FC Juventus 1 – Manchester City 1

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England international midfielder ADAM JOHNSON, who has scored twice in the UEFA Europa League this season thus far for Manchester City, dribbles away from FC Juventus’ Italy World Cup winger SIMONE PEPE (23), out on loan for the season from Serie A side Udinese in exchange for 2.6 million Euros with an option for permanent purchase pre-arranged for 7.5 million Euros, at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino in the Italian Alps. (Massimo Cebrelli/Getty Images)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
12/16/2010

1 – FC Juventus (ITA) ——————- Giannetti 43′
1 – Manchester City (ENG) ———— Jo 77′

In a game where the visitors had already guaranteed themselves advancement and the hosts had already gone out of the tournament, neither a 1-1 draw nor a straggling match report should surprise as MANCHESTER CITY and FC JUVENTUS finished off the schedule for Group A of the UEFA Europa League.

On his first-ever start for the first team, 19-year-old striker NICCOLO GIANNETTI, on loan for the season from AS Siena, scored his first-ever senior goal for FC Juventus after sweeping home the pass of 36-year-old veteran Italy international striker ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO just a couple of minutes before the halftime whistle.

Brazil international attacker JO, who has not scored an English Premier League goal for Manchester City since September of 2008, brought the Blues level with a fine turn and left-footed finish following a feed from England international midfielder ADAM JOHNSON; the 23-year-old Brazilian bagged his second goal in the UEFA Europa League with the strike versus Juventus and counts three goals in all competitions for Manchester City this term.

With the point picked up in his native land, Italian manager ROBERTO MANCINI sees his Manchester City club finish at the top of Group A in the UEFA Europa League. With the tie, FC Juventus end with the incredibly indifferent record of six draws in six matches at the group stage in this year’s competition. Only Greek side AEK Athens, during the 2002-03 UEFA Champions League tournament, had ever accomplished that previously in Europe.

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As FC Juventus’ France U-21 international defender ARMAND TRAORE (17), on loan to the Serie A club for the season from London outfit FC Arsenal, observes England international defender MICAH RICHARDS (2) of Manchester City go down in a heap with the challenge of FC Juventus’ Brazil World Cup midfielder FELIPE MELO (4) at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. (Giorgio Perottino/Reuters)
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FC JUVENTUS : Manninger – Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Traore (Boniperti 66′) – Krasic (Camilleri 57′), Melo, Sissoko, Pepe – Giannetti (Buchel 79′), Del Piero

MANCHESTER CITY : Given – Richards, Boyata, Boateng, Bridge – Viera – Wright Phillips (Chantler 90′), Milner, A. Johnson – Nimely (Zabaleta 60′), Jo

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(Massimo Cebrelli/Getty Images)
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(Massimo Cebrelli/Getty Images)
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(Giorgio Perottino/Reuters)
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(Massimo Cebrelli/Getty Images)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

KKS Lech Poznan 1 – FC Juventus 1

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Italy World Cup reserve midfielder CLAUDIO MARCHISIO (8) of FC Juventus attempts to steal the ball from KKS Lech Poznan’s Bosnia/Herzergovina international midfielder SEMIR STELIC (14) as the hat trick hero from previous encounter in the Italian Alps, Latvia international striker ARTJOMS RUDNEVS (16), looks on at the Stadion Miejski in west central Poland. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
12/1/2010

1 – KKS Lech Poznan (POL) ——— Rudnevs 12′
1 – FC Juventus (ITA) —————— Iaquinta 84′

An early goal was all that mattered despite an equalizer at the end as a 1-1 draw was good enough for Polish side KKS LECH POZNAN to guarantee progress into the knockout round by eliminating Serie A outfit FC JUVENTUS in Group A of the UEFA Europa League.

Latvia international striker ARTJOMS RUDNEVS, who hit all three goals in Lech Poznan’s 3-3 draw with Juventus in late September, struck again to put The Old Lady down less than a dozen minutes into a match which would be visited in earnest by Old Man Winter.

The 22-year-old Rudnevs, an off-season arrival from Hungarian club TE Zalaegerszegi, headed in at the near post from an in-swinging corner kick by Bosnia/Herzegovina midfielder SEMIR STILIC for a fourth goal in two games against the legendary Italian side this season.

Italy World Cup striker VINCENZO IAQUINTA did manage an equalizer for the Bianconeri in blizzard-like conditions with a little over six and a half minutes remaining after a short pass from Serbia World Cup winger MILOS KRASIC.

But it was not enough to keep FC Juventus from a fifth consecutive draw in Group A of the UEFA Europa League. With the point, KKS Lech Poznan assumed second place in the standings on eight points with just one game remaining in the double round-robin. Should the Polish and Italian clubs finish level on points, the head-to-head record would be decisive.

KKS Lech Poznan would advance to the knockout round of the UEFA Europa League on the old away goals rule.

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Dressed warm with a cap and scarf, Mali international midfielder MOHAMED SISSOKO of FC Juventus, who spent two and a half seasons with FC Liverpool in England before an 11.0 million Euro transfer to Serie A in January of 2008, attempts to derail KKS Lech Poznan’s Belarus international midfielder SERGEI KRIVETS (10) at the Stadion Miejski. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
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KKS LECH POZNAN : Kotorowski ; Wojtkowiak, Bosacki, Arboleda, Henriquez ; Injac, Djurdjevic ; Peszko, Stilic (Kaminski 82′), Krivets (Kikut 54′) ; Rudnevs (Mozdzen 61′)

FC JUVENTUS : Manninger ; Traore (Libertazzi 80′), Chiellini, Bonucci, Camilleri ; Pepe (Lanzafame 67′), Sissoko (Melo 75′), Marchisio, Krasic ; Del Piero, Iaquinta

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(Alik Keplicz/AP)
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(Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
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(Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
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(Alik Keplicz/AP)

FC Juventus 0 – Red Bull Salzburg 0

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34-year-old veteran Italy international NICOLA LEGROTTAGLIE (left) of FC Juventus tangles with Red Bull Salzburg’s Austria international striker ROMAN WALLNER during the early November goalless UEFA Europa League Group A match at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino in the Italian Alps. (Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
11/4/2010

0 – FC Juventus (ITA)
0 – Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)

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Two days shy of a 36th birthday, veteran Italy international attacker ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO (10) of FC Juventus, the all-time leading goal-scorer for the illustrious and proud Bianconeri, uses the elbow to fend off 21-year-old Austria international midfielder JAKOB JANTSCHER of Red Bull Salzburg at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. (Valerio Pennicinio/Getty Images)
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FC JUVENUTS : Manninger ; Giandonato (Liviero 51′), Leggrottaglie, Bonucci, Motta ; Pepe (Giannetti 83′), Sissoko, Marchisio, Krasic (Buechel 63′) ; Amauri, Del Piero

RED BULL SALZBURG : Tremmel ; Schwegler, Afolabi, Sekagya, Schiemer ; Hinteregger, Mendes da Silva (Augustinussen 80′), Pokrivac (Leitgeb 66′), Jantscher ; Zarate, Wallner (Alan 74′)

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Croatia international midfielder NIKOLA POKRIVAC of Red Bull Salzburg receives a yellow card from match referee Daniel Stalhammar of Sweden for a foul on FC Juventus’ veteran Italy international attacker and club captain ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO (10) in the fifteenth minute at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino in the Italian Alps. (Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Red Bull Salzburg 1 – FC Juventus 1

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With veteran Italy international midfielder and club captain ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO of FC Juventus watching from the seat of his pants, Uganda international defender IBRAHIM SEKAGYA (23), whose spent seven seasons playing football in Argentina before signing for Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2007, struggles to keep his balance and go forward at the Red Bull Arena in Wals-Siezenheim, Austria. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
10/21/2010

1 – Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) ———— Svento 36′
1 – FC Juventus (ITA) ——————— Krasic 48′

An immediate goal from a second half substitute enabled visiting Italian Serie A side FC JUVENTUS to scrape a 1-1 draw in the Alpine clash with RED BULL SALZBURG in Group A of the UEFA Europa League.

Red Bull Salzburg, with two losses to show from the first two group games, went on the attack from the outset of the match. The hosts scored first in the 36th minute when Slovak international DUSAN SVENTO, who cost 2.0 million Euros when signed from Czech Republic club Slavia Prague in July of 2009, received a pass from Holland international midfielder DAVID MENDES DA SILVA on the left. The 25-year-old midfielder made space with a fine move on the edge of the box to fire a seeing eye shot that tucked neatly inside the far right post.

Svento’s second goal of the season in Europe was also Red Bull Salzburg’s first strike at the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.

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33-year-old Austria international goalkeeper ALEXANDER MANNINGER (13) of visiting Italian Serie A side FC Juventus, who has won 32 caps for his country, smothers the ball at the feet of the Red Bull Salzburg’s much-traveled Austria international striker ROMAN WALLNER (7), who has played professionally abroad in Germany, Scotland in addition to Greece, at the Red Bull Arena. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images)
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Juventus manager LUIGI DEL NERI made a change at halftime and inserted Serbia World Cup midfielder MILOS KRASIC, a late summer signing costing 15.0 million Euros from Russian club CSKA Moscow, into the line-up for The Old Lady.

The wisdsom of this decision manifested itself immediately when the cross of PAOLO DE CEGLIE’s cross from the left was allowed to bounce in the box by the Red Bull Salzburg defense; Krasic chested the ball down and left German goalkeeper GERHARD TREMMEL no chance from close range for his first career goal in Europe for Juventus.

Man of the man ALEXANDER MANNINGER, the 33-year-old Austria international goalkeeper facing his one-time employers, made his most important stop for FC Juventus late in injury time with a save on 21-year-old Austria international midfielder JAKOB JANTSCHER, who came on as a second half substitute for Red Bull Salzburg.

A third consecutive draw for Juventus, then, at the group stage of the UEFA Europa League and, thus, The Old Lady leaves a chance to take second place ahead of Polish side KKS Lech Poznan go by the boards.

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Austria international defender FRANZ SCHIEMER (far left) of Red Bull Salzburg gets his head on the ball ahead of Nigeria World Cup teammate RABIU AFOLABI as well as the FC Juventus’ World Cup pair of Italy defender GIORGIO CHIELLINI and Brazil midfielder FELIPE MELO at the Red Bull Arena. (Kerstin Joensson/AP)
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RED BULL SALZBURG : Tremmel ; Schwegler, Afolabi, Sekagya, Schiemer ; Hinteregger, Mendes da Silva (Leitgeb 52′), Pokrivac, Svento ; Zarate (Jantscher 82′), Wallner

FC JUVENTUS : Manninger ; De Ceglie, Chiellini, Bonucci, Grygera (Motta 79′) ; Martinez (Melo 64′), Sissoko, Marchisio, Pepe (Krasic 46′) ; Del Piero, Amauri

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Austria international goalkeeper ALEXANDER MANNINGER of visiting Italian Serie A side FC Juventus, who registered 16 Bundesliga games for Red Bull his only season in Salzburg, makes a flying save to deny the shot of Red Bull Salzburg’s Nigeria World Cup defender RABIU AFOLABI (5) at the Red Bull Arena in Wals-Siezenheim, Austria. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images)

Manchester City 1 – FC Juventus 1

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Italy international attacker ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO (10) of Juventus is double-teamed by the Ivory Coast World Cup brother tandem of midfielder YAYA TOURE (42) and defender KOLO TOURE (28) at the City of Manchester Stadium in northern England. (Reuters photo)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
9/30/2010

1 – Manchester City (ENG) ——– A. Johnson 37′
1 – FC Juventus (ITA) —————- Iaquinta 10′

Two high-profile teams split two first-half goals as visting Italian Serie A side FC JUVENTUS and English Premier League club MANCHESTER CITY played to a 1-1 draw in Group A of the UEFA Europa League.

Italy World Cup striker VINCENZO IAQUINTA opened the scoring in only the 10th minute with a long-range effort that took enough of a deflection off the heel of Manchester City’s Ivory Coast World Cup defender KOLO TOURE to beat England’ third-string goalkeeper in South Africa, JOE HART, and give Juventus the 1-0 lead.

Midfielder ADAM JOHNSON, a big money buy from Middlesborough last January, equalized for Manchester City less than ten minutes before the break; Ivory Coast World Cup midfieder YAYA TOURE provided the ball for Johnson to run onto and slot home his first goal of the new season for the Eastlands club.

Veteran Italy international attacker ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO very nearly tipped the scales in favor of Juventus with five minutes to play — a late free kick struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down but clearly did not cross the goalline.

In contrast with the line-up fielded over the weekend in the big win over Chelsea, Manchester City’s Italian manager ROBERTO MANCINI employed two strikers up front against Juventus; Togo international EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR was ineffective, however, and replaced by Spain World Cup midfielder and expensive summer signing DAVID SILVA with a little over a quarter of an hour to play.

Another off-season acquisition, Germany World Cup defender JEROME BOATENG, made his first competitive start for Manchester City against Juventus after missing much time to start his tenure at the Eastlands thru injury.

Juventus manager LUIGI DELNERI, left two World Cup midfielders, Brazil’s FELIPE MELO and Italy’s SIMONE PEPE, as well as Serie A ever-present goalkeeper MARCO STORARI, the summer signing from AC Milan, on the bench ahead of the Serie A clash with European champion Inter Milan this weekend.

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Italy international attacker ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO (10), who has scored three goals for Juventus in the UEFA Europa League so far this season, launches a free kick as those in the Manchester City wall seek to defend the all-time leading goal-scorer for The Old Lady. (Reuters photo)
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MANCHESTER CITY : Hart ; Boateng (Milner 84′), K. Toure, Kompany, Zabaleta (Boyata 46′) ; A. Johnson, Vieira, Barry, Y. Toure ; Tevez, Adebayor (Silva 73′)

FC JUVENTUS : Manninger ; De Ceglie (Motta 72′), Chiellini, Bonucci, Grygera ; Martinez (Pepe 54′), Marchisio, Del Piero, Sissoko, Krasic (Melo 75′) ; Iaquinta

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Midfielder ADAM JOHNSON, who has already tallied two goals for England in European Championships qualifying matches earlier this September, scores his first goal of the 2010-11 season for Manchester City against Juventus at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Reuters photo)
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(Reuters photo)
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After running onto the thru ball of Ivory Coast World Cup midfielder YAYA TOURE (42), England international midfielder ADAM JOHNSON (11) of Manchester City slips the equalizer past Juventus’ Austria international goalkeeper ALEXANDER MANNINGER, who spent four seasons in London with FC Arsenal before moving to Serie A side AS Fiorentina in the summer of 2001, at the City of Manchester Stadium in the north of England. (Getty Images photo)

FC Juventus 3 – KKS Lech Poznan 3

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FC Juventus’ veteran Italy international attacker ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO (left) looks to protect the ball from the advancing Belarus international midfielder SERGEI KRIVETS of Lech Poznan at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino in the Italian Alps. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
9/16/2010

3 – FC Juventus (ITA) ————— Chiellini 45+2′, 50′, Del Piero 68′
3 – KKS Lech Poznan (POL) —— Rudnevs pen 14′, 30′, 90+2′

Latvia international striker ARTJOMS REDNEVS scored two minutes into injury time to complete a hat trick and give visiting Polish squad LECH POZNAN a surprising 3-3 tie with Serie A side FC JUVENTUS in the opening round of Group A play for the UEFA Europa League.

Home team Juventus, who gave a game to 33-year-old Austria international ALEXANDER MANNINGER between the sticks for the first time this season, fell behind by a pair of goals within the first half hour — the first from a penalty after Brazil World Cup midfielder FELIPE MELO spilled Lech Poznan winger SLAWOMIR PESZKO in the box.

Italy World Cup defender GIORGIO CHIELLINI brought Juventus level by the 50th minute, both goals created by veteran Italy international attacker ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO. Then, in the 68th minute, Del Piero put Juventus ahead with a dipping, left-footed drive from almost forty yards out. For the Old Lady’s all-time leading goal-scorer, it was his second strike in UEFA Europa League competition this season and a 51st career goal in Europe.

The Latvian Rednevs, however, earned Lech Poznan a share of the spoils with a long-range, left-footed shot shot of his own in time added on.

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FC JUVENTUS : Manninger ; De Ceglie (Motta 45′), Chiellini, Legrottaglie, Grygera ; Melo, Sissoko, Del Piero, Krasic ; Iaquinta (Marchisio 79′), Lanzafame (Pepe 55′)

KKS LECH POZNAN : Kotorowski ; Henriquez, Wojtkowiak, Djurdjevic, Arbeola, Kikut (Tschibamba 80′) ; Peszko (Wichniarek 73′), Krivets, Stilic (Wilk 80′), Injac ; Rudnevs

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FC Juventus 1 – SK Sturm Graz 0

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Austria international midfielder and SK Sturm Graz skipper MARIO KIENZL (19) dances on the ball ahead of Mali international midfielder MOHAMED SISSOKO of FC Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images)
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UEFA Europa League
Playoff round, second leg
8/26/2010

1 – FC Juventus (ITA) ———— Del Piero 53′
0 – SK Sturm Graz (AUT)

A goal just after the break from ageless Italy international attacker ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO provided FC JUVENTUS a 1-0 victory over visiting SK STURM GRAZ in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff tie.

The 35-year-old Del Piero, the all-time leading goal-scorer for Juventus who plays in central midfield for the Serie A club these days, smashed a right-footed shot from the left side of the box into the upper-ninety of the far post shortly after the halftime break.

Juventus veteran goalkeeper MARCO STORARI, a 4.5 million Euro acquisition from AC Milan this summer, faced just four attempts at goal by SK Sturm Graz in the match and was called upon to make nary a single save.

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FC JUVENTUS : Storari ; De Ceglie, Chiellini, Bonucci, Motta ; Melo (Giandonato 85′), Sissoko, Del Piero, Pepe ; Amauri (Lanzafame 43′), Martinez

SK STURM GRAZ : Gratzei ; Puercher, Schildenfeld, Burgstaller, Ehrenreich (Kainz 62′), Standfest ; Weber, Kienzl, Bukva (Klem 72′) ; Szabics (Haas 61′), Kienast

FC Juventus (Italy)

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Serbia World Cup midfielder MILOS KRASIC, seen above on the ball in the Serie A opener at AS Bari at the Stadio San Nicola, has been brought to Italy by FC Juventus of Turin from Russian club CSKA Moscow for a reported fee of 15.0 million Euros. (Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images)
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FC JUVENTUS off-season transactions
===========================

Players In
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27 – fw – Fabio QUAGLIARELLA ——- Italy int’l — fr SSC Napoli
23 – fw – David LANZAFAME ———— Italy — fr FC Parma
21 – fw – Cristian PASQUATO ———— Italy — fr US Triestina
29 – mf – TIAGO Cardoso Mendes —– Portugal int’l — fr Atletico Madrid (Spa)
27 – mf – Jorge Andres MARTINEZ — Uruguay int’l — fr Catania
26 – mf – Simone PEPE ———————- Italy int’l — fr Udinese
26 – mf – Alberto AQUILANI ————- Italy int’l — fr FC Liverpool (Eng)
25 – mf – Milos KRASIC ——————— Serbia int’l — CSKA Moscow (Rus)
21 – mf – Albin EKDAL ———————– Sweden — fr AC Siena
27 – df – Leandro RINAUDO ————– Italy — fr SSC Napoli
24 – df – Marco MOTTA ——————– Italy — fr Udinese
23 – df – Leonardo BONUCCI ————- Italy int’l — fr AS Bari
20 – df – Armand TRAORE —————– France — fr FC Arsenal (Eng)
33 – gk – Marco STORARI —————– Italy — fr AC Milan
20 – gk – Mario KIREV ———————- Bulgaria — fr FC Thun (Switz)

(Ekdal, Kirev, Pasquato, Tiago had been out on loan; Storari had been out on loan at UC Sampdoria Genoa; Aquilani, Motta, Quagliarella, Rinaudo are all on loan to Juventus for the 2010-11 season)

Players Out
——————-
32 – fw – David TREZEGUET ———- France int’l — to Hercules Alicante (Spa)
24 – fw – Michele PAOLUCCI ———- Italy — to AS Siena
21 – fw – Cristian PASQUATO ——— Italy — to FC Modena
20 – fw – Ciro IMMOBILE ————— Italy — to AS Siena
33 – mf – Mauro CAMORANESI —— Italy — to Vfb Stuttgart (Ger)
30 – mf – Christian POULSEN ——— Denmark int’l — to FC Liverpool (Eng)
29 – mf – TIAGO Cardosa Mendes — Portugal int’l — to Atletico Madrid (Spa)
29 – mf – Sergio ALMIRON ————- Argentina — to AS Bari
25 – mf – DIEGO Ribas da Cunha —– Brazil int’l — to Vfl Wolfsburg (Ger)
23 – mf – Antonio CANDREVA ——– Italy int’l — to Udinese
23 – mf – Sebastien GIOVINCO ——- Italy — to FC Parma
21 – mf – Albin EKDAL ——————– Sweden — to FC Bologna
20 – mf – Luca MARRONE ————– Italy — to AS Siena
36 – df – Fabio CANNAVARO ———- Italy int’l — to Al-Ahli Dubai (UAE)
31 – df – Jonathan ZEBINA ————– France int’l — to Brescia
27 – df – Cristian MOLINARO ———- Italy — to Vfb Stuttgart (Ger)
23 – df – Martin CACERES ————— Uruguay int’l — to FC Barcelona (Spa)
21 – df – Lorenzo ARIAUDO ————- Italy — to Cagliari
40 – gk – Antonio CHIMENTI ———- Italy — retired

(Almiron had been on loan at Bari last season, Molinaro had been on loan at Stuttgart since January, Ariaudo had been on loan at Cagliari since January; Caceres, Candreva, Paolucci had been on loan to Juventus; Giovinco, Immobile, Marrone, Pasquato, Tiago are out on loan for the 2010-11 season)

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FC JUVENTUS squad
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33 – GK – Alex MANNINGER —————- (AUSTRIA – 32 caps)
33 – GK – Marco STORARI
32 – GK – Gianluigi BUFFON —————– (ITALY – 102 caps)
20 – GK – Mario KIREV ————————- (Bulgaria)

33 – DF – Nicola LEGROTTAGLIE ——– (ITALY – 16 caps, 1 goal)
32 – DF – Fabio GROSSO ———————– (ITALY – 48 caps, 4 goals)
30 – DF – Zdenek GRYGERA —————– (CZECH REP – 65 caps, 2 goals)
27 – DF – Leandro RINAUDO
25 – DF – Giorgio CHIELLINI —————- (ITALY – 32 caps, 2 goals)
24 – DF – Marco MOTTA
23 – DF – Leonardo BONUCCI —————- (ITALY – 2 caps, 1 goal)
23 – DF – Paolo DE CEGLIE
20 – DF – Armand TRAORE ——————– (France)

33 – MF – Hasan SALIHAMIDZIC ———– (BOSNIA/HERZ – 43 caps, 6 goals)
27 – MF – FELIPE MELO de Carvalho —– (BRAZIL – 22 caps, 2 goals)
27 – MF – Jorge Andres MARTINEZ ——- (URUGUAY – 18 caps, 3 goals)
26 – MF – Simone PEPE ————————— (ITALY – 18 caps, 0 goals)
26 – MF – Alberto AQUILANI —————— (ITALY – 11 caps, 2 goals)
25 – MF – Milos KRASIC ————————– (SERBIA – 35 caps, 3 goals)
25 – MF – Mohamed SISSOKO —————– (MALI – 26 caps, 2 goals)
24 – MF – Claudio MARCHISIO ————— (ITALY – 6 caps, 0 goals)

35 – FW – Alessandro DEL PIERO ————– (ITALY – 91 caps, 27 goals)
30 – FW – Vincenzo IAQUINTA —————– (ITALY – 40 caps, 6 goals)
30 – FW – AMAURI Carvalho de Oliveira — (Brazil)
27 – FW – Fabio QUAGLIARELLA ————– (ITALY – 22 caps, 5 goals)
23 – FW – David LANZAFAME

Juventus Deal Diego To Wolfsburg

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After just a single season in Italy’s Serie A with FC Juventus of Turin, Brazilian midfielder DIEGO is returning to the Bundesliga in Germany. (Claudio Villa/Getty Images Europe)
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After much haggling, an agreement has apparently been reached.

Italian Serie A side FC Juventus of Turn reportedly have sold Brazilian midfielder DIEGO RIBAS DA CUNHA to German Bundesliga club Vfl Wolfsburg at the reduced rate of 15.0 million Euros, according to KRONEN ZEITUNG, Austria’s largest newspaper.

Five million Euros less than the original asking price then, however, the transfer fee could increase one or two million Euros contingent upon future performance; still, the purchase makes the Brazilian midfielder the Bundesliga’s most expensive signing yet this summer.

The annual salary for Diego, who signed a four-year contract with Vfl Wolfsburg, is said to be six million Euros per season.

So, it is back to the Bundesliga for the 25-year-old, who spent three seasons with Werder Bremen before being sold to Juventus for a reported 24.5 million Euros in May of 2009; Diego first arrived on the European professional scene in July of 2004 after signing with Portuguese club FC Porto from the well-known Sao Paulo side, FC Santos.

Diego did start in midfield for all three of Juventus’ Europa League matches this summer.

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DIEGO Ribas da Cunha
league record

2004-05 — 30 app —- 3 goals — FC Porto (Portgual)
2005-06 — 19 app —- 1 goals — FC Porto (Portugal)
2006-07 — 33 app – 13 goals — SV Werder Bremen (Germany)
2007-08 — 30 app – 13 goals — SV Werder Bremen (Germany)
2008-09 — 21 app – 12 goals — SV Werder Bremen (Germany)
2009-10 — 33 app —- 5 goals — FC Juventus (Italy)

Europe record

2004-05 —– 6 app – 1 goals — FC Porto
2005-06 —– 4 app – 1 goals — FC Porto
2006-07 — 14 app – 2 goals — SV Werder Bremen
2007-08 —– 8 app – 2 goals — SV Werder Bremen
2008-09 — 13 app – 7 goals — SV Werder Bremen
2009-10 —– 9 app – 0 goals — FC Juventus
2010-11 —— 3 app – 0 goals — FC Juventus

SK Sturm Graz 1 – FC Juventus 2

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With a bit of a grin about the face, Austria international striker ROMAN KIENAST of SK Sturm Graz heads the ball in front of a rather concerned-looking Mali international midfielder MOHAMED SISSOKO of FC Juventus at the UPC Arena in Graz. (Reuters photo)
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UEFA Europa League
Playoff round, first leg
8/19/2010

1 – SK Sturm Graz (AUT) ——- Schildenfeld 82′
2 – FC Juventus (ITA) ———— Bonucci 16′, Amauri 90+1′

Brazilian striker AMAURI spared the blushes of FC JUVENTUS with a header in injury time to hand home side SK STURM GRAZ a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff tie.

Italy World Cup defender LEONARDO BONUCCI, at 15.5 million Euros the club’s most expensive off-season addition, sent Juventus in front in the 16th minute with a header from a corner kick.

Less than ten minutes from the end of regulation, however, Croatia international defender GORDON SCHILDENFELD equalized with a header of his own off a set piece from just outside the penalty area.

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SK STURM GRAZ : Gratzei ; Puercher, Schildenfeld, Feldhofer, Standfest ; Weber, Bukva, Kienzl (Muratovic 82′), Kainz (Klem 72′) ; Szabics, Kienast (Haas 75′)

FC JUVENTUS : Storari ; De Ceglie, Chiellini, Bonucci, Motta ; Marchisio (Melo 70′), Sissoko, Diego (Del Piero 74′), Pepe ; Amauri, Lanzafame (Martinez 55′)