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Napoli Scudetto Blow | Saint Gimenez! | Mateo Retegui POKER | Kolo Muani ON FIRE & Much More (Ep. 493)
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From poor Napoli blowing a golden opportunity to take charge of Scudetto race, discussion of if Antonio Conte could walk in the summer, Mateo Retegui poker for Atalanta, Randal Kolo Muani saves Juventus in Como win, Mexican-American linkup as Christian Pulisic and Santiago Gimenez lead AC Milan to three points, to Lazio dismantle Monza, Roma win again, Parma in trouble, and preview of Europa League and Champions League playoff rounds as well as this week's Baggio, Serie ASS and Premface of the week plus much, much more when Nima and Carlo break down all the main talking points from Match Day 24 of the 2024/2025 Serie A season.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:09 Napoli: Scudetto Race Blow After Udinese Draw
17:16 Atalanta: Mateo Retegui 4 Goals All But Seals Serie A Top Scorer Crown
25:05 Juventus: Randal Kolo Muani Keeps Top 4 Dreams Alive
39:28 AC Milan: Christian Pulisic & Santiago Gimenez Save AC Milan
49:31 The Italian Football Podcast Is Hiring
52:52 Lazio: Pedro Brace In Monza Demolition Job
59:34 Roma: Second Straight Away Win After Paulo Dybala Heroics
01:01:21 Best Of The Rest: Parma Risk Relegation, Cagliari Impress, Empoli In Freefall & Torino Draw Genoa
01:05:05 Champions League & Europa League Playoff Preview: Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven, Club Brugge & Porto
01:07:33 Baggio, Premface & Serie ASS Of The Week
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Transcript
Introduction to the Italian Football Podcast
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Italian Football Podcast, the official podcast of football Italia. I'm Carlo Garganese, joined as always by Nima Tavalli.
Serie A Match Reviews
00:00:15
Speaker
On today's show, we will review the weekend Serie A matches as Napoli blow the chance to pull away in the Scudetto race with a disappointing draw against Udenezer elsewhere.
00:00:30
Speaker
Mateo Retegui hits a sensational poker, 4 goals as Atalanta Thresh Verona. Randall Colomuani continues his brilliant start for Juventus with another double against Cormor. Santi Jimenez scores on his Serie A debut as 10-man Milan beat 10-man Empoli. Lazio Thresh Monza to stay fourth.
00:00:54
Speaker
Paolo Di Bala's penalty earns Roma a win at Venezia and we will also preview the Champions League and Europa League play-off matches this week finishing off with our usual Bad Joe, Prem Face and Sediass of the week. For all our first time listeners this is our free weekly episode that we do every Monday reviewing the weekend Serie action and all the biggest talking points in Italian football. If you want to support the Italian football podcast and receive all of our content that we do throughout the week, including a weekly Q and&A episode every Tuesday, plus the weekly Thursday midweek review show, plus interviews, post-match reaction, and much, much more. Then go to patreon dot.com, slash T-I-F-B, and become a subscriber for just $2.99 a month. You can also sign up to be a paid subscriber on Spotify. The link is in the description. And for all of you that do listen on Spotify, Apple, and iTunes podcasts, we'd really appreciate if you give us a five-star rating. Follow us. Give us a like.
00:01:48
Speaker
um Also, we are on YouTube as well. So do subscribe to us there. It really helps us to grow. And finally, you can also become a patron on YouTube via YouTube
Napoli's Scudetto Race and Squad Depth Issues
00:02:00
Speaker
memberships. Go to our YouTube channel on youtube dot.com slash at Ita foot pod for more details.
00:02:07
Speaker
Okay let's get into today's show. So we'll start off with the big game on Sunday evening Napoli against Udenezer. Napoli coming into this game knowing that they had a golden opportunity to really strike a Scudetto below against Inter after Inter had lost to to Fiorentina on Thursday in the rearranged game. Napoli knew that if they won this game, they would have gone six points clear, having played the game more, but opened up ah a little bit of a gap um at the top. And it was ah a win that, you know, everybody expected them to to to get, but they only draw 1-1. Udenezi deservedly get a point. and Napoli were were were really quite poor, to to be honest, especially in the in the
00:02:53
Speaker
in the second, in the second half. So it's, um yeah, it's a, it's a, it's a big, ah they've let inter off the hook Napoli and by by drawing this game. And my my biggest takeaway ah from this game is, and I said this after the the transfer window closed um last a week ago now, that Napoli ah risk or Napoli, let's say, Napoli have thrown away their chance of, you know, they might still go on and win the Scudetto, but they've thrown away a golden opportunity to strengthen their team in January um and and really go on and win the Scudetto because that they had a golden opportunity there. ah And they didn't replace Kovar at Scalia. They didn't spend their Kovar at Scalia money. They're weaker now, of course they are, than they were and before the January market.
00:03:47
Speaker
And this game illustrated really um what they are what they are missing, having not done that. um And it was shown in this game. This is a this is a squad that on paper is is way off Scudetto level. When I say the squad,
00:04:04
Speaker
I mean, the depth of the squad. I mean, you know, they have a couple of players out and they're they're starting Juan Jesus and Mazoki, who both were to blame it for the goal and the options to come off the bench. I mean, just look at the but look at Napoli's bench and have a look at the players on their bench in this game and the players that Conte had to bring on to try and win this game in the closing stages. I mean, it's mid it's mid table, Serie A level, his bench, um to to be honest. And the subs who came on against it and easy were horrendous. So you know Napoli might go on and still win the Scudetto. If they do, it's down to a Conte miracle, in my opinion, given the squad that he has. um But you know I really have to blame Napoli um ah for not for not replacing Claret Scalia. And if by the end of the season they don't win the Scudetto, then Conte has every right. I would say has every right to walk because he's been let down by by by his club in and in January.
00:05:03
Speaker
um Had Napoli won the Scudetto regardless of who had they had signed in January, had they signed Garnaccio, whoever they'd signed, it would still have been a content miracle because I retain what I said at the start of the season. This is this would have been Contes Mona Lisa if he wins the Scudetto with this regardless of who they signed in January. However, they didn't exactly they had a chance in January to buy someone.
00:05:28
Speaker
um and they didn't they couldn't get a deal done and they couldn't find someone who who was who would have worked out for them, and so they decided to punt to to to the end of the season. um and Conte was was very clear in his pre-match press conferences about, it's not about that player, it's not about this player, it's not about how much we invest, I'm i'm here to help the club grow. i'm here too you know He went on one of his hilarious, now all of a sudden he's he's the champion of youth because now he's talking about how the club doesn't have a real functioning youth set up and he needs to you know he wants them to grow at every level, we need to have a proper youth set up and this, that and the other. um And it's you know that that's that's kind of also a message to the Laurentiis that you know ah yeah I'm here to grow the club, make use of me as much as possible. um i don't think I think they were regardless of
00:06:25
Speaker
Had they won this quarter, it would have been a huge overachievement. It would have been his coaching masterpiece. they they have no business being in a school at the race and the only reason they are is because he is he's built the system and attack and and tactics that gets the most out of the players as he always does his teams are always more than the sum of their parts and uh... i i still think that they're probably gonna do it because i had in my from now until the end of the season i had them winning against udinesse and i had them drawing against latio well a win against latio will
00:06:58
Speaker
will put them back on course. But it also kind of depends a little bit on Inter because I have them drawing tonight. We're recording this on Monday at home to Fiorentina. um And we'll see what happens. But it is, you know, they've they've won, I think it was six or seven on the trot. Now they've drawn two. And above all, I think then the game against what I would say is worrying against Woudinesse was that they didn't play well. They really didn't play well. they in In previous games, the seven they won, they and even against Roma, they actually played well. But here they didn't play well at all. And they they looked a bit out of rhythm, out of sorts. um And now they've got Lazio Way, a Lazio they've lost to twice this season. They have Cormor Way, which is not easy for anyone.
00:07:47
Speaker
And then they got Inter, and then Fiorentina, then Venetia, and then Mila. So it's it's it's a tough stretch stretch of games coming up. um And now they have to show what they're made of. um But I don't think, regardless of who they'd signed, I don't think it would have had that much of an impact, if I'm perfectly honest with you. I think the squad has its limitations, the depth has its limitations. There's only that much you can do in January.
00:08:12
Speaker
Napoli historically don't invest in January. um They like to do their business in in in the summer, similar to Marotta, who's also very, very frugal usually in January, um because they prefer to ah to when there are more players available and more opportunities available during the summer.
00:08:31
Speaker
um i I think this game was more conditioned by a Napoli that seemed to... They were a little bit tense. I mean, when they beat Juve, when they beat Atalanta.
00:08:48
Speaker
They looked natural. It flowed more. Here they looked a bit tense. Even against Roma in the first half, I thought and they looked much more relaxed and things were more flowing. Here it didn't here it didn't at all. Udinesse really, really put them to it and and and and closed off um how the the way that the Napoli usually play. And we're we're creating quite a good few good chances for themselves as well.
00:09:16
Speaker
um and I think Runjaj this season has been one of the revelations of the sea of the of the Serie A, the way that he you know he came from nowhere, the way that he's reinvigorated the
Lazio's Form and Threat to Top Teams
00:09:29
Speaker
squad. I mean, we've we interviewed Maduka and we interviewed Biol this season, who said that, you know, Runjajic has brought in a belief into this team, an energy into this team, as well as tactically. And you can really see that, Ono Dinesse. And they've done really, really well. So we have to give credit to them as well. ah But I felt that Napoli
00:09:53
Speaker
i I look at this and and I feel that, well, what do we know about Conte? And that is, he works the best under pressure. That's when he does his best work. And now he's under a little bit of pressure.
00:10:06
Speaker
ah that they didn't play well at all, but you know you can't playing badly once is not an issue. um And especially after a run of form where you've played really, really well. um So it's not a panic, but there's a small alarm bell ringing off and we'll have to wait and see how they handle it against Latzio. I think that is that is a very key game.
00:10:30
Speaker
the problem is that the The problem is with this game is that we saw the limitations of the bench in this game. that was that that's the you know We saw first of all a couple of players are out on Juan Jesus and Mazzocchi, oh my God, he is so way off the level needed to put something there. at this level, he is so um and one of the worst performances I've ever seen. um I've lost count of how many crosses from the left that he over hit to the back post ah that went way over ah straight out of play. um And obviously he was to blame for the goal with that stupid blind clearance that that but gave it straight back to Utenez. And then I don't know how merit gets beaten from that angle and that far out. And that's on merit. I mean, it was a very kind of strange kind of
00:11:14
Speaker
almost like knuckleball strike, it had a weird trajectory on it which made it difficult for the keeper, but you your goalkeeper doesn't get beaten with a side foot shot from that far out, way out on the right, I'm sorry you don't, and that's that's on merit as well. um So you know we' we're seeing the limitations, you know a couple of plays out and you're playing Juan Jesus and Mazzocchi who are just way off the level of a Scudetta team, but then if you look at the bench,
00:11:38
Speaker
I mean, honestly, you know, your your first midfielder to come on is Billy Gilmour and the next one is is Philip Billing, you know, and these are the players you want to bring on. and then And then, you know, in attack, you've got you bring on Simeone and Raspadori, you know, these are players that you're trying to win, you know, try and turn the game around. I mean,
00:11:56
Speaker
yeah know this is and As I've said, you know if Napoli get a few few injuries and attack when midfield, they're finished. They're going to drop points every single week because these players are just ah not good enough ah at all. So they're going to need to be relying on luck that these players not to get not to get injured um as well. um So this this could have all been solved by strengthening the Strengthening the squad even if you weren't able to get ah a like for like replacement for Clara because it's January It's difficult to to to replace, you know big names and in January. It's not an easy market now even that's the case We'll go out and and and buy someone in midfield that that can that can help make the difference sort of buying Philip billing on loan and
00:12:39
Speaker
you know with the kvara money you know it doesn't have to necessarily be you spend that money just in on the the position for but ganacha but even still an attack you know the but the replacements in attack are just not good enough and the attack in general this season um that's a weakness that's a weakness
00:12:58
Speaker
Politano and his two goals this season all this season Politano and Neres two goals all season and Neres has been very good Although he was he wasn't good in this game and then that the subs I know they've only had limited minutes because content that never makes subs before the symmetry of minute generally But Simeone one goal Raspadori one goal and Gonsch and those three came on to apparently try to rescue the game zero goals and even Lukaku who was was was very poor in this game, but completely dominated by Soleil, who was fantastic. Lukaku only has six non-penalty goals this season. so i mean Given the output from the attack this season is is's miraculous, what Napoli have managed to do,
00:13:44
Speaker
and Obviously, Mctominay has chipped in with a lot of goals, and he was and he scored again in this game, and he was dangerous, great header, and Guisot has chipped in some some goals as well. but yeah I just have to underline what I've said, i mean that not doing not doing business in January and letting Conte continue the season with this squad, a weaker squad, without Clara.
00:14:06
Speaker
is um yeah he's been let down I'm sorry he's been really let down because this was a golden opportunity generally I understand save your money for for the summer you know if Napoli were comfortable in fourth and you know fourth was pretty much in the bag then I would have agreed with not not not going for it but when you're in the position that Napoli were you're top of the league you're fighting it out with with Inter ah You're only playing once a week. You've got a golden opportunity to win for, golden chance to win the Scutto. Go out and spend spend the money and win the Scudet because you might not get another chance. If Napoli went 33 years without winning the title, take that opportunity because you won't get it next season. This Napoli squad, I'm telling you now, Conte or no Conte,
00:14:48
Speaker
Napoli will struggle next season in Serie A. Top four is is is really what the best they can hope for, because this squad is way off being able to compete on a European and and domestic front. Impossible. well just them on History doesn't repeat itself, it rhymes. And if you remember, um back when Comte won his first Scolletto with Juventus, it was Fiorentina and Amaori who beat Milan at the San Siro to help.
00:15:15
Speaker
Conte and Milan, and you will take over charge of the title race. Walinta were hammered by Fiorentina midweek and they got Fiorentina again. So Fiorentina could once more help Conte win another Scurrito. But we'll see what happens there just as a little anecdote, historical anecdote. um it's i I still think that they'll be fine because that you you can't expect them to just go on these, like if if they keep winning seven drawing two like that, they're going to win the title. There's no doubt about that.
00:15:51
Speaker
I think they will, because they are very solid defensively. Solid defenses is how you win the Serie A. Every league has its own characteristics. The Serie A team with the most solid defense usually wins the title. The attack is a problem, but I think that if there's anything they've shown this season is that they they can they don't need to score a lot, because they don't have the players to score a lot, but they can score in important moments. And above all, in big games. So we'll see what happens against Lazio. And also, like I said, Conte's teams, when they're under pressure, and Conte when he's under pressure. And now after two draws, because remember, they beat Atalanta, they beat Juve. And Napoli is a little bit of a place where you you know you people get too excited very easily.
00:16:38
Speaker
Now, after the two draws, it's back to the drawing table a little bit, back to reality. and I think if there's anyone who is good at maintaining those expectations and keeping people grounded, it is Antonio Conte. so We'll see what happens, but they do have a tough run of games coming up. It's Lazio, it's Cuomo, it's Inter, it's Fiorentina, and then Venetia Milan. so we'll We'll see what the what their what what their true mettle is made of. I do expect them to, I still think they're going to win it. Well, one team who have had the the window just slightly open for them through through the results of Napoli and Inter is Atalanta, who have been on very bad form themselves and got knocked out in the Copa Italia in midweek by Bologna as well. But they had a welcome return to form against Helas Verona, thrashing them 5-0,
00:17:29
Speaker
But the story is, of course, about one man, Mateo Retoghi, who scored four goals in this game, takes him on to 20 goals for for the season. He's running away with the capo cananieri crown. He's up to five ahead now of Moisakin, who scored two against Inter on Thursday. This is Retoghi's in the bag now, isn't it, to win to to be finished top scorer of Serie A?
00:17:59
Speaker
Absolutely. I think he's going to reach those. I mean, I had him above 25 and that he was going to win the Capo Canoneira before the season started. I think i think we're talking... He could even hit 30. Yeah, that's what I was going to say. I think he could hit 30.
00:18:15
Speaker
um because of the fact that he also takes penalties, even though he's missed a couple. He's still their number one penalty taker. And also, if you look at those finishes against to Hellas as well, I mean, they all of them, their goal poachers finishes. um And that's something he's always had. He's always been a killer in the box. But what has made him stand out this season, which he didn't have for previous seasons, if you actually watched him, is his ability to play with his back against the goal, his pressing, his movement, his link up.
00:18:43
Speaker
ah his ability to put others into play. That's all on Gasperini. The level he's praying playing at right now, that's Gasperini. His aerial presence is killing in the box. that's He's always had that. He's a monster in the air and he's like he like he ah is an assassin. and And all these goals against Helas prove exactly that. And given how Atalanta play, that that's going to pay off dividends, lots of dividends um in the Seria. And so I expect him to to to to reach 30 and I expect him to
00:19:17
Speaker
to become Capacannonian. The second goal was absolute class finish. The way that he took it from his right foot onto his left, he would in one movement to make the space and then hit it, bang, into the bottom corner. That's pure class. That looks a lot easier than it was. That's a world class finish by world class strike. Can we call him world class now? I think this season he has been world class. Just the Champions League that he hasn't really. I think we maybe we still need to see him to do it in the Champions League, don't we? Because Atalanta have been great in the Champions League, but he hasn't. He's been okay in the Champions League, but I think he has played at a world class level. I wouldn't go so far as to say that he's a world class player.
00:19:54
Speaker
I think you need to be more consistent and you have to do it more in the biggest stage. But he has played at a world-class level or at least world-class adjacent this season in terms of his overall strike play. Nickolas Schirra put out a story at the weekend that he rejected a massive offer from Saudi Arabia in the last days of the transfer window i not salary salary of 20 million euros, 15 to 20 million euros, but he also added that Premier League clubs want him in the summer, which is not no surprise to me that the Premier League are going to come in for him. I still don't see him going to the Premier League. I still think that he will see he will go to Juve or depends on what happens with Inter and Juve. I think if Laovich is sold and he's going to be Juve's number one target,
00:20:40
Speaker
and I think if Taram is sold, then he's going to be Inter's number one target. We're getting to that territory though Nima, where he's going to be too expensive for the Serie A teams. I don't know. We were approaching that that kind of territory now, weren't we? yeah and That's the problem. you know is is is I don't know. I hope he stays at Atlanta for one more season, for the reasons I said. because you know I want him to go into that World Cup with Italy, settled, on form, in good shape, and confident. And I don't want him risking joining a new club where you don't know what could happen. A new club is always a bit of, you know especially when you're leaving Atalanta. Almost every single player that's left Atalanta is disappointed in the last five years. so
00:21:26
Speaker
it's uh i just wait but that's because they're system players i don't think it'll take is a system player like that that's exactly like if you look at where his goals come from if you look at how he's played it's not he's not been it's not because the system is making him look good you can argue that about other players but not with him with him he's reaping the benefits of the system and he's improved his game which elevates Atalanta as a whole, something they've not had, something they didn't have under with Skamaka, for example, who was even when he was good, he couldn't do what Reteghi is doing. Reteghi is a complete striker this season at Atalanta. I think he's so so for me, I don't think he's he's he's a system player as such. I think he's he's just he's developed. He's taken strides. He's only 25. And Gasparin is a great coach. He's developed him. And also he's kept the characteristics that he has.
00:22:18
Speaker
ah that made him, that made Atalanta want to buy him, and he's reaping the bur benefits of that. I hope so. I hope you're right. I mean... And if you look at Italy, Mois, finally, two Italians at the top of the Serie A Capo Canonieri, I mean, those two have to start together. Mois Ken and Matteo Artegi,
00:22:35
Speaker
but they picked themselves in three five well that's the question i mean i think it's great for italy like you said question i think the equal the question mark is can they play together are they ah they i think so are they adaptable i'm not i'm not sure then they both first they're both first strikers that's the problem so I mean, I don't know. I don't know if they can play together, but we'll see. We'll see what Spoletti can do with them. um I mean, a front two is different. and Like in the front three, where maybe you put Moisakine out wide, ah maybe that's more workable, um even though I think Keene's better in the center. But in a mid in a front two, I don't know. Listen, either way, it's great because you need options
00:23:16
Speaker
not even not even one option in recent years. to have So to have two, you know, performing, and Moisakin as well, um is there also ah Premier League clubs looking at him ahead of the summer as well. And and he's great. um So so yeah um yeah, that's great for Italy. But yeah, for Atalanta, listen, this is an important win because they're on a very, very bad run of form.
00:23:40
Speaker
and they've got yeah obviously they've got Club Bruges in the Champions League now and they were able to kind of rest a few players in the second half ahead of that game and because they have a lot of injuries at the moment. They've just lost Daniel Maldini. They're absolutely decimated at the moment at Solanco and that that that is worrying also thinking that of the Champions League and because if it didn't have all this in all these injuries, I would even say that there's the they could almost work their way back into the Scudetto race because they've got a good run of fixtures coming up in Serie A. They've got their next run of games in Serie A. It's Cagliari, Empoli, Venezia. They're their next three matches before they play before they play against Juventus. And Inter and Fiorento. Yeah, then they've got a horror run.
00:24:24
Speaker
But before they before that game against Juventus, they get nine points out of nine, given the differences that Inter and Napoli have. you know At the moment, they're they you know they're five points off the top of the table now. So assuming they drop some points, Napoli, Inter, they could be kind of a roundabout level or a point behind or something at the end of that and of that run. And then they're right back in it again. so But I think the injuries are goingnna are really going to affect them a lot because they can they really are like decimated so i don't I don't know what's happened with them with the injury situation at Atlanta. They need to sort it out because it's going to ruin the going to ruin their season including the Champions League.
Juventus' Tactical Challenges and Reliance on Luck
00:25:04
Speaker
Talking of injury prone teams, Juventus, they win at Colmo 2-1 which I believe is only the second time this season they've won two games in a row. um It was
00:25:17
Speaker
just pure luck that they win this game. It's a horrible performance. One of the worst performances of the season from Juventus. This game, they basically created nothing in the entire game apart from And I wouldn't even call it a created goal. The first goal from Colin Moany was a moment of of individual brilliance that he made all on his own. It wasn't created. And the the second goal is ah is ah is a penalty, which which is just gifted to them by by the Como goalkeeper. and that So that's not created either. Apart from that, they've created absolutely nothing um in this match. Como with a better team. Como dominated the the play. They controlled the game. They had the possession.
00:25:59
Speaker
They had the big chances. Di Gregorio has made two miracle saves in the first one yeah fourth half. He tipped round the post and then another one at the start of the second half. He made a lot of saves in this game. Juventus, they're just lucky. They're lucky to win this game and just the fact that they've won this match, okay, that's hugely important in the race for the top four.
00:26:23
Speaker
But if they keep playing like this, they're they're not going to get top four. This this was luck. This was pure luck. They won this game. isn't there there's no There's no other way to describe this win other than luck. I have to be honest, I'm sorry. Yeah, and they were lucky not to concede a penalty when Gatti hit the ball with his hand as well. um But it's... ah Well, yeah. I mean, if you want to talk... It's not a penalty, but but yeah, it could you know, it's...
00:26:51
Speaker
He hits the ball with his hand. I mean, yeah but it's not it's not a i mean it's not penalty. but his is If he hits the ball with his hand, it's a penalty, but it depends on whether or not it's intentional and or not, but it's definitely in the it's it's a risk to put it. Well, yeah it's a risk because it touches his hand, but it's it's like it's a completely it's a natural movement. When you tussle the tussle for the ball with a player in this scenario, you both put your arms across the others to deal for it, which is what both players did. He happened to brush the ball with his fingertip very, very slightly. but is completely natural. And to be honest with you, everybody said that, all the referees commented on it. I saw this thing that basically, I saw that his own explanation for it, so that it's not ponebile because it's not intentional. And when it's not intentional, they look at if he makes his body unnaturally bigger, which he didn't. There's no doubt about that.
00:27:42
Speaker
yeah um ah And so, but it's still very much. It's fortunate. It's for it's not a penalty. And you know, my view of giving penalties for the stupid, but ridiculous things like this, where it's a natural movement. You should never give you give penalties for a natural movement. You're tussling for a player with the ball. And I think they used the explanation of that ah got the representative of the referee's association on the zone said, you're tussling for space, you know.
00:28:07
Speaker
Which I guess you can call it touching for space, you're touching for the ball. For position, to put yourself in a position. This is a natural movement, both players did it. Gatti just happened to touch with him. But why they're fortunate is, and I think this is worrying and this is what drives me mad, is that they played the recording of the two guys in the VAR booth. One of them thought it was a penalty and the other one said, no, it wasn't a penalty. And they went with the guy that had the final decision and he didn't give a penalty. So for me, that's worrying, but it also shows that yeah a little bit fortunate in the sense that well one of them thought one of them was going to give a penalty for that so you know that could have been given you've entered to lose but regardless of that you've entered deserve to lose this game regardless of that penalty or no penalty I don't think they were that bad I think a draw would have perhaps been more fair
00:28:55
Speaker
but um maybe they definitely deserve to win the game yeah i think it was like it was one of those games where you didn't deserve to win it that i can agree with but i don't think they deserve to do you know what that i'll give you do you know what their non penalty xg was in this game 0.44 i mean it just looked like this all season and i'm not surprised um there are issues um at u of n and there they've been blatant for everyone to see i think they go into this psv eindhoven game Look, if they lose that, I don't know what happens with Mota. I really don't know what to tell you. Like, you got the Juve Inter sandwiched between these two as well, so I don't know what to tell you. I think this this this is a decisive week for Mota. These next three games, yeah. I think it's a very, very important week for Juve and for Tiago Mota because
00:29:45
Speaker
there's there's there's There's not that much patience at Uwe, regardless of all the explanations, all the context. In ter milang Uwe, there's not a lot of patience. And if you exit, the knockout faced the very first hurdle against PSV Eindhoven.
00:29:59
Speaker
and then you lose against Inter, I don't know if he survived that. He's also playing a PSV team that are in horrible form at the moment. They've completely collapsed. They were running away with the area divisi. They were in horrible form. Ajax have now overtaken them, and Ajax could be with Fadioli, so well done to him, could good look like they're going to go on and probably win the title now. and But you know with Motta, I'll be honest with you, until they they scored that penalty,
00:30:25
Speaker
in the 89th minute, which was the only shot and of the second half, right by the way, 0.13 non penalty XG, only shot on target in the second half. um Until that, i was I was thinking, what am I going to say for the pod? And and I was ready to call i was ah was virtually ready to call for for mor to for them for him to be sacked. Because after watching that game, that's how bad it was. And I'll tell you why. The reason why is, yes, OK, Juventus still have a lot of problems in defence because of all the players out and everything. And and Lloyd Kelly came on and made his debut and was horrible, although he played at left-back, which makes no sense. He's a centre-back. Why the hell are you playing him at left-back? So I'm going to go easy on him for the fact that he was playing out of position.
00:31:10
Speaker
and but um For much of the season, he's been getting he's had an asterisk next to the... the the the poor performance of his attack and the lack of creativity in the fact that Juventus, for much of this season, have had lots of players missing in attack. You know, they've had long injuries. Nico was out for ages. um You know, Wlawicz has been the only attacker for a long time and and obviously has been underperforming. and You know, people have been blaming him. ah and and And so, you know, we've we've we've been kind of letting him off the hook. I mean, I've been saying,
00:31:46
Speaker
you know, even I've been saying, well, okay, yes, it's not good enough, but we've had, you know, he's had players missing in attack. um But now they've got everyone in midfield and attack. They're all back. Pretty much got all the options available. And he's brought in Columuani as well. and And they still, against Cuomo, they create virtually nothing in the entire game against his Cuomo with all his midfielders and attackers available.
00:32:14
Speaker
So I'm sorry, now there's no excuse. There's no excuse that players are missing and and the players are out. Now it's quite clearly to the algorithm what's a systematic problem. Now we've got the theyve got the answer to that now. there's no There's no, there's no, you can't argue against that now. Before you could say, well, maybe you can't now. So that's- It continues, yeah, for sure.
00:32:36
Speaker
So that's why i was I was ready and then the case they got the penalty and and they scored and and and he's been given a you know lifeline. Yeah, he's been given a lifeline. and It's not good enough. It's not good enough at all. Coupe miners was kind of symbolise this performance. I don't understand why he insists playing him where he's playing him. I don't understand it. What is the problem? like Why is everyone able to see this?
00:33:04
Speaker
like this this this this the way that he like he's got he puts coop miners i just feel he doesn't get the most out of coop miners and then and when he plays canine yieldies it i just don't think what it's working this this this turk game was really weird because i was looking at the positions of the players and it was like coop miners and mckenny were more advanced than yielders and yeah and Gonzalez who were playing kind of in deeper roles almost in midfield roles for the build up. It was weird, really really weird and then he put Kelly at left back and and so I don't know I mean maybe he's trying to change the things around but yeah like you said but with Koop miners I mean
00:33:43
Speaker
the mr the That's his fault, the goal. i mean What is he doing? He tries to, 45th minute, seconds before half time, he tries to dribble out of his own penalty area, he gets tackled, they cross it to the far post and Juventus concede that their 1000th goal this season with ah with a goal at the ba far post, which they concede all the time. Teams team are targeting them at the far post all the time, but I've been saying that for months now.
00:34:04
Speaker
The Juventus can't defend, their full backs can't defend crosses and teams ah ah teams are targeting, putting crosses into the far post. They can see them time and time again like that. But Koop miners, what is he doing? you know You're supposed to be the experienced player of a team. 45th minute and you try and dribble out of your penalty area and get tackled. Juventus have conceded so many goals like that, usually it can be asso, trying to dribble stupidly.
00:34:26
Speaker
But at really stupid times, like an injury time either at the end of the game or in this case at the end of the first half, there are times where you just don't mess around with it. Just clear the ball, put it into row Z, pragmatic, pragmatism. just you know That is when you don't mess around with it and he tries to dribble out of it. I mean, yeah, is and he was he i mean he's he's this talk is going to be dropped now, apparently, for the PSV game. We'll see if he is dropped.
00:34:49
Speaker
ah It's a weird one. It's a very, very weird one. And we'll see how they handle it. But this is a very, very important week for Juve. It's very, very decisive. And um you know i i look at I wonder, even if Milan beat Bologna in that postponed game, that will never be played, it feels like. But on 41, two points off Juve. I worry if for Juve. I don't think they'll... Because the way Lazio and Fiorentina are going,
00:35:20
Speaker
I don't know, man. No, right now, if if if I have to put a bet on right now, I'm not betting on Juventus. Yeah, same. um sorry not um But obviously, you know, there's a long way to go. Things can change, but I look at how everyone's playing. And and Milan now, you know, with the with with the how they've strengthened, we'll come on to Milan in a second. You know, I do. I don't think it looks good. And that's why I was going to call for Monte, because I feel like It's got to the point now where maybe the only way it's going to change is if they bring in a new manager. and you know If it wasn't so important for finishing the top four, I'd be more inclined to say, look, let's stick with Monta, give him a chance for the project to go. you know We've seen managers struggle in their first season. and You know, Guardiola at City struggled, Arteta at Arsenal struggled, and then they stuck with him and then eventually they
00:36:06
Speaker
they built something. And and and you know I'm not saying that that couldn't happen with Mota. The problem of you with Juventus is they're in such a situation financially where they literally, if they don't qualify for Champions League next season and they lose up to 100 million, then it's absolutely catastrophic for that project. It puts them back about two or three years. It's devastating. They cannot afford that. You cannot bank on, ah you cant you can't stick with Mota for the reasons for the reasons that I just explained, because because financially the project's in tatters. So that's why, you know, you'll you'll you'll have to sacrifice him. and The only other, the only other final point I want to make about Juventus is Dusan Vlovic. He's benched again. um So he's going to leave in the summer. We know that. it We know that. But not even a minute played in a game where you're chasing, where you haven't had a shot in the second half um and you still don't bring him on.
00:36:57
Speaker
And and i don' think I think that says it all, doesn't it, of where he is now. Yeah, I think it's evident that you know that that was a ginormous failure, ginormous failure. um His entire tenure at UVA has been a ginormous failure and I think it's I wonder where he goes from here because I don't see the problems disappearing regardless of where he goes. I think if you're going to play for a top club, you're going to have to be able to play with your back against the goal. You're going to have to be able to link up. You're going to have to be able to put others into play. You're going to have to be able to to do the things that all the top number nines and the biggest clubs do, and he does not do that. He doesn't do a single thing of those. In fact, he's also missed sitters for about a year and a half consistently. I think that's more down to confidence more than anything, lack thereof.
00:37:47
Speaker
But where does he go? does he go for a Does he go to an Arsenal that wants to win the Premier League? I'm not sure Arsenal are interested any anymore. I mean, I know they're interested. That's going to be a problem in itself because Juventus are going to have to try and find a buyer and I don't know who the hell will try. Well, it's not going to be. I mean, if if it's a buyer, it will be someone outside of the top, top tier. And will he be interested?
00:38:11
Speaker
Will he be interested? They're not going to be able to pay him his 12 million a year. because he's good say he's I think there's a good opportunity. He ends up staying at Juventus for a year. He leaves on a free transfer. He leaves on a free transfer just so he can get his 12 million. If I'm a buying club, him half of that. yeah and that's that's you know His attitude stinks as well. He was caught on camera slagging off Gatti on the bench as well. You just can't do that. yeah you can't it's it's it' It's turning into a nightmare. It is a nightmare, not turning. It is a nightmare. His tenure at UB is a nightmare. and What a, what a. The positive is, the positive is Columwani. He's single-handedly saving the events as now. Five goals. I think they should try everything to keep him. If Mota stays, I think they should try to keep him because he's very useful.
00:38:53
Speaker
Well, either way, he's also adaptable. He can play on the wings as well. and He's got five goals in in three games. His first goal was brilliant, by the way. He was absolutely brilliant. He made that all in himself. there's a bit of I've seen people comparing him to Austin, but I think there's a bit of a spreer in him as well. like he He's got that deceiving pace and kind of unorthodox running style in the way that he goes past players. and He's also got those explosive qualities as as well. and and Yeah I mean thank god for him because otherwise Juventus I think is definitely no chance the top floor he's single-handedly keeping them in the race at the moment. um Where they'll be fighting against Milan who just about beat Empoli in a very very
00:39:37
Speaker
eventful game, let's call it that, um it wasn't looking good for for for Milan um at all. in the When they went down to 10 men with Timorion, we'll come on to the referees and VAR in a little bit. um But they played very badly first half, 0.06 XG, they're even beating Motta for low XGs in the first half.
00:40:02
Speaker
and the attack was really really bad and in fact the employee had the better of the the chances in the first half but Sansa made a triple change at halftime, Liao Poulisic and Jimenez coming on ah for his debut on Famusa, Abraham and Jimenez to differentiate them and it was the subs that changed the game, the subs that those three subs won this game for Milan. Jimenez got um on his debut, got Marinucci sent off. When Milan were down to 10 men and looked almost certain that they weren't going to get a ah win when they were down to 10, he gets Marinucci sent off. He evens things up. Milan take charge. Liao scores the first goal. ah And Jimenez then scores the second with ah with a beautiful, beautiful goal. Lovely left foot he's got.
00:40:54
Speaker
cutting inside, curling it in. And Puducic got the two two assists. And Milan win this game. So it was all about the subs, but it was also kind of like coming back to what we were saying about Juventus and Napoli and their kind of lack of firepower and attack. We saw here that this is one thing Milan do have. They have firepower. They have depth on the bench in terms of the attack. And it was the attacking subs that won them this game.
00:41:19
Speaker
Yeah, it was. Punicic continues to get assists and goals and and and become decisive for Mila. He continues to be their most consistent player in terms of you know actual points, assists, goals. um Very useful for them. And Conseil-Sao continues to get the reaction he wants when things aren't working. um This is really the Conseil-Sao show. and And it has to be.
00:41:47
Speaker
When you appoint someone like Antonio Conte, you're have to give them what they want. you know Otherwise, you're just wasting everyone's time. um and he's He's on top of things. um the three The three subs he makes are the ones that win the game.
00:42:07
Speaker
And he they that's it's a very important game. It's important for Jimenez to score. It's important for Jimenez to feel involved early on. And he is. He gets Marjanucci sent off. And he's able to um score the second goal as well. um And Pulisic, of course, with the two assists. No, no Milan are slowly but surely ah coming back. and And I think if they can get past Feanor,
00:42:35
Speaker
Because I think that's ah that'll be that won't be easy by any stretch of the imagination. But they're a very gritty side, Mila. That makes them a really pain in the butt to play against. i think I think they can go pretty far in the Champions League. I'm not saying they're going to win it or anything like that. But I think a semi-final wouldn't be surprised if they went there.
00:42:54
Speaker
surprise me Yeah, I think finals are a very winnable game, but i mean um yeah i mean they wrote they had luck in this game in in a sense that in the sense that you know they the They were bad in the first half, and then they were down to 10 men, and we'll come to that in a minute. and But you know if it wasn't for the marionucci being stupid, i mean they they're probably not going to and not going to win this game. So they they got a little bit of luck in that sense, um although even though if the VAR wasn't what it was, if the rules weren't what they were, and there's no way tomorrow, it should be sent off. But um yeah, it's just the firepower they've got. they've got so much And they've got so many players that can
00:43:32
Speaker
do things out of nothing and score out of nothing so that even when they're playing badly and they weren't playing well in this game they've still got attackers that can win games out of nothing can i feel like if you compare that say to your mentors your mentors don't seem to really have that i mean okay Colin Moani did that and Yield is he's inconsistent every now and again, but generally Juventus are really predictable in attack. Whereas Milan, so milan or not they've got so many individuals and that can do stuff. Jel Felix was very lively as well. He he did some really great dribbles, lots of shots, lots of effort. He scored that fantastic goal in the copper.
00:44:11
Speaker
try to do it again against Empeli as well. Yeah, which was a bad sad decision. i mean Listen, we know the problem with Jael Felix. but for for promote for For his career, he's been someone who's he's always flattered to deceive are all his clubs. He always looks exciting at the start with his new clubs. where he He has these kinds of games like we saw with Milan. And then he kind of peters out. and and you know So We'll have to see if that happens with Milan. um But so I think that, you know, to get the best out of him, he needs to play in the front
Milan's Attacking Depth Advantage
00:44:40
Speaker
too. I do believe that. i agree And so I think that that's something that Conseil probably wants to do. He needs to find a way to do it. They'll work with everyone else. But I think that the signs so far with Joao Fiddix are good. He just obviously is end product in this game.
00:44:55
Speaker
um certainly with his finishing was was was a letdown and that has been a problem in his career so he needs to sort that but I mean yeah he lights up games and he's great to watch as well like for us that complain about there not being individuals in football he's great he's a lovely player to watch he is he really is it's just not enough end product but I gotta be honest with you I think Jimenez and Joel Felix are arch-type conseizao attackers ah in a two-man attack in a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1, however you want to play with the numbers. but So I think they'll be fine. um But it's it's a tough stretch of games. They're playing every three three days now until the 2nd of March, including 2nd of March, when they're playing Lazio Mila. So they he needs to rotate.
00:45:38
Speaker
And then if they beat, if they go through from Feynor, you've got the Copa Italia semi-final, whether it's Inter or Lazio, and then of course they could play Inter again. Could be four games against Inter. Yeah, and it spaced a couple of weeks. But that's why you need the squad. That's why you need that this depth and attack, you know. And and I think Milan's transfer market has given their opportunity now. Yeah, they've given them chance. They've given them themselves a chance. Yeah, yeah exactly. with where they can cope with Exactly. Exactly. And that's why it was that's why it's important and that's why, you know,
00:46:06
Speaker
Anyway, but so listen, we have to talk about the the two, well no it's three, three incidents. First of all, let's start from the beginning. The Kakace tackle on Walker at the start, where the VAR looked at it, so whether it would be a red card.
00:46:24
Speaker
And um it's it's a dangerous tackle. It's an ankle breaker. He's got away with it. And I think the this was my interpretation. And I think this is what the referee that appeared on the zone said as well. He's got away with it because Walker's leg is is quite low down, yeah it's not high enough and that's why he's probably got away with it on a technicality. It's a dangerous tackle that could have broken his ankle, it's planted on the floor as well so it could have broken his ankle but I think on a technicality, we're looking at it by the law, it's orange and maybe not orange enough.
00:47:04
Speaker
Yeah, to be a red. It's not red enough. Yeah. I agree with that analysis. I think that's spot on. Yeah. Okay. We agreed on that one then, and but he was definitely risking it. they very has the ta tomorrowlumsy yeah Then right we have the incident where he gets sent off.
00:47:19
Speaker
When he gets two yellow cards. Yeah, he gets sent off for a second yellow for a foul on Colombo. ah for for For starters, it's a clear foul and it's a clear yellow. There's no arguments on that. if that Anyone you can argue that. The problem is is that Colombo was offside when he received the ball, clearly offside as well. and But the the linesman didn didn't put his flag up for offside. So by the law,
00:47:41
Speaker
the correct decision is made because VAR can't intervene on yellow cards under the protocol VAR. And as a result, tomorrow he gets the second yellow, they can't overturn it. Which I think is a whole loophole that they need to address. I agree. I think it's a loophole. If it's a second yellow, I think the VAR should be able to intervene because it becomes a red. Do you know what I mean? Like if if it's just one yellow, that's fine. But if it's a second yellow, if you're on a second yellow and it becomes a red,
00:48:09
Speaker
i think the vr should be able to to to to intervene i totally agree ah totally agree because because these kind of decisions change change they do they change games the influence games but the referee didn't get it wrong you just couldn't do anything no no i agree yeah we can't really criticize because no by the laws but yeah the problem has to apply the law as it do the problem is that that you know if marianucci hadn't got himself sent off um then then then Milan probably don't win this game, and that's huge for the top four. of that that's yeah They're really putting their top four at risk, and this changes seasons, so they've got to address this. They've got they've got to change that. yeah yeah And the Marinucci red card? There's not much to say. Stupid, isn't it? No, stupid. He lost his head. Jimenez is smart, but he gets booked also, Jimenez, so let's remember that. he gets He gets booked for that, but he's smart because he's drawing that. He's drawing a red card.
00:49:00
Speaker
and Milan wanted to draw that red card, and it's not by chance that three minutes later Liao scores the opening goal. So now this was the classic Conseil Sao shit-howzery. This is what you're going to get with Sergio Conseil Sao, and so Milan are going to be like this under him.
00:49:16
Speaker
Long gone are the days of Zogabonito. This is FC Shithausery. FC Portuguese Shithausery. Welcome to FC Shithausery Milan. Enjoy the stay. Right, okay. and Just before we move on to Lazio and Roma Games, I want to let everybody know that there is a work opportunity at the Italian Football Podcast. We are planning to hire a part-time Paid paid social media content creator and the role will basically be to to create content and and to grow our our social media pages in in particular Instagram and and tick-tock so if if anybody listens this is interested and has qualifications and experience of
00:50:10
Speaker
of doing this, knows how to create content on social media for Instagram and TikTok in particular and are able to and has to be football content, Italian football content of course. yeah You need to have some knowledge and understanding of Italian football and are able to create this kind of content and have and have experience so of building up and growing social media pages, then please email us on the <unk>ri as show ah theseriashowatgmail.com and together with obviously your experience and qualifications if you've got CV great if not please please just explain to us what what your experience and qualifications are
00:50:52
Speaker
um and yeah we're going to be looking through um the the applications. Additionally, there's another work opportunity as well. and This potentially could be a separate role or it could be combined combined yeah combined with the other, depending on on kind of what applications we get. We're also planning to hire a part-time paid video content creator. The role basically will be to create daily Italian football video content
00:51:24
Speaker
to go mainly on our YouTube page but also to be used on our social media pages and the the the big ah plan is for us basically for it to grow our YouTube page. and We have four and a half thousand subscribers on YouTube at the moment. We want to we want to grow that and build that page up um so we we want somebody again who has experience qualifications of doing this, of building a page up on YouTube, is able to create video content. ah And and you know that could be that could take the form of many things. and That could be you know you speak to you yourself speaking to camera and publishing that content. It could be news. It could be opinion. we're We're open to ideas, but we want someone that has experience, is able to create that content. and of course
00:52:18
Speaker
ah has knowledge and interest in Italian football um as well. It's good on camera. So if you're if that if that's you, please, again, email us on theceriascho at gmail dot.com, again, together with your experience, your qualifications, CV, examples of your work if if you if you have it. And, yeah, Nima and myself, we will we will look through the applications and then we will we will take things from from there.
00:52:49
Speaker
Okay, um let's move on then to the Roman clubs. Let's start off with Lazio, who thrashed Monza, battled him 5-1. Chance after chance after chance after chance. the It could have been 10 in this game. They had so many opportunities. Maricic scored. Pedro scored too. Castellanos, Dele, Baschiru scored as well. I thought Pedro and Castellanos, who, Castellanos got two assists as well,
00:53:15
Speaker
those two in particular were were were excellent. I mean, I want to give a shout out to Pedro. Got nine goals this season now, Pedro. The age of 37, what a legend. This guy is still at 37. He still looks so sprightly, so lively. Still got those quick feet. He's still got that from one to two one to two yards, that quick burst to get away from his man. Both footed, good finisher.
00:53:37
Speaker
still dribbles, still creates. I love watching plays. Great, great, great to still see Pedro performing and ah as he is. But Lazio as a whole, obviously we have to look at the the opposition. Monza are horrendous and I think it's clear they're going to get relegated. They're a total mess. But um yeah, Lazio look good. They stay in fourth.
00:53:56
Speaker
As I've said since the start, I think they're not going anywhere. Juventus and Milan have to be very worried because they're not going to go nowhere. Napoli also need to be worried because this looks like Nuno Tavares is back as well and flying. This is going to be a really tough game for Napoli next week because Lazio look really good.
00:54:21
Speaker
Lazio look really good, they really do. and they they You have to remember also that Lazio have been some sort of the anti-Napoli this season. i mean They've beaten them twice in a week last when they did in the Copa and the Serie A. They've had Napoli's number and this is a Napoli now that is put to the test. It's away, it's in Rome. So it's going to be um it's going to be a very interesting game. but but to see both how Lazio handled this and how Napoli handled this. But, yeah, no, Lazio, they continue to impress. I've been kind of... I've got to be honest, I've been kind of waiting for them to fall out of the top four race. But they don't. They just continue to to do well. They lose games, they draw games, but they bounce back. And that is so impressive. They lose to Derby, they bounce back. They lose to Fiorentina, they bounce back.
00:55:19
Speaker
um they they they're They're very, very mentally strong and Barone has created an environment where it's it's there's calm around Lazio, in the squad at least, which is very rare for a Roman club. It's always chaos. you know the you know Disaster is always around the corner in Rome.
00:55:40
Speaker
but he he's created an environment that allows you know serenity. I know what I also like about them, um which we haven't said physically, they look in really good shape. When I say physically, I mean the players you know look physically conditioned very well, they've got lots of intensity, there they run, they they they they they they they they put pressure on the opposition and compare that to I mean Juventus, pretty much all season. Or Inter. In that Fiorentina game looked quite flat, I thought. Flat most of the season. Yeah, that's you don't. and they And they've been playing as many games as they've ever seen. Yeah, but Onis don't make sense at all. Lower level in Europa League, but still. but It doesn't matter, it's three games a week and it's in Europe and it's the first time he's ever been having been forced to do that, yeah to rotate at the to play in Europe in his career. So you've got to give credit where credit is due. No, umm but I'm very impressed. I'm very impressed by Lazio and a lot of their players, you know, their attackers, there's lots of goals in their attack. There's lots of depth in their attack, you know, which we're saying some other teams like Napoli don't have. um And um but, you know, look, they're midfield. I mean, I mean, if we're talking about best center midfield partnerships this season,
00:56:57
Speaker
They've got to be up there as well. you know those two Especially Ravela. Ravela was outstanding in this game. There was one run he went on, um I think in the first half, where he just ate up the grass, as they say, like just charging through coast to coast and just leaving players and in his wake. and And I was thinking about this and I was thinking, you know, because, you know, again, I don't want to make this all about Juventus.
00:57:21
Speaker
I was thinking Moise Ken after he scored those two goals. i mean The Juventus have let Moise Ken go ah for pathetic amount of money, like 13 million plus a few million. and inhazen Dean Heisen. Dean Heisen. For those three,
00:57:35
Speaker
um the first three in particular, have been outstanding this this season and they're all young and the Juventus have let those three players go. Can you imagine you know I mean, I don't want to make this about Juventus, but it just hammers home that point of how badly managed that Juventus seem to have been. I think we can we're at the stage now where we have to say that Juventus made a giant mistake letting Ravela go. we We can't. He's been too good for too long for us to say anything else.
00:58:05
Speaker
this season. i He did struggle last season under Sarri, but I think that's also partly down to his first season. Sarri's not really someone that likes playing youngsters and and and you know now he's found the right coach and he's expressing himself and and he's been he's been brilliant. He's been as good as anyone at Senate midfield. When we're doing a team of the season, and the season he's right now definite he's one up there. He's up there, yeah. yeah Depending on formation. Monza are a down though, right? Yeah, it's finished and now Nesta's being brought back and it's just a mess.
00:58:35
Speaker
And the thing is that they've accepted they're going down with the January window, letting Maldini and Bondo go. i mean Maybe they're two best players, maybe, you could argue. um And they let Pablo Morico as well, didn't they? So I think they've accepted that they're going. I think they're preparing for life in Serie B already now. I think Galliani's doing it. I think that's the last we see of Monza at this level. like It doesn't seem like the ownership. Is it the last of Galliani? I think so, yeah. Do you think he goes in the season?
00:59:02
Speaker
No, but Monza, he's from Monza, isn't he? so i think i think he's i mean I just wonder, up i mean the guy's in his 80s now. Does he does yeah want to stay in Serie B? i mean I think he wants to stay at Monza. You need something to do, isn't he? What's he going to do? Sit and wait for death? Well, he's Uncle Fester, isn't he? ah He's home. This is his home. He's from there. you know It's the perfect place for him to retire.
00:59:27
Speaker
Yeah, i got it that way okay. It's his family. He's Adam. Yeah, it's he's at home. He's at home. Right, let's move on to Roma. um This wasn't a great game. 1-0, they win. Paolo Di Bala penalty. Probably just about deserved to win. They created enough chances to win. But the positives for Roma is it's a second straight away win.
00:59:51
Speaker
in Serie A having gone the whole season without an away win before that.
Roma's Progress Under Claudio Ranieri
00:59:55
Speaker
And now there are eight games unbeaten in Serie A under Claudio Ranieri and they would be in the top four based on the points under Ranieri. So they're clearly doing well. They're clearly doing well. They they're clearly doing well what they lost to Milan in the Coppa Italia where defensively they got things a little bit wrong in that game. So that was a setback. but all in all is again just what we've been saying it's been very very positive under Ranieri and big but a big game in midweek against Porto huge huge I have to get through that tie against Porto and then it could set up a possible
01:00:34
Speaker
all Roman Derby for the Europa League last 16. Well, hopefully it doesn't. We hope it doesn't. But but yeah, but yeah good good good for Roman. and not Not too much to add. They've got a good run of fixtures in Serie A. They've got Parma, Monza, Como, Empoli, Cali, Lecce coming up. um I wonder, they could going into the Juva game, if they're not ahead of Bologna and quite close to 7.
01:01:02
Speaker
Well yeah, I mean, we'll see. if If they can put a winning run together in all these games, then then then who knows? But yeah, who knows? But yeah, they they're obviously along with that. But yeah, things are going really well for Roma. And the the big one is is this port again. They have to win that game. Their season is dependent on it. um Rest of the weekend fixtures. So Torino won, Genoa won.
01:01:24
Speaker
Caliary 2, Palma 1, Lecce, Nil, Bologna, Nil which is one of the worst games I've ever seen and Inter versus Fiorentino is obviously the Monday game which we're recording in before. um So I saw big controversy over the Torino Genoa and that there should have been a penalty and and actually the referee and ah representative who commented on that and actually said it should have been a penalty. I've watched the incident, I don't think it was a penalty um at all but I mean he said he thought it should have been a penalty, just this one at the end, where Sabelli pulled back, I can't remember who the Torino player was, pulled them back in the box, I think it was Sanabria. um I've watched the incident, for me that's never a penalty, it's what
01:02:15
Speaker
you know needs to be penalties need to be reared you need to be penalties no i mean he said he was a pen he said it was a mistake yeah but for me for me it's not penalty but it depends i mean this like you know when you talk about they want There's certain things the IFAB tells referees that they want to curtail and they don't want to happen. And pulling shirts is one of those things where they almost have a zero tolerance policy to it. But it's impossible to to enforce because where youre you're going to have consistency issues. But yeah, I do i i think it was spot on. um Given how the law is and how the instructions are, there has to be a penalty. But I'm also a little bit
01:02:52
Speaker
not enough yeah But overall, Caliari beating Parma and Empoli are in trouble now. Parma are in relegation, Empoli one point ahead of them, Como two points ahead of the relegation battle, somehow Verona three points ahead. I don't know how many times they've been thrashed like five or six years ago. I don't know what's going on, but Verona... Someone needs to explain to me how Verona has always been about three or four points above the relegation zone. It's mad. But that win Caliari took is monumentally important. I think Monsovenizzi are all but down. How do we have a fight and then Palma donut? They need to get rid of Pekia. They have to. They're going to get relegated with him.
01:03:34
Speaker
but I think they can and it's it's i mean their form is dreadful. and the last six They've lost four of the last six games and they've only drawn two. If the last win was against Monza and before then they had three losses in a row, they they are dreadful. They really are dreadful. And and their defence, my god, is open.
01:03:54
Speaker
They don't believe in defending. no right it's like It's very simple. They just don't believe in it. it's like the lady in nimma's meme that that yeah They just don't believe in defending.
01:04:06
Speaker
um but it's ah now it's it's not it's it's is is It's crisis mode now and Empoli too, which is such a shame because they too dreadful for. Their last win in the Serie A came on the 8th of December against Verona. They also have an injury crisis and like in defence, which is what there's been their their strong point and what the worries about Viti as well. They look like a really bad knee injury. The way that the the leg moved back, I don't want to say it, but that was my first thought. was It could be an ACL. but Seven out of nine.
01:04:39
Speaker
lost it, last nine, seven defeats. Empoli are an absolute, are a mess and they need to snap out of it because I don't think they deserve it. um But yeah, well we'll see what happens. What happens to Daverza? I hope he doesn't get sacked because I think that would be a mistake. But yeah, it's the relegation is is really heating up. Lece took a very important point. Yeah. Went to the last six. Now they've got Monza and Udinese. Yeah.
01:05:05
Speaker
Champions League, let's move on, Champions League and Europa League playoffs and this week. Juventus PSV on Tuesday, Club Bruges Atalanta and final Milan on Wednesday and then Porto against Roma in the Europa League playoffs on Thursday. So huge, huge week for all of these clubs. Massive, absolutely massive.
01:05:28
Speaker
um And also, of course,
Italian Teams in European Competitions
01:05:31
Speaker
there's the coefficients. These are massively important because Spain have virtually caught up Italy now in the battle for second place. i mean England have got the extra space. We can we can give them the place already. It's going to be out of Italy in spain and Spain. This week is going to play a big, big role in the race for that second space. We we we need to but need to get all our teams through. It really is as as simple as that. And I expect all four teams. When I say I expect,
01:05:59
Speaker
I mean, I'm demanding it. I'm demanding that all four teams go through. it I demand three of them. Porto's tricky, but Club Rigue, PSV and Feynord would be embarrassing iffi if Juve Milan and Atalanta don't win. I'm sorry. It's that simple. Yeah. Well, yeah, um I think with Porto, I mean, like I said, PSV have really hit bad form now. So that's a positive for Juventus.
01:06:30
Speaker
Juventus are in bad form as well, so in terms of where they're playing. so Club Bruiser are a difficult team to break down, they don't concede too many goals and and and they're quite quite tight defensively and they're counter-attack. Atlanta generally don't like playing against those kind of teams, so let's hope that that doesn't, yeah, and but obviously we're expecting Atlanta to win that. And then Firenord, yeah, Firenord have not been great this season. I expect Milan to see a final, I do.
01:06:57
Speaker
Porto are in horrible form. They haven't won in the Portuguese league since the 28th of December. They're in horrible form and they're also financially like imploded. They've sold two of their key players in January, Galeno and Nico Gonzalez, who got injured like five minutes into his main city debut, which was a bit of a disaster. So yeah, they're I'm expecting poor Roma to win that game. i am I'll be disappointed if they don't go through, but obviously yeah on paper it's not an easy game.
01:07:28
Speaker
um yeah okay um Badjo, Primface and Serias of the week.
Italian Striking Talent Spotlight
01:07:34
Speaker
So Badjo, um I think it's the two Italian strikers that are on fire. Moisakine for his performance against Inter in the 3-0 win in Florence and for Mateo Retiki, for his four goals, his poker in the game against Hela Spareina. Yeah, absolutely. I guess we could throw in Kolo Moani as well. No, but for me, I think Mois Ken and Mateo Retegi are the ones. Retegi is just having the season of a lifetime and he looks so fresh and fit and just happy with life.
01:08:12
Speaker
um So yeah, he's on 20 goals. I think he might hit 30 even. There's 14 games left. He's got definitely at least five to 10 goals in him. So if he can stay fit. So yeah, we'll see. We'll see. But yeah, no, I think he's a shoo-in for the Capo Canonieri. And I think Mois Ken is really, really surprising ah by, you know, 16 goals is is impressive. It's very impressive. He doesn't take penalties either, does he?
01:08:40
Speaker
I think he did maybe take one or two. He definitely missed one. I think he's got 15 in Serie A, but I think it's 18 in all competitions. Yeah, you're right. Sorry, it's not 16, it's 15, yeah. Yeah, but it's 18 in all competitions, including the ah conference league. So I think there's a chance he could end up hitting 30 in all comps this season, I think. I think there's that there's the possibility of that given the conference league.
01:09:02
Speaker
um OK, so where are we at? um Premface of of the week. Right. So first of all, we've got Nimr's favorite Iranian, Kaveh Solikov from Sky Sports, who was reporting on Tottenham's signing of Matias Tell from Bayern Munich. And he said that he'd never heard of him up until a couple of weeks.
01:09:26
Speaker
But that's not the own that he thinks it is.
Critique of Tottenham's New Signing
01:09:31
Speaker
You not having heard of a player who plays for Bayern Munich is you waving a flag that says you're an idiot and you're incompetent. that's not and that's not you That's not a mic drop moment. That's more of you admitting to the world that you're incompetent, stupid, ignorant.
01:09:47
Speaker
It's just the way I never heard of him. What do you mean? You not hearing of things tells me you're not good at your job. Do you know what I mean? It's not a mic problem. He's trying to make out, well, Tottenham are a joke. They're having a, you know, they're a complete joke. But it's not. Here they are signing a 19 year old that I've never, you know, no one's even heard of. That's what he's trying to make out. But that's what I mean. I know what he's trying to do, but I'm just saying it's an own goal.
01:10:16
Speaker
but Of course it's a known goal because anybody that that actually follows football outside of England knows that Matthias Tell has been regarded as one of the the the biggest teenage sensations in European football. It's embarrassing really. He went to buy Munich for huge money, like 60 million euros or something. and yeah and and a that's Although that's the option I think for for him to to join top. them He went for huge money to buy him and and you know he's been compared to players like Mbappe, Benzema,
01:10:44
Speaker
little players like that. i mean This guy is ah is a huge talent and so yeah you're admitting to the world that you've not heard of one of the biggest... Yeah, but you're admitting essentially that you're ignorant and you're not doing your job properly and you don't take it seriously. It's it's not it's not the mic drop moment you think it is. you know It really isn't. It's actually quite the opposite. It's you waving a flag saying, I'm an idiot. And and that's that's that's fine. You're perfectly fine to do that. um But Jamie Carragher, he was off on one, wouldn't he?
01:11:13
Speaker
like the vigil van deles yeah but he this one was even by his standards this was Virgil van Dyck is better than football itself. It's got to be one of those things. this time Van Dyck is a world-class player, don't get me wrong. Don't get me wrong at all. He's an absolute monster.
01:11:36
Speaker
Fantastic player, but this is a maradona. This is a Messi. He's not better than for pot itself. Calm down. Like have a breather. Open the window. Like you go for a walk, but don't spit at children when you do go for that walk, as you've done in the past.
01:11:52
Speaker
like it's it's just it's it's just calm down obsession with lyrical fans and vergil van dyke it really is something it really is something the obsession with him no but he is a world-class defender he's one of the greatest defenders they've ever had i understand that and he is fantastic there's no doubt about that right he is a world-class obsession with with stressing that he's the best ever But he's not. That's the thing. He's not even like he he is probably the best ever they've they've had. And that's fine. Well, no, but yeah, and I think you can make an argument that he's absolutely within the one of the greatest defender, if not the greatest defender they've ever had at the club. I think that's fine if you want to think that. But to talk about him as if better than football itself and
01:12:37
Speaker
Like, breathe in, breathe, breathe, calm down. Because he's not. And and no one, like, everyone who watches football understands that. And I think deep down inside, they understand it. But this this notion that he's some sort of, you know, the greatest of all time football player full stop is is ludicrous. It's ludicrous.
01:12:57
Speaker
Okay, Serias of the Week, and the only one I could find was our good old friend, the Lazio Volkner, Juan Bernabe, who despite being sacked from Lazio for reasons that but we've gone into, ah but at length, let's say, on this podcast, and he was back on the the weekend.
01:13:21
Speaker
um He's got a new job, um well, he did it on ah on the on the Sunday afternoon, where he was the folk now for Follgorese Carathezi, who are a celiac club, and he brought his eagle, Olympia, to the game, apparently charged £1,000 for the appearance to to fly the the eagle before the match, and he inspired Follgore to a 4-2 win.
01:13:52
Speaker
Yeah, the this this story just keeps continuing. It's the gift that keeps on giving, or the curse that keeps on cursing, I don't know. But it's it just continues. I wonder how long before he's back at Lazio. I mean, let's be honest, it's gonna happen. We know he's gonna return. Let's be honest. I wouldn't be surprised. No, of course he is. I mean, Lotito, at some point they're going to need their eagle back.
01:14:20
Speaker
It's just gonna happen. We know it's gonna happen. So I wonder when is that before the season's over or next season?
Speculation on Europa League Finalist
01:14:28
Speaker
When do you think that is? I don't know. Maybe if it gets the Europa League final. Yeah, he might take it to the to the to the final itself. Who knows? Why not? Why not? Why not?
Upcoming Q&A and Champions League Playoff Reactions
01:14:40
Speaker
Yeah.
01:14:40
Speaker
okay right well let's leave it at that and we will be back uh late this week with a Q and&A episode and we'd also have the the reaction to the Champions League playoffs as well on on Thursday.
Support Through Patreon and YouTube Memberships
01:14:53
Speaker
So so for patrons only so make sure to sign up on patreon dot.com slash TIFP or YouTube memberships uh with people who start signing up there so yeah yeah all the links are in the description great thank you everybody for listening we will See you next time. Ciao ciao.