Nicky Bandini

London

Writer, broadcaster and presenter. The Guardian, ESPN, BBC, Stan Sports & more. Co-host @serieachronpod DM for work and voice-over enquiries.

Articles

Acerbi’s preposterous goal summed up ‘crazy Inter’s’ last-chance warriors

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Nicky Bandini

What was he even doing there, in the 182nd minute of a two-legged tie, a 37-year-old centre-back attacking the opposition’s six-yard box, the furthest man forward on his team? Francesco Acerbi had not scored a goal in more than a year. Heck, he had not scored one in 65 appearances across Uefa club competitions. This is not his job, not the thing he trains for, not a defining moment anyone had predicted for the most entertaining Champions League semi-final ever to unfold.
‘The real Inter’ prepare for Champions League showdown with Barcelona

1 week ago | sports.yahoo.com | Nicky Bandini

The Inter team that lined up to face Verona on Saturday was so heavily rotated it even included a back-up manager. OK, their first-choice boss Simone Inzaghi was technically suspended, but seeing his assistant Massimiliano Farris trot out for the pre-game interview only reinforced a feeling that we were not about to watch the real thing. For months, Inter had tried to compete at full focus on every front, Inzaghi speaking of the ambition to win a quadruple.
Scott McTominay bathes in the adoration as Napoli leap clear in title race

2 weeks ago | sports.yahoo.com | Nicky Bandini

Scott McTominay could have said anything and a whole city still would have loved him: the man who fired Napoli clear at the top of Serie A with four rounds of games left to go. His first-half strikes delivered a 2-0 win over Torino on Sunday. He had scored the only goal as Napoli won away to Monza in their previous fixture, and two out of three in a rout of Empoli before that. Carrying his team towards the finish line, in other words, though McTominay has been decisive from the start.
Serie A title playoff a tantalising prospect as weary Inter stumble | Nicky Bandini

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Nicky Bandini

“The season does not end here,” repeated Simone Inzaghi at full time: to Sky Sport, to Dazn, to anyone who would listen. An undeniable truth, seeing as there are still five rounds to go, yet the more he said it the more you started to wonder who he was trying to convince. Himself? His players? Beppe Bergomi back in the studio? Why should he even be troubled by this idea? His team were still top of the table.
Awesome Arsenal silence Madrid and set up PSG semi: Football Weekly Extra - podcast

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Max Rushden |Barry Glendenning |Nicky Bandini |Philippe Auclair |Joel CooperAlex Grove |Phil Maynard

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today: a brilliant performance from Arsenal at the Bernabéu, winning 2-1 in Madrid and 5-1 across the tie, they were close to perfection with Declan Rice probably the standout performer in a team of standout performers. Elsewhere, Inter join the Gunners in the semi-finals.
Ranieri ends undefeated in Rome derbies thanks to Soulé’s stunner

1 month ago | ca.sports.yahoo.com | Nicky Bandini

Perhaps we ought not to believe Claudio Ranieri when he tells us that this the last time. He announced his retirement from club management last May, delivering what seemed like a perfect storybook ending, saving Cagliari from relegation. The club where he made his name three decades earlier, raising them from Serie C to the top-flight. An island, Sardinia, where the locals think him as one of their own. Yet Ranieri’s first love has always been the city he grew up in and the team he supported, Roma.
Ranieri ends undefeated in Rome derbies thanks to Soulé’s stunner

1 month ago | msn.com | Nicky Bandini

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Igor Tudor injects fury into Juventus to rev up race for Champions League

1 month ago | ca.sports.yahoo.com | Nicky Bandini

Igor Tudor was on the pitch, stepping out of his technical area and on to the playing field as he gestured frantically at his defenders, jabbing a pointed finger so close to Stephan El Shaarawy that it appeared he might tap the Roma forward on the shoulder. It has been a little over 20 years since Tudor played his last game for Juventus, but all that time away does not appear to have lessened his passion. The Bianconeri had needed this, needed something, an injection of purpose, of fury, of life.
Bologna’s Orsolini strikes again to keep knocking on door to Spalletti’s Italy

1 month ago | ca.sports.yahoo.com | Nicky Bandini

Venice has no shortage of eye-catching door-knockers, heavy bronze casts of 16th-century lions and sea monsters adorning entrances of palaces throughout the lagoon city. Still, there is always room for another. Riccardo Orsolini could not hang around quite so long, but his goal for Bologna away to Venezia on Saturday will linger in the memories of supporters. The second half had barely started when Nicolò Cambiaghi cut back from the left flank and crossed right-footed to the far post.
Atalanta fall against Inter yet again while Inzaghi aims for the stars

1 month ago | msn.com | Nicky Bandini

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.