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Billing Saves Napoli Scudetto Dream | Inter's Dimarco Magic | Sergio Conceicao & Thiago Motta Facing Sack At AC Milan & Juventus? | Atalanta Flop & Much More (Ep. 498)
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From Philip Billing saving Napoli Scudetto dream, exhausted Inter Milan concede late after Federico Dimarco wondergoal, Atalanta Serie A title dream over, Thiago Motta on Juventus chopping block, AC Milan deep dive as RedBird project in shambles, to excellent Lazio pushing top 4 race to the wire, Roma win as Claudio Ranieri could stay next season, and preview of Champions League, Europa League and Conference League Round of Last 16 1st legs where Fiorentina, Lazio, Roma and Inter all in action, 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 27 of the 2024/2025 Serie A season.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:37 Napoli: Philip Billing Keeps Scudetto Dreams Alive
19:32 Inter Milan: Toothless & Depleted But Dimarco Wonder Freekick Saves The Day
43:53 Atalanta: Venezia Blunder Kills Scudetto Dream?
53:15 Juventus: Thiago Motta On Chopping Board
01:11:18 AC Milan: RedBird Project In Shambles - Sergio Conceicao To Be Sacked Now Or In The Summer?
01:56:51 Lazio: Excellent Performance & Position For Top 4 Finish
02:05:08 Roma: Claudio Ranieri Renaissance Continues - Stay As Coach Next Season?
02:09:14 Best Of The Rest: Fiorentina Back In UCL Race, Udinese In UECL Race, Monza Freefall & Bologna's Italiano Love Affair Continues
02:10:45 Preview Champions League, Europa League & Conference League: Inter Milan Away To Feyenoord, Roma Up Against It With Athletic Bilbao, Lazio Favorites Away To Viktoria Plzen & Fiorentina Away To Panathinaikos
02:13:50 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.
Napoli vs Inter: Key Moments and Impact on Scudetto Race
00:00:15
Speaker
On today's show, we will review a big weekend of Serie A action. Philippe Billing. is the unlikely hero for Napoli as he keeps the Scudetto race alive with a very late equaliser in a dramatic Scudetto clash at the Stadio Maradona. The game finishes one one Inter had earlier gone ahead through ah through a stunning free kick from Federico Di Marco.
00:00:42
Speaker
Atalanta blow their chance of of really making a ah big Scudetto push as they draw nil-nil at home to Venezia.
Juventus's Uncertainty and Future Under Thiago Mota
00:00:52
Speaker
Thiago Mota's future at Juventus is very much at risk after the Coppa Italia exit ah to Empoli.
Preview of Milan vs Lazio and European Matches
00:01:02
Speaker
A number of names have been put forward as potential replacements for motta um in the summer. So we'll go through that.
00:01:11
Speaker
um We'll also react to the massive top four clash on Sunday evening but between Milan and Lazio. We'll also preview the midweek European matches Thank you.
00:01:26
Speaker
seria teams in europe and we also have our usual badio prem face and steadyia ass of the week but all our first time listeners this is our free weekly episode we do every monday review in the weekend area 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&A episode every Tuesday, where we answer all of the questions from our patrons, plus the weekly Thursday midweek review show, plus interviews, post-match reaction, and much, much more, then go to patreon.com slash TIFP and become a subscriber for just £2.99 a month plus VAT.
00:02:03
Speaker
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Napoli's Tactical Approach Against Inter
00:02:10
Speaker
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00:02:16
Speaker
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00:02:34
Speaker
Okay then, let's get into today's show. So then, the big Scudetto clash at the Stadio Maradona finishes 1-1. A late, to late equaliser by substitute Philipp Billing, who joined Napoli on loan in January. A very unlikely hero for Napoli. Keeps the Scudetto race alive. Before he scored, it looked like Inter, well, they were going to go four points clear.
00:03:04
Speaker
and over Napoli at the top of the table. And probably that would have been that, I think, for almost certainly for for the Scudetto race. But this equaliser keeps things alive. Inter are still top, one point ahead of of ah of of Napoli.
00:03:24
Speaker
But this with with a long way to go, with Inter still to play in two other competitions, um this This keeps it all alive, Nima, doesn't it?
Serie A Scudetto Race: Napoli, Inter, Juventus, Atalanta
00:03:35
Speaker
Oh, it ah it keeps Napoli's Scudetto hopes alive for sure.
00:03:39
Speaker
I think this could be when we look back at the end of the season, because I still think that Napoli are going to win the Scudetto. I think we will look at this goal by Philip Billing as the as one of those decisive moments that changed the course of the season, that allowed Napoli to...
00:04:00
Speaker
deservedly equalize, we should add, because we're going to talk about the game itself. But it's ah it's a very it's a monumentally important goal. um that I think now gives breeds momentum, energy, and belief into Napoli, which I think otherwise would have killed it.
00:04:18
Speaker
I think it would have been over. I think had Inter won that game, then that's it Napoli's Scudetto charge. um Some would even outgo so far as to say that was it for the Scudetto race, because four points down to Napoli, Atalanta can't even beat Venezia, they've got a really tough stretch of games coming up, and That's it.
00:04:39
Speaker
you know You could make a serious argument that that would have been it. But instead, we have Inter just one point ahead of Napoli. You have a Juve who, despite all the crises, you know they could be six points behind Inter on Monday night, should they beat Hellas.
00:04:56
Speaker
And despite all their crises with 11 games left to play, they could still also be in its Corretto charge.
Napoli's Strategies and Conte's Influence
00:05:02
Speaker
um Atalanta, same thing there. Points-wise, they're not far off. And they actually will be kicking themselves because they could have gone top on goal difference had they won by two goals, but they failed.
00:05:13
Speaker
So this is ah this could potentially be a four-horse race for now. um whereas Harinto won, I think that's it. you know I think you can make a serious argument that that would have been it. um But it's ah it's definitely it's great because it makes it tight. It makes it exciting.
00:05:31
Speaker
But I do think we have to talk first from Napoli's perspective because the reason why I say that this result breeds energy and breeds belief into Napoli's Scudetto charge is, hands up,
00:05:48
Speaker
honestly, everyone and anyone or anyone who thought that Napoli would be dominating Inter at the Maradona with with Billy Gilmore and Philip Billing in midfield.
00:06:00
Speaker
I didn't. I certainly didn't. Yeah, Billings, the unlikely hero, comes on the sub, got an equaliser. I actually thought Gilmore played pretty well as well. But i mean, overall, if we look at this overall for for Napoli, I thought they played a ah really, really good game. As you said, they definitely did not deserve to lose. I would actually argue they deserve to win.
00:06:21
Speaker
Without a doubt. Definitely deserve to win, actually. um I thought that... Over the course of this game, they they we saw the identity of of Conte's team come back that's been lost. like They gave it everything. they They were fired up.
00:06:35
Speaker
they they They ran and ran and fought and fought and they showed intensity. ah they they they could If we look at it from both ends of the field, they conceded virtually nothing can defense in defence in this entire game. Obviously,
00:06:52
Speaker
There's two sides to that. there's the inter side, which we'll come to. But they conceded nothing in defence. All they conceded was was a free-kick goal. Okay, bad defending before that in which...
00:07:04
Speaker
In my opinion, it should have been a penalty, but okay, they scored straight from the free kick. So that removes that controversy. and But apart from that, Inter created nothing. 0.32 xG. I can't think of anything. In fact, in the second half, Inter had an xG of zero. didn't even have a shot of any kind in
Inter's Challenges: Tactical and Physical Exhaustion
00:07:20
Speaker
the second half. So defensively, I thought Napoli played a really, really good game.
00:07:24
Speaker
um Can't really complain. But for me was zeeshawise possession-wise, dominated. They dominated possession and that's like you were about as you were coming to the midfield, controlled the game.
00:07:37
Speaker
the The double midgets, if we're allowed to call them that in 2025, of Lubotka and Gilmour were really, really good. ah Really, really controlled things. ah Surprise change from Conte. It paid off in the sense that it worked.
00:07:52
Speaker
ah Okay, didn't work in terms of the scoreline at the time, but it worked in terms of they were dominating the game in midfield. um And they created ah created chances um as well. Not loads of chances, but they they created enough chances.
00:08:06
Speaker
um They just really, for most of the games, I guess, probably just lacked that quality in attack to break down what really was, was was it you know, thef defense if we look at the defensive line in as a whole, and really, really good it into the defence, excellent into defence.
00:08:21
Speaker
They had that, failed to have that quality to really break them down, which is, I guess, has been an issue all season. And it looked like it was going to cost them in this game. But, you know they kept going, they kept fighting, him they showed that spirit that we associate with Antonio Conte teams, and they deservedly they deservedly got them got the equaliser at the end. So I think if we look at it as a whole, Napoli played a really, really good game.
00:08:45
Speaker
Without a doubt. They played an excellent game. um They dominated Inter, especially in midfield. and And Conte prepared Napoli really, really well um to impose themselves. And they systematically imposed themselves on Inter.
00:09:04
Speaker
um they It wasn't like, you know, it was it was it was through ah clear identity and passing and ideas that they sawed their way through time and time and time again through the middle. It was classic Antonio Conte, Calcio Verticale, with a Romelu Lukaku that was just unbelievable how he fended off Francesco Acerbi, being able to hold up that ball.
00:09:31
Speaker
um which he did really well. And Acerbi really struggled against him. um But it was very impressive to see For me, i think I tweeted out, you know, when normally at this stage you'd go, there's no way Napoli can keep up this intensity and this pressure and this press for 90 minutes. And then you remember, oh yeah, it's Antonio Conte who's their coach. Of course they can.
00:09:56
Speaker
um This is what he's prepared them for at this stage of the season, especially now that he's only literally got one game a week where he can tactically prepare. they're going to be They're going to physically be there until in every single game, until the end.
00:10:12
Speaker
Um, and that was very impressive. I was very impressed by the dynamism of mid in the midfield where the transition from the three, five, two, or the, the double pivot to four, two, four, which he actually did at Inter quite a bit with the movement of the ball from the, from Lobotka, which is how the goal came.
00:10:35
Speaker
Um, That was very impressive, that that the the way that they did that time and time again. um And how systematic they were and how calm they were and how unfazed they were when they went a goal down.
00:10:50
Speaker
um that will look to me like a Conte side that have overcome whatever depression they've been through. Although it must be said, and I did double-check this because I read it in, you know, I saw this stat online and then I double-checked and I heard that the the papers in Italy had reported it. But now for the first time since Antonio Conte ah became the Juve manager in 2011, coaching in the top league, top flight,
00:11:18
Speaker
in any of Europe's top five competitions, it's the first time since then that he has gone five league games without a win. Even at Spurs, he never went five league games without a win.
00:11:31
Speaker
Chelsea, Spurs, Inter, Juve, never gone five league games without a win. This has now happened at Napoli with four draws and a loss, which I think is... I don't think it means that much, but it's interesting, for sure.
00:11:45
Speaker
Some would say he's flailing. I profoundly disagree with that. um I think it shows more the quality of this Napoli squad and the mirror the level of the miracle that he's performing. um That he's still in a Scudetto race, and the fact that he has four draws and one loss in games where it could have been three losses and two draws is a sign of strength.
00:12:06
Speaker
But it's um it's certainly interesting to see the way that he handled this game, the way that his players reacted to it.
00:12:18
Speaker
um it was It was very impressive. and And this will charge Napoli up. They will feel hard done by not to have won this game because they were the dominant side. I mean, there's no doubt about that. You you know you can you just go and watch the game and how...
00:12:42
Speaker
shots, 12 corners. I mean, they they just completely, you know, four shots on target. um they they They really, really took the game to Inter and they drummed, you know, they really put Inter through the ringer. And this was a very hard-fought um ah point that it it was very costly to injuries which we're going to get to as well yeah for napopoli but for Napoli also Napoli had their injuries of course i mean they went into and we' we we've spoken about how horrendous the depth is in the Napoli squad and you know in this game they they they lose Anguissa
00:13:17
Speaker
who's been fantastic in the last few months and for Napoli, back to his kind of Scudetto levels, Scudetto winning season levels. And, you know, he's out and Neres is out and Neres is the only player that has any pace in this Napoli team.
00:13:32
Speaker
um And then Oliveira is back now, but he didn't start either. He did come on in the closing stages and that would be important. very important for them going forward. So, you know, they're they're missing key players and and they don't have that strength in depth that obviously the Inter have.
00:13:46
Speaker
um So, you know, and for them to play like that, you know, with that with these players missing um is ah very, very impressive. um I mean, i think Napoli need to look at this, definitely need to look at this as a positive. Yes, like you said,
00:13:59
Speaker
five games without a win, four points in those five games, and they played badly up until this game. They generally played badly. I think Roma they played well, and I think Inter they played well, but the three in between... Yeah, Roma they played okay against Roma. Remember, they were playing against a Roma reserve team in that game. We were only here to rest this whole team. So I wouldn't be that big on that performance, but they definitely played excellent against Inter.
00:14:23
Speaker
and But, you know, so they need to build on that and think, right, we've come out of that... fought those four games where we didn't play particularly well. We've got the late equaliser. We're finishing on a high and build from that now.
00:14:37
Speaker
They need to. They have to. And then they just need to to just to focus on themselves now. Start to try and get the wins. Start to try and go on a bit of a run again. Hope that Inter slip up. And you know as we'll come on to in a minute, yeah this is an Inter team that don't look they're definitely, Inter are definitely not firing on or all cylinders themselves and are going to be pushed to the limit, you know, with Champions League and the Milan derby and the Coppa, you know, which is going to take its toll. So, Napoli just need to try and focus on themselves. they need to try and take the positives from this game, not look at the fact that it's now five games without a win, but more, they've got the equaliser and they've kept the Scudetto race. right that Like you said,
00:15:13
Speaker
The Scudetto's over. they lose this game, it's over. It's definitely over for Nappé. They're four points behind. They're a horror run of form. and Players out. you know All the talk about the Monday, the the January Claret Scalia not replacing him, which is still lingering. it's Instead of cloud, it's still chipping away at them as soon as things start to go badly. um They need to try and look at the positives now.
00:15:36
Speaker
And I think this was this was definitely a you know ah very, very important performance. for Napoli. It absolutely was. And I think that, I mean, I've done a bit of a, I've done a bit of, um,
00:15:53
Speaker
Math. Yes. I love how you say math. throughout In England, we don't say math, we say maths. well yeah sound so It sounds so weird. it sounds so I've done a bit maths. I've looked at Napoli, Inter and Juve and Atalanta's um remaining fixtures and I'm presuming ah from after like next weekend.
00:16:15
Speaker
um And I've looked at it with these 11 games remaining, and I've ended up with Napoli on 84, Inter on 83, Juve on 81, and Atalanta in fourth on 79. So this is to, I think this this is going to, this is a four horse race. And I do think that Inter are the only one out of those four that are in two other competitions. The rest of them just have the Serie A.
00:16:46
Speaker
um And I feel that I've tried to mitigate to not be too optimistic about Inter, but this is the way I look at it. The 83 points that I think Inter can get is me maximizing the most favorable outcome um for them because of the injury depletion, and the depletion of the squad, these several injuries, the the the the number of games they've got got as well, which we're going to get to in a minute.
00:17:13
Speaker
um With Napoli, you've got Fiorentina, Venezia, Milan, Bologna. once they win Once they're after those games, it's cruise they're they're cruising. Empoli, Monza, Lecce, Genoa, Parma, Cagliari, Torino.
00:17:28
Speaker
I mean... they're going to win those games. i think I don't know. Well, listen, i think i think that I think there's a long way to go. There's 11 games of still left. That's more than a quarter of the season.
00:17:39
Speaker
It's just under a third of the season. There's still a long way to go and And, you know, I just don't think... I don't think... we can make calculations this season. It's just not one of those seasons where you can make calculations because there's no... I just don't see any guarantees. I mean, we can say, right, Napoli have got this game, this game, they should win this game, they should win that game. But, you know, Napoli didn't beat Udinese.
00:18:02
Speaker
They didn't beat... They lost to Koma, you know, in these last few games. So we can't guarantee that. you know, we can say that Juventus are back in the Scudetto. I would say we... we we should wait on Juventus mathematically until probably after this week. Let's wait until they played Verona and they played Atalanta.
00:18:19
Speaker
Let's see what the math is then. Let's see what the math is then. And then and then we can then we can talk about Juventus. I want to hold off on Juventus. But even if we even if we're going to assume that Juventus are in the Scudetto race, well, we can't make calculations with Juventus and say they're going to beat this team because Juventus have shown all season you cannot guarantee them winning any game. And they' just look they've just gone out of the Coppa Italia to Empoli's reserve and kid team.
00:18:46
Speaker
baby team, you know, with their throne with their strongest team up at home, you know, so we can't make calculations with them. And as well with Atalanta, you cannot make calculations with Atalanta. They've just drawn with Venezia, their home game before that, they drew with Cagliari.
00:19:03
Speaker
you can't make... calculate And they're in a horrible run of form in 2025. Awful run of form. They've won a third of their games in 2025 and lost the third of their games. You know, so they're they're winning, drawing, losing. Winning, drawing, losing. That's their record the last couple of months at Atalanta. So, answerza so you know I don't think we can make any calculations at all. And I include that with foot for Inter right now in the way that Inter are playing. And that's that's what I want to come to. But first of all, Nima, if we can just start with the positives with Inter, then we can look at... Because I have to start with Di Marco.
00:19:37
Speaker
That was a goal worthy of winning a Scudetto. That was. I mean, that was unbelievable free kick. I mean, at first, I was looking at Meret and I was thinking, did Meret...
00:19:49
Speaker
not put not put up his wall correctly. And he did he make it easy for Di Marco to curl it round the side of the wall? remember there was the first yeah free kick that came to mind was there was a famous goal that Alessandro Del Piero scored against Real Madrid in the Santi Bernabéu around 15 years ago that everyone will remember. It's when he scored those two goals, he got standing ovation.
00:20:11
Speaker
And Juventus won with Claudio Ranieri in charge, actually. And ah he got lots of praise for the free-kicking score. But actually, if you watch the free-kick back, Iker Casillas erected the worst wall I've ever seen since, I don't know, maybe the French in World War II. It was just like, you could walk you could just it was so easy to to put the book to to put just basically just need to to shoot on goal and he'd score. that That was my first first impression with Di Marco.
00:20:38
Speaker
Then I saw it again. And the curve on the ball, it started off miles off, way, way off. The amount of curl he got on that ball, it was like...
00:20:50
Speaker
The opposite of Roberto Carlos' swerve for for Brazil against France. like That's how far off it started. I don't know i haven't seen a ball curl as much
Federico Di Marco's Free Kick and VAR Controversies
00:21:01
Speaker
as that. Not with these modern plastic balls where it's very difficult to curl the ball like you could in the past.
00:21:07
Speaker
like it was i mean that What a goal. i mean Absolutely incredible. No, it's it's a wonder goal, and it's a first free kick in the Serie A since 2022 November for Inter, which suggests to me that Hakan Chalanoglu needs to immediately be removed from all direct free kicks.
00:21:30
Speaker
Enough is enough. if you if you If the team, he should take set pieces for corners and free kicks where they're crossing the ball in... But he shouldn't be taking free kicks when they're direct. It should be either Barella, it should be Di Marco.
00:21:43
Speaker
But it also shows how hard it is to score free kicks. no Yeah, but it also goes to show that this this thing where Hakan Chalanoglu is some sort of, oh, he's our free kick taker and I'm going, it's like Cristiano Ronaldo. Why? Why?
00:21:55
Speaker
Like, no, you, if you don't score a free kick ever, you don't, you know, you, you, you just don't, you should at some point you have to stop. You know, I don't care about, you know, ah egos and shit. It's, it's the team has to get points.
00:22:10
Speaker
You have to win and you put the right man in the right place. Sim, because Hakan is a fantastic crosser of the ball, corners and free kicks for that. But for direct free kicks, he should never take another one again. It should be Barella with a right foot. It should be Di Marco with a left foot whenever they're on the pitch.
00:22:26
Speaker
false Yeah, I mean, it was an unbelievable free kick. it was so It's just the latest wonder goal from Di Marco. Again, we we we we we complain about how we how the of the the the the artistic moments of of beauty of in football have generally disappeared from the game for various reasons, including the footballs, by the way, and the pitches.
00:22:48
Speaker
and but all But also the way the game has changed and that it's all, you know, the the kind of the artists have been, you know, have kind of been pushed out of the game as well. That when you see a goal like this, you have to just savour it and just just appreciate it. It was it was beautiful.
00:23:02
Speaker
It was absolutely stunning. and and And it was also good. I'm also kind of glad that he scored also because it removed... the the the controversy before with the but the penalty that wasn't given for McTominay on Dumfries. I mean, for me for me, that's a clear penalty.
00:23:20
Speaker
But what drives me mad is not so much ah it's not so much that what penalty wasn't given. It's this whole damn bloody BAR protocol where it's deemed to be not a clear and obvious error.
00:23:31
Speaker
And that's the thing, though. It's insane. Yeah. Yeah, and and and that's what we've been speaking about, this notion of what is a clear and obvious error. And the guideline is if you put 10 people in a room and 10 people think that it is an error, then that's a clear and obvious error, which is the most wishy-washy, stupid definition I've ever heard.
00:23:50
Speaker
um But whether or not it was that or not, I think it was more a case of they gave this game to Doveri or Doveri, Daniele Doveri, because they wanted, because they know that he has you know He's a strong character. he He usually is in control of games. He allows for physical battles and players respect him.
00:24:11
Speaker
He did not have a good night. he was very He was all over the place. There were times in this game where players, like dangerous challenges were not booked, were not given yellow cards.
00:24:22
Speaker
He was very inconsistent. ah there were There were instances where I thought this could easily deteriorate into a shit show, which is very unlikely for Doveri because he's usually very much, he's a very good referee in that sense that his games very rarely deteriorate into chaos.
00:24:39
Speaker
um but So he did not have the best of nights. And there was never going to be, a unless you had something absolutely insane, he was not going to give a penalty um for for for anything.
00:24:52
Speaker
um it's more It's more the VAR protocol that I'm i'm i'm really i'm just i just forever i'm just exasperated of in and the last few weeks. We've seen it side with so many incidents you know going forward and against teams.
00:25:04
Speaker
you know we're not We're not saying it's for or against a certain team. No, no, no. It's just the whole protocol. It's clear and obvious. And also that the whole, did the referee see it? Well, because the referee saw it and there was there was contact.
00:25:16
Speaker
you know, we can't change it around, they' not in this incident, but you know, in in past incidents, that drives me mad. For me, it's the protocol of what constitutes, the lack of clear direction and definition of what lacks clear and obvious, what what is a clear and obvious error?
00:25:31
Speaker
um and And why should that exist? Shouldn't error just be enough? If it's a mistake, it's a mistake. Why do we have to go into the discussion of huge, how big the error is in order for it to, like, to me, that that's a dumb, that's a stupid discussion.
00:25:44
Speaker
But it is what it is. i think I think I kind of understand it in the sense that, you know, some can be objective, ah subjective, sorry, in that, you know, some people might think that's a penalty and some might think, well, it's not enough for a penalty. I understand that.
00:25:59
Speaker
And in that case, maybe you don't change it. But when it's clearly a penalty, yeah, you you can't use You can't you can't not decide not to give it based on the technicalities of of of of the law.
00:26:13
Speaker
Do you know what I mean? no that That's where it's stupid. and And this is an example that. And another example is obviously the Atalanta versus Club Bruges one, where where it's just, well, he touched him, he brushed him in the face because there's a touch.
00:26:25
Speaker
we can't We can't change that because that's the protocol. For me, that's that's just insane. It feels stupid. It feels stupid. But I just want to because I know people want to talk about the Denzel Dumfries handball situation.
00:26:38
Speaker
There's no doubt that the ball hits Denzel Dumfries' hand. But is it a punishable handball? That's to what's relevant here. And I'm not entirely sure that it is. Because remember, again, Saúdio Mane blocking his face in the Champions League when the shot was going to hit his face, but he blocked his face as a reaction.
00:26:58
Speaker
And he hit his hand and a penalty was not awarded. because the interpretation of the handball rule is it has to be deliberate. It has to be ah the the the hand has to make the body unnaturally bigger.
00:27:13
Speaker
And there you know so there's a deliberate element and and reactions are usually the way that they they interpret is a reaction to protect your faces is normal. Like that's what humans do. You can't control that.
00:27:24
Speaker
And so that's a natural movement. You don't give it. The Denzel Dumfries thing, what I'm thinking is, I would like to see it from the front, because I want to see in relation to his body, does it make his body unnaturally bigger? I don't think it does.
00:27:37
Speaker
I think if it doesn't hit it hit his hand, it hits his his his body. and like you know And he's got his arm towards it himself, if you look at it from the side. But there's no clear ah imagery there.
00:27:48
Speaker
But that's the way I see that.
Inter's Performance Concerns and Upcoming Fixtures
00:27:50
Speaker
So I think... that it was clear given the talk about Doveri this midweek that he was not going to give a penalty unless someone was assassinated in the penalty area.
00:28:02
Speaker
It doesn't matter for who. If someone was assassinated in the penalty area, then he might have given a penalty. Other than that, he wouldn't have given it. it's just It was just not going to happen. he just was That's just not going to happen. He was going to allow them to to do what they want. but So I don't want to talk too much about that. But What I look at ink that is... I'm sorry, but...
00:28:27
Speaker
I think... can i just just Just to make one comment on Dumfries one, the Lord does say that if it's going to... if it's going to hit you anyway, then then it's not a penalty. I guess with the Dumfries one, it's a little bit more difficult because he kind of moves his hand to the sort of like to the side a little bit, which is kind of a bit weird. If his arm is towards his body, like again, does it doesn't make his silhouette bigger? No, I don't think it does. No, it doesn't, because it's defined what how what is unnaturally bigger. The law is very clear there with the arm sticking out at the shoulder and all that, you know the cartoon that we've all seen.
00:29:02
Speaker
So I'm not sure that it's a punishable handball. But regardless, like it's it is what it is. But he didn't give it. he He wasn't going to give it. He wasn't going to give any penalty to anyone on that night. And and whatever.
00:29:16
Speaker
it's ah It is what it is. But if we look at De Sintar, they are exhausted. Like... i you know up until this point, I've wanted to wait until January after the Sparta-Priar game. I was saying this Inter does not play well. they don't They're unable to clearly create chances.
00:29:38
Speaker
The only shot and the only chance that Inter created was that free kick. Because they have fantastic players. They have match winners in the team that can create a moment of magic and win games on their own.
00:29:51
Speaker
Inter aren't even creating anymore. It is possible to win a Scudetto like that. I've seen Inter win Scudetti playing Ibra and Inshallah. They won like two or three playing like that, or two playing like that.
00:30:03
Speaker
But... That was a different Serie A. I think you could still make an argument that they can do it this season, absolutely, but they are exhausted and they are depleted.
00:30:16
Speaker
Di Marco, Darmian, Zalewski, Augusto, Cialanoglu, all gone now. Turam half-injured. Taremi, Fratesi playing on painkillers. Who, sir? Who's playing on painkillers? Fratesi and Taremi, as per Inzaghi.
00:30:33
Speaker
This team is cooked physically. And they've got two Milan derbies to look forward to. Midweek, they've got Feyenoord in the Champions League, which is very important.
00:30:45
Speaker
What I... I think what I've been talking about that you need to play well to create an identity so you have something to fall back on when you reach this point of the season where nothing else but the results matter.
00:30:59
Speaker
A draw away against Napoli is very normal. It's a good result. But it's an inter that the way that the plate was worrying because...
00:31:10
Speaker
For 90 minutes, they didn't create anything. They were unable to create and do anything in attack. Nothing. Literally nothing. And the fact that Di Marco got that freak scored that free kick is the reason Inter got away with a point. Otherwise, they would have lost this game.
00:31:28
Speaker
And they were very close to losing it at the death too. so a But we've reached a point now where Inter, I think... Simon Inzaghi needs to ask himself some really hard questions in the sense that, because he tried many difficult different tactical solutions. He tried 4-4-2, tried 4-4-1-1, he tried 3-5-2, he tried 3-4-2-1. He tried everything this game.
00:31:50
Speaker
Nothing worked because the players are exhausted. There's nothing left in the title. think that's the biggest concern for me. And I think I i i said the same after the defeat to Juventus as well, how in that second half against Juventus, like Inter just completely collapsed physically. They just hadt they just had nothing.
00:32:08
Speaker
and they they don't have And not just that, Carlo. If you look at the players, the depth, the so-called depth on the bench, whenever they bring someone on, there's no reaction to going a goal down. You know,
00:32:21
Speaker
Whenever Inter go a goal down, you know they're going to lose that game. There's not going to be a reaction. You don't sit there going, okay, now Inter are going to turn on the style. Now Inter are going to pile on the pressure. You know, as soon as Inter concede the first goal, game, set, match, it's over. It's finished.
00:32:38
Speaker
And that is the problem. That is a huge, huge problem. And then you i look at the stats and I see that this season, out of the 26 goals in Inter have conceded in the Serie A, 14 have come from the minute 61 and onwards. 10 have come from minutes 75 and onwards. yeah Last season, it was like one, two all season.
00:32:58
Speaker
I remember into it on that mad record for a while last season. We didn't concede a goal in the in the last 15 minutes. Yeah, I remember that. This is a this is a fatigue issue. And i and i and i and the way the way I see it is, this has been like this since pre-season.
00:33:13
Speaker
yeah We have to be honest. They got their pre-season, season preparations completely wrong. The players have been chasing fitness since then. And now, from now until the international break,
00:33:27
Speaker
They just have to survive. They have to go into Feyenoord, Monza, Feyenoord, Atalanta with the attitude of survive. Four finals. yeah We have to get through.
00:33:38
Speaker
I mean, they're fortunate. They're fortunate with their next opponents. Feyenoord are... I don't want to hear any excuses. Feyenoord are literally playing children.
00:33:50
Speaker
Feyenoord have one midfielder available in the Champions League. One. One midfielder. Yeah. Like, they are completely depleted.
00:34:01
Speaker
Like, they are literally going to schools in Rotterdam and asking if they want to play. Like, that's where they are. Yeah. Yeah, they are. I don't want to hear any excuses about... That Robert Van Persie going to be kitting up for... No, well, Inter might as well, might ask Javier Zanetti what he fancies playing on Wednesday because they don't have any wing-backs. It's really bad. But, I mean, Inter have got a little bit of... They're bit fortunate they're playing finals, completely depleted, and then they're playing Monza, who...
00:34:30
Speaker
They could probably play the kids and beat beat this Monter team. They're so bad now. they' They've given the season up. So they're a little bit fortunate there. Obviously, to the Atalanta one is going to be it be a difficult one. But I do think that looking ahead between now and the end of the season, um if there's anything that that stops in into winning the Scudetto, which is what I said after the Juventus game, it is that there definitely seems to be this kind of physical decline, whether it's because...
00:34:54
Speaker
they got the pre-season wrong, whether it's just a case of just so many matches do take it. Although, to be fair, Inzaghi has rotated heavily a lot this season. He's rotated a lot. That's what pisses me off when people say that he doesn't rotate. I'm like, he has.
00:35:10
Speaker
He literally has rotated. well Look at their Champions League group stage. He's playing basically... Inter's reserves beat Arsenal. Yeah. and they they will say rotation Seven Seven changes.
00:35:23
Speaker
are you talking about? I don't think it's down to... It's definitely not down to a lack of rotation. ah Maybe it is the pre-season. It's partly to do with that. I wonder whether it is also just a case of, you know what, this team's been together a long time. Exactly. lot of games over these years.
00:35:37
Speaker
And they also have... you know, they have a ah lot of players. That's your old decline. Yeah, it says it they do have some eight older players in this squad. They have players that are still in their peak and younger players. It's not as much of a crisis as people say, but they do have a lot of younger players. And also, as we said, maybe the squad is, the bench is, has been a little bit overrated.
00:35:59
Speaker
I don't think we can say it's maybe, it's definitely. Well, there you go. There is there you go. So, that thereby, when some of your first-team players are on a little bit of a downer physically, the players that you can get to bring on in games or rotate with are not up to the standard. And I think that that has been shown. So, I think that that is their biggest concern for me, for Inter not winning the Schledo, is...
00:36:23
Speaker
if physically they they show that they're they're at a level that they've shown in this game and in the Juventus second half, then then that's the concern. And they do they will have, obviously, games in the Champions League, and we hope they go far, plus the Milan games physically. that's For me, that's what stops Inter winning the Scudetto this season. If they don't win the Scudetto, it's that. It's not quality. Because for me, the Inter are the best team.
00:36:47
Speaker
they've they've They've got a pretty good schedule of games in the Serie A as well. I think Napoli have the best one. Inter have come away. Lazio at home, like Roma, Lazio, Atalanta, those are four tough games. And Bologna, five tough games. And Parma away never easy. Yeah, but I mean, look, Napoli still have to play both the Rome teams. and No, Napoli have got Fiorentina, Venezia, Milan, Bologna, Empoli, Monza, Torino, Lecce, Genoa, Parma, Cagliari.
00:37:15
Speaker
That's what Napoli have got left. Okay, well, they've still got to play Milan. Yeah, Milan and Fiorentina and Bologna, three tough games. The rest are just, you know, they're not tough games. Yeah, I mean, matt maybe they have a slightly better schedule um on on paper, but but you know like i think the Inter are the best team in Serie A for me. there's no There's no doubt about that.
00:37:35
Speaker
But if if they're not going to win the Skirte, I think it's because of a physical there's a physical thing. it not pick No, it is a physical thing. And I think that it's um it's ah it's a tough season for Inter. And right now, at this point, how how you play doesn't matter because you're supposed to get that in the bank before.
00:37:50
Speaker
up until this point so that you can rely on out autopilot. Well, Inter don't have autopilot. They have survival mode until now until ah until from now until Atalanta game. And then and the international break, they have to just try to recover and rest as many players as they can, rehab them into fitness, and hope that no one gets injured in in in the and during the international break.
00:38:15
Speaker
And... It's ah that's where they are because this is, this is very excruciating and and I'm worried that in Zagy, he, you know, he, he's going to try to, he's going to have to rotate. He's definitely going to rotate.
00:38:28
Speaker
But I wonder how he rotates and I wonder now's the time for these teams, for the for the for the reserves to even start to start delivering the goods so that the the the other players can rest more, yeah the first team players. And I'm not sure entirely that Inter can do that.
00:38:46
Speaker
But one thing that is good for Inter, and I think this is something that speaks for them, that could actually change. it could be a little bit of a wrench, throw a wrench in the ring. Josep Martinez, not just because of the saves, but he's becoming more and more involved in the build-up.
00:39:02
Speaker
And I think he's outstanding with the ball at his feet. He's not as good as Onana, but I'm getting Onana shades. Onana vibes, if you will, from how he plays with the ball at his feet.
00:39:12
Speaker
That could be a solution for Inter in midfield. In the sense that if you can start building from the back with Martinez, given this...
00:39:24
Speaker
this whatever the hell we call that Chalanoglu is going through, that could be something Inter should use more more in the build-up. Now he's conceded one goal in four games. He's played, I think, four games in a row now.
00:39:37
Speaker
And he's conceded one goal after making two fantastic saves. He's very good in the air. I think he's better than Sommer in the air. Like the way that he commands the penalty area is much better than Sommer. He gives me more confidence watching him.
00:39:54
Speaker
And I don't know if you noticed the way that he, the ball at that guy's feet is that yeah yeah he's Spanish. Let's just put it that way. It's a Spanish goalkeeper.
00:40:05
Speaker
Like it's not, it's not, it's not, it's not an English goalkeeper. It's not a Swedish goalkeeper. It's not Donnarumma. It's a Spanish goalkeeper. Like the ease with which he plays the ball and chips the ball, lobs the ball. Like, did you see the way that he just beat the Napoli press with that delightful little chip over the head? I mean, yeah, I saw that.
00:40:26
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, it was like a little dink. ah yeah Yeah. You know, he's making a hundred thousand pounds a week who can't do that. So we'll play an attack and... Well, for Sers, he definitely can't do that. Let's not give him my ideas.
00:40:41
Speaker
but But yeah, no, I think he's he's definitely positive. He's also looking ahead, kind of further ahead, because Presenter do need to replace the goalkeeper. um No, I think this this could be something that I think Inzaghi will look at.
00:40:53
Speaker
And I think Inzaghi will feel with Cella Noglu being injured, going, you know what? Why don't we do that? Why don't we we you know try doing that? well the other The other positive from this game was the defence in general. I thought Inter defended outstanding. The number of blocks... Bastani was outstanding. Not defending as a team, but defending as a back... No, exactly. As an individual.
00:41:12
Speaker
Yeah, back three. and Because the number of blocks, like last gas block, which I guess you can be a criticism as well, because if you're making last gas blocks, then something's gone wrong. But but but you know the number of throwing their bodies on their line... Bastani was man of the match. He made five blocks...
00:41:29
Speaker
and in this game. And it's no coincidence that the equaliser came where something went wrong in terms of the in terms of allowing Lubotka to put that ball through to Billings. Something went wrong there.
00:41:41
Speaker
It's no coincidence for me that happened after Bastogne came off. I don't know. I've seen a stat going around as well, how many goals that Inter seem to concede after Bastoni. Six goals, I think, since six, seven goals since Bastoni's come up. and And Inzaghi needs to understand that now he needs to understand that Bastoni can't come up unless there's a physical issue.
00:41:58
Speaker
And the problem is that Inter don't tell the truth when it comes to injuries. they They don't. So we don't know. You know, sometimes they say something, sometimes they don't. but We know that if there's one thing that Inter objectively lie about, it is the injuries.
00:42:13
Speaker
they just do not tell you the truth about players' fitnesses. They just don't. They just don't. yeah And so we can't trust them. and And that's fine. Most teams do it. But with Inter, it just becomes really, you know, becomes very much in your face because it's like you don't know who is fit and who is not fit until afterwards when somebody says something slip of the tongue or lies about it. You know what i mean? Like, it's just impossible to know.
00:42:38
Speaker
But what we can do, what we can say is I i think Inter... is I think the the Martinez being able to use him and in build-up with Chalanoglu going through whatever, if it's an actual decline or it's just injuries or whatever, one thing is certain.
00:42:55
Speaker
Inter need to allow per players to... Inzaghi has to allow these players to fully recover. No more rushing back to Ram. No more rushing back Chalanoglu. No more rushing back anyone who isn't fit.
00:43:07
Speaker
if you If that means you have to go to the youth team, You know, that's fine. Do whatever you need to do. But players can't be rushed back because if they do, even if you do well, you're going to stand out in April and you're going to be without the important players, which defeats the whole damn purpose anyway.
00:43:24
Speaker
So it's it's ah it's a tricky one for Inter. And they need to they need to and then he needs to ask himself some difficult questions in the sense that, do you punt one of these competitions?
00:43:36
Speaker
Right. you know, because Inter can't win a treble with this kind of physical status. I mean, it's it's insane. You could stand there with zero titoli and look like an idiot. So you need to prioritize. And they've acknowledged they've acknowledged as well that they're struggling physically, and Zagy even said it. so So, yeah, but listen, let's move move on. We have to move on now. Atalanta against Venezia. Atalanta blew their chance again.
00:43:58
Speaker
Second home game in a row. They've blown their chance to to to to really gain on the leaders. um As they draw 0-0 with Venezia, they would have been one point off Inter and level on points with Napoli if they'd have won this game. So they dropped two points.
00:44:14
Speaker
it's it's unforgivable it's unforgivable for them to to not win this game um especially as now the the easy run is over now and they have a ah horror run of games coming up now listen to this juventus
Atalanta's Inconsistent Performances and Scudetto Hopes
00:44:30
Speaker
inter fiorentina lazio bologna milan that's their next six matches and and Yes, we can say maybe Atalanta seem to maybe sometimes play better against the bigger teams, but yeah it's very difficult to see them not dropping you know a fair few points in in this six-game run.
00:44:49
Speaker
And they yeah if they really wanted to try and win this Scudetto, they had to win. These two home games that they've they've slipped up against Cagliari and against Venezia,
00:45:00
Speaker
you you can't be you can't be winning the Scudetto and not winning these games. you You just can't. and And it's... um Yeah, it's a problem that Atalanta have had this season, really.
00:45:13
Speaker
um put away that they they they are in very bad form at the moment. In 2025, they've won four, drawn six, lost five. So they've won four of their 15 games in 2025, which is just obviously way off Scudetto level. that's in all That's in all competitions, by the way.
00:45:33
Speaker
um But also, if you look throughout the whole season, their record against small teams... has actually been really not very good at all. they Obviously, they lost to Club Brugge twice in the Champions League.
00:45:46
Speaker
They lost at home to Koma. In their two games against Torino, they lost they drew. They drew at home to Venezia. They drew at home to Cagliari.
00:45:57
Speaker
They drew against Udinese in a game that they were completely dominated. um They also drew at home to Celtic as well. So against the kind of smaller teams...
00:46:07
Speaker
they've been so All season, really, they've they've they've been slipping up. um and And it's um yeah it's is it's it's going to be difficult, I think. Just a correction. I've got Atalanta on 78 points, not 79, which I erroneously said in my calculation. So I've got Atalanta on 78 in the fourth, Juve 81 in third, Inter 83 second, Napoli 84.
00:46:29
Speaker
inter eighty three second napoli eighty four Well, there you go I mean, you think they're going to finish fourth. but ah you know i do i mean I don't think they're going to win. and i think they're i think they I think after everything that's happened, it's it's difficult to see them fire up one last time. I feel with Gasparini essentially announcing his resignation.
00:46:52
Speaker
And I just think it's, you know. Yeah, is is is is is if you want to win the Scudetto, you've got to beat Venezia on a weekend like this. On a weekend like this, yeah you can't you can't you you can't afford to miss chances like that. it's you know The league is always one about not not by how many... Yes, a lot of people like to talk about the top teams and how you do against direct rivals, and that's important, but you can draw those games and win the league.
00:47:20
Speaker
or you can do like Or you can do what Inter have done this season and been terrible in all the head-to-heads and still be top the league. They're top of the league with a terrible head we've not beating any of their their direct rivals apart from Atalanta. Except for Atalanta.
00:47:31
Speaker
That's the only one they've beaten. So that i mean that goes to show that you know generally, if you if you if you beat... Two draws against Napoli, one draw and one loss against Juve and Milan. And one win against Atalanta.
00:47:42
Speaker
Yeah, so the put the point is, if you beat up all the smaller teams, you win against all the smaller teams, you're going to be up there or thereabouts. yeah You know, so that's where, I mean, Atalanta have let themselves down. um And to be honest you, this wasn't a very good performance. It was a pretty bad performance. They did miss a lot of chances. They still did have a quite a high XG, over two in this game. If you actually watch we've watched the game, watch the whole game, they didn't play well. that there's There's that kind of fluency, that kind of...
00:48:11
Speaker
just that air has gone out of them. Yes. Yeah. the Bite like there's, they not, they, they still do it cause they're very well drilled and well schooled tactically and they still do their things. And, but it feels like the, that kind of zest, that kind of like bite that they had and is gone.
00:48:30
Speaker
It's just the air is out of them, if you will. And I think they're going to finish fourth. I see them finishing the Champions League. i think I think we have our Champions League teams now after Milan collapsed against Bologna the way that they did. I think we have our four Champions League teams now.
00:48:46
Speaker
um With all due respect to Lazio, I think the fact that they're in the Europa League and I think they're going to go far there. And they are right to go for that spot because I think they're going finish fifth. Well, we'll see. I mean, we're recording this before before the game between Milan and Lazio. So, I mean, that will that will play a part for Lazio. But, I mean...
00:49:06
Speaker
and You know, because we're recording this pod in two parts, we're recording part on Sunday and part on Monday morning. So we will be talking about Milan versus Lazio very soon as you're listening to this. But yeah, mean, on Atalanta, just the inconsistency in attack is really, really, really strange because they've had three wins in 2025.
00:49:31
Speaker
And actually six wins this season by the margin of five goals, which is insane. But then they have these games where their their attackers completely flop. That's the thing, Carlo. and that is Pummeling, i don't know, Empoli and drawing to Venezia is four points.
00:49:50
Speaker
That's all it is. That's what I mean. They're better off winning 3-0 and 2-0. Or 1-0 and 1-0. mean, pummeling Empoli does not win you anything. No, they' they've been they've been inconsistent in attack and this this season, certainly in 2025.
00:50:06
Speaker
And this is why, and and i so I did say this at the beginning of the season, and I think i've I've probably ended up being proven right, is that Atalanta's depth in attack, I think, has been overrated. I mean, if you take the first choice front three, Luckman, De Quetelaire, Rettigui, fantastic. They've scored lots of goals. They've got lots of assists.
00:50:24
Speaker
They've been great. But after that, the options are not as good as as people they seem to think they are. They they they haven't had a backup to Rettigui all season. Skamaka was injured and then when he came back, you know, probably rushed back too soon.
00:50:39
Speaker
yeah he's then he's He plays, what, 10 minutes and then and then he's out for the rest of the season. So all season long, they've they've basically gone a whole season. so We criticise Juventus for going the hot first half of the season without a backup to Vlaovic.
00:50:52
Speaker
I think we can say we can criticise Atalanta, usually get it spot on in the market, going in a whole season without ah without a backup to Rettigui. Yes, Rettigui scored an incredible number of goals. He's going to be Capo Cananieri. But there's going to be games where Rettigui's not on it because he can't play every game. And there's going to be games where Rettigui has to come off.
00:51:09
Speaker
You want to bring someone on to make a change. you need to rotate him. In this game, Rettigui came off, which I thought was very strange to bring him off. But fine, if you bring him off and you've got a player to bring on for him, then that's OK.
00:51:20
Speaker
They don't have a backup to him. so yeah know That's why i think also why I think we have this inconsistency. and then I say the same four for Lukman and Di Ketelé. Lukman's been out for a while and he's obviously irreplaceable.
00:51:32
Speaker
um Maldini was bought in January. That hasn't worked at all so far. okay he's been injury you know We need to give him a bit more time because the injury's played a part in that. But so far, that hasn't worked. I don't rate him.
00:51:43
Speaker
You know I don't. I don't rate him. I'm sorry. I just don't. Well, yeah, I don't think he's shown enough in his career so far to warrant a move to Atalanta. But, you know, obviously, I hope he... I think he's got some attributes. think he's got a great shot. i think he's got he's got a good brain.
00:51:59
Speaker
But whether or not he's he's got the overall ability, we'll see. But it hasn't worked out so far. Zaniolo didn't work out. Pasolic is ill-chipping with some goals. He's he's okay, but but you know he's he's he's not top-top.
00:52:13
Speaker
um So, I mean, I guess Samozic is good. He's he's easy he's bright. i like I really like him. But in terms of consistent goals, guarantees... guaranteed goals and assists.
00:52:24
Speaker
yeah I don't think Atalanta's depth is consistent enough um at all. um and I think that's kind of the i think that the big one is the Rettigui one because yeah because you take off Rettigui in this game, which I just totallyt so didn't understand at all and Gasparini tried to explain at the end of the game.
00:52:40
Speaker
don't
Juventus's Managerial Speculations and Internal Issues
00:52:41
Speaker
understand it all. Who you bringing on for him? where's the miss Him and Luckman did miss quite ah extraordinary chances. I mean, Well, look when it's an open goal. but I think you're like Rettigy as well. I mean, you take off Rettigy, Nima, ah and then all I see them doing in the lot in the closing stages is just whip crosses into the box.
00:52:58
Speaker
Well, why are you whipping crosses into the box? Who you whipping them And no one's there. now once There's no box threat. you know So yeah this is this is where, yeah, I think i think maybe they they made a mistake and this season. But... so Yeah, frustrating for Atalanta. If we could just move on to Juventus now, who are playing on Monday evening, so we're recording this before before the match.
00:53:21
Speaker
um Thiago Mota's future is very much at risk now after the Coppa Italia and defeat to Empoli in midweek, last midweek. I mean, it's humiliating exit.
00:53:34
Speaker
and They're playing against an Empoli team who... played virtually their entire reserves and not even their reserves in some cases. They played some of the kids. And Juventus has only managed a one one draw and then they lose on on penalties.
00:53:48
Speaker
And the the definitely the the mood has definitely changed with regards to Thiago Motta now. um He was obviously already under a lot of pressure because of you know how bad this season has been, but more so since the exit to PSV in the in the Champions League.
00:54:05
Speaker
But after this defeat to Empoli, an Empoli team you know that are in horrific form, but near the bottom of Serie A with their backups playing, that has changed the mood. And now the Italian media are pretty much unanimous in reporting that Mota really does risk the sack at the end of the season, even if Juventus finish in the top four.
00:54:30
Speaker
there is the chance that he might not be he might not be retained but for for next season. And we we're seeing the Gazzetta de la Sport been very hot on this um and they have good contacts at Juventus now.
00:54:46
Speaker
Juventus' shortlist of potential replacements are Gianpiero Gasparini, Antonio Conte, Roberto De Zerbi, Roberto Mancini and an outsider is Igor Tudor. And Igor Tudor would only be somebody that they would bring in if things really go to shit in the next few games and they want to bring in a caretaker until the end of the season. They bring on Tudor, who obviously Juventus through and through from his playing career and he's been an assistant at Juventus as well.
00:55:20
Speaker
he'd only be considered the for the for as a caretaker, and not for the long term. Whereas the other managers that I mentioned there would um would be those that are being considered for but for next ah next season. Gasparini, like you said, has said that he might might leave, even leave at the end of the season yeah at Atalanta. Conte, watch this space as always with with Antonio Conte. never know. Well, you don't know. If they don't win the Scudetto, he's going to blame Well, he could leave even if they win the Scuoletti. He could leave if they win the Scuoletti. I can't take this team further. If they don't win the Scuoletti, we'll know. He can all say the same thing as well. like yeah He's going to blame them for January. Conte could leave. If you win, let's remember this is a man who left Inter and Juve after winning. Juve, three Scuoletti, and Inter, one Scuoletto in first in 11 years. So Conte could leave regardless. It depends on how the wig is sitting. Yeah. ah
00:56:10
Speaker
Yeah, and De Zerbi is somebody that fits in with, I guess, the kind of ah plan that they had with Mota in terms of younger players developing sustainable and also hopefully entertaining kind of more proactive football. So he fits in there.
00:56:26
Speaker
Mancini is obviously looking for a return to Serie A. Mancini is the obvious choice, though. I mean, to me, it's it's everything else is... Unless Mancini doesn't want to and they can't find an agreement...
00:56:38
Speaker
Mancini would definitely want it. I don't know whether Juventus would would consider him the the top, top choice. I think he's more of a... Well, the thing with Mancini, you talk about youth. Roberto Mancini has a fantastic track record of developing young players at club and international level.
00:56:55
Speaker
Um... You talk about a player, you talk about a coach who's used to being at the top, top level, who's used to winning, who knows how to handle big players, who big personalities, who knows what it takes both as a player and as a coach to be at the top level.
00:57:14
Speaker
He ticks every single box. um The only question I have is... You know, can he... We've seen Mancini 1.0 be very successful. We've seen Mancini 2.0 at City in Italy be very successful.
00:57:29
Speaker
Does he have it in him to rejuvenate himself for a 3.0? Because that's that's what's going to take for him to to succeed at Juve. Or, again, at club level. But for me, if you look at man management, youth development...
00:57:46
Speaker
you being able to handle big characters, being able to build a dressing room, being able to deliver under pressure. Out of those lists, there is only one man, and that's Roberto Mancini, that but takes every single role. Well, I think, listen, I think there's a few things that that they're looking at here. that Do they continue with the project that they' they've started, the Junsuli project, let's call it that, um of, you know, buying younger players, um making it sustainable, developing players and playing players?
00:58:14
Speaker
a certain style of football. If that's the case, then yes, I think Mancini could fit into that, but they, but there's also Gasparini fits into that and Deserby fits into that. So those are probably the difference that Gasparini cannot get along with anyone and throws hissy fits. And we saw, we've seen it throughout his career. Well,
00:58:35
Speaker
Well, but fit yes, there's that there's ah that issue. We discussed that last week, didn't we, about kind of his drawbacks of Gasparini. But there's also something that they consider in Juventus, which is, do we want to go for someone with with that understands the Juventus environment?
00:58:51
Speaker
um And in that case, you've got Gasparini, who was a youth coach at Juventus for a long time, for around a decade, I think. ah in the 90s and in the early 2000s. So he knows the environment.
00:59:05
Speaker
um And then, of course, there's Antonio Conte, who's Juventus through and through as a player and and then and and then as a coach. But if you hire Antonio Conte, um and that would obviously be reliant on him, like Gasparini leaving his current club, um you know, you're you're not going to get...
00:59:22
Speaker
The project is changes, doesn't it? You're going to have to change the project. Do they want to do that? Do they want a guarantee? If they want more of a guarantee, then you go Antonio Conte.
00:59:34
Speaker
and So there's lots of there's lots of things to to to to consider um there. um But as it stands right now, we have to say that Mota... has really two and a half months to to save his job.
00:59:50
Speaker
Number one, he needs to get Juventus in the top four to qualify for the Champions League. that's non That's non-negotiable. he doesn't get in the top four, he's 100% sat. If he gets in the top four, not only does he need to get into the top four, he needs to prove a couple of things.
01:00:03
Speaker
He needs to prove that the team is making progress on on how they're playing, performance levels. Because I actually think... that even though Juventus, you know, again, we're recording this before the Hellas Verona game, even though Juventus have gone on a kind of a four-game winning run in Serie A, which is their best run of the season, I think that we've actually seen the guarantees of Mota from the first half the season disappear, i.e.
01:00:29
Speaker
the possession. They're not dominating possession in games. um The defence is not solid anymore. So those were the two... things that we could guarantee from from from the identity. Let's say that's the only thing, but the only identity that we had from us. We've lost that now as well. And that's obviously shown by the fact they've lost in two cups during that winning run.
01:00:49
Speaker
So we need to see some kind of identity. We need to see some kind of performance um ah levels being improved. um That's number one. And then number two, and this is probably most concerning,
01:01:02
Speaker
is um there's been lots of reports of problems with with with with a few players at Juventus. They don't like... He's not getting on with a few players. and They haven't named who these players are, um but there have been suggestions. Dusan Vlaovic, Tumkup Miners, Kambiasso. That's been one that's been lingering for a while now.
01:01:24
Speaker
um So we don't know for sure who they are and how bad it is, but... as we've always said and and it's the the first rule in football with a manager is if as soon as you lose your dressing room or you lose four players that's it that's it so but I don't think you love it stays past this season and I'm not entirely certain that even Cambiaso stays past this season um We'll have to wait financial reasons for completely separate reasons. Yeah, but the point is that if he hasn't got the changing room, Juventus are going to be monitoring that, basically, to see what... I'm looking at Juve like this. I think that if they, if they after the Atalanta game, are within six points of the top spot, they're not going to sack him.
01:02:12
Speaker
After the Atalanta game? After after the Atalanta game. Well, they're not going sack him now. They're not sack him now. No, no, no. That's I was going to say. If they are within six points of the Scudetto, of the Serie A, of the top spot, after the Atalanta game, they're not going to sack him now.
01:02:28
Speaker
But if they are if they lose to Atalanta and draw against Hellas, I think he will i think they sack him already now. i i just there's Then they're just going to cut their losses, I think.
01:02:42
Speaker
I think, I think, I think 1.6 out of when you look, Juve is a very special club in the sense that it's the only thing that matters is to win everything. And I mean that in the literal sense, not the figurative sense.
01:02:58
Speaker
Everything else is secondary. If they can find themselves after this shit season in somehow in a Scudetto race and they make a serious push, I think there's actually a chance that even at the end of the season he continues on.
01:03:12
Speaker
But if at Juve you can't capitalize on the weakness of the opponents, that's in Juventus' self-image. If you can't do that, then you have no business being at Juve.
01:03:25
Speaker
Yeah, i think listen I think there's a bigger problem um at Juventus right now that goes above Mota. um And um I've been speaking to ah to a few people um over the the last few days since then since the the the exit to Empoli.
01:03:40
Speaker
And I've been told that there are real problems happening higher up the club. Some of them, I think we know, are quite apparent. The fact that a lot of different departments, you know, we've been speaking about a lot of different departments that are underperforming.
01:03:56
Speaker
and Not just on the pitch, not just the manager, but you've got the... The medical department that's completely failed this season, just look at the list of injuries, the number of ACLs.
01:04:07
Speaker
And some of this predates this season, obviously, what a lot of it does. um The number of injuries, even now as we speak, look at the look at the number of defenders that Juventus have out currently right now. It's absolutely insane.
01:04:18
Speaker
and The commercial department has... ah is failing. I mean, look, still they didn't even get a sponsor and this season, which is just embarrassing. um The recruitment department has failed this season. just Just look at the money that was spent loss last summer.
01:04:36
Speaker
You know, the the three biggest signings, you know, €140 million euros worth of players in Cook Miners, Douglas Luiz and Nico Gonzalez that have have all been flops the this season.
01:04:48
Speaker
And and And then you go higher up to to obviously Elkan and I mean, what the hell, what does he even do? um So, you know, that we've spoken about already, but I've been, you know, I've been told that there is just no synergy at all between the the different departments, that the people that are heading up these different departments within the club,
01:05:10
Speaker
um with the titles, they're not even they're not even reporting to anyone. How during the time of like Andrea Regnelli, for all the kind of mistakes that he made at the end of his time um at Juventus, which he then paid for, that at least you had somebody who was...
01:05:29
Speaker
very passionate, the that loved Juventus, that wanted them to win, that every decision he made, good or bad, right or wrong, was in the interest of trying to make Juventus win.
01:05:40
Speaker
um And everybody reported to Agnelli. Everybody knew that they had to do a job and do it well because otherwise Agnelli would, you know, or Agnelli's people would would hold them responsible.
01:05:53
Speaker
How at the moment at Juventus, there's nothing. The people, everybody's just doing, every department is just doing what they want with no synergy and nothing is tied together, um which is the recipe for disaster in any corporate organisation. Let me tell you that as somebody that you know that's worked, and most people listen to this, would have worked in a corporation, that if the different your different departments that you have within your organisation are not working together, and it's just a mess.
01:06:21
Speaker
It's a complete mess. An example, just to give you a very minor example this week, you've got Cristiano Ronaldo, who's suing Juventus, basically, for unpaid money. um And the the the social media team are are posting loads of posting lots of... ah um ah doing social posts, picking up Ronaldo and how amazing he was at Juventus and, oh, the king and and the goat and all this kind of stuff. And, you know, that's just a minor example. It might not mean much, but, you know, it just shows how there's and there's no... That would never happen if Agnelli was in charge, put it that way.
01:06:52
Speaker
But this is just the chaos that there is at Juventus. And I think that, you know, that obviously... If you've got an organisation that's not being run well, it makes it very, very difficult to win on the pitch.
01:07:06
Speaker
um And it it kind of poisons the whole environment. um And it's the same thing that we've seen at Milan, um which has been run obviously very, very badly.
01:07:17
Speaker
ah Manchester United for the last decade or more with the Glazers, that everything is such a mess structurally within these three clubs that it becomes it becomes very, very difficult.
01:07:28
Speaker
um And you know the fans also, at all three clubs, the fans are fed up. Juventus Ultra has announced before the Verona game that they're gonna they're going to boo the players, the coach, the management the management and the leadership before and during the the match against Helos Verona.
01:07:44
Speaker
um So it's just that these environments are very poisonous, very toxic. It's the same at Milan. And when that's the environment, and this is how the club is being run up above, it becomes very, very difficult on the on the pitch.
01:07:57
Speaker
And that's something I know that you spoke about a lot during during the Allegri time. And maybe I underplayed that a little bit, um you know. um But I think it's is it's very apparent even now.
01:08:08
Speaker
And there was supposed to be a change. It was supposed to be this would be the new project. Allegri goes, everything changes up above. And from what I'm hearing, the people I'm speaking to, um it's still a mess.
01:08:22
Speaker
Yes, it is still a mess. um And I think that ah maybe the step up for... Fortiago Motta was a little bit too soon.
01:08:35
Speaker
I still think that he will he will have a good career. I think he's a, you know, I think, I don't think, I think some people are just basically, I think the hype was exaggerated and I think the critique is exaggerated. i think he will still, he will recover from this and he will have a good career.
01:08:52
Speaker
think he'll still have a top career. um This is a setback. But I do feel that the only way that he stays at Juve beyond this season is if Juve can mount a challenge from now for the title from now until the end.
01:09:07
Speaker
Because then you show the Juventus identity. Winning Scudetti you don't deserve to win. And I don't mean by any like illicit things. I mean capitalizing on the weakness of your opponents.
01:09:20
Speaker
When they fail, Juve historically don't. and they win stuff they don't deserve to win because others are better, because they just stumble. That's what Juve want to see. That's how you that's the uentist' identity that's part of Juve's identity.
01:09:35
Speaker
And if he can mount a challenge and push Napoli and Inter to the wire, then I think he can stay. If he doesn't, if he gets one in one out of six points over the next two games, I think he walks in the international break.
01:09:52
Speaker
I think Tudor comes in as a caretaker coach, and I think the recruitment for next season begins immediately after that. Because they have nothing to lose. I mean, they they look at how it looks downwards the table.
01:10:06
Speaker
They're not too worried. They look at the games they've got left. They got look at the games the others got left. they They're in a good position. I think i think they keep him um unless, you know, if the if if top four becomes a ah risk and they just need an injection. There's only one international break as far as I'm aware and now's the time to do it.
01:10:23
Speaker
Well, yeah. yeah Yeah. I think it depends like what the top four situation looks like. And if there is a risk of top four, you know, not falling away from the top four, then they might, you they might,
01:10:37
Speaker
you know they might bring in a Tudor just to give them injection.
Milan's Struggles and Management Criticisms
01:10:41
Speaker
Kind of like what he did last season and at the end of season with Lazio. and But if they they look comfortable, if they're you know they open up a lead, a little lead on Lazio by the international break, I think they i think they will keep him.
01:10:52
Speaker
Yeah, and that's what I mean. and that's And that's why I think that's what I'm saying. If he doesn't like six point if he's six points within thequereto at the when the international break starts, he finishes the season. If he can mount a challenge and push them to the wire, not necessarily win win the thing,
01:11:07
Speaker
then he stays. But if he can't do any other what if he can't do any of those things, if he can't do the first thing, he's out by March. if he can't do If he does the first thing but can't do the second thing, I think he's gone in the summer. So let's move on to Milan against Lazio on Sunday evening. An absolutely insane game at San Siro.
01:11:27
Speaker
So much to talk about here. I don't know where to start, but the end result is Lazio win 2-1. Dramatic circumstances, a 97th minute penalty from Pedro wins the game.
01:11:40
Speaker
for Lazio against ah a 10-man Milan team who looked like they had got an equaliser or got a point through an equaliser through Samuel Chicoese only a few minutes before the end of the 90 minutes.
01:11:53
Speaker
But Lazio snatch it at the end. it's ah It's a game and a result that has... Huge repercussions on on many things for both teams. But we'll start off with with Milan.
01:12:06
Speaker
and The result of this game is, first of all, that the top four now, I think we can safely say, is definitely over for Milan. They're now nine points off ah fourth place Lazio.
01:12:19
Speaker
It could be 11 points if Juventus beat Hellas Verona on Monday evening. With 11 games left, I think we can we can safely say that the top four is over for Milan. And it's big it's got so bad now that Milan are down in ninth place now, Milan. They've even been overtaken by Roma, who we'll come on to soon.
01:12:43
Speaker
um And it's just... it's just it's completely, the shit really has completely hit the fan. It's been blowing ah close to the fan for while, but now it's, it's, it's splurted everywhere. I mean, before so i is disgusted but like is but is the is the first analogy that came into my head.
01:13:04
Speaker
yeah but it's Yeah, it's gross, but it's funny. It's a good one. It's just green really, really gross. It's gone everywhere now. It's gone everywhere. three Oh, there is poo everywhere. There is poo everywhere. I mean, there's is three the form is... i mean, it's been a horror horror last 10 days out of the Champions League and now three defeats in a row in Serie A. The form is is horrendous.
01:13:24
Speaker
um ah Again, they concede more goals. Three clean sheets in the last 18 games. I mean, it's just... What was already basically a disastrous season has now become...
01:13:38
Speaker
Honestly, pound for pound, it's it's become one of the worst seasons in Milan's history. let's Let's be honest, Nima. it is It's becoming a ah historically disastrous season for really is for Milan. i mean, i don't know.
01:13:54
Speaker
that there There is nothing left now, really. There's there's there's only the Coppa Italia. And it's so bad now. i mean, the the top four is gone. the the losing that last second goal to lose this game means that even if Serie manages to get the fifth spot for the Champions League which seems unlikely but there is still a chance nine they're not in again They're not going to get fifth spot now because they're nine points off Lazio. But if they'd at least drawn that game, they still would have been in with a chance. And if they'd have won that game, they'd have been right in with a chance for fifth place.
01:14:27
Speaker
So losing this match and and kind of just you know committing suicide, as they have done, um his says you know that there's now not there's no zero chance of even the Champions League, let alone fourth spot. So there's nothing to play for. In fact, that the only thing there is to play for is...
01:14:44
Speaker
They're probably, the way things are going, they're probably going win the Coppa Italia just to qualify for Europe altogether. Yeah. Yeah. Which is insane. And we so we said last week when we we had a question on the Q&A pod about it, we said, no, no, there's no, they they will make Europe.
01:14:58
Speaker
But at this point, I wonder, I genuinely wonder if they do. Yeah. i you know i think they have to hope that if they make I think they have to hope that Bologna makes the final of the Coppa Italia and that Bologna finish in the top six.
01:15:18
Speaker
um And just to be certain that they play in the Europa League next season. and Or that if Italy get that fifth spot... um that that everything goes their way, that Lazio finishes outside of the top five, wins the Europa League.
01:15:32
Speaker
Do you see I'm saying? like they They have to hope it's not in their own hands anymore. And it's crazy because they did they did everything they should have done in January.
01:15:44
Speaker
um In terms of on the market, they started bringing in players that they needed to do, like what they could do realistically, not everything they needed to do, of course. But they did most they started doing things they needed to do.
01:15:56
Speaker
and to give Concey Sao the kind of players he wants. But it's it's a Milan that is literally in free fall. Literally in free fall. I said last week, I think, I can't remember if it was on the Monday or Q&A pod, I said, this next week is decisive for Milan. In my book, they needed six points against Bologna and Lazio to still make top four.
01:16:15
Speaker
They got zero. They got zero. Two times two-one defeats. So they're they there' they are out of the top four. There's no doubt about that. I don't think they make fifth, especially if Juve win tonight against Hellas.
01:16:30
Speaker
That means nine points behind Lazio in fifth. Nah. They can kiss the Champions League goodbye. And the question is, do they even make Europe? Which, at this point, do you even... like I understand financially and so on, but maybe... the rough Is it even worth it? Maybe the crash...
01:16:49
Speaker
or the nuclear meltdown that they're having is, is, you know, just let it just end the season. And then so i think't there's a nuclear meltdown in the season, whether they make Europe or not, if they don't, if they don't make the champions league, there's no, I, I'm just thinking, thinking ahead to next season and the re and the, the semi rebuild, let's call it next season.
01:17:09
Speaker
Um, you know, you're better off just being out of Europe altogether. And then, you know, just, just not having that start over. Yeah. Reboot, reboot everything. Um, um There's already talk now of Paratici or Iritare taking over as well. i want to I want to come to that in a minute. First of all, the first i mean i want to talk about the club as a whole, the management up above.
01:17:30
Speaker
It's very, very important. Like I touched upon on Juventus a moment ago. But the first question is Conceição. Because Conceição... Already ahead of this game, there was talk that you know he was in the hot seat.
01:17:44
Speaker
Now there is a very, very big question. yeah He risked the sack now, immediately. um what What happens? What do Milan do? The results have been... worse under Conceição, much worse actually than they were under Fonseca, which is incredible really.
01:18:01
Speaker
um And, you know, everything that I expected from Conceição, like we knew his limitations at Porto. We knew that Porto maybe didn't create that, and you know, of an offensive outfit, Porto weren't the best, but we knew that, but Conceição is fantastically fantastic at setting up a team, defensively solid,
01:18:21
Speaker
The team that fights for for one another, never gives up. I mean, I think they had the record. ah i think he has the record in Portugal for most wins or points gained from losing positions or comeback wins or something along those lines.
01:18:36
Speaker
But a team that has a great spirit, but a team that ahs that is a team. you know well i mean i think which it never was Which it never was under Fonseca. And that was I thought he would definitely bring that.
01:18:48
Speaker
But he hasn't. I think he has. this isn't you The comeback goals, the the goals from behind that Milan have had, the equal, I mean, even Chukwueze yesterday with 10 men,
01:19:01
Speaker
I think, I don't think, I can't pin this on Konsei Sao, because as you said, i think he said, and and we spoke about it i think, was it a week ago or two weeks ago, when he went when when when they they make such insane individual howlers that I don't know how you tactically... like we can't talk they have done They have done in in in in many games. but i think I think yesterday they definitely did as well.
01:19:28
Speaker
Well, they did, but they were they were they were awful. They've been awful in these last two games as a whole. that They haven't been a team in these last two games. They definitely weren't a in there. There was no cohesion, no synergy. is is It was a team of individuals last night.
01:19:41
Speaker
It was a team that that still lacked discipline. ah and it's a team that was getting cut open time and time again that especially in the first well all game I'm honest all game Lazio had an XG of 2.9 in this game um you're not a team if you have an XG of 2.9 they were getting cut open time and time again and the midfield The midfield is a joke, is an absolute joke. For Fahna and Moussa as centre midfield, they can't control a game at all.
01:20:10
Speaker
So the opposition will always dominate midfield when those two are playing. they can't They can't build from the back. They're not very good in possession or or passing or pass in the ball. But they're not even able to protect the defence either. They're getting cut through every single time.
01:20:24
Speaker
Now that's... I don't really blame that on Conceição, really, because those are the players he's got. But at least, like I said, at Porto, his teams were' were solid. They weren't getting cut through. They weren't conceding ah coneding chances. And you know the last two games against Bologna and against... ah The last two games against Bologna and Lazio, we can't go back to the whole, oh, it's blunders that that are costing them.
01:20:47
Speaker
Because, yes, OK, they're still making blunders, but they would have been outplayed. in these two matches. They were outplayed yesterday, absolutely. I'm not denying that. I'm just saying that, and La Balazio are a very good side.
01:21:00
Speaker
you know I'm talking about the entirety of the Conceição era so far. so far I don't see, I don't think that we can, looking at it as a whole, say that he has failed as much as this Milan squad is constructed so unbelievably poorly. Well, yeah, and I want to come on to that in a minute.
01:21:23
Speaker
um about the the the But what i guess my point is this. I expected Conce Seltz to come in and at least make them solid, at least make them hard to score against, at least make them, you know... Fight more. And I think he has to... Play as unit. Well, yeah, maybe he's but he's made them fight fight a little bit and and they've scored late goals and everything. But...
01:21:43
Speaker
the The point is they've not improved at all. The results have been far, far worse. The defence has even got worse under him, which is crazy that the defence has got worse. They conceded more goals, more chances than they were under Fonseca.
01:21:57
Speaker
ah And they've they've completely they've completely, like you said, they're in complete freefall now. um It's complete shit show. And I'm not, like I said, like I'll come to you in a minute. I don't even know whether I can blame that on Concey Cell. I'm just saying that under Concey Cell, things have got worse.
01:22:14
Speaker
No, they have. I mean, I think it's it's like they they they put they put him there to stop the bleeding, but the problem is that the damage that was done was done to an artery, and putting a Snoopy band-aid on that, not going to work.
01:22:31
Speaker
Um... This is such a poorly constructed team. The senators of the team are, I mean, Hernandez for the first goal.
01:22:44
Speaker
Again. What is that? What is that for the first goal? Just look at how he defends before Zakani scores the rebound on the left-hand side.
01:23:01
Speaker
It's
01:23:03
Speaker
ah yeah he he He plays... That is the kind of error you expect from a schoolboy. From someone who's 16, 17, who's not played first-team football. it's It's just unwatchable.
01:23:17
Speaker
And when you do that... and you concede, it sends shockwaves through the team, whose who are already mentally in a bad place, and everyone starts second-guessing, and insecurity spreads, and then you see the rest.
01:23:36
Speaker
And, yeah you know, Moussa being taken off for Joao Felix as a technical decision in the 36th minute, who Moussa was not good. I think there were three players who got fours or four and a halves in the ratings at Gazeta yesterday.
01:23:52
Speaker
Teo was one, Moussa was one, Ximenez was one, I think. I mean, it's just... Yeah, but the the way that they were getting cut open was, I mean, there was even before and that, the the goal, there was there was one when Dia was cleaned through and Manuel made a great save, you know, where you just think that this isn't a team, it's just not a unit.
01:24:14
Speaker
and There's no cohesion. that the but de po was The departments of the field were stretched all over the pitch, like massive gaps between between the defence the midfield and the midfield and the attack. You just do not associate that with Conceição teams. The Conceição teams are always very compact.
01:24:28
Speaker
There's no much space between each department, which is how any top should be. gritty and energetic and well, exactly, well organised and all of that. And while all of this is going on, the Courvois-Soud boycotted the beginning of the game and then...
01:24:44
Speaker
they were chanting Cardinale piss off, Cardinale you have to sell. Throughout the entire game. Throughout the entire game. Yeah. mean, the whistles and boos. I mean, I mean, because they sell, the halftime boos were some of the loudest boos I have ever heard at the San Siro. Yeah. Like it was, it was a hurricane.
01:25:06
Speaker
Well, it's like Concey Sal said it in the game. Gabby has said it as well. like It's a very difficult environment to play in. It's difficult. you know so is you know energy though Everything is energy. And when you've got just this negative energy,
01:25:21
Speaker
it cripples it cripples you and it makes it very, very difficult, ah both physically, ah mentally, psychologically. You have to have strong players. yeah You have to have strong players and that is like mentally strong players. and It's very difficult.
01:25:36
Speaker
It's very difficult. but I mean, that brings us on. I mean, there was a statement from the ultras before the game and I want to read it out because because it will it'll sum up kind of ah the discussion really right now about Milan moving forward and and and those that are running the club.
01:25:50
Speaker
And the statement, this is before the game, right? It's even worse, after the game. It's only early March and our season is almost at its final chapter. Two derby matches in the Coppa Italia and are your last chance to regain a shred of dignity.
01:26:04
Speaker
or to certify your total failure. The blame lies clearly and unjustifiably with an entirely invisible ownership, with Cardinale being absent from Milan since September, which chose to eliminate a key figure like the sporting director, fundamental for building a competitive team and ensuring a constant and constructive presence at Milanello.
01:26:25
Speaker
Instead, they have entrusted Milan's image to collaborators. ah said That's a director, Ibrahimovic, that is, who have distinguished themselves solely through ridiculous ridiculous disguises or interviews, cough, cough, speed, that go beyond absurdity.
01:26:40
Speaker
No, cough, GQ. Did you see and read that GQ interview? I am sorry. Yes, I think he was very stylish. I think he had and he looked really good. He's always very well dressed. He it was absolutely fantastic.
01:26:55
Speaker
um You know, people... your job Yeah, but that's exactly it. I mean, some people said, oh, he looks like ah Yugoslav Lucius Malfoy. They said he looked like... a I don't care about that. you're lu powerful But I don't care about that. I think he was really good. The issue was i the nonsense that he was spewing.
01:27:13
Speaker
you know Comparing Jerry Cardinale to the guy who they made the film wolf a Wolf of Wall Street about, who is a convicted criminal, by the way.
01:27:25
Speaker
ah i mean, the the nonsense that he keeps spewing time and time again, this this these ridiculous statements. and And I noticed it already when I was in Milan, last time i was in Milan in September ahead of the Derby, that he people were laughing at him.
01:27:40
Speaker
in Milan for the first time ever. They just weren't taking him seriously. And this is something I wanted to bring up as well, because the mess that I think is here is that yeah I think Zlatan has become a little bit unsackable because Zlatan's role is with Redbird.
01:27:59
Speaker
He's the senior advisor at Redbird. And Zlatan is also a very rich man who has so far, to put it diplomatically, not excelled in business, whether it's vitamin drinks, betting, ah clothes companies.
01:28:15
Speaker
But he has a lot of money to and and a big portfolio to manage. And there are reports saying that he is an investor in Redbird. So if he's an investor at Redbird and he's also, and I'm not saying that that is the case, but I've seen reports state that he has invested at Redbird.
01:28:32
Speaker
that he's a financial partner of Jerry Cardinal. There's a conflict of interest there. Yeah. If he's that, if that's true, and he's also a senior advisor to Redbird at Milan, that makes him virtually unsackable, and he's new at this job.
01:28:48
Speaker
This makes it an absolute perfect shitstorm. Well, let me let me let me carry on the don yeah let me carry let me carry on the the statement from the Milan Ultras. This is the first time ever, by the way, that I've i've actually agreed but with a statement from an ultra group, if I can say. ah The blame lies clearly and unjustifiably with an entire entirely invisible ownership, as I said.
01:29:11
Speaker
um and who chose to eliminate a key figure like the sporting director, fundamental for building a competitive team and ensuring a constant and constructive presence in Milanese. Instead, they have entrusted Milantovic to collaborators who have distinguished themselves solely through ridiculous disguises or interviews that go beyond absurdity. This, however, cannot excuse the other key figures responsible for this disaster.
01:29:31
Speaker
The coach, who compared to his predecessor, has not changed the team's approach on the pitch to the slightest. If anything, he has deepened internal divisions with the poor results and lack of gameplay we all know. On Sunday, we will start leaving you alone by entering the stands only at the 15th minute, hoping that the rest of the stadium does the same, which is what happened.
01:29:47
Speaker
If we do not see significant changes in performance and above all in attitude, we will completely abandon you, leaving you alone with your shame. At the end of the season, a deep reset at the club will be necessary.
01:29:58
Speaker
The American model proposed so far has failed in every aspect. Strong decisions, major changes and structural reforms are needed. With a new leadership composed of real football experts, only then can the most glorious club in Italy be rebuilt with seriousness, bringing fans back to breathe the Milan spirit that you have destroyed in recent years.
01:30:20
Speaker
And yeah, I think that that really, that sums up all the key points. That sums up everything, doesn't it? All the talking points, really. it really does. I guess, which is what I'm coming to with Conceit. So can we keep blaming the manager at Milan?
01:30:34
Speaker
Just like, can we keep blaming all the Man United managers of the last 10 years or all the Juventus managers of the last five years? When those running the club and the key departments in the clubs, in these clubs, um and the incompetence in the key areas in these clubs, when they're failing and when it's so everything is is is being run so badly, it becomes impossible in the pitch.
01:30:59
Speaker
you the The results on the pitch are a natural consequence of of a failing club and a failing leadership. And I think that with Milan, I think that's clearly that's clearly the starting point. here That's that's the clearly the number one issue at Milan.
01:31:16
Speaker
You know, the media... I'm sorry, I have to say this, but the media won't call out the likes of Cardinale or Zlatan when they're discussing Milan's problems because because they have you know a relationship with them. They grant them access. They're nice to them. Access, yeah. Access journalism is what you call Which isn't journalism. But the fans are not stupid. The fans know that.
01:31:38
Speaker
That's why the fans and are going after Cardinale, Zlatan, the leadership. you know And I have good relationships with people at Milan. I'm not saying saying i'm not saying that... have friends who work at Milan. I consider them friends. They're good people. and and and and And so I'm not blaming this on everyone. not saying everybody at Milan is useless. I'm saying that from the top,
01:31:59
Speaker
It's not working. It's fading. No, it's the fish rots from the head down. yeah This is not a medium-level management issue. This is an ownership issue. Like I said, like we said last week, the the issue at Milan is very clearly that Since Redbird took over and got rid of Masara and Maldini, they have gotten every single decision which is related to the sporting side completely and utterly wrong.
01:32:31
Speaker
And it's getting worse and worse and worse. And there's no one steering the ship. really, that knows that there's no one qualified enough to be to steer the ship at Milan right now.
01:32:50
Speaker
I think the first the first thing to say is, like the like was said in the statement, this model, this American model has failed. A lot of people take the piss, but you know and this is exaggerated, but basing your strategy on a baseball movie...
01:33:06
Speaker
it I mean, i mean you know that i mean that there's i mean i mean i'm saying that for comic effect, but but it's true. you know the thing is, American sports model is completely different. there's a lot about America that is that the that I wish we were that we we would learn from. you know the the revenue streams, the revenue stream marketing. Marketing number one.
01:33:30
Speaker
ah communication. um i don't know how many years we've done this pod. Yeah. How many years have we done this pod? And how many how many times have I said that the American sports model in terms of revenue and business has won, it's won, it's won the award. The debate is over their way of doing business is the way to do it. And if you want to succeed and you have to follow that model yeah and that includes stadiums, that includes marketing, that includes communication, that includes sales, that includes everything.
01:33:59
Speaker
Right. So that is organization, organization, all of those things. Right. But you can't just take one way of doing things in one sport and copy paste it to another, in another country in a different, like it just doesn't work.
01:34:13
Speaker
Um, that's the issue here. I mean, it's, it's, it's like, I know that they're involved with, it mean know reminds me of, it reminds me of the time when the the, the, the head coach, head coach of the England rugby team that won the world cup,
01:34:29
Speaker
for for for England at rugby, Woodward, Clive Woodward, wanted to get into football. And it was just a complete disaster because, you know, he tried to bring over the things from rugby that worked in rugby.
01:34:40
Speaker
It's a different sport. It's a different model. You know, you can't just take over things that you but worked in baseball and and bring that model over to to to to the sporting side of things in in football and think it's going to work.
01:34:54
Speaker
You know, you need a sporting director in football. Milan have not had a sporting director this this season, which is just insanity. And I'm not sure Fabio Paratici is who I would bring in. No, definitely not. No. I mean, like, it's and then I'm reading Cisq Fabregas as the coach. It's like...
01:35:13
Speaker
Oh, my God. Well, I think that Ches Fabregas is going to be a big coach. I think he's fantastic. But yeah, he's he's not ready. He's not ready for what's going on here. But i mean, listen, if we talk about it conceptually, not having a sports and director is is one example of how, you know, the whole structure of Milan is is has been flawed. And I think they're going to correct that and they're going to bring in a sporting director.
01:35:36
Speaker
That's one example of the failed model. you know Then you have Zlatan in this position where he doesn't even have a title. He's some kind of unofficial...
01:35:47
Speaker
No, his official title is Senior Advisor to Red Well, there you go. Which is, well is that is that a title? I don't call that a title, you know? But okay, whatever. he's he isn't He hasn't really got a, I don't know what he, I still don't really really know what he does, what executive power he has, if anything. um He just seems to me, just seems to be used more for as a marketing ploy, but that's not, you know,
01:36:09
Speaker
he's He's not cut out to be, you know, I know he's not officially a director, but he's just not cut out as a personality to be a director, not being himself, which is what he's done at Milan generally. He's toned it down a little bit, but he's still being himself. Like given those interviews, you know, coming off as this kind of, you know, being that arrogant and individualistic, you can't be as a director.
01:36:30
Speaker
You can't. The funny thing is that's exactly what Scaroni said. who's actually one of the few competent people they've got, when they got rid of Maldini, that's exactly what Scaroni said. I remember because it really resonated with me. He said, when i they used to nickname me Stadioni because I was the one who was in charge of the stadium.
01:36:49
Speaker
But when Redbird came in, I realized that I had to be part of a team. but Those are his words. And ironically, they got rid of Maldini and Ricky Massara because they weren't able to play in part of a team anymore.
01:37:01
Speaker
And then you've since seen seen that this club is no is not a team at all. It's just everyone's doing their own thing yeah um on the pitch and off the pitch. I remember that quote those quotes by Scaroni very vividly. but i think they were very yeah i but not the not example the aling Nothing sums up. I tweeted this last night. Nothing sums up Ibrahimovic more. He'll never live this down, ever, the rest of his his career.
01:37:24
Speaker
When he did that that that interview with Speed, of all people, don't get me started on speed, um in the taxi. And they played a game. The first one to move is gay. And they sat in the taxi in Milan for five minutes, not moving.
01:37:39
Speaker
And Milan actually published that. and So this is Latam. This is what he's doing. He's game thesess read he's doing interviews. he's doing he's He's playing these stupid games that that that we played when we were four years old.
01:37:53
Speaker
You know, you play when you're four years old. um and and And he's playing that with speed. And his role is senior advisor at Redbird. Like, again, it's... Do you see, like, first of all, can you... You know, Javier Zanetti does lots of interviews for inter Inter, although he's the vice president. He has a much more ambassador role.
01:38:13
Speaker
Marotta, Auxilio, Bacin, even Antonello. um or Juve, even Giuntoli, do you see them doing anything like that? Do you see anyone at any other club and in that kind of or directorial role sitting with an influencer playing games?
01:38:29
Speaker
No, because you have to be serious in that role. I mean, i do think there's a larger issue in Italian football as a whole, which isn't just Milan in this kind of obsession with um kind of producing viral...
01:38:43
Speaker
childish social media content. Juventus are doing a lot of it as well, which is driving me mad um as well. they're They're not the only club. Yeah, but the boardroom shouldn't be involved. as i type up Yeah, absolutely. That's what I was coming to.
01:38:56
Speaker
you know if you ares you're to do this stupid childish content, which doesn't do anything so to help grow the club, I can tell you that for sure. you know If you're going to hire naked chefs and and and all these idiots, yeah then then whatever.
01:39:11
Speaker
But, you know, The boardroom is involved. yeah Don't get you ah your director involved. I mean, this is the this is what gets me. It's the boardroom that's involved. I don't know of any sports where the boardroom, where the directors are doing these things, because they need to maintain that some some form of decorum and professionalism. That's where this is But I think that sums up. That's why it sticks out as much as it does because never ever seen in any professional sports anyone with a managerial role, any directorial role of of any note doing this kind of nonsense.
01:39:43
Speaker
No. At any sport, any league at top level. You just don't see that. And there's a reason why you don't see that. People want to maintain their authority. Because you don't take someone seriously when they make And that's the whole point I've been making all season. It's the point I made about even with Teo Hernandez dying his hair pink. that that it This sums up Milan under this ownership, this season in particular, that it's not a serious club. It's a circus.
01:40:07
Speaker
It's been a circus. It's been a circus. That's the whole point I made with Teo Hernandez but there's obviously bigger problems than the colour of someone's hair. Of course there is but it sums up where Milan are right now and like the ultras said this model It's failed.
01:40:25
Speaker
And it needs to, I mean, i don't know what the solution is. I guess the initial question we asked was, should Conceição be sacked? Well, I think it's for certain that he's not going to be there next season. i mean That's guaranteed. The question is, is it worth sacking him now between now and the end of the season? I guess that's the question. Should they bring someone in just to try? and I mean, I think, no I don't think. would that be? Well, I don't think, well, I just kind of guess from Serie A point of view, it's pointless because this is is not you can't rescue things now. It's not like you're three or six points behind. like Say Juventus were to go in ah on a couple lose a couple of games, that it would it might be worth it for Juventus to do it because they want to bring someone in just for a jolt to try and get them over the line for the top four. Well, Milan, that's gone. So it's pointless. So really, you're bringing in someone, what for? Just to maybe try and win the Coppa Italia, which isn't going to change the outcome of your season.
01:41:12
Speaker
So is it, I guess, is it worth it? Is the point? I don't know. i at this point, I really don't know. um I think it's just finished the season and then every everyone is under exam.
01:41:25
Speaker
Like everyone is. Well, I guess the big question, bigger question is what, what happens with the ownership now? I mean, we know what the fans want. Yeah, but he's he's not going to go anywhere. So he's he's not going to go anywhere. They're not going to go anywhere.
01:41:38
Speaker
What can he do to turn this around? He can build an actual proper structure. you can bring in a sporting director with executive powers, similar to Marotta, similar to Giuntoli, similar to someone who, Sartori, whoever you want to use as an example. He needs to bring someone in, ah as someone who has a direttore tecnico, with a sporting director working under him, similar to what they had under Maldini and Massara. about bring back Maldini?
01:42:02
Speaker
It's not going to happen. He's never going to accept that. You think that Paolo Maldini's pride allows him to come back to Milan after that, after how he's been treated? I would say, yeah, I would say very, very unlikely. And there too many egos involved from both sides, but it's Paolo Maldini. You literally took a shit on a person. no i quote it's it's It was as close to God in that club that you can get to.
01:42:27
Speaker
You completely humiliate him. When you sacked him, you didn't, what was 11 Yeah, it was it was embarrassing. I mean, what are you talking about? And this on the on the on the back of the first year where you extended his contract 10 minutes to midnight.
01:42:42
Speaker
like what you there's no what are we What are we talking about here? there' There's no way that he's going to do that. like he is He will have no authority. And if he were to do it, it's only out of love, which is, again, the wrong reasons anyway, because you want someone there to professional.
01:42:55
Speaker
They need someone with experience, know-how, knowledge, who can steer... a ship and steer a club of Milan's stature and find a role for Ibrahimovic, find a role for everyone and get them pulling the right direction. He's unsackable, Carlo.
01:43:14
Speaker
He's unsackable. Well, he can keep his shares and just and just not be in a... Yeah, but you think he's going to accept that? Do you want to piss off your investor? I mean, do you know what I mean? Like, it's like they've put themselves ah in in a in in a very, very precarious situation. Well, an investor wants to make money, and and they're losing money. Zlatan's richer than God. They're keeping people like Zlatan. Yeah, but Zlatan is already, like, he's not going to lose his money. at meet Like, they're not they're not no one's banging on Milan's door to buy, like, banging on their door to buy Milan. So, it's is's not going to, like, he he want he needs to have something to do.
01:43:48
Speaker
And they need to find a role for him. And I don't understand why they just don't make him... you know I understand that he also is the kind of character who wants to learn the business world you know in that ridiculous quote where he talks about how Jerry Cardinal is the wolf of Wall Street, which is just a mind-bendingly stupid thing to say, um equating the owner of your club with a convicted felon um because you think that he's cool because you know Hollywood is always right.
01:44:14
Speaker
with the meant that I mean, this this meant this this you know that that is the mental attitude that he's had all his life. And I get that. It's helped him a lot. But at some point, you have to kind of adapt with the times. And he is trying to do that. This is what he wants to He wants to learn the business world. He wants to understand that. And Jerry Cardinal is his mentor and blah, blah, blah, blah. I get all that, right?
01:44:33
Speaker
So he he wants a proper job. And he doesn't want to just be ah be a gimmick and a mascot. that That's the one thing he his pride won't accept. That's fine. But he can't be the boss at Milan.
01:44:45
Speaker
He just can't. he cannot He's not ready to be that. I don't know if he'll ever be that. He certainly is not ready to be the big boss at Milan right now. He just just isn't.
01:44:58
Speaker
And I think it's evident. And they don't they need a proper boss at Milan. They need someone like like that that is the CEO of the sporting side.
01:45:08
Speaker
Yeah. Because this is an absolute shitstorm. They need a CEO and they need a sporting director. And then then from then on, they can lay out a plan and hire key people to do key jobs. And I'm sure that in that environment, actually, i think Zlatan could do something for Milan. i really think that.
01:45:27
Speaker
I just think that without... whether it Where he is in his career um as a direct director, investor, blah, blah, blah, or whatever you want to brand it, He can't be the leader.
01:45:39
Speaker
He doesn't have that experience. He doesn't have directorial experience. He was a fantastic footballer, one of the best of all time, if you will, in his position.
01:45:51
Speaker
But he is not a director. it's It's not, it doesn't work like that. And he doesn't know, and and all of Milan are confused generally.
01:46:04
Speaker
And he just, he's trying to do what he used to do as a player to get out of it. And it's not working. It's just making people despise him and feel like he he then becomes a symbol of something larger, which is just, is not fair on him either.
01:46:21
Speaker
Yeah. Well, let's move on from the ownership situation. I'm sure we'll discuss it again and at some point. um Just a couple of a couple of referee ah incidents to discuss. First of all, the Pavlovich red card, correct or harsh?
01:46:36
Speaker
I think Marelli said it best. It's harsh, but it's correct because it's not a dog show. He's not the last man, is he? So it's not like he's denying the, like a clear, well in that case it's the wrong decision then. No, it isn't because it's no, no, it's not because ah as Maradley said, the way that he challenges, the way that the challenge is so like off the rails because he's not anywhere near the ball. he doesn't touch the ball.
01:47:01
Speaker
I don't agree with that. I don't think it's off the rails. I think he's he's he's just tripped him up. I disagree with that i think it's a red card. If we consider it a dogso, if we consider that the other Milan player isn't going to come back and cover, then ah then it's a red it's a correct decision.
01:47:16
Speaker
But I think there's enough doubt about that for me to suggest that It's one of those I think could go either way, but I think it's one of those that if there's doubt involved, whether it's a dog sow or not, I think you you you should you should should not give it.
01:47:32
Speaker
and That's the way I look at it. What I would say, though, is... I'm not sure who the Milan player was in the middle. don't know if you know who it was that was was chasing back. The player was ambling back, like was wasn't was was just basically, he was just chilling, jogging back.
01:47:49
Speaker
If that player had been showing the kind of hunger and fight to get back properly, as he should be, then he would have been about five yards further forward, then there's no way this would be a red card.
01:48:02
Speaker
It wouldn't have been a red card. Or it wouldn't have been a dog show. If you watch that other player... Well, you have to understand... He says basically said, look, we have to understand if he was sent off for show. or for a ah serious foul play.
01:48:15
Speaker
In the first case, the elements aren't there because the ball is still a little bit to the side with respect to Isakson, and there's a bunch of defenders there. I'm more convinced that it's a serious foul play.
01:48:29
Speaker
and that it's a challenge that puts the safety of the opponent in danger. Pavlovich is very, very late with respect to the player and the ball.
01:48:41
Speaker
There's high speed. um And it makes me think that the ah element, and that is the element that brings Manganiello to give the red card. It's a severe decision, but one that I find myself agreeing with.
01:48:54
Speaker
I think that's pretty much exactly how I feel. That might be the reason why he's decided to send him off, but I disagree completely. I don't think it meets that criteria even close to meeting that criteria. I disagree completely.
01:49:07
Speaker
The only question for me is whether it's a dog's say. for me. I completely agree, but completely disagree. I mean, the Teo one on Maricic is a more interesting one because ah an initial video went round, which looked really bad from Teo. And the way I looked at it, it was Teo on Maricic. He's kind of going backwards and he kind of stamps very high up, almost knee near his kind of top of his shin, was it? Knee area.
01:49:34
Speaker
No, it was a knee. Knee, yeah, knee. Even the Maricic thing. Yeah, the Maricic one, and his leg bends back, and it's, Maricic ended up going off, didn't he, injured? yeah at halftime. At halftime.
01:49:44
Speaker
um It was horrible to look at. When I saw that video, I was stunned, first of all, that, that, there was no VAR, no red card for that. And I also thought that that it looked to me just from that, it looked premeditated.
01:49:58
Speaker
It looked like a deliberate attempt to injure him. um and And for me, I even said to some people, i'd say, from this video, this this looks like something that you should get a long ban for. Then I saw the full video where he's actually running back and there's doubt whether he, for me, there's doubt whether he, he, he meant it. He's running back. He heads the ball. If it's intentional, then it makes it violent conduct. Yeah. And it's, and there's nothing to suggest that that's violent conduct.
01:50:27
Speaker
Like if it's intentional in the sense that you're trying to harm the player, then, then, then there's no, then, then you you can't look at the video and say that it's violent conduct. I don't think the elements to, to fu fulfill that requirement of that.
01:50:41
Speaker
but, what i i look at this situation the way, if you remember Euro 2020, Marcus Danielson, the Ukrainian player, where he even got part of the ball, but he flies into the guy's knee and ends he went to Ukraine, the guy.
01:50:57
Speaker
and then they had to so i mean I think he had an acl after that. the even though he got part of the ball. I think it's the round of the 16 quarterfinals of Euro 2020, Sweden-Ukraine.
01:51:11
Speaker
And the controversy at the time was, you know he's playing the ball. is he you know Is it serious foul play? is it reckless? you know It's on the limit.
01:51:22
Speaker
I think this is a similar situation to that, with the difference, of course, being that there, the challenge was playing the ball, got part of the ball, but also got the guy's knee. Here, they're going for an aerial challenge, Marusic and Theo.
01:51:37
Speaker
It's an aerial challenge, and it's when they land down that the foot goes on his knee, on Marusic's knee. my percept My read of this is you're responsible for your feet and your arms at all times.
01:51:54
Speaker
And if youre if you put the studs of your soles, of your the studs on the soles of your feet towards another player's knee like that, nah, that's...
01:52:08
Speaker
but Yeah, I mean, I think it's it's like, look, um that has to, like for me, that that that's your putting that by definition is endangering someone. Do you know what i't mean? Like that that's how read it. Because I think that, like that's how I read it.
01:52:20
Speaker
But I also understand from having spoken to people, referees and people train referees that, e well, it's the kind of decision that if the referee gives it, it stands regardless of what the referee gives.
01:52:37
Speaker
And but it's the kind of situation VAR will not intervene in. Prefers that they stay clear of that. Because you can't make the argument that it's violent conduct, which I agree with.
01:52:52
Speaker
Is it reckless or is it serious foul play? If it's reckless, it's a yellow card, not reviewable by VAR. If it's serious foul play and the referee's seen it and he makes that call...
01:53:06
Speaker
based on how the images look, how does that become a clear and obvious error? Like, does that make sense? So that's how they see it. But so for me, i just think safety in these situations first, elbows to the head, studs to the knee,
01:53:25
Speaker
You're responsible for your feet. Yeah, I know. I guess i'm I'm looking at more from the intent because when I first saw it, I was um was really angry at Teo. I honestly thought, i thought but wow, he's actually done that. But then when you see the the entire video, you saw yeah i think isn't that and he's running he's running back. He's not even looking at the player.
01:53:42
Speaker
It's a weird kind of, like, it's a weird, I've never seen anything like that, a player have his foot up in that position. running plaum Never. So it's kind of weird how that happened. But I can't believe that, I can't i can't believe that it was it was deliberate to do something like that, to position your body running backwards like that. I can't believe, I just think it was a freak, kind of like a ah freak accident, I think, to be honest with you. I can't blame it. So I let Teo off that. Having said that, though, like you said, the end the day,
01:54:09
Speaker
you know, you can you can get sent off for reckless accidents, you know, in football. yeah And the way that that he'd done that, the way he'd been connected with that player, you know, that is that is ah something that that causes an ACL. If you look at how the need but ah leg bends back, that's something that causes a serious, serious injury.
01:54:29
Speaker
um Can do, and hopefully Maricic is okay and everything. But it was, ah yeah, it was risking a lot. um And... I'm sorry, the way that he, I've never seen anyone jump up like that and land like that.
01:54:41
Speaker
Like, you know, I think, I can't remember, I saw someone on Twitter say something really good. It's is there intention to harm? No. Is there intention for contact? Yes. No doubt about that. I think there is 100% intention to conquer for contact.
01:54:56
Speaker
There's no doubt about it. Only Theo would know that for sure, I think. Well, I think you need to look at how he jumps up and then his his leg stands up like that follows through. I mean, come on. like Strange. It's very strange. There is there's definitely intention to come from contact.
01:55:13
Speaker
Which is why I say you're responsible for your arms and your legs. You you can intend not to harm someone but just give them a little push, but you end up breaking their legs and arms.
01:55:26
Speaker
You're responsible for that. That's how I view it. I think players, just like in ice hockey, you're responsible for your stick. Doesn't matter if it accidentally goes in someone's face. you're responsible this thing. Yeah, think it's a strange one because I think that he's also risking injury himself with his body position moving like a good. Yeah, he is. That's why I'm not sure. But anyway, let's move on. The thing is like... We have to move on because we're running out of time. Lazio. Let's talk about Lazio. The penalty as well. We have talk about the Mignon penalty as well because that's apparently...
01:55:57
Speaker
apparently causing controversy as well. I don't know quite how. No, i don't listen, I don't want to go in there with with it with that. is I think it's quite clear. It's a clear penalty for me. He's unlucky because his momentum ah know on the slide takes him through the player. I mean, you can see it clearly. He takes out the player and he's not really going down when he hits him either. So I think it's a I think it's a penalty. it like It's yeah's a pretty clear penalty for me.
01:56:22
Speaker
Agreed. Agreed. That's exactly how I see it too. And that's exactly how I see it. I don't understand the controversy here as well. People saying, oh, but Isakson, you know, he exaggerates the contact. Yeah, but it doesn't matter because it's Manion that lunges into him. Well, Isakson's going in one, he's moving in a certain direction. He doesn't change his direction. No. And Manion's slide.
01:56:46
Speaker
um Into him. It slides into him and and takes him out. I think it's a quite clear penalty. and But Lazio as a whole, it's a great win for them. um Fantastic win. Excellent performance.
01:56:58
Speaker
Deserved to win. They created so many chances. They had 21 shots in this game. So away at Milan, even this Milan. That's very impressive. Almost gave it away with the Chiquis equaliser, but they still managed to find a winner with almost yeah the last kick.
01:57:13
Speaker
that puts them in a great position now for the top four. They're back and forth ahead of Juventus' game with Hellas Verona. And it shows that it's... I've said it. I've been saying it all season. I think Lazio are going to be the there or thereabouts all season.
01:57:26
Speaker
And i think it's I think it's going to go to the wire. i It could even come down to that Lazio-Juventus game in Rome on match day 36. It could even come down to that. and We'll see. Also, I guess we'll see how Lazio do in the Europa League, whether that takes something out of them. But so far...
01:57:42
Speaker
They've looked generally, looked physically, looked great. um Pretty much 95% of this season, they've looked physically good. They are a team, unlike Milan.
01:57:53
Speaker
They've got great spirit. They conceded that goal on the eighty seventh minute um in and still manage to still managed to find a way to to to come back and win the game. They weren't dejected by that.
01:58:03
Speaker
um they they continue to perform well in the big games, you know winning a draw against Napoli, winning a draw against Milan, a draw against Atalanta. In the big matches, they seem to turn up generally pretty well.
01:58:16
Speaker
um so So, yeah, they're they're they're looking they're in ah they're they're looking great. They're in a great position. They're in two competitions. and They've got lots of players performing well. Zakanyi,
01:58:27
Speaker
Fantastic again. I think he's becoming a contender for for player of the season in Serie A. not saying he should win it, but I think he's i think he's a contender. He's got 18 goal contributions this season. He was great again in this game.
01:58:40
Speaker
um Pedro again off the bench. Isiksen, another decisive moment. Rovello and Guendouzi bossing the midfield. Rovello was outstanding again. like we Now I'm ready to say that Juventus made a giant mistake letting him go.
01:58:53
Speaker
I think they we have to concede that. Rovello's having one of those seasons where but yeah i mean it's a breakout season he's a contender he's he's going he has to be in the Italian national team let me put it to you that way he's not a starter but he's definitely in the squad there's no doubt about it he has had an absolutely fantastic season and he's he ties together the Lazio's defense and attack so damn well he does everything you want from a player in that position in that system and
01:59:25
Speaker
we You know, Juventus screwed up here. They He's such an all-rounder. He can do a bit of everything. yeah You know, he can run, he can tackle. Because that's what you have to do nowadays. He can dominate, control the play, can build up the play.
01:59:36
Speaker
He just needs to add some gold more goals to his team and then he is the absolutely complete midfielder. I mean, he fights. This is how it is in midfield. Midfield players today in in football. They have to be able to do a little bit of everything.
01:59:51
Speaker
and and in order to have a really good career. if you're If you're just an expert in one thing, those days where you had the Pirulos and Gattuso and Ambrosini doing his running and and fighting for him, they're pretty much over. you You need a midfielder that can do a bit of everything.
02:00:06
Speaker
He's very intelligent. um I like how he reads the game. he reads players' movements and moves. There was one moment where Teo Hernandez was was was sprinting down the left wing trying to go on one of his runs. And I love the way that that he stuck with him. And then he...
02:00:21
Speaker
He read what Theo was going to do with the ball and nicked it off him and stole it from him, found a way to get his foot around the side of the player. He's very clever, intelligent in that way and quite complete in a sense, tactically as well, I think, because he can play as a Metsala, but he can also play as more... I think he can also play as ah as ah as a Regista as well. you know I think he can do both roles, Regista and Metsala.
02:00:52
Speaker
and so i think Exactly, like I said, you need to be versatile and in the central midfield in today's football if you want to have a good career because you need to be able to dominate. In order to dominate, you have to do of that. useful for Spalletti because Spalletti's team needs a player that can play as a regista, but also it needs a Metsal as well. So you put him in the squad and and you can use him in two roles.
02:01:17
Speaker
you know which Both Spalletti and Inzaghi could do with a Rovella. put it to you that way, as could Thiago Motta. As could Juventus, yes. Juventus is definitely good. Who lost out. he's so he's ah He's a better player than Locatelli. He's superior to Locatelli. He's more complete and he offers more options.
02:01:36
Speaker
yeah and He's better physically in terms of, he's he's not slow. You know, he can run as as well. But yeah, no, great. um Fantastic. But Nuno Tavares as well is becoming one of the signs. I mean, he has already been that. He's fallen off a little bit, but The way he's being used is just so intelligent by Baroni.
02:01:54
Speaker
he really gets he It's just generally Baroni has this ability to put to put the players in positions where they can express their absolute best. ah Well, they can just express their absolute best traits.
02:02:07
Speaker
And that's why Lazio looks so good. um And they're so methodic. I mean, even against Inter in the Coppa Italia, I they lost that undeservedly, in my opinion. um you know based on the balance of play Inter were not that much better than Lazio Lazio were just as good but they unfortunate the first goal it was Arnautovic won the goal that decided it but
02:02:31
Speaker
but That of chilled off the game. Yeah, but that should have been disallowed as well. they were They were unlucky in that game. and but But I think, listen, Nuno Tavares was fantastic in this game. But yeah act we have to say, he he was his poor marking that let Chicoese equalise. That is the problem he's got, isn't it? I think he's improved a lot. Trust me, I watched this guy at Arsenal because I was big on him at Arsenal and I took a bit of a hammer in from people because for some of my friends because I said that I really like, you know, Tavares, he looks fantastic and then he completely flopped at Arsenal and I looked a bit stupid because defensively he was really, really bad, like yeah really bad at Arsenal but he's improved.
02:03:11
Speaker
He has improved. He's still, he's still a weakness. yeah He's still a weakness. He switches off sometimes um but, oh God, he's a, He's a force of nature. he's He's becoming a candidate for signing of the season for sure.
02:03:25
Speaker
Yeah. um And based on... But he's the best he's got to be the best left back in Serie this season, hasn't he? I mean, he's got... Yeah, for consistency, I think he can make an argument. He's the most assists in Serie A, although he has been stuck on eight assists for yeah but most for quite a long time. But yeah, fantastic. So, Cani, brilliant again.
02:03:43
Speaker
a Again, Spalletti was at the game... Can Spalletti really leave him out just due to his system not working? is he I mean, I think it's worth bringing him and trying him as a second striker. Just give him a try.
02:03:54
Speaker
um mean, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but give it a go. Give a I agree. Do know what I If it doesn't work, okay, we'll get rid of We'll try it. We'll try it and get rid of him before the the qualifiers start, but give it a go because the way he's playing...
02:04:07
Speaker
he's For me, he's a contender for player of the season Serie There isn't that many, for me, this season, there isn't that many that absolutely stand out. I think there's a clear winner for Serie A, player of the season, not there has been in recent seasons.
02:04:18
Speaker
you know I think Adamula, Lukman. Lukman, Rettigy, Turam, but Turam's fallen off a bit. No, I don't think Turam. I think you can't go missing for three months and... Well, yeah, and until until the new year, Teran was, for me, that is probably absolutely was probably the first place. and From that, I think, given the lack of contenders, I think Teran is still there or thereabouts if he can have a strong end of season.
02:04:39
Speaker
But like I said, there isn't many. Who else who else is there, really? you know um i think Zekani's up there. i don't think there's anyone from Juventus that you have. um Napoli? I don't think there's anyone from Napoli.
02:04:51
Speaker
Well, maybe McTominay at most. Maybe. But that's a isn't it? I don't think there's a clear winner. No, I don't think so either. Based on that, think Zekane is up there.
02:05:03
Speaker
and And yeah, really really good. really Really good performance. um We have to move on though. Roma. Roma... ah The subs turn it the game around in this. They're losing 1-0 to Colmo.
02:05:14
Speaker
They're struggling. Salamakers then comes on. Second half. Scores minutes later to make it 1-1. Wrench comes on. Assists the... And assists the second goal, the winner for Roma.
02:05:28
Speaker
Minutes later... um And the assist was for Dovbic, who came on as a substitute at half-time. So the the three subs are the ones that that turn this game around and win it. And I guess it just sums up Claudio Ranieri that everything this man touches since he's joined Rova...
02:05:46
Speaker
has turned to gold. ah it's it's Ranieri can do no wrong at the moment. And what a job Ranieri is has done. i mean Roma are the form team in Italy now.
02:05:57
Speaker
four winds Four wins in a row now in all competitions. They're 11 unbeaten in Serie They've eight, drawn three. They're in an incredible run. um They're above Milan now, which is insane. When Ranieri took the job, they were fighting relegation.
02:06:13
Speaker
i think they were like, was it two points above relegation zone or so something like that? I mean, it's unbelievable what he's done. And as we speak now, but before before the Juventus play, they're six points behind Juventus.
02:06:26
Speaker
They're only seven points off top four. ah be And Juventus are playing Atalanta this weekend. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's ah it's it's a long shot. It's a long shot, especially with them in the Europa League and everything.
02:06:38
Speaker
You know, they're now even a... Okay, quite a big outsider, but they're an outsider, though, for fourth place. Sandwiched in between the athletic Bilbao games is Empoli away.
02:06:51
Speaker
Then they got Cagliari at home, Lecce away. Then their very difficult run starts. Juve at home, the Rome derby, Verona at home, Inter away, Fiorentina at home,
02:07:02
Speaker
Atalanta away Roma at home so let's you know they have a tough stretch of game if they win these next three games they're going to be even closer they're going to be if they win these next three games they're going to be in the race for top four put it that way which is mad which is mad which is mad Yeah, which is crazy. I mean, yeah, it depends on what the others do, but yeah, for sure. the question now is, and there's this talk that the Friedkins are trying to convince Ranieri to stay as coach next season. Should he stay as coach? No.
02:07:30
Speaker
he If he doesn't, like, I don't know. I really don't know. That's exactly my reaction. was My first reaction, my first reflex action is no, come on.
02:07:41
Speaker
And then it's, I don't know, actually. I don't know. It's like, he's 74 this year. that like He shouldn and should be already way too old. But it's absolutely remarkable what he's doing. think this has been such a redemption season. Let him finish it out and then leave him alone.
02:07:57
Speaker
let Let him end with grace. Let him go gracefully. and and And if he wants to be the person in charge of the football project, I think that's fair enough at the age of 74. We need to like leave leave him alone.
02:08:10
Speaker
Gasparini seems to be Ranieri's favourite choice to be the coach next next season. But yeah, it' this it's going to be quite something to follow, what Ranieri's doing. It's it's unbelievable.
02:08:21
Speaker
um But yeah um yeah, excellent comeback win. Cuomo had a really excellent first half. They were deservedly ahead, in my opinion. But then things just got away from them second half. They equalised and read card in the space for a few minutes and the game changed. But they also they could have got a draw at the end. They hit the post. They had another chance.
02:08:39
Speaker
So I think that, look, Ranieri said it as well. in the yeah I think Fabregas, who was suspended this game, think Fabregas has a big future ahead of him. I think he's doing a great job. um Really great vision of the game.
02:08:51
Speaker
But you know i think maybe you should learn from Thiago Mota ah last season and maybe wait a little bit before going to a big club and and maybe do another year at least with Colmo because they're going places, Colmo. They're spending money.
02:09:06
Speaker
They're putting together a really exciting, interesting team. I think you should stay there for another year. um Rest of the weekend fixtures, Nima. Yes.
02:09:17
Speaker
We'll run through them. Fiorentina 1, Lecce 0. So Fiorentina end their three-game losing weekend. puts them back in the European and even top four fights. So, important win for them. Udinese won Parma nil. Tovan, penalty ah this time.
02:09:33
Speaker
No drama. e kept p andol lu Udinese also, along with Roma, one of the form teams in Serie A, four wins and a draw in the last five. And now they are becoming outside challenges for for Europe as well. What a job Rene H has done at Udinese.
02:09:49
Speaker
this season. So that's great. Monza nil Torino 2. Casade's first goal for Torino. Monza are just a joke now. They're a complete joke. for they I think they there's a chance they could lose every game between now and the end of the season.
02:10:01
Speaker
They're so bad. They've just they've literally given up. um And then Bologna 2, Cali 1. a great week for Bologna after beating Milan. and They're now only two points behind Juventus, three off Lazio in fourth.
02:10:14
Speaker
um They're right in there in the running for fourth. They really are. Italiano's done a great job. Yeah, you've got to hand it to him. He's done an absolutely brilliant job so far. And the fact that they're in the semi-final, they could even reach the final of the Coppa Italia. Should, should reach the final. so Yeah, he's having a fantastic season.
02:10:31
Speaker
Yeah. Another final. he he seems to reach a final every year, but then he ever you never he hasn't managed to win. Genoa won, Empoli won in the other and the other game um of the the week and Juventus-Vorona on Monday.
02:10:44
Speaker
um European fixtures, I'll read them out. So, Feyenoord, Inter, Champions League, last 16, first leg in the Netherlands on Wednesday. Then in the Europa League, Roma against Athletic Bilbao in Rome and Victoria Piltzin versus Lazio on Thursday, Lazio away.
02:11:02
Speaker
And then on the Conference League last 16, Panathinaikos versus Fiorentina in Greece. So, yeah, big, big week for for the Romanian-Italian clubs.
02:11:15
Speaker
ah Inter, as we said, Inter look a bit tired. um But Feyenoord completely gutted, like they've only got one midfielder fit. So there's no excuses for Inter. They have to win this tie.
02:11:31
Speaker
Nima? Yes, they most definitely have to win this tie. they
02:11:40
Speaker
Feyenoord are very much a team that is, but but that are depleted. I mean, it's There's no doubt about that.
02:11:51
Speaker
um But, yeah, it's... ah One thing, though, that they do have speaking for them is that the Dutch league has decided to postpone their next home game against Groningen so that they play Inter and that they don't play for until they play Inter again.
02:12:11
Speaker
um Because they... I've seen some reports say it's because they want to give Feyenoord the best chance to do well in Europe, which I think is... Good, that's great for Feyenoord, but if I were Ajax, or if I were anyone else in that league, I'd be fairly pissed off.
02:12:28
Speaker
because you're doing favours for teams. Yeah, a final order just so way up so way off the top of the league that I don't think it really... Yeah, but it's not that. I mean, they got Utrecht in and third in 46 points, they got Twente in 43, Ansette Alkman in 43 points.
02:12:45
Speaker
So they're in in the spot to... in the race for the Champions League European spot. Like, I don't... I think it's um it's great that you have an FA that cares so much,
02:12:57
Speaker
but it's not very fair to the other teams in that league. Well, no, I think i agree. You can look at it both ways. And Roma, Lazio, Roma, really tough game. Athletic, they're having a fantastic season. yeah That's going to be a great, great side. If Roma win that, I think they can make the final.
02:13:14
Speaker
Without a doubt. Athletic are the strongest team down that side of the draw, in my opinion. Yeah, but Roma can do it. I think they can do it. Roma are in great form. They've got the experience. as well.
02:13:25
Speaker
And i'm also, Dybala is really starting to pick up as well. he's He seems to have got a bit of a spark back. like He's beating his man. He's going past his man. And he obviously was decisive in the last leg. So hopefully he can turn up. Lazio expects to win.
02:13:40
Speaker
Fiorentina, we're expecting to go through the tie. and Although it's always difficult playing in Greece. um Let's finish off with Baggio, Premface and Celia Ass of the week. So Baggio,
02:13:52
Speaker
We have. Jamie Carragher appears again. he's he's He's in our show every week now. Why in God's name have you made Jamie Carragher the Badger the Week? haven't made him the Badger of the Week. I've made John Obi-Makkel the Badger of the Week. So here's John Obi-Makkel's reaction to Jamie Carragher bad mouth in the AFCON and basically calling it a minor competition.
02:14:17
Speaker
Basically, the the whole of Africa wants to Declared war on Carragher. Declared war on Jamie Carragher. Jono B. Mikel just verbalised their feelings. Just have a look at the state that the the interview that that he gave and he just goes, Jamie Carragher, just fuck off.
02:14:35
Speaker
In a kind of a weird accent. and Yeah, brilliant. And also Boris Becker, the tennis legend, also went after Jamie Carragher as well, which was which was pretty... What was that about? i forgot. That was about... Carragher said something about Bayern.
02:14:49
Speaker
it Oh yeah, about Bayern Munich that was completely wrong. And Boris, boom, boom, Becker is a huge Bayern Munich fan and he just destroyed him. Yeah, he did. He launched one of his aces. Yeah, he was a boom boom Becker.
02:15:04
Speaker
Boom boom Becker. Yeah, put he put Carragher back in his cupboard. If you know, you know. Right, Prem Face. Do we have a Prem Face? or Because I don't have one. It's Carragher.
02:15:17
Speaker
I think it's just Carragher being publicly humiliated at this point at at a daily bait at a daily basis. It's like he gets off on it. And and and i for me, Badger of the Week is also Micah Richards, who did his absolute best, the Herculean task, to save Jamie Carragher from himself.
02:15:34
Speaker
But Jamie wasn't having any of it. He was like, no, I'm going down with this ship. Yeah. yeah Yeah, I love that. Cherry ass of the week. I've got a few here. So first of all, staying on the TV rights, as always, um in Australia... It wasn't just Australia, it was everywhere. In Sweden, we didn't have it either, which I was grateful for. I wanted to make that badger of the week.
02:15:55
Speaker
Not having to listen to the idiots in this country that have the rights to Italian football and can't pronounce the names properly, can't... can't commentate um they like it feels like they literally take some someone off the street and say oh you want to do you want to do the italian cups that you want to do coppa italia and not having to listen to any of the clowns that i usually have to listen to but instead the beautiful sound of silence and the crowd nima's going full kia starma banner it was beautiful it was banning free speech sending sending gonna you was sent police around the commentator's house to it No, no, no, no. It was beautiful. It was like the fact that I didn't listen to any of the clowns that usually commentate on football in Sweden was ah god. Let's just say what happened. that There was no commentary for... and Yeah, there should have been the world feed, but it wasn't. There was nothing there, um which is annoying.
02:16:46
Speaker
But compared to what I usually have to deal with whenever I listen watch football in Sweden generally... the sound of silence and just the crowd was a blessing for me.
02:16:56
Speaker
I don't have to listen to Donky's mispronouncing names, referring to Lautaro Martinez as Lautaro Martinez, as if he's like the son of Jukka Pekka from Rovaniemi in Finland, or Karnesecci, and all the other nonsense they say.
02:17:12
Speaker
So no, thank you very much for that. So that's that for me, that's the badger of the okay Okay, right. The other two silly asses are the Empoli social media admin basically admitting... well So when Empoli knocked out Juventus in the Coppa Italia quarterfinal the other night and they put out a tweet on social media with a picture of a...
02:17:34
Speaker
of a pitch with like scribbled on writing that's been made on a, on a phone, um, on paints on the phone saying, um, basically saying that their social media manager wasn't, wasn't, wasn't working.
02:17:47
Speaker
So I guess that just I think that was a joke though. Was it a joke? I don't know. Yeah. I felt like they were, I think they were just having a bit of a laugh because they were having a lovely, lovely, lovely time on the internet. The Empoli Twitter account was having one of the best nights of their life. And God bless them.
02:18:04
Speaker
They reached the final of the semi-final of the Coppa Italia for the first time ever in their history. So, you know, yeah i get that they wanted to have a bit of fun. um But for me, Serie A's of the week is Cesc Fabregas.
02:18:21
Speaker
That, that they you know, you can take Fabregas away from Arsene Wenger, but you can't take the Arsene Wenger out of Cesc Fabregas. That comment that he said after the Roma game is just so embarrassing. What did he say? i miss I always talk about winning, that we must have a winning mentality.
02:18:41
Speaker
In my opinion, we won tonight. Sure, we didn't win the three points, but we won many other things. Tonight, we grew in mentality. We learned to suffer. Oh my, just shut up.
02:18:54
Speaker
Like... In my opinion, we won the game tonight. There's participation trophies and delusion, and then there's that. In my opinion, we won tonight.
02:19:05
Speaker
Yeah, that's very pretty interesting. in Oh, my days, that was cringy. like when people say, we won the XG, or we won the possession. We won the possession. Yeah, here's here's the invisible trophy, Gif. Like, i mean, it's just, in my opinion, we won tonight.
02:19:23
Speaker
Mm-hmm. In my opinion. Final one. Milan kit. Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. Orangey red shirt with this green bottom of the shirt with red shorts and red socks. Absolutely disgusting. That's not a Milan kit.
02:19:39
Speaker
It looked like the Portugal kit. It looked like the Portugal It looked like the Portugal kit. Absolutely disgusting. Disgusting colours. They don't coordinate with one another. Horrible. Who the hell designed that again? Once again, how can you mess up the design of the Milan shirt? It's so classic. literally impossible.
02:19:56
Speaker
Awful. I guess it also just sums up, again, that club at the moment right now. Yeah, it like the Portugal kit. That's what it looked like. And maybe Jorge Mendes is basically controlling and in charge of Milan right now. Well, this is funny because maybe he designed it.
02:20:10
Speaker
if If I remember correctly, this is exactly what we said when the rumours started of Conseil Sao, that now George Mendes is exerting his power at Milan. And is that a good thing or a bad thing for Milan? He was starting to do something similar at Juve as well, although he's not fully in control there Juve. But I think...
02:20:34
Speaker
the the discussion we had, I think it was, when was Konsei Sao on his way in? that's i remember it clearly, we're talking about it, is is that you know, George Mendes is when he comes into clubs, it's a little bit difficult to get rid of him.
02:20:51
Speaker
Um, so yeah, for sure. Right. Let's leave it at that. Um, because my dad has just come around and he's shouting in the background. he's destroying the pod. Um, um, that's a good, that's a good time to, to, to end the pod. But so yeah, extra long pod for you today because it was, ah it was so much to talk about. Um, I hope you will enjoy it. We will be back later in the week for Q&A and also for review of Inter versus Inter's match in the Champions League, whether that's as a full pod or whether it's just a reaction pod. We'll have something.
02:21:23
Speaker
Yeah. Okay, great. Let's leave it at that. Ciao, ciao.