A few tips for a casino player

Distractions

When you're walking upon the casino's floor to start your gambling session, holding your perspective is significant. All the miscellaneous things in casino kind of hypnotize a lot of gamblers. Casinos want it. So, you have to stay cool and keep an unclouded mind.

Walk around for five or ten minutes before you sit down to play. Survey in mind your purposes for this session while you perceive the gamblers and the games.

Selecting a table

This is a makeshift decision for gamblers in general. They are choosing the first table they approach, that has a free seat and offers a minimal bet suitable for them. But the decision in selecting the table is an essential element in your chances of becoming a winner in this session.

A good sign is if a players' majority bets more than the minimum bet. Most players enlarge their bet when they continue to win.

This activity of winning might be produced by a non-random shift. It begets cycles of winning for both sides - the dealer and the players.

Tables you should avoid

Same as you are brought to tables where "the lights of Christmas Tree are blazing", you should pay attention to avoid the evident losing table at which players are showing few chips, making single-chip bets, and filter a sullen attitude.

Basic Strategy

So, now you're in the game. Now you've got to make a settlement on each of blackjack hands: split pairs, hit, double down, stand, or take insurance if the dealer demonstrates an ace.

These settlements are making online blackjack one of the most popular and thrilling table games in online casinos. They also give the players a certain control over what comes out of heir hands.

There exists a mathematically accurate way of making each of these settlements. Its name is Basic Strategy.

With this strategy you can become a serious player. It's actually a card counter's strategy. You'll have to pay attention to the cards on the table and their low and high quantity.

So, in general, before starting to play in casino, don't get distracted by such things as lights or beautiful women. Pay attention to everything, especially to your game session.

Online blackjack playing culture

Some games are known for their spirit of union and excitement of acting as a team and it's quite common in team sports such as football, baseball and basketball. However, some individual games are known for the same level of adrenaline rush and for many it will be a real surprise to learn that some online casino players describe their excitement just like football players would do.

One of the games that is known for its excitement and exquisite tension that makes the player as involved as with a physical sport is of course blackjack. And no big surprise that some many online casino players choose this particular game when entering numerous online casino sites all over the world.

The cultures of online and real world blackjack playing are quite different despite the fact that it's pretty much the same game being played. The main difference is of course that when playing online you're playing alone, usually in the comfort of your home without the typical distractions and tension you get in brick-and-mortar casinos. Of course, there's a downside to it - you don't get the thrill and excitement that make blackjack games so exciting.

People who play blackjack form close communities because they are very passionate about the game, And taking the fact that it's all in all a gambling game where the stakes can go sky high and earn the winners a fortune, sometimes the communication between blackjack players can seem to be a bit esoteric to those who are not in the game.

That's what online blackjack is famous for - there are numerous specialized forums that form communities of players all over the world. The Internet lets many players communicate regardless of their location, and when there are many people sharing the same passion for such thing as playing blackjack online you can definitely say that there's a real culture behind it.

Just with any other game-specific forums and communities you can get lost and confused the first time you enter such an online community. They are quite often based around online casinos where you can play blackjack anytime, and discuss the game after you had your fun at the online table. Of course, some forums are more open to newbies than the others and with some communities you will find it hard to communicate with other players if they haven't seen you in the casino.

Still, without a doubt, the Internet has revolutionized the culture of blackjack, turning it into a global phenomenon rather than a local community-based game, revolving around clubs and real casinos. Regardless of your location, you can play blackjack online, take part in tournaments with large prizes, win real money and discuss the strategies and experience with other players who enjoy playing blackjack just like you do. And you don't need to pack your bags and go to a city where playing blackjack is legal. All you need is a good Internet connection and plenty of time to enjoy this exciting game.

Lawrence Revere

Lawrence Revere was both an author and a serious player. He died in 1977. His only book, Playing Blackjack as a Business, initially published in 1969, is still in print. If you look at the "true count" methods being employed pre-Revere, you will see why Revere was inducted into the hall of fame. The earlier methods were cumbersome and mentally fatiguing to use. In the second edition of Beat the Dealer, in which Thorp first proposed the Hi-Lo Count, he mentioned a simplified method of using the count, though he failed to develop it as a full system. Revere had a leap of brilliance that led him to come to the conclusion that the simplified method of obtaining a "true count" that Thorp had mentioned could be fully developed and employed with the most powerful of point count systems. Revere's method was so simple compared to the alternatives, it has been employed by virtually every serious balanced point count system developer since, including Stanford Wong, Ken Uston, Lance Humble, Bryce Carlson, Arnold Snyder, and others. As a serious player, Revere's knowledge of blackjack included such esoteric techniques as shuffle tracking and hole card play.

Max Rubin

Max is the author of Comp City, first published in 1994, with an expanded second edition published in 2002. In this groundbreaking book, Max exposed techniques even non-counting players could use to get an advantage over the casinos by exploiting weaknesses in the casinos' comp systems. Max's inside information came from his years of experience in the industry as a dealer, pit boss, and casino manager. Max still does consulting work for the Barona Casino in California.

The initial manuscript for Comp City included advanced comp-hustling techniques that could be used by professional card counters, but the editors at Huntington Press decided to delete this section from the book in order to appeal to the wider market of recreational players. These excluded portions were published in Blackjack Forum in June 1994, and can be found now in the BlackjackForumOnline.com Library.

In the mid-1990s, he started hosting the Blackjack Ball, a secret annual event for professional players, where he serves as Game Master as many of the top pros compete for the Blackjack Cup and the title of World's Best Blackjack Player.

Now, as a host of the Game Show Network's World Series of Blackjack, Max Rubin has become one of the most visible public advocates of professional players.

Tommy Hyland

Tommy started playing blackjack professionally in 1978 while still in college. That was also the year he started his first informal "team." He's never looked back. For more than twenty-five years, he has been running the longest-lasting and most successful blackjack team in the history of the game. He and his teammates have played in casinos all over the U.S., Canada, and the world. He has used big player techniques, concealed computers (when they were legal), and had one of the most successful "ace location" teams ever. He has personally been barred, back-roomed, hand-cuffed, arrested, and even threatened with murder at gun-point by a casino owner he had beaten at the tables. Every year, the Hyland team players take millions of dollars out of the casinos. And even though Tommy has had his name and photo published in the notorious Griffin books more times than any other player in history, he continues to play and beat the games wherever legal blackjack games are offered. He has also fought for players' rights by battling the casinos in the courts.

Despite his fearsome reputation, Tommy is polite, soft-spoken, and always a gentleman. He is as loved by players as he is feared by the casinos. In an interview conducted by Richard Munchkin in 2001, Tommy said, "If someone told me I could make $10 million a year working for a casino, I wouldn't even consider it. It wouldn't take me five minutes to turn it down ... I don't like casinos. I don't like how they ruin people's lives. I don't think the employment they provide is a worthwhile thing for those people. They're taking people that could be contributing to society and making them do a job that has no redeeming social value."

Keith Taft

Keith is not well known to the general public, but among professional players he is revered as an electronics genius who has spent more than thirty years devising high-tech equipment-computers, video cameras, and communication devices-to beat the casinos. Blackjack was his initial target, and always remained his prime target. His first blackjack computer, which he completed in 1972, weighed fifteen pounds. Over the years, as computer chip technology developed, his computers became smaller, faster, and lighter. By the mid-1970s, he had a device that weighed only a few ounces that could play perfect strategy based on the exact cards remaining to be dealt. If it were up to Keith, his son Marty's name would be right along his in the Blackjack Hall of Fame, as the two have worked as partners since Marty was a teenager. For thirty years they have jointly created ever-more-clever hidden devices to beat the casinos, trained teams of players in their use, and have personally gone into the casinos to get the money. Keith and Marty may, in fact, have literally invented the concept of computer "networking," as they were wiring computer-equipped players together at casino blackjack tables thirty years ago in their efforts to beat the games. When Nevada outlawed devices in 1985, it was specifically as a result of a Taft device found on Keith's brother, Ted-a miniature video camera built into Ted's belt buckle that could relay an image of the dealer's hole card as it was being dealt to a satellite receiving dish mounted in a pickup truck in the parking lot, where an accomplice read the video image, then signaled Ted at the table with the information he needed to play his hand. An in-depth interview with Keith and Marty Taft was published in the Winter 2003-04 Blackjack Forum, and is available in the BlackjackForumOnline.com Library.

Edward O. Thorp [editable]

Edward Oakley Thorp is widely regarded, by professional players as well as the general public, as the Father of Card Counting. It was in his book, Beat the Dealer, first published in 1962, that he presented his Ten-Count system, the first powerful winning blackjack system ever made available to the public. All card-counting systems in use today are variations of Thorp's Ten-Count.

When Thorp's book became a best seller, the Las Vegas casinos attempted to change the standard rules of blackjack, but their customers would not accept the changes and refused to play the new version of the game. So, the Vegas casinos went back to the old rules, but switched from dealing hand-held one-deck games to four-deck shoe games, a change that the players would accept. Unfortunately for the casinos, in 1966 Thorp's revised second edition of Beat the Dealer was published. This edition presented the High-Low Count, as developed by Julian Braun, a more powerful and practical counting system for attacking these new shoe games.

In 1961, Thorp and C. Shannon jointly invented the first wearable computer, a device that successfully predicted results in roulette. Thorp has an M.A. in Physics and a Ph.D. in mathematics, and has taught mathematics at UCLA, MIT, NMSU, and U.C. Irvine, where he also taught quantitative finance. For many years Ed Thorp wrote a column for the now-defunct Gambling Times magazine. Many of these columns were collected in a book titled The Mathematics of Gambling, published in 1984 by Lyle Stuart.

Stanford Wong

Stanford Wong self-published his first book, Professional Blackjack, in 1975. It was later published by the Gambler's Book Club in Las Vegas, then revised and expanded numerous times and published by Wong's own company, Pi Yee Press.

Wong is widely regarded as one of the sharpest analysts of systems and methods for beating the casinos. In Professional Blackjack, he described a never-before-revealed table-hopping style of playing shoe games, a method of play now known as wonging. Professional Blackjack had a profound impact on serious players because it provided card counters with an easy yet powerful method for attacking the abundant four-deck shoe games that had taken over Las Vegas. Many pros still think of card-counting opportunities as "pre-Wong" and "post-Wong."

In his second book, Blackjack in Asia-a book priced at $2,000 and one of the rarest gambling books sought by collectors today - Wong discusses the unique blackjack games he had discovered in Asian casinos as a professional player, along with the optimum strategies he had devised for beating them. The book also included underground advice for exchanging currencies in these countries on the black market, as well as an account of his own hassles with customs officials when he attempted to leave the Philippines with his winnings. Of all of Wong's books, this is my personal favorite, as it reveals more of his anti-establishment personality than any of his later books.

In 1980, Wong published Winning Without Counting, priced at $200, and again, on a personal note, this is my second favorite book by Wong (and another collector's item if you can find one). He not only discusses many hole card techniques that had never before been mentioned in print-s-front-loading, spooking, and warp play-but he also delved into many clearly illegal methods of getting an edge over the house, including various techniques of bet-capping, card switching, card mucking, etc. He was widely criticized by those in the casino industry for the amusing way in which he discussed and analyzed such techniques, but anyone with half a brain could see that he was merely informing players with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.

Wong subsequently published Tournament Blackjack (1987), Basic Blackjack (1992), Casino Tournament Strategy (1992), Blackjack Secrets (1993), and since 1979 has published various newsletters including Current Blackjack News, aimed at serious and professional players.

Mr. Stanford Wong is a life legend of blackjack and we highly recommend his website http://www.bj21.com/ to anyone seriously interested in blackjack game.

Alessandro Del Piero Confident Juventus Have Overcome Bad Spell

Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero has seen his team-mates smile again, and play with lots of enthusiasm, as the positive results are rolling in for the Bianconeri.

The Turin giants remain the only team left in the Europa League, after the elimination of Roma by Greek side Panathinaikos.


"In this period, the results are finally arriving. The team is satisfied that we progressed through to the next phase of the competition," the 35-year-old stated to Corriere Dello Sport. "With the elimination of Roma, we are the only Italian side left in the tournament.

"I am disappointed that Roma could not go further than they did. It would have been great for Italian football."

'Pinturicchio' also revealed something about how coach Alberto Zaccheroni approached this evening's match.

"The coach evaluates every opponent, and the situation the side finds itself in. It is then up to the players to follow his instructions.

"At the start of the season, I had many injuries, and suffered. But now that I am fit, I am pleased to be playing a vital role for the team," Del Piero concluded.

Roma Midfielder Rodrigo Taddei On Sevilla Radar

According to rumours coming out of both Spain and Italy, Roma midfielder Rodrigo Taddei is being closely monitored by Sevilla. He may be on the verge of signing a new deal with the Giallorossi, but the Spanish club are interested in the player

The Brazilian midfielder is set to sign a contract extension in the coming weeks that will see him stay at the Giallorossi, but the Spanish outfit will do their best to lure him away from the Eternal City, Novantesimo.it reports.

Taddei's current deal runs out at the end of the season.

Genoa are also in the hunt, wanting to capture the signature of the 29-year-old.

Goals from Marco Borriello and Pato were enough to give the Rossoneri an easy win and a vital three Serie A points

Bari were no match for an efficient AC Milan side who bagged three important Serie A points to erase the recent memory of Champions League defeat.

Milan were hoping to use the game as a chance to recover from the recent loss to Manchester United in the Champions League. For Bari the task was simple, make the misery worse and bag a vital three points.

The first half was a frustrating one to watch. Milan had plenty of the ball but were not doing enough to convert this into a good lead. However, they stuck to their task and stretched the advantage in the second 45, never looking back.

Bari made the slightly better start as Barreto went racing down the wing in the fourth minute. Gattuso was having none of it and raced over to clear the danger and any early chance of a threat against Milan.

Milan struggled in the early moments to find their feet. Passes were going out of play and either too long or short. If Bari could get an early goal then it could help them when Milan improved later in the game.

Ambrosini missed a great chance just before the quarter of an hour mark when he fired over. Pato did well to beat the full back, progress along the by line and cut the ball back before it was sent into row z.

Bari were not to be outdone and a good little move nearly put them ahead. Meggiorini found a little space on the edge of the area but couldn’t get enough power behind his shot as a Milan defender came across to clear.

Pato stood menacingly over a free kick on the 20 minute mark but the Milan star hit a poor effort. The ball broke through the wall but lacked pace and swerve. The Bari goalkeeper went down and smothered the ball easily.

There were Bari shouts for a penalty on 30 minutes. Bonera seemed to be manhandled by Barreto during a corner but the referee waved away the protests and booked the home player for good measure.

Bonera missed a good chance to get in behind the Bari defence when he misread a Ronaldinho piece of genius. The Brazilian moved his feet too quickly to play the ball and Bonera just did not read it as the ball was quickly hoofed away from danger.

Milan had the best chance of the first half with only minutes remaining. Pirlo played a ball forward, which fell into the path of Borriello. The front man cracked his effort at goal only for a defender to sweep and clear it off the line as it was rolling in.

However, he did not have to wait long for another chance and he took it to put Milan 1-0 up. Ronaldinho played a world class pass to the striker who hit it on the volley first time and drilled it into the corner.

The second half started in much the same way as the first. Milan controlled the ball in the middle of the pitch and waited patiently for a chance to edge forwards and increase their lead.

Pato missed a great chance to put Milan 2-0 up in the 50th minute. He timed a run well and got onto a through ball before the goalkeeper. The front man poked the ball towards goal and it rolled just wide of the far post.

Bari kept going and Donati went close with an effort from all of 30 yards. He curled the ball towards the Milan goal forcing Abbiati to dive. The goalkeeper looked panicked but the ball went just wide.

Milan put together a superb passing move on the hour mark. At least six or seven players were involved before Ronaldinho sent over a cross, which was just behind Pato who put his head in hands immediately as the goal was gaping.

Barreto smacked a stunning free kick at the Milan goal as the game headed towards the final 20 minutes. The ball dipped slightly and forced Abbiati to tip it over. It was a clear sign that Bari were still in the game as Milan’s lead was only a single goal.

Milan really needed a second and it came as the game entered the final stages. Pato slotted in after Ronaldinho had a fizzing effort saved. Jankulovski did well to start the move and there seemed no way back for Bari from here.

The away team looked happy to sit on their two goal lead. A number of substitutions were made to soak up time as Milan played keep ball along the back line and across the midfield.
The comfort of Milan’s performance was finalised as Ronaldinho started to pull out all of the party tricks and skills.

However, the last few minutes saw Bari earn a penalty as Pato committed a striker's challenge in the box, but it was not their day and Abbiati made a fantastic stop to deny Barreto once again.

Roberto Baggio To Play In Haiti Charity Match

Former Azzurri stars Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio are set to play in a charity match, raising funds for the Haiti earthquake disaster on February 26.

The match will be played in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, with a host of other big name superstars playing in the name of charity.


Luis Figo, Edgar Davids, Fernando Hierro and Rui Costa are also confirmed starters for next week's match, according to TMW.

With proceeds going to the Red Cross, the South American contingent includes Ivan Zamorano, Juan Pablo Sorin and Jorge Campos.
By Rick D'Andrea on goal.com

Jose Mourinho Angered At Penalty Not Awarded Against Napoli

Inter coach Jose Mourinho is furious that his side were not awarded a penalty against Napoli, as the referee did not see the incident.

The tactician also believed that the match deserved a winner, and not for it to finish in a scoreless draw.

"I don't know if it is the result that a match such as this deserved. Napoli played well in the first half, and we did better in the second," Mourinho told TMW post-match. "Despite this, they had a very good chance to score through [Fabio] Qualgiarella.

"After the match, I paid my compliments to the referee [Rosetti], as I liked the way that he handled the match, and some of the decisions he made.

"I work from the sidelines, and therefore am too far to see if a penalty should be given, which I am told was clearly there. I don't know why he didn't whistle for it.

"If we exclude this episode, he did very well. But, he has gotten several of these 'single' episodes wrong against us, and we don't know how many more he will get incorrect in the future," the coach added.

Juventus Star Diego: We’re All To Blame

Juventus' attacking midfielder Diego is adamant the Italian giants have what it takes to turn their season around after last night’s 1-1 draw away to Livorno left them without a win in Serie A in their last five outings.

Diego’s failure to make a big impact since his €25 million summer move from Werder Bremen has often been blamed for Juve’s poor displays in recent weeks, but the 24-year-old is adamant the club’s problems are widespread.


“We don’t seem capable of scoring goals and converting all the chances we create, but that’s what we have to do,” he told Mediaset Premium after the Armando Picchi clash.

“It’s true we struggled in the first half, but improved considerably after the interval. But we need a victory. If you don’t win it’s difficult and nothing changes, that’s the problem.

“Personally I don’t think I’m finding it more difficult in Italy, it’s an overall problem. I feel fine, but if we don’t win, things get more difficult. We must keep working hard.

“We can all do much better, including me. Our morale is still intact. We know what our qualities are and what we have to do to find a solution.”

Juve lie sixth in the standings and could find themselves six points behind the Champions League places if Napoli defeat Udinese this afternoon.

Juventus 1-1 Lazio

Juventus' new coach Alberto Zaccheroni was denied an opening victory by Lazio's Stefano Mauri as the Bianconeri had to settle for a 1-1 Serie A draw in Turin.

Alessandro Del Piero's second half penalty looked set to give the new gaffer a dream start, but Mauri turned in Mauro Zarate's cross to level things up 12 minutes from time.

Lazio started with Julio Cruz in attack, with Tommaso Rocchi consigned to the bench, whilst coach Zaccheroni chose not to err from former coach Ciro Ferrara's 4-3-1-2 system.

It was a predictably nervous start from the two sides, with Lazio needing to put distance between themselves and the drop zone, whilst the Bianconeri were hoping to start their new era with improved form. The only real opportunity of the opening 10 minutes fell to Alessandro Del Piero, who fired straight at Muslera.

Del Piero then had a further opportunity when Antonio Candreva found him in space close to the bye-line on the right of goal, but his bullet shot flew over the bar from a narrow angle. That was part of a wave of pressure from the hosts, as they penned Lazio back for much of the opening stages.

Del Piero almost turned provider for Momo Sissoko when he played the second pass of a neat one-two for the Malian, who was dispossessed just in time by Stefan Radu. Sissoko then came close again when Diego fired in a meaty effort which Muslera parried and the midfielder narrowly failed to beat Guglielmo Stendardo to the rebound.

Lazio made their first real half-chance after half an hour, but after Mobido Diakite forced a free-kick from Felipe Melo, Aleksandar Kolarov drove the set piece disastrously high and wide. Moments later Diakite went on a similar burst forward and was brought down once more by Melo, who was shown a yellow card for his troubles.

Juventus had a dangerous looking free-kick of their own on 38 minutes, which Diego swung over the glancing head of Fabio Cannavaro and into the arms of a thankful Muslera. But Lazio immediately broke upfield and made a chance of their own, as Kolarov cut the ball back for the left foot of Stefano Mauri, whose shot was heading for the far bottom corner until Alex Manninger intervened with a smart diving save.

The first half had been a real story of set pieces, and it was from a left wing corner that Candreva could have given Juve the lead on the stroke of half-time. The flag-kick was half cleared, dropping for the new recruit 25 yards from goal, but his right footed effort cleared the crossbar and the teams went in level.

Lazio came out with more purpose in the early moments of the second period, and Sissoko's name was taken by referee Saccani after he brought down Kolarov in the middle of a fine solo run through the centre.

But it wasn't long before Juve were back on the attack, and Antonio Candreva unleashed a swinging 20-yard effort towards Muslera's bottom corner, which the Uruguayan did well to get down to and make the save.

The home side then produced the best moment of the match, and it was a piece of individual magic from Diego. With seemingly nothing on 20 yards from goal, the Brazilian fired in a left foot shot with little backlift which cannoned off the outside of Muslera's near post, leaving Lazio to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

The Bianconeri soon managed to build up a spell of pressure, and Paolo De Ceglie stood up an excellent cross for the head of Sissoko eight yards from goal, but the Malian couldn't direct his effort on target under pressure.

The breakthrough came in the 69th minute when Candreva chipped in a clever cross, Amauri flicked on and Del Piero turned superbly. But as the skipper shaped up to shoot left-footed he was brushed by Diakite, and the referee saw the contact fit enough to reward the Bianconeri a penalty. Del Piero picked himself up and fired low to Muslera's left, sending the keeper the wrong way and giving Juventus the lead.

As the two coaches looked to make changes and the pace seemingly gone from the game, proceedings suddenly came alive once more as Lazio scored a shock equaliser.

Roberto Baronio's right wing free-kick was half cleared by Amauri, but Zarate was able to chip the ball back into the box, and Mauri beat Zdenek Grygera to the ball on the slide and managed to poke the ball past Alex Manninger's dive.

Mauri picked up a head wound in celebrating his goal and was replaced by Sebastiano Siviglia as a result, with coach Davide Ballardini seemingly bracing his side for an Alamo-style attack from the home side.

The siege came thick and fast from the home side, but they just couldn't force a clear goalscoring opportunity, and their efforts became more and more frantic as time ran out.

Michele Paolucci was introduced by Zaccheroni in place of Del Piero late on, but he was unable to help his new boss picked up the much sought after three points.
(goal.com)

Alberto Zaccheroni Ready To 'Turn The Page' At Juventus

New Juventus coach Alberto Zaccheroni has been presented at the club following his first training session in command on Friday.

The 56-year-old took over the reigns from Ciro Ferrara, who was let go following the Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Inter. The Bianconeri have performed below expectations this season, sitting sixth in Serie A and also being eliminated from the Champions League at the group stages.

"It's time to turn the page, but I recognise the previous work, because Juventus offer a winning [brand of] football," Zaccheroni said to the press, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.

"I like challenges, starting a new cycle. The staff is very important and I don't know how many teams are superior to Juve. I'll bring my expertise, but mostly I believe I will be able to meet this challenge."

The new man went said that the squad had been very accommodating and have given him a warm welcome.

"The welcome was good,” he said. “The first reaction of the team? Not a single player had a negative attitude."

It may be his first day on the job, but Zaccheroni is well aware of the size of the task he faces and what is expected of him.

"It's a major challenge for a club that has made football history in Italy and around the world and for me it's a real honour to be entrusted with the management of this situation. The objective is entering the top four in the league. The minimum target for this year is entry into the Champions League."

Juventus are currently in the midst of the worst sequence of results in the
club's history and Zaccheroni said his first task would be to instil a winning mentality back into the squad.

"I will try to intervene on the technical and tactical aspects, but at the moment the main issue is the psychological aspect," he said. "What we can do better? Why [Felipe] Melo and Diego are not playing as expected?"

Finally, the new coach added that he hoped to stay beyond the end of his short-term contract.

"I accepted the job with great enthusiasm. For me it's a source of pride to be here. Juventus are a top club. To coach and sit on the bench of Juventus is the best job around and I will try to convince them to keep me beyond June 30."

Zaccheroni's greatest success came at AC Milan, when he won the Scudetto in 1999. He has also had stints at Udinese, Lazio, Inter, and Torino among other clubs.

Inter 2-1 Juventus: Nerazzurri Come From Behind To Progress To Semi-Finals

Inter moved into the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia with a win over Juventus, but they had to come from behind after Diego had given the Bianconeri the lead. Goals from Lucio and Mario Balotelli in the second half gave the Nerazzurri a deserved win.

Balotelli threatened as he broke into the penalty area early on before Amauri tried to catch Francesco Toldo out with a shot from range in a lively start to the game.

The first goal of the evening game in the 10th minute when Toldo allowed a shot from Diego to squeeze past him after some fine build up play by Antonio Candreva and Momo Sissoko.


Inter looked to hit back immediately, pressing the Bianconeri defence back towards their own penalty area. Balotelli was energetic as the Nerazzurri looked for a quick fire equaliser, but he could not supply a good enough delivery after Javier Zanetti had weaved his way past three players.

The visitors had a few chances of their own and Toldo was looking shaky whenever a cross was put into the danger zone, encouraging Juventus' wide men to put the ball in towards lone striker Amauri.

Maicon could have equalised in the 20th minute but after playing a one-two on the edge of the box with Goran Pandev, he blazed his close-range shot over the bar.

Both sides' passing was letting them down in the middle of the pitch, particularly the visitors, as possession changed hands easily. As the half went on the Bianconeri were content to sit back and allow Inter to pass the ball among themselves, and the Nerazzurri hadn't really tested Buffon after half an hour. For once, the match seemed to be going in Ciro Ferrara's favour.

Giorgio Chiellini was keeping a close eye on Balotelli and was adjudged to have fouled the young striker just past the half hour mark, earning them a set piece in a promising position, but once again the Nerazzurri's finishing let them down as Maicon missed the target.

Nonetheless it was the hosts that were doing all the pressing, trying to force Juventus into a mistake. Wesley Sneijder whipped a dangerous free kick into the box with 10 minutes left but Buffon was able to punch it away. It appeared as though Felipe Melo also caught the ball with his hand in the penalty area in the dying minutes, but referee Damato chose not to award the penalty.

Half-time arrived with the score still at 1-0, although Jose Mourinho was seen questioning the referee's call minutes earlier when the Nerazzurri had been denied a penalty.

The hosts started the second half in the same vein as they had ended the first, with Sneijder testing Buffon with a shot barely two minutes in before Balotelli hit the side netting after good link up play with Pandev.

However Juventus were nearly two goals up in the 52nd minute when Diego flashed a shot just wide of Toldo's right hand post, with the veteran stopper nowhere near the effort. Minutes later, Chiellini powered a header that clipped the post before it went out for a goal kick.

From the goal kick, Inter raced up the pitch and Balotelli cut the ball back for Pandev, but the shot was deflected wide and Inter couldn't make anything of the corner.

The Nerazzurri were starting to twist the screw and exploit Juventus' fragility, and Paolo De Ceglie demonstrated their defensive weakness when his clearance fell straight to Sneijder, but the Dutchman's shot was blazed over the bar.

Mourinho looked to change his side's fortunes by bringing on prolific Argentine Diego Milito for Esteban Cambiasso, and he was immediately involved in the play but was flagged offside after Sneijder played him through.

With a third of the game to go, Inter were beginning to show signs of desperation. Balotelli threw himself to the ground after Chiellini eased him off the ball in the penalty area, but moments later he forced Buffon into a smart save after finding himself in all sorts of space on the left side of the penalty area.

Felipe Melo then picked up a yellow card for a foul on Maicon on the edge of the area, and it proved to be a costly one. Sneijder stepped up to take the free kick and Lucio stabbed the ball past Buffon for the equaliser.

Maicon was pleading for another penalty when his ball hit Sissoko's outstretched arm, but once again the referee ignored the home side's claims. Juventus were living dangerously at the back and rarely had the opportunity to venture out of their own half, such was the pressure from the Nerazzurri.

The visitors conceded another free kick on the edge of the box with seven minutes to go when, not for the first time, Chiellini brought down Balotelli. Buffon pulled off an excellent save before Milito went down under pressure from Chiellini, but the striker was looking for the penalty and the referee waved play on.

As the clock ticked towards full-time, Inter grabbed a deserved winner as Juventus played for extra-time. Thiago Motta's shot was saved by Buffon, and Balotelli pounced on the loose ball to put the Nerazzurri ahead in the 89th minute.

It was enough to see Inter through to the semi-finals and to place Ciro Ferrara's position in even greater threat.(goal.com)

Juventus Captain Alessandro Del Piero Ruled Out Of Inter Clash

Serie A giants Juventus will have to make do without inspirational captain Alessandro Del Piero when they pay visit to Inter in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia tonight.

The club’s official website explains that the 35-year-old has withdrawn from the squad after coming down with a severe bout of viral gastroenteritis earlier this week.

And boss Ciro Ferrara has also lost Bosnian midfielder Hasan Salihamidzic for what is expected to be his last game in charge of the Turin side.

The former Bayern Munich man pulled up with a muscle problem during Tuesday’s training session at Vinovo and medical tests have revealed he will spend at least 20 days in the treatment room.

Salihamidzic’s setback took Juve’s injury tally for the season to an astonishing 44 and Ferrara was forced to include three youth players, Filippo Boniperti, Luca Marrone and Manuel Giandonato, in his squad for the trip to Milan.
(Goal.com)

Samuel Eto'o Back In Inter Squad For Juventus Clash

Inter coach Jose Mourinho has included Samuel Eto'o in his call-ups for the Coppa Italia match against Juventus on Thursday.

Eto'o had been participating the African Cup of Nations with Cameroon, but the Indomitable Lions were dumped in the quarter-finals, after losing 3-1 in extra-time to Egypt.


Therefore, the former Barcelona goal-scorer is once again available to his club side and could feature from the start against the struggling Bianconeri, according to Inter's official website, inter.it.

The Coppa Italia quarter-finals are only one leg, so both sides may play their best line-ups in a bid to advance in the cup competition.

Inter are still without Dejan Stankovic and Cristian Chivu due to injury. Below is a list of all 21 players selected by Mourinho.

Goalkeepers: 1 Francesco Toldo, 12 Julio Cesar, 21 Paolo Orlandoni;

Defenders: 2 Ivan Cordoba, 4 Javier Zanetti, 6 Lucio, 13 Maicon, 23 Marco Materazzi, 25 Walter Samuel, 39 Davide Santon;

Midfielders: 7 Ricardo Quaresma, 8 Thiago Motta, 10 Wesley Sneijder, 11 Sulley Muntari, 19 Esteban Cambiasso, 48 Lorenzo Crisetig;

Forwards: 9 Samuel Eto'o, 22 Diego Milito, 27 Goran Pandev, 45 Mario Balotelli, 89 Marko Arnautovic.
From Goal.com

Milan 0-1 Udinese: Gokhan Inler Sends The Rossoneri Packing From Coppa Italia

Udinese joined Fiorentina and Roma in the last four of the Coppa Italia with a surprise 1-0 quarter-final win over Milan at San Siro.

Gokhan Inler scored the only goal of the game early in the second half, but in truth Udinese should have won far more comfortably.

Christian Abbiati made his return from injury after a long layoff in a second string Milan line-up. Gianluca Zambrotta also made his way back, while Pippo Inzaghi and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar started in attack.

Udinese fielded a strong team, with a trident frontline of Antonio Di Natale, Alexis Sanchez and Antonio Floro Flores.

The away side started the better, and Gokhan Inler threatened Abbiati on 10 minutes.

On 20 minutes Abbiati came to the rescue again, pushing the ball out for a corner from Di Natale, who had been set up perfectly by Sanchez.

It was all Udinese, and Sanchez was guilty of squandering a sensational opportunity soon after as he ran through one-on-one with the goalkeeper and fired against the post.

It took until the 27th minute for Milan to finally make an impact as Samir Handanovic saved a long shot from Marek Jankulovski. Handanovic also pushed away a Flamini effort from distance.

There was no doubting who was man of the match so far, and Abbiati twice saved Milan again within the space of a few minutes. First the Italian denied Di Natale in two attempts, then he produced a miracle to prevent Floro Flores from scoring.

Into the second half, and Milan were the first to signal their intent as Handanovic closed down Huntelaar. Davide Di Gennaro was substituted in his farewell game before joining Livorno, to be replaced by Andrea Pirlo.

On 56 minutes the deadlock was broken, and it was Udinese who silenced the San Siro. Luca Antonini made a terrible blunder, and Sanchez supplied Inler who swept diagonally past Abbiati.

Leonardo summoned Marco Borriello for Huntelaar, but on the hour mark it was almost 2-0. Floro Flores lost Bonera and shot just wide at the near post.

Udinese continued to control proceedings and Sanchez was guilty of another miss on 76 minutes when he had an open net to lob into.

The Zebrette continued to be profligate in front of goal, and Paolo Sammarco fluffed his lines after a dribble.

Udinese ran out 1-0 winners, and they will face Roma in the semi-final.

Napoli Striker Ezequiel Lavezzi Wants To Return Against Inter

Napoli hitman Ezequiel Lavezzi may have signed to stay on at the Partenopei until 2015 a few weeks ago, but he is on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

The Argentine, though, is setting his sights on a return to first-team action against league-leaders Inter, on February 14.


"My national team wants to see how I am progressing," 'Pocho' declared to Ole. "I will continue to receive treatment there and I want to make my return against Inter."

The Azzurri sit in fourth place, on 37 points, 12 points behind the Nerazzurri. They take on Genoa this weekend.

Juventus Line Up Alberto Zaccheroni To Replace Ciro Ferrara

Speculation is rife that Juventus are seeking a coach to replace Ciro Ferrara.
With Guus Hiddink and Rafael Benitez seemingly out of the race for the Bianconeri job, circulating rumours are linking former Udinese and Milan tactician Alberto Zaccheroni to the position, according to ANSA.

Zaccheroni is expected to give a response within the next few days, as to whether he would be interested in taking hold of the reigns at the Turin-based outfit.

The website claims that the coaching position would run until the end of the season, when the club would re-evaluate its options.

Ferrara has not had a good season to date, seeing the Bianconeri tumble out of the Champions League at the group stage, and slump to eight defeats in the domestic league.

The Bianconeri sit in sixth place, on 33 points.

Juventus Make New Offer To Guus Hiddink - Report

Juventus have made a fresh offer to Guus Hiddink as they narrow down their search for a new coach to replace Ciro Ferrara should he be sacked.


Russian website Sports Life claims Juve have raised the stakes and they are now offering the coach €5 million per season in wages to take on the role at Vinovo. It represents a €1.5m increase compared to the offer they reportedly made two weeks ago. Back then, reports claimed Hiddink rejected the approach as he demanded nothing less than €7m.

The report goes on to suggest that Bianconeri directors have run out of patience with Ferrara and they want a quick-fix solution.

It is said figures at the Russian FA are open to the idea as they want to bring in a coach who will accept inferior wages to Hiddink. A source close to the Italian side is quoted as saying "the Hiddink option is the most realistic".

Speculative reports are conflicting, as reports being floated around in Italy suggest that the club are deliberating on whether to bring in someone for the short-term until June, or offer a two-year role.

Names being touted by Sky Sport Italia for the 24-month option are Dino Zoff, and Giovanni Trapattoni. As for the immediate solution, Hiddink is the only one being mentioned.