Author: Chris Willis

Who to support in Serie A this season?

Casual football fan? Love football but don’t follow it in Italy? Italy fan but not following football? There’s many reasons you might have for wanting to choose a Serie A team to follow this season, and with the season just 2 days away, here’s your guide to selecting what team to follow from now on in Italy’s top tier…

Atalanta

Were you a fan of Southampton’s feel good relegation? Where they just about avoided being the worst team in Premier League history? Well have a guess where the manager Ivan Juric is now… That’s right folks, Ivan Juric is in charge in Bergamo and all set to dazzle us. He was sacked from Roma last season too by the way, so don’t expect brilliant football or even results. Star man Ademola Lookman is on strike because he wasn’t allowed to go to Inter.

Atalanta did win the Europa League a couple of years back but that team is largely broken up now. You should follow Atalanta if you’re a fan of “almost” teams, given their propensity to threaten a title challenge without ever delivering. But they play in Bergamo, a beautiful city with an airport serviced by Ryanair from London for not a lot of money. Ideal for a quick weekend jaunt… Oh, and their away kit is magnificent.

Bologna

Bolognese fan? Then this is your team! But seriously, after their charge to the Champions League a few years ago people know a bit more about this lot. They then promptly lost the best players who got them there. Consider them the Aston Villa/Newcastle of Italy. They’re decent, will take points off the big boys here and there, but then the big boys will take their best players after a Top 6 finish.

Again, lovely city, great food, cheap flights from London. The kit’s alright too…

Cagliari

Ah the islanders… Cagliari is on Sardinia so it’s by the sea and often bathed in sunshine. If that’s your sort of thing then this article reached somewhere other than England. If you’re a fan of telling everyone about the legendary players that were produced at your club throughout history then this is your team. Current Azzurri star Nicolo Barella started here, right through to Azzurri legend Gigi Riva. Ramon Vega and Gianfranco Zola also played here. They’ll be in a relegation scrap for most of the season so only those with no heart conditions please…

Como

Billionaire? Film Star? Model? Then look no further. The richest club in Italy, probably top ten in the World, on the banks of the beautiful Lake Como. Italy’s Monte Carlo are stamping their authority on the league with a dynamic young coaching staff and even more dynamic and young players. They finished 10th last season and are eyeing Europe this time around. And if you go over there, you’ll definitely see someone famous in the stands. This is the team for you if you holiday in Dubai just to be seen. Get behind their project or don’t bother!

Cremonese

Remember when Bolton were in the Premier League? Enjoyed it? Then this is your team. Sneaking up thanks to a play off win over Spezia, managed by Italy’s answer to Big Sam – Davide Nicola. He has a phenomenal record of keeping teams up, having never been relegated despite several looking nailed on when he took over.

Cremonese beat Derby County in the 1993 Anglo Italian cup final. And further back in their history, they once had Italy’s best goalkeeper but Giovanni Zini lost his life in World War I and the stadium was named after him. Speaking of famous wartime names, Mussolini’s great-grandson plays here so if you’ve just signed up to Jeremy Corbyn’s new party, this might not be your team.

Don’t hold that against Romano Floriani Mussolini, he’s just here to play, his great-aunt is Sophia Loren, if that endears the Mussolini name any more?

They won’t be pretty, but they’ll be functional. Fans of Sean Dyche’s Everton great escapes and general underdogs, this is your team. Get stuck in with them!

Fiorentina

Nintendo fans of the World unite! The iconic 90s Fiorentina shirt sponsored by Nintendo makes this the team for the gamers. Europe’s nearly men, losing two Europa Conference finals in a row before losing a semi final a year later. Read any Dan Brown books? If so then most of what he talks about happened in Florence. Or maybe you’re a fan of viral sandwich shops, All’Antico Vinaio is here… Or maybe you just really like purple.

Fiorentina have had some great players pass through the doors including Gabriel Batistuta, they currently have the number one Italy striker Moise Kean and are perennial challengers for a European place. Man Utd fans would be pleased to see David De Gea enjoying a new lease of life here.

Genoa

English Calcio fans should be all over this one then. Genoa were founded by an English guy and are still called the Genoa Cricket and Football Club. Not only that but they have released a simply MAGNIFICENT away strip this season which is essentially a large St George’s Cross.

Do you need any other reason to support them? Ok well they were the first ever champions of Italy. In fact they won 6 of the first 7 Italian Championships. Oh, and Arsenal fans take note, Patrick Vieira is their manager. No brainer for the patriotic English Calcio fan.

Hellas Verona

What do you want me to say? I don’t think anyone in Italy even knows too much about Hellas Verona. I mean, Verona is a beautiful place, if you’re a fan of Shakespeare then you might know that Romeo and Juliet was set here. Ok then, there you go, if you’re a fan of nice cities, romance and need to take the Mrs on a romantic trip, be a Verona fan. You’ll get some brownie points by taking her here and you can see some football. If you are a woman, then just tell your man you want to go watch Verona, we do whatever women want mostly.

Inter

Only those with the highest footballing IQ. Alright fine, I’ll put my bias away. Fan of nearly being great but throwing it away at the last moment? Support Inter. Amazingly, Inter have the second most amount of titles in Italian history and are the second most successful team in European competition from Italy. They came second twice in the league in the last 4 years, came second in the Supercoppa and Champions League last season.

So there you have it, if you like a team that’s quite good but you don’t want to be an all out glory hunter, Inter Milan is the team for you. Some other reasons why I like them – cheap flights from London to Milan daily, easy to get tickets, iconic stadium, iconic kits, R9.

Juventus

Ok, now I need to keep my bias aside and not be horrible about Juventus. By far the most successful team in Italian domestic history. If you choose to overlook things like the Calciopoli scandal in which they were relegated then good for you. To be fair, during this time some true legends were born at the club when the likes of Buffon and Del Piero stayed despite their relegation.

The story behind their black and white stripes is now legendary and we’ve told it before here.

Some of the World’s all time greats graced the turf in Turin, with Zidane, Nedved, Platini, Buffon, Henry, Del Piero and Pirlo all plying their trade in Northern Italy for a time. Support if you like Man City, successful but always with that whiff of “is this legal” about it…

Lazio

Romanticists for the early noughties “Calcio is king” era will remember their great Sven inspired team winning the Scudetto and UEFA Cup Winners Cup. The classic kits from that era worn by Vieri, Mancini, Nedved, Salas and Nesta are enough to inspire nostalgia in anyone.

Be careful going to Lazio games if you’re not a fan of very right wing politics though, their Ultras are… feisty… and one of the most famous images of Paolo Di Canio is from this school. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google him, it’s like the 5th image. But this isn’t a political blog and I don’t really care about that, so head to Lazio if you like blue shirts, moderately successful nostalgia and you’re in Rome.

Lecce

Lecce lost a pre-season friendly to the United Arab Emirates national team. In 1976 they beat Scarborough in the final of the Anglo-Italian Cup. Antonio Conte and Graziano Pelle came through their youth academy to make it big (and fairly big). Yellow and Red stripes on their kit makes them a little hard to watch (personally) but they play their home games in Lecce, which is in the heel of the boot of Italy, which is gorgeous. So if there’s a chance of you doing some tourist stuff there, adopt them now as your team and end up at their games.

I expect they’ll be heavily in the relegation battle this season (again), so if you’re an underdog follower then get at it! Also, their left back is Irish, Corrie Ndaba has just moved to Lecce from Kilmarnock.

Milan

Hungry for more nostalgia? Milan had a bloody brilliant squad in the noughties. They had a few before that too, the 80/90s were magnificent there too, but for people of my vintage that team that Liverpool somehow beat in 2005 was ridiculous. Crespo, Shevchenko, Kaka, Pirlo, Seedorf, Maldini, Nesta, Cafu.. the list goes on.

Italy’s most successful team in Europe by some distance, and the third most successful domestically. Last season was a bit of a joke, but they’ve made smart moves this summer and I expect they’ll surprise a few people. American? Yunus Musah and Christian Pulisic are here. General fan of beautiful football? Luka Modric is now here.

Truth is, if you aren’t already supporting Milan then you’re probably not going to now, but if you want to jump in to Italian football, this is one of the giants of the game, support them and you’ll get to celebrate trophies.

Napoli

Glory Hunter? They’re the current defending champions. Other than that, this is where pizza was apparently invented. Neapolitan pizza is still famous around the World and definitely did come from here.

If you’re English, probably not the team for you, Diego Maradona is a God here and the stadium is still named after him and we don’t like him after that time he cheated in 1986. However, if you’re a fan of pure, all out passion, then you can’t go wrong here. Scots will love it since Ballon D’Or nominee Scott McTominay is on his way to legend status here, and that whole Maradona connection.

Home to three beautiful kits this season, as well as Kevin De Bruyne and managed by Antonio Conte, there’s a lot to like in Naples. I just don’t because I’m an English Inter fan.

Parma

Love Oasis? Wear bucket hats? Right on board this 90s nostalgia train that’s coursing through the World right now? Then come to Parma. Not only will you be well fed with cheese and ham, but the 90s nostalgia is big here! UEFA Cup winners in 1995 and 1999, Cup Winners Cup winners in 1993, Super Cup winners in 1994, Coppa Italia winners in 1992 and 1999 and Serie A runners up in 1997. This club craves the 90s more than your Dad at the Oasis reunion.

There’s a whole history to this team, including their bankruptcy and revival in the noughties. Read that here.

Not only that, but their kits are usually magnificent, the locals are friendly, tickets are cheap and I’ve already done the homework for you here…

Pisa

Another one for underdog fans here. Or fans of towers built incorrectly. Pisa stormed through Serie B for most of last season before stumbling over the line in second. Their manager then promptly left for more money elsewhere. Yes, Pippo Inzaghi replicated his brother in leaving his club at the end of the season. They haven’t spent a lot, nor does anyone expect them to stay up. But strange things happen in Italy. Support them if you’re a fan of beautiful cities and lovely blue and black kits.

The fans are passionate here, so any matchday will provide a great craic.

Roma

The eternal city, the lovely retro kit, the magnificent third strip this season. There’s a lot to like about Roma this season. Ranieri left at the end of last season having rescued them from a potential relegation battle with 2 defeats in 25. He became a Director and the attack minded Gasperini is in charge here. They’ve signed Leon Bailey and Evan Ferguson from English clubs, so there’s some home interest to follow here too.

I expect they’ll shock a few people, but above all else, if you know anything about Italian football you’ll know Francesco Totti is one of the best to ever do it and he spent his whole career here. A great choice for the casual viewer to root for this season.

Sassuolo

Josh Doig moved to Italy when he was only a teenager and is about to start his 5th season over in Italy at Sassuolo, his second club there. Another reason for Scottish fans to pay an interest. Not just this though, but they launched easily the best kit this season (for me). They were perennial strugglers last time out in Serie A but having swept everyone in Serie B, I expect them to have a bit more about them this season, they’ll be down near the bottom but I don’t think they’ll go down. Sassuolo is the industrial centre of Emilia Romagna so it’s unlikely you’ll be visiting by accident, but it’s easily accessible by train from Parma or Bologna, so double match weekend could be on…

Torino

Grande Torino were one of the greatest teams in Italian history, providing 10 out of the Azzurri’s 11 players in the 40s and spending years unbeaten. They were tragically and abruptly stopped in their tracks, however, in the Superga disaster when their plane crashed and everyone on board died.

Remembered every year by pilgrimages up the mountain to the site, Torino and their fans offer a certain dignity to Italian football. One of the great teams of all time in Calcio came from Torino, and so did one of Calcio’s greatest tragedies. This is a club bursting with history and constantly threatening to challenge for Europe and some domestic trophies. See also, magnificent kits and Scottish players.

Udinese

Another team with Scottish talent. Lennon Miller has just signed here from Motherwell, a very highly regarded talent in Scottish and European football. Won the 1978 Anglo-Italian cup over Bath City. You may recognise them from early noughties European pursuits featuring Antonio Di Natale.

Fans of Black and White stripes will certainly appreciate their kit and their location in Udine near the Slovenian border will appeal to fans of the multi-country trip. Alexis Sanchez also played here for a time before Barcelona took him to Spain. Don’t expect any trees being pulled up next season, but they usually provide entertainment.

21st Aug 2025
The Three Serie A Matches You Should Watch This Weekend and Why…

Serie A returns this weekend and for a full preview of all the games going ahead, you should probably just get a Gazzetta subscription or head over to Football Italia. However, on this blog we’re going to zoom in on three standout fixtures on the opening weekend and why we think you should be watching these games…

Game 1: Roma v Bologna

When: Saturday 23rd August – 20:45 (IT), 19:45 (UK), 14:45 (NYC)

Gasperini is the new man in charge at a Roma side that finished last season under Claudio Ranieri losing just once in the last 25 matches. An extraordinary run that if they can repeat will see them as Scudetto outsiders.

Roma have done some smart business over the summer, bolstering their defence with Italian prospect Daniele Gilhardi and Brazilian Wesley from Flamengo after an impressive Club World Cup. Up top they’ve added Brighton starlet Evan Ferguson – initially on loan – and he’s hit the ground running in pre-season. Gasperini’s tactics are not quite “Gung-Ho” but they are positively reckless in a league famed for defensive stability.

They open their campaign against Coppa Italia champions Bologna, who defeated Milan 1-0 in last years Rome showpiece. A strong post-Christmas run was negated by a stumbling over the finish line at the end of the Serie A season, but they did have a cup final on their minds then.

Bologna’s summer business has been a little tamer than Roma’s, but they have brought Bernardeschi and Immobile back to Italy. However, it’s in defence where they’ve made the biggest moves splashing €11m on 22 year old Martin Vitik from Sparta Prague as well as two other centre backs – Torbjorn Heggem from West Brom and Nicolo Casale from Lazio.

The match sees renewed defensive pragmatism going up against Roma’s revamped forward line. It looks like Leon Bailey has also been added at Roma from Aston Villa although this game might come too early for him. I would expect to see goals in this match which is why on Saturday night after I’ve finished my dinner, I’ll be finding a bar in Bergamo to tune into this.

Fancy a Bet? – Roma to win and both teams to score is currently at 16/5 with Coral in the UK.

Game 2: Milan v Cremonese

This should present a fairly straightforward start to the season for Max Allegri in his second spell at Milan. I’ve already tipped Milan to surprise a few people this season and the additions of Ricci and Modric to their midfield as well as Brighton’s Pervis Estupinian going forward are the main reasons why.

Milan have done smart business and while the changes haven’t quite been wholesale, there should be enough change to wipe away the memories of a mess of a season in Serie A last time out. Milan finished 8th to miss out on European football and lost the Coppa Italia final, going through two underwhelming Portuguese coaches on the way.

They actually outscored the champions but conceded far too many and this is where they’ll hope to tighten up, keeping hold of Maignan despite Chelsea’s advances will go a long way to making them happy in this respect.

Cremonese on the other hand, finished 4th in Serie B – 15 points off automatic promotion – and were promoted by beating Spezia 3-2 in the play off final. This despite being 3-0 up with ten minutes to play. Their preparation for life in Serie A was to add 12 new players this window with none of those players costing as much as €3.5m.

Most notable is Romano Mussolini on loan from Lazio. The right sided player (of course) is actually fairly highly rated but unfortunately is more well known for his family history at this moment. That shirt sales of his name have spiked is an indictment of the World we’re living in. But this isn’t a political blog, it’s a football one…

So why should you watch this game? One reason, goals. While Milan will be fairly pragmatic under Allegri, he’ll want a good start in his first competitive game and smashing a promoted side will go a long way to doing that. I fancy Cremonese to make a fair battle of staying up under Davide Nicola, but opening day won’t be where they lay down their marker. Tune in for goals, goals and more goals.

Fancy a Bet? – Milan to win and over 3.5 goals in the game is 2/1 with Coral

Game 3: Inter v Torino

A fairly fascinating affair as far as I’m concerned. History isn’t on my side with this, but hear me out (Inter have won 29/45 against Torino).

Inter are a wounded animal, their season ended disastrously losing 3-0 in the Coppa Italia semi final to Milan, losing the Scudetto at their own cost with silly mistakes against Lazio and then getting truly embarrassed in the Champions League final. They had a chance to make amends fairly quickly though in the Club World Cup – which they exited in the Round of 16 against Fluminense sparking an internal soap opera between Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu.

Calha stayed and everything was swept under the rug, but since then the Mercato has been a nightmare. Public pursuits of Leoni, Lookman and Kone have all so far ended in failure and despite the early additions of Sucic and Bonny looking like smart business they’ve done nothing to raise hopes in Milan. The obvious need to strengthen in defence has been largely ignored and for a third season you can easily predict their starting line up…

Torino finished 11th last season, losing 4 of their last 5 matches. Their answer? 8 new signings. Giovanni Simeone from Napoli up front looks a smart addition, as does Zakaria Aboukhlal on the wing. The Moroccan scored 7 and set up 4 in 26 Ligue 1 appearances for Toulouse last time out.

Premier League fans will be intrigued to see Cesare Casadei lining up having joined Torino from Chelsea this summer – proving he does exist and is a real player. A fairly underwhelming season last year can’t be entirely pinned on his shoulders, his loan to Leicester couldn’t have come at a worst time, since they were beyond awful.

So why watch this one? Call it professional curiosity. Chivu’s Inter didn’t overwhelm at the Club World Cup, but he’d only been in the job 9 days. He’s had a full pre-season to stamp his mark on a team who are another year older without any solid reinforcements added. Torino have refreshed a side that threatened Europe briefly before absolutely tanking last time out. I still fancy Inter to just about get through this one with three points, but it could easily be the upset of the weekend…

Fancy a Bet? – Torino or Draw Double Chance is 9/5 with Coral

20th Aug 2025
Serie A’s Next Great Crisis: Losing Its Future Stars

In just the past year, Italy has watched a golden generation slip through its fingers. Mateo Retegui headed to Saudi Arabia, Giovanni Leoni swapped Parma for Liverpool, Riccardo Calafiori moved abroad, and Diego Coppolla packed his bags too. They’re part of a growing list of young Italian footballers leaving Serie A in search of opportunity, money, and trust.

It’s a worrying pattern — and one that could shape the future of Italian football for decades.

The Growing Exodus

This summer Italy lost her top scorer to the Saudi Arabian league. Not such a shock that Italian teams can’t keep up with the wages in Saudi Arabia, even the Premier League struggles with that. What was alarming was that Mateo Retegui is 26 years old, and had just won the Capocannoniere (top scorer award).

Then, after Juventus, Inter and Milan were all circling the Parma prodigy Giovanni Leoni, Liverpool swooped out of nowhere and took the centre back to England. The reported fee of €40m shouldn’t really have been too beyond the three biggest clubs in Italy.

As well as this, Calafiori headed to London last summer, Diego Coppolla has chosen Brighton this summer. Some players you’ve probably never heard of that have left Italy include Samuel Pia and Luca Reggianni are both in Germany at Dortmund, Manuel Pisano went over the Alps from Turin to Munich in 2023 and Guido Della Rovere went from Cremonese to Bayern too.

Why Are They Leaving?

It depends on the player, is the shortest answer we can give here… Leoni and Calafiori undoubtedly left because there was more money on the table in England than in Italy. This financial weakness was highlighted by Luigi De Siervo (CEO, Serie A) who blamed rampant illegal streaming for severe revenue losses. He estimates this to be roughly €300m annually, which is affected the wages that Italian clubs can pay, along with stifling investment into youth development and their infrastructure.

But lower down the age groups, why are players leaving Italian Academies for Germany? There’s no real player pathway for Italian footballers to break into the first team in Serie A. Unless you’re a truly exceptional talent, the over reliance on experienced players in Italy means there’s no way to force your way into the team. Therefore, the naturally inkling is to look elsewhere. Germany has a reputation for blooding young players, even the high stakes of the English Premier League give young kids a chance from time to time.

This brings an over reliance to Serie B or Serie C teams, the standard is much lower, the development isn’t as intense and the development window for great talent is missed. Players don’t see any Serie A minutes until the age of 22. Enzo Maresca (Chelsea Manager) even pointed at this reliance on “experience” led to the demolition of Inter Milan in the 2025 Champions League final.

Carlo Nesti (veteran journalist) paints a grim picture of life in Italy for young players. Serie A has a high foreign player ratio of 50-60%, with only about 3-6% of playing time in Serie A going to Under 21 Italian players, far below peers like La Liga and the Premier League. The Italian overemphasis on tactical rigidity and defensive habits along with dwindling grassroots and street football sees a demographic decline in young Italian players making the grade.

The Cost For Italian Football

The cost of the decline in young Italian talent staying in Italy is threefold. There’s the natural risk of a weaker national team, the loss of connection between clubs and their local communities and fans being deprived of seeing their own talent grow at home.

The national team weakness is fairly self explanatory. If your best young players scatter all over Europe, then they’ll grow up in different systems and different philosophies before returning to play together. In theory, the players could flourish under these better foreign academies, with much more game time – but they’re not likely to come together on national duty with similar outlooks and tactical ideas or even capabilities.

Football has always been a community sport. The clubs have been the heart of the communities, they’ve brought the local people together under one set of colours, one badge. And the strongest link to all of these clubs has been local homegrown talent. But when that talent is being lost before they’ve set foot on the pitch, there becomes a strain on the relationship. There’s no closeness between the fans and their club. How can they cheer for strangers, not from the area who don’t “understand” their club.

How To Stop The Drain

Full disclosure, and fans of the blog will already be aware of this, but I’m no politician. And I’m certainly not involved with the FIGC in any way. But there are ways to stop this drain.

Mandating Youth inclusion is an obvious one, but not a popular one. The more money that becomes up for grabs in European competition especially, the more the game becomes about win at all costs. But rules ensuring minutes for Under 21 Italian prospects have been called for, especially from Fabio Capello. He’s called for a radical shift in mentality, youth academies to prioritise Italian talents, including mandated young players to be included in Serie A squads.

Reforming the loan system would aid Italian players. If clubs weren’t able to ship out their entire youth prospects to Serie B and Serie C teams because of a limit on loans, then they would have no choice but to keep them closer to the first team squad to maximise their investment in them.

The obvious next step would be to include B teams or reserve teams in their own league. Giving a competitive element to youth development and bridging the gap between academies and the first team. I’m not a fan of Juventus/Milan/Inter Reserves all playing down in Serie C, in vastly uncompetitive matches with semi-pro players that just want to chase them and kick them. Having a reserve league of their own would enable competitive games without the need for “win at all costs”.

Investment in academies is an option for Italian clubs too. Perhaps too much of a simple one, given the financial pain they’re all currently facing. But certainly an investment in the coaching structure that these academies would help to keep Italian players in the very academies that produce them.

Conclusion

Italy still produces outstanding footballers — the problem is keeping them. Without a serious change in mentality, investment, and opportunity, Serie A risks becoming a league that develops stars for others to enjoy. The exodus of Retegui, Leoni, Calafiori, and Coppolla might not be the end of an era — it could be the beginning of a very long drought.

15th Aug 2025
Meet Lennon Miller, the new Scot in Italy

Italy’s love affair with Scotland is showing no signs of slowing down. Graham Souness rocked up at Sampdoria in 1984 to great fanfare and since then Scots have turned up in Mediterranean Europe on the regular with Lewis Ferguson being the first in what we’d call “modern day” football. Ferguson, so admired, won the Serie A MVP in 2024 and was followed last year by another Scot, literally. McTominay was a revelation last season, shedding the weight of trauma that Manchester United brings to earn himself a Scudetto and Ballon D’Or nomination at the same time.

He did so alongside Ayshire’s own Billy Gilmour in Napoli’s midfield and at the same time last season Che Adams contributed 9 goals and Josh Doig was contributing to Sassuolo’s Serie B title. But there’s a new Scot in town, arriving in Udine on the 12th August with no groundbreaking presentations or crowds rushing to meet him at the airport.

If Lennon Miller makes his debut against Hellas Verona on matchday one, he will have only just blown out the 19 candles on his birthday cake that morning. For such a young player, his career has taken off fairly quickly – and yet you probably don’t know much about him at all…

Lennon was born on 25th August 2006 in Wishaw, Scotland, son of former Scotland striker Lee Miller, he lost his mother at a young age. He joined Motherwell’s academy at age 7 and made his senior debut aged just 16 in a Scottish League Cup match – a club record for youngest player.

In December 2022, Lennon made his first senior league appearance against Rangers and would go on to make 32 appearances in the 2023/24 season. He contributed 8 assists and 2 goals across this season. This was a season during which he suffered a fractured patella and missed three months of action. The fractured patella isn’t the only injury issue Lennon has suffered, last season he also a hairline fracture to his ankle in December 2024.

This came only a month after he became the youngest captain in Motherwell’s history in a League Cup semi final against Rangers. Motherwell took the lead in this game but would go on to lose 2-1. The same season saw Lennon step up from his regular role in Scotland’s youth system to their first team, making his National Team debut against Iceland in June 2025 as a substitute and providing an assist a few days later in his first start against Liechtenstein.

Motherwell fans we spoke to raved about Lennon’s range of passing and his vision – on and off the ball. The dead ball ability of the player and his ability in ground duels is “the best we’ve ever seen at Motherwell”. Lennon can – and has – played as a Defensive Midfielder, a Central Midfielder and an Attacking Midfielder, showing his versatility through the centre of the pitch.

Last season Lennon made the second most forward passes of any Under 19 player in Europe ahead of the likes of Jobe Bellingham, Warren Zaire-Emery and Desire Doue. He also ranked first in Europe for Under 19 players in assists, expected assists and through passes completed as well as second in long passes completed, progressive passes and shot assists.

This is a progressive player, always looking to get forward and create. This sort of aggressive, attacking play will endear him to the locals in Udine. Being accepted by the crowds will help him to settle – always the biggest issue for “Brits Abroad”. The different languages and cultures as well as the style of play often leaves Brits underwhelming in Europe. Something about this doesn’t seem to apply to the Scottish, however, and Udinese fans will hope that Lennon Miller is the next in a long line of success stories.

15th Aug 2025
Giovanni Leoni: What Can Liverpool Expect

The news broke yesterday that Liverpool were continuing their PSR approved prolific spending spree and they’d aimed their cross hairs at Parma’s teenage centre half Giovanni Leoni. The 19 year old defender has risen quickly to prominence in Italy and while the top Serie A clubs were circling like sharks, none can match Liverpool’s spending power or the pull of the Premier League and we fully expect him to end up on Merseyside.

So the big question is for Liverpool fans: who is this kid and what can we expect from him? Well look no further, we’ve got all the information required for you to sound like you know your stuff down the pub this weekend.

Giovanni Leoni

Date of birth: 21st December 2006

Height: 6ft 2in

Position: Right sided centre back, right footed

Clubs: Padova (youth), Sampdoria, Parma (current)

International: Italy U19: 7 appearances

Overview

In winter 2024, the boy from Rome was loaned from Padova to Sampdoria in Serie B with an option to buy. His coach Andrea Pirlo quickly recognised his talent there commenting that he was “Sure he’d reach Serie A, he deserves it”.

In one of the more peculiar Italian transfer quirks, he was transferred to Sampdoria where he signed a three year contract on 25th June 2024. He then moved to Parma on 27th August 2024 following their promotion to Serie A.

Parma initially struggled in Serie A but when renowned former Inter centre back Christian Chivu came to the helm, they stepped up their survival fight and Leoni was named man of the match in hard fought 1-0 over the mighty Juventus. He was also widely acclaimed during a 2-2 against Inter where he ably defended Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.

Come this summer, Inter appointed Chivu as manager and they immediately began circling Leoni, as well as Juventus and Milan. Italian football being what it is, Parma wanted more than the three could afford, they wanted to make a deal and yet again the English Premier League has some money to throw at the deal and another young promising Italian talent appears to be heading to England. Maybe he can open an Italian restaurant with Calafiori.

Giovanni Leoni, Strengths

Leoni is cool under siege, it was his performance against Juventus that showed this. He has great concentration, his positioning is fantastic and he reads the game well, as per every single Italian defender ever.

Paolo Maldini once said, “if I need to make a tackle then I’ve already made a mistake” and Leoni embodies this. He rarely dives in, he’ll stay touch tight to his man and tracks cut-backs very well.

Leoni doesn’t turn the ball over cheaply. It’s often simple and safe distribution, he’ll help the team build through the defensive midfield and he has an average of 87.7% pass completion rate in Serie A last season.

He has a high volume of blocks and emergency actions, showing his appetite for reading danger, how he recognises situations arising and can snuff them out. He’s a typical “Italian Centre Half” in that he reads the game, snuffs out attacks and plays simply out of defence.

He has a great temperament, making his Serie B debut at 16 years of age and Serie A at 17. He remains a set piece threat with two goals from corners to his name so far.

Areas to Improve

Of course, no defender is perfect – no matter how Italian – and a teenager will obviously have areas to improve. Leoni isn’t slow by any stretch of the imagination, but at Premier League tempo he’ll be stressed by runners across his shoulder. His improvement will be required in his angles and first step acceleration.

Despite his height (over 6 foot), Leoni’s aerial win rate lags behind his peers. It isn’t a lack of willing, however, it’s his strength and timing in the air that needs work. He couldn’t wish for a better mentor than he would find at Liverpool with van Dijk.

Finally, his distribution is short and safe. His stats show very low progressive passes and carries – at Liverpool he would need to add line-breaking passes or carries to suit Liverpool’s possession game.

What can Liverpool expect?

In the short term, if the move is completed, Leoni would initially suit Liverpool as a depth or rotation centre back. There would be immediate competence in deep-block defending, set piece value and low-risk distribution. Working alongside a dominant aerial partner and a ball progressing number 6 he would learn quickly and adapt well in the Premier League.

In the medium to long term, I would expect his progression to make him one of the better defenders in England. If he can work well on his ball progression and his aerial ability in addition to his existing defensive anticipation he could be the next big Italian centre half, in the Cannavaro mould.

Summary

So there you have it, Reds fans, you’re going to be getting (it seems) a very able and promising centre back. He’s capable and still has room to improve in his game. Italians don’t always settle in the UK, they find it tough, so that mental aspect will be interesting to see. It looks on the face of it that he would be resilient enough to cope, given he made his professional debut at 16 and his Serie A debut at 17.

You can never predict the future, but Leoni certainly has a bright future in the game, hopefully he can succeed in England.

13th Aug 2025
Meet the New Boys: The big summer movers

This summer has been a busy one for Serie A teams and there’s some big names entering Italy this summer. There’s also some lesser known names who’ll be on our pitches and our screens in 2025/26. So who are they? Where have the come from? Are they any good? Here’s a selection of them…

Kevin De Bruyne, Napoli

Undoubtedly the biggest transfer this summer in Serie A, the six time Premier League winner arrived in Naples this summer to fanfare and adulation from supporters of the current Champions. He’ll link up with Scott McTominay in Napoli’s midfield, which will only make them better. However, at 34 it remains to be seen how he’ll cope with the rigours of a 38 game season and a Champions League campaign.

We don’t really need to analyse his game for you, he remains one of the best passers of the ball in the World and Italy’s slower paced game will suit him. I expect Napoli to get at least one good year out of him before an inevitable move to Saudi Arabia.

Luka Modric, Milan

If you thought Kevin De Bruyne was old, Luka Modric has 5 years on him. The 39 year old has as many Champions League titles as De Bruyne has Premier League titles. The little Croatian is one of the most decorated players in Real Madrid’s history, so despite his advanced age there’s enough for Milan to feel optimistic about this summer.

The “trivela” style player has great composure on the ball, creativity in spades and can unleash a strike from distance to put fear into even the greatest Serie A goalkeeper. Sitting deeper these days, expect Modric to act as a “puppet master” and dictate things in the middle of the park. Again, don’t expect longevity from this transfer, but he’ll lift Milan in the short term.

Wesley, Roma

An interesting one this, Wesley featured three times in the Club World Cup for Flamengo as they beat eventual winners Chelsea and won over the casual fan with their swashbuckling displays. Key to it was the young right back, who provides athleticism and pace on the flanks. The 21 year old signed a 5 year contract with Roma in July and joins Evan Ferguson is lowering the average age of the squad as well as increasing their attacking intent.

Keep an eye on Roma this season, they’ll score a lot of goals with these additions but they’ll be wide open too. Their games won’t be boring at all, but can they bring it together to challenge? Who knows…

Noa Lang, Napoli

The controversial Dutchman joins Napoli for €25m. The winger is explosive, full of creativity and a great eye for goal. A bargain for the price they’ve paid. After struggling to make an impact at Ajax as a young man, he turned to Belgium and Club Brugge where he scored 32 goals in 99 matches before returning to the Netherlands where he scored 15 in 40 matches.

A solid return from out wide and makes Napoli’s attacking line up all the more formidable when he joins up with McTominay, De Bruyne and Lukaku. If Conte can finally get it right in Europe it may leave Napoli stretched, but if he continues his usual progress in European Competition, hand them the Scudetto now.

Luis Henrique, Inter

It’s all change for Inter and we could write an entire post on their window this far, and probably will. However, one of the early pieces of business they managed was the signing of Luis Henrique for a reported fee of around €25m. Henrique played mainly off the wing for Marseille so on the face of it this was an odd signing. However, with Inzaghi leaving and Chivu taking over at Inter, there’s a likely change of shape coming and Henrique could be much more useful in a 3-4-2-1 behing Lautaro.

He underwhelmed in the Club World Cup in his first few performances, but you can’t really judge a man at a new club that was in complete turmoil at the end of an exhausting season. Henrique’s success or failure at Inter will depend how their season opens up, largely expected to be challenging Napoli if they start well, Henrique will do well. If they flounder, I think the player will too.

Lennon Miller, Udinese

Ok, so this isn’t complete yet, but he’s headed to Udine for a medical yesterday so we can assume this one is done and dusted. The Motherwell Central Midfielder is set to become yet another Scot in Italy – however, as an 18 year old, don’t expect to see him week in week out at this stage. The highly rated youngster has already played twice for Scotland’s national team.

He’ll be certainly hoping he can emulate the successes of Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson and even Josh Doig and Che Adams out in Italy.

Kamaldeen Sulemana, Atalanta

We’ve written a full blog post on Sulemana which can be found here, but in short this is a sensible move from Atalanta. Especially with Lookman seemingly on his way out of the club. His pace and directness will be an issue for Serie A defences and anyone who can stand out in Southampton’s dreadful season is worth a look.

I like Sulemana as a player and he got off to a great start, scoring against Croatian side Opatija. Keep an eye on this one.

That’s the new boys in Serie A, well a selection of them anyway. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the likes of Petar Susic at Inter, a young player from Croatia, I’m not sure what his influence will be. Inter like their standard midfield of Calha, Mkhitaryan and Barella. There’s a number of transfers within Serie A and we’ll look at them in the coming days, but for now here’s your new boys.

Who do you like? Who’s got you excited at your team?

12th Aug 2025
Serie A 2025/26: Predictions
Tomorrow we’ll be exactly two weeks away from the beginning of the new season and the optimism that comes when no one has actually kicked a ball. By Tuesday morning, half the fans in Serie A will believe their season is already over, the other half will be boasting how this year is their year. But we’re going to peak even sooner than that on the blog and boldly chuck out some predictions two weeks ahead of time with the Mercato in full swing still. Bookmark this later to come back and laugh at!

Champions – The contenders

Napoli

Raced into a great Mercato with the signing of Kevin De Bruyne for nothing. A top, top player but doing nothing for Serie A’s image as a retirement home. With McTominay being nominated for a Ballon D’Or this week and some other smart acquisitions they’re rightly considered favourites amongst most bookmakers. Conte, however, will be the key. He already threw a tantrum and threatened to quit once, will he see the season out? They’ll be hoping so in Naples

Inter Milan

Last season Inter beat Lazio away 6-0, but they also lost at home in the Derby in the last minute. They also got to a Champions League final, which they lost 5-0. The point here is, who knows what Inter will show up from one week to the next? Their market has been a mixture of smart looking deals and ridiculous pursuits underlined by failure. Petar Susic looks a good signing, while the campaign for Lookman stumbles on. One alternative is Mason Greenwood, good goalscorer, questionable bloke. The fall out between Calhanoglu and Lautaro appears to have been papered over, so let’s see how the season plays out. New, inexperienced coach Chivu will have his work cut out. Second favourites with most bookies, there may be some value at 3/1.

Juventus

Juventus are always listed amongst the favourites no matter what. Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao will be key in any title challenge Juventus want to put up, if they put one up. Randal Kolo Muani wants to resign for them after his successful loan, Juventus want him, yet they can’t get the deal done. It’s been a strange window for Juve fans, Jonathan David came in and no one can tell if that’s a good thing or not. He’d be a great “option player”, but is he a regular starter? Tudor steadied the ship last year when he came in, but that’s easy for a caretaker to do, now he has the job full time, all his credentials will be put to the test.

Milan

A disastrous campaign last time out, they’ve offloaded some of the bloated squad and brought in some key players. Another feather in the cap for the retirement league is their signing of Luka Modric. The 104 year old Croatian will find life in Italy tough, but his reading of the game and ball playing ability won’t be affected by age. The acquisitions of Jashari, Ricci and Estupinian generate some excitement, as does keeping hold of keeper Mike Maignan. If they can keep Newcastle away from Malick Thiaw then they’ll consider it a summer well done. If they can shake off the absolute circus act they became last season, then maybe they’re an outsider for a 20th Scudetto and second star.

The Others…

Usually you’d highlight Atalanta as a dark horse outsider, but having seen Ivan Juric manage at Roma and Southampton last season and the fact Ademola Lookman is AWOL chasing his Inter move, I don’t see Atalanta troubling the top pack this season.

Their former boss, however, has gone to AS Roma who have made some smart moves in the window, appear to be keeping Dybala and Dovbyk and will inject youth into their team as Gasperini likes to do. I would keep one eye on them as the season draws on.

I’d be surprised to see Genoa or Bologna challenge for the title, but good runs put together in the last season, if they can repeat, could see them trouble the Champions League places.

And don’t forget about La Viola. Pioli is back in Italy and he has a point to prove. It looks like Moise Kean isn’t going anywhere and they’ve added veteran marksman Edin Dzeko to the roster. De Gea stays in goal and it would only take a solid mid-season run to see them pushing to return to Europe’s top table. The title is probably beyond Fiorentina, but Europe isn’t.

Verdict

Ok, balls on the line time…
- Champions – Napoli
- Champions League – Inter, Milan, Roma
- Europa/Conference – Bologna, Atalanta, Juventus
I get it, no big surprises there. Juventus can change things if they secure Kolo Muani or another big striker, and I just fancy Milan to get it together this season. And as for Roma, I just like their business. I like Evan Ferguson and I like the way Gasperini plays football. They’ve got a chance.

Dark Horses

There’s a few clubs who could surprise us all and while they’re outside of the traditional “big clubs” in Italy, they could make a play for a European spot. This season, for me, it’s got to be Como 1907.

Yeah, alright, they’ve got the richest owners in Serie A and have had a busy summer, but they’ve got that small stadium, were in Serie D as recently as 2019. Any European finish would still be a massive achievement for this provincial side.

Cesc Fabregas flatly refused the move to Inter in the summer and insisted on staying with “the project”. Only good news appears to come out of this club, they’ve got some great young flair players and while some pundits are questioning them abandoning Italian players for South American gems, they’re bound to win more than they lose.

The only question marks really are whether they can mix it up and be tough when they need to and can they keep the group together. Well question one was answered the other night when they had a full on fist fight after a friendly with Real Betis, and question two was answered seemingly when Nico Paz and Cesc Fabregas chose to stay rather than heading down the road to Inter.

Don’t be surprised if Como end up playing European football next season.

The promoted teams

Always the favourites to go back down, how will the promoted sides fair next season?

Sassuolo

Dominant in Serie B last season, winning the league by some margin, it should highlight their readiness for top flight football. Yet they were comfortably relegated from Serie A the season before. They need to avoid becoming an Italian Norwich and stake a claim to stay in the league. Bookmakers make them the strongest promoted candidate to stay up, and the collapse of Armand Lauriente’s transfer to Sunderland is a big factor in this. The winger scored 18 goals and provided 5 assists last season and will be key to any creativity in Serie A.

Pisa

Got promoted and lost manager Pippo Inzaghi back to Serie B and rivals Palermo. Not a great start. However, they have replaced him with Alberto Gilardino and having made it back to the top flight for the first time in 34 years, they’ll be keen to hang on and stay there. Matteo Tramoni looks to be sticking around having banged in 13 goals last season for them, which is welcome. Veteran player Juan Cuadrado is also on board and the loan of midfielder Akinsanmiro from Inter boost their numbers nicely. They’ll need to replicate their strong defence from last season where they only conceded 36 goals on their way to second place.

Pisa collected a trophy for coming second in some Utter Woke Madness

Cremonese

Cremonese finished 4th last season, behind Spezia, but went up through the play offs. However, since the departure of Giovanni Stroppa who led them to promotion they have survival specialist Davide Nicola in charge. The Italian Sam Allardyce has rescued Crotone (2019/20), Torino (2020/21), Salernitana (2021/22), Empoli (2023/24). He will hope to replicate this with Cremonese, but will have his work cut out with a side who’ve only just spent more than €10m this Mercato.

Verdict

I can’t see past Cremonese for relegation I’m afraid. Sorry guys, but despite having Davide Nicola, it doesn’t look good for you. Sassuolo have the capability to stay up, but do they have the belief only time will tell. Pisa could dig in under Gilardino’s leadership and if they can continue their strong defensive record they definitely have a chance, but I think the rest of the league may prove too good for them.

However, bookmakers also look to the likes of Verona, Lecce and even Cagliari as potential relegation candidates.

I think ultimately, Lecce and Cremonese will go, one of Pisa and Sassuolo to join them…Sorry guys.

Top Scorer

Might as well just piss into the wind and pick a name here. Who can ever predict the top scorer? Even when Inter won two years ago and Lautaro took the prize it was his first time ever. Last season Mateo Retegui won it and promptly left Italy for Saudi Arabia. So who’s going to take it home this season?

Well, surprisingly, Lautaro Martinez is leading the bookies charge at 9/2, good value but he spent most of last season looking exhausted. Another 60-odd games last season won’t have helped him out. Moise Kean is next best at 11/2, but you can’t help but feel he needs Fiorentina to have a good season for him to win that title.

Jonathan David pops up third in a lot of lists, and at 7/1 there’s certainly some value in it. Again, if Juventus spend another 3 months imploding as per last season, his chance will have gone.

There’s some newbies to the league who have a shot too. I can’t hide my admiration for Evan Ferguson and with a solid pre-season of goals for Roma and Gasperini’s attacking style, he’s got a great chance to get it. Noa Lang at Napoli is a dark horse too. Not exactly a prolific career to date but Napoli will spend most of the season on the front foot and with the supply lines coming from KdB and McFratm, he should get chances. As will their other striker, Big Rom Lukaku. Always up there without ever winning the grand prize, he’ll have his eyes on it this season.

Verdict: For some value I’d go for an each way bet on Evan Ferguson, but for me it’s got to be Lukaku or Lautaro. Once a prolific duo, now on opposite sides of the title race. Their goalscoring might just tip the title in their team’s favour.

Liked this post? Check out our Kit Review for 2025/26
8th Aug 2025
Shining Stars: The Under 23 prospects to look out for this season in Serie A
When I was growing up, Serie A was all about the biggest names, the biggest price tags and the biggest reputations. Now, that mantle has passed to the Premier League and as a cynical 30-something year old, I’m bored of all that. What gets me interested in football now is seeing academy graduates make it through. Watching them tentatively replace a bigger name in the 80th minute and then remembering that moment 4 years later when Liverpool pay €80m for him to sit on their bench.

So I’ve done a deep dive, with the help of some Googling and some podcast listening – and here’s who to look out for this season breaking through into Serie A, and some Serie A players who broke through last season who I expect to make an impact this time around…

Francesco Camarda (CF, Lecce on loan from AC Milan)
- Age: 17
- Nationality: Italian
- Height: 1.89m
Profile: A prodigious striker who became the youngest player in Serie A history when he debuted for Milan aged just 15 years and 260 days. Camarda is a generational youth prospect, having scored over 400 goals at youth level and drawing comparisons to a young Erling Haaland due to his size, finishing instinct, and movement.

Tactical Analysis: Camarda excels in the box, using intelligent movement to escape defenders and make runs across the front line. He’s composed in 1v1 situations and has an advanced sense of space. He can operate as a lone striker in a 4-3-3 or as part of a front two in a 3-5-2, where his ability to combine and occupy centre-backs becomes even more dangerous.

Outlook 2025/26: Loaned to Lecce to gain first-team experience. Expect him to be eased in gradually but could finish the season as a starter. Key focus will be on how he adapts to the physicality of senior defenders.

Francesco Pio Esposito (CF, Inter)
- Age: 19
- Nationality: Italian
- Height: 1.88m
Profile: The younger brother of Salvatore Esposito, Francesco Pio is carving out a name for himself as one of Italy’s most promising centre-forwards. Developed in Inter’s academy, he spent last season on loan at Spezia in Serie B, showing flashes of maturity, aggression, and technical development. He has represented Italy at every youth level and was impressive in Inter’s short Club World Cup campaign this summer.

Tactical Analysis: Esposito is a physically robust striker who plays with his back to goal exceptionally well. He’s strong in the air, holds up play to bring others in, and presses defenders with real intensity — making him a natural fit for teams playing a high-energy, vertical style. Technically tidy, with solid link-up play, he thrives when partnered with a more mobile or creative second striker.

Outlook 2025/26:
Inter have opted to retain Esposito rather than loan him out again, despite interest from Serie A clubs and even Premier League teams. Signed to a new contract through 30 June 2030, he’s expected to be part of the senior squad in Chivu’s rotation system. While he may not start every match, Esposito is almost certain to feature as an impact sub or rotational starter, particularly in Coppa Italia and midweek fixtures.

Nicolò Savona (RB/FB, Juventus)
- Age: 22
- Nationality: Italian
- Height: 1.92m
Profile: A tall, elegant full-back who rose through the Juventus ranks and began earning minutes under Thiago Motta. He is known for his intelligent positioning, clean tackling, and comfort on the ball.

Tactical Analysis: Savona operates primarily as a right-back but has the tactical intelligence to play in an inverted full-back role. He contributes to build-up by stepping into midfield, offering an outlet in possession, and helping to compress space in transitions. His aerial ability also provides an asset in defending set-pieces.

Outlook 2025/26: May not be around much longer in Serie A with the Premier League circling. I would fancy him to get plenty of minutes if he stays. Unfortunately with English clubs already interested, any stay would be very brief.

Aaron Ciammaglichella (CM, Torino)
- Age: 20
- Nationality: Italian
Profile: A product of Torino’s youth academy, Ciammaglichella is a highly rated central midfielder who has been compared stylistically to Lorenzo Pellegrini. He is part of Italy’s U20 setup and has been identified as a future national team player.

Tactical Analysis: A box-to-box midfielder who thrives in high-tempo matches. He presses aggressively, tracks back reliably, and has the passing range to play progressive balls. Capable of operating in a double pivot or as the advanced midfielder in a 4-2-3-1.

Outlook 2025/26: Torino are expected to hand him more consistent minutes off the bench, with the potential to become a starter in the second half of the season depending on injuries or tactical changes.

Giovanni Leoni (CB, Parma)
- Age: 18
- Nationality: Italian
Profile: A highly mature centre-back for his age, Leoni impressed with Parma and has seamlessly stepped up to Serie A level. Juventus and Inter have shown interest.

Tactical Analysis: Leoni is a modern centre-back: aggressive in duels, confident in possession, and adept at playing line-breaking passes. He reads danger early and positions himself smartly in a high defensive line. Particularly effective in a three-man defence where he can cover wide spaces.

Outlook 2025/26: Expected to start regularly for Parma if he’s still there come 23rd August. If Inter can offload some players it’s widely expected he’ll be playing there next season. Expect to see an Azzurri call up for friendly squads.

Simone Pafundi (AM/Winger, Udinese)
- Age: 19
- Nationality: Italian
Profile: Once dubbed the “Italian Messi” in youth circles, Pafundi has been a regular fixture in Italy’s youth teams and is slowly being integrated into Udinese’s first team. Despite his small stature, he boasts incredible flair and agility.

Tactical Analysis: Pafundi thrives in the left half-space, where he can drive at defenders and pick out passes between the lines. He’s best used as a roaming attacking midfielder or wide playmaker. Relies on quick feet, vision, and anticipation rather than physicality.

Outlook 2025/26: A make-or-break season. Needs consistent playing time and end-product to secure a long-term role in Udinese’s project or attract interest from bigger Serie A sides.

Lorenzo Venturino (RW, Genoa)

Screenshot
- Age: 19
- Nationality: Italian
Profile: Emerged at the back end of the 2024/25 season, scoring twice in Genoa’s final game. Fast-tracked through the academy, Venturino is one of Italy’s most explosive young wingers.

Tactical Analysis: Direct and pacey, Venturino is dangerous in 1v1s. He hugs the touchline and beats defenders with acceleration before cutting inside to shoot. Can also play off the left to utilise his stronger right foot.

Outlook 2025/26: Expected to be a regular feature off the bench, with growing responsibilities depending on his ability to deliver goals and assists in limited minutes.

Lorenzo Anghelè (CF, Juventus Next Gen)
- Age: 20
- Nationality: Italian
Profile: A sharp and mobile striker with a knack for finding space in the box. He scored regularly in Serie C and was rewarded with a senior debut last season.

Tactical Analysis: Anghelè is a classic poacher with intelligent positioning. He’s quick across short distances and capable of linking play with one-touch combinations. Best suited to a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 alongside a physical partner.

Outlook 2025/26: Likely to split time between Juventus Next Gen and sporadic first-team appearances. Could push for more minutes if injuries or squad rotation open a window, especially if they can’t get Kolo Muani over the line

As Serie A enters the 2025/26 season, the spotlight won’t just be on the usual title contenders or big-name signings — it will shine just as brightly on the emerging talents poised to shape the league’s future. From Camarda’s goal-scoring instincts to Leoni’s composure at the back, this new wave of Italian prospects reflects a league rediscovering its identity through youth development. Keep a close eye on these players — they might not just break through, but break out in a big way. The future of Calcio is already here — and it’s looking brighter than ever.
7th Aug 2025
Grande Torino: The Glory, The Tragedy, The Legacy
In the grand tapestry of football history, few teams have left a mark as deep and as enduring as the Grande Torino. They were more than a club — they were an idea, a movement, and, tragically, a legend forged not only through triumph, but through heartbreak.

A Team Reborn: Post-War Ambition

Torino FC had tasted success before — winning their first Scudetto in 1928 — but it was in the 1940s, under the presidency of Ferruccio Novo, that the club’s destiny changed forever. Novo was not your typical football president – visionary and methodical, he approached the game with a modern sensibility. He studied the systems used in England and brought a scientific, professional approach to Torino.

Ferruccio Novo

He appointed a backroom staff that included tactical specialists, fitness trainers, and scouts. Most crucially, he built a team not just of stars, but of perfectly complementary talents. Between 1942 and 1949, he assembled what would become the most dominant team in Italian history — Grande Torino.

Building the Machine

At the heart of it all was Valentino Mazzola, signed from Venezia in 1942. Mazzola was not only a footballer of rare technical skill and intelligence, he was also a natural leader — the type of captain who could inspire, intimidate, and elevate those around him. Whether playing as a mezzala or inside forward, his impact was immense.

Mazzola’s iconic gesture — rolling up his sleeves during a match — became a symbol that the team was about to turn up the intensity. Fans knew what came next: movement, power and a storm of goals.

Surrounding Mazzola was an ensemble cast of brilliant players:
- Ezio Loik, his partner from Venezia, brought dynamism and strength in midfield.
- Guglielmo Gabetto, a former Juventus striker, added flair and finishing.
- Romeo Menti, Franco Ossola, and Pietro Ferraris contributed relentless pace and creativity on the flanks.
- At the back, defenders like Aldo Ballarin, Mario Rigamonti, and the elegant Virgilio Maroso held firm.
- And in goal, the reliable and acrobatic Valerio Bacigalupo.
Each player had a specific role within a meticulously drilled system. The team played a WM formation with flexibility, pressing high, rotating positions, and attacking in waves. Their short passing, positional awareness, and relentless tempo overwhelmed opponents. They didn’t just win matches — they dictated the way football was played.

The early representatives of Grande Torino

An Era of Total Domination

From 1943 to 1949, Torino won five consecutive Serie A titles (excluding the 1944 wartime championship, which was played under unique conditions). Their dominance bordered on the ridiculous:
- In the 1947–48 season, they scored 125 goals in 40 matches.
- They went unbeaten at home for nearly six years at the Stadio Filadelfia.
- Their average margin of victory was often three or four goals.
- In 1947, 10 of the 11 starters for Italy’s national team were Torino players.
No club before or since has exerted such influence on the national side. Italy played like Torino. Their style became the blueprint for modern Italian football: disciplined yet daring, structured yet expressive.

Grande Torino were admired, feared, and loved — not only in Turin, but across Italy. After years of fascism, war, and suffering, this team offered a vision of something pure, joyful, and aspirational.

Torino in 1948-49. before tragedy would strike the team

Lisbon, Benfica, and the Final Flight

In early May 1949, Grande Torino travelled to Lisbon to play a friendly match against Benfica, a testimonial for Portuguese captain Francisco Ferreira. Despite fatigue and injuries, the players insisted on going — honouring both friendship and the game they loved so much.

They flew back home on May 4, 1949, aboard a Fiat G.212 aircraft. As the plane approached Turin, it encountered thick fog and poor visibility. The pilots, believing they were on the correct approach path, tragically miscalculated.

At 5:05 PM, the aircraft crashed into the rear wall of the Basilica of Superga, perched on a hilltop just outside the city.

All 31 passengers on board died instantly — including 18 players, all of the coaching staff, club officials, three journalists, and the flight crew.

The Memorial at Superga

Italy Mourns

The aftermath of the Superga air disaster was a national tragedy, over half a million people filled the streets of Turin for the funeral procession. Men wept openly, newspapers halted regular coverage, radio stations played only classical music. Even fierce rivals paid tribute – Juventus, Inter and Milan all stood united in mourning.

Torino’s youth team, made up of reserves and Primavera players, completed the final four matches of the season. Out of respect, their opponents also fielded youth squads. Torino won the league and were awarded the title — their fifth consecutive Scudetto.

A Legacy That Endures

The loss of Grande Torino deeply affected Italian football. The national team, which had been built almost entirely around Torino’s players, suffered a sharp decline. When Italy travelled to Brazil for the 1950 World Cup, they did so by ship, so traumatised were they by the idea of flying.

It would take decades for Torino to recover as a club. They would win a Scudetto again in 1976, and sporadically challenge for trophies but Grande Torino was unrepeatable.

Yet their legacy remains immortal. Each year, on May 4, Torino players, staff, and supporters climb the hill to Superga Basilica. There, overlooking the city they once thrilled, they remember — not just the tragedy, but the glory.

The plaque reads:
“Gli eroi sono sempre immortali agli occhi di chi in essi crede.”
“Heroes are always immortal in the eyes of those who believe in them.”

Why Grande Torino Still Matters

Grande Torino were not only the best football team of their era — they represented something greater. In a country emerging from dictatorship and war, they were symbols of unity, modernity, and belief. Their style of play laid the foundation for future generations. Their professionalism, spirit, and sacrifice continue to inspire.

In the end, they were not defined by how their story ended — but by how brightly they shone while they lived.
6th Aug 2025
Legends of Calcio: Alessandro Del Piero

“He is football’s gentleman, but also a killer in front of goal.”

This is how Marcello Lippi once described Alessandro Del Piero and it’s hard to find a more perfect summation. Elegant yet ruthless, soft-spoken yet decisive, Del Piero embodied the romantic spirit of Italian football while quietly carving out a legacy as one of its most lethal forwards. From his trademark curling finishes to his unwavering loyalty to Juventus through triumph and scandal, “Pinturicchio” left a mark not only on the pitch, but in the hearts of calcio lovers worldwide. This is the story of a true legend — the boy from Conegliano who became a global icon.

Alessandro was born in 1974 in Conegliano and while playing locally for San Vendemiano used to play in goal, something his mother encouraged as he would sweat less and would also less likely pick up an injury. It was his brother, Stefano, who noticed the young Alessandro’s skill and suggested he play as a forward.

It seemed to work and by 1988 Padova had noticed his talent and snapped up the young Del Piero. He would make his senior debut at the age of 17 in Serie B and in 1993 he scored his first goal in a 5-0 victory over Ternana. This was the start of a prolific goalscoring career which would see him score in every single competition he played in.

A young Del Piero making his debut for Juventus

Following his short spell in Padova, Del Piero transferred to Juventus for just over 5 billion lire and he would stay for over 19 seasons, staying loyal through triumph and scandal. Del Piero made his debut in September 1993 against Foggia, and would score his first Juventus goal a week later against Reggina. During these early years at Juventus he was often called “topolino” by veterans for his quiet demeanour and big ears!

This nickname would soon be replaced to Pinturicchio, after the Renaissance painter, which was coined by Juve President Gianni Agnelli to reflect his artistry. Nowhere was this more evident than a November 1993 match against Parma, where a 19 year old Del Piero netted a stunning hat trick despite starting on the bench. His status as a generational talent was cemented a season later when he played a key support role as Lippi’s Juve won the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa.

As Baggio departed to Milan in the mid-90s, Del Piero was handed the famous Juventus 10 shirt. Over the next few seasons, Del Piero as a focal point would become the keystone of Juventus’ attacking play. He perfected his “Gol alla Del Piero”, curling in from the edge of the box, and in 1996 started in the Champions League Final that Juventus won against Ajax. He would also be present as Juventus reached the next two finals, losing both.

Alessandro lifting his only Champions League trophy

Del Piero’s career seemed to be at an all time high, his stock constantly rising including being added the the Euro 96 squad for Italy, however, it would all come crashing down over the next few years. In November 1998 in the final moments of a match with Udinese, Del Piero picked up a serious ACL and MCL injury, which would keep him out for the remainder of a season where Juventus would suffer. Over the next couple of seasons, Del Piero would struggle to regain full fitness and would suffer many niggly injuries as Juventus struggled to assert and dominance in Serie A.

All would change in 2001, Conte had left Juventus and Del Piero was named captain and in the 2001-02 season, a rejuvenated squad won the Scudetto in a dramatic final day. Alessandro scored 16 goals and dragged Juve through several tight matches.

A familiar site, Del Piero celebrating another goal

The next season he was again crucial in another run to a Champions League Final and another in which Juventus would lose, this time on penalties against Milan at Old Trafford. Over the following seasons he was key as Juventus won back to back Scudetti under Fabio Capello. The Calciopoli scandal would revoke these titles, and enforce a relegation to Serie B for Juventus, stars would leave the sinking ship. Del Piero, rather predictably, stayed to fight on for his team. Unsurprisingly, in 2006/07 he was top scorer in Serie B as he dragged Juventus back to Serie A.

Later in his career, Del Piero became an ageless icon, winning the Capocannoniere aged 33 with 21 Serie A goals in 2008. A year later he scored twice for Juventus at the Bernabeu, receiving a standing ovation from the home support there. In his penultimate Juventus season, he broke the all time Juventus goalscoring record of Giampiero Boniperti and in his last game, Del Piero came good one last time for Juventus, scoring past Atalanta as Conte’s team won Serie A unbeaten.

At the end of 2011-12 Alessandro Del Piero finally bid farewell to Juventus after 19 seasons in which he became their all time top scorer and all time appearance holder with 705 games and 290 goals. It nearly wasn’t so though – during the late 90s there was a move to Manchester United on the cards…

One of the most intriguing “what if” moments of Alessandro Del Piero’s career came in the late 1990s, when Sir Alex Ferguson made a serious approach to bring him to Manchester United. After Juventus reached consecutive Champions League finals in 1996, 1997, and 1998, Del Piero had firmly established himself as one of the world’s premier forwards. Ferguson, searching for a technical, creative forward to complement the likes of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, reportedly saw Del Piero as the perfect fit. According to interviews years later, the move was genuine — but Del Piero declined the offer, citing his deep connection to Juventus and loyalty to the club that had helped make him a global star. “Leaving Juve never really crossed my mind,” he said in a 2019 interview. “Even though it was Manchester United — and it was a huge honour — my heart was in Turin.” It became a defining moment in his career, symbolising the kind of loyalty that’s increasingly rare in modern football.

Del Piero wasn’t just a Juventus legend however, over 13 seasons, he would make 91 appearances for the Azzurri, scoring 27 goals. The most famous of which was undoubtedly Italy’s second in the 2006 World Cup Semi-Final against hosts Germany. In typical fashion, Del Piero cut in from the left hand side and curved a ball beautifully from the edge of the area and into the top corner. Italy would go on to win the final and Del Piero lifted the World Cup – his only honour for Italy.

Sealing the deal for Italy

During his career he would win 6 Scudetti (in theory it could’ve been 8, Google Calciopoli), a Champions League, one Coppa Italia, 4 Supercoppas, a UEFA Super Cup and one Intercontinental Cup. After Juventus he headed to Australia for a spell in the A League with Sydney FC, where he was known as “Alex” due to the locals struggling to pronounce Alessandro! The greatest comment on his career probably came from a former team mate and eventual opponent, former Ballon D’Or winner Zinedine Zidane once said of him, “If I had to pick a player to watch for pure aesthetic joy, it would be Del Piero.”

Alessandro Del Piero… A true Legend of Calcio.

31st Jul 2025