INZAGHI: "We had everything to lose"

MILAN - On TV program "Controcampo Diritto di Replica" Filippo Inzaghi commented on the victory against Inter: "Our primary objective was to reach the fourth place, then clearly we wanted to give our fans a great match against a special opponent. We played very well, Inter were mentally in a better position than us, the pressure was all on us, Milan were the ones with everything to lose. In any case I'm already looking forward, on Sunday at Naples we are playing for the Champions League."

INZAGHI: "This Milan exalts me"

MILAN - Filippo Inzaghi talked about his feeling with the team and the club: "I must be infinitely grateful to my team mates, this Milan exalts my characteristics and plays to perfection for a striker. There are no problems with the club, Adriano Galliani has given me the privilege to decide when and how to leave this club, it's a possibility that's given to few people and it's worth more than a contract extension."

Inzaghi: I'll Decide When I Quit

Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi has reveals that club chief Adriano Galliani has told him that he can stay or leave the Rossoneri whenever he feels it's time.

The fox in the box striker has been a loyal servant over the years and this season he has been on fire when he has played, scoring an incredible nine goals in five games, more than Alberto Gilardino despite making many more appearances. Inzaghi is hoping he can stay on at the club despite many thinking that his playing days are over.

“I have to be very thankful to my team mates, I really adore this club and there are no problems between us,” Inzaghi told Milan Channel.

“Ancelotti is a great coach, I hope he becomes Milan’s very own Sir Alex Ferguson.

“Galliani has given me the privilege to decide when to call it a day and so I can decide when it’s right for me to leave.

“It’s a possibility which isn’t given to everyone and to me it’s worth more than a contract extension.”

Milan have been in stunning form of late and they have managed to climb back up the serie A table to try and ensure a top four finish.

Italy profit from Inzaghi's late bloom

Filippo Inzaghi's dramatic return to goalscoring form means Alessandro Del Piero is no longer the only old hand gunning for a place in Italy's UEFA EURO 2008 squad.

Remarkable run

Injuries have restricted Inzaghi to just 12 league starts for AC Milan this term, but the evergreen 34-year-old may have timed his latest purple patch to perfection as far as Italy coach Roberto Donadoni is concerned. Inzaghi's crucial goal in Sunday's 2-1 win over FC Internazionale Milano extended his remarkable run to nine goals in his last five matches – sending a timely message to the Azzurri coach. "Donadoni already knows me well," Inzaghi said. "It's up to him to decide if I would be useful to the squad or not."

'Excellent form'

Inzaghi's 99th goal for the Rossoneri helped the club overtake ACF Fiorentina in Serie A, moving into fourth place and the final UEFA Champions League position, as well demonstrating his undiminished ability to score against top-level opponents. The former Juventus man found the net three times in the latest qualifying campaign and is desperate to show off his nose for goal in Austria and Switzerland. "I'm not saying I should be selected just because I've scored a few goals recently, but I was already part of the qualifying campaign," Inzaghi said. "I've had some physical problems this season but my current form is excellent. I'd really love to get the chance to score more goals for my country."

Experience

Luca Toni nevertheless remains the favourite to lead the Italy attack in Donadoni's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, with Genoa CFC's Marco Borriello – the joint-leading scorer in Serie A with 19 goals – regarded by many as ideal back-up for the FC Bayern München striker. But like Del Piero, whose 18 league goals and terrific form with Juventus has significantly boosted his chances, Inzaghi knows his wealth of experience may work in his favour. And on current form, Donadoni might find it difficult to overlook one of the game's great poachers.

SuperPippo A Born Goalscorer – Cagni

Empoli coach Gigi Cagni has hailed Milan striker Pippo Inzaghi as a born goalscorer, and ridicules those who label many of his goals as lucky, such as the one against Liverpool in Athens last year.

Born Goalscorer

Inzaghi is one of the most prolific strikers in the history of the game, having scored goals galore during his 17-year career, and he holds the record for the most goals in the history of UEFA club competition.

The 34-year-old’s coach at his first club Piacenza was Gigi Cagni, who has recalled the time he spent with the striker.

"Over the years his technique his improved, he is not a phenomenon with the ball at his feet, and while I coached him he even struggled to trap the ball,” Cagni told the Corriere dello Sport.

"What did I teach him? Almost nothing.

“If someone is a born goalscorer, they do not need any teachers. I explained only a bit about his movement and he perfected it.”

Lucky? Oh No

Inzaghi is often ridiculed by his critics for having poor technique, and for scoring simple and lucky goals.

However Cagni has rubbished these claims, saying these kind of people do not understand the game, and says that the real reason he scores so many goals is because of his brilliant movement and killer instinct.

”He works very hard. He believes in every ball that he chases or that goes past him,” the tactician explained.

“When he scored the first goal in Athens in the Champions League final [against Liverpool] when he diverted the free kick of Pirlo into the net, everyone called it luck.

“Ha-ha oh no, it was not luck. Pippo makes his move onto every ball, he makes his luck.

“His strength is that he does not care about making a mistake. He may miss 50 goals, but on the 51st occasion he is still there, ready to score.”

Cagni follows on from the claims of England manager Fabio Capello, who believes that a movie should be made about Inzaghi’s movement and taught to aspiring footballers.

"They should make a movie of the movements he makes in the area and show it to the children so they can learn," the Don stated.

MILAN-UDINESE

GOALKEEPERS: Dida, Kalac;

DEFENDERS: Bonera, Cafu, Digao, Favalli, Kaladze, Oddo, Serginho, Simic, Ambrosini;

MIDFIELDERS: Brocchi, Kaka, Pirlo, Seedorf;

STRIKERS: Gilardino, Inzaghi, Pato.

AC Milan 4:1 Udinese

Player Ratings: Milan 4-1 Udinese

AC Milan needed to win to stand a chance of earning their Champions League spot. They looked dead and buried after going a goal down in an uninspired first half. They did manage to reply with four in the second but it mattered little as Fiorentina won 0-1 at Torino to condemn the Rossoneri to the UEFA Cup for next season. Goal.com rates the performers on the pitch.

Kalac - 6.5: Made a few important saves in the first half to keep his side in the contest. Other than that, it was a fairly quiet evening for the Spider.

Oddo - 5.5: Was playing almost as an attacking winger in the first half to help carve open the Udinese defence. Allowed Di Natale the freedom to charge forward.

Bonera - 7: Had a shaky start but came into the game strongly and made a number of crucial tackles and interceptions.

Kaladze - 6: Didn’t quite have the pace to cope with Udinese’s counter attacking style. Looked more composed in the later stages of the game when the opponents went off the boil.

Favalli - 6: Never looked secure at the back. His over commitment to attack left far too much space for Simone Pepe to roam. He did, however, constantly provide his attacking wingers with the overlapping option.

Brocchi - 5: Ineffective. Could not provide the creative spark down the flank that Milan were so desperately seeking in the first half. Not surprised to be taken out at the break for Pato.

Pirlo - 7.5: Showed tremendous vision time and time again with some stunning long balls to split the visiting backline.

Ambrosini - 7: Strayed too far forward too often and that allowed Udinese to break forward with ease. Did link up well with Kaka and Seedorf in the final third of the pitch.

Kakà - 7: Very involved in the game and initiated almost every attacking move. Had about four excellent scoring chances but spurned all of them, including a penalty.

Seedorf - 8: His lively performance defies his age. He was carving out openings in both flanks and down the middle and just like Kaka, he was engaged in every attacking build up.

Inzaghi - 6.5: Had too many defenders mark him out of the game. Had more space and freedom when Pato came on. Should have scored more than just the one goal.

Substitutes:

Cafu - 7: Did well to clean up at the back. Wasn’t afraid to go forward, despite his aging legs. Scored a quite sumptuous goal to wrap up his playing career in style.

Pato - 8: What his teammates couldn’t do in 45 minutes, he managed to in just two. Caused all kinds of headaches for the Udinese defence and injected that extra attacking oomph that his team was missing in the first half.

Serginho - 6: Had a few attempts at goal from distance and will be disappointed he couldn’t sign off his career with a goal.

Thanks

You're welcome

Inzaghi: Scudetto And UEFA Cup Next Season

Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi insists that his side will win the UEFA Cup and Scudetto next season following this season's nightmare in Serie A.

The Rossoneri failed in their attempt to land the all important fourth place which would have rewarded them with a place in the Champions League preliminaries. Instead Inzaghi's side had to settle for the UEFA Cup and the hit-man, who scored his 100th career goal at the club on Sunday, believes his side is good enough to win both the Scudetto and UEFA next season.

"I remember that we played in the UEFA Cup when I arrived here in 2001," Inzaghi told Milan Channel.

"Back then we didn't have a solid foundation but now it's very different.

"It's true that we didn't have a good season in Serie A but I think that we will bounce back next season and I think this side has every chance of winning the Scudetto and we will put all our efforts into it.

"Next year we will also try and win the UEFA Cup which the final is in Istanbul and so we will go there to win it as we have left something there which we would like to take home with us."

Milan fell well short this term because they opted to put all their efforts in winning the Champions League and it proved a costly decision which seemed to back fire dramatically following their exit to Arsenal in the last 16.

The Rossoneri left it too late in Serie A and thus they will be playing in the UEFA Cup with curbed enthusiasm next season having become accustomed to the glamour and excitement of Champions League life.

Inzaghi Slams Donadoni Over Euros Snub

Milan striker Pippo Inzaghi has reacted angrily to being left out of the Italy squad for Euro 2008.

Azzurri boss Roberto Donadoni today named a provisional 24-man squad for Austria and Switzerland, a number which will then be reduced to a final 23 next Wednesday.

Many people believed that AC Milan veteran Pippo Inzaghi should have earned a call-up after a quite stunning end to the season, during which he scored 10 goals in his last seven games.

However Donadoni opted to select Luca Toni, Alessandro Del Piero, Antonio Cassano, Antonio Di Natale, Fabio Quagliarella, and the seemingly out-of-form Marco Borriello instead.

“Evidently my injury was enough to mean that I didn’t even deserve a phone call and to cancel out what I thought was a mature, adult relationship,” stated a bitter Inzaghi, who did then go on to say that he hoped Italy would still do well without him.

“I am disappointed to have been left out, but I sincerely wish all the best to the Azzurri for the European Championship.”

Inzaghi, who scored 18 goals in total this season in all competitions, was Italy's second top-scorer in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, but like the Euros four years earlier he will not get the chance to appear in the finals.

With the prolific bomber set to turn 35 in a few months, we may have now seen Inzaghi for the last time in an Italy shirt. The former Juve man has scored 25 goals in just 57 games for his country and was part of the 2006 World Cup winning squad in Germany.

A PRESTIGIOUS TARGET

“I would have never thought that at the end of the season I would have managed to reach 100 goals because I spent those three months from the start of January on the sidelines.” – INZAGHI’S DECLARATIONS -

MILAN – These are the declarations of Filippo Inzaghi, who spoke on the phone during ‘Studio Milan lunedi’ on ‘Milan Channel’:

ON HIS 100TH GOAL WITH THE ROSSONERI’S SHIRT

“I would have never thought at that at the end of this season I would have managed to arrive up to 100 goals because I spent three months from the start of January. Then I managed to have this positive final part of the season. Up to a few games ago I was stuck at 90 goals. I’m sorry to have reached this very positive target without having the opportunity to celebrate it with the entire team. It would have been fair to celebrate it in another way. Everyone knows what these years and goals at Milan have meant, and I thank all of my team-mates, the club and the fans for having been close to me and for the celebrations we will make up for it next year.”

ON THE MISSED QUALIFICATION TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

“I would like to calm everyone down by telling them to remain serene. I am the first one to be sorry, but I remeind that the 2001 season, when I arrived at Milan, we played in the Uefa Cup, but back then there wasn’t this group, we were starting from zero. Now, instead, we start again from a solid base, we have brought home two important cups. It’s true, in the league we were not at our best, but I think that next season we shall strongly aim on the league and I believe that we can win.”

ON PATO

“When Pato comes on on the pitch, I always tell him to stay close to me, in fact that’s how the first goal against Udinese arrived. Ricky is very good to put in these strong balls and for me it’s not always easy to hit them, so if we’re two in the penalty area and I don’t manage to get it, there is someone behind me who can arrive to it as it often happened at Ambro.

“Yesterday Pato was very good, he proved once again his value and has proven to be a great striker in the penalty area, ready for the decisive appointment. His way of playing reminds me a lot of the first Shevchenko, we have different characteristics, I think we must allow him to grow serenely.”

ON THE MATCH AGAINST NAPOLI

“In the previous week before the game I could not sleep because I know that it would be a difficult game, but the logical reasoning is that at Napoli a defeat can occur. At San Paolo even other teams like Juventus, Fiorentina and Inter lost. Also we faced Napoli without Pirlo and we all know that without Andrea we become more predictable. The problem, instead, is not having obtained points against Atalanta and only two points against Parma. It was in those occasions that we have lost the fourth place, because in the last seven games Milan did very well, exactly on the same level of Inter and Juventus. If the league had started seven games ago, we would have fought for the Scudetto.”

ON NEXT SEASON

“Next year we shall start from the Uefa Cup to win it and going to play the final at Istanbul, going to take back something we have left behind. However, I’m convinced, that if Milan next year plays with this squad only for the league, we would win it.”

EURO 2008: THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF PIPPO INZAGHI

Filippo Inzaghi on the choices of Roberto Donadoni: "I thought I had shown loyalty and cohesion with the project and in our relationship. Instead I only earned silence. Too bad. My best wishes to my team mates!"

Here's Filippo Inzaghi's comment about not being called up for Euro 2008 by coach Roberto Donadoni: "I am disappointed especially from the human point of view. I had started this two-year period with a positive and frank relationship with the coach, also scoring in Naples against Lithuania the first goal of the qualifying campaign. But since in football goals are not all that matters, I thought I had also shown loyalty and cohesion with the project and the relationship with the coach, both in participating to away games without coming on the pitch, both in answering affermatively to a call up for the match against the Faroe Islands last summer in a qualification game that was worth three points like all the others. Then, the silence, despite my performances with Milan in every continent and my 18 goals scored between the winter through to April and May. Evidently an injury during my club season was enough not to even deserve a phone call, to cancel what I thought was an adult and mature relationship. I'm disappointed I was wrong, many sincere best wishes to the Azzurri for the Euros."

Olympics 2008:

SuperPippo was devastated to have been left out of Roberto Donadoni’s provisional Azzurri squad for Euro 2008, and launched a bitter attack on the national coach after Luca Toni, Marco Borriello, Antonio Cassano, Alex Del Piero, Fabio Quagliarella and Toto Di Natale were preferred.

Now the 34-year-old, who had a stunning end to the season for Milan, scoring 10 goals in seven games, is hoping to get over this disappointment by playing in the Olympics instead.

The Italy Under-21s take part in the games in Beijing in August, and they are permitted, like everyone else, to select three over-age players.

La Stampa says that Inzaghi is desperate to play in the tournament, as it is one of the few competitions that he has never scored in during his prolific career.

Much will depend on Azzurrini coach Pierluigi Casiiraghi, who is seemingly planning his forward line around Robert Acquafresca, meaning that a call-up for Inzaghi may cause some complications.

(Goal.com)

He deserves it

Yes, but I would've preferred to see him go to the Euros instead of Boriello who hasn't scored a goal since March and has no International experience whatsoever