Offside - 17 February

Capello in two places at once

Fabio Capello has plenty of admirers. However, even his most ardent supporters would have to agree that he is unable to be in two places at the same time. This is what should have happened if you believe Italian newspapers.

They were writing that Capello was in the Russia to finalise a contract with Anzhi Makhachkala. In fact he was skiing in St. Moritz.

Capello was so incensed that he issued a media release to inform everybody that he was in Switzerland skiing and not in Russia signing a new contract. The release was signed by his son, who happens to be also Capello’s lawyer.

Coaching’s musical chairs

The silly season has begun in so far as coaches are concerned. According to the latest rumours Vincenzo Montella is going to move from Catania to Napoli.

Inter Milan, wait for it, is going to sign Pep Guardiola and Roberto Baggio for its technical department. So says Gianluca Vialli, and the rumour has been strengthened by what must be considered clear-cut evidence.

Guardiola was wearing a black and blue (Inter colours!) scarf at a recent Barcelona match.

However, it could be worse. Diego Armando Maradona said he would love to coach Napoli, if the Italian Taxation Office dropped a request for $40 million in unpaid taxes and penalties.

A promise or a threat?

AC Milan overcomes English inferiority complex

AC Milan was eliminated from European competition the past three times it met English opposition. In particular, Arsenal eliminated the Rossoneri in 2010.

But revenge has finally come. In the form of a 4-0 win at the San Siro over the Gunners.

One minute before the match started, if you believed pundits expressing their opinions, Milan was too old, unable to challenge Juventus for the title, doubtful in the Champions League, and in need of a major overhaul before the beginning of next season.

Ninety minutes later opinions on Massimiliano Allegri’s men were somewhat different: a great team, wonderful defence, unstoppable strikers and so on.

I wonder whether there would be less chaos in football if the media gave a more balanced view of events.

Napoli arrests

Eleven ultras have been arrested in Naples in relation to disturbances that occurred over one year ago, including assaulting Liverpool supporters. The arrests came one day after Napoli Chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis was interviewed at a Neapolitan Court for about four hours.

Despite secrecy surrounding the inquiry, it looks as if De Laurentiis was questioned about scalpers making a killing at each Napoli home match.

It appears as though scalpers have easy access to tickets whilst genuine supporters have extreme difficulty. About 40,000 of them waited for hours in order to secure tickets for next week's UCL match against Chelsea.

The returning players

Napoli’s forays in the transfer markets won’t win any Scudetto... if there was one for buying and selling players.

No sooner does Napoli sign a player, he is then dispatched to the country where he came from.

It happened with Victor Ruiz, now happily back in Spain.

It reached new heights, or lows, with Christian Chavez and Ignacio Fideleff. Not only did the two go back to their country, Argentina, but to the same clubs they were purchased from.

Chavez is back at San Lorenzo and Fideleff at Internacional. It doesn't make much sense.

Gratitute in football

AC Milan is, in theory, a perfectly organised club and results over the years back up this assumption. But it is not so good in the “gratitude” department.

Just look at the case of Paolo Maldini. He played at Milan for twenty years, winning every possible trophy, domestic and international. Yet, three years on from his retirement, he has never been offered a job by the club, in any capacity.

So, he has reportedly decided to migrate and join Leonardo and Carlo Ancelotti at PSG.

Although it may not happen, Paris is not bad as a migrant’s destination.