Belgian club Anderlecht don’t get much attention. You see them sometimes in the Europa and Champions but nothing more. Old school fans will tell you about those good old Enzo Scifo/Frank Arnesen days in the 80’s while others remember seeing Jan Koller and Bart Goor play there.

For the Italian Clacio fan? Some can mention Vincent Kompany, Anthony Vanden Borre and Mbark Boussoufa while Roma fans reluctantly remember Christian Whilhelmsson played there before failing miserably in the Capital.

However, those times are a changing for Anderlecht.

Not only are Italian clubs paying close attention to the happenings in the suburbs of Brussels, all of Europe is taking notice because of 16 year old phenom Romelu Lukaku, ”The Next Drogba/Adebayor ”

Born in 1993, Lukaku scored 121 goals in 88 games in the Anderlecht youth ranks before graduating to the senior squad. He now has 15 goals in 27 games in the Belgian League this season , adding 4 in the Europa League. Lukaku earns his Drogba/Adebayor comparison because of his Congolese roots and massive frame but think of him more as Jozy Altidore 4.0 or imagine Stefano Okaka Chuka forged himself a Belgian passport and changed his date of birth to 1993.

Clearly gifted by nature, Lukaku is 190 cm & 94 kg with an impressive arsenal of skills, pace, speed, power and amazing shot. He’s on his way to becoming the youngest top scorer ever in the Jupiler League and is now part of the senior Belgian National squad as Dick Advocaat loves him.

Belgian’s U21 coach, Jean-François De Sart,who coached the youngster for about 18 seconds had this to say of Lukaku :

“He’s a goal scorer. That’s his primary asset. He’s savvy before the goal and scores easily. He’s exceptional physically and when given a chance, he almost always scores. He has a really good mentality. He always wants to get better, to learn.”

” We haven’t seen all that Romelu has to offer yet. Right now we’ve seen 50 or 60 percent of his ability. He can do much better.”

He’s not even 17 yet ?!

It’s only normal that the big clubs have gone from taking notice to making offers,
Inter, Real, Bordeaux, Stuttgart and Barça aren’t even shy about it while half the Premiership, especially Everton are also keen.

Romelu is in no hurry to pack his bags. His father Roger, a former player, wants his son to stay at Anderlecht until he finishes school, which will roughly happen around the end of the 2010-11 season

“Like any soccer player he wants to go as far as possible. He wants to play at the highest level in the world. But there are steps, everything in its time. We’ll keep going like that until we get to our goal.”

Of course, Anderlecht are in no hurry to see Lukaku go either. Even if Anderlecht have come to peace with the fact that they’ll have to cash in on Lukaku sooner rather than later. The Belgian Viola are sitting a top the Jupiler League – with an 8 point lead – and would like the youngster to participate in their Champions League push of 2010/11.

Nonetheless, it seems like Milan are quickly moving in for the kill. A report in Il Sussidiario suggests AC Milan are reportedly ready to make a €15 million offer for Lukaku and leave him in Belgium another year before partnering him up with Pato in 2011\12.

Whatever happens I just hope we Serie A fans see get to see Lukaku in the peninsula sometime soon.

Following in the footsteps of Fernando Forestieri and Pablo Osvaldo,  Ezequiel Schelotto is the latest South American import to be starring for Italian youth squads. Ever since obtaining his passport and being called up to the Italian U21’s in November 2009 he’s been turning heads across the peninsula. 

 The details surrounding Schelotto’s arrival from Argentina are a little sketchy and\or hard to come by. We know that Ezequiel Schelotto, born in ‘89, basically ‘’showed up” for training in Cesena- a Serie C club at the time – in 2008. The young winger with Italian heritage calcistically grew up in the famed Banfield youth ranks back in Argentina.

After FIFA approved the transfer, he played 6 games, scored a goal, helping Cesena to gain Serie B birth. 6 games were enough to convince Atalanta to sign him on a co-ownership deal, letting the player flourish in Emilia Romagna. It’s already paying off as Schelotto has scored 5 goals in 25 games so far this season.

 Obviously the comparisons to fellow Italo-Argentinean Mauro Camoranesi – World Cup winner who never played for any of Italy’s youth sides- have already started. However, the comparisons aren’t so far fetched 

Marcello – Pimpaliscious – Lippi  has described Schelotto as ”potentially, the best young right-flank player that Italy have at the moment, maybe of any nation in the world”.

He was on Sky Sport, Schelotto had just scored his 5th goal in 15 games for Cesena, maybe Marcello was drunk ? Who knows ?

Nonetheless, Ezequiel’s an all round right sided player blessed with great pace, fancy footwork, wicked crosses and  the ability to instinctively track back and defend when the situation demands it. He knows how to make Italian coaches happy, thus get plenty of playing time.  He can play well in a 4-4-2 but it’s in a 4-2-3-1 where he can really let his skills shine.

Cesena coach Pierpaolo Bisani,  (who, ironically uses the youngster as the 5th midfielder on the right flank of his 3-5-2 formation) had this to say about Schelotto ;

”L’ho sempre detto: potenzialmente questo è un giocatore da Milan, da Inter, da Juventus. So che  la Juventus è venuta a vederlo, così come il Milan, il Bologna e altre squadre

  Ha una capacità di corsa incredibile anche in accelerazione. Deve migliorare tatticamente come tutti i giovani, ma ha un involucro per una grande squadra. Ho visto pochi giocatori con la sua potenza fisica. Se lui rimane con i piedi per terra e con la voglia di migliorarsi, può arrivare a grandissimi livelli.

In serie A non so quanti riuscirebbero a farmarlo quando è lanciato in velocità. ”

 *free translation*   I’ve always said it ; he has the potential to pla for Inter, Milan, Juve… He has incredible pace, speed and acceleration. he needs to work on the tactical aspect of things, like all youngsters, but I have rarely a youngster with his strenght (’physical potency’) If he keeps his work ethic and wants to become better he can become a champion. In Serie A not many could stop him once he starts running with the ball  *free translation*

 No wonder everyone is inquiring about Schelotto. His agent spoke to the media recently :

” E presto per parlarne e prima di tutto c’è da risolvere la comproprietà fra Atalanta e Cesena. Con il Genoa abbiamo avuto ottimi rapporti, hanno dimostrato di volere fortemente il ragazzo, insieme a Palermo e Fiorentina. Per il resto, tutte le squadre di A lo hanno seguito ”

*free translation* Some say that Genoa have secured his services but everybody and Bellinzona have been seen around the youngster. Anyways, Atalanta and Cesena have to setlle this co-ownership thing first.  *free translation*
  

Let’s just not put too much weight on the youngster’s shoulders and let Ezequiel finish his Serie B season in peace. 

Can you  imagine a quicker, bigger (187 cm) smarter Mauro with better crosses and fancier foootwork ! This is why Marcello  got all excited. Schelottoclearly has the talent and potential but it seems he also has the brains. Let’s just hope he doesn’t end up in Spain like Forestieri and Osvaldo.

*Rumour round up Italian style. Warning…This will feel a little like the national inquirer at times*

Let’s start with the stranieri rumours…

So Manchester City and Arsenal want Mario Balotelli. That’s what the good people at The Sun are saying , but then again they say a lot of things…

 Arsenal won’t pay a crazy price but like Balotelli nonetheless…Arsène’s Arsenal are also after Palermo’s Abel Hernandez and Catania’s Mr. Morimoto says The News of The World…also Angelina Jolie has adopted Fabio Liverani…

Real, Man City, Juve, Inter, Man United & Liverpool are after either/or Juan Manuel Vargas & Sebastian Frey valued around 20 Million each…

 …you can mix and match the above clubs however you like but Man United only spoke of Frey…If Fiorentina do go all Revolution on their own asses -with all this Prandelli/Della Valle squabble – 9 different sources are talking about ;

 Royston Drenthe if Real Madrid pick up Vargas or Frey then Cristian Llama, Cristian Ledesma, Alexander Kolarov and Andrea Mantovani with Emiliano Viviano mentioned as a Frey replacement…Prandelli would be replaced by Allegri, Giampaolo, Delneri or Conan O’brien.

Up north, Milan are looking at Franco Ivorian defender Guy Demel, from Hamburg  Werder Bremen’s Claudio Pizarro…and Dzeko of course…Mario Yepes is seemingly coming in for free to try the famous Milan Lab rejuvenation machine

…Flamengo are inquiring about Ronaldinho…Pato to Chelsea for 80 Million, Kaladze is leaving but Rafael Toloi is on his way in…Berlusconi did not have his face smashed or cock photographed by the press this week…

 Juventus are going after Gilardino, Cavani  and Kevin Kuranyi to replace Trezeguet… contending on the  Fabregas  front with Inter & Barça…if they can sell Diego to either Athletico Madrid or Lyon who have ”offered” 24 Million…or maybe Felipe Melo for too much money again…Melo has been linked with Arsenal…

Inter are linked with everyone and Fabregas…Real Madrid want Maicon says AS…They also need a coach soon

Lazio going after Humberto Suazo…Maybe looking at Koln’s Pedro Geromel and Philippe Senderos…Zarate is leaving for Spain, The Premiership or wherever pay more money land is. Kolarov is wanted by everyone…

Roma…funny how a scudetto push squashes a lot of rumours… Burdisso probably won’t go back to Inter, Menez is no longer linked with Mother Russia, William Gallas won’t come, links to Cassani, Simplicio, Clerc, Govou and Masiello. Bayern want to include Doni andor Mexes in Luca Toni deal

Mexes is wanted by Juve, Liverpool, Milan, Bayern as well as your mothers and daughters.

Oh and Bayern want Gargano…Napoli are going to sign Boriello because – He’s Napoletano – says Bigon…Napoli want to plunder Sampdoria by taking Palombo and Pazzini… looking at Darryl Goulon on the Le Mans Parametro Zero front. Cluj’s Lacina Traoré and Fluminense’s Fred are the alternatives if ever Pazzini or Boriello don’t come, you know, to replace German Denis….

And now for the even crazier

 Kjaer to Juve for Amauri + Money ?

Benitez to Juve with Mascherano and Fernando Torres following or Prandelli or Felix Magath now Roberto Mancini 

 Bayern is offering Ribery for Buffon. Manchester City is offering Dubai. Jorge Martinez and Stefano Poli to Man City also

Stefan Jovetic and Juan Vargas to Real Madrid for 53 Million Euros

Mourinho will move to Manchester City or Real Madrid while Benitez will go to Inter and Juventus will get Roberto Mancini and Leonardo will leave Milan if they don’t pick up Dzeko this summer…and Jay Leno wants Alex Ferguson’s job.

Philippe Mexes to Juve for Cash bringing in Fabio Cannavaro for cheap. Roma will then spend that cash on Luca Toni, Burdisso and Andrea Barzagli.

And my favourite ;  Juve buy back their half of Palladino by forfeiting their half of Criscito , then Criscito is sent to Inter with Ranocchia, brought back from Bari with Bonucci who goes to Juventus while Genoa get Rene Khrin and Sebastian Giovinco on loan while the Marassi pitch needs to be covered in gold or something

 We are just starting to discover the talent in the Chile squad Italia beat in the final of the Toulon Tournament back in 2008. Chile’s golden generation is way more than just Alexis Sanchez and Matias Fernandez.

Lucky for Italian Calcio fans, many Chilean players practice their football in the peninsula. Here are a few of them ;

The biggest Chilean contingent, which is 2, can be found in the north of Italy in Umberto Bossi ruled Udine. Ever since David Pizarro made a successful move to Udinese back in the 90’s, the zebras have gotten support among many Chileans football fans. It now officially a vicious circle of love between Udinese and Chile, with Alexis Sanchez and Mauricio Isla regularly featuring in the starting 11. 

 Udinese love Alexis - El Niño Maravilla – Sanchez ;  

“Alexis has been one of the club’s most important signing’s – he’s first-class. We’re pleased to have him playing for us and hope to give him the time he needs to fully adapt.”

said Udinese director general Pietro Leonardi earlier this year

…Or maybe he just loves the money his eventual sale is going to bring in. Sanchez got his own post here so that’s it for low scoring & highly coveted forward here. 

Sanchez’s compatriot, Midfielder Mauricio Isla, is less spectacular but maybe more effective and important to Udinese’s play. Isla’s presence is probably part of the reason Sanchez is adapting so well to Italy.  The 22 year old has already managed to play 42 times for Udinese in his young career. Mauricio Anibal Isla Isla (That’s right, Isla twice) has always been position curious when it comes to football. He started out as a forward during his time in Chile but was morphed into an all around midfielder by Chile and then Udinese. Then last year, while Marino was having a full back crisis, Isla was made into a defensive back à la Cafu and Roberto Carlos and he started to thrive. Now Udinese don’t know exactly what he is but call him a midfielder even if he plays the majority of his games as a right back. Let’s just say he’s really versatile.

Isla was snagged for free from Universidad Catolica after the 2007 U20 World Cup in Canada. He was captain of the U20 squad but he has yet to fully shine for La Roja. However, if his play so far this season is any indication, he should undoubtedly be part of Chile’s South African adventure.

Carlos Carmona is another relatively unknown, young, Chilean midfielder. Carmona is playing in Calabria at the moment.  Picked up by Reggina in 2008 from Chilean side O’Higgins, Carmona is turning out to be a bargain. Just ask Dan over at the reggina offside what he thinks.  Reggina paid the Chilean club with an Irish name 1 Million US, offered Carlos a 4 year deal and haven’t looked back since acquiring the hard nosed, ball winning, clever, no non sense, central, defensive midfielder.  

Captain of the Chilean team that lost to Italia in the Toulon 2008 Tournament and now full member of senior squad, Carmona becomes the second Chilean in Reggina after Jorge Vargas played in Calabria from 1999 to 2003. Even if Carmona is calmly plying his trade in the Calabrian capital, far away from the international media’s attention, coach Biesla has not forgotten about him.    

Now for those other ones who probably won’t take part in the World Cup ;  

 Atalanta winger Jaime Valdez, just like Jimenez, is a product of Real Madrid Coach Mauricio Pellegrini’s old club Palestino. Valdez, 29, never received the same amount of hype as the rest of the Chilean’s. He came to Bari in 1999 where he spent 5 seasons before moving to Firenze.He played a season with Fiorentina before being sent to Lecce as part of the Valeri Bojinov deal. The Chilean winger scored 16 goals in his 3 Salentino seasons before moving north on a free. Valdez, who signed with Atalanta before the 2008-09 season, is now a fan favourite in Bergamo. Talented winger with fancy footwork, the Chilean is a quiet, reliable team player who has bagged 9 goals in 54 with Atalanta plus countless assists. I see him as a middle class man’s Rodrigo Taddei. All in all Valdez has managed to play in 294 games in Italy over the last 10 years while being remembered as a talented team player.  

If Jaime Valdez is a good example of how a some formative years in Serie B can be good for your career . However, Grosseto striker Mauricio Pinilla is now officially the reference when it comes to Serie B career resurrections.

The big Chilean has bagged Grosseto 23 goals in 23 games this year !? (Pinilla got his own post but deserves a little digging)   International scouting brain fart ? Late bloomer ? Lazy Bastard ? Probably was just more interested in scoring girls than banging goals…  

 Pinilla had it all before he hit 20 years of age ; Tall (1.88 cm), strong, athletic, good on the turn, quick and classy, no wonder Ivan Zamorano fell in love with Pinilla back in 2002. Earning a move to Europe at 19 years old, before deciding to backpack through it.

Born in 1984, the prototypical Prima Punta Pinilla went to Chievo via Inter in 2003 , to Celta Vigo in Spain, to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. Back to Spain to Santander, to Hearts in Scotland. Then flew to Brazil fo a few weeks with Vasco da Gama before signing for Apollon Nicosia of Cyprus before ending up in Tuscany.

However, Pinilla a.k.a. Pini-ron a.k.a CaiPinilla a.k.a. PiniRock decided to go on a 6 year binge of bad decisions mixed with a bad attitude some bad luck, a couple of injuries as well as some ; off the field/nightclub/Luis Jimenez related adultery. His promising career forgot to flourish entirely but not due to lack of talent.  

 Basically what I’m saying is that Antonio Cassano & Alberto Gilardino had a child in Chile 26 years ago.   

Gilardino in the sense that their both 6ft2 pretty boys that were always heralded as the next supreme Prima Punta of their respective countries and are just now starting to fully bloom. 

As for Cassano,the crazy off the field antics and bad attitude but frustratingly undeniable, jaw dropping talent. (Can you imagine Cassano if he had the non-acne face of Pinilla ?!? He would have been alongside Maradonna on Celebrity Jersey Shore – The Red Bull\Vodka\Cocaine Edition next year!)  

Now 26, Pinilla is getting offers left and right, just like when he was 19. Sampdoria, Fiorentina, Inter and half of Spain are on his tail. 23 goals in 23 games will do that to you.  Grosseto chief Piero Camilli told the media last week  ;

 “Even though Pinilla has plenty of offers, it’s too early to talk about a transfer to other sides. We will discuss it in June. But I can say that Fiorentina have first refusal on potential negotiations”   

23 in 23! What the hell did you find Jesus Mauricio ?   

 “I’m reborn in football,I’ve found the emotional balance I needed to play well. I’ve realised that football is a profession.” 

  No Jesus but the goals have kept on coming. Pinilla seems to be finally living up to the hype of his teen years. It’s a shame he had to take a 5 year vacation along the way.  

 Luis Jimenez also enjoyed much hype as a teen in Chile but unlike Pinilla, it doesn’t look like he will m anage to turn his luck around.    Five-Six years ago, you would insert Luis Jimenez’s name in the magic google machine and plenty of news about the up and coming Chilean star bagging goals in Serie B. Jimenez, who arrived in Ternana as an 18 year old, scored 24 goals in 88 games playing alongside Houssein Kharja & Massimo Borgobello.

He was captain of the Chilean National sqaud at 22 all was well. So well that he earned a move to Fiorentina on loan. However, La Viola didn’t pick up their option andd Lazio swooped in with an old Salas shirt to sign the Chilean on loan with intent to buy outright. It was all down hill from there…

Lazio didn’t see enough in him and shipped him back. After spells with Inter, West Ham and now Parma, Jimenez is now co-owned by Inter and Ternana (!) but Parma can purchase outright and the end of the season for around 8-9 Million. From Captain of Chile at 22 years of age to persona non grata a la roja in the span of 3 years. Saying Jimenez’s stock has plumetted is as obvious as a Maria José Lopez see through dress.

 Now typing Luis Jimenez in google gives you 3 pages of Ranch fires and Mexican Mango Growing before Luis Jimenez, the actual football player pops up. Maybe Mauricio Pinilla stole Luis Jimenez’s talent by ”playing scrabble” in a hotel room with his wife…    

Newell’s Old Boys Uruguayan sensation Joaquin Antonio Boghossian has been attracting interest from Europe ever since Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Gonzalo Baretto have started to get more ink in the international football press.

Some people who drank too many Red Bull vodkas say of Boghossian – valued between 2,5 and 4 Million depending who you ask – that he’s a mix between Martin Palermo, Christian Vieri and Luca Toni (!?)

His amazing aerial game and great goal record – 14 goals in 25 matches in Argentina and 16 in 16 with C.A. Cerro in 2007 as 19 year old – has teams blushing when they see him. The 6 ft 6 inch forward of Armenian origin is impressing everybody in Argentina but he’s only on loan from Montevideo side C.A. Cerro. The little Uruguayan side will most probably want to cash in on this unexpected explosion.

After being linked with Sampdoria and Catania (tricked into thinking he was Argentinean) in the last six months, now it’s Roma’s name being written next to Boghossian’s in the papers. But the German and English sides have started to smell a bargain with Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa sending scouts to South America, so the Italian squads better make a move quick because Boghossian’s hugeness makes him easily recognisable to everyone, let alone German scout

Boghogoal Uruguay

Boghogoooooles Argentina

And a video plea to join Armenia

Chilean soccer products have always relatively done well in Italy. Ivan - 1+8 - Zamorano started a semi-successful career for Inter back in 1996 and led the way to the first mini Chilean invasion at the end of the 90’s with other notable players ; Marcelo Salas & David Pizarro soon followed adapting quickly, and with less success Pascual De Gregorio at Bari, Hector Tapia at Perugia and Alejadro Escalana in Torino

10 years later, as Chilean youth squads started turning heads in various Tournaments around the world, Calcio clubs managed to snag a few youngsters. For example Udinese who have Mauricio Isla and Alexis Sanchez. The Zebras just hope they can both pull an Andrei Arshavin ; playing magnificently during an international tournament increasing their market value astronomically in the span of a month or so. Udinese is only one of many Italian sides who’ll be cheering on La Roja come June.

Now, promising Chilean players can be found peppered around the peninsula slowly morphing into stars. The senior Chilean National team and boss Marcelo Bielsa, are more than glad the rigours of Italian Calcio are part of the daily routine of many of their players.

After qualifying second, behind Brazil in the South American group, much enthusiasm is surrounding the Chilean National team at the moment. The young squad led by former Newell’s Old Boys semi-legendary coach Marcelo El Loco Bielsa.

A part from being an experienced madman, Bielsa is also known for his knack of nurturing and developing young talent.

And that’s exactly the kind of coach Chile wanted 3 years ago and rumour has it that Bielsa  accepted the job as Chile coach after witnessing some of the youngsters that would be at his disposal. El Loco adopts crazy 3-3-1-3 tactics but he’s no fool ; his obsession with the fast paced, champagne football gives his teams real hope of success, or at the least will guarantee you spectacular games. 

The age difference between Bielsa and his players allows El Loco to act as a real old school, military style authority figure.

45 players have represented La Roja in the past year, only 3 of them 30 or Over. With an average age of 23, Chile will most probably be the youngest team to go to the World Cup in South Africa. The Argentinean tactician has worked extremely hard to fine tune his Chilean squad into a spectacularly effective red soccer machine. Since his arrival in Chile, Bielsa has managed to extract the best from his young team and pull them past the likes of Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina on the Road to Africa.

The core of the team is built mainly around members of the last Under-20 World Cups ; Toselli, Alexis Sanchez, Mauricio Isla, Gary Medel, Matías Fernandez, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Carmona should all, barring injury, play their part in Africa this summer.

Maybe Chile will not repeat the feat of 1962 when they finished third in the tournament but they will be going in South Africa full steam after qualifying from a tough group . El Loco knows a shit load of factors will affect Chile’s South African faith.

“Some of them you can control, but some are the result of everything the players have been through in the previous ten months. I hope everything comes together for Chile.”

Says Bielsa but ;

 ”Attacking football is the simplest way to victory and success ” 

Chile are likely to score A LOT of goals, such is their creative style of play, but they’ll be letting in a fair share as well. Bielsa feels that, in winning 1-0 or 5-4, isn’t the same. Given his approach, the youngsters’ ability to follow his instructions through the South African Tournament will be fundamental.

In this regard, Bielsa can thank Italian Calcio and its annoyingly demanding tactical discipline. Calcio’s rigorous attention to positioning and emphasis on defence has helped some of Biesla’s players to maybe adapt more easily than the rest. Marcelo Salas, Luis Jimenez, Mauricio Isla, Carlos Carmona and Alexis Sanchez have all played major roles in Chile’s surprising South American Qualification second place finish, all have played in Italy.

Last Time Italy met Chile…1998

Back in January I wrote a little diddy about Jack and Diane about player transfers from the Ex-USSR. On how Italian squads were looking more and more on the other side of that old metaphorical curtain made of metal. A majority of the players featured in that post were born in Yugoslavia.

After pointing out how Jugolslavia was NEVER part of the USSR, Reader Axis of Advance, left this fascinating and well written long ass comment about the state of Serbian\Ex-Yugoslavia football .  Honestly, it deserves its own post, so here it is in its integrity ;

The problems of ex-Yu football are many, and it is as a result of all these problems that so many young talents are being made readily available to “western” European clubs.

The ex-Yu leagues are now in shambles. The decimation of the once great country was mirrored by the decimation of the once great league and the subsequent creation of 2 shitty and 6 ultra-shitty leagues – the two shitty leagues being the Serbian and Croatian 1st divisions.

While the amount of talent per capita is still some of the highest in the world – for example, FK Partizan’s youth school was named by UEFA 2nd in Europe, only behind Ajax, which is pretty incredible. The main problem then, is the amount of corruption that exists in football, which in part manifests itself through the fact that clubs are selling 17 and 18 year olds in order to “cover budgets,” where in reality, functionaries are lining their own pockets, because the clubs, on paper, are still property of “the people.” The precedent, and hopefully the turning point, will be the eminent passing of the legislation about property ownership in sport. The idea is that this will pave the way for private owners to come in and invest/buy clubs, because their newly acquired property will be truly their own, to do with as they see fit. Unfortunately, too many shadow figures and “behind the scenes” players are profiting too much for such legislation to be passed.

As a result, the once great Partizan and Red Star have miserable records in Europe. Opponents that begged only one question in the past – Will they go home with only 5 goals in the bag? – and which served as “warm-up” are now true opponents, or even equals (which is fucking sad). Anonymous Africans and South Americans are brought in, while ultra talented youth is sold abroad.

The middle-men, or corrupt managers, are also partly to blame, because they start filling the young players’ minds with fairy-tales of glory, which further stimulates them to make shitty decisions (a la Ljajic & ManU). Without the old restriction that a player couldn’t go abroad until age 28, it’s impossible to create a strong league, because all the talent is being siphoned out of the country. As a result, domestic football suffers.

So instead of being in the top of European football, where we’ve always been and where we belong, we are helping everyone else get there instead (we = Serbia):

Mateo Radovanović 1991. keeper – Panathinaikos
Ivan Babović 1992. keeper – Olympiakos

Vladimir Ranković 1993. defender – Bayern München
Uroš Ćosić 1992. defender – CSKA Moskva
Milan Milanović 1991. defender – Lokomotiv Moskva
Uroš Vitas 1992. defender – Anderlecht

Jevrem Kosnić 1993. MF – Internazionale
Aleksandar Ignjovski 1991. MF – 1860 München
Predrag Stevanović 1991. MF – Schalke
Alen Stevanović 1991. MF – Internazionale
Adem Ljajić 1991. MF – Fiorentina
Filip Djuričić 1992. MF – Hereenven
Nemanja Gudelj 1992. MF – NAC Breda
Dejan Janjatović 1992. MF – Bayern München

Danijel Aleksić 1991. forward – Genoa
Marko Mitrović 1992. forward – Chelsea
Nikola Sarić 1991. forward – Liverpool

P.S. Kuzmanovic was born in Switzerland and came to La Viola from Basel, if I’m not mistaken, so he really doesn’t belong in the list. Likewise, Vucinic came to Italy from Niksic or Sutjeska, at age 16, and started with Lecce in C1 when he turned 17, so he’s practically a product of Zeman/Lecce and not Montenegro/Serbia/ex-Yu… From : Axis of Advance

(In my defence I will say that Kuzmanovic (Born in Switzerland, Serbian Passport) and plays for the Serbian National team…but he’s still right)

And for shits and giggles (It’s frighteningly fitting)  here’s an old Italian song performed by stupid MCR and more importantly with Balkan superstar Goran Bregovic and his big band. Bregovic, born in Sarajevo, still claims to this day that his nationality is Yugoslav.