Moratti clears out the old Inter garbage

 

Inter president Massimo Moratti may have dismissed suggestions that coach Claudio Ranieri will be sacked after the club's Champions League exit at the hands of Olympique de Marseille on Tuesday night, but the oil tycoon also conceded that he is considering overhauling his ageing, declining squad in the summer transfer market.
Senior players such as Maicon, Julio Cesar, Esteban Cambiasso and Wesley Sneijder have cause for concern with the Nerazzurri also out of the Coppa Italia, and needing a miracle to qualify for next season's Champions League.

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I'm over here!

 

Wesley Sneijder was Manchester United's top transfer target last summer yet unfortunately for the English champions, no deal materialised.

The Inter playmaker now seemingly desires a move to the Premier League but with Sir Alex Ferguson focusing on other targets, Roman Abramovich and Roberto Mancini will surely be keeping an eye out on the latest developments from San Siro ...

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Podolski for sale

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Pick on someone your own size!

 

Goalkeeper Joe Hart might be England's last man standing by the time Wednesday night's international friendly against Netherlands at Wembley kicks off, given the rate of withdrawals from the Three Lions' squad.  

Glen Johnson became the fifth player to pull out, joining Darren Bent, Wayne Rooney, Tom Cleverley and Kyle Walker on the injured list..... 

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Could 'The Tinkerman' soon be out in the cold at Inter?

 

Inter president Massimo Moratti has admitted that he is considering the future of current coach Claudio Ranieri but insisted there is a chance the 60-year-old could remain at San Siro. 

With the Nerazzurri on a run of five straight defeats in all competitions, Ranieri's position has come under intense scrutiny of late. 

Moratti will evaluate the current state of affairs at Inter before making a decision as to whether Ranieri will suffer a similar fate to previous trainers Rafael Benitez, Leonardo and Gian Piero Gasperini.

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yearn for a return of Mourinho

 

Jose Mourinho was the subject of boos from the Santiago Bernabeu faithful earlier this season, but for two of his former clubs, Chelsea and Inter, the Portuguese's reign is remembered fondly. Chants for the 49-year-old rang out at both San Siro and Stamford Bridge at the weekend, and with Real Madrid enjoying a 10-point cushion at the top of La Liga, Los Blancos president Florentino Perez must be anxious that Mourinho doesn't yearn for pastures old ...

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Capello's managerial merry-go-round

 

Following Fabio Capello's shock departure as England manager on Wednesday, Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has immediately been installed as the favourite to take over from the Italian. And consequently, a managerial merry-go-round may well be set in motion, with Jose Mourinho now being linked with replacing Redknapp at White Hart Lane, Arsenal's Arsene Wenger being courted by Real Madrid and Capello rumoured to be whetting Inter's appetite. Football aye ...

And here are a few of your suggestions for #merrygoroundmanagers...

@amarjourno... "Redknapp to England, Moyes to Tottenham, Kean to Everton, Capello to Blackburn... #merrygoroundmanagers"

@aahmadaqib... "Avram Grant to England, Pulis to Afc, Guardiola to Stoke, Pope to mcfc."

@MVWXIV... "Redknapp to England. Mourinho to Spurs. Hiddink to Madrid. Steve Kean still at Blackburn."

@bunzez... "Redknapp to England, Wenger to Madrid, Mourinho to Spurs, Guardiola to Arsenal, Capello to Juventus, AVB will stay."

@Dami_0620... "Fergie to stay, AVB to leave, Mourinho back to Chelsea, Guardiola to AFC, Wenger jobless for a year, Redknapp to stay at THFC."
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Deadline day and it's all quiet on the western front

 

While the end of a transfer window usually heralds a scramble for new players, it became apparent there neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona would make that critical signing to give their club the upper hand in the title race, Arsene Wenger (slightly less surprisingly) would not bring in the enforcements Arsenal needed, and Inter's shock defeat to Lecce did not prompt them to dip into the market. Instead, the deadline day fanatics had to make do with a few questionable loan deals ...

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Massimiliano Benassi

 

It seemed like a foregone conclusion. Inter had been on fire, winning their previous seven Serie A matches. 

Lecce found themselves at the other end of the table, but managed to exact revenge for their 4-1 trouncing at San Siro earlier in the season with a surprise 1-0 win over Claudio Ranieri's men. 

Serse Cosmi will have Massimiliano Benassi to thank, with the 30-year-old keeping Inter's all-star cast at bay for 90 minutes. 

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Evergreen Javier Zanetti's secret to beating AC Milan

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Milanese tug-of-war

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Ranieri Results

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Moggi and Voodoo

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Moratti's Solution

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Ranieri & Napoli's game

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Javier Zanetti, Mario Balotelli & Cristiano Ronaldo - Introducing football's Three Musketeers

We've put on our thinking cap to imagine which modern day players are most suited to the famous characters in the The Three Musketeers in 3D which is released on October 12th.

Omar Momani

To celebrate the release of The Three Musketeers in amazing 3D, Goal.com have dreamed up which modern players bear most resemblance to the film's heroes Athos, Porthos & Aramis. All for one and one for all!

Javier Zanetti as Athos

Fans of the Alexandre Dumas novel 'The Three Musketeers' will immediately see the similarities between Athos and the Inter stalwart. As the eldest of the musketeers Athos is well respected for his lengthy career and is a role model to his comrades. Truth be told, there isn't much this swashbuckler hasn't seen down the years.

No doubt Javier Zanetti would identify with Athos as he has just witnessed his 17th different manager arrive at San Siro. Since moving from Banfield in 1995 the Argentine has seen the Nerazzurri transformed from Calcio nearlymen to a European powerhouse.

Zanetti recently broke Giuseppe Bergomi's 756 game record for Inter appearances and at 38 remains a key figure for the Serie A club.

An Argentina international since 1994, he was suprisingly overlooked for World Cup 2010 after a stunning club season where he captained Inter to an historic treble.

Despite his advancing years Zanetti remains available for selection should his country call upon him. Athos and Zanetti - patriots and warriors to the end.


Mario Balotelli as Porthos

Porthos is the resident joker of the Three Musketeers. He's the man you go to for a dose of comedy and is regarded by his colleagues to have his talents but, whisper it, is also a bit naive. Deep down he is a character who has a good heart and is loyal to the cause.

For Porthos read Mario Balotelli. He has had his run-ins with Athos aka Zanetti, who berated him for throwing his Inter shirt away, after being jeered by his own fans when they were team-mates. Super Mario, Mad Mario & Bad Balotelli are all headlines that have been attached to the gifted Italian in recent times especially since his move to Manchester City last summer.

Balotelli is a one-man headline industry, if he isn't suggesting bringing a pet dog to a team celebration he'll be playing with an iPad on the bench. He racks up parking tickets for fun and tries to score crazy goals like a cheeky backheel in a pre-season friendly only for it to go disastrously wrong.

It isn't all mayhem with Balotelli as he helped a boy who was being bullied at school to confront his problems directly by acting as a mediator. He can also play a bit too and was awarded man of the match for his performance in the 2011 FA Cup final which Man City won.

There is more to Porthos and Balotelli than just a few laughs. Much more.

Cristiano Ronaldo as Aramis

Brilliant, good looking and he knows it. Aramis is a daring playboy who doesn't lack for confidence. Arrogance is a word that is often associated with him but his gift comes with a price. Aramis is rarely satisfied and is always seeking something better. Sound familiar?

Inheriting David Beckham's No.7 shirt at Manchester United didn't faze a teenage Ronaldo one bit. He dominated the Premier League in his final three seasons at the club inspiring the Red Devils to domestic and European success along the way.

Ronaldo's world record £80m move to Real Madrid in 2009 was staggering but not to him. Being the best comes at a price and if you can't handle it then that is your problem. "I think I'm worth more," he told the press afterwards.

Rivals and onlookers may mock and accuse him of being cocky beyond belief but he knows the real reason. "People whistle me because I am good-looking, rich and a great footballer. They are jealous of me," said Ronaldo recently.

Just like Aramis the Portuguese superstar is fiercely loyal to his friends and colleagues. When asked which Barcelona player he would like to sign for Los Blancos he replied "I wouldn't sign anyone."

Ronaldo and Aramis. You may not like them but you certainly can't ignore them.

Visit The Three Musketeers Facebook page here

The Three Musketeers in 3D is released on October 12. This explosive action adventure sees Aramis, Porthos, Athos and the spirited D’Artagnan take on the deadly and mysterious Milady (Milla Jovovich), as Buckingham’s (Orlando Bloom) evil plot takes flight.

 

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Gallows for Gasperini

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Juventus Arena

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Serie A Strike

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Sneijder deal to Man Utd

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