BRADLEY DISMISSES RUMOURS

Michael Bradley’s agent has dismissed suggestions that his client is looking to move away from the Italian club in the January of the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old has been one of the impressive players for the club in the last few weeks, which have resulted in a number of clubs showing an interest in the player. The Spanish club Valencia have been one of the potentially interested parties. The players agent has confirmed that there has been interest from the Spanish club, but the player is more than happy to stay at the Italian club. He has also said that Michael Bradley wants to be a pillar of the Italian club in the future.

The 23-year-old recently scored his first goal for the club in the 2-0 home win against Atlanta, which was also the first home win for the new manager. He had taken the bold decision to rest high-profile players for this match. After suffering a lot of bad results in recent weeks, the former manager was extremely thrilled at this victory that helped him identify the strong points within the squad. Erik Lamela has also been a huge influence for Roma and he scored in the 2-0 win over Atlanta.

“When there is an interest in a client it is always nice, but right now it does not seem appropriate to speak about other clubs. Bradley, I hope, is close to becoming one of the pillars of this Roma team. I think it was one of Michael’s best performances if we evaluate it in context. He was coming back from a long injury at a time of difficulty for the team, and he scored his first goal for the club,” said the agent of the player. Roma are currently in the fifth position with 11 points on the board.

PRANDELLI RULES OUT CASSANO

The Italian national team manager Cesare Prandelli has said that Antonio Cassano is not fully fit at the moment and it is one of the main reasons for omitting the Inter Milan striker from the squad that will face two World Cup qualifying matches. The former AC Milan striker recently completed a move to the arch rivals Inter Milan. However, after recovering from a heart problem last season, the striker is only now returning to full fitness according to the Italian national team manager. The Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli is also absent from the squad.

Italy will be playing against Bulgaria and Malta in the first two World Cup qualifying matches. Cesare Prandelli has said that it is vital that the nation start the campaign with a win in order to carry confidence over the course of the remaining qualifying matches that will take place over a period of two years. Prandelli has said that the team is still evolving in terms of the formation and has hinted that he is likely to use a different formation in this match. The Napoli player Lorenzo Insigne is one of the few young players given a chance to impress with the national team.

“Cassano has said that he is currently only at 50-60 per cent and, at this moment, I don’t have time to recover players because we need to win games to qualify. He just has to re-find his form, then there will only be tactical decisions to make. I can’t take any risks in these qualifying games with players who are not in perfect physical condition. There is a lot at stake here,” said Prandelli ahead of the match with Bulgaria. Roma’s Pablo Osvaldo and the new AC Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini are the new faces included in the squad.

ZEMAN SLAMS ITALIAN FOOTBALL

The Roma manager Zdenek Zeman has criticised the Italian football by saying that the players within Italian football do not know what it takes to win football matches anymore. The Roma manager was extremely negative when it came to the opinions about the Italian football, but has said that he is confident that his club can finally achieve some glory this season. It has been a difficult few years for Roma after they have not been without the Champions League income. They have found it difficult to compete against the likes of AC Milan and Inter Milan without this income.

One of the main objectives for the new Roma manager prior to the start of the new season will be to finish in the top three positions in the Italian league. This will ensure qualification to the Champions League. Last season was extremely disappointing for the Italian club after they finished in the seventh position behind Inter Milan. Roma have made some crucial signings in the summer, while some players have also left the club. Ahead of the start of the new season, the Roma manager Zdenek Zeman has said that the Italian players have forgot the art of winning in recent seasons.

“In Italy, you know, they don’t know how to lose. They don’t even know how to win anymore. I’ve been here for more than 40 years. I feel Italian. We have lost credibility (as a nation). Isn’t football a game? We should play it then. In order to be on par with the big clubs, (Roma) must prove something on the pitch. I hope the team can have a positive campaign and compete with everyone. This term we’re starting from scratch and I think everyone has a chance to prove themselves,” said Zdenek Zeman about Italian football and Roma.