Serie A Canada

Cassano’s Redemption

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:09:00 -0400

With the announcement of the final 23-man squad by Cesare Prandelli last Monday, came one major eyebrow-raising exclusion, that of Giuseppe Rossi. The main benefactor of this snub; Antonio Cassano, who will finally get his World Cup chance.

After yet another falling out with a former club, ‘Fantantonio’ moved on from Inter and joined Parma, his 6th Serie A team where he possibly had the best season of his career. Antonio was on a mission this season. He kept his nose clean, his mouth shut and became the heart and soul of a Parma side that roared to a 6th place finish, scoring 13 goals & 6 assists in 33 appearances.

Up until this point, Cassano has had the notorious distinction of featuring in three European Championship squads but never being chosen to a World Cup squad. Twice he was excluded by Marcello Lippi, quite controversially in 2010, as the maestro was never a fan of ‘Fantantonio’ because of his infamous attitude problem. He even appeared to be falling out of Prandelli’s plans as he featured less frequently following Italy’s Euro 2012 run. But his form this season could not be ignored.

Cassano was married during Italy's infamous game against Slovakia during the 2010 World Cup,
talk about a good way to get your mind off of something!

In my last post I stated that as good as Cassano is, with all the young exciting talent the Azzuri have at their disposal; at 31, there may not be enough room for the Parma attacker. But I recant, which I rarely do…his performances in Italy’s rather disappointing friendlies this week forced me to reconsider. His introduction changed the dynamic of Italy’s attack. What Cassano lacks in pace is made up with guile. A technically gifted player Cassano can still deliver a defence-spitting pass and it seems he is one of the few players that is in sync with Mario Balotelli. The Milan striker, for all his talent, is definitely a finicky player, who demands service and the ball played to his feet. Cassano can deliver that to him, and a happy Balotelli means a successful Italy.

Speaking of Giuseppe Rossi, his exclusion from this year’s Azzurri World Cup squad is one that I do not agree with. Prandelli, explaining his decision, stated that bringing him to Brazil, with his two major knee injuries in as many years, was not worth the risk. But hold on a second here, the New Jersey born native is undoubtedly a bona-fide top class striker. He even scored 2 goals in 3 games for Fiorentina after his return from injury, which kept him on the sidelines for half the season.

The fact is the guy can score…16 goals in 22 games in an injury-shortened 2013-14 season. Many top international sides wait on the fitness or even select a player who is not 100% fit. Italy has done it in the past…think Francesco Totti in ’06 who did not start every game but made crucial contributions when called upon. With the abundance of talented midfielders on the squad, Alberto Aquilani has no business being on this squad and could have been dropped for another attacker. Italy could have used another out-and-out striker with only Balo and Immobile being the only true number 9’s. It seems that one disappointing display against Ireland undid his chance…

And finally speaking on friendlies…before all you Azzurri faithful get your panties in a bunch…FRIENDLIES DO NOT MATTER! Yes winning is a habit and Italy have not won a game since qualifying, but look at the growing injury list from other top international sides who are going ham in these friendly matches…Marco Reus for Germany, Franck Ribery for France, Romelu Lukaku for Belgium, Rafael Van der Vaart for Netherlands…it’s not worth the risk. Italy is lucky to only lose Riccardo Montolivo from these fixtures, who is ineffective as a trequartista and would have only come off the bench if played in the midfield three. And lets be serious…when has Italy ever cared about friendlies, especially against ‘lesser’ sides. Italy had a dismal 1-1 draw with Switzerland before the 2006 World Cup and went on to win the trophy and don’t forget the “devastating” 3-0 defeat to the Russians prior to Euro 2012 that had everyone writing off the Azzurri…and what happened to Italy then?

This team is talented, organized, relatively healthy and flying under the radar, just the way I like it. This squad has the potential to make some noise in Brazil and I cannot wake for the kickoff with England this coming Saturday.

By Robert Vitale

Have an opinion on the piece or wanna talk calcio? Hit me up on twitter:

@robbiev87

No Suprises From Prandelli.....Yet!

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Sun, 18 May 2014 20:33:00 -0400

This past Tuesday, Cesare Prandelli released the much anticipated 30 man provisional squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup Tournament in Brazil. Initial reaction to the list is one of expectancy. Only the selections of Matteo Darmian, Andrea Parolo and Romulo can really be seen as surprises. None of Prandelli’s omissions however, will raise too many eyebrows, although perhaps there are a few players who have been overlooked.

Il maestro’s selections so far reflect his style and mantra as he has gone with experienced generals, in-form players and those who have abided by his code of ethics (or at least have atoned for any transgressions).

More surprises are sure to occur when Prandelli cuts seven players in order to trim the squad down to the 23 man squad limit for the trip to Brazil. Whether or not Prandelli decides to throw a surprise in his final selection, it will be interesting to gauge how the Azzurri faithful will react to his choice.

Bad selections would be including the likes of Aquilani and Montolivo who have done nothing spectacular of note in the past season to justify their inclusion in the Nazionale setup, but may be picked because they are simply among his favourites, or by selecting the unproven and uncapped Romulo. Good selections will be the inclusion of Marco Verratti, Lorenzo Insigne and perhaps Antonio Cassano who many Azzurri fans already regard as automatic inclusions.

Being the fantasy football manager that I am, here is who I would take in my final 23 man squad based on Prandelli’s 30:

Goalkeepers: Buffon, Sirigu, Perin

Defenders: Abate, Maggio, Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli, Ranocchia, De Sciglio, Pasqual

Midfielders: Pirlo, De Rossi, Thiago Motta, Verratti, Candreva, Marchisio

Forwards: Balotelli, Immobile, Rossi, Cerci, Insigne

Arguably, fullback is Italy’s weakest position, and Manuel Pasqual will provide the needed experience and ability to whip an accurate ball into the box if the inexperienced De Sciglio falters.

Ranocchia, (although I am not his biggest fan), has improved tremendously this past season and is less prone to the mental errors he was known for. At 6’4, he possesses an aerial threat that can definitely be used in this squad.

Marco Verratti has done more than enough this season at PSG to prove himself worthy of wearing the Azzurri shirt and displacing more experienced players in his position like Riccardo Montolivo.

Injury concerns aside, Giuseppe Rossi is perhaps the most talented player in Italian player right now and he has already found the net on occasion for Fiorentina since his recent return from yet another knee-injury.

Lorenzo Insigne is a future Azzurri star, and although often left out of Rafa Benitez’ starting eleven, when called upon, he has performed admirably on the big stage as proven in the Coppa Italia final.

Antonio Cassano has had a great season with Parma, but one never knows what kind of attitude he will bring to the team coupled with his advancing age, there are other players like Rossi and Insigne who can undoubtedly stand in for the Bari native.

Fantasy football aside, time will only tell as we wait for Prandelli’s final announcement, but one thing can be rest assured is that this is an Italy team that has plenty of promise and buzz and one that fans can definitely get behind.

Who would you take to the World Cup in Brazil??? Join the conversation

By Robert Vitale

Friendlies in America PART 2!

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Tue, 6 Aug 2013 12:39:00 -0400

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.

May the Real Napoli please Stand Up!

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Sun, 4 Aug 2013 16:03:00 -0400

Will Napoli be the Real Deal this season or the Real mistake.

Out with the old and in with the new. That is a saying that is probably being heard quite often these days in and around the SSC Napoli clubhouse. The Naples side have parted ways with superstar striker Edinson Cavani and charismatic coach Walter Mazzarri. Since they have brought in controversial Rafa Benitez who immediately acquired an interesting mix of dynamic young players creating quite a buzz of excitement around the Stadio San Paolo despite the loss of their most prolific attacker in Napoli's rich history.

Something about the air in Paris makes Cavani look more presentable

The ambition of last year's Scudetto runner-up is apparent and the gung-ho manner of their transfer campaign has seemed to throw off the balance in the Serie A transfer market...but unfortunately their efforts may all be in vain.

Mazzarri to DeLaurentis "F*** this, I'm out!"

Fact is Napoli has already been on a slight decline ever since they sold Ezequiel Lavezzi to PSG last summer and Walter Mazzarri obviously knew this. Napoli ran out of gas in their Scudetto pursuit this past season and with Cavani set to leave, Mazzarri jumped ship because he believes Napoli are a sputtering ship and it will take one hell of an effort to keep it from sinking...so Walter tucked his tail and ran to the one team that can only go up from the position they currently are in.

DeLaurentis is like "no fear, Rafa is here"

Rafa Benitez has now flung himself into another seemingly impossible position (despite the large transfer $$$ given to him), where expectation will be high for the southern Italian side to mount a serious run at the Serie A title despite the fact Napoli are about to go through a HUGE transitional season.

This fact however has been masked by the interesting transfer campaign that has been undertaken by Rafa. The former Liverpool boss has signed an exciting young Belgianattacker in Dries Mertens and a host of Real Madrid 'misfits', most eyebrow raising, the reported 42Million signing of Gonzalo Higuain.....WHAT....yes that’s right...Napoli has spent two-thirds of the Cavani fund on a striker who, albeit one who may play with a chip on his shoulder this season...in my opinion, has failed to really impress as a top class striker. They were way better off with Cavani compared to him.

thousands of Napoli fans assaulted Gonzalo like he was the Biebs

His goal tally aside, Higuain was always second choice to the likes of Benzema and before him Raul and Van Nistelrooy...and I'm sure there is a reason for that. Higuain has those Inzaghi like abilities of being inthe right place at the right time and being a close range clinical finisher...but he does not possess boatloads of technical ability, does not have the power and presence that his Partenopei predecessor Cavani had...Higuain's skill set matches many other available Serie A strikers...one name that comes to mind is Alessandro Matri...a player who is of not that much less quality than Higuain and one who would probably been allowed to leave Juventus, even to arch-rivals Napoli, on the cheap since they have now found themselves with a glut of strikers...but instead Napoli have forked over 42mil for ONE striker and still have plenty of holes to fill.

Their defence remains a biq question mark with the likes of Gamberini, Paolo Cannavaro and the newly acquired Raul Albiol hardly being able to instill fear in the eyes of Europe's greatest attacking forces. Their midfield lacks dynamism and creativity...and then there is the coach himself…. Benitez…no doubt a great tactician... but one who gets very set in his ways and ruffles the feathers of his employers...just ask Massimo Moratti. Formation changes, style changes, personnel changes will all be on the cards for Napoli this season. Switching from a very Italian-style 3-4-3 counterattacking system to Rafa’s for 4-2-3-1 will be a major transition that current players will have initial difficulty in adjusting to. And any new acquisitions will need some time to gel.

I'm not saying that Napoli will be a disaster this season, but talk of potential Scudetto champions is definitely premature, if not naïve. It seems as though management is just trying to overhype a team in transition and is rushing to create a fresh, attractive team filled with nothing but names. In a way Napoli kind of reminds me of a certain Toronto baseball team who had all the hype surrounding them after somebig name offseason acquisitions, but unfortunately was never able to put the talent and potential together on the field.

If Napoli fans have Scudetto dreams then they are in for a big disappointment this season.

the irony of Napoli's second jersey being military fatigues, considering it's going to
be a battle for them to achieve even second place this season.

"When will it be Spain's time?"

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 16:02:00 -0400

"When will it be Spain's time?" A question that's response does not guarantee the same reaction.

LEFT: Xavi give me your shirt
CENTER: Iniesta give me your shirt
RIGHT: Pique, give me Shakira!

Last May I infamously boasted to friends or anyone who would listen a bold sports prediction (not uncommon for those that know me), "Spain's run of dominance on the soccer field is over, and Italy will beat them to win Euro 2012". I was sadly mistaken and would be on the verge of suffering an infamous letdown last 1st of July.

I had been led to believe that the Spanish stars "Casilas-Puyol-Xavi-Iniesta-Torres-Villa" were on the outs and the new Spaniard kids were not up to par.

Even after Spain had outclassed my Azzurri last summer, I still stood by my pre-tourney prediction, that, from then on, going forward "Spain's run of dominance, is over"

But just as recent as 11 days ago, I was taught a hard lesson. Spain's run of dominance on the soccer field is not over, and in most people's eyes has just begun.

I may not be as distraught as Azzurrini starlet Lorenzo Insigne was after the crushing 4-2 defeat to Spain in last week's Under 21 European Championship game, but my eyes are wide open to the awesome talents of Thiago, Isco, Morata, and all the other Spanish under 21 players.

SIDE NOTE: Not to take anything away from the 'piccoli Azzurrini' who were brilliant technically in the tournament, and were hard done by a bad call in the final. Italy's future is very bright. But if you’re a fan of this blog then you should know that already.

EXTRA SIDE NOTE: Even the under 20 Spain team is wreaking havoc in Turkey with the talents of Suso, Jese, Bernat, who have them poised as the favourites to win the 2013 U20 World Cup.

That dog was probably the only one in Italy happy to see Mario home early

With this new realization and the fact that Super Mario went home early, my excitement for the Azzurri's chances to win had evaporated by Thursday morning.

So when my mate from London Luke informed me we would be joining Goya nominated screenwriter Jorge LaPlace and his family & friends at Berry Park in Williamsburg for the game, I was hesitant.

Why? Because Jorge Laplace is a native of Sevilla, Spain (pronounced Se-vi-ja) and is a passionate football fan. Jorge's from Spain, not from a country that just speaks Spanish but actually from the country that has been the torment of my Azzuri since 2008. So if he is bringing family and friends, I'm sure they are all from Spain as well. Not the best scene for someone like me (if you know me, then you know I get really into Juve/Azzurri) games. So I decided against wearing a jersey, but wore an aqua blue outfit to hint at my support.

Upon arriving at the bar, Jorge introduced me to his family and friends as 'Alessandro', which marked the first time I didn't want people to get that I was Italian off of my name, but to no avail. I saw a look on their pleasant European faces, a look that meant today we wanted different outcomes.

I sat sipping my delicious SchOfferhofer Grapefruit Lager in its oddly shaped tall glass, while Giaccherini and Maggio captured my imagination with missed chances. I kept my emotions intact for respect to my new friends, but it had me asking myself "is today the day I witness the beginning of the end of Spain's dominance on the pitch?"

The 'back and forth' 'on your feet' action of the first half was replaced with a quiet and uneventful start to the second half. Which prompted a lot of conversation between me and my new Spaniard viewing buddies. In these conversations I started to learn that the same question I had been asking for the last year, "When will Spain's dominance on the field end?", was being asked by these Spaniards as well............... just worded differently.

Jorge introduced me to his father, who is a lifelong 'Madridsta' (Real Madrid Supporter). According to Jorge his father is very irrational to watch a 'Galacticos' game with, which instantly made me respect him, as many have said the same about me watching a 'Zebras' match. All one can do is admire someone for that same amount of passion for a football club.

Jorge and his friend Carmine explained to me that the reason the team they and all of their countrymen of his generation hate the most about Italy was because of an incident in USA '94 World Cup Quarter Final Match between the two nations. For me that World Cup was a bad memory for a more famous reason. But as Jorge and his friend made me realize that was just a part of many of Spain's international failures in the years between 1964-2008.

This made me realize that while over the last year I may have been asking when will it end, Jorge, his generation and especially his father were asking for a lot longer of a time, when will Spain's dominance on the soccer field begin?

Just before penalties began, the nerves were at an all-time high in Berry Park, and my emotions had started to show a little. Jorge turned to me and revealed why he was really disappointed if Spain were to fall to Italy in a dreaded penalty shoot-out.

Growing up all Jorge (and myself included) ever heard was that Brazil is the best and strongest Soccer nation; the international Power House. Now that Spain had two consecutive Euro Cups, and a World Cup under its belt, Jorge and all of Spain feel that this Confederations Cup (a trophy Spain has never won) this final battle with Brazil and arguably Spain's greatest starting XI, is the final test if this Spain team is as great as they all believe they are.

So how could I root against that? We had just seen a disastrous Italy vs. Brazil. Did I really want to see that again?

He did note that even though most people don't care about this cup, Spain wanted it. I want to argue though as to why people should care about this fairly new Trophy. It’s only been supported by FIFA since the 3rd edition in 97, this marking the 9th edition of the Confederations Cup; formerly known as the King's Cup. The concept for the tournament itself is great: A year before the World Cup, the host nation hosts the Champions of all the previous international soccer tournaments to try and make a 'Best of the Best' situation. All previous editions of this tourney never lived up to the billing, but I must say we have seen some great games so far (Italy v Japan, Brazil v Uruguay).

The penalties came and went, and although I knew Bonucci would miss the whole time, I am damn proud of my Azzurri for the effort they put in on Thursday. To go out that way is never easy.

Baggio part II?

Jorge and his family did not boast in my face after their victory, they shook my hand like respectful opponents. That is when I truly realized that Spain is a great soccer nation, and I should respect them and their soccer stars for playing the beautiful game.

They represent a lot more than just passing and attacking style that Brazil made famous in the 70s (Joga Bonita). This Spain team is one of the shortest teams in most tournaments they enter. This trumps a Canadian soccer philosophy that "size matters".

Also unlike Spain’s opponent today; Brazil they don't dive and look for the call as much as most other teams do in today's game. How can anyone not respect that?

So I have figured out the answer to my question of "When will Spain's run of dominance End?" And the answer is not any time soon. The "Winning" mentality is now embedded in the Spanish culture as much as it is on their jersey. From the Under17 Spanish team to the Main guys, they are going to produce World Class soccer players for years to come, much to the delight of Jorge and co.

Also back on the Confederations Cup, unless you are someone living in Brazil and have no job, you cannot hate on this tournament. If not for this tournament we would not have a Canada Day special like today.

Two of International Soccer's most prestigious teams Italy and Uruguay meet for the Bronze Medal at 12pm EST.

And Since 1970 the teams that have dominated it the most meet for the first time in decades. Brazil hosting Spain in the Confederations Cup Final at 530pm EST.

Should be an epic day of Football.

ENJOY.

Armenia vs Italy Thoughts

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:55:00 -0400

De Rossi and Osvaldo scored for Italy along with
Andrea Pirlo in a 3-1 victory at Armenia today.

The trip to Armenia was another one of those games for Italy that you just knew seemed easier than it was going to be. Armenia thought to be a minnow among the general soccer population was not at all an easy victory for the Italians. As usual the Azzurri played down to their opponents, for whatever reason they cannot get up for these games. The difference between Italy vs Germany in the Euro tournament and Italy now is about the size of the Grand Canyon it would seem. However we must try to stay calm and cheer on the Azzurri no matter what.

This is still an experimental period for Cesare Prandelli and as we have seen he continues to test out many different players. Its a luxury Italy has that many other nations do not, which is they can test out a lot of different things and still come away with victories without the 'A' team of the moment. Prandelli is looking at the bigger picture and who might be his 'A' squad in 2014.

I hate to say it but the more I watch Sebastian Giovinco the more I lose faith in him. He is an incredibly talented player but he just can't get the job done on the big stage, whether it be with Juventus or the Nazionale. He started out well today vs Armenia, but they adjusted to him and he became a non-factor along with fellow striking partner Pablo Osvaldo for much of the match. One thing the Atomic Ant does extremely well though, is win fouls.

Domenico Criscito made his return to the squad and the masked man was one of the better players on the pitch, attacking the down the left flank and somehow getting back in defense as well. He may not have made a difference against Spain in the final of the Euro, but he would have made the team better overall, will be an integral part of the 2014 squad.

Chiellini was left out of Italy's starting XI
vs Armenia.

Italy however showed many holes in defense, they bent but didn't break .. although Gigi Buffon made an incredible stop on a Davit Manoyan volley which was set up by the man who was the best player on the pitch Henrikh Mkhirtanyan. The midfielder who plays with Ukrainian club Shakhtar took the game to Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci for the second time in as many weeks, the first being in the Juventus-Shakhtar Champions League match a week ago. But back to the Azzurri defense, the first question I ask is why Bonucci and Barzagli? Has Bonucci overtaken Giorgio Chiellini in the eyes of Prandelli? In my eyes the best central defense Italy can offer right now is Barzagli and Chiellini in a four man defense. Bonucci still has a lot of questions to answer as a young defender. Even if Prandelli is looking to the future, the most likely to be left out of the 2014 squad would be Barzagli as he will be 33 by then. However I still believe Italy's central defense is in good shape for the future as it usually is.

I still question Francesco Lodi not being given a chance at the Azzurri squad, dude can flat out play, is the best set-piece taker in Italy aside from Andrea Pirlo and has led Catania to successful Serie A seasons (by their standards) for quite some time now. So what gives? If your going to give Alberto Gilardino a call-up because he is in form, then Lodi deserves one also.

Riccardo Montolivo does nothing for me.

Tuesday will be a much more difficult match-up against Denmark, and hopefully the Azzurri will get some extra motivation from the home fans because they are going to need it. Hopefully Mario Balotelli is ready and able to play, and I'm willing to give Giovinco one more chance, mainly because I think the best complement for him is Super Mario. We shall see but expect another exploratory attack from the Azzurri.

GROUP B
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Italy	3	2	1	0	7	3	7
Bulgaria	3	1	2	0	4	3	5
Czech Republic	2	1	1	0	3	1	4
Armenia	3	1	0	2	2	4	3
Denmark	2	0	2	0	1	1	2
Malta	3	0	0	3	1	6	0

Keep Calm and Forza Azzurri

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:20:00 -0400

With another set of World Cup Qualifiers on the horizon for Cesare Prandelli's re-vamped Azzurri squad, we as fans of the Nazionale, need to keep calm and trust in the project. As good as the run through the Euro 2012 was, one thing was very evident in the squad, the need for youth.

The first excuse used for the 4-0 drubbing in the final of the Euro was fatigue. Not for anything but Spain had to play the same amount of games, so why were the Azzurri so much more tired than 'La Roja'?

One thing is forsure Cesare Prandelli has recognized the need for a new influx of youth and is giving many youngsters a fair chance at making a name for themselves. Marco Verratti, Angelo Ogbonna, Mattia Destro just to name a few. If Italy is to be successful they will need these guys to be integral parts of the squad.

As great as Andrea Pirlo is, and how he has been able to continue playing at such a high level despite his age, he struggles when playing a lot of games in a short amount of time. Moving to Juventus last season was the best thing that could have happened for the midfield maestro. They had only the Serie A to worry about, it was their lone goal for the season, to return as Italian champions. Pirlo was able to stay fresh and was one of the main reasons, if not the reason Juventus was able to win the Scudetto. But in the Euro, and now in Juventus' Champions League campaign, he struggles when having to play a lot of games in a short amount of time. It's not that he becomes a horrible player, he is just not as good. This is where Marco Verratti comes in, at least for the Azzurri, Prandelli knows that it is time to start grooming the 19 year old to be the 'Regista' of the Azzurri midfield with Pirlo on the decline. We won't know how much Pirlo will be able to give the Azzurri come 2014, and with a talent as bright as Verratti it is a no-brainer that Prandelli should start to expedite the process of replacing Andrea Pirlo as the midfield maestro of the Azzurri.

Marco Verratti is not the only Italian youngster on the rise. Mattia Destro, Angelo Ogbonna, Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile, Luca Marrone, Stephen El Shaarawy, are just some of the names that have been getting Calcio fans excited over the last year or so and are all names that could and maybe should be on the 2014 World Cup Squad if they continue at their current rate of progression. That means a lot of the casual Azzurri fans won't know who the heck these guys are, and might be all up in arms when the time comes. Well I'm here to say Keep Calm and Forza Azzurri. We must trust in the project and trust in Prandelli building this squad.

Conte vs Zeman Round 2

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 01:05:00 -0400

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

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:05:00 -0400

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

The Serie A Canada Watch List

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:54:00 -0400

This is a list I have compiled of a few players that should be on the watch list for all Calcio fans. They are either players on the brink of super stardom, or players whose performances will dictate whether or not their particular teams are able to achieve their goals this season.

Ciro Immobile

Lets get the obvious out of the way first. Ciro Immobile comes off his loan deal with Pescara which saw them promoted last year with a lot of hype. The Serie B's capocannoniere had 28 goals a year ago, and started his Serie A season on the right foot, no pun intended, with a goal in a 2-0 win for Genoa over Cagliari. Genoa believe in the 22 year old so much so that they have been looking to offload out of favour striker Alberto Gilardino.

Alberto Aquilani

Many questions have surrounded Alberto Aquilani upon joining Fiorentina this off season from Liverpool. Brought in to fill the hole left in the midfield by the departed Riccardo Montolivo, Aquilani answered those questions in his first Serie A match by providing a beautiful diagonal ball from the centre of the pitch all the way to the edge of the 18 yard box. Jovetic would finish the wonderful assist giving the Viola a much needed first win of the season.

Michael Bradley

Michael Bradley is on a quest to prove himself in the Serie A, and is being given the opportunity in the nation's capital. A successful season with Chievo caught the eye of the Romans, and he will be given every opportunity to continue making a name for himself. The American international has been given the role of holding the midfield alongside Daniele De Rossi. Bradley is a physical force in the centre of the pitch, but does not get enough credit for his creative abilities which he showed off on his assist of Nicolas Lopez' tying goal against Catania over the past weekend.

Maicousel

We all know of the departures at Udinese this summer, but who did they bring in? Well the player whom I think will play the biggest role in trying to replace all the departed is Brazilian attacking midfielder, Maicousel. Not much is known about him, but we didn't know much about Asamoah, Isla and Armero before they broke onto the scene with Udinese either. Maicousel made a beautiful run, and was sent in for his first Serie A goal in his first match against Fiorentina on Saturday, but the hope is he will be more of a creator than a scorer. He only had six goals in 56 appearances for Botafago in Brazil over the last two seasons, but Udinese are hoping his creative abilities will be able to keep them in the upper echelon of the Serie A.

Angelo Ogbonna

Torino have made some interesting moves this summer as they attempt to stay afloat in the Serie A. But the one player that is going to be integral to their season is their heart and soul on defense, Angelo Ogbonna. He is a product of the Torino youth system and has already made well over 100 appearances for the club on his way to becoming captain, and is the future of the Azzurri central defence. His performance this season will go a long way in keeping Torino in the Serie A, and also cementing his place in the national team.

Abel Hernandez

This next selection had a horrendous start to his Serie A season, but I believe it is about time Abel Hernandez starts to live up to the hype. Still only 22 years old, this will be Abel's fifth season with Palermo. He was virtually invisible for the men in pink in their 3-0 loss to Napoli, but he will be important to Palermo if they are to have any kind of success in the Serie A this season. I have opined that they could be a team fighting to stay in the top flight, and one of the keys to their season will be Abel Hernandez having a breakout season and doing what so many of us think he can accomplish. All the talent in the world yet he has only been able to show it in flashes to this point in his career.

Dorlan Pabon

Parma will have a difficult time fulfilling the void left by Sebastien Giovinco. But they have tried to fill that hole with young pacey forwards like Jonathan Biabiany and Dorlan Pabon. Although both of them were phased out by Juventus in the first match of the Serie A season, their pace still got them both into scoring positions a few times during the match, and it was certainly evident that these two have the pace to make some things on the counter attack this season for the Gialloblu.

Giampaolo Pazzini

Milan have had a roller coaster ride of an off season, and after a 1-0 loss to Sampdoria in their first match many questions surround the Rossoneri. Newly signed Giampaolo Pazzini is coming off the worst season of his career, but was overshadowed by Diego Milito at Inter. With Pato and now Robinho injured to start the season, Milan will be counting on Pazzini to poach some goals while the Brazilians watch from the stands.

Lorenzo Insigne

Lorenzo Insigne has probably been the most hyped Italian youngster of them all. Marco Verratti would have given him competition for that title had he not left for Paris Saint-Germain, but that's another story for another day. Insigne will be given every opportunity to make Napoli fans forget about the departed Ezequiel Lavezzi. Lorenzo enjoyed an incredible preseason that only fuelled the hype machine surrounding the 21 year old. He started for Napoli in their 3-0 victory, but was unable to record any goals or assists. The expectations are very high for this young man, and it is rare to see an Italian at his age get a chance to start with one of the bigger teams. We will have to wait and see if he can live up to the lofty expectations set for him.

Alessandro Matri

Lastly, I am expecting to take some heat from all of you on this and I hope you do, because I truly believe in Alessandro Matri to be the man to score plenty of goals for Juventus. Your classic 'poacher' striker Matri is physical, strong, and has a knack for getting into the right places. Giovinco will be hurt for the next couple of weeks so I expect Matri to start alongside Vucinic, and make it hard for Massimo Carrera to keep him out of the first team once Giovinco is back healthy. Matri can win the Serie A golden boot, if given the chance...

These are my watch list players. Whose yours? Lets discuss....comment here or find me on twitter @DanRiccio23.

Dan The Man

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:02:00 -0400

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

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:20:00 -0400

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.

The Milan Swap

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:09:00 -0400

Those were the glory years for these two.

The swap has been talked about for a week now, and it is finially official as of this morning. At this point no Italian football fan seems to know why AC Milan had to pay €7 million + Antonio Cassano to Inter Milan for Giampaolo Pazzini. The former dynamic Sampdoria duo have had mixed results since leaving the Blucerchiati in the 2011 winter transfer window.

We know Cassano had the heart issue, so its hard to blame him, but his whole career he has been a player who comes with more hype than what he produces justifies. A talented player forsure, but one that has never lived up to expectations. With the departures of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, Cassano realized he did not want to be part of the rebuilding program at San Siro. He asked to transferred. Giampaolo Pazzini was destined to underachieve at Inter, despite his great form upon arrival at Inter (11 goals in 17 appearances) he was always going to play second fiddle to Diego Milito. Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni made it clear that Pazzini would not be in his plans this season, so he should look elsewhere for first team football.

Cassano wanted out, and Pazzini was being forced out; still the Rossoneri somehow had to pay extra on top of Cassano for Pazzini. It should be mentioned that although Cassano had his health issue last season he was still able to make the Euro 2012 Azzurri squad, this speaks to how highly regarded a talent he is. Pazzini however, had an injury free season but only found the back of the net 5 times in 33 appearances. Inter have seemingly come out of this deal on top, but it remains to be seen how they will use Cassano. One would have to assume at this point that Cassano will not be a part of the nerazzurri starting eleven. Milito is assured to be the lone striker while Coutinho, Sneijder, and Palacio are in support. In this type of a formation, Pazzini could have thrived, and would be a good replacement in my opinion if anything were to happen to Diego Milito. Pazzini with the Rossoneri though is a different story. He is a player with limited abilites who has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. With Milan counting on Pato to have a big season Pazzini will struggle to find playing time, and will struggle to find himself in the formation Milan uses. I can't see the future or anything, but I really don't see Pazzini working out with them. I have always liked the player, I am a big fan of 'poaching' strikers, but from the outside looking in, Pazzini does not fit in at the San Siro.

So what have we been talking about for the last week then? A deal of two strikers that probably have their best days behind them? The more I think about it, the more I find ways to think about why this doesn't make sense for either team. For Inter it makes sense financially, but I believe there will come a time when they will miss Giampaolo Pazzini at some point this year, especially if Milito gets hurt.

But for the life of me I can't understand what Milan is doing here, they are trying to nickel and dime for any player they seem to be interested in, and then throw away €7 million on a player they don't need. Milan are in need of defense more than anything. In their last two games they have given up 8 goals yet they continue to be on the search for attacking players. Pazzini will not help them, and if they get Kaka he will not solve their issues at the back end either. They have bodies in defense but they do not have much quality, this is where they should be spending what little money they have. I can understand that they wanted to get rid of Cassano as soon as he asked to be transferred but the added money is just baffling.

The only thing that makes would maybe make sense is that Inter needed the extra money as insurance for Cassano's health. Either way though, this deal will probably not make much effect to either team on the pitch this season, but it is just another reason for Milan fans to upset with their transfer season.

What's Wrong With What Juventus Has?

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:23:00 -0400

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!

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 01:38:00 -0400

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

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:07:00 -0400

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

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Wed, 8 Aug 2012 11:32:00 -0400

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

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Wed, 1 Aug 2012 14:55:00 -0400

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!

WOPS - WITHOUT OUR PLAYERS

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Wed, 1 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Guest Blog

By Alex Bartolomeo

There seems to be a trend developing in the Serie A if we look at recent transfer windows, but it is nothing new for calcio fans. The young talents of Italy have been shipped off or sold to the highest bidder. It seems that young Italians are finding it hard to make there way into a starting XI in the Serie A, and if they do owners seem reluctant to sell their rising stars within the Serie A for fear of that competition. What is most troubling about all of this is that players get sold away to other countries and are forgotten. Taken out of the National Pool before even getting a chance in most cases.

In recent weeks we have seen Fabio Borini and Marco Verratti both leave the Serie A for England and Italy respectively. This is not the first time we have seen this happen, and most certainly will not be the last. I think we would all like to see these players reach their potential before being shipped elsewhere.

Here are some examples of what could have been:

Alessandro Rosina (right) shakes hands with Alessandro Del Piero prior to a Torino derby match.

Rosina was captain of Torino at the time. (2008)

Known as Rosinaldo in Torino for resembling the great 'Phenomeno' Ronaldo. Rosina started his career with Parma at just 20-years-old. Hopes were high for this young man however, he never did truly break out with the Gialloblu. He moved on in the summer of 2006 to Torino where he finally began fulfilling his potential. During his three seasons with Torino he ammased 22 goals and 10 assists. Despite interest from clubs all over the Serie A, it was Zenit St. Petersburg who won the race for his signature. Rosina was 25 and just entering the prime of his career, however since moving to the Russian side he has never cemented his place in the first team. He earned his first cap for the Azzurri during the 2007-08 season, but has yet to earn a second cap since moving to Zenit.

Enzo Maresca after winning the UEFA Cup with Sevilla

An Italian bull that started his career at the age of eleven with AC Milan. A box-to-box central midfielder that made his first senior appearance at the age of 18 with West Bromwich Albion of the English Premiere League. He quickly became a highly touted young player from there. Juventus purchased him in 2000 to bring him back to Italy however, he was never given a proper opportunity. Lack of first team football at Juventus to a loan spell at Bologna and co-ownership deals to Piacenza and Fiorentina respectively. In that 2004-2005 season Enzo played well, finding the back of the net five times in just 25 appearances. As a midfielder, that is a very good scoring record. Despite showing promise Juventus bought his full rights back from Fiorentina in 2005 and sent him to Sevilla, where he would go on to win the UEFA cup. Enzo netted twice in the final and was awarded man of the match honours. However, Enzo was never given an opportunity with the national team.

Alberto Aquilani

Being born in Rome, he began his training as a 15-year-old with the Giallorossi and became known as 'The Prince'. Roma fans believe he would be the one to replace Francesco Totti. This put a lot of pressure on the young midfielder, and he was not able to live up to the immense hype. Alberto was only given a short stin at the senior level with Roma, and was plagued by injuries. However, a team abroad still believed in his talent. He was sold to Anfield where he would play with Liverpool in the English Premiere League. Injuries have never allowed him a chance at the first team. He has only been called to one major tournament (Euro08) and since has not made it to the World Cup in 2010 or the recent Euro 2012. Alberto has spent his last two seasons in Italy, but only on a loan basis. He is still looking for a permanent move back to his home country.

Federico Macheda

At 14 Federico was already set to become a star. He got noticed by Sir Alex and was taken to the Premiere League. Never having really gotten an opportunity with the first team, Macheda's growth seems to have stunted. He is no longer one of the top Italian talents, and although he is still 21-years-old has fallen behind as guys like Fabio Borini and Mattia Destro are much further ahead in their development.

Marco Verratti

Touted as the second coming of Andrea Pirlo despite having never played a minute of Serie A football, Marco Verratti is Italy's most promising young talent at the moment. He led Pescara to promotion from Serie B this past season and made the big money move to PSG. Juventus was set to close a deal on the youngster until Pescara got a more than generous offer from the Parisian giants. The ceiling is high for Marco, but he needs to play in order to reach his immense potential. I don't think he will get that chance at PSG, it will be unfortunate if he does not continue to grow as a man and as a player because of this move.

It is not always what it is cracked up to be, leaving for the big money contracts in Russia or wherever a young star may find it. This is not a problem subject to Italians alone, but a problem that seems to be more prevalent in recent years. The blame should not just go on the players, although the allure of high reputation teams coupled with a big contract is hard to refuse, the owners in Italy need to nurture this talent better than they have in recent years. There is a bigger picture here, growing the game in Italy should benefit every team financially, not just the bigger clubs. Rising stars need to be given opportunities, and real opportunities at that, not just a few appearances here and there.

The problem is not as large as I might make it out to be, I know that but Italy should be a league that competes with the English and Spanish and at this rate it is starting to feel like it has become a feeder league for them. Mario Balotelli, Marco Verratti, and Fabio Borini should be the stars of football playing with Italian teams, not teams from around the globe. These are the types of players that can restore the great reputation the Serie A once had. Yes we may not be losing all of our best young talent, but in recent years the few that are leaving are the really special ones, and that is what scares me the most.

Lorenzo Insigne....Believe the Hype

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:11:00 -0400

In the hours proceeding this blog posting, Napoli will have completed their biggest off-season maneuver... (in my opinion) ..giving Lorenzo Insigne a 1-year contract extension, which will run until 2017 (with an obvious pay increase for the kid).

[can Lavezzi lift this?]

You may be wondering why would Napoli be giving a 21-year old who has only ever played 1 minute of competitive calcio in the Serie A a contract extension?

Is it because in Napoli's last two friendly games he has tore it up with a goal and an assist against Bayern Munich or his assist and conistent pressure in Napoli's other friendly win over Bayern Leverkusen 2-1?

Is it because of how good "Lorenzinho" (as dubbed by the Napoli faithful) looked in his last two seasons playing under now Roma head coach Zednek Zemans 4-3-3?

- in the 2010/11 season Insigne was loaned to Foggia (who was coached by Zeman at the time) and scored 19 goals in 33 appearances.

- the following season Insigne was once again loaned out from Napoli to a Zeman coached Pescara team. Alongside fellow Italian youth prospects Marco Verratti and Ciro Immobile; Lorenzinho scored 18 goals in 37 appearances to help Pescara to promotion from Serie B to Serie A.

Although these could be factors in the re-signing. It mostly has to do with the fact that Napoli has just sold Lavezzi, and since Napoli head coach uses the 4-3-3, Insigne is the perfect candidate to replace Lavezzi on the left to pair up with Cavani and Hamsik.

I watched quite a bit of Pescara matches this past season to catch a glimpse of what I hoped would be a future Juventus signing in Marco Verratti (sigh) and Juventus owned striker Ciro Immobile. But it was Lorenzinho who caught my eye, and had me watching more Serie B soccer than I ever have.

His constant sprint with and without the ball on offense are very entertaining to watch. Having only recently joined the Italy Under-21 program, the hype around the young talent is quickly forming and with good reason.

A lot of credit must be given to Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentis for not only producing the greatest Italian comedy but for also locking down a player who let alone was born and raised in the streets of Napoli, but was brought up in the teams very own youth soccer system. And nothing upsets ultras more than letting your own youth prospects go.....just ask Massimo Moratti.

Poised to play a prominent role in the Napoli starting lineup this season, I believe he will help Napoli achieve a top 4 finish this season.

With players like Lorenzo Insigne and Matteo Destro going to better football clubs it will only help Italy's potential stars, to become superstars.

Serie A Canada Latest

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:51:00 -0400

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.

Have Napoli replaced Lavezzi?

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:58:00 -0400

It is the biggest question revolving around the Stadio San Paolo this summer. With no Champions League to participate in this year one of the 'big three' was bound to leave Napoli this offseason.

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has said that star striker Edinson Cavani will not be sold, unless a crazy offer of 100m Euro came along. Marek Hamsik has also pledged his allegiance to Naples. That meant Ezequiel Lavezzi was going to be the one to go, Napoli clearly identified that Lavezzi would be the easiest to replace of the three.

Ezequiel Lavezzi

Are they right? Maybe, maybe not, let's examine. I think we can all agree that Edinson Cavani is one of the most prolific finishers in the world. While Hamsik can score as well, but its the creator in him that makes him a tad better than Lavezzi in my book. Lavezzi and Hamsik each had nine goals in the league last year, but Hamsik had four more assists than Lavezzi did. Marek Hamsik is also two years younger than Ezequiel, and there is one more factor that plays into this. Flash. There is no question that Lavezzi just has more of it than Hamsik, and to be honest I really think Napoli were able to pull more money out of PSG because of that. It sounds stupid but I truly believe it. Hamsik will consistently play better but it can go unnoticed. Lavezzi on the other hand can disappear for parts of games, but can wow you with his speed and footwork without a moments notice.

Marek Hamsik

The biggest reason it was easy to take the 26m Euro for Lavezzi rather than letting go of Hamsik or Cavani is Lorenzo Insigne. This kid is the real deal and Napoli need to develop him at the top level, and good on them for giving the kid a chance. At least right now it seems like they will give him a chance. We will have a full player profile to come on this rising Azzurrini star but here is a touch about him to start. He was born in Naples, and is a product of the Napoli youth system. He scored 19 goals in Serie B last season and is already scoring bucketloads in the pre-season, including one goal against German giants Bayern Munich.

Lorenzo Insigne

Along with Mr. Insigne Napoli purchased Eduardo Vargas. Another incredible young talent out of Chile, Eduardo will look to provide some of that speed and flare that will be missing now that the Argentine Ezequiel Lavezzi has left town. He was signed in January for just above 14m Euro, so now that he has had the end of last season to get himself settled into Italy and the Serie A Walter Mazzarri is expecting a lot out of the big money signing.

Eduardo Vargas

This is exactly why Ezequiel Lavezzi was expendable. Insigne and Eduardo Vargas should actually make the team better because they can spread the offense around a little bit more, however there will be some growing pains for the two. I also like that Napoli has also added to the rest of the squad. Players like Behrami and Gamberini have already been purchased and will improve the overall quality of the squad while the latest rumours have them taking a run at Palermo's Federico Balzaretti. They really were a team last year that had a great attack but severely lacked in depth, andoverall quality. These problems seem to be fixed.

Behrami and Gamberini

They may have lost Lavezzi's flash and dash, but in comes younger talent with an overall better squad. Well done Napoli.

Calcio Corruption

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:12:00 -0400

There is not a whole lot of things that upset me about Italian soccer these days. Sunday mornings are just mainly a time for me to sit and enjoy one of my favourite things on this planet; Calcio. However in recent years the team that I love, and the league that I love the most has been tainted. Yesterday was almost like Calciopoli happened all over again.

Several current Juventus members along with many other people affiliated with Italian football were charged with sporting fraud. While some are alleged to have been indirectly involved with match fixing, others have been implicated with direct involvement. I don't have all of the facts or evidence pertaining to these incidents, and quite frankly I don't care all that much. What I do know is that Juventus boss Antonio Conte along with some of his staff have been charged. While Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Pepe have also been named in the latest scandal to rip through the Italian football leagues. None of these allegations pertain to their time at Juventus, so the club itself has avoided any punishment that may come down through this.

The fact is that most of this junk pertains to the lower divisions (Serie B or lower). Bonucci faces the most punishment with charges of being directly involved whereas Pepe and Conte are alleged to have indirect involvement, in other words they knew it was going on and did nothing about it. While some would say these investigations are helping the problem, and are addressing the need to get it out of the game, I say that when you are dealing with low budget, low level teams this will always be a part of the game. As it stands right now teams cannot survive without it.

It will be a problem in Italy, Spain, England, and wherever else you can think of. The mafia or gangs that are setting all this up have such a stronghold on the situation that this will not stop. There is no coincidence that these incidents are becoming more apparent and happening more frequently during the worst global economy we have experienced in quite some time. It is no secret that Italy along with pretty much every other country in Europe is suffering with finances.

Lower level football is in a really bad place right now. Teams are struggling to afford player wages on a week to week basis and the sport is suffering. The mafia or whomever is organising the fixing of these matches is taking advantage. They are targeting players who may not be receiving their pay cheques on a regular basis and therefore are struggling to pay their bills at home. Owners of teams have succumbed to the pressure as well. It has been said that owners are taking bribes to fix a few matches per season in order to help pay the wages of players.

I imagine it like this "OK boys, we're going to do our best to win as many games as we can but if you want to get paid and get paid on time, we have to lose a match here and there."

What is a player to do? Yeah you have your dignity to keep, but you also have a family to feed and bills to pay at home. Not to mention the repercussions one may face for not co-operating with the Mafiosi. (Which is the main argument Domenico Criscito has pleaded to prosecutors after being investigated just before the recent Euro 2012 tournament.)

If you have read the book 'The Fix' by Declan Hill then you would know this problem way more widespread than just Italy. It even reached the World Cup in 2006 where Ghana lay over to Brazil. Ghanaian captain and former Juventus man Stephen Appiah was mentioned in the book to have direct involvement with the fixing of that match. The gangs who are wanting these matches fixed are not just looking for a win or a loss they want exact scores to play, this maximises their profits as the odds on a team to win 6-0 compared to 1-0 are drastically different.

That 8-2 scoreline between Ghana and Brazil in the round of 16 that year seemed fishy at the time and 'The Fix' only clarified my original thoughts on that game. These Mafiosi take advantage of every situation they can, and it shows in instances such as that one way back in 06. So why is that we never hear about the police going after these men who are known for fixing matches all over the world? Why aren't players being forced to give up the real people who are fixing the matches? The men who are putting the money into it? These are questions I cannot answer, and I will not opine any further because I'm sure most of you have seen a mafia movie or TV show at some point in time.

Now I am not so naive to believe that some players willingly participate in these acts, but the problem is bigger than that, and the only way to solve the problem is getting to the source. If the match fixing is to stop then this is what the investigative journalists need to focus on; not the players not the managers or the teams that are involved, they need to go after the people who are actually running the show in this whole ordeal. Until that happen this is something that will not go away.

Further blog posts to come on this topic. I will discuss how it will affect the Serie A for the coming season once rulings come out on everything that has happened. Right now I just needed to vent.

"Friendlies in America"

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 20:25:00 -0400

when you read the title of the post i want you to sing it like James Brown....because thats how I'm saying it!

Friendlies in (North) America. Now maybe some of you are like me and fell victim to these cash grabs, hopefully not. They try to lure you in with posters such as this one

[Suarez is at the Olympics!]

making you the fan believe that your favourite stars will actually show up to an EXHIBITION in Toronto, days after a much deserved vacation. If they do end up playing, they dont go hard (who can blame them) and its never longer than a half (why risk an injury).

Now I won't argue that exhibitions are much needed to any team sport in warm up for the upcoming season. But my main gripe is the timing for these games and ticket prices.

Two seasons ago Juventus and Fiorentina travelled to Toronto on May 25th to do battle in the Skydome (yes it will always be called that to me). But the problem was it wasn't much of a battle. Both teams had just finished long disappointing seasons one week prior.
Any really talented player from either side was with their national side prepping for the 2010 World Cup. Unless your last name is Jovetic and your country will never qualify so you have to tear up a fake Juve defence. Juve played 6 local players they had signed on 10 day contracts and played most of their youth players because of the shortage of first teamers.

Yet ticket prices were cheapest 60$ and most 200$.....for a FRIENDLY!!!!

[side note] it was on this day that i declared to twitter and all Juve fans in attendance that Amauri had to go, and Jovetic has to come in, and i still stand by that.

The following year Juventus came back (2011), to play Sporting of portugal. Ticket sales were disappointing, nearly selling half the stadium with only 10,028 ticket sales. After the previous years showing on Juventus' part I dont understand how anyone in marketing thought that fans in Toronto would be willing to dish that same cash again.

[my condolences to anyone who had to sit through that rainstorm last summer]

Oh but I was wrong as this season Juventus attempted to come back (ticket prices were the same as the previous 2 exhibitions; cheapest 60$, most 200$) but pre sales were soo low that the team decided a trip to China would be more profitable. Now this is in no part due to Juve not having a strong fan base in Canada, it is due to the expensive price for tickets to watch a fake Juventus.

[would of been a great roadie with the boys]

We need more meaningful games to come here to justify those prices. They are the same prices as Miami Heat playoff tickets! And your not even getting stars to entertain us (in the 2010 friendly in Toronto, Del Piero did not take the field even after many chants from the 21,000+ crowd), but kids trying to find their place on the field.

I have absolutely no problem at all with the MLS all-star game. It has been surprisingly entertaining the last few years, and I think its a great idea to have the MLS all-stars face the reigning European Champions every summer. You could tell last night the MLS players were trying, and Chelsea wasnt walking around neither.

I remember fantasizing as a kid of the Champions League finals being hosted in the Skydome (and Juve winning it of course). Yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds...to have a European Cup final not in Europe. Which is why I was a child at the time. But where I am going with this is that why can't Toronto host the FIFA Club World Cup?

The Italian Super Cup has been hosted in somewhere other than Italy 5 times in the last 10 years. I am sure that if this years Italian Super Cup between Napoli and Juve were held in Toronto or Montreal it would have been a sellout. Instead they are off to China at the Beijing National Stadium in.....wait for it.....Beijing!

This same stadium has hosted the competition in 2009 and 2011. Last season it was full sellout of 80, 000! This is expected to be the same. So who can blame the teams or League for going for the money, thats the name of the game.

Marketers beware if you plan on bringing Juventus back and expect us to pay those high prices, know that if the buyer doesn't recieve what they expected, not playing the stars you advertised to us or these non competitive matches, it won't sell. Simply because.....

We Want Something Real.

The Curious Case of Udinese Calcio

danriccio87@gmail.com (Dan Riccio) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 20:53:00 -0400

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.