Juventus have completed the permanent signing of promising defender Alberto Masi and also struck a deal for James Troisi.

Juventus have completed the permanent signing of promising defender Alberto Masi and also struck a deal for James Troisi.

Masi, 19, moved to the Serie A champions on a co-ownership deal with Pro Vercelli earlier in the summer.

But, after impressing Massimo Carrera throughout pre-season, La Vecchia have opted to secure the Italy Under 21 international's services outright.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Alberto Masi is 100 per cent a Juventus player.

"An agreement has been reached for Pro Vercelli to concede their half of his registration."

Complex deal

Juve have also clinched the signing of Troisi but the Australian will be loaned out to Atalanta in a complex deal involving Manolo Gabbiadini.

The talented winger recently agreed to a four-year contract with the Serie A champions but will spend at least the next season on loan at Atalanta.

As part of an agreement with the Bergamo club, Juve will also pay €3.5million (£2.8m) to take co-ownership of Italy's rising star Gabbiadini, who will then be loaned out to Bologna for one year.

Troisi, who was born to an Italian father, had been expected to join the Old Lady since leaving Turkish outfit Kayserispor in April.

The 24 year-old turned down a lucrative deal to play in Qatar to follow his dream of playing in Italy's top flight.

Read More

Juventus beat nine-man Napoli in Supercoppa

Juventus claimed the Italian Super Cup with a 4-2 win over nine-man Napoli after extra-time at the National Stadium in Beijing.

The match between the holders of Serie A and the Coppa Italia saw Napoli twice lead only for the Italian champions to recover strongly to claim victory in the season curtain-raiser.

Edinson Cavani gave Napoli the lead on 28 minutes at the Bird's Nest stadium - scene of the 2008 Olympic Games - only for Kwadwo Asamoah to drag his side level with a blistering shot from distance nine minutes later.

Goran Pandev lifted the ball over Gianluigi Buffon to hand Napoli a 2-1 lead four minutes before the break, but Juventus equalised courtesy of Arturo Vidal's 73rd minute penalty after Mirko Vucinic had taken a tumble under pressure from Federico Fernandez.

Napoli went down to ten men when Pandev saw red on 85 minutes for appearing to say something to a linesman. That became nine when Juan Camilo Zuniga encountered a second yellow three minutes into stoppage time after mistiming a tackle on Giovinco.

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri was also red carded for dissent before Juventus put the match to bed with Christian Maggio somehow nodding an Andrea Pirlo free-kick into his own net on 97 minutes.

Vucinic put a gloss on the scoreline when he nudged the ball over the line from Claudio Marchisio's long ball on 101 minutes.

Watch the action at 12bet.com

Read More

Brilliant Brazil hammer Cameroon

Brazil cruised past Cameroon to open their Group E campaign with a victory in the women’s football competition.

Jorge Barcellos’s team raced into a 2-0 lead through a Francielle free-kick and a header from Renata Costa.

Marta scored a second-half penalty after she had been clumsily fouled by Bebey Beyene before Cristiane slotted home from a tight angle.

The losing Olympic finalists in 2004 and 2008 made it 5-0 late on when Marta struck from close range.

The match was the second of a double header at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff after

Great Britain had earlier opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over New Zealand.

And the emphatic nature of Brazil’s victory ensures that they finish the opening day of Olympic action top of their group on goal difference.

It might have been even more emphatic but Ester shot wide in the opening half and impressive substitute Cristiane missed with a spectacular over-head kick close to the final whistle.

Cameroon were second best throughout the contest, and especially overrun in the latter stages, with a completely unmarked Marta given the freedom of the six-yard box to pick her spot for Brazil’s fifth.

However, Cameroon did come close to a goal shortly before half-time when Gabrielle Onguene created an opening with a neat run and turn but she then shot wide.

Read More

Italy's Cassano fined for gay slur at Euro 2012

Antonio Cassano (photo: Александр Осипов)

NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- Italian soccer star Antonio Cassano has been fined for his comments about gay players at the European Championship.

European soccer's governing body says Friday it fined him $18,250 for his "discriminatory press statement" at an official media event in Poland last month.




Cassano said at the time he hoped there were no homosexual players on the Italian national team. He then used a derogatory word to describe gays.

When a reporter suggested there were gays on the team, Cassano appeared at a loss for words before saying, "That's their problem, but I hope not."

Cassano can appeal the decision by UEFA.

Read More

Bayern deny move for Pirlo

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has rubbished reports linking his club with a move for Italy international Andrea Pirlo.

Reports in Italy claimed Bayern had made a bid of 10million euros for the Juventus midfielder, who was a key figure in Italy's Euro 2012 campaign, but Rummenigge says the reports are without foundation.

"FC Bayern have neither made an offer to Juventus, nor have FC Bayern had any contact with the player or his agent," he said in a statement published on the Bundesliga club's website.

Bayern have made six new signings already this summer and are not expected to add any further new faces to their squad for next season.

Xherdan Shaqiri is the only new midfielder, joining the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery in the Bavarians' squad.

Read More

Italy And Croatia Fight To Remain At Group Stage

Watch Italy vs. Crotia live at 12BET

Date: June 15, 2012

Time: 12:00 AM (GMT +8:00)

ITALY	Tournament Statistics (as of June 14, 2012)		CROATIA
1	Goals Scored		3
6	Attempts On Target		9
4	Attempts Off Target		6
3	Corners		7
19	Fouls Committed		18
4	Yellow Cards		2
0	Red Cards		0
PREDICTED STARTING LINEUPS
Italy (3-5-2)		Buffon; Bonucci, De Rossi, Chiellini; Maggio, Motta, Giaccherini, Pirlo, Marchisio, Di Natale, Cassano.
Croatia (4-2-3-1)		Pletikosa; Srna, Corluka, Schildenfeld, Strinic; Vukojevic, Rakitic; Modric, Perisic, Mandzukic; Jelavic.

POZNAŃ: Italy and Croatia will battle one another in a bid to remain at the group stage. The Azzurri’s draw with Spain drives them further to win this match. However, they can be kicked out of the group stage if they end up losing.

Croatia has done very well against the Republic of Ireland in the first group match when they won at 3-1. Currently the top team in Group C, they must win this upcoming match to progress further. Otherwise, they might not even win the group stage, especially with Spain to face in their last group match.

Previous Matches

Italy and Croatia only met for 5 times, with the Croats winning in all of those meetings. This is a challenge Italy has to face, despite being a team whose players are of strong international exposure.

The two teams last met in a 2006 friendly match. Croatia won at 2-0 when Eduardo da Silva and Luka Modric scored 1 goal each against goalless Italy.

Pre-Match Developments

Striker Antonio Di Natale is likely to replace Mario Balotelli on Italy’s starting lineup. Di Natale scored the opening goal during the Azzurri’s match versus Spain.

Croatian defender Vedran Corluka is in a proper condition to play for his team. The injury he got before EURO 2012 was not worsened during Croatia’s match against Republic of Ireland.

Italy-Croatia Predictions

Sports Statistics Information Centre

(as of June 14, 2012)

v  Disclaimer: All information above is provided free for members as a 12BET service. The prediction statisticsare purely a view point and there is no guarantee on the returns. Hence all members or visitors are requested to apply their prudence before acting on any of the recommendations. Neither 12BET nor any of its promoters, members, or employees holds any responsibility of any losses incurred (if any) by acting on the recommendations.

The match between Italy and Croatia is not going to be an easy one. To emerge as a contender in the quarterfinals, Italy has to go past through Croatia’s record 3 goals through scoring 2 goals ahead in the coming match. For that to happen, Italy needs to realize another feat similar to striker Antonio Di Natale’s success during their promising performance versus Spain. The Azzurris can rely on its team’s international calibre to trounce Croatia’s technical proficiency.

Croatia bears the pressure of upholding its 5-game winning streak versus Italy while being awaited by defending champion Spain in the knockout round. Mandžukić and fellow striker Nikica Jelavić have to cooperate well in order to break Italy’s competitive stance. A repeat of Mandžukić’s quick opening goal against Republic of Ireland timed at 2 minutes and 38 seconds will be a nice spectacle for Croatia.

SIGN UP NOW FOR BIG BIG CASH REWARDS. JUST CLICK THE IMAGE.

Read More

Germany (N) vs. Netherlands Match | UEFA 2012

Germany (N) vs. NetherlandsMatch live @ 12bet  2:45 AM GMT+8

Having lost to Denmark, the Dutch will be a dangerous proposition, with attacking quality in abundance and in desperate need of a result they will be looking for goals. Germany can take confidence from the sides’ last match, a 3 – 0 friendly victory for Germany in November 2011 and their victory against a decent Portugal side in spite of a below par performance.

Holland may look to dominate possession and nullify the German threat before pressing forward, the big question is whether their talented forwards can show more of their domestic form. With the onus on Holland, Germany can look to revert to the counter-attacking style so devastating under Löw in recent years. Thomas Müller on the right may be a key-player with the promising but largely inexperienced Willems at left-back.

Netherlands training concludes with Robin van Persie taking time out to talk to former Arsenal FC team-mate Robert Pirès, who is here working for French TV. My match preview is on its way shortly.

Team Lineups

Netherlands:Stekelenburg, Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Mathijsen, Willems, N De Jong, Van Bommel, Robben, Sneijder, Afellay, Huntelaar

Germany:Neuer, Boateng, Hummels, Badstuber, Lahm , Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Muller, Ozil, Schurrle, Gomez

Team News

Netherlands
-Defender Joris Mathijsen is appearing in the game after becoming fit of veteran.
-Ron Vlaar is not included in starting lineups.
-Huntelaar might be replacing Robin Van Persie.

Germany
-Andre Schurrle, Marco Reus and Mario Gotze are included in starting lineups.
-Podolski still not starting lineups for Germany.

Player to Watch

Netherlands: Robben is the player to watch from Dutch side.
Germany:Muller with good form will be interesting person to watch from German side.

Previous meeting

Result was in side of Germans who won Netherlands with 3 goal difference which was friendly match played on 15 Nov last year.

International Friendlies         15 Nov 2011         Germany 3 – Netherlands 0

Last 5 matches

Netherlands:(L, W, W, L, L)Netherlands seems in struggling form with 3 defeat in last 5 matches with only 2 wins against week teams. Netherlands lost against Danish side in their last Euro Group stage matches.

Germany: Germany who slide 1 step down from Fifa new updated ranking seems to ba at average form winning 3 out of 5 matches with 2 defeat. Germany won its last Euro Cup match against Portugal.

Sign Up now to avail the big cash back reward.

Read More