Girlfriend Demands Four Ducklings From Pato

The Rossoneri star has been impressing on the pitch but also off it as his girlfriend reveals she wants to spend the rest of her life with him and she has already laid down the objectives for next season.

"Pato is my future and I want to spend my life by his side," Brito told Brazilian magazine 'Contigo'.

"I want to have four children with him because I come from a big family and I want to have a big family too.

"I want to get married in church as this has always been my dream."

Pato has been scoring on the pitch for Milan now it's time to do it off the turf.

Brito has risen to fame for her acting roles but, most notably, for her appearance in Playboy magazine when she turned 18.

Meanwhile, Milan are just one point off the top of Serie A following their 1-0 win over Atalanta on Sunday night, thanks to Kaka.

Salvatore Landolina

Alonso too slow for Juventus

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri says Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is too slow.

Ranieri was close to signing the Spaniard in the summer and the former Chelsea boss has now revealed the reason.

He said: “He was a player we wanted.

“But he is a player, who even though he is an extraordinary man and a great professional, left me perplexed by the slowness of his movement in midfield.

“In the midfield of Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool, where all of them are little soldiers, he finds himself in a fantastic position.

“But in our midfield, he would have found it hard to support the midfield line seeing as Mauro Camoranesi and Pavel Nedved are not players that come back to give support like Liverpool’s wingers.”

[Source: The Sun]

Big Brother Milan Spy Players In Training

The Rossoneri have been a disaster during the first few games of the season, picking up back to back losses in the process.

Vice president Adriano Galliani has demanded answers and it seems as if coach Carlo Ancelotti is providing them, albeit on dvd.

Il Corriere Dello Sport claims the club have set up a number of state of the art cameras and equipment around their Milanello training ground in order to monitor their players levels of focus.

The equipment has been positioned above the pitch so that nothing is missed as the players are put under scrutiny.

Ancelotti will analyse the images alongside his staff and then he will use them to highlight where individual players are going wrong.

It’s a delicate moment at the club with a number of reports suggesting that Ancelotti’s time is running out on the bench.

This latest attempt to try and smooth over the bumpy road seems like a no nonsense way to get their best from his players.

No more laughing or joking around on the training ground then as the club toughens up its stance in light of the recent problems.  

Salvatore Landolina

Figo Inspires Me, Inter For The CL - Quaresma

Quaresma arrived at San Siro on the final day of the transfer window and he was brought in by Jose Mourinho to be Luis Figo’s successor when he decides to hang up his boots.
The former Porto man is delighted to have the opportunity of playing alongside his childhood hero and he believes that Inter can win both the Champions League and Scudetto this season.
"There was one player who I always used to try and copy when I was young and his name is Luis Figo," Quaresma told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.
"He is so impressive and I always used to tell myself that I wanted to be just like him one day. It has gone even better for me as now I am playing alongside him.
"Inter has some great players and we are trying to aim for the Champions League and Scudetto. I am thinking about where Inter can go rather than what I can achieve."
Quaresma is likely to make his Serie A debut for the Nerazzurri this weekend when Jose Mourinho’s men welcome Walter Zenga and his Catania side to San Siro.
The ‘Special One’ is looking for maximum points following the 1-1 draw with Sampdoria in week one but Catania will be no easy feat.
Salvatore Landolina

Chasing Mutu Was A Waste Of Time - Conti

The Giallorossi were on the verge of signing the Romanian before the deal went up in smoke. Conti then played his part in wrapping up the transfers for Julio Baptista and Jeremy Menez and he is happy with the way the market turned out at Trigoria.

“Mutu? Seeing how things went, that situation was just a waste of time,” Conti told Il Messagero.

“Everything was in place for that deal but saying that we had our alternatives lined up and it all worked out well for us. We got the players we wanted and we are satisfied.

“Our philosophy here is to make sure that new and old players integrate well and make themselves always available.”

Conti also denied reports which claimed that the club had signed some players without the coach knowing.

“Every deal was done with all our consent. We have never done anything where the coach hasn’t been informed,” added Conti.

“There has always been a great relationship with Spalletti where there has been respect from both parties.

“Those who claim that the club made certain choices and the coach made others are simply lying.”

Roma have their eyes set on Champions League and Scudetto glory this season and the new arrivals are keen to impress and establish themselves in the Olimpico.

Salvatore Landolina

Mourinho's TV Fury

The special one recently had pay per view television installed at his home in Como by TV Cabo, a Portuguese broadcaster.

The installation of a satellite dish and two decoders went well and the coach was all smiles but that changed when his first bill dropped through his letter box.

Mourinho’s TV deal wasn’t so special as the former Chelsea man noticed he was invoiced with an €18.600 statement.

The coach grabbed the phone and called up the company and it turned out that the problem was an error with the conversion rate from Swiss Francs to Euros.

The right amount was €6.400 but Mourinho was still furious with the company for making the mistake and he showed no signs of backing down.

The Nerazzurri man used his tactics to turn the result in his favour as he managed to blag a €700 discount for the troubles he went through. He then received a bill for €5,648.

Mourinho was adamant on getting his reduction but the sum he had to pay must have seemed like loose change considering he earns around €9m per season at San Siro according to reports.

Moratti: Quaresma Is Fast & Classy

After a long transfer saga, Massimo Moratti finally brought Ricardo Quarsema to the San Siro at the request of coach Jose Mourinho for a hefty transfer fee. And the president seems extremely pleased at bringing the ex-Porto winger on board:

"Quaresma can add speed and class on the wings," explained the Nerrazzurri president. "He is another weapon besides Mancini and Figo. We hope he can be useful."

Many pundits believe that the draw against Sampdoria was the reason Quaresma was finally brought in and Moratti gave a quick word about the performance of his team in the match that ended 1-1 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

"It was the result of a difficult match, even if there is no need to think it is a negative one," claimed Moratti. "The match was conducted well in the first half and a little less so after the restart, but this is the italian league and it's very difficult."

When asked if he thought he would have spent so much money on football when he first became Inter president, Moratti smiled, "I had hoped not."

Inter's next match will be at the San Siro when they host Sicilian side Catania, who were victorious over Geona in their match on Sunday afternoon.

Adam Scime

Milan make losing start

AC Milan started the new Serie A season with a dismal 2-1 defeat at home to Bologna.

Goals from Marco Di Vaio and Francesco Valiani gave the visitors a famous win in the San Siro, but Rossoneri coach Carlo Ancelotti remained philosophical.

He said: "It was a bit of a strange game, but I think there have been quite a few surprise results at the start of the season when teams aren't entirely up to speed.

"I don't think the side played badly or was lacking in any area. We attacked for 90 minutes and were punished by the only two chances Bologna created."

AS Roma were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Napoli, while Alberto Gilardino netted a last-minute equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw at home to Juventus.

Torino were comfortable 3-0 winners at home to Lecce, while Mauro Zarate scored twice in Lazio's resounding 4-1 success at Cagliari.

Atalanta edged out Siena 1-0, while Catania beat Genoa by the same scoreline.

Newly-promoted Chievo beat Reggina 2-1, with Vincenzo Italiano grabbing the winner two minutes from time.

Mourinho Angers Inter Fans

On Wednesday about 2,000 Nerazzurri fans were present at the training grounds of Appiano Gentile to watch their favourite players train. However, Mourinho decided to have the training session on an inside pitch, with the fans 100 metres away and therefore hardly visible.

Many of the fans had taken an off day in order to follow their team prior to the 'Ferragosto' holidays, but in the end were disappointed by the treatment reserved to them.

This led them to sing songs in favour of former coach Mancini and in opposition of 'the special one'.

Apparently Mourinho is afraid of spies and does not want to reveal his plans to anyone before the start of the season, but this decision has most likely harmed his relationship with the Inter die-hards.

Glenn Debattista

Mourinho Furious Over Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic has had a depressing time of things with injuries this calendar year, and missed a large portion of Inter’s Scudetto run-in due to a chronic knee injury.

The problem also complicated his Euro 2008 tournament with Sweden, and there were fears that these issues were all set to continue into the 2008/09 campaign when he limped off the pitch, last month, just 20 minutes into his first pre-season training session with the Nerazzurri.

The 26-year-old only returned to training a few weeks ago, and had been working his way back into action, impressing during the Amsterdam Tournament last week, and starting the 1-0 win over Ajax.

Mourinho has been key not to push Ibrahimovic for the fear of a relapse, and he is said to be absolutely furious after hearing that the forward has been called up by Sweden coach Lars Lagerback for the country’s friendly with France next week.

This has all been made worse by the injury sustained by fellow striker Adriano today, with initial reports suggesting that the Brazilian could be sidelined for an extended period of time.

Paloschi: I Want Milan Stay

The 18-year-old Paloschi, who burst onto the Italian scene last season, had last month been on the verge of moving to Torino on a season-long loan deal.

The transfer was all set to be completed until a serious injury in training to Marco Borriello plunged Milan into something of a forward crisis.
With Pippo Inzaghi and Kaka also sidelined, and Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato going to the Olympics, Paloschi was only the fit striker available, and thus his transfer to Torino was scrapped.
Over the last few days there have been renewed reports that Paloschi could still leave on loan before the end of the transfer window, with Serie B side Bari named as a possible destination.
"I do not know where I'll be playing, but this season I aim to score more goals than last season," Paloschi told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Bari? AC Milan will find the best solution.
"With the Rossoneri I'm living a beautiful experience: growing, watching and learning.”
Paloschi did not even have a holiday this summer after immediately joining Milan’s pre-season camp at the end of Italy’s Under-19 European Championship campaign, which the Azzurrini finished as runners-up.
Roberto Rossi

Juve Line Up ‘New Adebayor’

The 19-year-old Nimani is rated as one of France’s brightest young talents, and he hit the headlines at the weekend during the opening day of the new French championship when he scored the winner in Monaco’s 1-0 victory over Claude Makelele’s Paris Saint Germain.

Nimani, at 6ft 3in, is well suited to the modern game with his power and technique, and for this reason he has been labelled in some circles as the ‘new Emmanuel Adebayor’, in reference to the Arsenal star who also formerly played for Monaco.

The teenager’s potential has not passed unnoticed, and Tuttosport claims that Juventus are considering making a move for the striker.

The Biaconeri are also being linked with Le Mans forward Mamadou Samassa. The 22-year-old, a Mali native, plays for the France Under-21s, and is renowned for his ability to hold up the ball, and bring team-mates into play.

Ancelotti: Mourinho Is Provocative

Mourinho has been heavily criticised in the Italian press over the past week or so, following his stunning attack on Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri.

Ancelotti has now had his say on the matter, and while he insists that he gets on well with ‘The Special One’, he says that the Portuguese does like to provoke.

“Mourinho is a unique person,” Carletto told the Corriere dello Sport.

“I know him and I think he’s very nice but he likes to court the Press and he can be provocative.

“The important thing is to keep your tongue in your cheek and I have enjoyed exchanging remarks with him. You just can’t take things too seriously.”

Ancelotti then turned to Milan’s pre-season preparations, which up until this point have been nothing short of disastrous.

The Rossoneri have suffered a spate of injuries in defence and attack, and they lost once again at the weekend, 1-0 at Manchester City.

“I didn’t expect things to be so difficult at this stage,” Ancelotti sighed.

“The defence isn’t working and neither is the attack. Only the midfield has been good.

“I know that Alessandro Nesta should recover quickly, but we don’t know how long he will take to return to the squad.”

Milan are expected to complete the loan signing of Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in the coming hours in order to ease the pressure on their defence.

Roberto Rossi

Milan Enter Race For Freddie

The 31-year-old is currently a free agent after being released from his four year contract at West Ham last week.

Ljungberg struggled badly after signing for The Hammers from Arsenal last year, making 30 appearances, and scoring just four goals.

The East London outfit were keen to get the Swede’s reported £80,000 salary off their wage bill, and Ljungberg is now searching for a club ahead of the new season.

The midfielder is still admired in Italy following his outstanding nine years with Arsenal between 1998 and 2007, where he was instrumental in winning two Premier Leagues and three FA Cups.

Ljungberg is already a reported target for Lazio, but sources in Italy claim that Milan are also ready to offer the veteran a contract.

The Rossoneri are looking to sign an alternative in the attacking midfield role given the injury troubles to Kaka, and Ljungberg could be the man for the job.

The former Halmstads man, who has won 80 caps for Sweden, is said to be tempted by a move to Milan, given the fact that the city is known as one of the fashion center's of Europe. Ljungberg is a male model, and is known for his love of fashion.

Roberto Rossi

Spiderman Predicts Mid-Table Finish For Catania

The Sicilians have been very active in the summer transfer market, and have made a number of impressive signings, including the likes of Pablo Ledesma from Boca Juniors, Ezequiel Carboni from Red Bull Salzburg and Nicolae Dica from Steaua Bucharest.

The new players have settled in well to their new surroundings, winning 10 of their 11 pre-season friendlies, including a 3-2 victory against Romanian side Progresul yesterday.

“Ledesma, Carboni and Dica will be the backbone of the side,” Zenga stated.

“With those three in the squad I am confident that we can finish in the middle of the pack.

“They have shown great movement and they are able to do unpredictable things, which pleases me.

“As a whole we are working well and I have been happy with what I have seen in the training camp in Assisi and in our friendlies.”

The 48-year-old Zenga took over the reigns at Catania from Silvio Baldini at the beginning of April and helped the Sicilians to survival last term.

Anthony Sormani

Ibrahimovic Is Something Else - Mourinho

The Sweden international returned to action for the Nerazzurri against Sevilla on Friday night during the Amsterdam tournament.  

Ibra has been out with injury but he has made a full recovery. The ‘Special One’ is delighted at having him available and he is full of praise for the hit-man.  

“With Ibrahimovic the team is something else. He is amongst the first players in the team,” Mourinho told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.  
“When I see him in training I never stop being surprised from what he does.  

“He will be playing against Ajax. I won’t be bothered about the result, I just want to see Ibra get better and better.”  

The Nerazzurri take on the Eredivisie side this evening in the final match of the friendly tournamet.  

Ibrahimovic was stunning last term and his strikes against Parma on the final day of the season ensured it was Inter who lifted the Scudetto and not Roma.  

Salvatore Landolina

Juventus To Offer €5m For Ivanovic

The Bianconeri have returned to the market following injuries to Dario Knezevic and Christian Molinaro.  

Reports claim that the Italian side initially wanted to take the stopper on loan, but they are now looking to sign him on a permanent deal.  

Juve are currently looking for back-up as they prepare to get through the Champions League preliminaries and Ivanovic may arrive sooner rather than later.  

Il Corriere Dello Sport claims that transfer guru, Alessio Secco and Juve chief executive Jean Claude Blanc have already met with Chelsea, and are ready to offer the Blues €5m to sign the player on a permanent basis.  

Claudio Ranieri has requested the player and it’s likely he will get him as Ivanovic has not played a game in six months and he doesn’t seem part of Felipe Scolari’s plans.  

The Bianconeri will be hoping to have the deal signed, sealed and delivered by the end of the week so they can fly back to Turin with a souvenir from their English tour.  

Salvatore Landolina      

Mourinho To Ranieri: You Are Old And Fruitless

Ranieri had mentioned Mourinho during his sour grapes press conference after Juventus lost 3-0 to Hamburg.  

“I am not like Mourinho, I don’t have to win things to be sure of myself,” moaned Ranieri.  

This has prompted a reaction from the ‘Special One’ who just couldn’t help himself from taking aim, and gunning the Old Lady coach down with some heavy words.  

“I am in Italy to work hard rather than take part in a war of words,” Mourinho told Inter Channel.  

“I want to do well with Inter and do the best possible for us and to forget about the work of others.  

“Ranieri? I guess he’s right with what he said I am very demanding of myself and I have to win to be sure of things.  

“This is why I have won so many trophies in my career. Ranieri on the other hand has the mentality of someone who doesn’t need to win. He is almost 70 years old.  

“He has won a Supercup and another small trophy and he is too old to change his mentality.  

“He’s old and he hasn’t won anything.”  

The coach also spoke about Zlatan Ibrahimovic and he believes the Sweden star is better than Kaka and Lionel Messi.  

“Seeing Ibrahimovic in training makes me understand how Special he is,” said the coach.  

“Messi? Kaka? Ronaldinho? Ibrahimovic is the special one.”  

Mourinho’s words are likely to cause some controversy.  

The coach claimed he was not prepared to have a verbal fight with the rest only to eat his words and add petrol to the fire.  

Salvatore Landolina 

I Will Be Ready For The Start Of Serie A, Promises Kaka

Kaka is confident that he will not miss the start of Serie A as he has some more weeks to recover from the injury he suffered recently.

"Let's see how long this injury will take: there is still one month before the start, therefore there is all the time to cure myself," explained the Brazilian ace.

"I exclude any other surgeries. My return on the pitch has been agreed, therefore there is no hurry."

Kaka also believes that the Milan side which faced Chelsea on Sunday has nothing to do with the real team which will be playing in the upcoming season.

"We are still preparing ourselves, we have some missing players and others have not arrived yet.

"However, this will not happen again as these are things which we cannot allow to happen when we wear this shirt, but only at the end of the month things will get serious," concluded the midfielder.

Glenn Debattista

Tendonitis To Rule Kaka Out Of Pre-Season

The chronic injury was largely responsible for Ronaldinho's troubles last season and has also prevented Owen Hargreaves from playing as regularly as he would have liked for Manchester United during their double-winning season.

Milan's official website have revealed that the World Player of the Year will undergo specialist treatment in the coming days following “a persistent inflammation of the left knee", with the 26-year-old having to be withdrawn during Friday's loss to Sevilla.

There are already fears that, given this was the same knee that caused him to miss most of last season, the attacking midfielder may endure a similarly torrid campaign this year.

With Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato at the Olympics and Marco Borriello ruled out for two months, Kaka's presence is crucial to the Rossoneri in the early goings of this season, with even Filippo Inzaghi struggling with muscle problems.

Youngster Alberto Paloschi is currently the only fully fit striker available to coach Carlo Ancelotti, with O Globo contending that Kaka will need at least two weeks to fully recover from the injury.

Tendonitis is a notoriously persistent injury and often, once diagnosed, can rarely be permanently cured.

Santino Santoro, Goal.com