Barzagli, Zaccardo and maybe now Quagliarella to Wolfsburg

looks likely now

is the Italian World Champ any good

He's probably the best defender in the world on FM2008

That's Zaccardo(sp) and Barzagli now 0_0

coup by wolfsburg.

The Easter Bunny wrote:That's Zaccardo(sp) and Barzagli now 0_0

Zaccardo is pretty average, best remembered for the only goal Italy conceeded in open play during WC2006.

But Barzagli is a coup, he may not have had a memorable season but he has shown glimpses of class previously. Juve, Milan and Fiorentina missed an opportunity there.

VW now line up the next Italian international

http://www.sportbild.de/sportbild/generated/article/fussball/2008/05/30/9302300000.html

is the lad any good, me wonders

is there nobody out there who knows whether Quagliarella is any good, me wonders

he would cost 15 million Euro

which goes to show what a bargain Toni was

Quagliarella is pretty good from what I have seen. quite versatile, good shot on him

i'd be surprised if he went to Wolfsburg tho

Serie A's second most underrated player. The Quag.

Quagliarella won't go to Wolfsburg...

Zaccardo is average...Barzagli is an idiot for moving there.

I know about Quag obviously...he's fantastic. He's no Cassano however! .

Saturday 31 May, 2008
Blog: VW Barzagli
With Andrea Barzagli and Cristian Zaccardo signing for Volkswagen sponsored Wolfsburg, James Horncastle wonders what is driving Italians to Germany
Three stars adorn Germany's national shirt, commemorating the hat-trick of World Cups won by sie Deutsch. They could, however, easily celebrate the three Italian World Cup winners who have signed for Bundesliga clubs in the past 12 months - Luca Toni, Cristian Zaccardo and Andrea Barzagli.

Italy's victory in Berlin two years ago and Toni's success since joining Bayern Munich last summer have clearly contributed to making Italian footballers fashionable commodities in Germany. Mercedes and Audis are hurtling down the autobahns and parking outside Italian clubs, waiting to buy the latest in vogue and increasingly materialistic star of Serie A.

Barzagli followed his teammate Zaccardo to Wolfsburg after signing a contract in a car park in Coverciano, where Italy are training ahead of the European Championship. The 27-year-old defender, heavily linked with Fiorentina, snubbed the Viola's offer of a five-year contract worth £1.2 a season for a £2.5m deal with the Germans spread over three years. Barzagli, to his credit, picked up the scent of money faster than a German Shepherd. But isn't his job picking up strikers?

Barzagli's move is just wunderba for the Germans, but his flagrant greed is a disgraceful and made all the more stark by his treatment of Fiorentina. The stopper courted the Viola for months and intimated that he wanted to come home. Barzagli hails from Tuscany and more specifically Fiesole, the village just outside Florence, which lends its name to the Viola Curva.

His new club Wolfsburg are in the UEFA Cup next year after attaining their highest ever finish in the Bundesliga. They finished fifth having flirted with relegation in each of their last two seasons. Fiorentina, on the other hand, are in the Champions League and have a history and tradition not to be sniffed at - while the Gigliati were busy winning the Scudetto in 1969, Wolfsburg contented themselves with sixth in the North German Regional League.

It makes me feel sorry for poor old cuddly Cesare Prandelli. Or does it? Prandelli is better off without avaricious Andrea who will probably, sadly, end up in obscurity. Wolfsburg appear to be the new Valencia or Monaco, where promising Italians go to bury their careers. Even the best Italian exports risk being looked over by the Azzurri. Didn't Gianfranco Zola teach you anything?

I only hope Barzagli and Zaccardo have as much of an impact on the German game as Toni who made himself un-ignorable by scoring 24 goals in 31 games and earning £153,000 a week. They are, however, at a disadvantage because they are defenders - who are instantly forgettable.

Yeah Deano is right. I don't think the Quag will go to Wolfsburg. Zaccardo is a bit of a joke in Italy. Barzagli's move was shocking. He chose Wolfsburg over Fiorentina, who are in the CL. Bizarre.

Interesting. Now that players move to the Bundesliga, it's 'greed' foremost. How come this wisdom is not emphasised as much when the transfers go the other way around?

You may think about (a plastic club like) Wolfsburg whatever you like, but one thing is for certain: With VW as their owner and main sponsor, they have the financial means to compete with most clubs in Europe. And now that Magath has finally delivered good results, VW is willing to invest heavily, so they can really challenge the top Bundesliga clubs. Wolfsburg's ambition is to be a real challenger for Bayern, not to remain a mid-table / UEFA Cup club.

So money, as always, is the major criteria. But not the only one, since the outlook for the club, with Magath in charge (the only 'English style' manager in the league with everything under control (no sporting director or other people 'interfering' with sporting decisions), is very encouraging.

Rummenigge, Bayern's president, said a few years ago that Wolfsburg could become a real threat should VW 'get serious' about the club. It looks like they now have.

blutgraetsche wrote:Interesting. Now that players move to the Bundesliga, it's 'greed' foremost. How come this wisdom is not emphasised as much when the transfers go the other way around?

You may think about (a plastic club like) Wolfsburg whatever you like, but one thing is for certain: With VW as their owner and main sponsor, they have the financial means to compete with most clubs in Europe. And now that Magath has finally delivered good results, VW is willing to invest heavily, so they can really challenge the top Bundesliga clubs. Wolfsburg's ambition is to be a real challenger for Bayern, not to remain a mid-table / UEFA Cup club.

So money, as always, is the major criteria. But not the only one, since the outlook for the club, with Magath in charge (the only 'English style' manager in the league with everything under control (no sporting director or other people 'interfering' with sporting decisions), is very encouraging.

Rummenigge, Bayern's president, said a few years ago that Wolfsburg could become a real threat should VW 'get serious' about the club. It looks like they now have.

For me it's more about Barzagli's career. I think it would have been better had he stayed in Italy. He is not an outstanding player to begin with anyway, but now he risks not being considered for the Azzurri.

While moving abroad can have negative consequences for your international career indeed, I don't think that he will be 'forgotten', especially if Wolfsburg continue to play in Europe, and really challenge for the title, as explained earlier.

Barzagli

di Natale is now a Wolfsburg target as well

72-76-80-96-08 wrote:di Natale is now a Wolfsburg target as well

He has rejected Wolfsburg. He wants to stay in Italy.

He signed an extension today until 2013.