l’ultimi colpi

By: Joe | September 1st, 2008

Ah….leaving it late. Today is the day Pier Paolo Marino finishes all family business. Let’s just hope Moe Green doesn’t catch one in the eye. The transfer market closes on September 1 and Marino can’t celebrate yesterday’s draw in Rome as unfinished business is at the top of his things to do list:

Maurizio Domizzi - Is there any Italian club Captain Red Ass hasn’t been linked to? Napoli put a €6 million price tag on Domizzi and everyone played a game of chicken with Marino, looking to get Napoli to drop their valuation. Domizzi needed to get out of Napoli because of an alleged indiscretion by a certain Napoletano keeper and Mrs. Domizzi didn’t contribute to locker room harmony. Genoa, Siena, Parma, Fiorentina, Atalanta and Lazio all kicked the tires on the left-back, and last year’s penalty kick taker, but everyone choked on the price tag. Today Marino found a taker for the 28-year old whom Napoli co-owned with Sampdoria when Udinese agreed to co-purchase(?) Domizzi for €2.75 million. I don’t much like the idea of giving away a useful player to a team you’ll likely be chasing in Serie A for a UEFA Cup spot. It certainly can’t be the deal Marino wanted to make, but Domizzi’s situation was untenable and Napoli were pretty much up against a wall here. Good luck, Maurizio. Despite an up and down year last year, all in all we’ll miss your leadership and your wicked left foot. Just tell the Misses to keep her clothes on!

Domizzi’s replacement: Fabiano Santacroce’s red card yesterday emphasized the need for another defender to play in Coach Edy Reja’s 3-man backline. Santacroce will miss the next Serie A match against Fiorentina, leaving Napoli with only three true defenders (Canna, Rinaudo and Contini). Shortly after unloading Domizzi, Marino picked up his replacement: Salvatore Aronica was signed from Reggina. Aronica was a target last summer and was all but signed before the typical transfer soap opera dealings got in the way. The Palermo-born central defender cost Marino €3 million and will likely be used either in the Fiorentina match or the first leg of the UEFA Cup tie with Benfica. Aronica has good pace and he’s a decent Serie A defender.
Dude, lose the shades!

Roberto De Zerbi was pushed out by Brazilian Inacio Pia and it was just a matter of where he was going to land. De Zerbi won’t have to travel far as he wound up being loaned out to Avellino, who stayed in Serie B this year thanks to the benefit of Messina’s troubles. De Zerbi spent the winter campaign last season at Brescia and did a decent job for them. He was simply never going to get any playing time with Reja. By the way, did you see Pia exchange jerseys yesterday with the Beast (Julio Baptista). It looks like Pia spent the offseason in the weight room as he looks to have put on at least 10 pounds of muscle. He’ll need it.

Mirko Savini looks set to leave for Verona. I think it’s likely Mirko would be directly sold as opposed to being loaned out given what I can gather. Either way, the former captain won’t be doing his turnstile imitation on the left flank at the San Paolo this year. We’ll have to catch his act at the Bentogodi. Too bad he couldn’t take Gianluca Grava with him. At his best, Savini is an adequate left-winger…he’s not usually at his best. Anyone’s guess as to who the new left winger may be. Given Luigi Vitale’s tentative display yesterday in Rome, Marino should look for someone who can fill the gap until the Napoli primavera product is really ready for the Serie A grind. Maybe someone from Florence, perhaps?

Samuele Dalla Bona may be on the move, despite talk of his staying due to Mariano Bogliacino’s injury. Rumor has it Premier League side Portsmouth is looking to acquire the central midfielder. For Dalla Bona’s sake I hope it’s true. He’s another useful player who’ll never see the pitch as long as Reja is around. In the “L’oro di Napoli” DVD’s that were produced this summer, most of the highlights of Dalla Bona were of him training with the squad at Castelvolturno. Kind of says it all, doesn’t it?

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Napoli players on loan:

Erminio Rullo Triestina play Bari today in the posticipo of the first week in Serie B.

Biagio Del Guidice was on the bench but did not play in Aversa’s opening match, a 2-0 loss to Catanzaro. Aversa were recently promoted from what was Serie D to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (Serie C2).

Emmanuele Calaio started for Siena and played all 90 minutes in their 1-0 loss to Atalanta. Calaio picked up a yellow for harsh foul late in the match.

Gyorgy Garics started and played all 90 minutes at right back for Atalanta.

Christian Bucchi started, played all 90 minutes and scored the match winner in Ascoli’s win against Vicenza.

Tomasso Romito is now playing for Pescara who lost 2-0 to Crotone. No word on whether he played.

Listen, I’d provide a recap of our 1-1 draw against Roma, but I figured you all saw the match and have already commented. The fact is, we are simply better when we play with 10. I’ve seen it now for three years against all different competition and we always come up big. Now that isn’t to say it’s any guarantee but when you hold Roma off away from home when down to 10…well, that’s saying something.
All the goodness