Monday Football

20 April 2009

by Jerrad Peters

Juventus pursing Diego

Diego's recent incursion into Italy has reignited rumors that he will join Juventus in the summertime. The 24-year-old Werder Bremen playmaker scored twice as his side dumped Udinese out of the UEFA Cup on April 16. Renzo Castagnini, a Bianconeri scout, was on hand to watch the Brazilian work his magic at Stadio Friuli and brought a glowing report back to his employers in Turin.

With longtime Juventus icon Pavel Nedved set to retire, the club is widely thought to fancy Diego in the Czech's position on the left wing. It would be a role change for the former Santos midfielder who has operated from the middle of the park throughout his career. Nevertheless, both Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri and chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli are confident that Diego can thrive on the flank.

That said, it would take a special offer to lure the player from the Weserstadion. This is the club, after all, that rescued Diego from a two-year nightmare at Porto. He is furiously loyal to the club, and will not request a transfer. It will be up to Bremen to sell him if a lucrative bid proves too good to pass up.

Juventus are the only side to have publicly admitted their interest in Diego. But Bremen's asking price—believed to be in excess of 30 million euros—automatically narrows the field to a handful of clubs, of which the Turin giants are one. Real Madrid are another and might be keen to make an offer after Rafael van der Vaart's failure to impress at the Bernabeu.

If Diego is to make a move, it will probably happen this summer. His contract expires at the end of next season, and Bremen are not about to lose him for nothing.

Cannavaro could make Juve return

After three seasons at Real Madrid, Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro is set to return to Juventus. The 35-year-old defender has no intention of remaining in Spain beyond this summer when his contract expires. His agent believes a deal could be reached before the weekend.

While the move will reunite Cannavaro with a handful of former teammates including Pavel Nedved, Gianluigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero, many of the club's supporters are less than pleased about the return.

Unlike the aforementioned trio, Cannavaro chose to leave the Bianconeri after relegation to Serie B in the wake of the Calciapoli scandal in the summer of 2006. He remains unpopular for the decision, and brining back a player of his age would seem a step backward for a club that has finally built a side that hopes to challenge Inter Milan for the Scudetto next season.

As it happens, Juventus were actually Cannavaro's second choice. He had hoped to finish his career at Napoli—his hometown and the club where he broke through as a 19-year-old in 1992. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis rejected the idea, however, admitting that he was turned off by the player's age.

Juventus, meanwhile, have offered Cannavaro a director's position with the club when he eventually retires.

AZ Alkmaar win Eredivisie with three rounds to spare

Read my recap in the Winnipeg Sun. http://www.winnipegsun.com/sports/soccer/2009/04/20/9170186-sun.html

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jerradpeters@gmail.com