MacDonald Mariga

[zhfzanetti]

187 CM, Nice!!

 

[Michael]

MARKET CLOSED: THE LAST ACQUISITIONS AND THE BUDGETS
Mancini to Milan
Mariga to Inter
92 total changes

THE CLOSING OF THE MARKET
From Mariga to Mancini
Inter - Milan with a bang
The last day of negotiations with two signings

No to Ledesma and to Simplicio. Blitz by Moratti and all surprised
The Premier League rejected the Kenyan who was promised to City and Inter spent 5 million. Lotito...wanted 10

Milan - Ledesma and Simplicio for Mourinho? No, it's McDonald Mariga. Inter manage to veer between the shifting sands of negotiations with Lazio and Palermo. All it takes was how the Premier League shut the door to his face after he flew there yesterday morning. Just last week, Roberto Mancini had secured the Kenyan midfielder, but he and Manchester City knew that they had to deal with the strict rules on immigration for foreigners. In particular, the Football Association grants permission to stay only for those who played with the national teams that fall between the early seventies from the FIFA ranking and Kenya, unfortunately, is over 90th. So, Mariga had to relive the ghosts of three years ago when Portsmouth were unable to sign him for the same reason and Parma were the one that take the advantage to assure him for just 1.7 million euros. Yesterday, President Ghirardi and athletic director, Leonardi, closed the deal with Inter for 5 million (co-ownership). The Gialloblu will be cashing in 2.5 million in cash, plus 2.5 from the redemption of a share in Biabiany. Therefore, the technical director of Inter, Marco Branca has hit considerable savings comparing to the requests of Lotito for Ledesma.

Farewell Ledesma And now we return to look back at what were characterized during the last weeks. Inter, until Sunday, had confirmed an offer of 8.5 million for the Argentine midfielder. But the President insisted to the end and asked Moratti for 10. Just yesterday, during lunchtime, he decided to allow the discount, but because of pride he didn't call Inter to the despair of Ledesma and his agent, Vincenzo D'Ippolo. Then, at 16 he changes his mind but it was too late. Inter now had to settle elsewhere.

Simplicio There were no arguments with Palermo for Simplicio. The Nerazzurri were ready to take the Brazilian on loan, but Sabatini asked to be allowed to exploit the two Inter player: Krhin the Slovenian and the Primavera player Fossati. For different reasons the two young men didn't accept the proposal. The two clubs will discuss again in July in Branca's office for Pastore, a talented player that everyone at Inter likes.

Also:
http://www.forzainterforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=493190&postcount=3249

 

[rockball]

So when did this guy move to Serie A. I guess he is not assosciation trained.

 

[CafeCordoba]

Thanks for the translation!

Inter management did very good business. They didn't splash cash, but only 2,5-3m€. They got rid of two big contracts and I think Genoa is paying little part of Suazo's salary too.

Now in the summer we can concentrate on re-orchestrating the midfield. Who goes out and who comes in.

So when did this guy move to Serie A. I guess he is not assosciation trained.

No he's not asso-trained because he came to Italy when he was 20.

 

[Luka]

Oh, harsh. But what about Melo, Santana, Pasqual, Gamberini... even Gilardino to an extent, his game and consistency have improved immeasurably during his time at Fiore. Also Vargas in his new SMF position.

I'm talking about a products of their youth system, who got promoted through their ranks to the first team (like Montolivo), not some players they bough along the way and who improved their game.

Where are theirs Santons, Balotellis and others since they became targetting the CL spot seriously ?

Melo - bought last year
Pasqual - bought in 2005 in the age of 22
Gamberini - bought in 2005 in the age of 23
Gilardino - bought last year
Vargas - bought last year

This ain't exactly Krhins of our team if you see what I'm saying.

You look at other top teams, who are seriously (not like Arsenal) targetting some important achievment and you see clearly that they don't bring a lot of youth products to their first team squads.

ps. skeet beet me to it

But the President insisted to the end and asked Moratti for 10. Just yesterday, during lunchtime, he decided to allow the discount, but because of pride he didn't call Inter to the despair of Ledesma and his agent, Vincenzo D'Ippolo. Then, at 16 he changes his mind but it was too late. Inter now had to settle elsewhere.

Lolito -----> Moron

ps. Thanks IF for the article.

 

[brehme1989]

Also, Montolivo was bought from Atalanta, just like Pazzini.

 

[Luka]

Never knew that . Always thought he is their youth product. Thanks Yuko.

That just proves my point even better.

 

[cuckooc]

I want to hear Mourinho's comment on Mariga, I wanna know if Mariga is the right one that Mourinho really wants. Or Inter just signed Mariga becuz Mariga was just available and he was not expensive at the last moment.

 

[AndyLT]

Article on Goal.com

By Kris Voakes
Feb 2, 2010 10:00:00 AM

Opportunism was what took McDonald Mariga to Appiano Gentile this week… opportunism, and the kinks in the UK government’s work permit system. But whatever alternatives Inter may have looked at first, and whatever put the kibosh on Manchester City’s attempts to sign the Kenyan, the Nerazzurri have landed themselves an absolute bargain.

There are certainly some comparisons to be made between this deal and the one which saw Sulley Muntari land in Milan in 2008. The Ghanaian had built up a hefty amount of Serie A experience, playing 125 games for Udinese before landing a €7 million switch to Premier League side Portsmouth. A successful year on the south coast under Harry Redknapp was enough to persuade Massimo Moratti to part with €15.5m for the then 24-year-old, and he has been a valuable addition during his 18 months at Inter so far.

Mariga’s story is fairly similar. His first European experiences came in Sweden with Enkopings and Helsingborgs, but his two-and-a-half seasons with Parma have been enough to show that he has real talent to put on show in a top footballing country. At the age of 22, he looked destined to make a similar step to Muntari, by sampling the Premier League with the world’s richest club.

But with British red tape excluding Kenya from the ranks of serious football superpowers, and Mariga therefore ineligible for a move to England, Inter have been allowed to swoop in and save themselves the kind of €8.5m mark-up they had to pay on Muntari. Instead they have offloaded Jonathan Biabiany and loaned Luis Jimenez to the Ducali, as well as paying a nominal €2.5m, for the co-ownership of Mariga. A snip in comparison.

And in many ways Mariga looks like a better long-term fit for Inter than Muntari. His stature immediately marks him out as a forceful presence, but he is also a great reader of the game both in attack and defence. He is undoubtedly a better player off the ball than on it at this moment in time; strong in the tackle, great at tracking back, excellent defensive anticipation and immediately aware of trouble around him.
But that’s not to say he can’t kick a ball too. The Kenyan can have a tendency to run himself into trouble when in possession, but that seems to come from sheer desire rather than a huge technical failure, and is something which can easily be ironed out with a number of training sessions at Appiano Gentile, as the enthusiastic youngster comes to terms with the increased demands for excellence at his new club. He also has a more than assured passing game, which suggests that, whilst he was used in a variety of positions by Francesco Guidolin at Parma, he will develop into a defensive midfield player of some repute in the coming months and years. Only niggling injuries have threatened to stunt Mariga’s growth, and Inter will hope that the change of scenery brings with it new luck on the physical front.


This transfer smacks of a move that really is looking to the future. Whoever instigated this on Inter’s behalf is a smart cookie. Clearly, between Moratti, Lele Oriali, Marco Branca and Jose Mourinho, there has been enough of an accord to push the deal through in double quick timing. But this will not have been a move dreamt up at the last minute, as much as the belief of many is that this was a simple case of making up for the failure to land Cristian Ledesma. Mariga is too much of a good fit for Inter, and the dynamic the team is taking on under Mourinho, for this to have been an afterthought. Yes, Ledesma may have been more ready to deal with the workload that this season may bring, but the Kenyan is not far from that level himself.

With the ‘Special One’ looking for a greater midfield stability ahead of big European occasions to come, Mariga would appear to be the perfect piece of Playdo, who can be easily moulded into a key midfielder for Inter’s future big dates. With Javier Zanetti turning 37 in the summer, and Esteban Cambiasso seemingly unable to reproduce his stunning Serie A form in continental competition, Mourinho has been looking for back-up. And in Mariga they have a player who could give Inter some of the physical edge they have been missing; the kind of edge which English sides have used to their advantage over the last three years in the Champions League.

So whilst Fiorentina’s signings may have cost more, and Lazio have signed a number of key players, it’s Inter who may well have plunged into the bargain bin and come up with the most valuable item of all in the January sales.

 

[Pravesh]

Calcio Debate: Inter New Boy McDonald Mariga - The Bargain Buy Of The January Sales

The window has closed and the trading floor has been cleared, giving Kris Voakes the chance to look into one of the better pieces of business during January.

By Kris Voakes
Feb 2, 2010 10:00:00 AM

Opportunism was what took McDonald Mariga to Appiano Gentile this week… opportunism, and the kinks in the UK government’s work permit system. But whatever alternatives Inter may have looked at first, and whatever put the kibosh on Manchester City’s attempts to sign the Kenyan, the Nerazzurri have landed themselves an absolute bargain.

There are certainly some comparisons to be made between this deal and the one which saw Sulley Muntari land in Milan in 2008. The Ghanaian had built up a hefty amount of Serie A experience, playing 125 games for Udinese before landing a €7 million switch to Premier League side Portsmouth. A successful year on the south coast under Harry Redknapp was enough to persuade Massimo Moratti to part with €15.5m for the then 24-year-old, and he has been a valuable addition during his 18 months at Inter so far.

Mariga’s story is fairly similar. His first European experiences came in Sweden with Enkopings and Helsingborgs, but his two-and-a-half seasons with Parma have been enough to show that he has real talent to put on show in a top footballing country. At the age of 22, he looked destined to make a similar step to Muntari, by sampling the Premier League with the world’s richest club.

But with British red tape excluding Kenya from the ranks of serious football superpowers, and Mariga therefore ineligible for a move to England, Inter have been allowed to swoop in and save themselves the kind of €8.5m mark-up they had to pay on Muntari. Instead they have offloaded Jonathan Biabiany and loaned Luis Jimenez to the Ducali, as well as paying a nominal €2.5m, for the co-ownership of Mariga. A snip in comparison.

And in many ways Mariga looks like a better long-term fit for Inter than Muntari. His stature immediately marks him out as a forceful presence, but he is also a great reader of the game both in attack and defence. He is undoubtedly a better player off the ball than on it at this moment in time; strong in the tackle, great at tracking back, excellent defensive anticipation and immediately aware of trouble around him.

But that’s not to say he can’t kick a ball too. The Kenyan can have a tendency to run himself into trouble when in possession, but that seems to come from sheer desire rather than a huge technical failure, and is something which can easily be ironed out with a number of training sessions at Appiano Gentile, as the enthusiastic youngster comes to terms with the increased demands for excellence at his new club. He also has a more than assured passing game, which suggests that, whilst he was used in a variety of positions by Francesco Guidolin at Parma, he will develop into a defensive midfield player of some repute in the coming months and years. Only niggling injuries have threatened to stunt Mariga’s growth, and Inter will hope that the change of scenery brings with it new luck on the physical front.

This transfer smacks of a move that really is looking to the future. Whoever instigated this on Inter’s behalf is a smart cookie. Clearly, between Moratti, Lele Oriali, Marco Branca and Jose Mourinho, there has been enough of an accord to push the deal through in double quick timing. But this will not have been a move dreamt up at the last minute, as much as the belief of many is that this was a simple case of making up for the failure to land Cristian Ledesma. Mariga is too much of a good fit for Inter, and the dynamic the team is taking on under Mourinho, for this to have been an afterthought. Yes, Ledesma may have been more ready to deal with the workload that this season may bring, but the Kenyan is not far from that level himself.

With the ‘Special One’ looking for a greater midfield stability ahead of big European occasions to come, Mariga would appear to be the perfect piece of Playdo, who can be easily moulded into a key midfielder for Inter’s future big dates. With Javier Zanetti turning 37 in the summer, and Esteban Cambiasso seemingly unable to reproduce his stunning Serie A form in continental competition, Mourinho has been looking for back-up. And in Mariga they have a player who could give Inter some of the physical edge they have been missing; the kind of edge which English sides have used to their advantage over the last three years in the Champions League.

So whilst Fiorentina’s signings may have cost more, and Lazio have signed a number of key players, it’s Inter who may well have plunged into the bargain bin and come up with the most valuable item of all in the January sales.

 

[QvsQ]

Let's see what he can do on the field then:boogy:
But the news that he actually was signed by City before his work permit turned down by FA still bothers me.

 

[CafeCordoba]

Interesting article. Can't wait to see this kid playing.

 

[Stefan]

Let's see what he can do on the field then:boogy:
But the news that he actually was signed by City before his work permit turned down by FA still bothers me.

Why does it bother you?? He was turned down because kenya ranks outside the top 70 teams in the world, how is that mariga's fault ??

 

[CafeCordoba]

Why does it bother you?? He was turned down because kenya ranks outside the top 70 teams in the world, how is that mariga's fault ??

BTW, that is interesting why those regulations comes always as a surprise to the clubs in EPL. This wasn't exactly the first time there's been some fuss with work permits.

 

[QvsQ]

Why does it bother you?? He was turned down because kenya ranks outside the top 70 teams in the world, how is that mariga's fault ??

I just think Inter is Mariga's second option.

 

[CafeCordoba]

I just think Inter is Mariga's second option.

Mariga was not in a position where he would be choosing his club. Man City wanted him, they contacted Parma and Parma told Mariga that this club wants you. I'm sure Mariga was happy to move to Man City. The deal collapsed but Parma had another club for Mariga, Inter. I'm sure Mariga wasn't particulary sad when he found out he can still make the move, but to a different club, this time Inter.

These transfers were not Mariga's calls, they were the calls of those clubs which wanted him (Man City, Inter).

 

[AndyLT]

For those who want to see a little bit from his movement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqYP-krRhLs
He appears in the video from 1:28 to 1:50. Not much, but cannot find other footage.

great goal

 

[el_dude]

I just think Inter is Mariga's second option.

Yeah I think it's pretty clear that Ledesma was our main priority after we signed Pandev, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily because Mariga was a worse option. Ledesma was attractive to Mourinho for his Serie A experience, his reliability as a squad player, and his decent passing. Mariga, on the other hand, is much younger, doesn't have nearly the amount of Serie A experience Ledesma has, and is more of a box to box workhorse than a creative player.

No, these aren't the same attributes that made Ledesma an attractive option, but that doesn't mean that these are not attributes Jose wanted or felt we needed in midfield. We simply ended up with something different than what we were looking for initially; that doesn't mean that we wouldn't have required it eventually or that it was necessarily a "not-as-good" substitute for our first option.

 

[CafeCordoba]

el_dude your point is good. However it didn't replied to QsvQ post. You talked how Mariga was perhaps Inter's second option but QvsQ said that "Inter was Mariga's second option".

 

[cuckooc]

So, what does Mourinho really want? A midfield passer like Ledesma or a physical player like Mariga?

If Mourinho can choose either one of them, I think he must have his own preference. I can't believe that Mourinho's answer would be " Either one of them is fine". (when he is not in front of the press.)