 Serie A returned to action with a big new arrival, harsh treatment in Bologna and a Hulk-like Sinisa MihajlovicFor a round of fixtures that brought only 15 goals, Serie A's opening weekend was certainly eventful. Even if some of the games weren't.Zlatan Ibrahimovic did rather well in that regard,...
Serie A returned to action with a big new arrival, harsh treatment in Bologna and a Hulk-like Sinisa Mihajlovic For a round of fixtures that brought only 15 goals, Serie A's opening weekend was certainly eventful. Even if some of the games weren't. Zlatan Ibrahimovic did rather well in that regard, taking his seat in among the directors and dignitaries at San Siro for one of the weekend's more entertaining games - as his new Milan team-mates put four past newly-promoted Lecce without reply. In the seats either side of the Swede, his agent Mino Raiola and Milan's vice-president Adriano Galliani glowed with satisfaction. A seat further down, Silvio Berlusconi glowed with what one suspects is hundreds of Euros' worth of fake tan. "I am incredibly happy," declared Galliani before the match, and well he might after sealing a transfer that defied all expectations. Barcelona gave up ?45m plus Samuel Eto'o to secure Ibrahimovic one year ago, yet Milan will pay nothing to the Catalan club this season ? when the striker is technically on loan ? then only ?24m, in instalments, after that. The Swede also agreed to take a pay cut from ?12m to ?8m a year, though bonuses could take him back up towards the former figure. Critics might still consider that a large sum for a player does not address an area of particularly great need, but supporters can counter that Ibrahimovic's 16 goals during a supposedly disappointing 29 La Liga games for Barcelona was more than any of Milan's strikers managed last year. Before that he managed 57 in 88 Serie A fixtures for Inter. Ibrahimovic's own declaration that "I won't leave Milan until we've won everything" prompted more than one pundit to joke that he could be there some time, but such cockiness is not totally without foundation. It should be remembered that he has finished top of whichever league he has been playing in for the past seven seasons. Certainly the fans have been won over, a banner in the Curva Sud reading: "Summer transfers: many youngsters and one great champion ? the right mix for becoming a great champion once again. Thank you." Another was unfurled with the message: "At Milanello, at San Siro and at the club. Welcome back president." It was a far cry from July, when Berlusconi was heckled by the club's fans when he showed up at a training session. Ibrahimovic's arrival was followed by a cryptic suggestion from Berlusconi that Milan are "ready to move" if one other target, widely assumed to be Robinho, becomes available and cynics have been quick to note that this flurry of activity follows a difficult spell for the Italian prime minister. The Alleanza Nazionale leader Gianfranco Fini pulled out of Berlusconi's centre-right coalition just before the summer break, sparking talk of an early election. It would not be the first time the Milan owner has sought to use football for political ends. But success on the pitch, at least, is attainable. Mlian's first team yesterday featured six players in their 30s, four of whom were 33 or older, but they are not alone in boasting an ageing side. A study over the summer showed Serie A to be the second-oldest league in Europe, after Cyprus, and the team Inter started with against Atlético Madrid had an average age of over 30.5 years old. Deficiencies at full-back and the inexperience of manager Massimiliano Allegri make a strong Champions League run unlikely, but a title challenge is not out of the question. Indeed, whilst it would be foolish to read too much into one weekend's results ? especially when Milan were facing such compliant opposition ? the Rossoneri certainly looked a far better bet than the other supposed candidates. While Milan were rejuvenated by a healthy Alexandre Pato and a leaner-looking Ronaldinho, Juventus seemed utterly unimproved by close to ?60m of new signings. If Juventus's 3-1 defeat away to Bari was met with shock and anger last season, this year's 1-0 loss - their first opening-day reverse since 1982 - brought only resignation. There were six new faces in the starting XI, and a further two brought on before the end, but the performance was all too familiar. With both teams lined up in a 4-4-2 there was no question of Juve having been outwitted; instead they were simply outplayed by a team with more energy and more ideas. In the end Juve managed two shots on target to their hosts' eight. Almost all the new signings were underwhelming. Fabio Quagliarella looked every bit the man who hadn't had a chance to train with his team-mates; Milos Krasic and Simone Pepe failed to get behind their opposing full-backs and Marco Motta, just as in his Roma days, is the defender who just won't defend. At the back Leonardo Bonucci and goalkeeper Marco Storari escaped without particular blame, but that's about the best that could be said. The new manager Luigi Del Neri had the twin excuses of players needing time to gel and being tired from Thursday's Europa League win over Sturm Graz, though he refused to bring up an even greater grievance ? the sale of Diego. After Del Neri had insisted all summer that the Brazilian was a key part of his plans, the club's decision to sell him to Wolfsburg this week looks like a massive folly. A team already short of creativity could ill-afford to lose a player who showed flashes ? albeit only intermittently ? of real talent last season. Juve may yet be active in the remaining two days of the transfer window, with reports today that they will move for Milan's Marco Borriello, likely to be the odd man out after Ibrahimovic's arrival. Not that they'll be the only ones spending big ? as Bari's goalscorer Massimo Donati explained at full-time. "I want to show you a text sent to me by my friend Paolo," he said, before holding his phone up for reporters. "Teletext said you wouldn't play," read the message. "But I bet on Bari to win 1-0 with a goal from you anyway. Nice one!" But if it was a disappointing weekend for Juventus, it was a still worse one for Franco Colomba, sacked by Bologna just two days before their opening game against Inter. Sergio Porcedda, the team's new president, claimed Colomba had complained too much about the club's transfer dealings and failure to bring in more experienced players. The former Parma, Chievo and Torino manager Mario Beretta is favourite to take over after he was sacked by PAOK in July ? after less than a month in the job. That just leaves our ghost goal ? 'scored' by Edinson Cavani during Napoli's 1-1 draw at Fiorentina. His header from an Andrea Dossena cross after just seven minutes crashed down on to the line but was deemed incorrectly to have crossed it by referee Andrea Gervasoni. On the sideline Sinisa Mihajlovic looked ready to burst, Hulk-like, from his too-tight shirt, but managed to restrain himself before helping his team regroup to claim a more than merited draw. "They got it wrong and they know that," said Mihajlovic afterwards. "It wasn't a goal, but in football these things can happen." For Serie A this season it seems the acrimony can wait till week two. Talking points? Roma were scarcely more impressive than Juventus as they laboured to a 0-0 draw with Cesena. Perhaps it was the absence of a real crowd ? just 18,600 made it into the stadium as Ultras staged a protest against the tessera del tifoso outside ? but the Giallorossi lacked energy and invention against a spirited but limited opponent. Claudio Ranieri finally has the one signing he wanted all summer, centre-back Nicolás Burdisso, but with Adriano out for a month there is little alternative up front to the listless showing of Mirko Vucinic and the bad-tempered one of Francesco Totti. ? Sebastian Giovinco more than lived up to billing on his Parma debut, setting up Valeri Bojinov's opener against Brescia with a delicious chip over the defence and generally causing all sorts of bother as he orchestrated play in the final third. Sterner tests await, but once again the Ducali seem to have made shrewd investments this summer. ? Sampdoria shook off their Champions League hangover with a 2-0 win over Lazio. Samp's manager Mimmo Di Carlo said when he arrived that he would stay faithful to the 4-4-2 that got the team fourth place but, after the play-off defeat to Werder Bremen, seems to feel more free to try his own ideas ? moving Stefano Guberti up behind the attack to give himself more of a diamond midfield. So far, so good, as Guberti got the second. Results: Bari 1-0 Juventus, Chievo 2-1 Catania, Fiorentina 1-1 Napoli, Milan 4-0 Lecce, Palermo 0-0 Cagliari, Parma 2-0 Brescia, Roma 0-0 Cesena, Sampdoria 2-0 Lazio, Udinese 0-1 Genoa Latest Serie A table
Posted originally: 2010-08-30 12:05:27
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