CL: Milan - Celtic [04-12-07]

[Calcio]

To be honest I've never really heard of this guy. But he has a distaste for his former squad that's for sure...... Might not be the best thing to air your feelings right before a big match......


Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati has criticised Italian football before next Tuesday's decisive Champions League clash at his former club AC Milan.

'The simplicity of football in Scotland has won me over. Here there is no jealousy or envy in the dressing room. On and off the pitch everyone is pushing in the same direction. In Italy all these things matter,' Donati told Gazzetta dello Sport.

Donati, who hardly figured in six years at Milan where he was constantly sent on loan, also made a dig at Italian teams' defensive tactics.

'At San Siro a point is enough to qualify but I don't believe we will play for a draw. British teams hate to speculate and do table calculations,' he added.

However, the Scottish footballing diet is something Donati is struggling to understand, even when the menu includes old Italian favourites.

'Lunch is lasagna, eggs, beans, meat drowned in strange sauces. I don't know how they do it. Certainly, I will never be used to cannelloni or fried fish pre-match,' he added.

ESPNsoccernet - UEFA Champions League - Donati slams Italy ahead of Milan match

[D-Kin]

He's actually a quality player.

It's Milan's loss for never giving him a proper chance.

[Jager]

He seems to be slamming Milan, not Italian football or it seems.

I really don't like this though, keep this shit to yourself.

Giving criticism to Milan about tactics and play is very stupid and moronic, considering they won the damn thing so many times.

[Aladino]

Stupid fool he is just jealous Milan never played him. Milan will get payback though

[LAF]

He's just trying to 'get over' with the Celtic fans. He's clearly hurt about his treatment at Milan, and I feel he has a right to be as they have stifled his development as he was considered a hot prospect when he was younger.

Some of it is probably taken out of context though.

[Jager]

Fair enough, but to make this a "Italian problem" is not right. Many players bad mouth their former teams.

[D-Kin]

If there's a problem in Italy it's that the big clubs tend to not give young players a decent chance until they hit their 20's, which is what Donati was a victim of (although that's not the point he's making in the article).

But like LAF says, he could still be bitter about that.

[Jager]

If this a problem in Italy, maybe we "know" something that other teams or other leagues don't?

Big Italian clubs have vast teams, and many players on loan. This way they can see what they are made of. This player is not the only player that has had a difficult time making the Milan side.

[D-Kin]

Originally Posted by Jager

If this a problem in Italy, maybe we "know" something that other teams or other leagues don't?

No, I believe it's a mistake.

It's good for the smaller teams as they reap the rewards for a few seasons but the amount of talent I've seen wasted is unbelievable.

Just look at Giovinco, he's been playing in the Primavera for the last couple of seasons even though he was so blatently too good to play at that level it was ridiculous. Only now, at the age of 20, is he getting his chance in Serie A with Empoli.

[Aladino]

Milan will take on Celtic in what is practically the battle for top spot in the group. FORZA MILAN!!

Here are some facts about tomorrow's game:

IL MILAN VERSO IL CELTIC
03/12/2007
MILANO - Domani sera, poco prima dell'inizio della partita, previa autorizzazione UEFA, Ricardo Kakà potrà esibire il Pallone d'Oro ai tifosi in attesa del fischio d'inizio di Milan-Celtic. Dal canto suo Kaladze ha giocato contro il Benfica a Lisbona la sua 100esima partita in competizioni Uefa. Se invece dovesse giocare Favalli, sarebbe la sua 75esima apparizione, sempre in competizioni Uefa. Intanto ad oggi Nesta e Gilardino sono gli unici ad aver giocato tutte le 13 partite disputate in questa stagione dal Milan in Campionato. | |

On Milan:
Kaka will present his Golden Ball to everyone at the San Siro stadium before the game.
If Favalli plays (I have a feeling he will) he will play his 75th European game.
And Gilardino and Nesta are the only players to have played all 13 games for Milan this season.

IL CELTIC VERSO IL MILAN
03/12/2007
MILANO - Sono sette i giocatori biancoverdi che hanno disputato tutte le partite del Celtic nella Champions League 2007-08, preliminari compresi: Naylor, Caldwell, Mc Manus, Brown, Donati, Mc Geady e Mc Donald. Domani sera non ci sarà Nakamura che continua la sua riabilitazione, dopo l'infortunio ai legamenti del ginocchio dello scorso 27 ottobre. Massimo Donati intanto ha dichiarato: "Noi abbiamo bisogno di un punto per la qualificazione, ma di solito se giochi per il pareggio poi perdi". | |

On Celtic:
There are 7 players that have played all this seasons Champions LEague games for celtic they are: Naylor, Caldwell, Mc Manus, Brown, Donati, Mc Geady e Mc Donald.
Tomorrow night, Nakamura will not feature as he is continuing wit hhis rehabilitation.
Massimo Donati has been quited as: " We only need a point to qualify, but if we play to draw, we will loose"

[Aladino]

Celtic's pre-match interview:

THE CLASH
12/3/2007 3:06:00 PM
The concept of the encounter is mentioned during the press conference of Celtic at mid-day, both in the words of Mister Strachan as well as defender Gary Caldwell. Both adore San Siro.

MILAN – Just after 12.30pm, at the training camp of Celtic situated in the Lotto square, and therefore close by to the San Siro stadium, the press conference of the Biancoverdi was held, on the eve which it had as protagonists coach Gordon Strachan and defender Gary Caldwell.

The Celtic coach started replying to a question about Golden Ball winner Kaka: “The first three of the standings of the Golden Ball are all three exceptional, but Kaka deserves it because he’s a model for how he behaves on and off the pitch.” Then on the game: “Our attitude,” continued Strachan, “It’s always the same and will not change tomorrow night: we want to try to have fun and we want to try to win. We don’t have a scientific formula to do well away from home, just like we do at home, and anyway if I knew it, I would apply iy. What is certain is that our home record is very good. Right now maybe it’s not like this for Milan, but the Rossoneri still remain a great team. In any way I ask my players to give their best. Ronaldo? If he will be there it’s ok, we like the great challenges. In the past games even we had some problems with injuries and when you play in Europe you feel these things. Last week in the league, despite winning, we suffered two injuries in the same game. However, tomorrow there’s a new clash. We know the stadium of San Siro and it’s always fascinating, maybe some of my players will feel excited, but to play in such a structure remains a great motivation.”
Gary Caldwel: “To stop Milan, we shall try to hold on to the ball and to move the play around. Last year we were eliminated from the Champions League by Milan and then the team became European Champions. Tomorrow we want to play well, but it’s not revenge, it’s simply another game. It’s beautiful to play at San Siro, it’s a fantastic stadium. It’s the fourth time that we meet Milan in the same year. They are the European Champions and we like this challenges.”

[Aladino]

MILAN-CELTIC: I CONVOCATI ROSSONERI
03/12/2007
MILANELLO - Sono 19 i convocati di Carlo Ancelotti per domani:
PORTIERI: Dida, Kalac;
DIFENSORI: Bonera, Cafu, Favalli, Kaladze, Nesta, Oddo, Simic;
CENTROCAMPISTI: Ambrosini, Brocchi, Gattuso, Gourcuff, Kakà, Pirlo, Seedorf; ATTACCANTI: Aubameyang, Gilardino, Inzaghi.

As suspected, Serginho is not in the team. So therefore, Favalli will most likely make his 75th appearance for Milan tomorrow night. Good to see Maldini take a rest two, he played three games in a row and he isn't meant to.
Emerson is out again, no surprise their and Ronaldo.

[D-Kin]

Carletto focused on Celtic Monday 3 December, 2007

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Carlo Ancelotti insists that his Milan side are focused on beating Celtic tomorrow to secure top spot in Champions League Group D.

The European champions are already guaranteed a place in the knockout stages, but they need to avoid defeat against Celtic to finish top.

December will be a crucial month for Milan as they prepare to travel to Japan for the Club World Cup, but Carletto denies suggestions that the Rossoneri may relax in their final Group D encounter.

“At the moment we aren’t thinking about Tokyo, but about winning the Champions League Group,” Ancelotti stressed.

“We want to keep hold of first place. We will do our duty and we have the utmost respect for everyone.

“Celtic are a lot more experienced than in past years. They are physically and technically strong and can hurt you.

“They have put in very good performances at home and have improved so much, but they are less strong away from home.”

Milan will also be motivated by the desire for revenge after their devastating defeat in Glasgow on a night that saw Nelson Dida vilified for overreacting to an attack from a fan.

“Dida is clam and the episode in Glasgow is over,” Ancelotti insisted. “He has admitted his responsibility and it finished then.”

Pippo Inzaghi could overtake Gerd Muller’s record of 62 European Cup goals if he finds the net and the Milan boss finished with a thought for the prolific hitman.

“That record is very important to Pippo and he can get there,” he stated.

“We hope that he will get there tomorrow evening, but if he doesn’t he will get there another time.”

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Aladino]

Daniele's prematch talk

Daniele Bonera

'Tomorrow's match will be open to any result, because Celtic will come here to look for the victory, and they won't make any calculations, neither will we. Milan will go on the pitch to win, as is in our DNA. Lately Scottish football is showing its value, especially from a technical point of view.

In the first match the difficulties came in the initial minutes of both the first half and the second, so mentally we will have to concentrate to avoid making the same mistakes. We hope to go through as group winners, we've been doing that for six years which is a record, and we hope to maintain it. As far as I'm concerned I will keep ready to play in more positions. For a coach the important thing is to have players ready and I will do my best.'

'I haven't studied our next opponents yet, I think one match at a time, but the already qualified teams are all quality teams, we will go on the pitch tomorrow night and think only about Celtic.'

[D-Kin]

Celtic: We must stop Kaka Tuesday 4 December, 2007

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Celtic arrive in Milan needing a point to secure qualification to the knockout stages and they have identified Kaka as the main threat.

The Brazilian star won the Ballon d’Or award on Sunday and was on target from the penalty spot in the first meeting between the two sides.

“We’ve got to find a strategy to stop Kaka and try and keep the ball away from him,” Bhoys defender Gary Caldwell explained.

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan also has a great deal of respect for the Selecao wizard.

“He deserves the Ballon d’Or, not only for how he plays football, but also for how he conducts himself off the pitch,” he insisted.

“The best player has to be a role model, and Kaka is that due to his conduct on and off the field.”

Despite having only picked up one point from 14 away Champions League clashes, Strachan believes his side can deliver.

“We are in a situation now where my players don’t have any fear of games like this one,“ he maintained.

“It is a challenge and my players enjoy playing against the best. We have been in adversity recently, but we handled that and this is another challenge for us to handle.”

Milan (probable): Dida; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Serginho; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Kaka, Seedorf; Gilardino

channel4.com - Football Italia