The wait is almost over, Serie A is back!
Okay, it may not possess the same glamour it once did when you’d settle down on the sofa after a Sunday roast dinner to watch James Richardson present Channel 4’s coverage of the best game that weekend. GOOOOOOLLLLLACCCIOOOOO! Those were the days.
Nevertheless, the Italian top flight returns tonight as champions AC Milan welcome Lazio to the San Siro and it promises to be an eventful, soap opera-esque nine months of action in a way only Serie A can.
Heck, we’ve already seen the opening weekend postponed due to player strikes – start as you mean to go on why don’t you!
So, to set you up for the ride, Footy Matters has assesses each teams credentials for the season ahead. Strap yourselves in!
ATALANTA
The Black and Blues are back, but when you consider they start the season on minus six points, it’s unsurprising to learn they are many people’s favourite to head straight back to Serie B.
The Stefano Colantuono-led side have fed off the relegated side’s scraps, signing Stefano Lucchini and Andrea Masiello from Sampdoria and Bari respectively.
If Atalanta are to survive, expect striker Simone Tiribocchi to have a major influence.
BOLOGNA
Questions have surrounded the club all summer, asking what direction Bologna are heading in. Some fear a difficult season ahead with relegation anticipated.
Well here are three words that will explain why the Red and Blues will not go down. Marco Di Vaio. The striker dragged his financially crippled employers to survival last season and the striker is capable of doing the same this time around.
Back-up from the highly rated Robert Acquafresca and Gaston Ramirez would certainly help the cause.
CAGLIARI
It sounds mad to say this, but coach Massimo Ficcadenti is already under pressure – particularly when you consider that the club’s owner is the trigger happy Massimo Cellino.
Cellino thought nothing of sacking Roberto Donadoni, despite the former Italian international boosting a respectable record last season.
On the playing front, Cagliari have brought in the promising attacker Nene, but the Brazilian striker is unlikely to inspire anything more than a mid-table finish.
CATANIA
After cutting his teeth in management with AS Roma last season, Vincenzo Montella has been handed a second opportunity with Catania.
The first thing Montella will look to address is the side’s awful (and that’s being kind) away form last season.
His task should be helped by the arrival of David Suazo, while Montella’s ability to keep hold of Maxi Lopez could see the Elephants compete for a European berth.
CESENA
There were few people happier than Footy Matters Serie A correspondent to see the newly-promoted Cesena avoid relegation at the first attempt last season.
Granted, the style of football is not what would you call attractive, but the players worked hard and ultimately got the rewards.
Adrian Mutu has now joined the club. We’re undecided whether this is a good or bad thing! Should the former Chelsea and Juventus man produce the sort of form the footballing world knows he is capable of, Cesena should have no drop zone fears this season either.
CHIEVO
The club that easily have the best nickname across Serie A – ‘The Flying Donkeys.’
And it’s no exaggeration to suggest that the Donkeys could be soaring this season. The services of striker Sergio Pellissier have been retained, while “the new Inzaghi” Alberto Paloschi has joined on loan from AC Milan. Chievo fans’ will be hoping the youngster is more Filippo than Simone.
FIORENTINA
The Viola’s report card last season would have read ‘D minus, could do better’.
Should Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men endure another stop-start season, the coach’s days could well be numbered.
But we’re tipping Fiorentina to be a success this season. Why? Well the club have players like Ricardo Montolivo, Stevan Jovetic, Juan Vargas and Alberto Gilardino. Surely that lot cannot underperform for the second campaign in succession, can they?
GENOA
If Genoa are to be competitive this season, coach Alberto Malesani will need to get the best from Sebastian Frey and Miguel Veloso.
The latter failed to settle in Italy during his first season, but big things will be expected at the second attempt. Frey has come in for the erratic Eduardo and brings a huge amount of Serie A experience to the club.
INTER MILAN
We start a new season and Inter are not the reigning champions. What? Seriously?!
Unfortunately for the Nerazzurri the experiments with coaches Rafael Benitez and Leonardo failed to pay off and the club trailed bitter rivals AC.
The future of Wesley Sneijder has finally been sorted (hooray!) and the Dutch international will remain at the San Siro (until January at least, if you believe the British press). However, he no longer has the mega-rich Samuel Eto’o to thread the ball through to and the Cameroon international’s goals will be sorely missed.
Expect a big push to bring Carlos Tevez to Italy during the transfer window. They could need him.
JUVENTUS
Easily the most disappointing team of the 2010/2011 campaign.
But fear not Juve fans, the club’s summer shopping has been rather impressive. In have come Andrea Pirlo and Mirko Vucinic from AC Milan and AS Roma respectively, while reported Arsenal target Arturo Vidal bolsters the midfield ranks in what could be one of the purchases of the season.
LAZIO
Edy Reja guided Lazio to a fifth place finish last season and has been allowed to improve his squad further this year – big things could be happening with the Sky Blues.
Strikers Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse have been signed, while Lorik Cana will stamp his authority on the midfield, something that was missing from the club’s engine room last season. Champions League football is a real possibility for the start of next season.
LECCE
Lecce are Italy’s yo-yo club, dropping to Serie B and rising back up to Serie A on a regular basis.
The club could quite easily have fallen through the trap door last season, but survived with a good set of results towards the end of the season.
Whether they survive this time around remains to be seen, but a player to watch comes in the form of Rodney Strasser, a midfielder signed from AC Milan.
AC MILAN
After seven long years of waiting, AC Milan finally regained the Scudetto last season – and deservedly so.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri has not rested on his laurels though, acquiring the likes of Philippe Mexes, Alberto Aquilani, Taye Taiwo and Antonio Nocerino.
Signings of such proven Serie A quality (minus the untried Taiwo) leave Milan as favourites to win the title for the second campaign in succession.
NAPOLI
Some believe that Napoli were punching way above their weight last season with a third place finish, achieving a spot in this season’s Champions League in the process.
Although the squad has not been improved too greatly in terms of numbers, the signing of Gokhan Inler from Udinese could prove to be a masterstroke. And any team that possesses the clinical instincts of Edinson Cavani will always pose a threat to the opposition.
Will be interesting to see how the club cope with the demands of Champions League football.
NOVARA
Who? Although this may be slightly disrespectful, it seems a perfectly valid question!
Novara have been absent from the Italian top flight for 55 years, but after two straight promotions – here they are again!
So what can we tell you about the new boys? If truth be told, not a lot! With very little done in the transfer market to bring in Serie A quality, a long, hard season awaits.
PALERMO
It wouldn’t be a pre-season at Palermo without some form of drama, and the Sicilians didn’t disappoint again!
Coach Delio Rossi has been fired (again) and replaced by Stefano Pioli (good luck!). On the playing front the club have lost the influence of the league’s brightest prospects Javier Pastore, who has joined PSG, but Josip Illicic still remains.
Will be bottom of the top half.
PARMA
How Parma didn’t get relegated last season is anybody’s guess! For long periods the club look destined for Serie B, but somehow they dug themselves out of the darkest hole.
If they start the season how they finished the last one, Parma will be a comfortable mid-table outfit this time around.
Big things are expected from Sebastian Giovinco this year, let’s hope the little man doesn’t disappoint.
AS ROMA
Without trying to sound biased, we are more excited by the incomings at Roma more than any other club!
Firstly, the manager Luis Enrique brings with him a sense of intrigue, while the signing of Bojan up front is potentially mouthwatering. Add to that the addition of Gago from Real Madrid and Roma could be back among the big boys for the first time in nearly ten years.
SIENA
Back at the first time of asking, newly-promoted Siena will be hoping to extend their stay this time around.
The club have made the astute signings of Gaetano D’Agostino and Daniele Mannini from relegated Sampdoria to bolster the ranks ahead of the anticipated survival a fight.
Unfortunately, it’s a fight that may well prove too tough.
UDINESE
So, you finish fourth last season. What’s next, a big push to challenge for the title surely?
Well that’s were your wrong as Udinese decided to sell their best players, although the players in question wished to leave so you can hardly blame the club. Out have gone Alexis Sanchez, Gokhan Inler and Cristian Zapata, while the replacements have been nowhere near that ilk.
A mid-table season awaits.