Aurelio de Laurentiis, clearly a man with a sense of the epic, seems intent on building upon the Partonopei’s already stratospheric rise. As Napoli enters the grandest of all European stages - the Champions League -  will their ascendency continue, or will added responsibility impinge upon their domestic ambitions, leaving them stranded on both fronts? Sampdoria serve as a sorry and too obvious example as to how capricious fate can be; twelve months prior, il ‘Doria’s fans enjoyed the dreams […]

In what was a turmoil ridden campaign for the Giallorossi, there were always going to be causalities – the question is, will ‘il capitano futuro’, the disaffected Daniele De Rossi, follow Philippe Mexes out of Rome? Understandably, vultures in the form of European football’s big guns are circling over Roma’s carcass, hoping to pick from the bones of last season, before Thomas di Benedetto can breathe new life into the wounded wolf.  So, with Mexes now a Milanista and Jeremy […]

Signed, sealed and delivered it may have been, but Bologna’s bid for Emiliano Viviano was fatally flawed. Stefano Pedrelli - the Rossoblu General Director - contrived to make a mess of his club’s blind bid, allowing Inter to claim the Azzurri stopper as their own despite tabling an inferior offer. But while the formalities are complete, the ripples from Pedrelli’s mistake will be felt across the peninsula as Viviano at the Giuseppe Meazza raises more questions than it answers. Had […]

This week, and with little fanfare, Marco Boriello officially became a Roma player with the capital club paying Milan €10m to make his loan spell permanent. Simultaneously, speculation abounded about Bojan Krkic joining Giallorossi ranks in a convoluted agreement with his current employers, FC Barcelona. But while Borriello’s formal acquisition went almost under the radar, perplexed tifosi discussed the mechanics of the proposed ‘Bojan deal’ and indeed the merits of Barca’s diminutive forward. Talk of Krkic as a ‘Nou Camp […]

Exports from Serie A maybe few and far between but the ripples made by those who ply their trade away from home is certainly felt back on the peninsula – maybe not always for the right reasons, but nonetheless, Italians made their presence known across Europe. As last season’s Premiership campaign started, all eyes were on Manchester City as Roberto Mancini sought to garner glory from an embarrassment of riches. Expectation weighed heavy on ‘Mister Mancini’ and throughout the campaign […]

Milan’s duopoly was extended further this weekend as the Nerazzurri defeated Palermo to take yet another another Coppa tricolore - but as Europe still basked in the afterglow of Saturday’s sensational Champions League final, the final throws of peninsula football passed in comparative anonymity. For calcio aficionados this has been an enthralling scudetto race crammed full of entertaining subplots, extending one’s interest far beyond the San Siro stranglehold. From the surprise ascendency of Udinese, the soap opera that is Palermo, […]

That’s the season done and dusted, now the real entertainment can begin – a summer of wild speculation, fervent anticipation and the foundations laid for future success. But with the dust barely settled upon a bittersweet campaign, it’s time to take stock of a number of key issues. Roma are on the cusp of a wholesale regeneration project, and although it won’t rival that of Manchester City, in relative terms it is a very big deal. A potential pitfall in […]

The league doesn’t lie; it merely reveals an incontestable truth that Udinese (and heavens forbid Lazio), deserve a tilt at Champions League football - certainly more so than the Giallorossi. Now, and with one game remaining, the question for Roma is whether or not the prospect of Europa Cup football is a blessing or a curse. On Sunday, Guidolin’s Zebrette exorcised the ghosts of Roma’s last gasp Fruili winner, beating Chievo to remain in pole for that all important fourth […]

Top and bottom is resolved and a handful of teams have little but pride to play for, but that is only a small part of this weekend’s Serie A story. Stuart Harper breaks down the best stories. With just two games remaining, one of four sides can secure the much vaunted fourth place spot – will it be the ‘big boys’, Juventus or Roma? Or maybe this seasons surprise packages, Lazio or Udinese? Then there’s the question of Sampdoria, will […]

In a season plagued by adversity Roma have for once a modicum of clarity; they simply need to win their last two league games while hoping Udinese and Lazio falter. Sadly however, that’s as clear as Roma’s outlook becomes as a myriad of complexities refuse to go away. On paper, Saturday night’s stalemate against the now champions AC Milan was highly respectable, but the point and clean sheet however, merely papered over a number of cracks. Mirko Vucinic cut a […]

Roma have long been a club to polarise opinions, seldom does one encounter a fair-weather Giallorosso fan or indeed an ambivalent foe – you’re either fervently for or against. Then, within Roma’s very own fan base there exists that very same dynamic - deeply passionate tifosi who bicker amongst themselves, often furiously, in a bid to impose a personal vision of all things i lupi. Today, Roma is a maelstrom of madness. From the magnificence of Er Pupone to the […]

For Roma fans, it was very much a case of ‘grazie a tutti’ following last weekend’s Serie A results. Having eased past Chievo in the weekend’s opening clash, Roma subsequently witnessed their fellow Champions League protagonists drop points as Good Friday gave way to an even better weekend. Suddenly, a highly beneficial weekend has put a different complexion on the table and once again thoughts turn to the magical fourth place quest. The prevailing air of positivity is now embellished […]