As my trip continues, after I left Juventus pre-season location in the Alps, I drove to Milanello, about 45 minutes outside Milan, where AC Milan has been training for a while.

Unfortunately, I missed Ronaldinho's arrival to the complex just a few days earlier. As the more informed of you certainly know, "El Gaucho," as Ronaldinho is known in Spain, is the latest acquisition by AC Milan. The team has now a half a dozen Brazilians playing for the team, with two of the most exciting players, Kaka' and Pato, forming a lethal trio with Ronaldinho.

I attended a training session in the afternoon, and I was able to take several pictures, including this of Pato's, just the day before he left for China in order to play at the Beijing's Olympics Game this summer.

Another exciting player I was able to see in action was French Flamini, another acquisition from Arsenal. In the following pictures, he is contending a ball to Clarence Seedorf, and working on his touch.

The practice I witness was a tactical one, with players divided in couples for each position on the field, after they warmed up executing dynamic stretching in pairs.

The next morning I left for Rome, specifically Trigoria, twenty minutes outside the city, where I attended AS Roma practice sessions for two days. It's 7:00 am on Saturday morning and I am about to depart for Bologna, my hometown, after a week of tremendous soccer immersion.

The two days I spent at the Trigoria training grounds were great as I witness how Coach Spalletti, one of the best coaches in Italy and probably in Europe, sets up his practices.

Roma plays a great, entertaining, fast, and aggressive soccer that everyone admires and respects. Seeing coach Spalletti setting up many small sided games in field with sides, where the action never stops, gave me a good inside to the reasons why his players play a one-two touches soccer, cutting the field North and South, while attacking the spaces behind the defense.

Here are some pics:

(Alberto Acquilani during a small sided game)

(Taddei, Tonetto, Esposito, and De Rossi lead he group during several laps around the field)

(Coach Spalletti walks right by with Riise and Vucinic in the background)

I was very blessed to be able to see so many great players and coaches in action and I can't wait until we all get together in three weeks!

Cheers!