IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Serie A Preview: Leaders Roma face Inter test
3 October 2013
Roma will look to extend their 100 per cent Serie A record when Rudi Garcia's side take on Inter in a mouth-watering clash on Saturday.
Garcia's men have won all six games so far this season and have a two-point cushion over second-place Napoli, but Inter have home advantage and will be out to close the gap at the top.
Like Roma and Napoli, they are unbeaten in the league and sit fourth with 14 points.
An intriguing weekend of fixtures also sees Juventus face Milan and Lazio going head-to-head with Fiorentina.
Champions Juve play host to a Milan side who will be without the suspended Mario Balotelli - following his red card against Napoli - while Lazio and Fiorentina currently sit in sixth and fifth respectively, with only one point separating them after they both drew last week.
At the foot of the table, Sassuolo have two points thanks to back-to-back draws and they face a difficult trip to Parma, who come into the game on the back of an impressive 2-2 draw against Fiorentina.
Menawhile, Sampdoria know that a win this weekend can haul the club out of the relegation places and propel Delio Rossi’s men up to as high as 15th, but opponents Torino will be looking to bounce back after a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in the Turin derby last time out.
The mid-table clash between Udinese and Cagliari could be set up to prove one of the games of the weekend, with both sides sitting on the same number of points and an identical goal difference. They have picked up seven points so far from six games, with Cagliari heading into the match having drawn their last four league matches.
A 2-0 win away at Genoa kept Napoli in the hunt for top spot and Rafael Benitez's men will be hoping to banish the memories of their midweek defeat to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League - Benitez's first competitive loss in charge.
Livorno will be the visitors to the Stadio San Paolo on Sunday.
Both Bologna and Chievo, 18th and 17th respectively, are desperate for points in the battle to pull away from the drop zone and they face two sides, Hellas Verona and Atalanta, who both won last time out.
Elsewhere, Catania host Genoa, with the home side full of confidence after beating Chievo 2-0 in their last game.
A Francesco Totti-inspired Roma made it seven Serie A wins from seven as they destroyed Inter 3-0 at San Siro on Saturday.
The veteran forward crafted a beautifully-stuck opener in the 18th minute and, after Ricky Alvarez rattled the upright for the home side, Totti doubled his tally from the penalty spot.
Kevin Strootman laid on Alessandro Florenzi to crown an excellent counter-attack in the final minute of a rampant first-half display to make the points safe.
Federico Balzaretti collected two yellow cards to slightly sour Roma's evening, but their lead at the Serie A summit stands at five points ahead of Napoli's game with Livorno on Sunday, while Inter remain fourth.
Inter made two changes to the side that drew 1-1 at Cagliari last time out – Saphir Taider replacing Mateo Kovacic in midfield and Rodrigo Palacio preferred to Ishak Belfodil in attack. Roma, in contrast, were predictably unchanged from their 5-0 demolition of Bologna.
Having warmed up in commemorative shirts, both sides observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the Lampedusa boat tragedy before kick-off.
Roma soon settled into the contest and, following a driving seventh-minute run, Gervinho saw his shot deflected over via a last-ditch challenge from Taider.
Taider was involved at the other end shortly afterwards, taking a touch and drilling a low shot from the edge of the box that Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis did well to hold low, but Totti would soon show him how it was done from a similar distance.
Florenzi played the ball into Gervinho 20 yards out as he came in from the left and the former Arsenal forward teed up Totti, who smashed home first time to leave Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic with no chance.
A superb tackle from Juan Jesus prevented Gervinho from doubling his team's lead in the 24th minute and Inter sprung down the field, allowing Alvarez to send a rasping 25-yarder against the inside of the post with De Sanctis rooted to the spot.
Taider was then wasteful from a couple of set-pieces as the hosts looked to be gaining the upper hand, but they were blown away in a six-minute spell before half-time.
Gervinho proved to be a menace on the right flank once more, dancing past Esteban Cambiasso and drawing a trip from Alvaro Pereira.
The offence arguably took place on the line but the referee pointed to the spot, from where Totti's firmly-struck kick eluded Handanovic's dive.
Roma saved their best until the stroke of the interval, a clever pass from Totti sending Kevin Strootman surging at the heart of the Inter defence before a perfectly-weighted ball to his right was clinically crashed into the far corner by Florenzi.
Inter's woes almost increased in the 48th minute when Florenzi was allowed room to turn and hook a volley goalwards inside the area, only to be impressively thwarted by Handanovic.
Walter Mazzarri's men thought they were back in the contest when Palacio flicked on Alvarez's cross for Andrea Ranocchia to beat De Sanctis in an aerial challenge and nod home, but the centre-back was adjudged to have headed the ball out of the keeper’s hands.
Gervinho should have added further gloss to the scoreline when he raced clear of a scattered Inter defence to produce a scuffed shot that Handanovic tipped around the post.
Substitute Mauro Icardi almost capitalised on a weak back header from Daniele de Rossi as Inter manfully continued to press – something they did the rest of the match following Balzaretti’s foolish 79th-minute lunge on Alvarez that rules him out of next weekend’s mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash with Napoli in the capital.
Serie A Wrap: Roma, Atalanta record victories
6 October 2013
Ten-man Roma extended their 100 per cent winning run in Serie A to seven games with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Inter at San Siro.
All three goals came in the first half as Rudi Garcia's side ran riot against a bewildered Inter defence on their way to their biggest win at San Siro - against either Milan club - in Serie A history.
Francesco Totti opened the scoring with a neat finish before converting a penalty to double his tally after 40 minutes, taking the striker to 230 Serie A goals.
Alessandro Florenzi added a third on the stroke of half-time with a powerful shot across Samir Handanovic to put the visitors in complete control.
Inter had chances at the start of the second half, but it was Roma who went closest to scoring through Gervinho, although the Ivorian's shot lacked power.
Federico Balzaretti received his marching orders late on after a wayward challenge of Ricky Alvarez earned him a second yellow card.
Defeat was Inter's first in Serie A this season, while Roma are five points clear at the top ahead of Napoli, who play Livorno on Sunday.
Saturday's other game saw Atalanta condemn Chievo to their fifth league defeat of the season with a 1-0 victory in Verona.
Maxi Moralez netted the only goal of the game - his first in over a year - with a powerful back-post volley in the 16th minute as Atalanta recorded their third win of the season and their first at Chievo in Serie A to move into eighth position.
Chievo's third defeat in a row leaves them fourth bottom in the league table.
Juventus continued to put pressure on second-placed Napoli after a superb second-half performance helped them to a 3-2 win over Milan.
Milan made the perfect start when Sulley Muntari's opener with just 20 seconds on the clock stunned the home crowd.
But Andrea Pirlo levelled matters 14 minutes later before Sebastian Giovinco and Giorgio Chiellini turned things around after the break.
Milan were always facing an uphill struggle when Philippe Mexes was sent off with 15 minutes to play, and a late Muntari second was scant consolation.
Simone Padoin, Claudio Marchisio and Fabio Quagliarella all came into the Juventus starting line-up as boss Antonio Conte made changes after their disappointing draw with Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League.
Meanwhile, Massimiliano Allegri made two alterations from his side's 1-1 draw against Ajax, with Antonio Nocerino named in midfield and Alessandro Matri coming in to face his former club, for the suspended Mario Balotelli.
Juventus' hangover from European action continued as they fell asleep inside the first minute to go behind after just 20 seconds as Nocerino's wayward shot found Muntari at the far post and the midfielder side-footed the ball past the helpless Gianluigi Buffon.
Quagliarella had a glorious chance to level as Juve sought a response, but he lent back at the pivotal moment, before Kwadwo Asamoah stung Christian Abbiati's palms as the goalkeeper turned the ball over for a corner.
The equaliser was not long in coming, however, as Pirlo pulled the home side level in the 15th minute with a free-kick that found the bottom corner after Nigel de Jong had brought down Carlos Tevez.
The experienced midfielder curled the ball expertly over the wall, although Abbiati could have done better as he palmed the ball into the net.
The frantic pace eventually subsided, although Juventus had strong penalty claims turned down when Tevez was brought down inside the box just before the break - the Argentinian striker's appeals waved away after Kevin Constant's apparent push.
Tempers flared early in the second half when Mexes punched Chiellini, although amazingly the referee failed to spot the incident and the Milan defender escaped punishment.
With both sides cancelling each other out, Conte threw on Giovinco to replace Quagliarella soon after - and within a few minutes the forward had repaid that faith.
The Italy international picked up the loose ball on the edge of the box after 69 minutes following more Juventus pressure, before finding room to smash his shot into the bottom corner.
The game swung further in Juve's favour when Mexes was sent off for a second yellow card – failing to escape for a second time after a foul on Giovinco on the edge of the box.
And when Chiellini added a third from the resulting free-kick, reacting first after Pirlo's brilliant effort had cannoned back off the crossbar, the victory was secured.
There was still time for Muntari to add a second for Milan when his deflected effort surprised Buffon at the near post, but Juve held on in a nervous last minute.
Serie A Wrap: Juve, Napoli claim home wins
7 October 2013
Defending champions Juventus edged Milan 3-2 while Napoli and Hellas Verona recorded big victories in Sunday's Serie A action.
Juve moved level on points with Napoli in second – and just two points behind leaders Roma – after coming from behind to defeat Milan in Turin.
Sulley Muntari had fired Milan in front in the first minute, only for Andrea Pirlo to cancel out his effort with a superb free-kick.
Sebastian Giovinco then put Juventus in front with 21 minutes to play, finishing well just inside the box, before Milan defender Philippe Mexes was sent off.
Another Pirlo free-kick delighted the home fans with 15 minutes left, but this time his effort hit the post, with defender Giorgio Chiellini first to react, scoring from close range.
And although Muntari set up a nervy finish with a stoppage time goal, Antonio Conte's side held on for victory.
The defeat leaves Milan level on points with Livorno in 12th after they were thrashed 4-0 at Napoli.
Goran Pandev and Gokhan Inler scored in the first 30 minutes for Napoli, with Dries Mertens providing the assists.
And Jose Callejon and Marek Hamsik netted after the break to give Rafael Benitez's side another victory.
Hellas Verona climbed to fifth with a 4-1 win at Bologna as the newly promoted side continued their impressive form.
Goals from Fabrizio Cacciatore and Juan Iturbe had given Hellas Verona a 2-0 lead at half time, and although Alessandro Diamanti scored a penalty for Bologna, further strikes from Luca Toni and Jorginho sealed their win.
Sampdoria remain in the bottom three after a 2-2 draw with Torino but were left reeling after they had a goal disallowed as the referee blew the whistle for half time just seconds before they scored.
Delio Rossi's winless side were 1-0 up at the time, but referee Andrea Gervasoni ruled out Nicola Pozzi's effort.
And they failed to hold their lead, with Ciro Immobile and Alessio Cerci putting Torino in front with second-half goals.
Sampdoria did manage an equaliser though, as Eder's stoppage time penalty helped them at least secure a point.
Other results saw goals from Danilo and Antonio Di Natale help Udinese to a 2-0 win over Cagliari, while Parma beat struggling Sassuolo 3-1.
And Lazio and Fiorentina played out a goalless draw, while the spoils were also shared between Catania and Genoa, which finished at 1-1.
Milan defender Philippe Mexes has received a four-match suspension for an act of violent conduct in Sunday's 3-2 Serie A loss to Juventus.
Mexes - who was sent off after receiving two yellow cards during the defeat in Turin - escaped punishment during the match for aiming a punch at Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini.
The France international tangled with Chiellini before punching him in the shoulder, and the victim called for Mexes to be banned after the match had ended.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) have acted retrospectively, handing Mexes a three-game ban for the incident.
Coupled with Mexes' automatic one-game suspension for being sent off, the 31-year-old will now miss his side's next four Serie A matches.
Mexes is eligible for Milan's UEFA Champions League fixture against Barcelona on October 22, but will miss league clashes against Udinese, Parma, Lazio and Fiorentina.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has vowed to never sell his controlling stake in the club and refused to bow to fan pressure.
With city rivals Roma already under foreign ownership and Inter owner Massimo Morrati in discussions with Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir over selling the club, Serie A appears to be following the path of many leagues around Europe.
However, Lotito has pledged never let Lazio go the same way and insisted he will never relinquish his stake in the Rome club.
The 56-year-old has been owner of Lazio since 2004 and, despite fan pressure to change his transfer policy, he is adamant he will remain in charge.
"I put a lot of money into Lazio," he told Il Messaggero. "In 2004, to take 21 per cent of the shares, I paid €25million. Then to reach 70 per cent I needed another €100m. That’s how I became president of a club that only had €1m.
"How much is Lazio worth now? I never thought about valuing it, as I never considered selling either and I will never sell Lazio.”
The president was not afraid to hit out at the club's fans who have criticised him, insisting as owner he can do what he likes.
"The people must realise that this is my club, it does not belong to everybody, so I will control it the way I see fit," he added. "There is no such thing as a professional fan.
"Last season many complained that the team was old and lacking in alternatives. I brought down the average age of the squad and signed substitutes up to the task, but the people are unhappy anyway.
"It’s good that we did not sign Burak Yilmaz, as he would’ve caused problems in the locker room and his agent’s approach was tantamount to extortion.
"Mauro Zarate remains my biggest disappointment. He was also the biggest investment, as I paid €22m for him."
Lazio face Fiorentina at home on Sunday looking to maintain their unbeaten run at home in Serie A this season.
A top-of-the-table clash between leaders AS Roma and second-placed Napoli has been brought forward by a day due to security fears in the capital, Serie A officials announced Monday.
The fixture was due to be played on October 19, the same day a mass demonstration against the construction of high speed rail links is set to be held in Rome.
Due to an anticipated significant police presence at the protest, the match has been set for 1845 GMT a day earlier on October 18.
Roma, who last won the league title in 2001, hold a two-point lead over Napoli and Juventus at the top of Serie A having won their opening seven games.
The clash between the current top two in Serie A has an ugly recent history.
On the opening day of the 2008/09 season around 1,000 Napoli fans, mostly without tickets, rioted on the way to their match at Roma.
They trashed the train they were travelling on, causing around 500,000 euros ($678,500) in damage, whilst also causing damage to buses once they reached Rome.
Several rail employees and police were injured in clashes with the fans.
That violence resulted in Napoli supporters being banned from away grounds for the entire season with other security measures implemented also seeing away fans banned from certain matches that season deemed high-risk.
Buffon's slow decline means Juventus must make a decision on his future
Oct 6, 2013 9:00:00 AM
The Italy captain has been tipped to carry on playing for as long as he wants, but signs of wear and tear suggest that it may be time for the Bianconeri to get a Plan B ready
COMMENT
By Kris Voakes
It wasn't his fault that Leonardo Bonucci sold him at least five yards short on the backpass which gifted Galatasaray a first-half lead over Juventus on Wednesday night, but one couldn’t help but think that it was something Gianluigi Buffon would have dealt with effortlessly five years ago.
The Bianconeri skipper has never been faultless – no footballer is – but the gaps between Buffon's errors has narrowed significantly over the years. Normally, he deals in one per year. In 2010, it was an awful spill which gifted a goal to Genoa’s Marco Rossi; in 2011 he was sent-off for misjudging David Di Michele’s flick against Lecce and handling outside his box. Last year, Juve’s title party was delayed by four days thanks to a slip which threw away a late lead, also against Lecce.
But when he has been at least partly culpable this year, it has been a different type of mistake. It has not been the very human lapses that even the best shot-stopper will be liable to on occasion; rather, they have been the ones that have shown a fading of the qualities he has boasted throughout his career.
Earlier in the year it was a slow response to David Alaba’s deflected long-range shot that set the tone for Bayern Munich’s 4-0 aggregate win in the Champions League which had some pointing their fingers in the direction of the 35-year-old. Then he parried Marcelo’s shot straight to Fred against Brazil at the Confederations Cup having reacted a split-second too late once more to the original shot. And his inability to react quickly enough to Bonucci’s error has again raised a question.
The difference between the very best goalkeepers and the very good ones is in that ability to be one step ahead of an opposing striker, and whereas once Buffon was the personification of that quality, he is now showing little signs of slipping from his perch.
Once the greatest goalkeeper in the game, he remains the best there is when it comes to organisation and authority of crowded goalmouths, but his great sense of anticipation has been compromised by his slowing body. Likewise, he is taking that millisecond longer to get down to some shots than has been his custom for years.
It has long been suggested, not least by this writer, that Buffon could end up matching the feat of Dino Zoff by captaining Italy to a World Cup win at the age of 40, but while he remains the Azzurri’s undisputed number one heading to Brazil 2014, by Russia 2018 he may well be just another Italy legend of the past.
Antonio Conte will rightly feel that there is no reason to upset the applecart just yet, but all the same he needs to be thinking beyond Buffon. In just the same way that the club have Paul Pogba lined up as their Andrea Pirlo proxy for the longer term, so they should be creating a hard and fast blueprint for a future without Buffon. He still has a few years in him, but maybe not at the level that Juve will need if they want to be challenging for Champions League titles three years from now.
Currently they have 36-year-old Marco Storari and 31-year-old Rubinho backing up the 136-cap first choice, with youngster Nicola Leali out on loan at Spezia. But with each month racked up between the sticks by Buffon, Juventus edge closer to the day when they have to think long and hard about what comes next.
Whether that means bringing back Leali to have him learn the Juve way under their watchful eye or spending some serious cash on a ready-made replacement, a decision may need to be made sooner rather than later. Because if the Old Lady are serious about being at the top of their game over a significant period, they may just have to start looking beyond the legend.
By Chris Myson150
Oct 7, 2013 7:28:00 AM
The Italian insists he is not trying to replicate the Chelsea manager’s tactics in defending his teams fiercely against any criticism they may receive
Juventus boss Antonio Conte has rejected claims he is trying to imitate Jose Mourinho’s style by creating a siege mentality within his squad.
Ahead of Sunday’s match against AC Milan, the coach had staunchly defended his side’s performances and said he was unhappy with the way they were being targeted after drawing their opening two Champions League games.
And after beating the San Siro outfit 3-2 in a thrilling encounter, Conte repeated his stance, defending his side’s recent displays and attacking their recent critics.
However, when he was directly asked if he was trying to follow the approach of ‘The Special One, who also clashed with the Italian press during his time at Inter, the Juve coach was unimpressed.
“I said certain things even before Mourinho arrived in Italy,” said Conte.
“At Siena I was angry with everyone, because we were in second place and still they complained. I am not inspired by anyone, as I simply say what I feel.”
Conte explained his belief that critics should look at the bigger picture when analysing his side rather than producing knee-jerk reactions to every result.
He continued: “I thought I had made an inspired substitution against Galatasaray on Wednesday, but then we conceded the equaliser and everyone said I had made terrible decisions…
“It is all based on the result, whereas the evaluation of a team must go beyond that.
“I am not surprised we are being criticised as we have won for the last two years and this season will be very difficult. History proves that, as the only Juventus side to win three in a row was back in the 1930s.
“We all have to understand this - the players, staff, club and fans. We need to be very united and realise the critics will always try to destabilise us and cause problems.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to play at Juventus for 13 years, so I know it is tough. After the break for international duty we have another very hard run against Fiorentina and Real Madrid.”
The Spain international is confident that the Argentine can become as revered in Naples as his compatriot and hopes to seal the Serie A title this term
Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina believes that striker Gonzalo Higuain can have a similar effect on the club and the city of Naples as Diego Maradona.
The legendary Argentine led the Partenopei to two Serie A titles during a seven-year spell at the club between 1984 and 1991.
Higuain, who moved to the San Paolo from Real Madrid this summer, cited his compatriot as a source of inspiration at and Reina feels his team-mate can become revered by fans.
"You can breathe football here, it's almost like a religion," he told Marca.
"The god is obviously Maradaona and will be for many years. In any restaurant in Naples you can see souvenirs of him, from shirts to photos.
"I hope the same can happen with Higuain. He's the idol of the moment."
Reina, who moved to the club this summer on loan from Liverpool, went on to outline his ambition to win the Serie A title this year, but acknowledged the threats that Roma and Juventus pose to their plans.
"The idea this year is to win the Scudetto. Juventus are the reigning champions of Italy and are used to playing in the Champions Leauge, while Roma are doing very well and don't have any other cups.
"I don't know what might happen in the city if we win the title. The people are very similar to those in the south of Spain. There's certainly no lack of enthusiasm and passion.
The defender isn't concerned about the France international possibly leaving the club for another of Europe's biggest clubs
Giorgio Chiellini is confident Juventus team-mate Paul Pogba will remain in Turin amid rumours linking the midfielder with a January transfer.
The France international has been in superb form for the Serie A champions this season, with the Bianconeri starting the campaign undefeated.
His performances have drawn reported interest from Premier League sides Arsenal, Chelsea and former side Manchester United.
But Chiellini suggested that the 20-year-old would already have departed the Juventus Stadium if the club were looking to sell.
"As far as Pogba is concerned, Juventus has already proved this summer that they didn't want to sell him," he said.
"There were many teams which wanted and needed to spend money: we have seen in the last days of the transfer market that there were teams which wanted to spend such an amount of money.
"This means they have a huge budget and don't know how to spend it and sometimes they even pay a player more than they wanted to.
"Therefore Pogba could be one of the most suitable players, but Juventus clearly said he wouldn't leave the team and he didn't leave."
However, Chiellini also admitted Pogba could depart further down the line if Juventus received an attractive offer.
He added: "As regards the future, you can't promise a player that he will remain in a team forever.
"In today's football world, and especially in Italy, everybody has got a price and if a club receives such an offer, then a player will leave the team.
"I believe this episode is a non-problem, it is something normal. Instead of Pogba, there could have been any other player."
The Bianconeri's former coach has told the club's current boss to remain in Turin and create a lasting legacy
Giovanni Trapattoni has urged Antonio Conte to stay at Juventus and build a dynasty at the club.
Conte, who played under Trapattoni for the Bianconeri, has guided the Turin club to successive Serie A titles since returning to the club in a managerial capacity in May 2011.
The 44-year-old former Italy international has recently been mooted in the media as a possible successor to Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
But Trapattoni believes Conte is well placed to enjoy more success domestically and in Europe if he remains with Juve, who are third in Serie A behind leaders Roma and Napoli.
"I do feel ready to give him some advice: the longer he resists the fascination of trying a different league, the better," Trapattoni told Tuttosport.
"I too received offers from Italian and overseas clubs, but I preferred to postpone.
"I trained many different Juventus sides, but always thought the more you consolidate your success, the better. Of course, eventually I did go to four different countries and win.
"The Bianconeri have everything it takes to get back to the top of European football, though it's too early to tell how this season will pan out.
"They are having a perfectly normal wobble caused by the numerous matches, including internationals. Conte has benefited from experience, as he is coaching at the same club where he played for many years.
"The advantage is that he's more protected. Juve are traditionally subjected to criticism from all angles, but Turin is a city that clams up and protects during disappointments."
Trapattoni is out of work at present after his five-year tenure as Republic of Ireland manager came to an end last month following a failure to qualify for next year's Fifa World Cup.
The 74-year-old did guide Ireland to Uefa Euro 2012 and insists he departed on good terms.
"I left Ireland without controversy," he said. "We had important results together and had some satisfying moments.
"It's true we were unable to achieve qualification to the World Cup, but at the end of the day we said goodbye like civilised people.
"I got to know an exceptional country, humble and also proud. In a nation that doesn't have its own football league, I think I did a good job."
Serie A - Dismal Milan humbled by Caen in friendly
Milan were humiliated by French side Caen in a 3-0 friendly defeat in France.
FootballItalia – 14.10.2013
2013, Mbaye Niang, Milan, AP/LaPresse
The only bright spot of the game was the performance of goalkeeper Gabriel, who kept the scoreline down with a series of saves.
Without the players on international duty, coach Max Allegri had six of his first-team players available, but it was still a terrible performance against a French second division side.
This was a homecoming for Mbaye Niang, who joined Milan from Caen, while Riccardo Saponara and Jherson Vergara were able to play after long injury layoffs.
It took just three minutes for Caen to break the deadlock with Appiah tapping in from a parried free kick.
The Rossoneri defence was disastrous throughout and Duhamel sprung the offside trap to beat Gabriel one-on-one.
Koita was also on his own against goalkeeper Gabriel after bursting down the right undisturbed.
Serie A - Trapattoni 'already in talks with other teams'
Giovanni Trapattoni says he is already in talks for a new job after leaving his post as Republic of Ireland coach.
FootballItalia – 13.10.2013
Giovanni Trapattoni parted company with Ireland last month after five-and-a-half years in charge
Eurosport - Giovanni Trapattoni parted company with Ireland last month after five-and-a-half years in charge
The tactician is now 74 and out of work after his failure to take the Republic of Ireland to the World Cup, so he sat down with Tuttosport.
“I left Ireland without controversy. We had important results together and had some satisfying moments. It’s true we were unable to achieve qualification to the World Cup, but at the end of the day we said goodbye like civilised people.
“I got to know an exceptional country, humble and also proud. In a nation that doesn’t have its own football League, I think I did a good job.”
Trapattoni was asked about his future and reported links with the Galatasaray bench before it was handed to Roberto Mancini.
“It could’ve been an option, but the truth is I didn’t want to play against Juve,” he revealed.
“I won’t hide that I am currently in contact with some interesting people, as the football in Australia and Russia has evolved. I am intrigued by Africa, who still have tactical naiveté.
“You will see me back on the field soon. There’s always something new on the horizon,” concluded the 74-year-old.
Il Trap has travelled the world, but advises Juventus boss Antonio Conte not to do the same just yet.
“Conte has benefited from experience, as he is coaching at the same club where he played for many years. The advantage is that he’s more protected. Juve are traditionally subjected to criticism from all angles, but Turin is a city that clams up and protects during disappointments.
“Conte does not need more praise, as he knows his job is to achieve certain results, confirm them and then confirm them again...
“I do feel ready to give him some advice: the longer he resists the fascination of trying a different League, the better. I too received offers from Italian and overseas clubs, but I preferred to postpone. I trained many different Juventus sides, but always thought the more you consolidate your success, the better. Of course, eventually I did go to four different countries and win...” smiled Trapattoni.
“The Bianconeri have everything it takes to get back to the top of European football, though it’s too early to tell how this season will pan out. They are having a perfectly normal wobble caused by the numerous matches, including internationals.
“Carlos Tevez is a wise man with a winning mentality. He never protests when fouled, but cannot stand losing. Fernando Llorente was signed for the squad rotation system. He’s not Leo Messi, but the team should support him.
“I like to underline the management in Serie A, as Rafa Benitez’s Napoli, Walter Mazzarri’s Inter, the Roma of Rudi Garcia and Lazio under Vladimir Petkovic are very competitive with enthusiasm, belief and technique.
“Milan and Inter will also have their say because they are accustomed to the psychological stress of the top spot.”
Inter Milan: Indonesian tycoons buy majority stake in club
Inter has as estimated 160 million supporters across the world.
Italian football club Inter Milan has become the latest European club to be taken over by foreign investors.
A trio of Indonesian businessmen led by media tycoon Erick Thohir have bought a 70% stake in the club.
The club did not disclose the value of deal, but various reports estimated it to be between 250m - 300m euros ($340m; £210m - $405m; £250m).
The two sides had been negotiating for some time amid efforts by the club to bring in fresh capital.
Massimo Moratti, the president of the club, said the club's "history is going to be enriched by a new season thanks to our new international partners who, I am sure, will contribute to a continued string of successes".
"The new partners' enthusiasm and pragmatism are certainly a guarantee for the future," he added in a statement.
Mr Thohir is also a co-owner of DC United, a Major League Soccer club in the US and has also served as vice president of the Indonesian Olympic Committee.
The other two partners in the deal are Rosan Roeslani and Handy Soetedjo.
Mr Roeslani also owns a stake in DC United, while Mr Soetedjo was involved in the purchase of basketball team Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2011.
The Rossoneri youth coach has been touted as a potential replacement for under-pressure boss Massimiliano Allegri but the former striker says he needs more time
AC Milan's Allievi Nazionali coach Filippo Inzaghi insists he is not ready to become a successor to Massimiliano Allegri.
The Rossoneri's faltering start has once again raised questions over Allegri's future, with Inzaghi predicted as a natural replacement for the 46-year-old former Cagliari coach.
But Inzaghi is adamant that now is not the right time, despite Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believing the Italian is suitably prepared to take on the role.
"According to Ancelotti I'm ready? I say that people need to be patient," he told Sky Sport Italia.
"Now I try to capitalise on the lessons that I received from my coaches and study. It is very important to be ready at the appropriate time."
Inzaghi also revealed that it is very easy for players to drift out of the game particularly as they become older and new talent comes through, which is why he always kept himself in the best condition.
"Many players lose their ability over the years. Mother nature has given me so much, but it was merited because I worked hard and trained well."
Milan have taken eight points from seven games, are in 12th position in Serie A and face Udinese on Saturday.
The under-fire forward has responded to Massimiliano Allegri's criticism that he is more concerned with his looks than his football
Stephen El Shaarawy insists he should be judged by his performances on the pitch and not his appearance off it.
The Azzurri ace was blasted by AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri recently, with the 46-year-old coach accusing his young forward of being more concerned with his looks than his football.
But El Shaarawy has responded angrily to those claims, and says he is desperate to set the record straight.
"My looks and my hair have nothing to do with the way I play," the 20-year-old Rossoneri attacker told reporters
"I've always looked the same and played both good and bad. I simply want to be judged on the way I play, and what I do in games."
The Genoa youth product has had his season curtailed by injury so far, but explained he isn't far off a comeback and that lining up alongside Kaka is a major motivating factor in his drive to get fit as quickly as possible.
"Unfortunately I got two injuries in quick succession but I am recovering well and will be back in a couple of weeks.
"I need a scan on my foot and the Barcelona game may come too soon, but I cannot wait to return and get out there playing with Kaka."
Roma extended their fantastic 100 per cent start to the Serie A season with a Miralem Pjanic-inspired 2-0 home win over Napoli on Friday.
The win leaves Roma five points clear of Napoli, who could be overtaken in second by Juventus, who face Fiorentina on Sunday.
Pjanic, fresh from helping Bosnia to a first ever FIFA World Cup finals, curled a sumptuous free-kick home with the last kick of the first half, after Daniele De Rossi had cleared a goalbound Goran Pandev effort off the line.
Paolo Cannavaro, who had conceded the free-kick, fouled Marco Borriello in the penalty area with 20 minutes left in the game, earning him a second yellow card, allowing Pjanic to lash home his second from the spot.
In-form duo Gervinho and Alessandro Florenzi continued in support of Francesco Totti in attack for Roma, while Gonzalo Higuain failed a late fitness test for the visitors and had to make do with a place on the bench, although Christian Maggio returned at right-back.
Roma made most of the early running and had two chances to take the lead in the 19th minute, but De Rossi headed a corner straight at Pepe Reina, while Gervinho wastefully blazed wide as he closed in on goal.
Totti was forced off with 10 minutes to go in the opening period, Borriello coming on in his place, and they almost went a goal down moments later.
A swift Napoli counter-attack saw Pandev closing in on goal, the Macedonian's weak effort was parried by Morgan De Sanctis, but regardless looked destined to trickle in, only for De Rossi to charge back and acrobatically hack the ball clear.
An injury for Miguel Britos brought Cannavaro into the game, but the Napoli club captain had a disastrous impact on the game.
The defender cynically fouled Gervinho as he looked to dart goalwards, and Pjanic stepped up, curling the set-piece over the wall and into Reina's top right-hand corner.
Napoli roared back after the break with Gokhan Inler flashing an effort just wide and Marek Hamsik clipping the crossbar, but Roma retained a threat, with Kevin Strootman whistling a long-range effort just over.
And with 70 minutes on the clock, the hosts had their second. Cannavaro hauled down Borriello in the area, for his second booking of the evening and a second foul leading to a goal as Pjanic smashed the spot-kick into the roof of the net.
The goal and dismissal were ultimately too much for the visitors to recover from, as Roma comfortably saw out their eighth win from as many Serie A games this term and in the process inflicted Rafael Benitez's first league defeat as Napoli boss.
The 49-year-old says their eighth consecutive Serie A win on Friday against Napoli was bittersweet following injuries to Francesco Totti and Gervinho
Roma coach Rudi Garcia admits he is disappointed, despite a 2-0 victory over Napoli that moved them five points clear at the top of the table, though, second-placed Juventus travel to Fiorentina on Sunday.
Their eighth consecutive Serie A win courtesy of a double from Miralem Pjanic was overshadowed as captain Francesco Totti and winger Gervinho suffered injuries that forced them out of the game.
The severity of their injuries is not yet known, but Garcia can take solace in the fact that his Roma team have extended their perfect start to the season, scoring 22 goals and conceding only once.
“I am happy with the win, but it was a pyrrhic victory, as we lost Totti and Gervinho,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “They are muscular problems and will require further tests.
“Nonetheless, I am happy because we won and in a tough game like this you need to take every chance on set plays.”
With the victory, Roma's achievement was only the fourth time in Serie A history that a team has gone on to win their opening eight matches, after Juventus did so in 1930-31, 1985-86 and 2005-06.
“Tonight Totti’s Roma matched Michel Platini’s Juventus under the gaze of Diego Maradona. I am very proud to have contributed to that," Garcia added.
“We are very strong in defence, but for the moment we also know how to score goals – at least two in every game. Daniele [De Rossi] is a wonderful player and his ‘wall’ with Leandro Castan and Mehdi Benatia is a solid one I’ve liked since the start.
“Miralem Pjanic can also take free kicks like Juninho Pernambucano, though this one was a little different. At the start of the summer I knew a midfield with De Rossi, Kevin Strootman and Pjanic would be very strong. That area is the heart of my football. Kevin played when fatigued, but he did so with great courage.
“The injuries are a problem, but on the positive side they’ll give others an opportunity to play, such as Marco Borriello and Adem Ljajic.”
