Inter Milan’s Brazilian teenage talent Coutinho has pleaded not to be dubbed the new Ronaldinho as he begins his Italian adventure.

Coutinho has been much hyped in Italy since Inter bought him two years ago from Vasco da Gama when he was just 16.

He remained in Brazil until this season as Italian league rules stipulate that a foreigner cannot play for an Italian team until he has turned 18.

And as Coutinho plays in a similar ‘trequartista’ position between forwards and midfielders, the comparisons with AC Milan’s Ronaldinho were inevitable.

But Coutinho wants to nip those in the bud straight away.

“I’m just Coutinho, a kid who’s getting better. Ronaldinho is an extra-terrestrial who’s won everything,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“He is football. If we have a similarity it’s maybe that we like to start on the left and head for goal.

“But please don’t get us confused. I’d be happy to achieve half of his success.”

But while Coutinho is star-struck by his compatriot, he is also highly impressed by one of his own club team-mates: Wesley Sneijder.

“He deserves the Golden Ball, I watch him in training and I’m enchanted, he’s a legend.

“I’m trying to steal his secret, his speed of thought. His head flies, he sees things before the ball arrives. I need to be quick like Sniejder.”

As for the future, Coutinho is hoping to form part of an attacking trident in the Brazil team to rival the great Ronaldo-Ronaldinho-Rivaldo combination that guided the Selecao to the World Cup in 2002.

Coutinho, Milan’s Pato and Neymar of Santos are three youngsters for whom Brazil has high hopes.

“It would be a great trident but as for a central striker, pay attention to Andre at Dynamo Kiev.

“And you’re forgetting Robinho, another phenomenon. Milan have made a great signing there.”

Juventus coach Luigi Delneri has been defending his exuberant off-season transfer dealings.

While Serie A rivals AC Milan were relatively quiet in the transfer market until the last few days when they landed two coups, bringing superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho to the club, Juve’s policy seemed more one of quantity than quality.

Delneri brought in 10 players while letting the likes of playmaker Diego return to Germany, although he did offload veterans David Trezeguet and Jonathan Zebina.

Although his acquisitions included five full Italy internationals, he was overshadowed by Milan’s dealings.

But Delneri insists he is happy with his buys.

“The club did what it could bearing in mind our technical and economic needs,” he told Friday’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“And that’s fine by me because I have a young squad with cover in every position.”

Milan spent 42 million euros on their two marquee signings, far less than Juve spent in total but Delneri argued that his rivals tactic does not guarantee success.

“Milan bought two stars that no one imagined they could but only time will tell who did well (in the transfer market) and who didn’t,” he added.

“I remember a year ago that everyone was eulogising over Juve’s buys. After the first few games they seemed to be able to compete with Inter but then we all know what happened.

“Who guarantees that a star will resolve all your problems? We’ve already got quality given that we’re full of internationals.”

Despite winning their first four games, Juve slumped to their worst ever season in Serie A with records numbers of defeats and goals conceded last time out.

Juventus actually wanted to buy even more players but were snubbed by Antonio Di Natale, Mario Borriello and Georgia centre-back Kakha Kaladze.

Although, that’s not how Delneri sees things.

“Calm down, no one turned us down. Di Natale had already rejected Napoli in a life-choice because he wanted to stay in Udine.

“Borriello preferred another team for contractual reasons while for Kaladze it’s something else altogether.

“But all the others came here running like (Fabio) Quagliarella, showing that they love the shirt.”

Delneri insists Juve will be aiming to qualify for the Champions League this season and he brushed off the scepticism surrounding him, particularly from fans expecting a bigger name at the club’s helm.

This is the biggest job of Delneri’s career. Prior to joining Juve his best achievement as a coach was guiding Sampdoria to fourth place last season.

“Even (Nelson) Mandela was suspicious when he was freed because he was afraid he’d be killed.

“To tell the truth I’ve felt a lot of warmth around me. But who’s sceptical?

“I’d say they’re right because they don’t know me, even if my career numbers are on my side.

“Not least given that last year when I didn’t finish last but 12 points ahead of Juventus.”

Marco Borriello’s agent has revealed that Manchester City tried to sign the 28-year-old before he joined Roma on loan.

Borriello completed a loan move from AC Milan to Roma on transfer deadline day, following the arrivals of Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the San Siro.

“With the arrival of Robinho and Ibrahimovic at Milan it was obvious that the spaces for Marco were shrinking,” Borriello’s agent Tiberio Cavalleri told Corriere dello Sport.

“Juventus was the first to move but the loan with no fixed deal was a formula that didn’t convince Marco.

“But there wasn’t only Juve, on Monday, Roberto Mancini called me personally.

“We talked, he wanted Borriello at Manchester City, but then I explained to ‘Mancio’ that Borriello wanted to play in the Champions League while his team is in the Europa League.

“And then, on Tuesday at noon, the plot took a twist.

“Why Roma? Because they have offered to Marco a long-term project, because of the conviction and passion that were in the words of (Roma’s chairwoman) Rosella Sensi, because of the opportunity to play in the Champions League.

“And because of the two text messages that Daniele De Rossi sent to him.”

[Source: Il Corriere dello Sport]

Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed he rejected a possible move to Manchester City over the summer.

Ibrahimovic completed an initially loan move from Barcelona to AC Milan last week. The deal could turn into a permanent move next summer.

Manchester City were heavily linked with a move for the former Inter Milan striker over the summer.

“City must fight Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal – sides which took years to build,” said Ibrahimovic.

“City are still a side for the future. I chose Milan because they are a team that can win prizes now.

“City can wait for the future but I can’t.”

[Source: Tuttosport]

Serie A contenders AS Roma have beaten rivals Juventus to the signing of AC Milan striker Marco Borriello. The 28 year old has joined the Giallorossi on loan and will become a permanent arrival at the Stadio Olimpico if Roma pay 10 million euros at the end of the loan to Milan.

Borriello started his career with Treviso and had a short loan spell with Triestina before joining Milan in 2002. However he was unable to break into the first team at the San Siro and was loaned out to Empoli , Reggina, Sampdoria and Treviso ( in that order). He was then sold to Genoa in a co-ownership deal in 2007, but returned to the Rossoneri next season.

[Source:- AS Roma]

Milan star forward Alexandre Pato has rubbished rumours claiming that the Brazilian will be joining Chelsea ahead of the new season.

The Brazilian international, who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge ever since Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival at the London club, is also speculated to make a switch to Barcelona in a player-plus-cash deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

But Pato says he wants to see out his contract with the Serie A giants, who he joined in 2007, meaning he will be staying put for four years at the San Siro.

“My sole aim is to be ready for the restart of training with AC Milan on July 20,” said the 20-year-old.

“I have a contract with AC Milan until 2014 and I have every intention of respecting it.

“And in 10 years, I will return to Brazil to end my career at Internacional, the club which belongs to my heart.”

Japan’s World Cup hero and CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda has confirmed his desire to move to Europe’s bigger clubs, with Real Madrid ultimately in his sights, press reports said Tuesday.

Honda scored two goals and set up another in leading Japan to their first-ever World Cup second-round on foreign soil, amid media reports linking him with a move to AC Milan.

Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Chelsea and Manchester City are also believed to be interested in signing Honda, who turned 24 on the eve of Japan’s 1-0 upset of Cameroon in their World Cup opener.

Japan lost 1-0 to the Netherlands but stunned Denmark 3-1 in their final group game to reach the last 16. They bowed out to Paraguay 5-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw.

“I think you all know what my wish is. I’m always looking up,” Honda told students Monday at his high school in the provincial city of Kanazawa, according to media reports, when asked about his future in the Russian league.

Honda has already stated his desire to play in England or Spain, where he says he would eventually like to don the number 10 shirt for Real Madrid.

He said he was currently unaware of a possible transfer. But he later told local governor Masanori Tanimoto, in a conversation caught on camera: “I have been doing my job with a wish to play at higher levels. So if there is a chance, it will be possible.”

After four years with J-League powerhouse Nagoya Grampus, Honda moved to Dutch side VVV Venlo in early 2008 and helped them gain to promotion to the top Dutch league.

He joined CSKA in January in a nine-million-euro (11.5-million-dollar) deal. He set up a goal and scored another in a 3-2 aggregate victory over Sevilla in the Champions League, making him the first Japanese player to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Honda could cost bidders as much as 20 million euros, the Sports Hochi daily said.

CSKA has turned down a proposal from AC Milan to pay 10 million euros for Honda, the daily said, citing Italian media.

Brazil striker Luis Fabiano has admitted he would be keen to play alongside Wayne Rooney at Manchester United.

The Sevilla star has ruled out a move to Tottenham, who have long been linked with a move for the 29-year-old.

Sevilla are desperate to keep the striker at the club and have previously ruled out selling the Brazilian star.

Fabiano told the Daily Star Sunday: “I have a real chance of winning a World Cup here in South Africa, and that is what I must stay focused on even though I know my future has to be sorted soon.

“I have made it clear that I will not be signing a new contract with Sevilla and at 29 I now need to join a club where I can start challenging for the highest honours from the first season.

“I have heard Tottenham Hotspur made an inquiry about me but, with all respect, that is not somewhere I am going to be able to win the Premier League or the European Cup in the next three or four years.

“There would be no point in me joining Tottenham. I might as well stay at Sevilla, as it’s the same thing. Sevilla are actually bigger when you look at how much we have been in the European Cup, so there would be no point me moving to a smaller team.

“The choice will come down to Manchester United and AC Milan. That is the sort of team I want to be signing for, one of the true giants of Europe.

“I think the way Manchester United play football is very attractive, I must be honest and say Premier League football attracts me and also the way Manchester United play football attracts me.

“You think about being Wayne Rooney’s strike partner and that is very attractive for any striker.

“I think the style of Premier League football suits me and I think I could score goals and be very successful there.

“Their coach is a winner, their players are winners and they are one of the few teams in Europe challenging for the top honours season after season.

“As soon as the World Cup is over I will make a quick decision on my future – and while it is going on I hope Sevilla can open discussions. I have enjoyed my time here but I now need to be at a giant.”

Cagliari have announced they have released Massimiliano Allegri from his contract “following a request from AC Milan”, leaving him free to take over the reins of the Serie A giants. (more…)

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon seemed to hint at a move to Manchester when he refused to commit his future to the Italians following the end of their disastrous Serie A campaign.
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