Genoa signs Palacio from Boca  

7/16/09


Rodrigo Palacio is the newest member of the Argentina 2.0(third kit) A.K.A. Genoa.

The 27 year old Argentine will be joining Hernan Crespo in the attack. According to the Buenos Aires press, Genoa will pay € 4,5 million now plus 20% of a future transfer. Ugh! I hope they made him sign an agreement to get rid of that Obi Wan hairstyle, it's just hideous.



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Lucio speaks as an Inter player  



Brazilian international Lucio praised Ibrahimovic and Mourinho during his first interview as an Inter player.


- I'm happy to play for a top club like Inter. I'll be very proud to work with Mourinho and play with a champion like Ibrahimovic - Said the defender who's to pass a medical on Friday.
Lucio still had a year left in his contract with Bayern but decided to leave the club after Louis Van Gaal, said he wasn't counting on the defender for the upcoming season. Louis Van Gaal just seems to piss off every Brazilian wherever he goes, it's amazing.



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Inter president confirms: Eto'o for Ibra  



Internazionale's president, Massimo Moratti, has confirmed the nerazzuri and FC Barcelona are currently in transfer talks regarding Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Barcelona's president Joan Laporta and director Txiki Begiristain are currently in Milano to commence the negotiation and met with Moratti.

- I met with Laporta and we spoke about Eto'o and Ibrahimovic - Confirmed the Italian in an interview to "Sky".

According to the Italian press, Inter plans on asking big money for the Swede: € 40 million plus Alexander Hleb and Eto'o. Barcelona has already acquired left back Maxwell for € 4,5 million from them and to me, FCB won't fall for that.

La Liga, Copa Del Rey and Champions League winner last season, the Cameroon international isn't part of Pep Guardiola's plans for this up and coming season. Attitude issue? I think so, that still won't keep him from finding a top club anywhere else in the world.


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Win an authentic World Football Challenge Champion's jersey  


Club America, AC Milan, Inter Milan or Chelsea? Who will win the World Football Challenge? Who will be the top scorer?
Does it matter? Yes!! Why? Because OTP will give YOU the winner's authentic home jersey!

All you have to do is guess the winning club, the top scorer of the tournament and be one of OTP's Teammates on the right side of the blog under the links. Of course if no one gets all the correct results, the prize will go to the person who guesses closest to the actual results.
In case of a tie, we'll randomly select one of the finalists to be the winner. So think carefuly about your results and send it to our email at pitchblog@gmail.com by July 22nd(we're giving you a huge chance to get it right here) and don't forget to join OTP's Teammates to qualify. You know you want one!




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Will Real Madrid's defense be good enough?  



We all know Real Madrid has signed big names and is looking to challenge Barcelona next year, but what we don't know is if it'll work. A lot of the comments I've been hearing reflects concerns about their defense and draws comparisons to the "Galacticos" era where that area of the field was left in need. Let's take a moment and analyze some of the players in the team and see where they are...

Iker Casillas: World Class, no need to comment.

Marcelo - He had been playing last season as a left midfielder and wants to go back to left back in order to get a shot at Brazil's World Cup team. This may prove a positive aspect for Madrid as he will have to show improvement on his defensive game if Dunga is to give him a chance, we know he can attack. It's really up to him and I think he could be up for it.

Gabriel Heinze - In my opinion a great left back and can also cover as a central defender when needed. Lacks just a little bit offensive effectiveness to my liking, but defensively here's where Marcelo can gain needed experience from. I like this player and believe Madrid is fine with him.

Pepe - A "little" fiery, but a very good defender, reminds me of Lucio in a way. Don't believe they need any help here.

Ezequiel Garay - Young, solid, needs experience but that can only come with time.

Sergio Ramos - World Class. What else is new?

Christoph Metzelder - Didn't get a lot of games for Madrid last season, but he played the Euros for Germany. Has had his injuries, but I see that this can be a good season for him if given the chance. He is a good reader of the game and isn't a panicky player, he can add a touch of German coolness when necessary, just can't let him fall asleep.

Michel Salgado - I've always thought he was more athlete than player. By that I mean he is more fitness and brawn than technique, able to destroy a lot more than create and as he is older and less fit, his skills can let him down a bit. But as an experienced player, he can read the game and help younger players as well.

Raul Albiol - Great addition to the team, very solid and has done a great job for Spain. Shouldn't have a problem fitting in and already knows Sergio Ramos on the pitch which can only help Madrid and Spain in the end.

To be frank, defensively I think Real Madrid are just fine and will not be a cause for concern this year. They have great starters and their replacements are capable of taking care of business.
Can they stop Barcelona's attack? I'm not so sure a defense this new, chemistry wise, can do it at will and will be a daunting task at the Camp Nou, but at least they have a shot at the Bernabeu unlike last season. As long as Pellegrini sort out things up front and they don't let results slip against the other teams, they will be able to challenge Barça for La Liga. That's my opinion, now I want to know what YOU think.





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