Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Juventus Beat Inter To Win Derby d’Italia | Lazio & Dia Deny Napoli | AC Milan Saviour Santi Gimenez | Roma Soule Beauty & Much More (Ep. 495)
0 Plays2 seconds ago
From Chico Conceicao and Randal Kolo Muani gifting Juventus 4th consecutive win in all competitions, Inter Milan fail to make first half dominance count as per usual, Napoli lucky to get a point after comical goal, Boulaye Dia equalizer for Lazio who deserved win, to Santiago Gimenez saving AC Milan, Matias Soule scores beauty for Roma and preview of Europa League and Champions League second leg playoff rounds as well as this week's Baggio, Serie ASS and Premface of the week plus much, much more when Nima and Carlo break down all the main talking points from Match Day 25 of the 2024/2025 Serie A season.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:13 Juventus: Hunger & Grit Decisive In Second Half Turnaround
17:01 Inter Milan: Groundhog Day - Cant Make Dominance Pay
42:11 Napoli: Third Draw In A Row After Again Dropping Points When In Lead
57:03 Lazio: Boulaye Dia Equalizes At Death But Deserved To Win
01:03:42 Atalanta: Scudetto Chances Scuffed?
01:09:14 AC Milan: Jimenez & Gimenez Save The Day
01:13:55 Roma: Matias Soule Freekick Stunner Wins Three Points
01:16:23 Best Of The Rest: Bologna Win Despite Eljif Elmas Stunner, Nico Paz Como Show & Udinese Smash Empoli
01:19:07 Champions League & Europa League 2nd Leg Playoff Preview: Atalanta & Milan To Overcome Deficit, Juve Defending Lead & Roma Home To Porto
01:21:33 Baggio, Premface & Serie ASS Of The Week
If you want to support The Italian Football Podcast and get every episode, simply become a member on Patreon.com/TIFP OR Spotify OR YouTube Memberships. Your support makes The Italian Football Podcast possible.
Recommended
Transcript
Serie A Weekend and European Preview
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. hello everybody and welcome to the italian football podcast the official podcast of football itia um'm carla garrggannazi joined as always by nimatavalli on today's show we will review the weekend set hourre matches events ah beat in in ah In an exciting Derby d'Italia thanks to a ah Chico Conse Sal goal, Inter missed the chance to go top, as Napoli's difficult run continued, as a ah late Boulaidia equaliser earned Lazio a 2-2 draw in ah in another exciting game in Rome. Atalanta's poor form in 2025 continued as they were held by Cagliari. Santi Jimenez scores late for Milan as they beat Hellas Verona.
00:00:51
Speaker
Mateus Sulay finally emerged for Roma with a quite beautiful free kick against Parma and will also preview the Champions League and Europa League playoff matches and will have our usual Baggio prem face and Sadias of the week.
Supporting the Podcast
00:01:07
Speaker
For all our first time listeners, this is our free weekly episode that we do every Monday reviewing the weekend Serie A action and all the biggest talking points.
00:01:14
Speaker
in Italian football. If you want to support the Italian Football Podcast and receive all of our content that we do throughout the week, including a weekly Q and&A episode every Tuesday, plus the weekly Thursday midweek review show, plus interviews, post-match reaction and much, much more, then go to patreon dot.com slash TIP and become a subscriber, for just $2.99 plus v a ah You can also sign up to be a paid subscriber on Spotify. The link's in the description. ah It's the same price and terms. And for all of you that do listen on all of these platforms, really appreciate it. If you give us a five-star rating, give us a follow and a like. And also, we are on YouTube, um so do subscribe to us there. um All of that really helps us to to to grow and do more content for you guys.
00:01:59
Speaker
and we're also ah You can also now, by the way, become a patron on YouTube via YouTube memberships. Just go to our YouTube channel on youtube dot.com slash at Ita foot pod for more details.
Juventus vs Inter - Derby d'Italia Breakdown
00:02:12
Speaker
Okay, let's get into today's show.
00:02:15
Speaker
So, only one place to start, of course, the Derby d'Italia Sunday evening game in Turin. Juventus win 1-0, a very, very exciting game. I think a very a great game for for the neutral um to watch, a good advertisement for for Italian football.
00:02:34
Speaker
um high-paced game um and a game of two halves. If we start off with, um from Juventus' point of view, and first of all, the important thing is, Juventus won this game. It's a massive win for Juventus. Forget the performance, first of all, which we'll come to. The most important thing was that they win this game. For the top four, for Thiago Morza's future, for the confidence of the players,
00:03:01
Speaker
and for the PSV game, of course, that's coming up on on Wednesday, and of course, beating your bitterest rivals, and you know so winning the game, even if you know you play badly, um whatever however you perform, and winning was always going to be the most important in a match like this, and Juventus managed to do that, um and we'll see whether this can finally be the kickstart of Juventus this season or whether it's another false storm. and We've had so many of these false storms this season where Juventus win a big game ah and and then they they don't they don't kick on. So that's the most important thing from Juventus' point of view.
00:03:43
Speaker
if we look at the actual match itself, this is clearly, and it's probably going to be a similar analysis for both teams, but for Juventus, this was clearly a game of of two halves for Juve, which is is kind of strange because the first half,
00:03:59
Speaker
um Juventus were a mess, a complete mess. And they did have a few half chances on the break, um but they were completely dominated by Inter. I mean, it looked like the gulf between the two teams looked absolutely huge and in that first half. I mean, Inter should have been at least two up. The game should have been over, really, at halftime, if we're really honest. I mean, Dumfries and Lautaro both missed sitters. ah let Dumfries hit the post.
00:04:26
Speaker
um interwasted countless openings where they should have created big chances but didn't because they got the final pass wrong. I remember one where Bastogne had two players in the middle just waiting to tap it in and he overheats it. but Chances like that that should have become big chances. and I thought structurally Juventus were a mess. that They couldn't get out ah into a dominating possession. Juventus' press was non-existent. They were into a plane through them so easily, and finding the holes in in in front and behind the midfield.
00:04:56
Speaker
um and it kind of looked at half time like more evidence that Juventus had lost their kind of remaining identity under Motta which was you know at least controlling possession, at least being tight defensively and it it was it was a miracle. Juventus even though they did have a few kind of half chances on the break,
00:05:15
Speaker
um it was a miracle you went to Swannil Nil at half time. um I think Inter had an XG of 1.57 at half time, which is which is mad, really, in a game like this. So and it looked at half time whether Inter would win this game. This
Inter's Struggles and Future Concerns
00:05:33
Speaker
continued. There was no doubt about that.
00:05:35
Speaker
But then, as I said, game of two halves, the second half, Juventus were a completely different team, straight from the whistle. they They pressed up high, they forced mistakes from Inter. they And I think this was the key thing and something I wanted to discuss when we when we talk about this from the Inter point. Physically, they look much better than Inter in the second half.
00:05:54
Speaker
ah they were more up for it, especially in that second half. They were fighting, they were battling, they were winning the joules, winning the second balls. um they stoped into While Inter found it so easy constructing in the first half, Inter couldn't construct in the second half. ah Whereas on the other hand, Juventus were able to construct themselves. They couldn't construct them. as They were using the ball much better, especially when Cambiazzo came on. ah They were able to play out and and get up the pitch.
00:06:20
Speaker
And Juventus created the chances in the second half. They conceded almost nothing, except for the one where ah de Gregorio pushed it onto the post. And I think with on the stats that didn't count because because it got got called back, which I don't think was the right decision. But that's the only chance I think Inter really created in the second shot the second half.
00:06:39
Speaker
Whereas Juventus scored the goal, they had Koop miners had won off the line and Juventus were the more dominant team in in the in the second half. I thought the second half performance was really really excellent and Juventus deservedly won the second half.
00:06:54
Speaker
ah and you know and as a result they they ended up winning the game. So yeah, game of two halves from Juventus, poor first half, excellent second half and ultimately they get a huge, huge win, a massive win for this for that season.
00:07:11
Speaker
They've won three games in a row in the Serie A. They've won four games across all competitions on the trot. It's a decisive week, and they've won two of those three decisive games. And that's why they're feeling better about themselves.
00:07:26
Speaker
um And they should be. The performance might not have been outstanding, but it doesn't really matter at this point when you are in a crisis, as Juventus have been in. You just got to build confidence. And this kind of win builds confidence. I tweeted out as soon as three minutes into the second half that we're just waiting for the Juventus goal. And we were, because Juventus showed character, showed hunger, showed desire, and intensity, and was switched on
00:07:58
Speaker
and in a way that Inter were not. And no more does this become more evident than Columwani battling against four Inter players ahead of the goal, winning every single one of those battles because he wanted it more. And Conseil São then buries it. um it's I agree with everything you said, except for the fact that this was a good advert for Italian football. This was one of the worst Derbi di Talias qualitatively I've seen in my life.
00:08:27
Speaker
The sheer number of misplaced passes, simple mistakes, technical errors was abhorrent to me from both teams. um good spec I guess what I mean is a good spectacle in terms of the excitement. Yeah, it was very i was an exciting game to watch. Yeah, it was an exciting game in the sense that the atmosphere and and you could feel the tension in the air and and that it meant a lot to both teams, yes. but on an individual level, Carlo, this was genuinely... No, no, yeah, and I said the first half structurally, I thought Juventus were a mess. Not just Juve, I'm talking both things. Yeah, I mean, I'm talking, yeah, from the Juventus point of view. The quality of a game overall was... Yeah, but I mean, it was exciting to watch, there was loads of chances. Yeah, I mean, again, excitement is one thing, but I'm talking about the technical quality. Oh, for sure. What I mean is you get it was like a Premier League. You get a lot of Premier League games like this. There's lots of errors. There's lots of, you know, I mean, I guess that's what I meant. You know, the average person, you know, they would have they would have what they wouldn't have switched off. No, no, no, they wouldn't have because it was exciting. Absolutely. But and it was very like you could feel the tension in the air.
00:09:35
Speaker
and and and that those are the games that people remember and they stick in to watch. But Juventus wanted it more. um it's It's very clear. that this is you know if We'll get to this when we get to Inter, but Juventus showed hunger, showed desire, showed a will, like we saw against PSV, that that's why they've won both of these games. They weren't necessarily much better in either of these two games, but they wanted it more. They they showed more hunger and desire and and willpower and and mental strength.
00:10:09
Speaker
um Like I said, Columwani, before that goal, just demonstrates that by sheer willpower and hunger and fight and grit, when winning four challenges against four players at once. And the ball goes to Konsi-Sawan. And um when you when he scores that, that's game over then, because these these are low scoring affairs. um And it was it was essentially game over from then on. Juventus just the uinta had nothing after that. It's completely dead.
00:10:39
Speaker
um And they had no shaping, no structuring, Juventus just controlled the game out until the end. And it is a huge win for Juve because in a weekend where Lazio dropped points, where Milan win,
00:10:52
Speaker
um and Fiorentina lose, this was fundamental for Juve to win this game in the top four race. car without doubt and That might play into it actually, you know maybe after the Napoli draw, ah in into it wasn't so, I mean you might say differently when we speak about Inter but for me this was a more important win, it was more important for Juventus to win this game than it was for than it was for Inter. Inter can lose or draw this game and there're still you know that they're still in touch there with with Napoli. Whereas for Juventus, Juventus had to win this game um for the for the top four. Otherwise Milan close on them and you know the Lazio stay with a ahead of them and and they're running out of time. and and you know So I think it was more important and I think maybe that's why certainly in the second half Juventus went for it more.
00:11:43
Speaker
ah in the in the second half and they tried to win the game more. But I mean, I want to praise, there was a number of individual performances from Juventus that I thought were really, really good. um First of all, Gatti and Vega, both of them, um certainly from, ah like you said,
00:12:00
Speaker
from a mental point of view. They both played like warriors in this game. Vega has had a very, very good start to his Juventus career. Four games, four wins. He did make one mistake with that chance when Inter hit the post, where he wanted the foul. I haven't seen it back from every angle, but I think don't think that was a fail. I mean, Inter missed it anyway, but you know he got away with that one. But apart from that, I thought he was excellent. um I really like his mentality and his character. He's very vocal. He's very strong. I mean, he's a monster physically for his age, but he like he battles, he roughs up attackers. I saw one moment where I know Taran was half fit, but he matched
00:12:44
Speaker
terrain physically, which very few do. you know He's made a difference, Vega, definitely, since he's come in. um and yeah he he Hopefully he will actually be a good sign-in. for i mean You don't have an option on him, but from now until the end of the season, um and I thought Gatti was outstanding, again, as he was against against PSV.
00:13:04
Speaker
ah He really turned up um in this game. De Gregorio yeah he made some big saves when he was needed. I thought he was excellent. Taran in the second half was outstanding. um I've compared him to a kind of poor man's Patrick Vieira in the past. i mean He's not on that level, of course, but the way that he drives with the ball um into space and he and he he takes the ball from his own half into the you know into deep into the the the half of the opponent like we saw that a lot in the second half in this game against Inter and and he's got such physical strength and and and and such a such great physique and and he's I thought he was excellent to Ram and of course Moani as you said I mean
00:13:54
Speaker
fantastic play for the goal, that roulette, which is becoming kind of a signature move for Juventus players at the moment, after Yildiz did it and the other week. I really, really enjoyed his physical battle with a chairbie, because a chairbie usually beats up even top attackers. We've seen it so many times where he's dominated physically, dominated top attackers. ah And Mulani gave as good as he got in the physical battle with a chervy. Like, again, men talking about mentality. I like Mulani's mentality.
00:14:25
Speaker
I like how he stands up to opponents. I like how he deals with them. um You know, he chased back and made one really good tackle at one point as well. like I really like that mentality. It's a winning mentality that he's got. And as opposed to Vlaovec who just sulks and moans and complains and and doesn't use his weight, doesn't f throw his weight around in the in the correct way. So I thought Moani was really, really good. Conte Sal, of course, he scored the winner and he went close in the first half. Koop miners.
00:14:53
Speaker
not good in the first half but I thought more positive in the second half and he he could have scored so that was a little bit better he's still not where he should be though and the only other one I want to praise Cambiaso when he came on definitely took the game more even more into Juventus' favour because and I think we saw the previous day in these last few games I've been critical of Juventus because I've said that They've lost the identity of Mota in that before with Mota, at least Juventus used to dominate possession. They could construct from the back, they could get out of the first press, they could work their way up the pitch. Of course, it all used to fall fall but down once it got into the final third. But with Cambiazzo out in these four games, that's just disappeared. And I didn't put two and two together. As soon as Cambiazzo came on, it was so obvious how Juventus were able to construct from the back and get through that first
00:15:41
Speaker
first wall of intas, make it into midfield and make it up the pitch. And we saw that with Cambiazzo. I thought he was outstanding and we saw kind of how important his inversions are as well into midfield in helping Juventus build up the play. um So that is what Cambiazzo brings when he's when he's playing well.
00:16:00
Speaker
and So i thought he was I thought he was excellent as well. So there was a lot of really good individual performances from Juventus. I can't really criticise anyone. Maybe Savona I thought was great. I thought Dumfries was bully him in a bit well bullying him a lot actually in that first half. But other than that I thought yeah i thought everyone really played pretty well and Juventus now just need to take take that They need to take the second half performance it because i think a lot I've seen a lot of Juventus fans, you know obviously they're excited, they've beaten a rival, that's great, but I've seen a lot of Juventus fans kind of getting carried away, oh you know because you remember the second half, you generally forget the first half. when you When you play well in the second half and you win, you tend to forget what happened in the first half. The Juventus were genuinely
00:16:42
Speaker
really structurally awful in that first half. It was painful watching how bad. So they can't get carried away. They need to try and take that second half performance and play like that second half. Because if they play like that second half going forward, then they're going to have nothing to worry about between now and the end of the season. That's the key.
00:17:00
Speaker
Shall we move to Inter? Yeah. Yeah, OK. So let's move to Inter. So first of all, the bottom line is that Inter missed the chance to go top. Napoli, you know, they slipped up, they drew, and Inter could have gone top. Now, my analysis of this game is similar to events. It's only the other way around. Inter were absolutely fantastic in the first half, in their dominance of the game.
00:17:23
Speaker
um they they They completely battered Juventus. 1.57 XG to 0.31. They controlled all the game. They dominated territory. um They were all over Juve, but they missed the chances. They wasted so many big chances, or so many big chances to create big chances as well. And then the second half,
00:17:47
Speaker
They disappeared. um I'm not sure what happened in the second half. um They didn't have the same intensity. Juve took over physically. Maybe, this is what I'm thinking, maybe Inter went too hard in the first half and they ran out of steam. Maybe. Maybe we should give credit to Motta to turn it around. But ultimately, Inter lost this game, I think, because they didn't put their chances away. The game should have been ah over at halftime. Well, it's Groundhog Day because how many times have we said this in this this season of Arinta?
00:18:17
Speaker
intercreate chances, fail to score and then run out of steam in the second half, get countered get the and lose the game or draw the game. Can't kill off chances. It's ah it's it's getting, it's repetitive and it's boring to to talk about. It's evident that this team is not the same inter at all that we saw last season and it's a combination of factors.
00:18:42
Speaker
It's a combination of a physical and mental fatigue, but it's also what Mikitarian said after the game. And he says, I can only speak for myself, but maybe the problem is that we know how strong a team we are and we relax too much. Then we go out on the pitch and we're not fully focused. We think we can win all matches and in the end we pay. That's arrogance. That is complete and utter arrogance as well.
00:19:08
Speaker
and just goes to show that and this is this is this this is on top of all the other things that we've seen um and because I don't think it's just arrogance I think there is they're definitely arrogant but it's also a physical and mental aspect that they don't have enough tank in the gas and ah they don't have enough gas in the tank sorry and they they can't kill off games, and it's not just a one player or two players, but if we're talking about symbolism here, Lautaro Martinez, is this is his inter, and he's the symbol of this inter, and nothing speaks more about this inter this season than Lautaro Martinez this year this year. That first half
00:19:56
Speaker
Four chances, four shots, not a single one on target, one more fluffed and abhorrently poor than the other, and the fourth fourth shot that was blocked was not blocked by a Yuva player, it was blocked by his own left leg by his right leg sorry when he was shooting with his left leg. I don't know what to what to say to that. Inter's captain, 10 million net a the year.
00:20:20
Speaker
that's that's That's what we've seen this season. Empoli, Sparta, Prague, Lecher, best player on the pitch. Milan, Napoli, Juve, what, zero goal, zero assists? I mean, it's it's this this is what we've seen all season. And when your captain, the guy who's supposed to lead you, is like this and consistently is like this inconsistently, then what do you expect?
00:20:50
Speaker
Inter let Napoli off the hook. This was the weekend where Inter was supposed to show what they're made of. And they showed what they're made of. Paper mache. Mentally they're made of paper mache.
00:21:05
Speaker
they don't They don't have the same hunger in the Serie A as they do in the Champions League for various reasons, because they haven't won the Champions League. They've won this this group of players, they've won this Corretto once or twice, they've dominated in in Italy, and they don't seem to have the same hunger in the league as they do in Europe. And that's just, you know, that's that's all we can say. after look it We're on February 17th,
00:21:35
Speaker
And this is what I mean when you compare, like this is what I meant when I said that this inter does not have the consistency that is needed to win the league. And and the only reason they are still within a shot of winning the league is, again, several factors. Well, they do have world class individuals who can decide even when they're not having a good day, they can decide games on their own. And they have.
00:22:05
Speaker
And it's also because Juve and Milan have had a horrid season, horrible season. They should be they should have been fighting for the Scoredetto. They're nowhere near fighting for the Scoredetto. Napoli is overperforming, and but they have lots of technical limitations and are overperforming. um But in a normal season, when when teams are performing as good as they should, Inter wouldn't be in the title race. They wouldn't. And they shouldn't.
00:22:36
Speaker
And this kind of, this this has been ongoing for the entire season. And if you can't see that, I don't know what to tell you. ah you know Yeah, I mean, I agree with most of that. I think if we separate kind of points from performances, um which a lot of people don't do with Napoli as well, who we'll come to afterwards. um ah Yeah, I think there's is's definitely interest performances in Serie A have been not have been of the same level as as as previous season, certainly last season. um I mean, while I agree with most of that, I mean, clearly, look, they they lost this game because they didn't put their chances away. They created so many chances. Like they did against Juve, 4-4. Like they did it against Napoli when they missed the penalty. Like they did against Milan when they played poorly and hit the post three times. I mean, it's Groundhog Day. I feel like Bill Murray. Well, the only thing I would say, because I would look this up last night, because cause I worked to see
00:23:29
Speaker
As a whole this season, that i mean I think that's true in in some individual games. Inter actually have the best chance conversion rate in all of Serie A this season. They're over-performing their expected goals the most in Serie A season. It's got 58 goals in Serie A this season, which is the most in all of Serie A. Their expected goals, XG, is 53.5, so they've got a 4.5 positive ah ah increase on their expected goals, which is the highest in Serie A. So over the course of the season, overall, I don't think it's a problem with their finish. It is a problem. It was a problem in this game. I'll tell you why it's a problem. I'll tell you why it's a problem, because it goes to show exactly what I said. Another way of reading that is proving my point. The fact that Inter are not creating as much as they used to in previous seasons, but they're being saved because they have world class players who can resolve situations on their own. That's not good enough.
00:24:25
Speaker
That's my point. When you look at Inter last season, they were a team that had fantastic players, but they had a system and they blew everyone off the plot park. They played everyone off the park. They're not doing that this season. They're getting by. The results are good, but the performances are lackluster at best. no No, I agree with that. I agree that they're they're not they're not dominating teams like like they were. i just you know i' just wanted to make is cause it's I just wanted to make the point that like in terms of that they their chance conversion rate, it's the best in Serie A this season. But in this game, definitely, and in some other big games, they they haven't put their chances away. And and when they haven't made it taken advantage of when they're on top,
00:25:05
Speaker
in games. It's very rare at the top level to dominate a game from start to finish, even when you're as good as as as as superior. as You've got to score when you're on top. Now, Inter were completely on top for a whole 45 minutes.
00:25:18
Speaker
and it was It was like men against boys that first half, I thought. Juventus had the odd flurry where they went forward and they had a few half chances. Soma made one really great save, I thought from Conse's self, deflected shots. It wasn't like Juventus had nothing in the first half, but if you watch that game, it was the difference, the gulf between the two teams was massive.
00:25:40
Speaker
um So that makes me think that I think physically, I definitely think that would probably be my biggest concern with Inter from this from this game. um Well, is are we seeing a physical a bit of a physical decline? Inter do have quite an aging team in terms of their average age.
00:25:58
Speaker
you know i wonder i think that maybe that's why it's a kind of managed it's very rare that you see into come out of the traps really go off the right from the first minute maybe that this is why because i don't have the legs they don't have the the physical qualities to to maintain that and they fall away in the second half which is what.
00:26:17
Speaker
in this game usually we see into that kind of they start slowly they they do not mean and then they they and then they slowly wear down the opposition and they take over and they win maybe this game has shown that that's the way in to have to go because physically i don't know that that that that would be a good question That would be my takeaway for from this game because I definitely saw a huge physical decline and that shouldn't have happened because because you got and weeks to rest while you were playing a very risky game against PS3. Yeah, exactly. That's the point I was gonna make. The other point I would make is maybe
00:26:50
Speaker
I don't know, maybe, are we, because we hear this all the time, in to have the best depth in Serie A, and that has definitely been true over the course of four seasons. And when you compare it to Napoli's squad, which is, and then Napoli's depth, which is just horrendous, ah even their managers was taking a piss out of it on the bench, which we'll come to.
00:27:09
Speaker
Are we over rating the depth of ah that they need to have? ma i'm might I'm starting to come to this conclusion that maybe we are because look, we know, you know, my opinion on Inter's attacking depth. I think it's horrendous that they're they attacked. but them But even in midfield, like, let's be honest, Zielinski has disappointing. He has from what you expect.
00:27:32
Speaker
to what he's given. He's been disappointing. He's got away with it because Inter are doing well. But I mean, I don't see much difference between Zelensky and Koopmeiners. Obviously, Zelensky was free. There was a free transfer. Koopmeiners was 60 million. Koopmeiners was in his peak of his career. Zelensky is 30. So of course, it's not the same. But in terms of performance,
00:27:50
Speaker
I think Zelinski's been about on the same level as Koop minus this season. he He really hasn't, he really has been disappointed and you bring him on and and he doesn't strengthen the team no at all. Well, it's it's the midfield is where I've been banging on this drum for for weeks, if not months that the depth of midfield is non-existent. Because as I keep saying, after, as I said, after the Sparta Prague game,
00:28:13
Speaker
The most difficult role in the Inzaghi system is the what is the three central midfield roles because you have to be able to do a little bit of everything. You have to be able to run, you have to be dynamic, you have to be technically very good, you have to be a safe passer, you have to have creativity, you have to be able to read the game really well. Aslani, great good technique.
00:28:36
Speaker
creativity, good passer, zero dynamism. The complete opposite is true of Fratesi. And then you have Zielinski, who is being forced to play in the register role because Aslany can't play there. He doesn't like it. he he offers He's good on the ball. He's press resistant. He's technical. But he also doesn't offer the same dynamism that so or that the even Mikitarian does at the ripe old age of 36.
00:29:01
Speaker
because he's he's he's just not there. um So yeah, the the depth in midfield is where it is, because that's where you win games. You win games by dominating the midfield. And Inter don't do that this season. That's late at the heart of everything I've said. Yeah, I think Inter have great depth in defence. There's no doubt about that. but but um And they have great depth on the left, like Alcusto or DiMarco. That's quality.
00:29:26
Speaker
but the Senate midfielders, the depth is, you know, we thought chala nolu and yeah want so I want to, I want to come on to channel because I saw some really great stats on that, which I worked to read out on Sky Talia. But I just just want to finish my point on the depth, the Senate midfield, the depth isn't what we thought, like you not you've just said. And then on the right, it's basically I mean, are we now seeing that? Is this the end of Darmian? Like he never He rarely even plays right wing back now. um Is he just a centre back now? in is a the debt you know maybe he's got And then in an attack, there just there is just no depth at all. I mean, Tarami, this is the wrong game to criticise Tarami. I thought he did okay in the first half. He had one good bar.
00:30:11
Speaker
He doesn't score goals. He's very rarely a threat on goal. And then then the other the other backups are just just way off it, Correa and on out of it um as well. So to the midfield and attacking depth for that there is non-existent. And and you know that is an issue, especially in midfield, and I think we think the point you're going to make, that Makaterian, what is he, 36 now. And Chelanoglu, since he's come back from these kind of succession of injuries,
00:30:38
Speaker
He's, um I'm going to read out a stat that some stats that I ah captured from Sky Italia last night on the on the Calcho Club. um So this is Charlie Nogli since he's come back from the from the succession of injuries. Chance is created per 90.
00:30:55
Speaker
has gone down from 1.9 to 0.5. Bulls recovered per 90 minutes has gone down from 5.7 per 90 to 2.1. Duals won has gone down percentagewise from fifty seven percent to thirty two percent and percentage percentage of second bulls won has gone down from 54% to 31%.
00:31:23
Speaker
um Of course, this is still quite a bit of a sub plus small sample size in the fact that, you know, maybe he isn't back to full fitness yet. But I think that's also part of the worry because he has had a succession of injuries and he doesn't seem to to be able to get back to his full fitness. And as a result, that's also affecting him. But this is clearly a player at the moment that we've seen recently in 2025. This isn't the same child in ugly. And that is that's affecting Inter as well, I think.
00:31:47
Speaker
and And they should have probably sold him to Bayern Munich when they had the chance in the summer and reinvested the squad, reinvested and reinvigorated in the squad. It's groundhog day. You win the Scudetto, you don't improve, you take a step sideways, and then you wonder why the the rest of the the pack have caught up with you. Exactly like after Conte, but with when they won the Scudetto then, but with the difference, of course, then there was a financial meltdown. This last summer, they decided to take a three-month holiday.
00:32:15
Speaker
And this is worse because when you're in that situation, they were after the, the, after COVID, when they won the score, that was different. That was financial meltdown. It was panic mode. This time around, they just decided not to do anything.
00:32:30
Speaker
We're fine as we are. We won the league by 15 points. Look at us, how awesome we are. And this is this this arrogance, is is is kind of it permeates everything from and from the top down. And and and I think they need there needs to be a proper revolution in
Napoli's Tactical and Depth Issues
00:32:46
Speaker
the summer. And the signings haven't worked. like We've been critical, say, luck of Juventus and Milan, although Milan had done good work in January, but Milan last summer you know for their transfer market. Yeah, but they did something.
00:32:57
Speaker
They did something, but I guess the point I'm making is like Inter have got away with it also because they've been doing well. absolutely If you actually look at the plays that came in, Toremi's been a flop. Zelinski, I'm going to say, I think he's been a flop for what he was expected. Palacios wasn't ready and has been loaned out. Okay, maybe you say that's that's more of a signing for the future, but still.
00:33:15
Speaker
you you brought in someone who hasn't contributed this season, I think Zalivsky's been good and I actually thought he was good in this game. So so far he's been he's actually been really good, but it's early, isn't it? Yeah, but Zalivsky, I think, is a smart signing because I think as long as Simon Inzagi is there, I think he'll be a very serviceable player because I think he can work in the Inzagi system and and get the most out of it. I actually like that signing. I think it's a smart signing and he will work very well under Inzagi.
00:33:40
Speaker
but The fact of the matter is they didn't do anything. I didn't like the subs either but again it can come down to kind of well Yeah, maybe the depth isn't as good and and I like the subs I don't have a problem with it Bastani hasn't delivered a proper cross in three months Same with the Marco the crossing is a part of your democracy for I he's off on the market I mean, oh so is Bastoni. I mean, he can't make simple passes. There was a chance, the most glaring example of that, is when Inter are countering and he miskicks it so far out. That's what I was referring to in the first half. We had two players, I think it was Daltaro and Dumperies, and it would have been basically... Look, I said after the Sparta Praglin on the spar Sparta Prag game, for patrons only, I said there's a
00:34:23
Speaker
There's an iceberg on the horizon and it has four tips. It's called Milan, Fiorentina, Fiorentina and Juve. Well, after two losses and one draw and one win, i can I think we can safely say that three of those tips have hit and were leaking in water.
00:34:36
Speaker
so Maybe we should be honest about what Inter are this season. And it is a team that is not built to compete more than on one or two fronts. That's just the reality of it. And they're going to have to make a decision as to what front that is. The longer they're dragged in this title race with Napoli, the more it's going to impact Champions League.
00:35:02
Speaker
The longer they're in the Copa Italia, the more it's going to impact the Serie A and the Champions League. They need to make a decision. That's just the reality of it. It's not something we should be happy about because Inter should be constructed to compete on all fronts. But the fact of the matter is the reality is they're not. They can't. They're just not able to. And come on you just you're going to have to yeah choose. I agree. um um What do you make of Inter's poor record against the big clubs this season? Is it just coincidence? Is there something more to it? Because they've played Milan. Milan, they've played twice and they've got ah a loss and a draw. Was it three times? They they lost in the... How many times have they played Milan? Three times. Three. And they haven't won any of them. No. Lost two. They lost two. They lost a super cup of wine. And drew. And then the Juventus, they've played twice. They've got drawn a draw and a loss. They've played Napoli once. Draw. And they drew. Okay. The only thing I want lost one win.
00:36:01
Speaker
Atalanta won ah two wins. Yeah, I mean, they always beat Atalanta, but I mean, OK, they beat Arsenal, I guess, in that in the... Yeah, but I don't count the champions. I mean, in Serie A, the record against the big clubs is atrocious. It's been put really poor this season. is it What do you make of that? I make of it that they they don't, ah if you look at those games, 4-2, 4-4 last 15 minutes. Napoli game, they didn't, you know, it was a very evenly balanced game, but they had a chance to win it. They missed penalties. um Against Fiorentina, they got battered.
00:36:34
Speaker
um three nil worst defeat of the season um uva yesterday you know again they they don't have the killer instinct in the league this year it's it's very evident that they don't um the the concentration the the hunger isn't there as i said mikitarion said it bastoni said a couple of weeks ago they don't have the same hunger in the league this year and that that's that's uh that's an indictment, that's where they are. I think there's physical and mental implications of that as well. At the end of the day, if we're looking at this purely from where you're in to stand now, it's not the end of the world, don't lose in this game. No, I'm going to get to that. Napoli drew and have massive problems as we'll come to. There are only two points behind Napoli and they're still in all the other competitions.
00:37:23
Speaker
My only concern, I think, would be, and I'm not worried about the mis-chances because, you know, I think that, you know, the the again, they're scoring loads and they' they've actually got the best chance conversion. sirriot So as a whole, I'm not worried about that. what i'm My one worry for Inter would be physically, the drop-off in the second half, the agent team, maybe like the the lack of depth isn't what we thought.
00:37:47
Speaker
whether that's going to affect um you know going into this running when the Champions League games are going to come, there's going to be extra games, ah whether physically we're seeing an inter that may be starting to decline a little bit physically. There's no doubt about that. That's my mass i might only worry. I'm not worried about anything else. Mischances, at the end of the day, you'd rather intercreate have an XG of over 2 and miss loads of chances, then have an XG of 0.1 and not create anything. you know So I'm not worried about that i'm i'm just physically that is that. For me, that's a bit of the concern for me. Yeah, it's not just that. it's it's also i mean that that is ah That is a point, absolutely. But but for me, look if we if we if I look at it, if I analyze it overall, looking from above, everything I said is what I think and this is what I've been saying for a month and a half, two months now.
00:38:41
Speaker
But if I look at the actual maths of it, if I look at going forward, um this next week is very decisive because Inter have Geno at home. They have to win that. And if they do, Napoli have Kormo away and Kormo are not an easy game.
00:39:00
Speaker
Como can easily draw Napoli. And if they draw Napoli, then Napoli and Inter face off on the same points. And that means that it's this is still very much up in the air because what matters the most when you travel to Naples for Inter is not to be chasing Antonio Conte. You do not want to go into that game chasing Antonio Conte. It's very simple. and if there arent so So that changes the the dynamic of that game completely.
00:39:31
Speaker
But equally, Inzagi needs to come to terms with the fact that he can't keep trying the same thing over and over again and failing. He needs to understand that games go on for 90 minutes. He needs to manage the games better.
00:39:47
Speaker
And he needs to, in the sense that you can't have, I don't want to sit here and keep talking about interdominated created so much in the first half but didn't score and then lost. That could be the the the entire season. That's literally the entire season. And he needs to to shake things up here.
00:40:06
Speaker
and Laotaro was furious yesterday after the game and I'm happy that he was. This is, you know, I'm glad that as a captain he's angry. This is his yinte. This is him. This is his time to shine. So I'm glad that he's pissed off. He should be angry and they should all be angry. And and and and the fact that I don't think we can talk about just the individuals because I think they all kind of at some level were not good enough.
00:40:33
Speaker
um But yeah, there are issues at Inter. From Sommer, who's starting to decline, Acherbi, De Frei, Mikitarian, Darmian, Anautovic, Correa, Toremi, Chalanoglu. I'm sorry, there's too many 30 plus players here. There's too many Zielinski. I mean, there's too many players around 30 that now giving off some, you know, whether they're physically declining, whether they're qualitatively declining, and moreover, mentally declining in the sense that they don't seem as hungry any anymore. I don't know what they should do. That's that's their that's up to them.
00:41:09
Speaker
But I think that we might even, I think every option should be on the table. Maybe it's even time to, for the first time, consider if it's time to part ways with Simone Inzaghi. I don't know. I'm not saying that they should. I'm saying every option has to be on the table because it's starting to look stale. It's starting to look stagnant. And if they decide that Inzaghi is the guy they should continue going forward with, then they should make that decision pretty soon and they should start,
00:41:35
Speaker
selling off players to bring in new blood and freshen up the squad because it's looking stale and it's looking easily red. And that's just not good enough. But the maths of it, yes, Inter have are still very much in the title race. They're still, you know, they got they got Lazzie on the Copa Italia. They can go far in there and then they got the Milan Darby if they would win that. And then they got the Champions League, whether it's against PSV, Fain or Juve or Milan. Like they have lots to look forward to.
00:42:02
Speaker
But as Inzaghi himself said, February in marches is decisive. February has stunk, for Inter. Yeah, well, let's let's move on to to Napoli, who who Inter will play in ah in ah in the next match day, the match day after. Is it next week? Is it next weekend, isn't it? no this year Not this year not just coming weekend, the week weekend after. yeah Okay, so Napoli draw their third game in a row, 2-2 at Lazio. They can see another late equaliser to drop.
00:42:33
Speaker
two points um which yeah is is so is concerning for for Napoli. and They didn't play well again and they didn't deserve to win. It was totally, it was justice, it would have been an injustice if Lazio had lost this game.
00:42:52
Speaker
um And by the end of the day, they were minutes away from winning and they couldn't hold on to that lead um just like they couldn't in Rome a fortnight before against against Roma. And initially, I was going to blame Conte for this um because I didn't understand that last sub that he made, where he brought on Marin for Mazoki with five minutes to go. Politano went left back wing back. Di Lorenzo went back to right wing back, which is where he started before moving to center back.
00:43:22
Speaker
um and And I was going to blame Conte because I thought it was totally bizarre with Marin never playing in Serie A this season. Politano was at fault for the goal. There was confusion at centre back and Politano almost gifted Deira winner as well after that as well.
00:43:37
Speaker
um So i was critical I was, initially I was going to be critical of him, but then I i saw after the game that apparently Mazoki asked to go off. He had nothing left to give and he asked to wait to go off and Konti was forced to to make this so make this change. And that I guess that kind of sums up really the fact that this was the change he was forced to make in. This sums up where Napoli are now. Their squad is and their options are so way off Scudetto quality. The bench is genuinely, they have a bench that's lower half Seriat level. It's that you know it's that average.
00:44:14
Speaker
um and this was summed up by Conte in the second half, neat when he needed to make a change, turning to his assistant, he was caught on camera, asking his assistant, Cristian Salini, keeppo so matterta like can who it reads who can I put in, know said in such a Conte way?
00:44:30
Speaker
um and and and really the believinging that that that that's That sums up where Napoli are. I mean, and I've said it, I've said it, after the January mark, and I am taking my victory lap now, he's been let down by Manna and the club in January. I mean, he's having to start Juan Jesus and Mazzocchi in games, big games like this against Lazio. He's having to bring on Politano to play at left wing back, who then cost them cost them a draw because he's not a wing back.
00:44:59
Speaker
um you know And that injury of Neres has really kind of devastated them more. he's He's been forced to go back to a 3-5-2 formation in this game. And you know I'll say it, and I'll say it again, not replacing Querat Scalia and not spending that Querat Scalia to properly ah bring depth to the Napoli squad.
00:45:19
Speaker
If Napoli don't win the Scudetto now, having been put in such a golden position, for me, i mean that's a sackable offence. They were given a golden opportunity to go on and win the Scudetto and the squad that they have is just is is just not Scudetto. It would be the miracle of miracles.
00:45:35
Speaker
you know If Kante can somehow win with this squad, I mean, it's so way off winning the Scudetto Grand. And the signing of Ocopho is just ah an insult to adding insult to injury. The guy is completely out of physical shape. He needs a month to get just to be in shape before you can think of match fitness. And it's embarrassing that that is the player that they came up with. so right so What I don't understand is When I say, when I say replace Carathelia, I'm not talking about Garnaccio or like-for-like replacement. I'm talking about a replacement in the squad so that he can play 3-5-2, so that he can have the tactical flexibility to do the things that he does, because I think Raspadorian showed that he in a two-man attack in a 3-5-2 is really good, and that's great news for the Italy national team as well as a second striker. I think his mobility, dynamism, and link-up, the way that he moves, the way that he
00:46:27
Speaker
he views the game, how ten his tenacity is just in a two-man attack, you really get the most out of him. But I don't understand why they didn't bring in another midfielder, or they didn't bring in another central defender, or or a right-wing back, or or a left-wing back. You'd see one thing like something to look outside the box. You don't need to play a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 as it is with content in this in this makeshift 4-3-3 system. You could have brought someone else in so that he doesn't have to put Razvan Marin on.
00:47:01
Speaker
i mean it's is a ra vad buried it's the sorry it's the yeah yeah they might as well as be might it's not but It might as well be, because it's the same quality, if you It's you don't need to bring marin on. you know it's it's It's that kind of thing. It's Juan Jesuso Madzoki. That's what they needed to do. They need to think outside the box, and and they didn't.
00:47:25
Speaker
So for me, that's more the the criticism more than just and period people say oh but there was no one available. It was difficult. It was difficult to negotiate. I understand that i worry like don't sell say there's not a replacement for Clara. I get that. I get Adeyemi wasn't working what we didn't want to come.
00:47:43
Speaker
I got an actual wasn't worth the money. And that show was was was was stupid negotiating. That was never, that deal was always going to be virtually impossible. I don't even know why they even open. to But my point is they could have strengthened elsewhere in the squad. Yes, they could have done. Or if you haven't got, or if you haven't got a replacement, you're not able to find suitable replacement or replacements. You don't sell Kavada. You keep him. You sell him in the summer for 20 million less.
00:48:05
Speaker
if you want to win the Scudetto that is. If you don't want to win the Scudetto and you're happy with blowing your chance of winning the Scudetto and just staying top four even though you might not never get another chance to win the Scudetto for 30 years, fine. Don't replace Clara. Do exactly what you've done and now you need a miracle.
00:48:21
Speaker
you need Antonio Conte to perform his biggest miracle, to to win the Scletto with this squad, where you've got Juan Jesus and Mazzocchi starting games. You've got Polly Turner playing at left wing bat, coming on as as ah you know as a sub to play left wing bat. You've got Philip Billing and and Billy Gilmour as your first backup centre midfielders. You know, it's it's laughable. No, it is. its it is but will i mean it's It will have to wait and see what happens, but I still think that Conte will do
00:48:52
Speaker
I'm not relented in this. I think Kante will win the score and I think he will give his death blow to Inter in two weeks time at the Maradona. That's why I expect Inter to walk right into Antonio Kante's trap.
00:49:07
Speaker
Well, we'll see. They've done against Juve twice, Milan Thrice and Fiorentina once. and we'll We'll see. The way Napoli are playing now, they don't look good um at all. But I mean, you know, the the positives are, I mean, Raspidori.
00:49:25
Speaker
played his first start since August and he scored. It was a really good goal. He was also involved for the marisette chain goal, although it was a huge fluke. and Some of his positioning kind of dropped into the hole. and That was causing Lazio, tactically, that was causing la'sia some some problems. but Apart from that, I really can't find any positives from this game. I thought i fought Napoli were they looked They look tired as well, but they look just slow. There's no pace in this team. Once you take out Corvara and you take out Merit, where is the pace in this team? I mean, latcio we're able to teams are able to pin back Napoli because they just don't have any pace to get out at all. Where is the pace in this team? They're such a horribly slow team as soon as you take out Neriz and Corvara. So that's why I think losing Neriz, having that injection of pace is ah is a really, really big blow.
00:50:14
Speaker
um I mean, they fought, they battled defensively, they were they were pretty good. I mean, I don't think they gave away, give too much away. They kind of expect that from Conte's team, but they they barely created ninety anything. They had two shots on goal, they scored two goals. One of them was a huge, huge flute, let's be honest, massive flute, one of the biggest flukes of the season.
00:50:31
Speaker
um And, you know, Lazio had the better chances as well. Isaac's a Mr Sitter at 1-1 just before Napoli went ahead. um So, yeah, it was it it wasn't good. And, you know, again, when I was when i was having a look at these these underlying stats for Inter last night, I had a look at Napoli.
00:50:51
Speaker
There were two points ahead at the top of the table. Napoli have over-performed their expected points by 10 points. That's absolutely insane. They've got 10 points more than they should have they should have had based on their on their expected points. They should have 46 points, which is the same number of points as Juventus. That's how much they're over-performing. Now, usually that should be unsustainable over the course of the season. It should be unsustainable, which basically what that means, it doesn't mean that Napoli can't win the skedetto. What it means is that, you know, and also there isn't that many games left. It's only 14 games left. It should be, they shouldn't be able to win the skedetto, but what it does mean is they have to start playing better because if they continue playing like this, eventually
00:51:35
Speaker
they they will they will were you know they will end up being getting closer to that expected point. That's just generally how it always works if you bet if you ever follow it. So they need to play better, they can't continue playing as they are or they're going to continue dropping points and I agree with you. i think that so Como away it is going to be a very very difficult game because Como are playing really really well and they just dominated Fiorentina and they've made some big signings in January and and they have two fantastic young players in Diao and and pier Paz and others as well so I think that's a difficult game the way that they're playing Napoli I don't fancy them in that match at all they need to know neither do I
00:52:13
Speaker
And I think it wouldn't surprise me one bit if we went into Napoli versus Inter with both of them on the same points, which is a possibility. If Napoli draw Cuomo and Inter beat Genoa, they're on equal points. And now you have a real, real championship decider in in February. yeah um So that's not an impossibility. um But look, again,
00:52:36
Speaker
For Napoli, they have everything in their own hands. They have once to get once a week. They need to just get through this difficult period because they do have its it is a difficult period. the The fixture list is tough. They have three draws in a row. I think the what the reason why they do have three draws in a row is It's an happily that did well against Roma, but Angelino's equalizer at the death really destabilized them. I think that really hurt them. That was a game they should have won. And it's it's an interesting one. I was tweeting this out. They they concede another late equalizer. where It's the third game in a row where they lose a lead. They've won four games after conceding the goal first.
00:53:23
Speaker
They've dropped three games where they've dropped points after scoring the first goal and four matches where they've dropped points from a leading position. Napoli are a difficult side to to analyze from this aspect. they It's very much a moment team. of It's a moments team. Moments, yeah, they are. They're like England in the Euros. And the Southgate, moments FC. yeah It is a bit moments FC. Contas put structure in place, but because they lack quality, it's moments FC. And I think one thing, though, that does speak for them is I don't like to talk about luck.
00:53:59
Speaker
But that second goal, Konta should just play the lottery. I don't know. i have never i will If I live to be a thousand years old, I don't think I'll ever see a more insanely bouncy, lucky goal at the top level than that Marasich own goal. I've never seen anything like it. i I laugh when I look at that. I've never seen anything like it.
00:54:20
Speaker
It's just beyond cartoonish and comical. And if you're scoring goals like that, maybe it's just your year. I mean, do you know what I mean? Like, I don't even believe in that stuff, but I've seen so many things this season go its way with it. Well, yeah, I think the fact that they are 10 points above their expected points as well kind of tells you again, like you were saying, sometimes you've got to separate the result from the performance. Winning when you're playing bad, that is a cliche, but it's true.
00:54:49
Speaker
when you win when you're playing bad that is the sign of the team but not if you win playing bad every single week because that's unsustainable yeah that is unsustainable um and and but you know really it should have been unsustainable for Inter to be for Napoli to still be ahead the way that generally they haven't really played that well that their attack isn't you know it hasn't been firing haven't been creating enough but you know they're there but they have to improve they have to because because they are going to if they keep playing the way they are they're going to continue dropping points uh it's a it's as simple as that but it's not easy for content because like you said who do i put in you know Why is he so funny when he looks so frustrated? and and like He is funny. ah you know what That wasn't funny. The funniest moment of the game was after about five to ten minutes because it was really windy. I tell you, his wig nearly blew off. Did you see it? It nearly blew off. It's not a wig. Whatever it was, it blew up into the air and it looked like it was about to fuck up off.
00:55:51
Speaker
like He's funny. like He looks so devastated when he's frustrated. i mean the kiboardzo made to it like He looks so like given up. ah he's funny man I'm surprised he hasn't had that rant yet. like he did an yeah ray base no well I'll tell you why he hasn't. He's not stupid. you know this is he he's he know I know exactly why he has another because he's in the lead. The second he's no longer in the lead. This is another dimension as well to this. When Conte's in the lead, he he doesn't and internally he doesn't go apeshit.
00:56:20
Speaker
He can't, because he can't handle being chasing. That's when he loses it. Being chased, he loves it. He lives for it, and he's dangerous at it. But chasing, he can't handle that. He cannot handle chasing. I agree. I think the moment that Napoli, if they do, fall behind. yeah so that's Then he'll go after the club for what happens. Oh, he will start throwing people left, right and center under the bus. yeah like that That's just how he is. He because he does that even when they have good transfer markets. So I dare to think what he's going to do after what Napoli did in
Lazio's Strong Performance
00:56:52
Speaker
January. Oh, without a doubt. I mean, if if if if we're here in like a month's time and Napoli are three or four points behind or two or three points behind Inter,
00:57:00
Speaker
he's going to lose it. Yeah, 100%. Lazio though, um I thought they played a good game. As I said before, I thought it would have been an injustice if if they lost. They didn't create as much as they usually do, but you know, they're playing against Antonio Conte, but they they they created more than than the Napoli for sure.
00:57:18
Speaker
they had all the pressure. They were playing the football in this game um and Isakson did miss a sitter at 1-1 and of course they had they were very unlucky to concede that that that second goal. I was impressed by them again. um But what's what's also impressive with Lazio is physically like they they look in really but they look in really good shape. I mean, they look physically in much better shape than Napoli and Napoli are playing once a week and that's who played a lot of football. So that is yeah that is testament to to to to Baroni and his whole team, his physical conditioning team that they seem to be consistently looking. They consistently look in good shape physically this season. That's very impressive. So, you know, well done to them. um I thought Isakson
00:58:03
Speaker
I thought it is an overall had a superb game. He's he kind of goes under the radar a little bit. and He's not the quickest winger, but he can, but he does go past his man. You know, he's he's a good dribbler. He's very good, um kind of in tight spaces on the edge of the box. And I mean, he caused one Jesus and Mesaki all kinds of problems in this game. ah He scored his goal. Although I thought it was a merit error that I want to criticize merit for that in the Napoli section. I thought you you can't get beat from that far I think both goalkeepers were horrendous in this game. yeah perfectly they were were murders because he but more there was a fault for the the first for I would go so far as to say that I think Lazio should change goalkeeper in the summer. I think this is not working anymore. It's been it's been long enough where Provedel has been. for yeah I agree with that and I'll say the same for Napoli as well. I think Lazio deserved to win this game. I thought they were.
00:58:52
Speaker
much better than Napoli. I was unbelievably impressed with how Lazio played, and exactly that point of how well Baroni for the has handled playing three times a week, for the first time in his career, I might add, has been so impressive. Lazio are just, they are a joy to watch. They really are. They are wonderful. They're not going anywhere in Lazio. No, no, no, they're going to be to the end. And and look, more than the Champions League, i really hope they win the Europa League. I really do so. Unless they play Roma in the final, at which point I don't care who wins because I'm just going to pop my popcorn and enjoy the show. But unless they play Roma, I hope they win the Europa League. Well, it's like they don't meet in the next round if Roma go through. But yeah, I agree. I thought that we were really good.
00:59:45
Speaker
Zakanyi is a player that has really grown on me this season. I never realized just how quick he is. From one to five meters, he is lightning. He has these incredible bursts where he just gets away from... He's explosive. He's very explosive. Yeah, and he's 30 this year. But it's not just that he's explosive, it's also that he reads situations. He glides with the ball in those first five meters. Yeah, he's very good at reading the game and that gives him an advantage and he's also very quick to react.
01:00:15
Speaker
um which makes him look faster and more explosive than he actually is, I'd say. He's played really, I mean, play that bicycle kick was was, he's got fantastic technique as well. obviously yeah know That was a gold in the Euros, that de la Piero gold, he's, that was a brilliant bicycle kick. He's really so unlucky to have that disallowed. And I have to say he's really playing at a top class level at the moment. He really is. And it's, it's,
01:00:40
Speaker
i mean I don't know, will he still be playing at this level when he's nearly 31 when the World Cup comes along? you know At that age, you can age quickly overnight, so I don't want to say 100%, but if the World Cup was this summer, the way that he's playing,
01:00:55
Speaker
I mean it's it's it's sort of like how do you not how do you leave him out of the team? It's unfortunate because because they play a 3-5 too but the level that he's playing at he's playing so well. ah I mean he's he's absolutely fantastic like had at the moment.
01:01:13
Speaker
um brilliant He's brilliant. At the moment, he's one of the best players in Serie A, so can you? He really is. um so is yeah He's been great. um and he's really yeah I didn't think he had it in him to play at this level. I didn't. I thought that, you know, Lacio maybe was this level, but not at this level, you know? um So really good. um And the other thing, like when we're talking about depth, Neymar, criticising Napoli for having no depth,
01:01:41
Speaker
even criticise an insta before for the for the maybe overrated depth. Lazio, I mean, Lazio have depth. They've scored more goals from, I mean, Bulidia comes on and equalises. Lazio have scored more goals from substitutes in Serie A this season than anybody else. And that but says it all. That says it all. That says it, no, to me that says them two things. One, they have, they've they signed players intelligently that suit the system.
01:02:08
Speaker
But also it shows that Marco Baroni reads games brilliantly. He knows exactly when to do what and that's why they pay off as well his substitutions as they do. His read of games is outstanding.
01:02:21
Speaker
and the fact that when you as a coach know when to make a sub, what sub to make, in what time to make it, and it pretty much always pays off, that tells me your read of the game is outstanding as well. And now I think Baroni, regardless of what everyone else does, I think Baroni is is is out up there with coach of the season. I think he's done an absolutely phenomenal Yeah, he's a contender right now. Obviously, we have to see how the how the season finishes. but But I mean, I just got to say, like the way that Lazio play, Ravel, Lagand, Gendozy, the way that they build from the back, the way that they like.
01:03:01
Speaker
absorb pressure the way that they press, they know when to fall. No, they play wonderful football. They really are a joy to watch. And it's um it's it's a bit like, you know, this is what he's good at, isn't he, Lofito? I keep saying that he's very good at these year zero kind of projects and maybe even year one. but It's the last step after that where he kind of falls apart. But to be fair to him, he does have a couple of trophies. He's won quite a few trophies. He's been in the Champions League. I would absolutely love it if he could win a European trophy, if Latzy could win a European trophy at Europa League. And they've really been impressive in Europe as well. so
01:03:38
Speaker
Yeah. They have. we'll see We'll see how they get on.
Atalanta's European Prioritization
01:03:41
Speaker
Atalanta, we can say that all the top three blew their chance, let's say, this this ah this this weekend. I think Atalanta definitely, of all of them, blew their chance the most because of the opposition, the opponent they were playing.
01:03:55
Speaker
um you know Napoli Inter had lost in the round before, and which meant Atalanta had returned to minus five from Napoli and minus four from Inter, but going into the game. And they had three good games in a row, and it was ah as we said, it was a chance for them to really put themselves back in the race um ahead of kind of a tough run that they were goingnna they were going to have. And they blew their chance. They really They actually created nothing in this game until kind of like the last five minutes Where they they kind of went for it and and and they had a couple of chances apart from that they did nothing and what? What we learned from this game is that Gasparini? Took the club bruised second leg more seriously. He rested the kettle there Edison Daroon Bellanova Zamacosta Jim City all on the bench. He took off retigue Excuse me. He took off retigue on 55 minutes
01:04:48
Speaker
he took He started the likes of Toloy Suleimana. He brought on Palestra and Blauovic in the 55th minute, um you know young young young players, ah youth players. ah So he didn't really take this game seriously. um Which I think is exactly what I think I said on the Thursday pod that he should do. He has to focus on the Champions League. They can't go out against Club Breguille. It would be an injustice, especially given what happened last week and the manner in which that defeat came.
01:05:17
Speaker
I'm glad he did this. I mean, they they they weren't going to win the Scoredetto anyway. If they were top of the league at this point, then I would have given more credence to it. But they're not in the Scoredetto race, and I just don't think they are. because I don't think so. No, I don't, because I look at what the games that they've coming up, and we discussed it myself, um yeah myself and Patrick discussed it on the Q and&A last week. If you look at Atalanta's games coming up in in the Serie A,
01:05:41
Speaker
After Empoli and Venetia, they've got Juve away, Inter at home, Fiorentina away, Lazio at home, Bologna at home, Milan away. it's they're not going to be in this scorereto race anyway They might as well go for glory in the Champions League where their football pays off the most and where they can actually make more money and then hopefully are able to give more expensive contracts and keep their best players so that we don't we actually see them make a deep run in the league next season.
01:06:08
Speaker
i don' i love nothing i don't know i mean ah the way i look at it is If they'd have won this game, there would have been um two points behind no three points behind Napoli, and there would have been one point behind Inter, with those two teams playing against each other in a fortnight.
01:06:28
Speaker
um You know, that that they'd have been right there. OK, they had a hard run. They had would have had a difficult run coming up. And and and and you know, they maybe they would have dropped points there. But I mean, I mean, i was I was speaking to Patrick about this at the weekend because i mean he loves that Samantha. And I mean, he he said, well.
01:06:44
Speaker
You know, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to to try and go for the Scudetto. Would it not have been better to go to try and go for the Scudetto more than the Champions League? Because realistically, are they going to win the Champions League? They could win the Scudetto, especially with Napoli, the state that Napoli are in and and even into kind of you know dropping points as well. I don't know.
01:07:03
Speaker
i think he I think he overdone it, let's let's put it that way. I think he rested too many players. I understand also that they have got a bit of an injury crisis um at the moment um and physically they haven't looked themselves recently, which is really unheard of for Atsan so that you you you associate them, bangs bow, with being physically in great great condition. and They didn't look sharp, they've lost intensity, the same was against Club Bruga as well, like really didn't look, have in much energy. um And I mean, their form in 2025 is very disappointing.
01:07:39
Speaker
1-3, drawn 5, lost 4. They've been poor in 2025. They had the odd game, I think they had a 5-0, that game that Red ski scored 4. But let's be honest, overall, 2025, Atlanta have been poor. And that's what that's why it's worrying ahead of Club Brugu. I mean, if they play like they have in the last two games, it's not going to be easy to turn that round. um We'll see how they had the penalty that penalty scandal, and that's what it was, affects them as well. and but so Yeah, accidents need to snap out of it. They really do. And I just hope that this decision doesn't, yeah, they don't regret this decision.
01:08:13
Speaker
No, I don't think they will. I don't think there was a serious chance for them to win this Correto given the fixture list that's coming up. I think the Champions League is where where theyre where they're where they should where where they should go the the hardest for because I think they they play a football that pay just pays a lot of dividends in Europe. And I think that they are as outsiders and dark horses to win the Champions
Milan's Strategies and Kit Controversy
01:08:35
Speaker
League. Yes, I do think they are.
01:08:36
Speaker
ah They're not the favorites, but as dark horses go, they absolutely can. They've shown that they they can win in Europe, and they they've shown that they can beat fantastic sides en route to winning in Europe, like they did last season. um And I'm not... So I think Caspinin did the right thing. I think the they they should just go for glory in Europe. The players will be fired up there as well. um They're gonna finish in the top four regardless. They have a safe cushion. They're in the top three. They're gonna finish in theyre in in the top three, I think.
01:09:05
Speaker
I'm not worried at all. I think this this was the right decision given where they are. they're They're not going to be involved in this quadratory. Let's move it to Milan who almost failed to win as well. It took them 75 minutes to finally break down Verona and they were struggling to break them down up until that point. and They were struggling to create clear-cut chances but a moment of magic from from substitute Jimenez who did a fantastic scooped pass to Liao who then laid it on to Jimenez to tap in and Milan got the
01:09:41
Speaker
got the 1-0 win. and I think this showed that kind of what we said last week, that Milan have so many attacking options, have such great such a great bench also with with attackers that they can bring on. the you know When you get these games that you know where you need to bring on offensive players to to to to turn the game for you, and they they they have it. i mean Two subs made the goal for Jimenez.
01:10:07
Speaker
and Jimenez and Liao. Yeah, and Jimenez. Young Jimenez, let's say. Baby Jimenez. Jimenez with a J and Jimenez with a G. Yeah, it was the two subs that made it. And and I think that that that's the difference. and One aspect of Milan this season is they have often struggled to break down teams that defend really, really deep. And I think that's been addressed in January, and especially like with Felix is very good at the against these, these kinds of teams. And, and, and, yeah, it was the the deadline day signings, although the January signings have definitely made a difference. And so far, um Sottle didn't play well that he started this game, he was disappointed. But
01:10:57
Speaker
The others, I thought Felix was very lively again, Jimenez scored, and Walker, yeah, Walker's been good so far as well. So I think that, yeah, it was an important win for Milan. um They're still, um I still fave them to finish above Juventus, I do, and but obviously they've they've got a little bit of work to do to catch up, haven't they? Because they're a little bit further behind, they're playing catch up. But some overall, yeah, important win for Milan.
01:11:27
Speaker
Yeah, it was a fundamentally important win um for Milan because Juve, as it turned out, beat Inter, which means that they you know now they're still within touching distance of Juve. If they win that game in hand, there'll be two points behind Juve on 25 points. I'm sorry, on 44 points, two points behind Juve 46, Lazio on 46. So it was very important for Milan to win this game. And it was a frustrating game. And they they spent a lot of energy against Feanor.
01:11:55
Speaker
midweek and they they needed to win this. um And now they've got Feynord in the week and they have to win that as well. So it's it's um it's all have to win games now. This is the business end of the season. This is exam season for footballers now. you know Now's the time to to show what your medal is made of for everybody. um And Milan, they and got the job done without impressing too much against Hellas. So that's all you take away from that. but it's um But it's going to be very interesting to see, because Milan, after Feynord, they have Torino away, they have that Bologna game, um and then they have ah they have Lazio. So big games coming up, for sure, for Milan.
01:12:45
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. um Big games coming up for Rome. Oh no, one I do want to make one point, ah one negative about Milan. That's my God. Why does it have quotation marks around it, around the name? I don't get like ah please send me that. I didn't even i didn't didn't even see the quotes i't you mark all as of quotation marks. All I saw is a black shirt with green at the bottom, which was just disgusting. It's one of the most revolting kits or one of the most revolting shirts I've ever seen. It's absolutely disgusting. it it looks they looked on on On TV, it looked like black shirts with with with green shorts. That's what I looked with. but Then when you see it close up, it's just at the bottom of the shirts are green. Awful. Yuck. I mean, who the hell is not yeah who who hell designed that? i mean
01:13:33
Speaker
how i mean We said this with the Roma kits, didn't we, at the start of the season, when we were doing picking our best and worst kits. like It's literally impossible to to mess up the design and of of ah the design of of Italian football shirts. They're all so beautiful. yeah but how do You're working with such good material that it's almost impressive when you mess it up. yeah and Impossible. um Talking about beautiful,
01:13:58
Speaker
Mateus Sulay, finally he emerges fought for Roma. Absolutely beautiful goal, free kick to win the game for Roma against Parma. They beat Parma one nil away at the Tardini and it was Sulay who was the difference. he He won the free kick which got Leone sent off and then he curled home. Absolutely gorgeous free kick from the edge of the area into the top corner.
01:14:27
Speaker
just absolutely beautiful. we we We just don't see many free-kick goals. anymore. Unfortunately, like many of the the most beautiful aspects of football, they've been completely removed or disappeared from the game. And I think free kick specialists and beautiful free kicks are one of those, and which we don't see much of anymore. So when we do see it and you see one as amazing as this, you just have to appreciate it. And and this was this was absolutely fantastic. And and yeah, finally, finally, Sube does emerge. He is he was the landmark
01:14:59
Speaker
ah tra the the landmark signing of the summer and he yeah he yeah hasn't worked out for him, not really his fault because he's a winger and Roma don't play a system of wingers but he's clearly got talent um and Ranieri has also said that he believes in him and he doesn't want to get rid of him. He didn't want to get rid of him in January because he believes that he will come good um when when when the environment is right for him. And he got a rare start in this game because Roma rotated a bit because of the Europa League playoff game coming up and Di Bala with an injury as well. So he started and he and he produced. No, he did. And I think Ranieri is right. I think they should keep him and just keep him going. And then until next season,
01:15:46
Speaker
bring in a manager that can get the most out of him. I really believe that Soule is the way forward for Roma. I think they have to build around him. I think he's a wonderful player. I think he's got so much talent. He's young. I really believe that they should build around him. And I think it is absolutely right.
Roma's Challenges and UEFA Coefficient
01:16:02
Speaker
That's absolutely right, and when he says that. um But yeah, they do have a very, different they have a very fiery game coming up against Porto, which they have to win. and they They need to go through there for, if anything, for the Italian coefficient as well. We need all Italian teams to go through from this place. Yeah, we do. we'll talk We'll talk about that in a second. um So the rest of the weekend fixtures, I'll just run through the results very quickly. um So Bologna 3, Torino,
01:16:28
Speaker
ah To enjoy with two goals and he's playing great So they they remain a real top four threat and Bologna. They're right in there in the race I do want to give a shout out to Elmas. He's got a brilliant goal for Torino That was gorgeous. great Good a weekend of of great goals actually some fantastic goals and in Syria Including from Nico pads. What a goal. He scored this comma win to nil Fiorentina that left foot curler from the edge of the area into the, well it wasn't even into the top corner, it was so, so accurate that it hit those the the the post at the top of the corner and went into the other into the other ah it's the other corner of the post. It was absolutely magnificent. He was actually, when he took that shot, he was actually virtually facing his own goal. Like he whipped it round the corner
01:17:19
Speaker
we we're were like from from like 180 degree angle. Is that the right right way to describe it? The way that his body was facing his own goal and he whipped it round with his left foot. Oh, what a goal. He's a hell of a player. But also, Diao has been a wonderful sign-in for Vakama. He's got four goals in seven games since joining Germany. He's called against Milan, Juventus and Fiorentina. Another young, I think he's 19, Diao.
01:17:46
Speaker
Como are really building something and they dominate this game and really deserve to win, so well done to them. Como and Napoli next. Fiorentino very poor, without Moisa Ken, Zagnola started and was very bad.
01:17:59
Speaker
um and yeah yeah well the you What's his name? Prade was furious after the game as well. He was very, very angry. um I think Paladino's doing the best he can with with this with this material. I don't think we can expect more. um I think he's overperforming.
01:18:18
Speaker
um where they are and I don't think Phil and Tina can complain too much. I agree with that completely. The only thing I would say is that Palladino went full allegory in this game. Played a 4-4-2 with four central midfielders in midfield. He went full allegory and yeah so I have to say that that was bizarre and definitely helped Cormor dominate this game. That was just weird why the hell he would do that. I think he worked against Inter in the 3-0 win and he seems to think, oh let me continue using that now maybe, I don't know. We take a very important win against Empoli to kind of clear themselves off of all relegation talk whilst Empoli are in 3-4. Yeah, Undonezi 3, Empoli 0, Monza 0, Leche 0 and Genoa Venezia play on Monday in a game which I'm sure Nima will be watching. Champions League and Europa League playoffs. um So we have on Tuesday we have Atalanta
01:19:10
Speaker
club Bruges and Milan final. Both are a goal behind um going into that game. They need to turn that around. Juventus hold a narrow 2-1 lead against PSV. They go to Holland, to Eindhoven. It's going to be very difficult as well on Wednesday. and then Roma 1-1 with Porto in the first leg And they are at home for the second leg. Look, we need to win all these games. i'm I'm not going to show that we have to win all these matches. ah The teams need to win. It'll be a huge failure if any of these teams go out. So we need to, we need to, we need to just, I'm just hoping that that referee scandal for what it was, doesn't cost at answer. I really do. There's been no.
01:19:49
Speaker
apology or even comments from UEFA after that, which I think is disgraceful, but they've just just ignored it and not even acknowledged what happened. um Shameful. I don't know what Gravina's doing. He should be demanding a public an apology. I mean, we know he's just UEFA's man. but that is just embarrassing. Stand up for your leave because that act should not be allowed to that should not be allowed to happen. Atalanta as well should be going public. without that that should not be That should not be allowed to just go without any any repercussions or even any comment from UEFA. Shameful. um So we I hope that that they can turn that around. um Also, because Nima, as you said,
01:20:29
Speaker
the coefficients. Spain have now moved ahead of of of Italy in the race for for the second per second place in the coefficient table, which will get the fifth spot in the Champions League next season. and So as a as a result, it's it's just like I said, it's a must win for Juventus, Milan, Atalanta and Roma. They all have to go through.
01:20:53
Speaker
Yeah, they do. And and um yeah all of them have to go through to the to the to the round of last 16 for the coefficient. Otherwise, Italy have zero chance of of overtaking Spain because they divide those points per, as but you know, how many points you get per, they divided by the number of teams. And given that Italy has so many teams, they're going to get less when they win yeah points. So they need to win all of them. Yeah, they have one more team in Europe.
01:21:20
Speaker
than than than Spain at the start of the season, that is. um So that it gets divided by eight rather than divided by seven yeah for each for each game for Spain. So Spain will make more as a result. um Let's finish off with Badjo, Primface and Celia Ass of the Week.
01:21:35
Speaker
So Baggio, talking about anti-Italian discrimination or anti-Roma discrimination, this is brilliant. This is where we're at right now. It takes the nicest man in football to attack the European referees. This is where we're at right now. Claudio Ranieri's attack after the 1-1 draw with Porto, where The refereeing was just downright embarrassing in in this game. I don't know how many players, did Roman players get booked? Was it like eight bookings and and a red and think two red cards? One one for Christansi and one for one of the coaching staff as well. If you watch that game, that was not a game for for eight yellow cards. It was a game for maybe two or three. you know like If you actually look at each incident, like the number of yellow cards he gave for nothing,
01:22:30
Speaker
in this game and Ranieri then goes on a massive rant at the end of the game where he basically ah says that the referee was basically just giving everything to Porto and was waiting for Porto to to to to to for an excuse to give Porto a penalty and that's why he dragged all his but he dragged all his players away from the referee at the end of the game not because he was worried they were going to book him because he didn't want them to to to greet him because he didn't think they does either the referee deserved to be greeted which was brilliant as well um and then he attacked them Roberto Rossetti who is the UEFA managing director of refereeing he went on a massive attack against him yeah which is what I wanted to talk about because when I saw that I was like ah yes of course the Roma versus Rossetti war rages on to see a new day
01:23:20
Speaker
um Roberto Rossetti is the UA for managing director of refereeing now. um This starts in 2003 in the Copa Italia final that Milan won where Rossetti was refereeing the second leg. The match ends to two Milan wins 6-3 on aggregate. Totti scores a brace, he gets sent off. Cassano gets sent off for insulting the referee. He was he suffered a foul by Laursen who that wasn't called by Rossetti and Cassano does a Cassano. He tells the referee to Vafa and so on, and he goes off doing the corna gesture, which means that Rosetti is a cuck, and he's suspended for like five, six games. um After this, Roma beat Inter twice with Rosetti in charge in the 2007 Supercopa de Rosive penalty.
01:24:07
Speaker
Roma feel they should have had two more penalties in that game, and 3-2 in 2005 in Serie A, but in the Supercoppa game, Perotta yells at Rossetti, this way you will make us lose the game, to which Rossetti replied by sending Perotta off. Now fast forward to February 27th, 2008, and this is the game that puts everything at a head between Roberto Rossetti and Roma. It's a 1-1 draw at the San Siro,
01:24:35
Speaker
um Totti scores the opening goal. Mexes is sent off for two yellow cards, the first one where he gets a yellow card for he was injured, he was taken off the pitch and then he was going to run the full length of the pitch and he crosses the corner so that he's on to the pitch without commission without permission and he gets a yellow card.
01:24:55
Speaker
Then his second yellow, you get to rat it's a rash challenge on Crispo, Zanetti equalizers, and Roma feel the Scurrito was stolen from them. And then that becomes a war between Mexes and Rossetti. Christmas 2008, Catania beat Roma 3-2, Mexes sent off.
01:25:11
Speaker
um Rossetti, the the referee, ah set santoria tutu roma same year ah gives a penalty to Roma, but he gives the yellow card to the wrong santoria player, Rossetti. Instead of Palladino, who's now at Fiorentina, who's already booked and he should have been sent off, he gives it to Lucchini.
01:25:28
Speaker
February 2009, Regina, 2-2 away. Mexes gives a penalty to for Bernardo Corrari, who scores. 2009, Milan 2, Roma 1, penalty given by Rossetti for a foul by Burdiso and Nesta. Burdiso yells at Rossetti that it's never a penalty. And and Rossetti responds, if De Rossi had scored the equalizer, he wouldn't have been speaking about this.
01:25:57
Speaker
this penalty you know chaos and hell breaks through in the tunnel and de Rossi says I can't wait to get out of this shithole and then of course Roberto Rossetti and and the the comment that Ranieri was referring to a friend of mine told me that Rossetti gave us Anthony Taylor of course the referee in the final of the Europa League um Let's remember Ranieri was also the Roma coach in two thousand and nine September 2009 to February 2011. So he's a veteran of the Rossetti Wars. And of course to to finish this brilliant drama and brilliant irony of this drama is that Roberto Rossetti of course replaced Colina in this current role with the UIFN 2018.
01:26:41
Speaker
Colina, an outspoken and known Laziale, and now Roma are lamenting that Roberto Rossetti replaced Laziale.
Miscellaneous Discussions and Closing Remarks
01:26:50
Speaker
So it's um it's a very, very Italian shit show this, and it's the Rossetti wars between Roma and Roberto Rossetti continue to live another day.
01:27:03
Speaker
Yeah, amazing. Amazing. I still can't believe Rani Eri was the one to to bring this all out. and Prem face of the week, we have got Jamie Carragher again, I think that's two weeks in a row, who was asked to name his greatest goalkeeper of all time. And he went for, who did he go for, Nima?
01:27:25
Speaker
Neville Southall, who I think is a nice guy. I actually like Neville Southall. Neville Southall was a great goalkeeper actually in the 1980s for Everton, in a wonderful Everton team that won a couple, maybe two English titles. They won a European UEFA Cup as well. He was a Welsh goalkeeper, he was ah was a fantastic goalkeeper and he was a good guy um as well. and But so yeah, come on. Greatest goalkeeper of all time. I mean, come on, come on. I mean, i mean this is just, this is, that is prem facery because it's the kind of, is the kind of you go for a player that played in England. Do you know what I mean? and one because Because you don't know anyone that outside of any goal keepers outside of England. Do you know what I mean? It's like one of them. Do you know what I mean? It's good. um And somebody looked at him. I think it was Michael Richards looked at him. Southall? And Karakul looked at him like, yeah, what?
01:28:19
Speaker
like The character is Primface of the Week again. Serias of the Week, we have... of two um one was sent in to us by patrick kendrick he said ah my submission for this my submission forerrias of the week is a twitter user called nicole tosi she was fed up with people quote unquote stealing her content which her content was recordings of skysport italia from her tv where she added her name to the videos as like a watermark a di iwi watermark
01:28:51
Speaker
And this ultimately backfired as she went viral and it prompted Sky to report her for copyright violation. And then it triggered a series of posts from other users mocking her, including this illegal streaming website, Rocha Directa, being rebranding their site to Nicole Tosi Online.
01:29:09
Speaker
Italian Twitter is insane. Some people don't understand copyright, I think. Also Franco Vasquez, if true, is big scammer. Well, here's the thing. Yeah, the body coach came up after the game and said that Franco Vasquez racially abused Mehti Dorval.
01:29:27
Speaker
by Franco Vasquez's place for Cremonier, sorry, ah yeah, but the place for Cremonier in a draw, in a 1-1 draw at the Stadios and Nicola. And the coach came out and said that name Franco Vasquez was for calling Dorval the n-word, essentially. Now, according to Sky Sport Italia, the FIGC match officials overheard this and have put it into the match report.
01:29:54
Speaker
We have to wait and see what comes there, but this is genuinely, it's just stomach churning. A player, if if this is true that he said that, then then I think he'll be suspended forever as it's true, because as it's the right decision, because racially abusing a fellow player like that on the middle ah in the pitch is just, I mean, for goodness sake. um and And also, here's another thing, if the match officials heard it and they put it into the match report, that's then there's not much to talk about really.
01:30:24
Speaker
Yeah, um it's been a bad weekend for racism. There was a similar incident in England that's caused a lot of cause a lot controversy as well. Burnley's Hanibal Medspry, I think former Man United player, he he's he accused Preston's milutin osmaitch of ah of a racist comment during the game. In fact, he went ballistic. He tried to get the game suspended. He went ballistic during the actual match. So, yeah, not not a good weekend there. um I do have one final one. I don't know if you saw the official Serie A match graphic before the game, building up the Juventus vs Inter, Derby's Italia.
01:31:04
Speaker
No, I didn't see it. how okay Yeah. Well, it's it's it's schoolboy art, basically. It's it's it's Tiago Motta and Simone Inzagi. There's like a Zebra and the Biscuoni behind Inzagi. But it's just so amateurish, like the bottom right of the picture, there's the Juventus logo, the interlogo and the date of the match.
01:31:27
Speaker
And they're so small you can't even see them. And then there's the serial logo in the top right. And and then number 27 in the top left. I don't know why there's number 27 there. Or maybe match day 27, maybe that's what it means. and But yeah, not not but no, it's not match day 27. I don't know what number 27 is doing in the top left anyway. I have no idea why that's there. Yeah, it's very, very strange. is Yeah, this is this is where we're at. I mean, just it just looks horrendous. um is I could probably do a better job. And as I've said many times during GCSE art when I was 15 years old, I was asked to draw the horizon in art class. And I drew the sun in front of the mountain, rather than behind the mountain. And I think I could do a better job than this.
01:32:18
Speaker
OK, right. Let's leave it at that. um So we will be back later in the week for Q and&A. And then, of course, for the ah review of the of the midweek Champions League matches where we need Italian clubs to win. So please, guys, let's do this this week. OK, thank you, everyone. Have a great week. Ciao ciao.