Moratti: "I see no conspiracy" Ranieri and Obi, 1-match ban

The Inter president's comments on Braschi's words after Inter v Napoli: "Declarations of common sense, responsibility is needed on the part of everyone. There are no hard feelings, but the match was distorted and I don't think that the refereeing is a reaction to Calciopoli." Fines for Cordoba, Milito and Zanetti

Massimo Moratti, 66 years old, president of Inter Milan. ANSA

Inter president Massimo Moratti commented on the statements of Braschi ("The match from the referee Rocchi was below par, but he remains one of the best in Europe, highly regarded by myself and others.") after the hotly contested Inter v Napoli match on Saturday evening. Moratti stated: "I read the entire statement by Braschi. It was a declaration of common sense, trying to calm things down, but nobody is looking to go overboard here. Certainly, the bad feelings came at the end of the match and remained for what could have been a game that, from our way of seeing things, was a little distorted by this situation. There are no hard feelings remaining, nor a desire to do God knows what. We need to be very careful, because it could have been a beautiful game." Then Moratti went further and extended the discussion to the topic of Calciopoli: "I don't think the refereeing is a response to the events of Calciopoli. That would be a childish reaction. Last year, the referees were very good. I hope I can say the same thing at the end of this season. I don't want to think about conspiracies; there are no prerequisites at the moment to think something like that."

Ranieri and obi, 1-match ban — Meanwhile, the Serie A Disciplinary Commission has handed a one-match ban to Inter coach Claudio Ranieri, who was sent off at halftime of Inter v Napoli, and to Obi, who was shown a red card (double yellow) in minute 42 when Napoli were awarded the penalty. Cordoba and Milito, both in the stands, received fines of 10,000 euros, and Javier Zanetti was fined 1,500 euros: all for their insults directed towards the referee Rocchi.

http://english.gazzetta.it/Football/03-10-2011/moratti-see-no-conspiracy-803150037868.shtml

Bolton 1 - 5 Chelsea

Chelsea's Frank Lampard celebrates the sixth hat-trick of his career

Frank Lampard scored a hat-trick as Chelsea thrashed bottom side Bolton on an afternoon to forget for Wanderers goalkeeper Adam Bogdan.

Former Bolton loanee Daniel Sturridge headed home after only 90 seconds before Lampard swept home the second.
Two errors from Bogdan allowed the pair to make it 4-0 by half-time before Dedryck Boyata headed home a second-half consolation.

Lampard hails 'special hat-trick

But Lampard restored the four-goal advantage with a close-range finish.
The emphatic win moved Andre Villas-Boas' men back into third place above surprise package Newcastle and three points behind Manchester United and Manchester City.
Lampard stole the show with a vintage performance to silence some of his recent critics.
The 33-year-old, who was dropped from the England team last month and also found himself struggling to break into the Chelsea starting XI, caused problems for the home side throughout with his trademark forward runs.

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• Frank Lampard has overtaken 1930s legend George Mills as Chelsea's fifth highest league goalscorer, with 119
• Lampard's hat-trick was his third in the Premier League
• Defeat for Bolton means it is their worst league start for 109 years

And the Premier League's all-time top-scoring midfielder proved he has not lost the knack of being in the right place at the right time with a trio of clinical finishes.
Bolton's goal was the first they have scored against Chelsea at the Reebok Stadium in nine successive defeats.
And with Bolton suffering a wretched run of five straight home defeats - their worst run in 109 years - Chelsea fans would have been forgiven for expecting a comfortable win.
But surely they did not anticipate the ease with which their team raced into an almost impregnable half-time lead.
Without the suspended Fernando Torres, Villas-Boas brought in Didier Drogba and Sturridge and his players responded with a majestic attacking display.
Bolton's defenders should have been fully aware of the threat posed by Sturridge after he scored eight goals in a 12-match loan spell at the Reebok last season but they left him unmarked to powerfully head home Juan Mata's corner with less than two minutes on the clock.
Chelsea dominated the opening 20 minutes as they tore Bolton apart with their quick movement and incisive passing.
Then Sturridge turned provider when his square pass was confidently drilled home by Lampard on his 350th Chelsea appearance.
The home fans, not to mention Bolton boss Owen Coyle, looked shell-shocked as the visitors raced into their two-goal advantage.

Coyle vows to fight on at Bolton

But much worse was to follow in a madcap three minutes just before the half-hour mark.
First Bogdan, making his first Premier League start of the season in place of the injured Jussi Jaaskelainen, weakly palmed Sturridge's fierce shot into the net.
And moments later he could only parry a strike from David Luiz, who Bolton had allowed to saunter towards their goal from his own half, into the path of Lampard to slam home from close range.
Coyle was left with the momentous task of lifting his players during the half-time break - but whatever he said clearly had some effect with Boyata heading home Martin Petrov's free kick within 60 seconds of the restart.
However, any glimmer of hope was quickly extinguished when Lampard bagged Chelsea's fifth - for the sixth hat-trick of his career - after exchanging passes with Drogba.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle: "We gave ourselves absolutely no chance early in the game - in the first 90 seconds we've switched off at a set piece and allowed a free header which costs us a goal.
"I think we could have defended the second goal better because we had enough people back.
"Adam Bogdan is a young goalkeeper who we know will have a terrific career.
"But he knows he's had a difficult day today - the third and fourth goals should have been easily mopped up. That gave us an absolute mountain to climb."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/15051291.stm

Lee Dixon doubts Arsenal's ability to challenge for Europe

Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon believes the Gunners' current defensive problems could leave them struggling to make the Premier League's top eight.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger accepted after a 2-1 defeat by Tottenham on Sunday that the title was out of reach and they would focus on the top four.
But Dixon said: "I think top four is out of their reach now, I really do, so you are looking at top six.
"Yet the way they are playing now, can they reach the top eight?"

ARSENAL'S INJURIES

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• Thomas Vermaelen (centre-back)
• Johan Djourou (centre-back)
• Sebastien Squillaci (centre-back)
• Laurent Koscielny (centre-back)
• Bacary Sagna (right-back)
• Jack Wilshere (central midfielder)
• Abou Diaby (central midfielder)

Arsenal's struggles in defence were compounded after the game when the club learned that right-back Bacary Sagna would be out for three months after breaking his leg following a collision with Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
And they are also without injured centre-backs Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou, as well as long-term absentee Jack Wilshere.
The Gunners' defeat at Spurs was their fourth of the season - and leaves them 15th in the Premier League table.
But Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke recently moved to reassure an under-pressure Wenger, by saying the Frenchman is the only person who will decide if he leaves his position.

TACTICS BLOG

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Dixon believes both Tottenham goals were preventable and further proof of Arsenal's weakness at the back

Read more of the blog

Goals by Rafael van der Vaart and Kyle Walker earned Tottenham victory at White Hart Lane and Dixon believes the strikes were indicative of Arsenal's fragility.
"It is difficult for them because they are not showing any consistency in performances," he added.
"There are a lot of pluses and it's not all doom and gloom but ultimately it all falls back to the same thing. They are frail and they can concede goals from schoolboy errors.
"Until they stop that they will carry on being frail and that's the worrying sign."
On the performance against Spurs, Dixon added: "It is getting embarrassing. Arsenal get themselves into positions where they are the better team in midfield for big chunks of the game but defend like schoolboys by giving two goals away and numerous other chances that can be avoided.

Arsene Wenger hurt by 'painful defeat' against Tottenham

"The second goal was a great strike by Walker, and the keeper was beaten by the swerve of the ball, but it came from a throw-in where there was no danger whatsoever and they just let Sandro run into the box without anybody getting within five yards of him.
"You can pick the positives out of the midfield which was a lot more coherent than Spurs at times, and Francis Coquelin played well, but it's all wasted.
"They can complain about the handball for Van der Vaart's goal but it could have been avoided 30 seconds before with basic defending."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/15152030.stm

Udinese, alone at the top Bologna in last place

Guidolin's team (leading the league, at least until the end of Juve v AC Milan) overwhelmed the Rossoblù 2-0 with a goal in each half: one from Benatia and a penalty from Di Natale. Bologna threatened only once. Bisoli in danger

Benatia celebrates after making it 1-0. ANSA

The 2-0 defeat that Udinese handed to Bologna leaves them at the top of the table, leading in the Serie A (alone, at least until the end of Juventus v AC Milan this evening); it is something that has never happened in the history of the Italian top flight. Eleven points, seven goals forward and, most importantly, only one goal conceded (the best defence in the league); all these things make the team from Friuli the one to beat. But beneath the numbers there is also a lot of substance, from the strength of a collective that plays from memory, to their individual efforts; Torje in particular has shown himself to be an excellent foil to Di Natale. Benatia opened the scoring in the first half and a penalty from Di Natale closed things out. Bologna were practically harmless spectators in the first 45 minutes, but then became more involved after halftime. But only one point in five games condemns them to the bottom of the rankings, along with Cesena. Bisoli can certainly not feel too comfortable.

benatia opens — In the first half Udinese, who welcomed back Ferronetti after 15 months, obtained the maximum results with almost minimal effort. The team from Friuli only had to play by memory, and even in times of low inspiration all they needed to do was to switch to autopilot and avoid lowering their attention too much, which was enough to keep them in control. It was also enough to score goals, since the opponent they were facing today was Bologna. The visitors, who were careless, often disjointed, and never with an inspiring idea, immediately lost Antonsson to a muscle problem (Loria took his place). They tried to limit the damage as much as possible, which was until the 29th minute. Then, as tradition called for (it was their sixth goal scored in the first half hour), Udinese took the lead, thanks to the merits of Benatia. It was his first goal this season, but it also had much to do with Bologna's rearguard, which was definitely distracted on this occasion. The Moroccan's celebration, sucking his thumb with his hand on his forehead, was a dedication to his daughter with a fever. But then Benatia's thoughts moved on, and he was back to closing down spaces and pushing forward, playing an inventive game of great depth. Bologna settled down a bit better on the flanks, but the hosts firmly maintained the initiative and ball possession, giving the impression that they could find the second goal whenever they wanted. Basta found the net in the 44th minute after a nice combination with Torje, among the best in black and white, but Peruzzo disallowed the Serb's goal for offside. Di Vaio finally troubled Handanovic in the only opportunity that Bologna created in the entire first half, but the Udinese keeper did well to thwart the effort.

Di Natale scores the penalty to make it 2-0. ANSA

di natale seals it — The second half got underway and the pace of the game had picked up: Raggi had a shot and Di Natale responded with a machine-gun fire. Agliardi managed to save twice and the third, from a great position, ended up in the side netting. This all happened in the space of a few minutes. Bisoli sent on Acquafresca for a flagging Di Vaio. In spite of the high temperatures both teams looked sharper and more tenacious than they had in the first half. Finally Handanovic was called upon to intervene on a left-footed Diamante free kick. Bologna seemed to be growing in confidence, but Udinese didn't ease off on their attacking play(Agliardi saving from Torje, before he was replaced by Abdi), although it was better organised that in the first half. Then, as only the great teams can, when Bologna were playing their best football of the match, Udinese sealed the game with a knock-out blow: Armero sped down the left wing, Perez pulled him down from behind in the box (picking up a yellow card, so he'll miss the next game, in Novara after the break)and Totò Di Natale's right foot shot from the spot sent Agliardi the wrong way. This happened on 27 minutes meaning that the game was virtually over. If you look at the rest of the match it was all Udinese and no Bologna, who had resigned themselves to their fourth consecutive defeat and bottom place in the league table. Bisoli's future looks bleak.

http://english.gazzetta.it/Football/02-10-2011/udinese-alone-at-the-top-803135973413.shtml

Mamma mia Napoli! But Inter are furious

An incredible 0-3 at San Siro. Napoli top of the league with 10 points. Nerazzurri furious with the referee, Rocchi, for showing Obi two yellow cards and awarding a non-existent penalty. Julio Cesar saved Hamsik's shot from the spot but Campagnaro scored from the rebound. Ranieri also received a red card. Lethal attacks on the break during the second half by Maggio and Hamsik

The end of the season is a long way off, but Christian Maggio has given an idea of where Napoli could be come May - league champions. After beating AC Milan, Mazzarri's team have now won away at San Siro. The match against Inter was decided by him, Maggio, who first won a rather controversial penalty and then helped to set up the second goal. For the Nerazzurri fans, who began leaving the stadium after Hamsik had made it 3-0, the architect of Inter's defeat was someone else: Gianluca Rocchi from Florence. The referee made a serious mistake and Napoli took full advantage of it and exploited their double advantage like big clubs do. The really big clubs. Napoli are now top with 10 points, while Ranieri suffered his first defeat since taking over at Inter, who lost at home for the second time in three matches.

The questionable red card for Obi and penalty. Ansa

the episode — It is impossible, this time, not to start with the slow-motion replay. The key episode occurred in the 41st minute of the first half. Maggio accelerated past Obi and the Inter player pushed him, but if it was a foul, it began outside the penalty area. Rocchi pointed to the spot and sent off Obi, wwho had already been booked for a tackle on Lavezzi in midfield. Even then Inter had protested as Obi may have got the ball. Add to this the fact that Campagnaro scored from the rebound after Julio Cesar had saved Hamsik's penalty by encroaching into the penalty area (as did two Inter players) and you understand why the situation became a little bit heated. There was also however a foul by Zanetti on Lavezzi, who had been freed down the right, when the score was 0-0, but this is not what people will be talking about for the next few days. The 10 Inter players found it difficult to regain their composure, but Julio Cesar's angry outburst only received a yellow card from Rocchi. At the end of the first half, The referee gave Ranieri his marching orders, however, for protesting.

two and three — The match, which was very even in the first half (Inter scored through Pazzini, but the forward was offside), only had one possible outcome. Napoli in the second half dominated the match and their opponents in the way big clubs do. They made sure of the result within 12 minutes. Pandev, who did little to make the Nerazzurri fans miss him, was replaced by Mascara. The substitute played a long ball to Maggio. Nagatomo was ahead of him, but he allowed the Napoli player to stick out a leg and flick the ball over Julio Cesar. The new leaders then exploited the wide open spaces and attacked Inter on the break. Zuniga missed a sitter to make it 3-0 after being set up by Hamsik, but the Slovak made no mistake when he was put through by Lavezzi. Three-nil and that was the end of it - to the joy of De Laurentiis in the stands.

any good news for inter? — During the 41 minutes of the match in which they had the same number of players, Inter played well, with the important return of Maicon on the right and a 4-3-2-1 in which Pazzini was a kind of "battering-ram" up front and Forlan and Alvarez fed off of him. The Argentinian is good on the ball, but he lacks pace. There were lots of overlaps and one-twos, even though the midfield was still a little slow. Nagatomo's mistake in the second goal also greatly affected the final outcome.

napoli top — Napoli, on the other hand, showed once again for the whole 90 minutes that they cover the whole pitch well (a three-man defence does not mean just defensive passes) and they are lethal when they rapidly switch play to attack. Cannavaro is immense in defence, Inler and Gargano are able to switch play quickly and have great vision, and when Lavezzi sets off, there's no stopping him. And then there is the team's mentality. The team has grown. It has grown a lot. And it can still be there come May.

http://english.gazzetta.it/Football/01-10-2011/mamma-mia-napoli-803125390819.shtml

"Beat my record for goals? There is nothing impossible"

Cristiano Ronaldo attended the 2011 gala MARK Trophies to collect scorer award and said when asked if he could overcome his record for goals (41) that "in football nothing is impossible. Everything can be beat. I hope to exceed that figure. No I keep both in any particular. They are all special to me. I want to thank my teammates and the team for letting me get this trophy. "

"Let's see what happens in the coming years. You never know if someone or I can beat. Whoever does, will deserve," he said during the awards ceremony. When asked why he gave two assists in the match against Espanyol, the Portuguese international said: "He must also assist their peers in that facet of the game. It's part of my job. My colleagues and I also happen to me also them. We must do the best for the team. We must succeed, and they help me and I them, "he said.

Good taste of last season
Christian also took time to discuss last season and admitted that "it was a good year for me. The title of top scorer is very important and if we continue to help peer succeeding."
http://www.marca.com/2011/10/03/futbol/equipos/real_madrid/1317645445.html

The best Italy to reach the quarter-finals Mallett: "The Azzurri are like my children"

The visibly moved coach chose his starting line-up for Sunday: "We have the same chances as Ireland of qualifying and we should be proud of that”. Masi replaces McLean, while Benvenuti and Van Zyl keep their places. O’Connell back for the Irish, while O'Gara starts

Mauro Bergamasco and Keith Earls. Afp

For the most important match, it is the most experienced Italy. There are no surprises in the team selected to face Ireland on Sunday (9.30am Italian time) in a match that will decide which of the teams qualifies for the quarter-finals of the World Cup. The only (announced) change to the team that beat the United States on Tuesday is the return of Andrea Masi at full-back in place of Luke McLean after was left out as a precaution in the match at Nelson because of a slight calf strain. There are however two surprises in the Irish starting line-up, both the halfbacks: Ronan O’Gara will play at fly-half and Conor Murray at 9. O'Gara, who is Ireland's leading scorer, has been preferred to the younger Jonathan Sexton because of his experience and because of his better goalkicking in this World Cup. Murray has been preferred to Eoin Reddan and Isaac Boss, probably because of his attacking skills. Murray, who is only 22 years old and plays for Munster (where he is third-choice scrum-half behind O’Leary and old man Stringer) has only had one start for the national team. If this is not a gamble by the Irish coach, Declan Kidney, then it's not far short.

VISIBLY MOVED — The match that will be played under the roof of the Otago Stadium could be the 42nd and final match of Nick Mallett's time in charge. "I have already thanked the players for everything they have done in these four seasons - explained the South African coach, visibly moved - I preferred not to wait until Sunday because on the day of the match everybody must be totally focused on what is happening on the pitch. It's been a great four years. They have never let me down and by playing their hearts out they have managed to overcome the most difficult moments, the most difficult situations. I will be leaving behind an exceptional group, which has improved vastly and where there is still room for improvement. It's not going to be easy to leave them because these boys have been my Italian family and when a parent has to leave a child, it's always a very painful moment. But now we need to concentrate on the match against Ireland. The whole of our long training programme was centred on this match. Five days rest between one match and another is not very much - the scrum had to work very hard against the United States. But we can do well and there is now an awareness that we can match them. I have chosen my strongest line-up, without any hesitation. The 13 tries we've scored in the last two matches show that in attack were heading in the right direction. In defence we need to make a few adjustments, because any mistakes against Ireland will be very costly". The battle is approaching and the uniforms are about to be given out.

http://english.gazzetta.it/More_sports/30-09-2011/the-best-italy-to-reach-the-quarter-finals-803111336833.shtml