So after 20 years the long wait is nearly over for Napoli as they embark on their first season in the Champions League since the glory days of the late 80′s and early 90′s, an era in the club’s history dominated by Diego Maradona. Now its the turn of Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik to display their abundant talents in European football’s premier competition. Drawn in the so-called “group of death” the Partenopei have been paired with Villarreal […]

It was a frenetic day at the ATA Executive Hotel in Milan on Wednesday as clubs from Italy’s top-flight desperately tried to put the finishing touches to their squads for the season ahead. After a flurry of last minute activity, sporting directors across the peninsula can now head for some late summer sunshine before preparing for January when the window will re-open for business. In the meantime, Serie A Weekly takes a look at some of the best of the […]

2010 - 11 Recap What a contrast there is between the three newly promoted teams arriving in Serie A this season. Two of them, Atalanta and Siena, make a quick return to Italy’s top-flight after just a season’s absence, the third , Novara, are welcomed back into the peninsula’s premier division for the first time in 55 years . It seemed for much of their previous campaign in Serie B that the club from Piedmont would arrive at Italy’s top […]

2010-11 Recap After the euphoria of the previous season’s treble, the Nerazzurri had to settle for just the Coppa Italia last term as their cross city rivals AC Milan were crowned kings of Italy. Following in the footsteps of Jose Mourinho was never going to be easy but when President Massimo Morratti appointed former Liverpool tactician Rafael Benitez to take over from the self titled “Special One”, even the most fervent fan of the Milan giants must have feared the […]

2010 -11 Recap A mid-table finish last term does not tell the whole story of a nerve wracking campaign for I Ducali which saw them flirt with relegation right up until the closing few weeks of the season. A change at the helm in early April, which saw former Bologna tactician Franco Colomba substitute Pasquale Marino in the Ennio Tardini hot-seat, proved a season saving move by larger than life president Tommaso Ghirardi as the former Uefa Cup Winners secured […]

Back in May life was good at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia in Bergamo. Atalanta had accomplished their mission of making an immediate return to the Italian top-flight by winning the Serie Bwin championship, coach Stefano Colantuono committed his  future to the club and the players were looking forward to a well earned summer vacation. But just a few weeks into the summer recess,  the Nerazzurri were in crisis as legendary midfielder Cristiano Doni and defender Thomas Manfredini became embroiled […]

Lecce had the pleasure of kicking off week 28 of the Serie A championship on Friday night as they entertained Roma at the Stadio Via Del Mare in a match that the Salentini considered vital to their top-flight survival. Unfortunately for the Puglians,  it was a night to forget as the home side were left fuming after a series of vital decisions went the way of the visitors who headed back to the capital with all three points. Lecce coach […]

‘Tales From The Heel’ is our Southern Italian Round Up, as Steve Mitchell wraps up the action from the weekends games involving those teams from everywhere south of Rome. Lecce produced the upset of week 26 as they beat Juventus at the Via Del Mare to give themselves a huge boost in their fight for Serie A survival. Playing in front of their biggest crowd of the season, Luigi De Canio’s men rose to the occasion to beat the Bianconeri for […]

Last week saw the sad farewell to calcio of Nicola Ventola. The 32-year-old striker, who was plying his trade with Serie B pacesetters Novara, decided to call time on a playing  career wrecked by a series of debilitating injuries which prevented him from going on to be one of the best striking talents the peninsula has ever produced. Born in Bari, Ventola first came to prominence playing for his hometown club in 1994. He hit the Serie A big time on November 6 […]

Napoli striker Edinson Cavani will celebrate his 24th birthday on Monday safe in the knowledge that his two strikes at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday night against Roma has converted even the most fervent of non believers that his team are there for the long haul in this most compelling of championship races. On Saturday evening, for the first time since 1993, the Partenopei won in the capital against the Giallorossiin a game that was littered with controversy. Right from the opening exchanges, when […]

After a season and a half away from Italian football, Alessandro Rosina is back gracing the playing fields of Serie A after his loan move from Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg to Cesena. The little midfield dynamo should now be at the peak of his powers after recently celebrating his 27th birthday but for reason’s that will become clear, he has failed to establish himself as one of the country’s leading lights after bursting onto the scene with Torino almost six […]

Southern Italian Round-Up On Saturday evening at the Stadio Sant’Elia, former Cagliari striker Alessandro Matri never expected a warm welcome just six days after leaving the club for his “dream move” to Turin. As he embarked on the flight home after the game, he had stuck a dagger right into the heart of the tifosi that once idolised him as his two goals helped La Vecchia Signora to a 3-1 win to put a temporary halt to the current crisis that has engulfed the Turin […]