Friendlies in America PART 2!

I am writing this in full belief that there will be someone reading it that has some sort of influence in the soccer world.
What would give me that sort of confidence?
If you are a fan of this blog since its inception then you will remember one of my earlier Blog (rants) on the "Friendlies" that have been taking place in North America in recent years featuring the better Serie A teams.
Reading through that piece now it seems scary because it's as if who ever is organizing the Guinness International Champions Cup, read it as well and took my advice.

Currently I am in the Sunny (gorgeous) State of Florida and will be attending the final 4 games of the Summer Friendly Tournament tonight and tomorrow at Miami's Sun Life Stadium, and could not be more excited.

One of the main things I complained about in the aforementioned year-old blog post was the obscene prices that were attached to friendlies featuring Juventus, Milan, Inter, and Roma in Toronto, New York, and Montreal since 2010.

Last summer to watch a ridiculous lop sided game between Milan and Real Madrid in New York, tickets were from 70$-1000$! For a friendly, which if you watch the highlights of, was more of a romp. In Milano for 20 euros you can watch Milan play in the historic San Siro stadium in a game that actually has relevance and is not just a warm up.

How much are tickets for the Guinness International Champions Cup you ask? Starting as low as 60$-350$ (dependent on seating selection) you get a pass to attend all four games in Miami tonight and tomorrow featuring Juventus, Inter, Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid! If you got the lowest package for 60$ would have you seated in the upper bowl (still a great view) and your paying 15$ a game! Now that's Winning!

My next argument (complaint) was the fact that all these games have no meanings, yet the marketers attempt so hard to sell these games as more than what they are....a warm up and test for Managers to see what changes they need for the upcoming season.
And again the Guinness International Champions Cup listened, they created (albeit not a prominent) Trophy, that the teams announced for the tournament would take part in. 
Although Juventus and Inter may have played like they were ready for the first flight back to Europe, you couldn't tell me that Real, Chelsea and Milan weren't trying to win this trophy.
Kudos to the organizers for doing the best they could to make these games interesting.

How the Tournament has worked itself out

And finally the atmosphere and climate of the city. Having been at the Everton/Chelsea/AC Milan practice at Sun Life Stadium last night, (more on that in a future post) I got goosebumps. The decorations around the stadium and the city of Miami itself right now are a constant reminder that some of the Worlds biggest soccer clubs are in the 305 and its GAME TIME!

Last year, I asked for more meaningful matches and affordable prices; Guinness International Champions Cup so far has delivered.

All in all if you are a Calcio fan and never seem to make it across the pond anymore (life myself), look out for the news of next summer's Guinness International Champions Cup. Reports already suggest that it has been a really good tournament (financially) and there will be a second edition. The final games have not even taken place yet and I am already recommending this tournament to all my calcio-fanatic buddies.

Conte vs Zeman Round 2

After we move past the debate on the formation; 3-5-2 (Conte) vs 4-3-3 (Zeman) that I blogged and debated in my last post, this battle becomes a little more personal.

This really is a feud between Zdnek Zeman and Juventus, but since Antonio Conte, who spent 13 of his 19 years as a player at Juventus, is now the head coach of Juventus and last season led the Zebras back to its winning ways, he is the person who represents the Bianconeri at the moment, therefore is the object of Zeman's verbal attacks.

Antonio was the Captain of Juventus in the early 2000s

Zdnek Zeman in recent years has been a lot more vocal about his displeasures with the Bianconeri organization, like when he recently said that Juve should really only celebrate 22 or 23 scudetti because 5 or 6 of them were stolen. He also spoke on Conte's current 10-month touchline ban, "I can sleep well at night, Juve can't", Zeman addded that Conte got off easy because he believes Conte should not even be allowed to train the team.

top: Zeman you say that Juve should not claim to have won more than 20 scudetti?
bottom: Please tell me all about your scudetti!

Conte who was in the midst of his appeal process to the controversial ban, reacted to Zeman's comments with a "we will respond on the field", but a few days after Juventus' supercup win Conte added that current Juve BENCH Boss and rookie Head Coach Massimo Carrera has already won more than Zeman ever has in his career only after one game.

Marotta always has his coaches back.

Juventus General Manager Beppe Marotta really took the fight back to Zeman. He first said that since Zeman himself had admitted to not reading all the details on the Conte-FIGC battle, he should not even concern or comment on things he does not know. Beppe then asked what Zeman knew or was hiding since he was the coach of the team the FIGC penalized the most; Lecce. Marotta specifically called into question a controversial game from 2005 between Lecce and Parma that ended 3-3, in which Zeman was on the Lecce bench as head coach, but left for no apparent reason in the 80th minute.

The feud ironically began in 98, when Juventus was in the mid stage of its late 90s dynasty that involved 4 consecutive Champions League finals appearances, & many Italian titles and Zdenek Zeman was for the first time the Head Coach of Roma. Juventus was linked to a doctor who had been indicted by the International Sports Commitee, although nothing was ever proven. Zeman from the beginning voiced his opinion that all the Juventus players at the time (including soccer Legends like Zidane, Inzaghi, Vieri, Vialli, Conte and Del Piero) were on drugs because they were not that good of a team.....let that sink in for a little. 

Del Piero, Peruzzi, Deschamps, Zidane, Inzaghi...surely without drugs they could never have won anything in their careers
(said in my sarcastic voice)

He later would make many accusations towards Juventus implying that they were corrupt and were the reason he never coached a "big club" .......not because his 4-3-3 tactic is very stale. He also claimed to feel vindicated when Juventus was sent down to Serie B during the Calciopoli scandal......makes me wonder if Zeman suffers from a god-complex.

Zeman should really quit that bad habit at his age...

Former Juventus Legend and 1982 Azzuri Hero Paolo Rossi said it best, Zeman talks too much, and always has. 
Zeman has never ever won a top flight trophy, and this season is more than likely his last chance to do so. Every excuse he has ever used to why he has never been able to do so in his over 20 years of coaching in Italy is irrelevant. Roma spent a lot of money this summer and has a team that many experts considered the only competition to Juventus for the scudetto. Its now or never for the Czech. Meanwhile Antonio Conte has already won the scudetto and is predicted to win a few more titles with Juve in the next few years.

Round 1 in my opinion was won by Conte, seeing that many teams are beginning to prefer the 3-5-2 to Zeman's 4-3-3 because it defends better. Also using the 3-5-2 Juventus has remain undefeated in 45 league competition games, while Roma using Zeman's 4-3-3 has already suffered defeat in the new season.

Round 2 will be disputed today at 245 as the two teams meet for the first time this season. All the talk means nothing, both Juventus and Roma will really want to win todays game. Although Conte will not be on the bench, we know he will be in the stands. If Zeman can finally beat his self proclaimed nemesis on the field then it will create a very interesting title run for the remainder of the season. If Conte's men get the better of the Volpe, Zeman may be inquiring about an early retirement.

Analyzing Perfection

Yes we are only three games into the Serie A season, but I do find it quite interesting which teams have started their season win three consecutive wins. Juventus, Napoli, Lazio, and Sampdoria  have yet to leave any points on the table through the first three match days of the Serie A. 

Juventus is not really a surprise here, Parma, Udinese, and Genoa have been their first three opponents thus far, so they were all very winnable games for the reigning Italian Champs. But we are seeing more of the same from last year with Juventus, which is a team effort on offense and defense. Goals continue to come from everywhere, and so far the Bianconeri have been able to quiet the critics who said they needed a top striker. The criticism I do have though is from this past weekend, the squad struggled with some of the starters being given a chance to rest up for the upcoming Champions League match this weekend against Chelsea. Until coach Massimo Carrera decided to bring in Asamoah and Vucinic the squad was showing no signs of picking up the three points. This will be one thing to watch as the season goes on and the games start to pile up. 

Marek Hamsik: The key to Napoli

Napoli are another team that are not much of a surprise, at least not for me. This team improved with the sale of Ezequiel Lavezzi. A more balanced, and deeper squad than last year, this Napoli team in my eyes poses the biggest challenge for Juventus. They have dominated all three of their games thus far, and look like a far more mature team than the one we saw in the Supercoppa Italiana. Their biggest test thus far was Fiorentina but even in that game they led by two goals for most of the ninety minutes. I really do not have much to criticize of the team to this point as they have not had much trouble with their first three games. It will be interesting to see how they handle Europa League as the season goes on, because as we saw last year they were not deep enough to compete in both Champions League and Serie A. Right now it feels as though Marek Hamsik is the man who runs this offense an injury to him would be devastating for the Patrenopei. They will most likely keep their focus on the Serie A, especially in the early going.

Hernanes and Klose have Lazio looking like title contenders

Unlike Juventus and Napoli, I am very surprised at what Lazio has been able to do. Maybe it is because they fell so hard last year after losing Miroslav Klose to injury, but they look stronger than ever right now. Winning each of their first three games with ease, Lazio looks like they can really challenge for a title let alone a top three position. While Roma has had a rollercoaster ride to start their season, Lazio have overshadowed their biggest rivals with goals aplenty and strength in defense. Hernanes has been incredible thus far, and if he can keep this up throughout the season, he may wind up being tagged as the best midfielder in Serie A, and what more can you say about Klose? He's just incredible in front of goal, and does not miss too many chances when they are given to him, one of the best Prima Punta's of this generation, he is a pleasure to watch. It's hard to find criticism's in a team where they have won each of their first three games by at least two goals. Again its early in the season, when the games start to pile up we will learn a lot more about these teams, but right now I do not see Lazio going away. 

Maxi Lopez 3 Games - 3 Goals can he keep it up for Sampdoria?

The biggest surprise of all is newly promoted Sampdoria. How can you not be impressed with these guys? I think anyone who follows the Serie A wanted to see Sampdoria come back up from Serie B and succeed, but no one was expecting this level of success. The team has had an incredible transfer season bringing in affordable veterans to go along with a nice young core of players. Enzo Maresca is a nice addition to this squad, he is a hard worker and will be a great veteran presence for youngsters Poli, and Obiang. Maxi Lopez is an awesome finisher, and if he keeps up his early season success, he will contend for Capocannoniere. Sampdoria are most likely to struggle at some point this season, but Ciro Ferrara has this team paying strong defense and that alone will keep them in a lot of games, and allow them to steal points against the big teams. With Milan, and Roma struggling to start their season, and struggling to keep the ball out of their own net, Sampdoria could sneak in a Europa League position when this season is all set and done. 

Comments, and tweets are always welcome @SerieACanada 

Conte vs Zeman Round 1

Antonio Conte vs Zednek Zeman 

also known as 

3-5-2 vs 4-3-3

Looking over the probable line-ups for the upcoming season I'm seeing a common theme. With the exception being Atalanta, with a simple 4-4-2 and Torino with an exciting 4-2-4 formation that got them back into the Serie A, every other team is either using a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3, with some teams having slightly modified it with either a 3-5-1-1 (Napoli, Bologna, & Udinese) or a 4-3-1-2 like Milan & Chievo or finally a 4-3-2-1 like Inter.

Some say 'Parody is Flattery', but I think Conte and Zeman would both feel less than flattered by this. Either way the influence of these two men and their formations will be very evident this season.

Those of you who followed the Azzurri's run in the Euro Cup should know that this was a struggle for Head Coach Cesare Prandelli, who used the 3-5-2 for the first game against Spain, when Italy drew 1-1, but then used a modified 4-3-3 for the remainder of the tourney. Some (mainly myself) have argued how in the Final game he should of reverted back to the 3-5-2, and how it would of been a much closer game. But thats in the past, and after many cold showers it is to be forgotten.

i'm sure a lot of people wanted to be the Batman to my Robin 

in the weeks after the final

  Zdenek Zeman may be best known for using the 4-3-3, but when you actually see a Zeman squad using it effectively how he preaches it, it looks a lot more like a 2-5-3, which creates a lot of goals. Pescara scored the most goals in the Serie B last season, and with all the fire-power Roma have at their disposal I suspect they should be considered favourites to score the most goals in the Serie A this season.

Roma in a pre-season friendly already effectively using the 4-3-3 

(looks like just 2 at the back though) 

Zeman is not the only one who has used the 4-3-3 in the Serie A before. Massimo Allegri (Milans current Head Coach) used that same formation in the 2010/11 SERIE A season and won more than just Most Goals by a club that season, as Milan were crowned Scudetto Champions, which can be credited to the 4-3-3 formation that allowed them to score so many goals.

Antonio Conte last season preferred a more pass-heavy formation in the 3-5-2. (It will definetly still be used by new Juve bench boss Massimo Carrera while Conte serves his 10-month touchline ban). This formation keeps 3 central defenders back at all times, and is not as susceptible to a counter attack as the 4-3-3. The formation finally got its recognition by the Italian Soccer community only after Juventus finished the 2011/12 season as UNDEFEATED Scudetto Champions. 

During last season, Mr.Conte was constantly called out by 'analysts' and 'experts' about how it does not produce enough goals. Antonio answered this at the end of the season  himself: "While the 3-5-2 may not score a lot of goals, it rarely gives them up" and that is all that matters.

This season there will be a lot of talk on what formation will be better to use Zeman's 4-3-3 or Conte's 3-5-2. My vote will always be with my coach, but the main thing is that they both create very exciting, attractive Calcio, and while you try to decide which side you are on, I'll be enjoying all the action from the most competitive soccer league on the planet.

What's Wrong With What Juventus Has?



RobinVan Persie Signs for Manchester United

Many a Juventus fan wanted to see Robin Van Persie in the Bianconeri. Although it was known for a few days it has now become official that the Dutch talisman is on his way to Old Trafford. He has signed for Manchester United. The deal is reported to be around €30 million, and to that I say congratulations Arsenal!

But this post is not about Robin Van Persie, or Arsenal still being able to get a truckload of money despite the fact that RVP's contract is about to expire. This post is about Juve and their search for a 'top player'. Since the beginning of the transfer window Director General Giuseppe Marrotta has been in search of a top of the line striker. I do believe he has been looking, but as I have said in the past he won't empty out the pocketbooks for one, nor should he

If we take a look at the targets that Juventus have been after, they all have one thing in common, and that one thing is value, or at least the perception of it.

Robin Van Persie - Out of contract after this season

Luis Suarez - Apparent turmoil between him and Liverpool

Edin Dzeko - In search of first team football

Fernando Llorente - Out of contract after this season



Javier Hernandez to Juventus? Rubbish

Immediately following Robin Van Persie's signing to Man U, rumours spread that Juve would be after Javier Hernandez now that he may have been pushed out of the first team at Old Trafford. Trust me those are just rumours. The thing is Marrotta has done when any good transfer director should do, and that is be in search of value all over the globe. He thought he may have had a chance to get a big name at a discount price in Van Persie, but quickly learned that was not going to happen and then just talked up the transfer just to drive the price up. He did this knowing that if Manchester City were to get their hands on RVP then Dzeko would immediately become more expendable, and cheaper than the €30 m Man City is currently demanding.

Beppe Marotta

That's what it's all about; value. Marrotta knows that we aren't that bad up front, but a big name at a discount price is never a bad idea. He thought he might be able to get one of those guys at a price he would be happy with, however that was not the case. It was partially his fault because he announced to the world how much he wanted a top of the line front man for the upcoming season. Anywhere he has gone looking, he has gotten an inflated price since he was so adamant in telling everybody what he wanted.

The Vucinic Mustache kisses Supercoppa

Which is why I am beginning to come around to the idea that it's all just been smoke in mirrors by Marrotta. Maybe he thinks like me, that this is strikeforce isn't as bad as everyone seems to make it out to be. He spent €11m to get back Sebastian Giovinco from Parma, he has Matri back at full health for the first time since January, and Vucinic is a stud especially with that mustache. Fabio Quagliarella could be on his way out in exchange for Giampaolo Pazzini at Inter, which I think would be a great move. Pazzini flourished at Sampdoria under Marrotta, and a move to the Old Lady could be exactly what is needed to rejuvenate him, and hes right in the prime of his career at 28 years old. The best thing is he would cost next to nothing given that Inter coach Andrea Strammaccioni has already ruled Pazzini to be out of the squad's plans for the season. VALUE!

It's just like the Marco Borriello move in the January transfer season that Juventus made this past season. Yeah it did not work out so well, but it cost them nothing, and he was needed due to Matri's knee injury.

Alessandro Matri is Ready To Go

I don't see a problem with what Juventus has, I like Matri a lot as a poacher type of striker, he's big, he's strong, times his runs well, and has that knack for being in the right place at the right time. He scored 20 goals in 2010-11 and was on his way to another twenty goal season last year before battling through injury. Also, Alessandro Sampogna made a great point when talking about this the other day, he doesn't take penalties so he will have a tough time beating the Di Natale's of the world when it comes to overall goals. Vucinic and Giovinco are both guys who will finish but also create plenty at the same time. Juventus will get goals from everywhere, and that is something that can be very valuable to a squad.

Also while Marrotta has been talking up the need for a top of the line finisher, he has quietly signed quite a few players to the youth ranks. Leo Bonatini is young Brazilian whose come over and had a great pre-season for the Juventus Primavera squad(his first goal in a Juventus jersey is below). Also, just today Manolo Gabbiadini was bought from Atalanta. Although he will be sent to Bologna on loan where he should start immediately, and hopefully form a nice partnership with Alessandro Diamanti. Lest we forget that Juventus also own half of Serie B Capocannoniere Ciro Immobile, he will be playing for Genoa this season.

Marrotta is really growing into his Director General position, and after a few less than impressive transfer season's I really can't argue with what he is done lately, and he seems to have Juventus on the right path. The top of the line striker he has been talking about may already be part of the team, and all that talk has allowed him to make some other very quiet smart moves. Now he just needs to learn how to sell players.

So to answer the question originally posed in the title... What's Wrong With What Juventus Has? The answer is nothing, but Juventus fans expect the best, and while there is nothing wrong with that, they are reluctant to give what Juventus have the chance to succeed. After going undefeated last season I think they deserve that at the very least.

Follow me on twitter @DanRiccio23 for all the latest Serie A news updates.

The First Edition of the Serie A Canada Podcast!

In our first edition we go over how the Calcio Scommesse verdicts broke down. Antonio Conte recieved a ten month ban, does this affect Juve's title hopes? Italy makes some interesting call ups for their friendly against England, while the Supercoppa Italiana is coming up! We got the preview right here on the Serie A Canada podcast!

Serie A Power Shift



Milan Lose 5-1 to Real Madrid

Fresh on the heels of the two Milan clubs suffering losses and Antonio Conte being banned for ten months, I begin asking the question...is the balance of power shifting in the Italian Serie A?

Yes I know AC Milan was only playing a friendly, but losing 5-1 is not pretty, friendly or not, and Inter were playing a Europa League match in which they led 3-0 on aggregate heading into the 2-0 loss to Hajduk.

Also this morning the sentences came down in the Calcioscommesse scandal, and although Juventus did not lose any players, as Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Pepe were both acquitted. They did lose their coach, Antonio Conte who was sentenced to a ten month ban, however he will appeal, and possibly get it down to four or five months.



Antonio Conte banned for 10 months



What was so impressive about Juventus last season was the fact that they managed to win the Serie A without a superstar. Alessandro Del Piero who was no doubt an integral part of the championship run, became a role player rather than the superstar he was for so many previous Juventus championship seasons. Andrea Pirlo played like a superstar, but prior to the season was written off due to his age, and nagging injuries that hindered him in years past. Which left Conte to bring in a hard-working, team mentality. He became the superstar of the team. Which is why I believe the team will struggle more than anyone else seems to think without Conte, especially with the Champions League approaching on top of the already gruelling Serie A schedule. Yes Juventus are still the favourites heading into the season, but for the first time in awhile there is serious contention looming atop the leader board.

Udinese have been able to finish among the Champions League qualifiers in the last two seasons, but face the same question as always; who will replace the men they've sold away this summer?



Napoli 2012 Coppa Italia Winners



Napoli's qualification into the Champions League after the 09-10 taught them a great lesson, they weren't good enough to compete in all competitions. After struggling last season, they are now poised to make a serious run at the Scudetto with the arrivals of Behrami, Insigne, Gamberini among others. They lost Lavezzi and have replaced him with several players which usually bodes well over the course of long season. The Supercoppa Italiana against Juventus tomorrow will be their first real test of the season, however they do seem further ahead in their pre-season preparations than Juve at the moment. It really is just a glorified friendly. The pre-season has been very impressive for the Patrenopei as they've defeated the likes of Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen as well as others so far.



New Roma coach Zdenek Zeman



Roma have been very active in the transfer market this season, as I've documented in my 'Welcome to Zemanlandia' piece from a week or so ago. I really like what they have done and since have brought in Euro 2012 standout Federico Balzaretti and have finally made the transfer of Mattia Destro official. With Zdenek Zeman taking over the helm they will surely score plenty of goals in the coming season and are my pre-season favourite to score the most in the league, however it is the defence that will be a problem for them as it is for every Zeman team. A year of maturity and progression will no doubt help the likes of Bojan Krkic, Erik Lamela and Miralem Pjanic, all players under the age of 22 that were brought in last summer. There is no denying the talent this team has, and I truly believe they have the best chance at the title outside of the 'big three'.

Lazio have been very quiet this summer, but as we saw last season they have a very capable squad. They were at or near the top for much of the first half of the season, until the injury to Miroslav Klose and sub-par performance of Djibril Cisse saw them fall out of title contention.



New Fiorentina Signing Alberto Aquilani



Fiorentina are the wild card in all of this, they have quietly had a very impressive transfer season. Although they lost Montolivo and Behrami, Valero, Aquilani and Pizarro have been brought in. More importantly they have been able to keep star player Stevan Jovetic in the Viola shirt, and are maybe just a striker away from having a very competitive season among the top of the Serie A.

What has excited me is that the teams in the second tier that 4th through 8th group of teams, have recognised the weakness of Inter, Milan, and Juventus, and have begun to get their ducks in order for a push to the top.

Inter seem to still be in transition from their glory years and are still building towards a new cycle, however they still have the talent to contend.

While Milan is also in transition and do not seem to have the finances to bring in new stars. The recent signing of Cristian Zapata won't fill the void left by the sale of Thiago Silva and was just the most cost-effective player they could find. Yes he had some success with Udinese a couple of years ago before moving to Villarreal, but being part of a defence that was relegated from La Liga does not sound to good from here.

Juventus has improved their squad but with Champions League on the horizon, and the coaching situation still up in the air, it is tough to confidently say they will repeat.

Whatever the outcome will be, I can tell you this, it will not be a two horse race atop the Serie A down the stretch this season. Calcio fans are in for an exciting season.

Follow me on Twitter: DanRiccio23 for all the latest Serie A news, and for the latest blog updates.

Your comments are always welcome

Juve's Bad Investments

In recent years the Juventus have had trouble in the transfer seasons. It has not been due to a lack of finances, although with the new stadium they have moved to another level financially. They won't compete with the PSG's and Manchester City's, but they clearly have more disposable income.

This is good news for Bianconeri fans, but still they will have to be more diligent when selling players in the future. What sparked this idea was the sale of Milos Krasic for €7 million to Fenerbahce, and the inevitable loan of Felipe Melo yet again to Galatasaray. With the eventual implementation of the UEFA financial fair play, the selling of players is going to be just as important to a team as buying will be.

Milos Krasic was bought for €15 million in the summer of 2010. As most Juventini will tell you he was fantastic to begin his Bianconeri career, but struggled with fitness toward the end of that first season and seemed to lose a step as the year dragged on. The arrival of Antonio Conte was the beginning of the end for Milos at Juventus. He was completely phased out of the squad and was not even used as a substitute for most of the season. He only made 9 appearances during the 2011-12 season. It's surprising that Juventus were still able to sell him, but with his impressive pre-season this summer prior to being sold every fan wondered if he that magic he brought to the table at the start of his Serie A career was coming back. We'll never know.

Eljero Elia is another name that comes to mind, he arrived at Juventus last summer for €9 million. He made a grand total of four appearances before being shipped out this summer for €5.5 million. Why buy him in the first place?

The list goes beyond Krasic and Elia of course. Since the re-birth into Serie A Juventus have struggled mightily with transfers. Spending large fees on players that have not panned out. Felipe Melo(€25m), Diego(€27m), Tiago Mendes(€13m), Sergio Almiron(€9m), Jorge Martinez (€12m), and worst of all Amauri(€22.6) and trust me on this I could name more.

The return to Serie A saw the core of Alessandro Del Piero, Pavel Nedved, David Trezeguet, and Gianluigi Buffon still carry the team to Champions League qualification in their first two seasons back up. But beyond that the new blood was needed to carry the team to the next level, it wasn't until this season that Giuseppe Marrotta was able to figure it out with players like Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo being brought in. However we still are seeing the same problem, an inability to sell players at a profit.

Amauri, Tiago, Martinez and Melo have all brought back very little return in terms of performance and monetary value to the club and this cannot continue if the Old Lady is to continue on atop the Serie A. Most of them were only given a handful of opportunities to really succeed with the club, so it begs the question why bother? Especially with players like Martinez.

Alessandro Matri, Fabio Quagliarella, and Reto Ziegler are three players that remain on the selling block. I'm not sure why Matri would be, he seemed to fit in well with the Bianconeri's plans and had a decent scoring record before struggling through the end of last season with a knee injury. They spent €20m on him and now are reportedly looking to fetch €12m on the market for him only to use it on another striker. You always want to be buying low and selling high, something Marrotta does not seem to do well. Ziegler was brought in on a free, but was loaned out immediately and now they are struggling to get rid of him. While Quagliarella is having an awful pre-season after not featuring in the squad for much of last season, so what can they really get for him?

What troubles me the most is the continuing talk of Robin Van Persie being atop their priority list. He is a great talent I will admit, but I do have my doubts about his overall game. I'm not sure it will translate well to the Serie A, and I find it hard to remember when RVP has pulled out great performances when facing the top teams around Europe. But I could rant all day about that, the thing is that he is just turned 29, and is coming off the first injury free season of his career. His contract is going to expire with Arsenal next season at which point I would have no problem signing him as a thirty year old on a free transfer. But Arsenal is smart they know he is in high demand because of the great season he is coming off, and since three teams have let it be known they are strongly interested in him(Juventus, Man U, and Man City) they will let the bidding war ensue. Squeezing as much money as possible out of their star player.

I am warning Juventus fans Robin Van Persie may not end up being all he's cracked up to be. The Bianconeri went down the same road with Amauri a few years ago and we see how that turned out. Buying strikers when they are at their peak is never a good idea. I will grant you Van Persie is ten times the player Amauri was, but it's the same type of deal buying when their value is peaked and they are about to hit the down slope of their career.

Robin Van Persie would be yet another bad investment for Juventus.

Best in the World

Is the Serie A the best league in the world? The answer right now is no, but as we saw from the Euro's Italy are still no slouches despite the reputation of the league and National side taking a hit in recent years. I for one have always enjoyed the Serie A more than any other league, sure I have a rooting interest for Juventus but as a casual soccer fan I would still rather watch any Serie A game more than another league.

But I also think that the Serie A is back on the rise again. It is unfortunate that the Serie A lost our coveted fourth Champions League spot, but if things fall the right way this season that spot could belong to an Italian team once again, and if you think about it that spot could be filled with a very competitive team.

I have shared my views on Roma and Napoli's transfer seasons thus far, and I think we can all agree, both teams have made some impressive strides in the right direction. Inter has also made some important moves this summer, Coutinho seems like a different player since spending a year on loan  while head coach Andrea Strammaccioni has stressed a hard work ethic since taking over late last season. Milan have had their struggles, and those have been very well documented this summer, but I still maintain that cashing in on Ibrahimovic and Silva was the right thing to do for the Rossoneri. That was a move for the long-term that will benefit them in a big way. Udinese have sold away virtually everyone that made them so great last season besides Antonio Di Natale and Pablo Armero, however Armero may be on his way to Juventus in the coming days. Juventus have strengthened the squad big time, and are still looking for more, even beyond Armero, Van Persie or Edin Dzeko remain possibilites, while a defender is also desired by the Bianconeri brass. That leaves Lazio to round out the top seven, and they were great last season until a run of injuries killed a squad that already lacked depth.

Thats seven teams that could all compete for the Serie A this season. We can all agree that Lazio and Udinese are probably the weakest of the two, but I am here to make the argument that it is no longer a three team race in this league. Juventus will NOT be undefeated again this year. That isn't a very bold statement, as there aren't too many teams that have enjoyed consecutive 'invincable' seasons.

I have spoken to it before how upsetting it is that Udinese will probably go a second consecutive year where they stand very little chance of advance from their Champions League qualifier as they just sell away too many players, and do not re-enforce in time for the qualifier. But there is always a chance, Guidolin has that team working hard and they are never easy to beat, especially at the Stadio Friuli. But this hurts Italy's chances of getting that fourth Champions League spot back.

But we won't be held out for long, Napoli and Roma are building squads that will compete for a very long time, and squads that will have enough depth to compete in all competitions. Napoli got a rude awakening last season when they struggled with the added games of the Champions League. So they sold Ezequiel Lavezzi and have revamped with a much deeper, balanced squad. One that will challenge for a Serie A title, and one the will compete hard for continental glory as well.

Roma are in the same boat. They brought in the perfect coach for their young squad that is developing into one of the most exciting teams to watch in all of football. Seriously, if you watched some their games last season, and how talented some of these guys are, then you know what they can can do in the final third of the pitch. If not, I suggest you find a Roma game to watch this upcoming season, they will be a lot of fun.

Inter and Milan will always be around, and they will always field great teams. They may go through transition seasons every now and again, but most teams do, we've even seen it happen with Chelsea in recent seasons. But Inter are looking to get back on the map and Milan will be gunning to prove that they will still be a great team despite the sale of their two superstars, and many of their older players riding off into the sunset.


Juventus is a team on a mission at the moment. The mission is to get the credit and reputation they once had restored. An undefeated season did help but now more trouble and betting scandals are looming. However, the team had nothing to do with it, and the plan still goes on as it was drawn out. They are aiming for a lengthy run in the Champions League while retaining the Serie A title. However, it will not be as easy as they made it seem last season.


The Serie A is a league that is growing, and trying to restore its name and reputation around the world. I believe in it, and I am happy to see that the owners of Napoli and Roma are making a real effort to compete with the 'big three' and beyond. The league will not be a two horse race this season. There will be plenty of scoreboard watching and it will not be long until we see Italian squads dominating throughout Europe once again.

Your thoughts and opinions are always encouraged.

Follow me on Twitter @DanRiccio23 for all the latest Serie A news and updates on the blog!

Serie A Canada Latest

The latest transfer rumours in the Serie A.

Juventus left back Reto Ziegler does not seem to figure in the Bianconeri's plans. A move to La Liga seems unlikely as Valencia and Sevilla have dropped out of talks for him. Lokomotiv and CSKA Moscow however have begun tracking him, and are in talks with the players agent/father Rene Ziegler.

They have also closed down talks with Brescia starlet Omar El Khaddouri, a move to the Premiere League is now possible for the young Moroccan who will be showcased in the Olympics.

Sticking with Juventus, Milos Krasic played as a sub in the friendly against Hertha Berlin and scored. He may now have an opportunity in the first team with a possible suspension hanging over Simone Pepe. However, any decent offer for the player would still be accepted at this point.

Bruno Alves is close to a Juventus move, the club are still looking at other options though. Rumours of Salvatore Bocchetti are gaining steam, especially now that Bonucci will likely miss the entire season on a suspension. Bocchetti's contract with Rubin Kazan ends in 2013, a loan deal with option to buy at the end seems likely.

Inter continue to track Lucas Moura from Sao Paulo. It will take at least 30 million Euro for the player, but he has said his future will not be decided until after the Olympics. Manchester United are still in the lead for his signature.

Rumours continue to swirl around Milan. Replacements are needed and the club are looking at everything. Kaka remains a possibility while Catania midfielder Lodi says he is proud to be a Catania player and has no problems staying there. He has recently been linked to the Rossoneri.

Milan continue to look in France for defenders. N'Koulou Nicolas is the latest name to be linked with the club. The Marseille defender is 22 years old and has tonnes of potential. However, he would count as a non-EU player as he is Cameroonian. They should continue to look in Italy for defenders. Angelo Ogbonna anyone?

Napoli have given standout pre-season performer Lorenzo Insigne a contract extension. It runs until 2017.

They are also druelling at the prospects of signing Guiseppe Rossi. However if that deal won't materialize Giampaolo Pazzini, Sergio Floccari and Rolando Bianchi would be other options.

Euro 2012 standout Federico Balzaretti has many admirers, and a move out of Palermo is imminent. The Rosaneri have accepted bids from Roma and Napoli so his future is now in his own hands. His wife would like him to stay in Palermo or move to PSG. Juventus are looking to hijack this deal as well.

Fiorentina are tracking Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani. It seems he would like a move back to Italy but nothing is imminent. Something may happen in the next week or so as Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers tries to figure out if Aquilani will be in his plans for the Reds.

Inter are beginning to look for alternatives to Lucas Moura. Although their hope is still high for the Brazilian, they have looked to Germany for midfield talent. Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund as well as Thomas Muller of Bayern Munich. Muller seems likely as he would like more guaranteed playing time than he has been getting in Munich.

Roma has finally made the signing of Mattia Destro official. It's clear now why it took so long, very complicated deal. He moves to the Giallorossi on loan for 11.5m Euro with an option to purchase outright at the end of the year for an extra 4.5. This will obviously happen because it makes no sense to pay 11.5m Euro for a loan, and then throw the player back. Giammario Piscitella and Valerio Verre have gone to Genoa as part of co-ownership deals as well, while Verre will be loaned to Siena. Add it all up you get a 19m Euro deal for Mattia Destro.

Genoa wanted as much money as they could get right away to bring in some re-inforcements. The first two names that have popped up in rumour talks are Milos Krasic from Juventus and Alessio Cerci from Fiorentina. The Rossoblu would like both in a perfect world.

Three teams are hunting Atalanta's Federico Peluso. Juventus, who have been tracking him for quite sometime, Lazio, and Palermo who will soon be searching for a Balzaretti replacement.

Pescara continue to look for new attacking options since losing Veratti, Insigne and Immobile. The three men that won them promotion from Serie B. Emmanuele Calaio is one of the names at the top of their list.

Torino have terminated the contract of Damiano Ferronetti.

Chievo are looking at bringing Valeri Bojinov back to the Serie A. He is currently playing for Sporting Lisbon.

Luc Castaignos made his move from Inter to FC Twente official today. He lashed out at the club saying although he learned a lot during his time in Milan, he had more faith in himself than the team had in him. He's only 19 he can still become a great player. The ceiling is very, very high on this kid.

Udinese, looking for Samir Handanovic replacement, are thinking about bringing former Juventus keeper Alex Manninger into the mix.

Juventus have made the signing of Pablo Armero one of their top priorities. They are thought to want three more players before the window closes. A defender, a striker and left wing. Armero would be that left winger.

That's it for today surely the silly season will have much more tomorrow.
Follow me on twitter @DanRiccio23 for all the very latest transfer news in the Italian Serie A.

The Curious Case of Udinese Calcio

One of the main storylines over the last couple of years in the Italian Serie A, has been Udinese Calcio. Led by Antonio Di Natale this club has found a way to push themselves into Champions League Qualification the last two years running. Ordinarily they are a midtable side who struggles to qualify for Europa league.

Antonio Di Natale (Udinese Captain)

The Friulani have been one of the few sides in Italy that have recorded profits in these trying economic times, because they are able to develop so much talent. In 09-10 they finished 15th way below where they should be, but Antonio Di Natale was the lone bright spot scoring 29 goals to lead the league. This was a sign of things to come in the coming years.

The summer of 2010 brought a huge amount of turnover, and saw many players leave the Stadio Friuli. Simone Pepe, Marco Motta, and Gaetano D'Agostino were all shown the door among others, but the team was able to finish fourth ahead of teams with much larger budgets like Roma, Lazio and Juventus. Simone Pepe and Marco Motta were sold to Juventus. But it was signings from previous seasons that filled the void of departed stars.

Simone Pepe

The summer of 2011 was no different. Instead of adding talent to the squad like most teams do in the wake of competing in the Champions League. Udinese continued to go about their usual business. Identifying players that could be replaced and selling them for a profit. A key player in the 2010-11 surprise season was Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean was bought by Udine in the summer of 2006 for just under 3m pounds. 2010-11 was his breakout year, scoring 12 goals and adding 6 assists catching the eyes of many big clubs he would be sold for 26m Euros that summer to Barcelona. Gokham Inler was also a part of the departed leaving for Napoli at a price around 13m Euros along with standout defender Cristian Zapata at 14m Euros to Villarreal. Udinese turned quite the profit that summer. However, they did not re-invest the money into any big name signings. Paolo Vitor Barreto was the biggest purchase at 3.5m Euro. They ended up losing their Champions League qualifier 2-1 to Arsenal on aggregate.

Alexis Sanchez with Gokhan Inler

However they were able to recover for the start of the Serie A season. Udinese's outstanding record at home (13-4-2) was the main catalyst in their second consecutive Champions League qualification. Antonio Di Natale had another fantastic season scoring 23 goals to go along with 7 assists.

So with the Champions League looming for Udine in the summer of 2012, the purge has arrived once again.

In the summer of 2007 an unknown Chilean was signed to a five year contract by the Friulani. Mauricio Isla came over to Italy for 462 000 pounds. He took the place of Simone Pepe on the right side of midfield in a 3-5-2 formation for the 2010-11 season. He's been sold to Juventus for just over 8m pounds.

Mauricio Isla

In 2008 Kwadwo Asamoah was brought in on a loan deal from a Swiss club. He would sign permanently the following summer for 880 000 pounds. The defensive midfielder has played a key role for Udinese in their past two seasons both resulting in top four finishes. Also sold to Juventus, for just under 8m pounds.

Kwadwo Asamoah

Samir Handanovic is a goalkeeper that Udinese got on free transfer! He had been with the club since 2004 until Inter needed a replacement for Julio Cesar this summer. They worked out a fee of 11m Euro for the Slovenian shotstopper.

Samir Handanovic

So who have Udinese brought into replace? Well to be honest a bunch of players I have not heard much about, typical Udinese. Three Brazilians look to be the ones that will fill the void in the midfield. I can try to speculate who will be their new star this year, but the truth is I have no idea. All we know is someone on the team will get it done. Antonio Di Natale seems to be the only player that can avoid being sold away from the Stadio Friuli and it remains to be seen how much longer the 34-year-old can keep it up.

Maicousel

(One of three Brazilians brought in this summer by Udinese)

To be honest it is a nice story, and it is great to see the incredible profits they've made through transfers. Buying players for next to nothing and selling them at huge prices. But it's also quite frustrating as a calcio fan. I want to see Italian clubs perform well beyond the league. I feel as though when you qualify for a Champions League match you need to invest some money in making the most of it, to represent your country on the Continental stage the best way possible. If Italy is to gain back their 4th Champions League place Udinese have to perform well in the competition, and with the sales from the last two seasons I don't see how that is possible.

It's hard to see them continuing this run in the Serie A also. Inter figures to be better than they were last season, Milan will not drop off as much as people think after the sales of Ibrahimovic and Silva, Roma has made significant improvements to their squad as well as Napoli, and Lazio still figure to be in the mix as well. Unless some 'ready-now' talent is brought into the Stadio Friuli they're run of top four finishes in the league will come to an end this year.

Giampaolo Pozzo (Udinese Owner)

It's unfortunate but it is clear that Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo sees his club as a business that needs to turn a profit, rather than a team he wants to see perform at the highest level possible. At some point one would think that their luck will run out. That eventually they will guess wrong on one of these unknown commodities that get purchased for next to nothing. The youth system is something that other clubs wish they had and it is a great tool to make substantial profits in the transfer market, but I think it is about time Udinese use some of the profits they've made over the years to make a real push at the Serie A title and who knows maybe a little run through the Champions League.