Serie A Weekly welcome guest writer Steven Van Duyse to our crew with an eye to U.S. Lecce. Find out more on the potential of the Giallorossi in 2011-2012 as Steve lets us know if these Southerners will be more than Serie A bottom feeders in their second season up from Serie B calcio. Lecce narrowly avoided the drop last season, five points clear of the relegation zone. 2010 -11 Recap When people talk about US Lecce, the words ‘relegation [...]

Gazzetta dello Sport Seven LAST MINUTE Swoops Zamparini dreams of a Real piece. Pressing for Fernando Gago Napoli exaggerate, they’ve signed 10 with Fideleff 16-year-old talent Tassi is Inter’s Sneijder: “I’m staying” Same old Cassano, angry in training Ibra promise: “Milan, I won’t stop” Elia story, a fighter for Juve Zeman top with Sassuolo, Toro tonight         Tuttosport Juve, hands on Bruno Alves Juve-Zenit agree terms. All that is missing is the OK from Bonucci Palacio to [...]

2010-2011 Recap Following many changes both in management with the appointment of newly elected president, Andrea Agnelli, followed by General manager Beppe Marotta and manager Luigi Del Neri, the trio brought no fewer than twelve new faces to the squad that had already come off from a disappointing season under former manager Ciro Ferrara, and his predecessor Alberto Zaccheroni. Prior to the start of last season there was mixed feelings amongst the fans for the season, with Juventus starting off [...]

Last Friday Italian players’ association president Damiano Tommasi confirmed the strike was on and a delay to the Serie A season was unavoidable. All 20 Serie A team captains signed a document this month threatening of a strike if a new collective contract was not signed before September 28th. “We tried right up until the end, but all the attempts were in vain,” Tommasi said. The only other players’ strike in Serie A history was March 1996. As this season [...]

Samuel Eto’o may have only been an Inter player for two seasons, but the legacy he leaves behind will never be forgotten. “The Lion King” came to Inter in the summer of 2009, as somewhat of an afterthought in the blockbuster Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona deal.  Many people questioned how the Nerazzurri were going to survive without the talent and skill of the Swede and if Eto’o would be able to mesh in the Jose Mourinho mentality of putting the [...]

Season Preview: Roma Opening/Recap To say that Roma disappointed last season would be an understatement, like proclaiming that peanut butter and jelly is a somewhat popular snack amongst children. Claudio Ranieri tried to improve his side from the second place finish of the season prior, but was ultimately sacked amongst a midst of horrible results. The low point included a thrashing in the Champions’ League at the hands of the Shakhtar Donestk and throwing away an astonishing three goal lead [...]

Gazzetta dello Sport Ibrrra, Messi is there Forlan in Milan today? They won’t play No Match day 1 as Serie A players go on strike Player Rep, AIC President Damiano Tommasi offers extension til June but gets but no good. “The players are disappointed as they can’t take to the field. But the Lega has been after this for 18 months.” There is Pandev for Mazzarri Totti subbed Roma already out Luis Enrique storm       Tuttosport Malouda and [...]

Season Preview: Chievo Opening/Recap For a side that rarely spends massive amounts of money if any at all, Chievo managed a fantastic 11th place finish last season. Coach Stefano Pioli organized a side that was superb defensively, conceding the fourth lowest amount of goals of all the teams in Serie A- Only Lazio, Napoli, and Milan conceded fewer. Yet the side had an enormously difficult time scoring, totaling a mere 38 goals in 38 games, the fifth lowest in the [...]

It just might be Serie A’s answer to a cold night at the Britannia Stadium. An icy December day at the Stadio Friuli is the kind of test that a pundit might think would be a step too far for a star foreign player, particularly a boy from Brazil. But, back in the 1980s, there was one golden player ready to prove them wrong. This was a time when the frontiers had not long reopened to Stranieri and Italy was [...]

The dream of Champions League football this season is over for Udinese as they were knocked out by Arsenal  3-1 on aggregate in qualifying late Wednesday. First leg action at the Emirates last Tuesday ended 1-0 to the hosts yet Udinese equipped themselves well as the Gunners went on to capitulate at the weekend against Liverpool for the first time in 11 seasons on their home turf.  Perfect time for Udinese to place a nail in the coffin as things unravel under [...]

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 [...]

2010-2011 Team Napoli Recap Whether they were known as the “comeback kids”, the “miracle men”, or any other name, Napoli enjoyed a fantastic season thanks to a myriad of factors, chief of which was a never-say-die attitude. Mazzarri’s men had the habit of leaving it late which made for some pretty dramatic finishes. The <i>Partenopei</i> were challengers for much of the Serie A season, surprising many as Scudetto contenders almost until the end. In the Europa League, Napoli were Italy’s [...]