by Anton Johan
Now that the 2010 World Cup is all but forgotten (except in Spain of course), most football-playing countries are once more concentrating on their domestic premier leagues, and Italy is no different as its
Serie A clubs take shape.
With the start of the new Serie A season around the corner,
Italian football clubs are scrambling to get their lineups finalized before the first kick off. Take Juventus, fans were very pleased to hear this week that Giorgio Chiellini is staying put.
The talented Italian center back reportedly fielded offers from clubs including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, but has decided to stay at Juventus to help the team recover from what can only be described as a dismal season.
Juventus finished 27 points behind Serie A champions Inter Milan. Said Chiellini at a news conference, 'I am happy to stay and help the team become great again. It will be a year of sacrifice, but we must start from zero and reconstruct the base.'
In other Serie A news, despite reports that his move from Inter Milan to English Premier League club Manchester City was a done deal, Mario Balotelli's agent has denied that the talented Italian striker has signed a deal with the top English club.
Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport wrote that the youngster had a signed a 5-year contract worth £3.3 million a season, on top of an initial transfer fee of £25 million. However, if Balotelli's agent is to believed, the deal has been put on ice.
'Nothing has been signed between Balotelli and Manchester City and I doubt anything will in the next few days,' said Mino Raiola, who represents the interests of the footballer. While controversial, Balotelli is one of Italy's best strikers.
Watch this space folks.
