Juventus draw first Serie B game

Disgraced former Italian title winners Juventus started their new life down in Italy's second division (a punishment for the match fixing described here ) this weekend when they travelled to the Adriatic seaside resort of Rimini.

The 10,000 capacity Romeo Neri stadium was packed to the rafters for the visit for La Vecchia Signora (as Juve are known) - even with a 17 point penalty, fans in the lower tier aren't banking that they'll get to see the Turin side in the division again next year.

Despite lacking many of their players from last season, Juventus still have a squad packed full of quality - including World Cup winners Gianluigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi and coach Didier Deschamps. And it showed, with Juventus dominating the match and getting their deserved goal through young midfielder Matteo Paro on the hour.

Things looked even better for Juve when the hosts had defender Domenico Cristiano sent off. Against the odds though Rimini got an unlikely equaliser when Adrián Ricchiuti pounced on a dreadful backpass from Robert Kovac and slipped the ball calmly past the startled Buffon.

With Serie B coverage being shown across Europe on satellite channel Eurosport this season, further embarrassment to Juventus can be viewed by millions. And it's the very least the vile, corrupt, grasping cheats deserve. Long may they drop points in the backwaters of Serie B. Another season in the lower rung will do them good.

Well, actually it won't, but it would be very funny.

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France's big game of the weekend was the evening kick off on Sunday where high-flying Olympique Marseille travelled to the Parc des Princes for the derby (le classique as it's known) against Paris St Germain and it was a hat-trick of penalties that settled the match.

PSG have been struggling under Guy Lacombe and his spell in charge is not going to get any easier as the side from the capital were thumped 3-1 by the visitors, with L'OM's international winger Franck Ribery in typically ebullient mood.

After only eight minutes, Marseille got a rather fortuitous penalty when PSG's Colombian centre back Mario Yepes was judged to have fouled Mamadou Niang in the box. The Senegalese striker picked himself up to open the scoring from the spot.

Niang turned from hero to villain in the 22nd minute when he pulled Sammy Traoré's shirt in his own penalty area and PSG's Portuguese striker Pauleta duly equalised from 12 yards.

Then midway through the second half, Niang was brought down by Yepes again (d'oh!) after clever play from Ribery. This time Niang handed the penalty duties to Samir Nasri, the 19-year-old midfielder often dubbed the "new Zidane" (for his footballing skills and Algerian roots - his headbutting abilities are unknown).

Despite hitting his spot-kick too close to PSG's keeper Mickael Landreau, he managed to tuck away the rebound to give L'OM the lead again.

In the 89th minute, Mickael Pagis finished the scoring by converting Ribery's cross and sent the Marseille fans into raptures to seal a 3-1 victory over their most hated rivals. And at least there were some away fans this time - when the two sides last played in Paris a season ago, Marseille sent their reserves and no away fans, claiming their safety couldn't be guaranteed. They escaped that time with a 0-0 draw.

Marseille finish the weekend top of the pile on goal difference over reigning champions Lyon, while PSG are down in 15th with only 4 points.

Already it looks like being another uncomfortable season for the side from the capital. Not that you can have much sympathy for the Parisians - their fans are an awful bunch as this handy (if depressing) BBC World Service article explains.

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Chile's most popular side is Colo Colo (named after the Mapuche warrior chief who fought the Conquistadors) and they lost 1-0 to Santiago Warriors at the weekend in their domestic league.

The score didn't catch my eye, but the debut (as a sub) of one Nicolas Millan did.

Millan is 14 years old and still three months from being 15. He's a child - is there really no one else that this great old club can call on? Apparently, they were even thinking of starting him, so great was their injury problems.

There's a bit more info here and a picture of the little darling here .

Aaaaaah, isn't he sweet?

No, not really, he looks about 25.

And if you think he's young, just take a look at the rest of the subs.

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