agreed..while our starting lineup of Abidal, Puyol, Milito/Marquez, Zambo is world-class...the bench talent drops off a bit. Oleguer and Sylvinho as your main LB/RB backups is not good enough...especially for the number of games Barca plays. I think Lahm would be a great addition.
Zambrotta is 30. Lahm is 23 and his contract ends in 2009, so I can see Bayern wanting to cash in on him next summer if they choose not to extend his deal. But it should be noted that Lahm has missed that last few weeks with Bayern/Germany because of a left knee ligament strain that occurred while training with Germany at the beginning of September. Bayern say that he's "close" to making a return with the first team.
http://www.goal.com/en-us/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=449199 I'd like to see Zambrotta play another two season but his suseptability to injury is problematic. As for the author mentioning his ineffectual play at barca thus far, what a stretch of the imagination. Zambrotta's play is stellar, Barca best attack from the back is on the left side of play through Ronaldinho. Who normally plays around the top corner of the box, where as Messi usually cuts into the center long before this point in the attack.
^^^ I agree. To me, it's his defensive skills that have been the most impressive thus far. With Dinho, Messi, Deco, Ini, Xavi, Henry, and Eto'o, Barcelona doesn't necessarily need the full-back to make the kind of offensive moves that Zambrotta can make. I certainly hope Zambo stays put until he retires.
I have no doubts he'll go back to Juve at some point. It's where his heart is. But I'd give him through next season at Barca.
I'm sure he'd love to return to Juve, but is it possible that the Juve supporters could be holding a grudge against the likes of Zambrotta, Cannavaro and Ibrahimovic for what could be perceived as their ditching of the club during troubled times (betting scandal/demotion to Serie B)?
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it the front office that absolutely had to sell certain players off and "cash in" so as to financially keep their heads above water? I thought that Juve was in financial trouble due to the lost revenue from the demotion (e.g. Serie A, Nike, Corporate Sponsor money) and needed to get rid of a few players?
No. Not that I've ever heard. Not sure about Ibra though, he's foreign and all. But Cannavaro & Zambrotta were players at the top of their game after the WC, and why would they stay to play in Serie B? You can't expect that. Plus, they keep saying things in support of Juve. Who did need the $$ as pointed out.
Why not? It's called loyalty. Buffon, Del Piero and Camoranesi stayed as did foreign players Nedved and Trezeguet. From old articles I've been able to find both online and in magazines, Zambrotta, Cannavaro, and Ibrahimovic all left voluntarily because they didn't want to play second division football. Cannavaro was quoted in La Repubblica as saying, “Even if I know this may be hard to believe, I would have stayed at Juventus had they remained in Serie A – even with a 30-point deduction.” Juventus did all they could to persuade the three to stay, but once they knew it was a losing battle, it was then that they only let them go for the highest amount possible. And as Thuram and Emerson were also keen to leave, Juve packaged them together with Zambrotta and Cannvaro and told Barca and Real they if they wanted one of the Italians, they also had to take Thuram/Emerson as part of the deals. It was the only way Juve would get maximum value for the latter two.
I think Barca's deal worked out a little bit better than Real's. Emerson was a bust, and Zambrotta has been way more reliable than Cannavaro.
I disagree. Juve went down not by playing poorly as a team, but for corruption. Why should the players play that price? These are also national team players and it's important for them to be playing first team football. And all I'm saying is that as far as I know, there's not a dislike of Zambrotta definitely. I bet Cannavaro is fine too. I think either could return. Plus, Trezeguet was literally begging to leave and nothing came of it. Buffon was trying to make deals and only decided to stay at the last minute. Del Piero didn't have many options and of course, stayed -- Juve is his home & he's treated like a king there and wouldn't be somewhere else. Neved pledged to stay as did Camo. They didn't want Ibrahimovic to go, but he did.
And here I was about to challenge you to a sunrise squirt gun duel in the Nevada desert. Eh, on some level it's all calcio moderno though isn't it....
Hasn't Cannavaro always said that he wants to retire playing for Napoli? I'm sure he'll return and play for them insted of Juve.
My original post only said that I thought Zambrotta would end up at Juve again. Cannavaro will retire at Napoli. Can't imagine him doing anything else. I was there with relatives during the final last summer and the Canna worship was nuts. Still surprised he stayed at RM. Sounds like Drogba's on a fishing expedition. Can't imagine Barca doing much of anything big other than getting rid of Gudjohnsen (and isn't Edmilson maybe headed to England?) during the Jan. window.