Olympic football tournament

DS wrote:Big potential , was very impressed by him and Dessena when I was following Parma last season.
Out of that list De Silvestri is another one who I have kept my eye on who I can think can emulate Zambrotta.
The others I know are of Juve origin Giovinco another big talent imo , Marchisio , Criscito.

By the way isnt Aquafresca from Inter academy ?

Calidad wrote:Will also be interesting to see which Ronaldinho turns up.

Ronaldinho, called upon for the 14th

The Brazilian player will have to report for training on Monday, the first session of the 2008-09 season.

FC Barcelona have announced that Ronaldinho will be expected to report for training on the forthcoming July 14. The player has been named in the Brazilian Olympic squad to play at the Beijing Games from August 6 to 24.

The Olympics do not form part of the official FIFA calendar, and no official decision has ever been made in that respect, so the club is under no obligation to allow its player to travel.

In recent weeks, technical secretary Txiki Beguiristain has reiterated that Barça’s objective has always been to have as many players as possible ready in time for the Champions League qualifying games.

FIFA Rules

FIFA’s regulations with respect to the release of players to represent their national associations states in article 1.2 of annex 1 that “The release of players … is mandatory for matches on dates listed in the coordinated international match calendar and for all matches for which a duty to release players exists on the basis of a special decision by the FIFA”.

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/noticies/futbol/temporada08-09/07/n080708104871.html

mongrel hawk wrote:
They compare Robinho to Garrincha. Garrincha won 2 WCs and had phenomenal performances against great teams. Robinho always disappears against strong opposition, and dives all the time when well marked. Garrincha drank everyday, smoked 2 packs of cigs and had zillions of women. Robinho slept with his mother till recently, drinks yogurt and sucks his thumb when scoring.

mongrel hawk wrote:I've never cheered against a national team like I'll cheer against Brazil in these Olympics.

Brazil will play against mediocre teams of youths, the kind of games Robinho loves, cause those are the only games in which he can do his tricks.

But our press doesn't take it into account. They never lose an opportunity to scream for all to hear that Robinho is a great craque, the embodiment of the Brazilian football soul.

Brazilian football soul my ass.

They compare Robinho to Garrincha. Garrincha won 2 WCs and had phenomenal performances against great teams. Robinho always disappears against strong opposition, and dives all the time when well marked. Garrincha drank everyday, smoked 2 packs of cigs and had zillions of women. Robinho slept with his mother till recently, drinks yogurt and sucks his thumb when scoring. Garrincha was a man. Robinho is a kid, an adult that acts like a kid.

And now he will play against kids, against defenders who still respect him.

Man, if Robinho becomes the great hero of our first football olympic gold medal, our next world cup is doomed.

I'm waiting for the circus. It will be disgusting.

Italy's Olympic squad:

Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Robert Acquafresca (Cagliari), Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Antonio Cadreva (Udinese), Luca Cigarini (Parma), Andrea Coda (Udinese), Andrea Consigli (Atalanta), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Paolo De Ceglie (Juventus), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Lazio), Daniele Dessena (Parma), Sebastian Giovinco (Juventus), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Marco Motta (Udinese), Antonio Nocerino (Palermo), Andrea Ranocchia (Arezzo), Tommaso Rocchi (Lazio), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Andrea Russotto (Treviso), Salvatore Sirigiu (Citta di Castello), Emiliano Viviano (Brescia)

http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/football/n214434309.shtml

Allez les rouges wrote:

mongrel hawk wrote:I've never cheered against a national team like I'll cheer against Brazil in these Olympics.

Brazil will play against mediocre teams of youths, the kind of games Robinho loves, cause those are the only games in which he can do his tricks.

But our press doesn't take it into account. They never lose an opportunity to scream for all to hear that Robinho is a great craque, the embodiment of the Brazilian football soul.

Brazilian football soul my ass.

They compare Robinho to Garrincha. Garrincha won 2 WCs and had phenomenal performances against great teams. Robinho always disappears against strong opposition, and dives all the time when well marked. Garrincha drank everyday, smoked 2 packs of cigs and had zillions of women. Robinho slept with his mother till recently, drinks yogurt and sucks his thumb when scoring. Garrincha was a man. Robinho is a kid, an adult that acts like a kid.

And now he will play against kids, against defenders who still respect him.

Man, if Robinho becomes the great hero of our first football olympic gold medal, our next world cup is doomed.

I'm waiting for the circus. It will be disgusting.

Top post. Made me laugh and cheer almost as much as "you should not celebrate, but just shut the f@ck up and respect a nation that is much better at footall than yours".

Diego the latest to be blocked from Games

Werder Bremen have dashed the Olympic hopes of Brazil playmaker Diego, telling the 23-year-old they will not release him and thus depriving the Games of perhaps one of the world’s most exciting young players

Werder sporting director Klaus Allofs said there was no legal reason for clubs to release their players because, he said, the Olympics are not part of world soccer’s governing body FIFA.

“So I’m not expecting any reaction from FIFA,” Allofs said.

Just last week FIFA said that even though clubs are not obliged to release overage players they must release any players younger than 23. Diego turned 23 on Feb. 28 and he was nominated for Brazil’s Olympic team on July 8 by coach Dunga.

Diego got his first cap for Brazil in April 2003 as a 19-year-old so how are Werder getting away with this? Why will Diego be spending August training with his club on Germany’s North Sea island of Nordeney instead of playing for Brazil in China?

Werder released a statement from Diego that said: “The Olympics are my dream. But Werder don’t want to release me. I’ll respect that. I don’t want to cause any problems.”

But Bild newspaper reported on Tuesday that Diego has not given up yet. “I don’t know yet what I’ll do. I’ll wait to see what FIFA decides,” he was quoted as saying.

AC Milan have stopped Kaka from going and Barcelona said Brazilian compatriot Ronaldinho could not attend. Ronaldinho has just moved to Milan from Barca so all eyes are on what the Italian club decide.

http://blogs.reuters.com/soccer/2008/07/16/diego-the-latest-to-be-blocked-from-games/

Fey wrote:Holland v Belgium! coming up soon!