Giovanni Trappatoni Looking at Payback For Ireland and Italy at Brazil 2014

Even at 72 Giovanni Trappatoni has lost none of the bite you would expect. The most successful manager in the history of Serie A and one of the games all time greats seems to be enjoying the twilight of his career in Ireland, to such an extent that now he wants to lead the Irish to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup where he feels he may have some unfinished "business."

World Football: Villains of 2010

The highs and lows of 2010 have been extreme to put it mildly. From gun toting separatists in Africa last January to an Octopus called Paul in June and possibly the greatest team of all time in November, 2010 has been a year to remember, or forget depending upon which team you follow.


Here, we look at some of the villains of the last 12 months. Some stories have been covered by every media outlet under the sun and some have just slipped past their mighty radars.

However, each and every one is just as important as each other as they thread a careful weave through the labyrinthine tapestry that is the footballing year of 2010.

Mario Balotelli: The Most Important Italian Player of All-Time

Italian football is at a crossroads. Every direction is fraught with with danger.

However, one man can bring the glory days back and steer Italian society towards a new era. That man is probably the most important Italian footballer of all time—Mario Balotelli.

Gone are the heady days of the '90s, where every world star had the ambition of making it in Serie A.

Money has dropped out of the game and in its place, a new enemy has risen—racism.

Italian football is at a crossroads. Every direction is fraught with with danger.

However, one man can bring the glory days back and steer Italian society towards a new era. That man is probably the most important Italian footballer of all time—Mario Balotelli.

2010 World Cup Group F Preview: Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia

This is a group where no team will want to finish second, as the Netherlands will be most likely lying in wait. Italy is the sure favourite, however neither Slovakia nor Paraguay will be pushovers, and New Zealand's unorthodox approach could cause problems for unsuspecting teams.

Euro 2012 Qualifiers Draw: Analyis and Predictions for Every Group

The draw for the qualifying section of Euro 2012 was made this morning and it threw up a few tough groups that the likes of England, Holland, Germany, and France should negotiate but will find the going difficult.

Fifty-one countries entered the draw, with duel host nations, Poland and Ukraine, waiting for them in the finals.

The groups will be contested across the usual league system on a home-and-away basis, with all matches scheduled between September 2010 and October 2011.

South Africa 2010: Analysis of Every World Cup Group

The World Cup draw has produced not one but two "Groups of Death", as well as handing England and Italy the best possible routes to the knockout phases.

Over 190 countries tuned in to watch the World Cup draw as Charlize Theron and FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke drew the eight groups for next year's finals. The duo barely got through the process without throwing the balls at each other, with Valcke in particular making some very strange insulting comments towards the Hollywood star.

But who really cares, let's look at the draw...

Dimitar Berbatov Out For Bulgaria, On Current Form It's a Bad Move For Ireland

With Giovanni Trappatoni worrying over the fitness of Shay Given and Aiden McGeady ahead of Ireland's crucial World Cup Qualifiers against Bulgaria and Italy he was hit with the hammer blow news that Dimitar Berbatov has pulled out of the Bulgaria squad.

The Manchester United striker has failed to deliver on his £30m stg price tag this season and his last few performances in the famous red shirt of United have been abject at best...