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.

Dan The Man

Daniele De Rossi Remains Loyal to his Hometown Club

Daniele De Rossi has rejected a move to English giants Manchester City. Yeah this is old news, but I have yet to offer my opinion on it. 

Daniele is one of the premier talents in the Italian Serie A, and to see him reject a move to one of the biggest clubs in the world is admirable. It's not like any Italian football fans hated De Rossi in the first place, I just feel like he gets forgotten about at times. Maybe last year more than ever, just because Roma was such a mediocre team. But when the Euro came around, De Rossi was arguably the Azzurri's best player, and was noticeable at all times on the field. Whether it was creating an offensive opportunity, or if it was making a last ditch effort on the defensive end he was absolutely sublime. Or maybe, just maybe, it was showing that he could even play in central defense if need be, to me he is one of the most valuable talents on the planet.

The Roman Boys Celebrate the 2006 World Cup Win

Putting a price on him would be difficult, but Roma was put in a very tough place following the £31 million offer Man City threw at them. There a comes a time when an offer is just too good to reject, and maybe this was it, however selling De Rossi at this point would be extremely detrimental to the team's prospects for this year. If there was one player on any team in the Serie A, that you could say is irreplaceable, who would it be? I'd say Daniele De Rossi. 

Roma's Future Captain

Daniele is the reason I think Roma can challenge for the Scudetto in 2012/13, we know that Zeman's all out attack tactics will be in full effect, but without De Rossi Roma don't have that rock in the midfield that can save goals from going in on their own net. I may be Serie A biassed, but Daniele is the best box to box midfielder in the world. I challenge you to name me a better one. 


But really I just wanted to applaud Daniele, I have all the respect in the world for this guy, he knows Roma have a chance at a title this year, and he wants to stick it out and win some trophies with his hometown club. It's hard to find a guy like him in football these days. 

Grazie Daniele You Have Earned the Respect of Many Around the Globe

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.

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

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.

Welcome to Zemanlandia!

Roma players have had a rude awakening to the 2012-13 season. The words of new coach Zdenek Zeman tell us just that.

"We are halfway through pre-season and the lads aren't completely accustomed to my methods yet. They have suffered a bit, but you have to learn to suffer in football. I'm pleased with the progress we've made so far."

Zdenek Zeman - New Roma Coach

If the Giallorossi players thought they were going to have an easy time through the preseason they were wrong. So much so that captain Francesco Totti has joked that he 'can't keep up.' The veteran has had a bit of an attitude change it seems after a long season of arguing with former boss Luis Enrique.

“My role? We will see and I will adapt. The important thing is to play. Football is fun, I enjoy the sport and try to give the fans entertainment too. As long as I am physically able, I will try to give my contribution.”

Francesco Totti - Roma Captain

Totti is referring to speculation that he may be moved to the flank under Zeman rather than playing a pure centre forward position. It remains to be seen if his tune will change as time goes by, but as always for Roma Totti is a key to their season. However there is much more in the capital city these days than just Francesco Totti.

The Giallorossi have been making headlines day in and day out, most recently with the Mattia Destro transfer saga. It finally looks as though he will finally sign for Roma barring any last minute moves by Juventus again. There was also Fabio Borini whom Destro is slated to replace. I've stated in previous posts how much I disliked the sale of Fabio. Not only did they sell one of their better performers from last season, but they did not recieve bagfulls of money either. But I digress.

There is much to be said about the new crop of players that they have brought in. Brazil was a main destination the Romans went looking for signatures, and they got a couple. Bolstering the back lines with the likes of Leandro Castan and Dodo. Castan will play in a central role in hopes of replacing the departed Juan. While Dodo figures to play as a left fullback. Both come with good resumes but no track record in the top leagues so they may take time to adapt. Although Dodo is only twenty and could be something special.

Dodo

In the midfield, David Pizarro is back following his loan to Manchester City but it remains to be seen whether he will be in Zeman's plans for the first team. Jonathan Lucca is an 18-year-old they brought in from Brazil that figures to be loaned out at some point before the transfer window closes. Panagiotis Tachtsidis, who was brought in from Genoa, is a relatively unknown player to me, but what I do know is that he played for Verona in Serie B last term and impressed Zeman very much. American Michael Bradley arrives from Chievo; he is a player who is known more for his work ethic than his skill, so he should fit in nicely with Zeman. Lastly, Marquinho was brought over on a loan deal in January from Fluminense, scored 3 goals in 15 matches and impressed enough to have that loan made permanent.

Bradley, Tachtsidis, Lucca, and Castan

If they are able to sign Mattia Destro to this already impressive attack which includes Pablo Osvaldo and Francesco Totti then Mr. Zeman might actually be telling the truth. Roma can compete for the Scudetto. However, the strong attack somewhat depends on Erik Lamela. The young Argentine who came into the Serie A last season with much hype and while he showed flashes of greatness he did not put it together with consistency. Zdenek Zeman has a reputation for bringing the best out of his young players, and after a season at Pescara where all of Italy was talking about Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile, and of course the now departed Marco Verratti, it sounds to me that the old man knows what he's doing.

Erik Lamela

Now the real kicker came this morning. Reports out of Italy suggest that Manchester City, who has been surprisingly quiet in the transfer window to this point, are preparing a 25 million pound bid for the main reason Roma can be talked about in any Scudetto conversation right now; Daniele De Rossi. One of the best box to box midfielders on the planet who has bled Giallorossi for so many years could be on the way out. It would be a hard bid to reject, but he is one player that would be damn-near impossible to replace.

Daniele De Rossi

The thing is Roma and Zeman need things to fall perfectly into place to mount a serious title challenge. There are plenty of ifs on this team, but that also means plenty of potential. Aside from the sale of Borini I like what they've done so far. However, they may need one more year of developing the youngsters before they can mount a serious title challenge. Champions League qualification is a more realistic goal for the Giallorossi.

Zeman will surely be sending his tried and true 4-3-3 formation and I'm going to take a stab at potential starting XI while I'm at this.

Stekelenburg

Rosi           Burdisso        Heinze      Dodo

Marquinho        De Rossi             Pjanic

Lamela         Osvaldo       Totti/Destro

If Destro does arrive on Monday like the reports say he will, then Totti may have trouble finding space in the starting eleven in which case we'll see how well he's adapted.

And I almost forgot about Bojan Krkic.. he scored twice today. This team has a lot of talent up front with or without Mattia Destro.

Let me know what you think!!

Who Is Mattia Destro?

Unless your a long time Football Manager player like myself and this blogs founder Dan Riccio than I really couldn't expect you to answer the title question. This blog post is not a "where will Italys hottest property end up" , because by the time YOU are reading this he could be at a press conference at the Stadio Olimpico being presented to the Roma faithful or in Paris doing keep ups in front of the Eiffel tower.

Hey french ppl look how high i can bounce it!

But who exactly is the young Man that is commanding so much attention from Italy's top clubs? Mattia Destro is a 2nd generation footballer. His father; Flavio Destro played for Ascoli in the 80s. After retiring with the Woodpeckers he became a coach, which would explain why Mattia started his youth career with the Ascoli club, also his city of birth. When his dad was promoted to the Italy's youth team as a coach, his son made the move to Inter's youth system at the age of 14. This is where he struck up a partnership with Italy's NEW golden son Mario Balotelli. Destro's knack for goal in his teens was overshadowed by SWAGotelli's but in 2008 when Mario had solidified him self as a member of Inter's senior team with strong performances off the bench, it was Mattia's time to get attention.

Mattia's fathers playing card

if he becomes half the player this video game predicts he will then....

Playing for Italy's Under 19 team between 2009 & 2010 without Balotelli is when Mattia got to show off his goalscoring skills, by scoring a remarkable 16 goals in 14 appearances for the little Azzurri. Its amazing to think that at this time is when Inter sent him and a few briefcases of cash to Genoa in exchange for Andrea Ranocchia. Yes Inter gave up on another one of their youth prospects, add him to the long list that now includes Pirlo, Santon, Bonnuci, and Balotelli to name a few. 

With his tall stature and strong physique Mattia is a threat to score in front of goal in any game and he showed this in his first two seasons playing in the Serie A. In his first season with Genoa he appeared 16 times, but only started 3 and got 2 goals. His 2nd season with Siena was a lot more successful only starting 15 times and being subbed in another 15 he scored an impressive 12 goals!

state chitu'

When you consider the fact that he is only 20 years old and played for two weaker sides against arguably the best defences in club soccer. Averaging almost 1 goal per every 2 games he plays is a great sign that he will be a goalscoring threat in the Serie A for years to come. 

as a Juve loyalist i gotta hope not to ever see this

Who ever wins the "Destro Sweepstakes" in Italy right now, will reap the benefits. If Roma do get him, as being predicted out of Italy at this very moment, they will definitely fight for a top 3 finish and be considered Scudetto contenders. Mattia Destro has the talent to score 15 goals per season, and the potential to win goal scoring titles. Also he's Italian and having to hear the last few years "Italy has no good upcoming prospects" its hard to root against him or Marco "the traitor' Verratti whether they play for the Zebras or not. I want to see a strong Italy in the future, Brazil 2014 might be to early but Euro 2016 is a realistic possibility. 


Watching him this last season he reminded me a lot of a young Pippo Inzaghi in his ability to always be ahead of the defenders, but he also showed signs of Christian Vieri with his canon of a shot. All good things for the youngster.


So Who is Mattia Destro? Italy's hope at being more than just Balotelli.