΕΣ ΜΑΣ
ΕΥΧΕΣ ΓΙΑ ΥΓΕΙΑ, ΜΕΓΑΛΕΣ ΕΠΙΤΥΧΙΕΣ
ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΕΣ ΣΥΓΚΙΝΗΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗ ΝΕΑ
ΧΡΟΝΙΑ!! ΟΛΟ ΚΑΙ ΠΙΟ ΨΗΛΑ!!


With this excellent editorial of Vassilis Kanellis
on the in.gr website, we are leaving the Qatar
World Cup behind us. It was a fascinating and
nail-biting competition that gave us moments
of joy and moments of sadness, as all tournaments
of this caliber that are rare (this note for FIFA
and UEFA which, if they had their way, would
have made it annual!!) provide. But, as Vassilis
points out, it was also one of the (if not the) most
macabre tournaments, the dirtiest and the most
controversial in the History of Football, which
DESERVES BETTER. Football does not deserve
the vultures, parasites and greedy criminals that
it finds managing its affairs. The European
Associations owe the World, and the Football
admirers and followers that make this sport
and the wealth that goes with it, some relief
and atonement for what transpired and to
work towards making the political, social
and economic issues (that are part of the game
anyway) recognized and made part of future
decisions (that must be taken democratically),
so that what we just witnessed on the side,
burdening the game and reducing our comfort
and excitement about the game does not repeat
(or at least not on such a devastating and
unacceptable scale). We are leaving the
tournament behind, but we are not writing
a blank check. We will be strict and demanding
judges and call more vocally for European
Teams to abstain or to withdraw if what led
to this tournament happens again and, if they
do not and they do nothing, as happened this
time around, we shall call for boycotts of the
National Tournaments (and they know what
this will do). If you do not use your power,
the fans will be forced to use theirs and I hope
that this will be the basis for seismic changes,
which are desperately needed, to ripple through
the sport, and for the beginning of the end of the
reign of the parasitical gangs and outfits that
are in charge of its affairs at present.

Unfortunately, many of the French first-team players did
not perform up to expectations. France essentially wasted
the first half by playing a substandard game, significantly
below capabilities, and Deschamps had, out of necessity, to
withdraw these players before it became catastrophically
late. Of course, the fact that France had a disastrous and
disappointing first half does not diminish the credit due
to the Argentinian side for a game well played. Argentina
played so well, in fact, that they did not need the help of
the Polish referee, who thought it proper to mar a Final
by awarding them a nonexistent penalty to help them get
on the score sheet... These things should not happen in
the era of VARs; he should have been called to the screen
immediately by VAR to review and withdraw.


ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!
 
 

Για να μην ξεχνάμε και τα άλλα αγαπημένα μας
αθλήματα, γιατί η ζωή δε σταματά, μόνο γίνεται
πιο ενδιαφέρουσα, και μας δίνει ευκαιρίες για
απόλαυση, αλλά και για ενδοσκόπηση, κατά τη
διάρκεια μεγάλων αγώνων, όπως το Μουντιάλ.
ΜΠΡΑΒΟ, ΚΟΡΙΤΣΙΑ!!
 

I read that Greece, Egypt and the Arabia (under the
stranglehold of the murderous Sauds) have bid for
the 2030 World Cup. I am ashamed that the "birth
place" of Democracy is bidding with a dictatorship
and with a murderous "kingdom", with minimal,
if any at all, regard for Human Rights and Freedoms.
Since Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay are
also bidding together, I would hope that they win
the bid. Despite whatever has transpired in this
terrible (but "best ever") Qatar competition, I hope
that the necessary reforms would take place on time
to prevent repetition of "politically blind" decisions.
Football, being the most beautiful and most popular
sport on Earth, is, by definition, even for those that
do not want to hear and/or admit it, also political,
with deep social and financial implications for all.
(And, by the way, even those parasites that deny it
would not have taken advantage of their posts and
gotten such lavish rewards in their roles if it had
not been for the social, political and financial aspects
of the sport, which they so skillfully manipulate
and surreptitiously tout...) Let us not use football
any longer to whitewash the abject record of under-
or undeserving "governments" and "leaderships",
even if the people under them and their cultural
contributions throughout History are remarkable.
The Present matters. DO THE RIGHT THING.


I also want to suggest that the European Associations
fight and insist that all decisions taken by both UEFA
and FIFA concerning tournaments and budget should
be by a vote of the Member Associations and not taken
behind closed doors by "councils", "committees" or
"boards" consisting of shady individuals with
questionable motives and ruthless characteristics.
Even if such individuals have been elected somehow,
they should be under constant oversight and control
and accountable, and not left to do whatever they
please or think is proper or, more often, persuaded
to do via bribes, corruption and expensive gifts and
other enticements.
ALL IMPORTANT DECISIONS, MUST BE TAKEN
BY A VOTE OF ALL MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS.
REFORM IS NEEDED NOW! DO NOT POSTPONE!

All announcements are for fattening FIFA's pockets
and none to the advantage of football. No wonder this
guy has become a fat, avaricious pig in such a short
time, being paraded, dined and taxied around with
the jet set by the canny, bribe-laden Arabs. I am
issuing again a strict reminder to the European
Associations. YOU WIELD ENORMOUS POWER.
Do not just murmur impotent words. Issue a serious
and substantial threat that you shall take active
measures if all the decisions are to the detriment
of football and the quality of the competitions,
including withdrawing your teams, and make good
on that threat if need be. WE MUST SEE, AT LAST,
ACTION! WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF WORDS!
I hope that the FA assumes, recognizing its distinct
and unique responsibility as the "prima inter pares"
National Association, the leadership and takes the
initiative in organizing concerted action and a
unified response by all European Associations.
Do not let them escape, once more, with more
money in their private pockets and bank accounts
stashed away in Switzerland and elsewhere as the
only tangible results to show for on the backs of
football, footballers and fans...


It is possible that FIFA wants Argentina to win
the World Cup. After all, FIFA is known neither
for its objectivity nor for the nobility of its feelings,
intentions or actions. But, regardless of the Croatian
Public and Press's disappointment and allegations,
one has to admit, based on the facts, that Croatia
was not able to compete at par and respond to the
demands of such a competitive knock-out game.
The Croatians seemed to have spent their power
and to have run out of steam in their efforts to
reach this far in the competition. The legs of
Modric, Perisic and Brozovic, three of the
players from whom we were expecting more,
given their caliber and quality, seemed heavy
and unresponsive, and Argentina found a way
to contain their maneuverability and effectiveness.
I do not think it is fair for the Croatian side to blame
external factors, but I do understand their deep
disappointment and the need to apportion blame.
 

The "God of Football" does not owe anything to
anyone, especially to those that have been blessed
with and lavishly rewarded with exorbitant amounts
of money and with dizzying fame... Just think of how
many kids around the globe may have been equally
or comparably gifted, but never got lucky enough
to be placed in the care of people that could help
improve their skills and advance their careers.
Messi and the likes are owed nothing from the
"God of Football". Those talented and gifted who
have gone undiscovered or have been so unlucky
as to never get much attention or signed up by
any club known enough to speak of and who never
got much of a chance are the ones that are owed by
the "God of Football", when everything is added
up, subtracted, multiplied and divided...


Since fate took one of the top journalists away from
us during this World Cup, I do not want to refrain
from mentioning, and at the same time expressing
my fears, worries and suspicions, the sudden deaths
of three journalists (so far) in Qatar, one of whom
was reported to have done some work on LGBTQ+
Rights. If Qatar was determined to go that far with
bribes and machinations with regards to its handling
of FIFA and the European Union authorities, would
they have any qualms or hesitation in acting savagely,
surreptitiously and/or lethally on their own soil to
silence people that they perceive as threatening to
"their way of life"? (We have little Ursula - what
an abject choice she was, and how obvious this
became from the start - to thank for this hitherto
innocent expression becoming a codeword...)


Yannis Diakoyannis, a legendary Greek sports
anchor and journalist, is with us no more...


Hugo Lloris and Antoine Griezmann are among
my favorite players. Didier Deschamps has been
assigning Antoine to the right position and at the
right role, which is, something that, unfortunately,
does not always happen when Grizzie plays at club
level. When he is placed up front and not in a
coordinating role, and despite the fact that he
can also score, I do not think that one is tapping
this explosive goldmine in an optimal way.
 

 
 
 
 

A huge mistake on the part of France to
play well only when it is tying or losing.
Play your magic even when you are up!

In my view, it will be a mistake to change
the coaching staff at the Portuguese National
Team. I understand the disappointment and
I understand that Santos could have done a
bit more in preparing the players for the
quarter final, although the time available
is extremely limited. However, without
Ronaldo and with the new blood that
Santos has so successfully integrated with
the older players, Portugal has, with Santos
at the helm, a bright future. And I am not
saying this because I am Greek; when I see
that someone has given all they could and
it is time for them to go, I have no qualms
saying it. Santos has the power and the
appetite and, of course, the skill and the
experience, to give something more. If the
Portuguese decide to let him go, I would
urge the U.S. Association to seriously look
into the possibility of bringing him over
with the goal to prepare Team U.S.A. for
our own 2026 World Cup.


I cannot hide the fact that I strongly support
the four European Teams remaining in Qatar.
GO CROATIA, GO FRANCE, GO THE
NETHERLANDS & GO PORTUGAL!!
Let's bring the trophy to the Continent!!
 
 

Δε θέλω να δίνω μεγάλη έκταση σε ανάξια
λόγου και προσοχής, και υποτιμιτικά για
συγκεκριμένα άτομα και για την Ιστορία
τους, περιστατικά και συμπεριφορές, αλλά
ΜΠΡΑΒΟ ΣΤΟ ΓΙΩΡΓΟ ΝΑΣΜΗ!!

Αυτή η γλειψιματική ελληναριά πρέπει να
σταματήσει. Κανείς δεν είπε ότι ο Ρονάλντο
δεν ήταν μεγάλος παίκτης ή ότι επειδή τώρα
έχει αφασία και δε μπορεί να καταλάβει
πού βρίσκεται και τί του συμβαίνει, πρέπει
να μην του αναγνωριστεί ή προσφορά του
στο ποδόσφαιρο. Αλλά από' κει μέχρι το να
τον αντιμετωπίζουμε τελείως διαφορετικά
από όπως θα αντιμετωπίζαμε έναν έλληνα
στην εθνική μας που δεν έτρεχε, δεν αμυ-
νόταν, παρά μόνο περικούριζε κοντά στη
γραμμή του οφσάϊνντ (σαν λαινσμαν) και
που και που σήκωνε το χέρι να ζητήσει
καμιά πάσα μήπως μπορέσει και φύγει
σούμπιτος να σκοράρει (όπως σηκώνει
και ο λαϊνσμαν κατά διαστήματα το
σημαιάκι), είναι αλλοπρόσαλλο. Ένας
έλληνας με παρόμοια συμπεριφορά θα
δεχόταν πανελλήνια κατακραυγή και
όλοι οι φίλαθλοι θα απαιτούσαμε να
κάτσει πάγκο, θα αναρωτιόμαστε γιατί
βρίσκεται στις επιλογές και θα είχαμε
υπόνοιες ότι έχει παίξει ρόλο το παρα-
σκήνιο και η παράγκα. Ας μην κάνουμε
λοιπόν διαφορετική κριτική στην παρούσα
πενιχρή και επιβλαβή απόδοση κάποιου
μόνο και μόνο επειδή ήταν κάποτε στο
παρελθόν κορυφαίος και σούπερ σταρ...


Watching France-Poland, one can tell the huge
advantage to be had in contemporary football
by having an ultra-capable monter at the center.
Griezmann for France, Messi for Argentina and
Jorginho for Italy have made a huge difference;
it is no coincidence that France, Argentina and
Italy have been World, Copa America and
European Champions, respectively. On the
other hand, even having formidable attackers,
lacking a playmaker puts a team at a serious
disadvantage and Poland is an example.

Unfortunately, Team U.S.A. suffered from its
lack of experience and from coaching paucity,
since its greatest asset in contrast to the
Netherlands, which would have been speed
and stamina, was sacrificed to a static and
slow game that gave the advantage to the
Dutchmen and left little to be contested. Too
bad... Maybe with a World class coach, who
will not come to the US to retire while getting
some welcome extra cash, but will be full of
passion and driven to propel a young team
to the very top, we might be ready in 2026
to perform better and achieve the miracle
that we all have been waiting for and hoping
for for so long. For now, I want to commend
the kids because they gave their very best and
played according to instructions, despite the
plan's shortcomings and strategic flaws.

Is it so difficult for such a genius to understand
that adding such varying amounts of time rather
arbitrarily shall sooner or later be exploited by
unscrupulous associations and referees to fix
matches? What is there that is so difficult to
understand? And, since when has it become
a criterion for good and fair sportsmanship
whether hordes of fans in the stadia, half of
which want their team to score a goal in extra
time, however unfair and scandalous that extra
time may have been, cheer for such an absurdity
or not? Would you go for that, if they told you
to allow more hand-to-hand fights and beatings
or if they asked you to allow racist taunting
and abuse? Pleasing crowds that find them-
selves in moments of ecstasy and have paid
dearly to be there should not play a role in
making decisions on how to update the rules
of a game. If that is your criterion (which I
am sure you would personally have despised
and opposed as an active referee, before you
became a stooge), then go and fix the rules
for WWE.


Belgium did not make it against Croatia, but
Belgium, unlike Denmark, tried really hard
and had some chances, but its players (Lukaku
among them) could not finish some extremely
tight opportunities. I hope that the message
(against both complacency from the Danes and
ineffectiveness from the Belgians) looms loud
and clear for the Panzers. GO GERMANY!!

Completely uninspired performance by the Danes
against Australia. They did not even seem to have
realized that they needed to win to advance or they
just did not care to stay in Qatar. In the first case,
I recommend Math 101; in the second, I would not
even bother to apportion any blame...

Tyler Adams made us proud with his calm,
his civility, his demeanor and the substance
of his response. BRAVO, TYLER! GO TEAM
U.S.A.!! As for the questions asked, which are
legitimate and well-received in any open, free
and democratic state, they lose their meaning
when they are asked only of opponents, and
when a state does not accept self-criticism and
silences demands from its own Citizens and
when it makes the lives of its own players, who
are trying to do and give their best for their
Nation, terrifying and unbearable by threatening
them into silence and shutting them down from
openly expressing their views and concerns
about suppression, sexism, fundamental social
inequalities and the very basic lack of rights in
their societies and their displeasure at having
to cope daily with middle- and dark-age pseudo-
religious customs and attitudes.


Rumor has it that a certain coach told his players before
a certain match in Qatar, in the form of encouragement
no less, that based on numbers and stats, they could go
f**k their opponents in the field (metaphorically speaking,
one may assume). The coach under discussion is either
so ignorant about football or became so overzealous
and self-confident about his psychological training and
skills that either did not know, did not realize or thought
that it did not mater that the team on which he was
unleashing his players with such gusto and friendly and
amicable encouragement has at least three players in
its roster whose value, skill and experience, taken as
a group, are worth multiple times the entire squad he
himself could field at present. And as if this had not
been enough, the said "coach" ignored the fact that,
even if his team had been remotely comparable in
power to the opposing side, his colleague and counter-
part across the bench, would be able to work in many
(perhaps not any, but many) top-tier European Clubs
as head coach, whereas he, himself, based on his
credentials and experience, would be lucky to get
work in the Championship, Serie B or Γ' Εθνική,
Βόρειος Όμιλος, or, maybe, as an assistant to some
coaches of his counterpart's caliber at top level.
If I had been in charge of the National Association
having this "coach" at the helm, I would move,
sooner rather than later, to fire the individual, not
only because his team did not fare that well in Qatar,
which, after all, matched expectations, but because,
for someone representing a Nation at a tournament
of this importance, one should and would insist on
a wise, knowledgeable and decent individual who
makes an effort to promote civility and who knows
and appreciates correctly his and his team's
limitations with humility, and who feels and fosters
a spirit of brotherhood and solidarity among all
players and opponents, instead of expressing and
of using words of brutishness and aggression.

And, because I do not want to leave this for
the very end, as an afterthought, since it does
play a decisive role in our enjoyment of the
tournament, I would like to say a few good
words about Telemundo and its coverage in
the US. It does have some good and some bad
points, of course, when details are analyzed,
but this is besides the point. Everyone there
are giving their best and are really into the
spirit of the tournament and are cheering
and celebrating with all teams, naturally
enough a little more for Team U.S.A. and
our neighbors. BRAVO, TELEMUNDO!
THANKS FOR KEEPING US COMPANY
and FOR DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB!!


This is a message for Belgium's teammates, but
also to all others in a similar predicament.
Right now the old "world order" with favorites
and underdogs is shaking. New teams are getting
better and more powerful and football power is
spreading more evenly throughout the planet,
and the reign of traditional powers is being
questioned and contested. Just look at Italy,
which has not even made it there for a while...
Moreover, VAR has made it a much fairer
game for everyone. Cameroon-Serbia has
just ended in a 3-3 tie and many decisions
were so close that it is frightening to even
fathom how many would have gone the
wrong way if they had been exclusively up
to human referees and linesmen.  And all
these developments are good and a cause
to celebrate; not to feel disappointed and
desperate. Teams, like Argentina and
Belgium and Germany and Italy, whose
preponderance and status is being challenged
will have to find new ways to become even
better and compete evenly and fairly with
others that did not have that great of a
chance before. The secret is to view this
as an open road and an opportunity to
develop a new football and experiment with
new ideas that will create the new powers
of the future and give, to players and fans
alike, new levels of enjoyment and pleasure!


Germany needs to win today against Spain and
it is possible. But the key is that, however they
choose to develop and attack when they possess
the ball, they need to adapt to the other team's
game and style when they are defending. If they
choose to play a slow, well-organized, firm and
methodical game when attacking, the exact style
that the Panzers are known for, they cannot sit
and defend slowly and statically against Spain.
It is no coincidence that the Spaniards are called
the Furias Rojas and such a fury can only be
countered with a blitzverteidigung, relentless
pressing and speed, no inch left open for fury.
 

Extra time is for time wasted; it is not for you to
arbitrarily promote one team over another. Stop
adding arbitrarily large amounts of extra time to
games without it being justified or warranted.
Fans will start reasonably believing, and having
suspicions, that you are trying to fix games and
force one outcome over another. DO THE RIGHT
THING, even if you have completely f*cked up
big time thus far...


BRAVO, GERMANY!!


After Infantino's pretentious and totally unacceptable
words, the only recourse of decent Nations is to pull
their teams out of Qatar, after consultations between
the National Associations. The greedy, avaricious
parasite has no right to claim that he "feels like
Qatari, Arab, African, gay, disabled or migrant
because he knows what it means to be discriminated
and bullied as a foreigner in a foreign country"...
I am full of tears that the black Infantino, such a
noble soul, went from Switzerland to Germany
or France and felt the hatred for black people
and for Asian people deep in his soul or that,
when he sat at the VIP sections at Wembley
and elsewhere, he was discriminated upon and
shunned as a dark person coming from such
an alien nation and alien kind, and that he felt
so shunned by the locals and experienced the
pain of the players of color in the pitch. I am
outraged that, instead of asking for forgiveness
and apologizing for his organization's shameful,
totally despicable and unacceptable behavior and
actions, he tried to place himself as the judge and
juror of 6,000 years of History as a gimmick and
a tool to shame those that justifiably and fairly
lambast his organization for extremely unfit
and reprehensible choices. Skatogianni knows
that, when you are in the wrong, the only thing
you can do is throw something at the wall and
observe whether or not it sticks and go from there.
DEMAND HIS RESIGNATION EFFECTIVE
IMMEDIATELY NOW! DO NOT LET THIS GO.
EUROPEAN ASSOCIATIONS, TAKE YOUR
TEAMS AND LEAVE QATAR! DO NOT ACCEPT
THIS AND DO NOT DISGRACE YOURSELVES!


Max has found now a beautiful balance with
Kostic on the left and Cuadrado on the right,
and Rabiot, Locatelli and Fagioli in the center,
working with attackers of the highest caliber,
Chiesa, Di Maria, Kean, Milik and the young,
but formidable, Miretti. This team can win the
Europa League this year if they set their minds
on that goal and if they continue playing at the
level they have been playing in the last few
games. Let's do it when the season continues!

FORZA JUVE!!


Juve scored with Kean in the 60th, but Google
still reports 0-0 at the live scoreboard in the
76th minute!!!


Let's win against Verona tomorrow at the Bentegodi
and we'll be breathing up Milan and Napoli's necks.
If we keep playing as we did in the last couple of
games, sooner or later the leaders will trip, and
we'll be in a good position to approach further and/or
surpass them in the table. Also, we must keep playing,
with the help and support of the youngsters, at top
form in Europe to see is we can get to the top in the
Europa League. It is a difficult and challenging task,
but there is nothing more exciting than young lads
longing to take advantage of a unique opportunity.
FORZA JUVE!! GO MAX and the KIDS!!


FORZA JUVE!!


They have the shamelessness to tell us that "preaching
from a distance" is not acceptable! They want people
to preach within their jurisdictions so that they can
be arrested and put in jail and get harassed and inti-
midated, or even worse, with the encouragement and
under the auspices of the authorities and the "law".
Unfortunately for them, we have learned many many
lessons from inhumane, oligarchic and/or autocratic
regimes. We have seen how, when their own people
demonstrate and raise their voices against injustices
and harassment, they end up in jail, or, if they are
among the lucky ones, continue protesting from a
distance, in political exile. So "preaching from a
distance" is not something they encourage because
even the thought of it reminds them how big of a
failure they are and how devastatingly short they
fall of their responsibilities towards the World
Community regarding Human Rights and Values.
BRAVO TO THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATIONS!
MORE ACTION AND PERSEVERANCE ARE
ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! We must not relent
and we must not forget after the tournament and
let the parasites declare everything a success.
HUMAN RIGHTS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART
OF EVERY HUMAN ACTIVITY. HOW BIG
OF A HYPOCRITE DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO
ISSUE "NO RACISM" ARMBANDS AND  "PEACE"
PLACARDS BUT, THEN, TURN AROUND AND
DECLARE "focus now on football" and forget what
went on before, and what is happening during, the
tournament...


The POWER that you have as European National
Football Associations is immense. If one of you alone
withdraws from participation in Qatar, then FIFA
will laugh and will punish you, perhaps by banning
that State from participating in upcoming events.
But if all of you, or many of you, get together and
withdraw en mass, then not only FIFA would not
be able to do anything, but, on the contrary, they
will beg you on their knees to come back, offering
anything you want, because these leprous leeches
and parasites survive, draw their importance and
enrich themselves on the backs of your work and
your players. DECIDE COLLECTIVELY ON
IMMEDIATE AND SEVERE ACTION TO
FORCE THE OLIGARCHS AND THIEVING
PARASITES TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR
ONCE!!


We were bribed. We sent the "FIFA" World
Cup to a non-footballing nation with a bad
record on various fronts and with unsuitable
temperatures. People lost their lives in sizeable
numbers toiling in slavery-like conditions to
prepare the venues. Focus on football...
WHAT I WOULD DO IF I WAS A NATIONAL
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION WITH A SPECK
OF CONSCIENCE, AFTER THESE WORDS,
WOULD BE EITHER TO WITHDRAW OR
TO DEMAND THE RESIGNATION OF THE
ENTIRE FIFA BOARD OR ELSE... with serious
repercussions following. FA, pick up the phones
and gather other European Associations' support
for decisive action in protest against these greedy,
avaricious parasites.


Juve played a very good game against PSG
yesterday and the result could have gone
either way. I want to commend, in particular,
the centerfield for a very good performance
(Juan, Nicolo, Manuel and Adrien gave all
they could in a very intense game), to stay on
the fact that Federico came in and seems to
be ready to contribute in the near future and,
finally, to express my agreement with and
appreciation for Max for giving this group
of young players the chance to show their
talents and passion for the club; none of
those that either started or came in last night
disappointed, and, in fact, Gatti, Fagioli and
Miretti, who started, but also, Soule, Barbieri
and Barrenechea, who played towards the end,
were all pleasant surprises. I strongly encourage
both Max and Juve, as an organization, to work
and do more towards bringing young talent up
and giving them a chance to become their best!
FORZA JUVE!!


Maria is under the impression that the public is
judging her and Stefanos harshly because, most
likely, she is a strict critic of herself. We are very
proud of both, and the joy and excitement are
there when they play, regardless of results. It is
true that we love seeing them advance further
and further in tournaments, but this is not
primarily because of either trophies or rankings,
but because tournaments have a special interest
for us when they are playing, whereas, when they
get eliminated, even though we still follow the
remaining players and enjoy the sport, as we
used to do before they came on the scene and
became so successful, we lose some of the passion
and exhilaration that accompany our strong
support for both.


My feeling is that Lewa is not doing that great
in Barcelona because Lewa is not simply Lewa,
but a product of his playing environment, and
the style of play and strategy at Bayern were
more amenable to his talents. On the opposite
side, we see players like Kulusevski and Bentancur,
who are doing much better at their new team than
they were performing at Juve, because they are
better fitting the style there and, perhaps, because
they are given more and better opportunities.
On a balance, Mane is doing as well at Bayern
as he used to do in Liverpool. So it seems that
either both styles of play suit his personality,
or that he is versatile enough to have adapted
really fast and successfully to a new environment.
In a nutshell, if you are doing really really well
and are extraordinarily successful in a certain
environment, it is not always worth taking the
risk to embark on new adventures simply
because of a few euros more or because of an
appetite for new challenges. Sometimes, you
end up lower and adventurism and the wrong,
self-serving advice of managerial parasites end
up costing you and us dearly in terms of the
enjoyment and the excitement offered by
unique and exquisite performances.

I do not remember, at least in recent memory, a
player approaching 40 being such an egomaniac
and so immature and in denial to have such a
hard time realizing that he is not "the mover"
any longer and that he does not have anywhere
near the same sway or value in the market that
he had in his twenties. If Ronaldo does not realize
this sooner rather than later, he will put himself
in an untenable position and he will leave behind
a memory of disgrace instead of greatness.
I advise him to ask Gigi and/or Giorgio. They
were full of joy for what they had accomplished
and they understood better than all others when
the time was right to withdraw. He has to do the
same to salvage his reputation.


Maestro Carlo may be Maestro Carlo, but the
fact that Real won the Champions League does
not automatically mean that they played the
best football and, in fact, they did not. Simply,
they showed character and they had Karim
and Thibaut in exquisite form and showing
unbelievable instinct when this counted the
most. But, in my view, both Liverpool and
City played better football than Real overall
and, occasionally, Inter also played at a level
that was not that far behind. I know that,
sometimes, truth hurts, but we have to be
honest in appraisals, even if no one can be
exact and even if those appraisals do not
really matter at the very end, since the most
important things are the joy, the passion and
the entertainment offered during the games
and not the awards after everything is said
and done.


A very deep red card to CBS Sports for slaughtering
Football with the ultimate crap, "The Golazo! Show",
in a way that they would not have even dreamed of
doing to throwball (a.k.a. American football). But,
who cares about Football? Right? But at least UEFA
should have cared when they sold the rights to the
most exciting and competitive tournament on the
planet to an incompetent and inadequate outfit.
But their only concern is to sell to the highest bidder
and stash away profits in Switzerland to fatten their
pockets. What a disgrace. What a letdown for the
most beautiful and thrilling sport on the planet to
suffer at the hands of brutes. SHAME ON CBS.
FIRST, LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT HOW
FOOTBALL SHOULD BE WATCHED AND
ENJOYED AND, THEN, DARE BUY RIGHTS
& PRETEND TO KNOW AND TO SHOW IT.

FORZA JUVE!!


FORZA JUVE!!


The Azzurri did their part and, by finishing at the
top of their group, advanced to the final four of the
Nations League, where Croatia, the Netherlands
and one among Portugal and Spain will be waiting.
FORZA AZZURRI!!


Two of our most favorites, two of those with the
biggest smiles and the warmest hearts, met in
Parma, where Maria is to compete in the Parma
Ladies Open!!


Εάν ο Martins είχε Marcelo και James, ο Ολυμπιακός
θα πέταγε σπίθες. Τώρα βγάνει κλαν*ές. Διορθώστε το
λάθος! Ζητήστε συγγνώμη και φέρτε πίσω το μαέστρο!


The kids tried but, despite our sorrow for the
outcome, Germany simply performed better and
their kids are worth our heartfelt congratulations.
Good Luck to all the teams that are still in the run.


Μεγάλη χαρά και τεράστιες διακρίσεις για τις
Εθνικές μας Ομάδες. Συλλογική προσπάθεια
και αγώνας, πάθος και αλληλοϋποστήριξη.
Μεγάλες συγκινήσεις. Ευχαριστούμε όλα τα
παιδιά για όσα μας προσφέρουν εντός και εκτός
των γηπέδων και των κολυμβητηρίων και τους
ευχόμαστε ό,τι καλύτερο, όλο και πιο ψηλά.
 


Και πάλι αξέχαστες στιγμές από τα κορίτσια του
πόλο μας στο Split. ΜΠΡΑΒΟ, ΚΟΡΙΤΣΙΑ!!
"Καβάλα στο δελφίνι τον κόσμο γύρισα
είπα να σε ξεχάσω μα σ’ αποθύμησα
Δελφίνι δελφινάκι πάμε πιο γρήγορα
Να δω τα γυριστά της τα ματοτσίνορα"
(Παπαδόπουλος-Λοϊζος)


FORZA JUVE!


FORZA JUVE!


FORZA JUVE!


FORZA JUVE!


Μπράβο, Λευτέρη!! Όπως και με την Αντιγόνη, ας
μην ξεχνάμε και τον προπονητή του Λευτέρη, τον
κ. Ράφτη, γιατί η καθοδήγηση και η υποστήριξη,
ο καθημερινός κόπος και αγώνας, αυτά που εμείς
δε βλέπουμε και δε ζούμε, οδηγούν στις μεγάλες
επίσημες προσπάθειες που θαυμάζουμε και πού
απολαμβάνουμε και μας γεμίζουν συγκίνηση.
 

Ταξιδεύουμε στον κόσμο και χαιρόμαστε μαζί
τους. Μπράβο, Στέφανε! Μπράβο και στην
Ελίνα μας! Και καλή τύχη στο Λευτέρη! Και
στην Ελισάβετ φυσικά, και σε όλα τα παιδιά
που δεν έχουν ακόμα ολοκληρώσει τους
αγώνες τους! Υποστηρίζουμε όλους ανεξαρτήτως
τελικής κατάταξης. Συγγνώμη σε όσους δεν
αναφέρουμε, αλλά είναι πολλά τα αθλήματα
και δύσκολες οι ώρες. Όμως είμαστε μαζί τους.
   

How small, but also how magical can our World
be? Who would have ever imagined that in the
Acropolis Tournament, an NBA MVP would be
playing with the Greek National Team and, in
addition, that MVP would be a first (second?)
generation Greek immigrant? But that is the
extraordinary magic that fate and the will, the
strength and the determination of some people
can play to make us realize and remember a few
valuable, extremely important, things...


Μπράβο και πάλι, Αντιγόνη!! Ό,τι και να πει κανείς
είναι πραγματικά λίγο. Πείσμα, Προσπάθεια, Άθλος.
Να μην ξεχνάμε και τον προπονητή της Αντιγόνης,
τον κ. Κεφαλόπουλο. Χωρίς σωστή καθοδήγηση και
υποστήριξη, τέτοια όνειρα δύσκολα πραγματοποιούνται.
 

It seems that both Casemiro and Dordmund are
competing on who would involve themselves into
the biggest mess. Good luck to both...

Και τα παιδιά στο μπάσκετ, μεγάλη προσπάθεια
στην προετοιμασία για το Ευρωπαϊκό. Χαλάρωσαν
λίγο στην άμυνα στο δύτερο δεκάλεπτο, αλλά ξανα-
βρήκαν την απαιτούμενη συγκέντρωση στη συνέχεια
και έκαναν αυτό που έπρεπε. Μπράβο, παιδιά!


FORZA JUVE!!


Μπράβο, Απόστολε! Μπράβο, Αντιγόνη!
Μπράβο και στο Μίλτο, μόλις τώρα διαβάζω
για το απίστευτο άλμα. Μπράβο, παιδιά!
Και ο Κριστιάν μεγάλη προσπάθεια χθές
στη Ρώμη και η Κατερίνα πέταξε πολύ
ψηλά χθές στο Μόναχο και μας έδωσαν
μεγάλη χαρά. Μπράβο, μπράβο σε όλους!
 
 

It is no secret that I am not the biggest fan of
Neymar and that I believe that the quality of
his game, his personality and behavior do not
justify even remotely his market value and the
regard in which he is held in footballing circles.
What is happening, though, right now at PSG
with Mbappe trying to play general manager
and owner and dictate who stays and who goes,
especially when such a role directly conflicts
with that of being a player, is disgraceful,
despicable and unjustifiable. If what is
reported is even half-true, Mbappe should
be blacklisted and shown a "yellow card", so
to speak, and, if he continues in this devious
and uncalled for mode, his value in the market
should decline considerably and no team should
want to add him in its roster. No player, however
lavishly compensated and however big of a star
he is considered to be, should be in demand if
his selfishness and egomania are set to create
problems, friction and unpleasantness (not
unlike Ronaldo right now, who is begging
for a spot somewhere, but he has dug his own
grave and has persistently undermined, with
his attitudes and behavior, his marketability).
Football is a TEAM SPORT. No one can play
it alone, no matter how good or how big of a
name they are, or how big of a hype they have
stirred in the managerial, gossip and parasite
circles.


Not an earth-shattering development. Maestro Carlo
had already hinted at this development before and
his personality and his career left no doubt that, as
he managed and performed exquisitely, he would
also exit in the same way, at exactly the right time,
without fanfare, pomposity and needless egomania
and egocentrism. After all, I have the suspicion that,
if there is a man clad in an impeccable Milanese suit
that knows that his fame is not exclusively, even not
primarily, of his own making, but rests to a large
degree on the will, talent and strength of the Teams
he has been so fortunate to work with and manage,
that would be this One and Unique Great Maestro,
a Member of the Pantheon of Italian Allenatori,
the Greatest of the Great.


Μπράβο, παιδιά!! Καλά νέα από το Μόναχο
με τη Ζωή, τον Αντώνη και το Στέφανο και
από τη Ρώμη με την Άννα, την Ευαγγελία και
τη Σοφία.
 
 
 
 


Να κι άλλα καλά νέα πάνω στα καλά νέα για
το πόλο μας. Οι νέες κοπέλες προκρίθηκαν
στον τελικό του Παγκοσμίου Πρωταθλήματος
στο Βελιγράδι και, εκτός, φυσικά, του ότι μας
δίνουν χαρά και μας κάνουν περήφανους,
αποδεικνύουν το βάθος της ποιότητας του
Ελληνικού πόλο και μας γεμίζουν επιπλέον
ελπίδες για το τί μπορεί κανείς να περιμένει
τα επόμενα χρόνια από ένα άθλημα που έχει
βαλθεί να κολλήσει στο Ποδόσφαιρο και το
Μπάσκετ (και στο Βόλεϊ ίσως) στην αγάπη
και τη συμπάθειά μας (εξάλλου κι εκεί παίζει
η στρογγυλή θεά και, συν τοις άλλοις, υπάρχει
και το υγρό στοιχείο).


Our National Team. Now more powerful than
ever before. If for no other reason, because it
reflects the diversity, vitality, multiculturalism,
openness and inclusivity of a modern and self-
confident democratic state that recognizes and
takes seriously (even if not always successfully)
both its rights and its responsibilities as a
Member of the Community of Nations.


A player who is looking all summer long for other
opportunities, does not find any, and is forced to
stay, and fails to attend properly, together with all
his other teammates, his team's training and prep
period should not be allowed to play in any club
that has any sense of discipline, self-respect and
respect for all other kids that did their job with
dedication, conscientiously and without qualms,
shenanigans and selfishness. Period. How is United
expecting to inspire any confidence to others when
they have such low self-esteem as an organization
as to refrain from doing the right thing and making
the right decisions with regards to unacceptable
behaviors and attitudes?


Πώς καταλαβαίνουμε ότι το in.gr στα αθλητικά είναι
αγύρτες και φερέφωνα και καθόλου αντικειμενικοί ή
ανεξάρτητοι; Απλά από το γεγονός ότι ενώ ήταν γεμάτοι
από αφιερώματα και υπερηφάνεια για τον Martins και
εκθείαζαν μέχρι πρότινος τη δουλειά που έκανε και το
"μεγαλείο" στο οποίο είχε ανεβάσει την ομάδα, τώρα
έχουν βγάλει το σκασμό και δεν τολμούν να πουν τίποτα
για τον "μέγα μπός", που, ενώ του εμπιστεύτηκε όλην
την καλοκαιρινή προετοιμασία (και δικαιολογημένα),
με το πρώτο στραβοπάτημα του έδωσε τα παπούτσια
στο χέρι και όλες οι αγκαλιές και τα φιλιά και οι
αβροφροσύνες πήγαν περίπατο... Θα βγει κανένας
να κράξει και να πει ότι έτσι ομάδα Ευρωπαϊκού
επιπέδου δε χτίζεται ή τρέμετε να πείτε ό,τι αρμόζει;


New footballing season starting slowly all over
Europe. The Premiership is kicking off today
with Crystal Palace-Arsenal at Selhurst Park.
Serie A kick off in a week, on Saturday the 13th.