Italian fans want a say in transfer market

Milan - Veteran striker Christian Vieri has returned to Atalanta despite the opposition of a fringe of fans of the Serie A Bergamo side, highlighting a current trend in Italy of supporters wanting their voices heard in transfer deals. The former international, who turns 35 on July 12, had a first one-year stint at Atalanta in 1995 and rejoined the club in 2006 before moving on to Fiorentina in the past season. When rumours circulated last week of his new one-year contract worth 250,000 euros (393,000 dollars), some fans attached posters on Bergamo walls calling Vieri 'ungrateful' and 'not worthy of Atalanta' for his sudden departure for Fiorentina last summer. Vieri scored six goals in his 26 games with the Florence side. He boasts 49 games and 23 goals with the Italian national squad. Juventus fans, meanwhile, have staged similar protests on their websites as their club ponders the transfer of Serbian midfielder Dejan Stankovic from champions Inter Milan. Juve's die-hard supporters said that Stankovic turned down offers from their club when he transferred from Lazio to Inter in 2004. The fans accused him of celebrating with too much enthusiasm when Inter were awarded a Serie A title that sports judges in 2006 stripped from Juve in the wake of a corruption scandal. Controversies, albeit of legal nature, were reported Tuesday regarding the loan-transfer from Livorno to Juve of Dario Knezevic, a 26-year-old international defender from Croatia. Cross-town rivals Torino said they had a previous agreement to buy the footballer, who, however, appears to have signed with Juve. 'As a boy, I wanted to play with a big team,' Knezevic told La Gazzetta dello Sport. 'I chose Juve and I think I did well. I respect Torino, but I chose Juve. I never had doubts about it.' Things ran smoother for Roma and their international midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who renewed his contract until 2012 on a lucrative deal that yields him a gross sum of 7.2 million euros (11.3 million dollars) for the next season. The amount will rise to 8.1 million euros in the last two years of contract. Napoli, meanwhile, are set on another good season after their return in the top flight. They have now signed Argentinian striker German Denis, 26, from Independente on a five-year deal.