Jose Mourinho
“First came denial, then anger, bargaining and depression. Now, at last, acceptance: Serie A has reached the end of an era. No Italian sides reached the quarter-finals of last year’s Champions League, and there is a strong possibility that one of the country’s four places in that competition will soon be lost to Germany. More troubling still, Serie A’s 20 teams now boast a collective debt of close to €2bn. More painful still, two of the league’s most gifted players – Ricky Kakà and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – have left for Spain’s La Liga. Three of its most iconic – Paolo Maldini, Pavel Nedved and Luis Figo – have retired.” (Guardian)

Q. & A. With A.C. Milan’s Oguchi Onyewu
“Oguchi Onyewu joined his new team, A.C. Milan, during the club’s preseason tour of the United States last month. After a day of training and promotional events in the Boston area, Onyewu and his teammates enjoyed a team dinner at the Four Seasons downtown. After dinner, he sat down with The New York Times for an interview about his new team and his experience playing soccer overseas. What follows is a partial transcript of my interview with Onyewu.” (NYT)