Newsgroup: it.sport.calcio.inter
Titolo: [Boston] - Chelsea, Milan pay the price

Chelsea, Milan pay the price
Tonight's opponents are rich in talent
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff  |  July 24, 2005
Chelsea FC has been able to acquire nearly any top-level player not bound to 
a contract.
''Except," noted AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti yesterday, ''the one they 
wanted."
Chelsea's offer for Andriy Shevchenko, reigning winner of the Ballon d'Or as 
the European player of the year, was refused both by Milan and the Ukrainian 
striker. Other prominent players (Ronaldinho, Hernan Crespo, who was unable 
to defy a contractual obligation) have turned down Chelsea. But this was 
probably the highest bid to ever be refused by both a club and player --  
48.9 million British pounds (more than $80 million), plus a five-year 
contract worth 35 million pounds (nearly $60 million) -- an indication of 
the popularity, power, and prowess of AC Milan.
Shevchenko remains with Milan, but he will not be available for its 
exhibition game against Chelsea tonight at Gillette Stadium. Shevchenko is 
skipping this tour to have plates removed from his cheekbone, which was 
broken in a Serie A game last season. Newly acquired striker Alberto 
Gilardino and veterans Filippo Inzaghi and Paolo Maldini (attending his 
brother's wedding) will not be available until Milan visits the Chicago Fire 
Wednesday and for the return match with Chelsea at Giants Stadium July 31. 
Brazilians Dida and Kaka are skipping this tour to recuperate from virtually 
a year-round schedule.
The two clubs, whose paths have seldom crossed, appear to be developing a 
rivalry that has little to do with on-field competition. The clashes between 
Chelsea and Milan start at the top. Chelsea is controlled by Russian 
oligarch Roman Abramovich, while media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, who also 
happens to be Italy's prime minister, oversees Milan. Abramovich and 
Berlusconi, both ultrarich entrepreneurs, are accustomed to being able to 
acquire nearly anything they desire.
Chelsea and Milan were eliminated from the Champions League by Liverpool in 
May, but the odds are good for a meeting in the upcoming final.
''These are two of the best teams in Europe and this could be a preview of 
next year's final in Paris," Ancelotti said. ''This is an important part of 
the preparation for the season and we will be playing against a difficult 
and prestigious opponent in Chelsea."
Without Gilardino and Shevchenko, plus Crespo, who played for Milan on loan 
from Chelsea, the Rossoneri will likely go with Christian Vieri as a lone 
striker, according to Ancelotti. Vieri, who made a controversial move from 
city rivals Inter, was among the most dynamic performers in Milan's morning 
practice at Boston College yesterday.
Chelsea should be at nearly full strength. The Blues dominated the 
Premiership last season, losing only one game, but faltered near the end of 
the season without wingers Damien Duff and Arjen Robben. Now, Chelsea has 
four potential starters for two wing positions -- Duff, Robben, plus Joe 
Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips, a $36.7 million acquisition from Manchester 
City.
''This is a friendly match but we never like to lose," Milan midfielder Rui 
Costa said. ''All games are really important for us and this one especially, 
since they could be our opponents in the Champions League. We will have a 
chance to try some new things with this team and to measure how good soccer 
is in the US [against Chicago].
''We just played three days ago and even if we are not 100 percent fit yet, 
these are great games to play because everyone is fighting for jobs and 
places on the team."
Milan's last competitive match was marked by the surrendering of a 
three-goal lead and a penalty kick loss to Liverpool in the Champions League 
final in Istanbul, among the most shocking results in the history of the 
event. Milan also finished second to Juventus in Serie A.
Ancelotti believes future Champions Leagues will become more exclusive.
''There are 10 or so teams able to win it," Ancelotti said. ''But it is not 
always the best club that wins in soccer."
The day after the loss to Liverpool, Milan announced the addition of 
midfielder Johann Vogel (PSV Eindhoven), then signed Greek goalkeeper 
Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos, Vieri, and last week paid 24 million euros for 
Gilardino (Parma). The Milan roster is so deep that Massimo Ambrosini, who 
converted the deciding goal in the semifinals against PSV, did not play in 
the final match.
Milan will not be near its peak on this tour, but players are preparing for 
a long season, plus the World Cup finals next June and July.
''Soccer has changed and this is how it is in modern soccer," Ancelotti 
said. ''Players are in condition to play year-round, not like it used to be.
''We have to do without some players sometimes but we have replacements who 
are equally strong. We have three players missing and during the season that 
sometimes happens because of injuries."
---
Carolina72 

 wrote in message
richiedo scusa. Immagino gli insulti ora:)
ho scritto ad un moderatore per bloccarlo, spero possano almeno cancellarlo.
Carolina72\sorry 

 richiedo scusa. Immagino gli insulti ora:)
Non c'è problema: recita 5 Ave Zé Maria e sei a posto  :-pp
-- 
Sir Biss vicecampione FantaISCI 2005
Fondatore club "El Condor pasa (la bala)" tess.#0
Fondatore club "You make me feel like a Natural Wome" tess.#0
questo articolo e` stato inviato via web dal servizio gratuito 
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ab...@newsland.it

 Non c'č problema: recita 5 Ave Zé Maria e sei a posto  :-pp
merda, sono mortificata
ho pure pensato a di-sottoscrivere il ng:)
Carolina72 

 ho pure pensato a di-sottoscrivere il ng:)
Non scherzare, Carol sei solo un po fuori :-P
-- 
A10

 ho scritto ad un moderatore per bloccarlo, spero possano almeno cancellarlo.
Sono cose che succedono. Anche io un paio di mesi fa (anzi, sono due
mesi esatti domani sera!) ho postato per sbaglio su ISCM un intervento
in cui parlavo dei "Bagni Turchi". Piccole distrazioni. Nulla di più.
Xlater
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