A stroll through Italy and the Serie A
by Paul Visca, SerieA.tv
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Francesco Totti has revealed that Ronaldinho's performance on Sunday left him enthralled.
The AS Roma captain admitted that the skills displayed by the Brazilian superstar on his debut for AC Milan should be encouraged to make football more entertaining.
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He said: "It was pleasing to watch the tricks of Ronaldinho, confirming that world-class champions can make the difference and entertain.
"There needs to be more space given to the imagination and invention of fantastic players, so that they can entertain the public.
"Football may be a team game but it is also entertainment and youngsters should find delight in trying to imitate the skill shown by the world-class stars."
However, the 31-year-old was not surprised by Bologna's win over the Rossoneri at the San Siro nor with his own side's inability to defeat Napoli, maintaining that the rest of Serie A had made an impressive effort to level the playing field with the top five clubs.
He said: "The championship got underway on Sunday when we were unfortunate to meet the team that started before everybody and so were ahead in their preparation. However, our little slip-up coincided with the same by the other big clubs, so we got off to an equal start.
"Milan's defeat might surprise many, but we need to get used to these unexpected results because the smaller clubs have put themselves in the condition to create problems for the bigger ones."
The on-field leader for the Giallorossi sat out the opening fixture of the season because of an injury suffered in the Italian Super Cup against Inter, and the forward added he would return only when fully fit.
He said: "The last thing I needed was that clash with Maicon, which caused the injury to my left foot.
"I don't want to play if I'm not in perfect condition, but I'll do my best to recover — without setting myself deadlines however, neither for the match against Palermo nor the Champions League."
Gamberini unveils Viola secret
Alessandro Gamberini has identified the passion of Fiorentina's supporters as the main reason behind the Viola's success story.
The defender was voted Player of the Year last season by the Florentine club's fans and revealed it was time the players started to pay back the investment made by the side's followers and owners.
He said: "Fiorentina's great secret is the enthusiasm of our fans, who followed us in mass in the UEFA Cup and are still doing it today. Also, the club has invested heavily so now it's down to us.
"The dream is to win something important in Florence, it would be fantastic to pull it off."
The 27-year-old, however, refused to place his side amongst the group of teams that are realistically capable of winning the league title, even if the former Bologna player was satisfied with the draw against Juventus in the opening match.
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He said: "Talking about the scudetto seems like utopia. We are trying to bridge the gap between us and the big clubs, but it's enough to look at Sunday's match against Juventus to verify we are already showing that we are among the top teams.
"The Bianconeri appear ready for the title and I think they'll fight it out with Inter, as both appear stronger than [AC] Milan and [AS] Roma, also because they have more desire."
The player, who has been nominated by Marcello Lippi as the heir to Fabio Cannavaro in the national side, shook off a muscle strain to make his season debut last week in the Champions League preliminary round success at Slavia Prague.
The centre-half admitted that the experience in the Czech Republic has whetted his lips for the Champions League proper where Fiorentina have been drawn in a tough group alongside Olympique Lyon, Bayern Munich and Steaua Bucharest.
He said: "We need to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground, especially in the Champions League. It would be exaggerating to think we could win it, just getting beyond the group phase would be an important step.
"Personally, I'm happy about the draw as the beauty of the Champions League is the chance to play against Europe's best."
Iaquinta relishes quest for starting role
Vincenzo Iaquinta is determined to capitalise on the competition for places at Juventus and become a better player.
The 28-year-old has witnessed the struggle to claim a starting berth at the Turin giant further complicated by the arrival of Amauri to add to the weighty contest of ousting Alex Del Piero and David Trezeguet.
However, he said: "Having to fight for my place doesn't weigh on me because it's inevitable that there's competition for places at clubs of the highest level.
"What's needed is that this situation becomes an extra stimulus to give the most on the pitch and in every training session, as I do."
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The Calabrian-born forward was linked to a move to Napoli in the summer following the Bianconeri's decision to spend big on bolstering the attack with the Brazilian striker, but the Italy international maintained he never intended to leave Juve.
He said: "The truth is that I've never considered leaving Juventus. At the end of last season [Claudio] Ranieri told me he was backing on me."
In fact, the 2006 World Cup winner claimed that following the managerial team's shrewd moves on the transfer market, he is convinced the Old Lady has positioned herself beside Inter as the strongest team in Serie A.
He said: "The club has done a wonderful job on the transfer front and the new arrivals have already settled in with the right spirit
"Now we are at the same level as Inter, where there are fantastic players, and we can fight until the end for the title."
Colantuono to go the distance at Palermo
Stefano Colantuono is prepared to prove his critics wrong by becoming a success at Palermo.
The 45-year-old coach, who faces the unenviable task of gelling together 15 new faces following a hectic transfer campaign that resulted in the Rosanera being the most active club in the Italian top flight, must first win over most vociferous detractor, club president Maurizio Zamparini, who has accused his players of running less than their opponents.
He said: "We all know that Zamparini is demanding and I'm doing my utmost to satisfy him. I'm concentrated on Palermo 24 hours per day.
"Some phrases may be unpleasant but I'm trying to keep calm because I think Palermo are a strong team."
The Sicilian side had already crashed out of the Italian Cup in front of their own fans to second division side Ravenna before being outclassed by Udinese in the opening fixture of the Serie A season 2008/09 on Saturday.
Yet, the Rome-born tactician, who rose to fame at the helm of Atalanta, is confident he will see out the season at the Renzo Barbera stadium despite being fired last season and later reinstated by the club's extrovert owner.
He said: "I'm convinced I'll finish the championship here, hopefully even in a good position. I've never liked playing the victim.
"I intend to be a winner, to think positive, and I don't think I've become a failure overnight."
Paul Visca is a writer and match commentator for SerieA.TV and contributes Italian soccer news for FoxSoccer.com.
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