Category: Deep Dive

An in depth look at what’s happening currently in Calcio…

AC Milan’s and the million transfers

Ok, it’s a bit cheeky to title the blog this, but I was surfing on X the other day and noted an account mention Milan’s “shortlist” this summer and then name 8 players. That isn’t a shortlist. It’s a list.

So I thought I’d sift through the bullshit that’s out there and look seriously into what Milan are up to this summer. There’s a million players linked with them, what’s credible, what do they actually need? And most importantly for Milanisti, what’s actually going to happen?

Well I don’t have a crystal ball so don’t go running out and betting on these guys to sign, I could be WAY off!

Luka Modric

Ok, let’s start easy. This one is done. Allegri has even said so himself! The 39 year old legendary playmaker will be strutting his stuff at the San Siro (and Perth) next season and the most decorated Real Madrid player of all time will be a welcome addition in the centre of the park. Don’t expect to see him up and down the pitch like he would have been 13 years ago when he signed for Real, but expect to see him dictate the play from deep. He’ll probably be used as a very handy regista.

Nicola Jackson

The Chelsea striker is expected to fall well out of favour considering he can’t finish, stay onside or even stay on the pitch for 90 minutes in most games. It doesn’t make him a bad player, the Premier League is just a huge step up and the gulf in class is huge.

Easily capable of contributing 20 goals a season in Serie A. Milan are reportedly “very interested” in the Senegalese striker although Chelsea’s rumoured €50m price tag might put them off. I could see a loan-to-buy happening, maybe he’ll be used as makeweight in a Maignan deal? That seems to have gone cold now but Chelsea were interested.

Granit Xhaka

This one seemed to have legs earlier in the summer and since then the trail has gone a little cold. Igli Tare has spent time in Germany with Leverkusen but the valuations appeared some way apart.

The 32 year old has played 49 times last season for Bayer and contributed 6 goals and 7 assists, but his game is so much more than that. His work rate and tackling also mean he’s incredibly useful defensively.

I think this transfer looks like it makes sense, but let’s see if they can pull it off.

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Matteo Moretto (via Telegraph) in the UK has suggested that Milan have enquired about scouting data on Crystal Palace’s marksman. Talks are expected to take place in late July between Milan and the London club. It’ll be interesting to see how Palace’s demotion from Europa to Europa Conference affects his choices.

It’s not like Mateta isn’t spoiled for choice either, with Inter, United, Barcelona and Atletico all interested in the striker. It would be a coup for Milan against some of those names, but don’t ever rule out the allure of joining the great history of Milan.

This one is early stages, and it’s a long shot, but keep an eye on it.

Other Strikers

It’s clearly a problem area for Milan, who spent a lot of last season with Tammy Abraham donkeying around up top. He’s gone to Turkey and Milan are looking for something a bit more befitting a club who once had Shevchenko and Crespo playing together up there.

Vlahovic is one name constantly swirling around. Juve are motivated sellers, so motivated in fact that they’re talking about cancelling his contract. Moise Kean at Fiorentina is the envy of most of Serie A and his name has appeared on a few Milan links, but with some obscene Saudi money on offer, let’s see what happens to him.

Lorenzo Lucca at 22 would be an interesting one, he scored 11 times in 32 games as Udinese struggled last season. He could do a lot more damage in a Milan team with creativity abound. Ramos at PSG is out of favour with Dembele on this revenge tour to the Ballon D’Or, his wages would be a problem but the transfer fee wouldn’t be an issue for a motivated selling PSG.

Who’s leaving?

Well a few players. Aside from the obvious ones who’ve gone on free transfers, Kyle Walker won’t be back after his underwhelming loan spell. The full back gone full circle in his career and ended up back at Burnley.

Theo Hernandez has emotionally bid farewell and gone to collect massive bags of money at Al Hilal with fellow Milan resident Simone Inzaghi.

But what of two of the current Milan stars, Mike Maignan and Rafa Leao.

Maignan was envied by Chelsea earlier in the window but the two clubs had hugely different valuations. For what it’s worth, I think Milan valued him more accurately than Chelsea did. Tare says that’s off now and Maignan is staying at Milan. But if a club comes back with a more suitable offer, it’ll be interesting to see what Milan do.

And Rafa Leao? I’d be surprised to see him leave personally. German media says that Bayern are sweet on him and want him. But so far no bids have been forthcoming. Milan don’t want to sell one of their golden boys and it would take €80-100m to pick him up. I don’t know if Bayern rate him that highly.

Stranger things have happened, but I don’t see Rafa heading over the Alps to Bavaria from Lombardy.

Obviously, this is all done on my opinion, because who the hell knows what these huge European clubs will actually do when the time comes.

All I know for now is what my gut tells me. Bookmark this page now to tell me I’m wrong in September.

13th Jul 2025
Serie A and Gaming: Adriano’s left foot and Piemonte Calcio

Serie A is rightly embedded in football folklore and the Italian passion for the game doesn’t stop at the real life game. It extends to the virtual World too. Some of the great stories from old football video games stems back to Italian teams.

And where else to start than with Adriano’s left foot in the incredible old versions of Pro Evolution Soccer (PES). On the PES5 and PES6 games this was one absolute beast. You could literally shoot from anywhere and it was a guaranteed goal, the Inter Milan and Brazil front man was repping 99 Shot Power for two editions.

Some of those goals seem impossibly realistic but Adriano really did have this skill and power for a brief moment in his career. Unfortunately for the man Inter fans called “The Emperor” it never really worked out long term for him, but that’s not a story for today. The great man was such a cheat code that people would just refuse to play against Inter.

I remember specifically in my evenings playing PES with friends that Inter wasn’t allowed. Just because of Adriano. However, as our Serie A gaming connection goes on, you’ll see that an overpowered Adriano wasn’t the only reason Serie A had a lasting impression on gaming.

In 2020, Juventus signed a big massive deal with Konami to be exclusively represented on PES and not on FIFA (now EA FC). After the 2019 game, Juventus was no more on FIFA. Instead, there was a bizarre Serie A team called Piemonte Calcio. The kits looked strangely like the Juve kit, and they had the same players, and the badge was similar, but it wasn’t Juventus.

Unfortunately, to get really deep, this just showed how the business and commercial aspect of football was now creeping into the gaming world. Something that was supposed to be fun was now a victim of the men in suits wearing man bags. By 2023 they were back, but we’d lost the Milan based teams!

Yes, that’s right, in their place was Milano Calcio and Milano FC. The badges made it clear that Calcio was Inter and FC were in fact, AC. Clear? Wait until you see the kit.

See the difference? I know it’s hard because they’re such good fakes… But if you look closely, you can see that they’ve completely and utterly bodged it. What on Earth is this supposed to be??? I mean, I’m not an idiot, I understand the concept of commercial licenses – it’s just a bit sad it’s crept into the supposed fun hobby of gaming.

One way that fake and copied stuff was kept fun in gaming was in PES and the inventive names. Milan being called Rossoneri was less a kick in the teeth than Piemonte Calcio somehow. Although PES did refer to Juve as PM Black and White in one edition. What?

My favourite will always be the Brazilian marauding full back that represented Milan and Roma. Remember him? Facu? There was also great fun with Tachicardi (Tacchinardi), Naldarinho (Ronaldinho) and heroic defending with Cannarobo (really need help with that one?).

However, the likes of Lucatone started to disappear to be replaced with the real names from PES2010 onwards and the days of editing all the team names before playing were over. Palermo will always be SI Black Pink to me though…

Adriano wasn’t the only overpowered Serie A gem in history though. Old FIFA gamers might remember the sheer ridiculousness of Gervinho’s pace while playing at Roma during FIFAs 13-15, or after 15 when Pogba had an obscene long shot, strength and 5* skills. Try tackling him on FIFA 16, bet you can’t.

Even as recently as 2023, Victor Osimhen was the player Napoli would love him to be now. Insane skill and pace combo that meant he was damned near impossible to get the ball from. And don’t even get me started on Totti or Dida on old versions of PES.

Gaming funnies like these often step over into real life, such is the bond with fans and their clubs that their virtual namesakes also take over our lives. Case in point was when Juventus fans were spotted at matches waving Piemonte Calcio flags. And if I ever have the pleasure of meeting Adriano one day, I’ll be sure to open with a PES related anecdote, not one of his actual career. Perhaps it’s best I never meet him.

I guess the beauty in this article is the acknowledgment that the gaming world has for the general chaos that is everyday Calcio. It’s been embraced by our favourite football games, whether you’re launching 40 yard screamers with Adriano or spending hours editing the clubs names and player names before actually playing a game.

What are your favourite Serie A anecdotes from the world of gaming? Let me know in the comments below, or on X @EnglishCalcio.

12th Jul 2025
The best ever kits from Serie A!!!

New kits are being “dropped” every day at the moment by the sides who’ll make up Serie A this season. There’s the new home kit, the away kit, the third kit, the special celebration third kit, the European away kit and the goalkeeper kit and at over €100 a time, it’s clear why teams do this.

And yet, what is wrong with them all? There’s very few I look at and think, “My word, take my money please”. As an Interista I’m very disappointed by this seasons crayon drawing away kit and the bizarre home stripes. Annoyingly, Milan’s away kit is a thing of beauty too.

But there was a time when Serie A kits were true works of art that were reminiscent of the renaissance artists of yesteryear. There’s a reason you’re more likely to see a classic retro effort in the Curva than the latest “effort”.

So what’s the best Italian kit of all time? I’ve made my choices, they’re below. Let me know what you think…

Inter Milan – 1989/90

I was always starting with Inter wasn’t I? This effort from the late 80s is a true masterpiece and puts the last few efforts to real shame. Inter finished third this season, but consistently win best kit compilations with this effort. Clean, simple and worn by the famous German trio of Brehme, Klinsmann and Matthaus it’s a lovely way to start…

Juventus – 1995/96

My word, this is a pure classic! They should’ve stopped designing Juventus kits here and just used this one consistently. And not just because they won the European Cup for the first time in 11 years. The Kappa creation, with the thinner stripes than we see today was complimented by the Sony sponsorship. Everything about this shirt works, give me this every season please!

Genoa – 1991/92

Genoa barely avoided relegation in 1992, but they should have been awarded an extra 5 points for this shirt alone. They did, however, reach the UEFA Cup Semi Final, narrowly avoiding an all Italian final by missing out to eventual winners Ajax. Torino knocked out Real Madrid, but that achievement means nothing when Genoa were rocking this simple classic.

Milan – 1988/89

Gullit. Van Basten. Rijkaard. Do you need any more than this? Ok fine, simple thin stripes, white shorts, total football – oh and a European Cup win. Just enjoy the kit.

Fiorentina – 1998/99

This might be my favourite shirt of all time. Not just in Italy. You don’t see many purple shirts in football but this just works. The Nintendo sponsorship is pure classic and the fact that it’s synonymous with Batigol just completes it. Great kit – 12/10

Perugia – 1999/00

Ok stick with me here. The dragon detailing on this kit is a fine addition. But let’s be honest, this is a slightly more English looking design than you’d get in Italy, almost reminds me of Charlton Athletic in these times. But Nakata running around in this shirt bring back fond memories. The kit makes it for that alone.

Roma – 2000/01

Any Scudetto kit is special for the team who won it, but this is a really smart kit. The classic collar, the orange trim, the Scudetto season, Francesco Totti and the start of the skin tight shirt era all made by Kappa. Pure. Italian. Gold.

Napoli – 1986/87

Diego Maradona won Napoli’s first Scudetto in this kit. I’m not saying anything else because that’s enough reason why this kit is great nostalgia. The Mars kit might be the more well known, but come on, look at that kit.

Torino – 1948/49

One of the greatest tragedies in Italian sport, the end of Grande Torino. It’s something to read about separately, this is a kit post. And that great team was characterised by this absolutely clean classic shirt. One colour, no sponsor, Scudetto on the chest, white colour. Perfection.

Lazio – 1999/00

Sven. Inzaghi. Salas. Scudetto. Lazio won the league with this kit, they also won the UEFA Super Cup and reached the Champions League Quarter Finals. Some utterly fantastic players wore this kit and the basic design along with classic Cirio sponsor make this an all time Serie A classic.

Honourable Mentions

So there were some efforts that were fantastic but didn’t quite make it. Rounds of applause to Parma in 1999, Sampdoria in 1992, Bologna in 1997 and any 90s effort from Bari please.

What do you think then? Are these the greatest kits of all time in Italy or have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments or comment on the X thread @EnglishCalcio.

11th Jul 2025
Forgotten Giants: Vicenza – Calcio’s Forgotten Fairytale
In the late 1990s, a small club from the Veneto region etched its name into calcio folklore. They beat Napoli to lift the Coppa Italia. They almost knocked Chelsea out of Europe. And then… they disappeared.

This is the story of L.R. Vicenza — a club that dreamed big, defied the odds, and left a legacy far greater than their trophy cabinet suggests.

Founded in 1902, L.R. Vicenza is one of Italy’s oldest clubs. Based in the historic city of Vicenza, they’ve always been seen as a classic “provinciale” — a small, local side often bouncing between Serie A and B. Their home, the Stadio Romeo Menti, holds just over 12,000 but has witnessed moments that rival even the grandest stages in Italian football.

For decades, Vicenza quietly survived in the shadows of northern giants like Milan, Inter, and Juventus — until one unforgettable season changed everything.

In 1995, under the tactical guidance of Francesco Guidolin, Vicenza were promoted to Serie A and quickly became Italy’s surprise package. They played compact, organized football with bursts of creativity, led by key figures such as Uruguayan striker and cult hero Marcelo Otero, the safe hands of Giorgio Sterchele and the attacking duo of Giovanni Cornacchini and Alessandro Iannuzzi.

The next season, in 1996-97 they would embark on a magical run to the Coppa Italia final, beating the likes of Bologna and Genoa on the way to facing Napoli. Vicenza would lose the first leg at San Paolo 1-0, but at home three weeks later they completed a stunning turnaround in front of a raucous home crowd. Goals from Giovanni Cornacchini, Maurizio Rossi, and Alessandro Iannuzzi secured a 3–0 win after extra time — and with it, their first major trophy in 95 years of existence.

In the age of Batistuta, Baggio, and Del Piero, it was Vicenza that lifted silverware. A provincial club, built on heart and discipline, had conquered the cup.

As Coppa Italia winners, Vicenza qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. And incredibly, they didn’t just make up the numbers — they lit up the continent.
- Beat Shakhtar Donetsk and Roda JC to reach the semi-finals.
- Drew English powerhouse Chelsea in the final four.
In the first leg at the Stadio Menti, Pasquale Luiso scored the winner to give Vicenza a 1–0 lead. Chelsea, loaded with stars like Gianfranco Zola, Gustavo Poyet, and Mark Hughes, were stunned.

But at Stamford Bridge in the second leg, Vicenza’s European dream fell apart. Goals from Poyet, Zola, and Hughes sent Chelsea through 3–1 on aggregate. It was heartbreak — but Vicenza had shown Europe what they were capable of.

Just one year later, however, in the 1998–99 season, Vicenza were relegated from Serie A.

Key players left, financial difficulties crept in and over the next decade, the club bounced between Serie B and C, with ownership instability and budget issues mounting.

The final blow came in 2018, when the club was declared bankrupt and lost its professional status. After over a century of history, Vicenza Calcio was no more.

In the wake of the collapse, a new entity was formed: L.R. Vicenza Virtus, following a merger with nearby club Bassano Virtus. While technically a new club, it carries the same badge, colours, and loyal fanbase.

They returned to Serie B in 2020, and though they were relegated again in 2022, the passion remains.

Stadio Romeo Menti still echoes with memories of Otero’s goals and that famous win over Napoli. And Vicenza’s story continues — not in the headlines, but in the hearts of calcio romantics everywhere.

In an era before oil money and inflated sponsorships, clubs like Vicenza could still write fairy tales. With tactical discipline, local pride, and passionate fans, they showed that in Italian football, anything was possible.

Today, we remember them not because they became a giant — but because, for one brief, beautiful moment, they stood toe-to-toe with giants and didn’t flinch.

“Do you remember Vicenza’s fairytale run in the ‘90s? Should Serie A do more to protect its provincial clubs?”

Drop your memories or thoughts in the comments below — or tag us on X @EnglishCalcio and Instagram @calcioenglish.
9th Jul 2025
Group Stage Review: Juventus and Inter Qualify

The blog took a short break this week as I took a little holiday, but we’re back at the end of the Group Stage of the Club World Cup. In fact, that’s where my holiday was, Seattle to catch the Inter v River Plate match – but more on that later.

The game against River Plate signalled the end of Inter’s group stage matches, while Juventus completed their run in Group G against Man City. So how did the Italians fare? What does the press think? And what’s next for both? Well the Calcio Blog has it covered.

Inter Milan

Inter came into the back of the tournament off the back of a disappointing season where a potential Quadruple resulted in zero trophies, culminating in that 5-0 schellacking in Munich against PSG.

They didn’t exactly bounce into the tournament full of beans, with the loss of Simone Inzaghi and the failed pursuit of Fabregas. But the announcement of club legend Christian Chivu as manager lifted spirits somewhat in the approach to the tournament.

Their first match against CF Monterrey was a chance to put all that behind them and get on the pitch and show everyone that Inter still had it. And it got off to a terrible start, going 1-0 down to a Sergio Ramos header. Unmarked and definitely saveable for Sommer, it appeared the weak underbelly of Inter hadn’t gone anywhere.

Sergio Ramos’ free header opener against Inter Milan.

But they steeled themselves, and ultimately dominated the game, equalising through a well worked Asllani free kick that led to Lautaro slotting in at the back post. Inter showed high energy in the game, the press would have been pleasing for Inter fans and their mental toughness and resilience to fight back from 1-0 down also pleasing.

Chivu said before the game of their recovery from Munich, “sometimes you have to eat a bit of shit… accept that you have to do it” and they did so in both of their first matches. They fell behind against the run of play to Urawa Red Diamonds who then sat in as deep as they possibly could and demanded Inter break them down.

Something, they struggled to do for most of a first half which they dominated and the second appeared to be petering out to nowhere despite a dominance that saw Inter enjoy nearly 90% possession. They were out of the competition until their captain stepped up.

Lautaro scored a fairly spectacular bicycle kick to drag them back into the game before Valentin Carboni sealed the win in stoppage time. There wouldn’t have been many more popular scorers than Carboni, a young prodigious talent who suffered a terrible ACL injury at the start of last season.

In fact possible the only more popular scorer than Carboni would’ve been one of the Esposito brothers. Sebastian had been starting games in the absence of Marcus Thuram but in the final group game with River Plate, younger brother Pio was in from the start and caused all kinds of issues for the South Americans.

Pio was only 19 at the time of the game and the younger brother is somehow much taller and stronger than Sebastian. Pio bullied an Argentinian back line famous for their resilience and strength themselves.

Inter were too strong for River, in what should’ve been their toughest test of the Group Stage, they dominated River and Pio’s opening goal assisted by new signing Petar Sucic. One of the criticisms of Inter last season was the age of their squad, and the need to bring that down.

Lautaro congratulates Pio Esposito after his opener against River Plate.

Sucic was the first step made this summer towards that, the Esposito brothers introduction to the team is a chance for them to stake their claim with the departure of Correa and Arnautovic (although Bonny appears to be coming in from Parma). Bastoni put the gloss on this win before the game ended in fairly ugly scenes as Dumfries and Acuna continued their dispute from the 2022 World Cup.

So what are we to make of Inter’s matches in Group E? Chivu was quick to praise his new team’s mentality and the Italian media celebrated Chivu’s “relaxed yet strategic” approach and their higher intensity.

Young talent has certainly been stepping up, Pio Esposito’s goal was well taken and rounded off a stellar performance from him against River Plater, while Valentin Carboni’s winner in match 2 was pleasing for everyone involved at Inter.

AS.com noted that Inter have made positive steps in rotation, with Thuram and Frattesi recovering from injuries and the club’s pursuit of Parma’s Bonny and Nico Paz from Como. Chivu is consciously building depth, aware of the fatigue that comes with a congested season and these games have seen deep rotation.

A scouting report from Goal.com noted Inter’s shift to a “great” level from “very good”, proving they can hold their own on a global stage.

Next up, Inter will face Fluminense on Monday evening. They’ll need to maintain a deep and compact shape, the Brazilian side are quick in the transition and high in energy. Inter’s early rotation has balanced the energy of the Squad well and with Thuram and Frattesi now fit, it’ll be interesting to see what Chivu does up front.

Inter stumbled into the tournament off the back off an embarrassing end to the season, losing their manager and a swiftly handled replacement, but they’re bouncing into the Round of 16 thanks to improving performances and a solid win over River Plate. They’ll fancy their chances against Fluminense and setting up a Quarter Final tie against either Man City or their old manager at Al-Hilal.

Bigger tests are to come for Inter, but Juventus have already faced one of the tournament favourites in their group…

Juventus

If you follow the X account, you’ll know that it’s no secret I’m an Inter fan, but I’m probably equally as big a Kenan Yildiz fan. In the Juventus opener he dazzled. Granted Al Ain weren’t going to represent the biggest challenge, but Yildiz bagged in the opener which set him on his way to being currently tied for top scorer.

Kolo Muani celebrates with Conceicao after scoring against Al Ain.

Conceicao and Kolo Muani both netted twice in what was a routine win for Juventus. In the second match, Juventus faced Wydad Casablanca, and recorded a second routine win. This was the game that Kenan Yildiz used to announced himself to the World bagging a hat trick. Well, ok, he only got two apparently, with the first going down as an own goal, but a virtuoso performance sealed a 4-1 with outgoing striker Dusan Vlahovic also on the scoresheet.

Yildiz scored a screamer against Wydad Casablanca.

Analysts rightly were falling over themselves to laud the attacking verve and their technical proficiency in these opening two matches, but the big test was to follow in game three.

Early tournament favourites Manchester City were next but Juventus were confident heading into the match after two proficient wins.

However, a humbling was to follow, with City rolling 5 past Juventus. Doku opened the scoring after 9 minutes, but Koopmeiners equalised almost immediately. However, a Kalulu own goal followed by Haaland, Foden and Savinho strikes meant that it was game over by the time Vlahovic netted a consolation.

Punditry scorn followed, with Juve’s defensive frailties being exposed too easily by City. Prominent pundit Giuseppe Rossi commented on the lack of midfield depth and called for urgent reinforcements if Juventus are going to compete at the top level.

One recurring critique was a lack of defensive compactness and their midfield control, which failed to withstand high-intensity pressing. While their were undoubtedly moments of brilliance in Juventus’ group stage matches – even the City one – journalists noted the “midfield being overrun, defensive lines stretched”.

Igor Tudor was happy to take responsibility for the City result, saying his decision to rotate had backfired. Tudor still wants the team to progress, however, stating “Juve always plays to win, we are not at the Club World Cup just to participate”.

Tudor wasn’t happy against City, but took the blame himself.

Errors under pressure cost Juve in the City game, the own goal by Kalulu and the Ederson error underline recurring lapses in concentration. The attempted high pressure press against City was an admirable tactic, City have been vulnerable in the Premier League this season, but Rodri and Reijnders exposed the breaks in the lines.

It isn’t all doom and gloom though, Vlahovic looked to be on the way out of the team he and Koopmeiners showed sparks in the City game and the consolation at the end showed a resilience and goal threat under great pressure.

It doesn’t get much easier either, Real Madrid await on Tuesday evening…

Juventus’ Club World Cup journey has shown both potential and vulnerability. They can craft intricate play and score—but under elite pressure and demanding conditions, their defensive frailty and tactical inexperience at this level emerge starkly. With Tudor at the helm, the tone is optimistic—yet results now hinge on whether tactical lessons are swiftly converted into tighter, sharper performances.

29th Jun 2025
Premier League bound players: What to expect?

It’s a well trodden path, Serie A to the Premier League. Some all time greats like Gianfranco Zola, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Pierluigi Casiraghi have made the trip to England from Italy. And this summer, three more players have already made moves from Southern to Northern Europe.

Diego Coppola left Hellas Verona for the sunny south coast of England, rocking up in Brighton (pun intended) for €11m on a 5 year deal. Brentford snapped up Michael Kayode from Fiorentina for €15m and Manchester City spent a whopping €55m on Tijjani Reijnders as part of their squad rebuild.

But what can the English fans expect from these three players?

Diego Coppola – Brighton

The 21 year old centre back is one of Italy’s brightest defensive prospects along with Kayode and Leoni. He played 34 games and contributed one goal for Hellas Verona last season as they had a perfectly average season.

Diego Coppola unveiled as a Brighton player

He stood out against much older and more experienced opponents though, with 2.09 tackles per game. He also managed 2.31 interceptions per game, like any good Italian centre back. This put him in the top 1% of Serie A defenders. He was also in the top 1% for aerial duels won with 3.94 per game, a key facet of the game for this “old fashioned” centre back.

Coppola fits the bill for what you think of when you think Italian defender. Great reading of the game, enabling him to make high amounts of interceptions. Strong in the air and disciplined in his positioning, he’ll add much needed strength to Brighton’s back line.

One area he can improve (and will need to at Brighton) is his ball playing. Coppola isn’t what you’d call a ball playing centre back. His composure under a press isn’t fantastic and playing out remains a key facet of Brighton’s game. He is, however, intelligent and adapting to play in Brighton’s back line won’t be difficult for him.

All in all, this is a solid signing and I expect one of the power 5 to pick him up in a few seasons time.

Michael Kayode – Brentford

One of Italy’s most prized future full backs has moved to West London and before long their manager was on his way to North London. Brentford are a club that do their homework and stick to one ethos, so I don’t anticipate there being an issue here.

He only appeared in the Conference League for Fiorentina and played 5 matches before moving on loan to Brentford, but the 20 year old impressed in them. What will he look like long term for Brentford? 80% passing accuracy and 50% crossing accuracy and making 11 interceptions across those 5 games paints a picture of a composed full back who’s always looking to start attacks and contribute across the half way line.

Energetic, calm, disciplined and reads the game well, he’s really highly rated in the Azzurri youth teams and it’s no secret as to why. One criticism that has been levelled at him is the speed of his decision making, but for a young man that will improve.

If he keeps his high energy and good whipped crosses going, he’ll become a fan favourite in no time at all. Expect to see him gradually introduced throughout the season but I reckon by next season he’s the starting right back at Brentford.

Tijjani Reijnders – Manchester City

Ok, you probably know all about him anyway. Or at least a bit about him. The 26 year old comes with a big reputation and an even bigger boots to fill replacing the outgoing Kevin de Bruyne.

After two years at Milan, it seemed a fairly emotional goodbye, but he’s in a good place in his career and I’m sure he’ll make the step up.

Tijjani Reijnders has already played in the Club World Cup for City

Last season Reijnders was the top scoring midfielder across Europe’s big 5 leagues with 15 goals in all competitions as well as another 5 assists. He maintained an 88% passing accuracy across the season the box to box number 8 made over 45 line breaking passes last season.

Intelligent positioning play, strong dribbling, accurate passing and long range shooting. He’s the perfect pre-packaged De Bruyne replacement. He’s even received praise for his engine from Frank Rijkaard – high praise indeed.

Breaking the lines and late arriving in the box will certainly see him fit like a glove into any Guardiola team but the faster tempo and tighter pressing of the Premier League will take some judgement. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out, some big players have gone to City and flopped completely…

20th Jun 2025
Chivu’s Inter: What did we learn in game one?

The Club World Cup has provided a lot of talking points in the build up to the tournament. And a few more now the tournament is underway. Chief among them is, who does this actually benefit? From forklift drivers conceding ten goals to completely empty stadiums and matches played in blistering heat with exhausted players, the tournament is prompting discussions.

But there may be one man, or one club who can benefit greatly from these glorified exhibitions. Christian Chivu walked into Inter Milan this month hot on the heels of Simone Inzaghi’s swift exit after the Champions League Final humiliation. The UCL final was the latest in a line of Inter collapses as they went from quadruple to trophyless in a matter of weeks.

A tired looking team and pundits questioning pretty much everything about the team. Its age, its rigid formation, the full backs… In any other season, the players would be on holiday now and Chivu and his superiors would be guessing who was going where, what was happening with transfers, who would be able to step up from the younger groups. Instead, they have at least three games to check it out.

Sebastiano Esposito and Asllani starting last night, with de Lima and Sucic off the bench, was a nod to Chivu taking the opportunity to check out a few players. I would expect to see a much less experienced line up for the game against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds too.

Christian Chivu checks out what his players can offer

Chivu started off with the tried and trusted 3-5-2 that Inzaghi so fervently developed. At its best, Inzaghi’s Inter bewildered opponents with positional interchanges, overloads and energy. At its worst, the shape was too predictable, lacked defensive width and left an ageing squad struggling for their life in midfield.

However, what we saw last night was a little different. In the incredible Californian heat the first half saw an energetic press, quick one touch football and resulted in a lovely move that saw Lautaro equalise at the end of the first half.

Lautaro tries again

Asllani’s clipped ball over the top marked his improvement from a player who appeared more than a little lost in the closing months of last season. The Inter fan base will take a bit more convincing if he stays at the club, and he just might with Calhanoglu flirting with a move to Turkey.

The same problems that Inter struggled with last season began to show through at the end of the game and their predictability shone through. Lautaro’s offside goal was another lovely move and if the one touch football persists, Inter will get it right – they always manage to.

There’s a lack of real creativity in Inter’s midfield. Mkhitaryan is 36 years old and looks every day of it in the burning Pasadena sun. Barella is nowhere near the player he was a year ago, but is it any wonder? The Italian has been almost ever present for club and country for around 3 seasons now. He looks like he needs a long summer break.

Barella, in need of a break, toils in the sun

With a team with the highest average age in Serie A pace is always going to be a problem and with no Dumfries or Thuram in the line up it becomes stark that Inter will struggle in transitions. The final issue is the sheer profligacy in front of goal. Despite the aforementioned problems they face, Inter were by far the better team in this game and should’ve scored three or four goals quite easily.

That they didn’t harps back to games that ultimately cost them the Scudetto last season. Milan away in March being the most obvious example. The midfield problems they face is mostly nitpicking, they still created a lot, but they do need to get better at putting that ball in the back of the net.

The good news for Chivu is, he’s got a couple more games at least to make a full assessment of his squad and to begin to impress ideas upon them before the window opens and the squad takes a well earned break.

Xabi Alonso might take notes.

18th Jun 2025
How England helped shape the Italian game…

We English have a habit of laying claim things that aren’t ours. Like half the World at one point… But one thing we do have a pretty firm claim on is that we invented the beautiful game.

In the 1920s and 30s Benito Mussolini would have Italians believe that Calcio descended from Calcio Storico Fiorentino, the medieval football of Florence. This game was mostly played by noblemen (including Popes) and dates back to 1530 where it was first referenced in Piazza Santa Croce. The game combined elements of football, rugby, wrestling and street fighting, which I guess is where the great Italian defenders of the 70s and 80s were drawing inspritation.

Calcio Storico Fiorentino in the modern day

Benito Mussolini promoted the game as the “true origin” of Calcio in direct contrast to the foreign game of football. He used the game in fascist propaganda to reinforce the idea of Italy’s deep cultural and martial heritage, distancing itself from British influence. The game was even revived in the 1930s in Florence with choreographed pageantry to tie it in with Renaissance and Roman virtues.

But Calcio does owe a lot to British football, including one of its biggest clubs and one of the most iconic kits in the game.

James Richardson Spensley in Genoa

Dr James Richardson Spensley was an English physician and football enthusiast who worked on boats that came through the port in Genoa. During his time in Italy, Dr James would organise football matches with local dockers and as a result, is largely considered to be the first person to bring football to the masses in Italy.

James Richardson Spensley – Apparently…

By 1897 he had founded the Genoa Cricket and Football Club. Not only did he found the club, but he managed it, organised their games and was their goalkeeper. He helped to shape Genoa into the first dominant team of Italian football, winning the first championship in 1898, going on to win another 5 titles with him at the helm. He retired from playing when he was nearly 40 and would go on to manage the side for a few more years before his death in World War One at the Fortress of Mainz.

Had it not been for the four clubs in Turin founded by Edoardo Bosio then Dr James would’ve founded the first club in Italy. The two of them are rightly considered as the Grandfathers of Italian football.

Herbert Kilpin and the Milan cricket club

129 Mansfield Road in Nottingham is an unassuming terraced property that could be any other in England. However, on the 24th January 1870 at this property, a man was born who would go on to shape Italian – and World – football for years to come.

Herbert Kilpin was a lace maker who lived most of his life in Nottingham playing as a Midfielder and Defender for local part time teams. In 1891, he moved to Turin to work for Edoardo Bosio who was an Italian-Swiss textile merchant. Bosio had founded the first ever Italian side, Internazionale Torino, and Kilpin would represent the team in his time with Bosio.

In 1898, however, while living in Milan with Samuel Richard Davies, Kilpin would found AC Milan, then known as the Milan Cricket and Football Club. To this day Milan still uses the English spelling of the city’s name to pay homage to their founder.

He chose the famous red and black stripes after being quoted as saying, “We’re going to be a team of devils. Our colours will be red like fire and black to invoke fear in our opponents”.

Herbert Kilpin striking fear into his opponents in Red and Black

The first elected president of AC Milan was Alfred Edwards with Kilpin acting as player-manager. Milan were, unsurprisingly, immediately successful, winning the championship in 1901 in only their second season. Kilpin spent 9 years with the Milan side and won two more titles in 1906 and 1907.

Herbert Kilpin died in Milan in 1916 aged 46, apparently due to his smoking and drinking habits – another English trait. Little was known, or acknowledged, of his influence over Milan’s early history until the 1990s when Luigi La Rocca tracked down Kilpin’s grave in the Municipal Cemetary in Milan. In 1999 the club paid for a new tombstone acknowledging his role in Milan’s history and in 2010 he was moved into the Famedio in the main building where Milan’s most illustrious personalities are interred.

The Curva Sud pay homage to their founder

John Savage and the spare kits

Nottingham’s influence over Calcio doesn’t finish there though, a few years later in 1903 an Englishman John Savage would help one of Italy’s most iconic clubs gain their iconic kit design.

John Savage was a footballer who had played with Kilpin at Internazionale Torino before joining Juventus in 1900. He was the first foreign player to represent the Old Lady, who at the time wore pink shirts. Savage wasn’t impressed with the quality of them though and likened them to being similar to a “gang of war survivors”. Whatever that means.

He wrote a letter to Nottingham based tailoring company Shaw and Shrewsbury requesting new kits and nearly a month later received a spare set of Notts County kits, in the famous black and white stripes.

Juventus in their new colours alongside some of the old kits

At first, Juventus were not impressed with the change, Domenico Donna – a founder of Juventus – compared them to funeral attire. However, thanks to a remarkable upturn in form in the new kits, Donna labelled the kits as “a symbol of old fashioned Piedmontese elegance”.

Juventus would keep the Notts County kits and the retain the black and white to this day, the link remained so close that when Juventus opened their new stadium in September 2011, Notts County were invited over to play in the first ever game here.

John Savage would go on to referee the 1902 Italian Football Championship final between the other two English influenced clubs, AC Milan and Genoa.

More general influences

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) was inspired by the structure of the English FA when it was formed in 1898. Not much of a surprise given the English influence of the game in those early years, rules and club structures were based on the English game and most of the clubs were started as cricket and football clubs.

In fact, one of the Italian terms still used today, Il Mister, used to describe a coach is attributed to an affectionate term given to William Garbutt during his time managing Genoa between 1912-27. He won three championships with Genoa and introduced structured training and tactics to Italian football.

Inter and Roma are two clubs that have had English ownership stakes or partnerships in the past and Serie A was brought into British homes in the 90s thanks to James Richardson and his Sunday show Football Italia on Channel 4. That programme, in fact, was responsible for this Calcio fan’s own obsession!

Much like everything else though, England introduced the sport to Italy but Italy took it and ran with it, made it their own and subsequently has won 4 World Cups to England’s one. They even beat England in their own back yard in the Euro 2020 final after a penalty shootout to really assert their dominance over the English game.

While English domestic football has surpassed Italian domestic football for quality and finances, Calcio had some great days in the 80s and 90s and Italian clubs still have joy against Premier League teams in England.

England and Italy will always be inseparable for their love of the game and their passion for it, and we’ll always be linked thanks to those English pioneers back in the day.

16th Jun 2025
Club World Cup Preview: Juventus

Italy’s second team in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup is Juventus. The Bianconeri players set off for Miami this week all decked out in some rather fantastic baseball style shirts – if you haven’t seen them, head to Juventus’ Instagram page now!

Will the Allianz Stadium become the trophy’s permanent home?

Like Inter, Juventus are coming to the tournament off the back of a trophy-less season although not straight off the back of a humiliating Champions League final. Juve qualified for the CWC thanks to their ranking of 8th in the UEFA’s 4 year ranking, despite not appearing in a Champions League final in that time.

Igor Tudor was appointed in late March and they only lost one game after that, qualifying for next years Champions League in 4th place – something that secured him the job for a further two years.

But you already know all this, you know all this about Juventus. What about their opponents? What do we know about the rest of Group F? Well, you’re in the right place, check out the lowdown below.

Manchester City

I’m not sure they need a lot of introduction. By far the favourites to win the group and one of the favourites for the entire tournament, City are the team everyone wanted to avoid. Hurt from a poor trophyless season themselves, they’ve been spending big – nearly €400m since January – and they’re refreshed and ready to go.

New arrivals Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki will add threat behind Erling Haaland. The 2023 Champions League winners are Juve’s last opponents in the group, which looks likely to be the decider for who tops the group and avoids a probable tie with Real Madrid in the Round of 16.

It’s hard to pick just one player to watch for Man City and there’s some obvious choices but I’m eager to see how they deal with the lack of Kevin de Bruyne after his move to Napoli. There are a number of players who could step into this role and the potential three man attacking midfield of Reijnders, Cherki and Marmoush should have more than enough skill and firepower to replace one man.

Tijjani Reijnders signed for Man City early to join them in America

Some of the lesser known younger talents at City have travelled and will certainly not be out of place based on their finish to the season with the likes of Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly flourishing late this campaign. City are widely expected to top this group and it’ll take a special performance from Juve in Orlando to stop that happening.

Al-Ain FC

Juve’s first opponents are the UAE’s most successful club. They are 14 time champions, 7 times cup winners and hold two AFC Champions Leagues. The Abu Dhabi based club won the competition in 2024 with star striker Soufiane Rahimi the top scorer and best player.

The forward has scored 5 times in 14 appearances for Morocco and is known for his clinical finishing, direct running and explosiveness in transition. The pacey striker is more than capable of causing problems for Gatti and co.

Soufiane Rahimi, or “Mr Clutch” is a threat to Juventus

Rahimi is nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” in the UAE media, given his propensity to turn up in the big matches, scoring 5 times in two matches against Al-Hilal in the 2024 AFC Champions League Semi Final. For comparisons in Europe, think Luis Diaz or Rafa Leao. If he’s not marked tightly, he has the potential to cause some real problems for Juventus.

Alongisde Rahimi, look out for Kodjo Laba, the forward has scored 20 goals in 21 games this season. Behind them, will be Kaku. Better known as Alejandro Romero, the Paraguay international is considered a set piece expert and has contributed to 15 goals this season.

Al-Ain have actually had a disappointing campaign this time out and despite coming into the tournament on the back of 4 wins in their last 6, they finished the season in 5th position – a whole 19 points behind eventual winners Shabab Al-Ahli.

Wydad AC

Much like Juventus this season, draws have cost Wydad dearly. Nearly half of their results were draws, with 12 stalemates in their 30 games in the Moroccan League. They did win 14 games, however, which meant they finished a strong 3rd postiion, despite being 16 points behind the champions.

Defensively sound, but with a lack of real firepower, they could be an Italian team and the 2022 African Champions League winners are here to prove a point. They are 22 times champions of Morocco and are even nicknamed the “Club of the Nation” because of their dominance in the country.

Expect veteran winger Nordin Amrabat to cause issues, the older brother of former Fiorentina player Sofyan, his big game experience will be key if Wydad don’t want to finish bottom of this group as is expected of them.

Wydad could be a dark horse in this tournament, Juventus won’t underestimate them.

The Italian theme continues with their defensive stalwart Amine Farhane. The 31 year old centre back is a no-nonsense, old school defender who relies on his positioning, strength and aerial dominance. Very Leonardo Bonucci.

Forward Mohamed Rayhi is going to be a headache for the likes of Alberto Costa or Savona. Playing off the left, the Dutchman is a direct forward who will constantly look to run in behind, especially when Wydad win the ball and transition to forward areas.

Look out for his quick release, he won’t dribble very often and he won’t hold the ball. He’s a limited dribbler who relies on time and space to receive the ball in positive areas, where he’ll then get snap shots away. The instinctive finisher can use both feet but is stronger off the left foot.

What Next?

Well, Juventus are expected to make it through the group stage fairly comfortably, but the battle for first with Man City will be key. The reason for this? Real Madrid. First place in Group G will get to play second place in Group H next and vice versa. When you see that Group H contains, Real Madrid, Al Hilal, CF Pachuca and RB Salzburg, you’ll understand the importance of winning Group G.

Topping the group will be key to avoid a meeting with Real Madrid in Round 2

With Real likely to top Group H, second in Group G provides a stern test very early in the tournament. If Juve were to top the group, it looks like it’ll be Al Hilal in Round 2 and a chance to take on old foe Simone Inzaghi, unless Pachuca or Salzburg can pull a surprise out of the bag.

After that, it’s anyone’s guess who’s in the Quarter Final, it could potentially mean a meeting with Inter which would certainly bring the CWC into the living rooms of everyone in Italy. Maybe it would even be 4-4 again…

14th Jun 2025
Club World Cup Preview: Inter Milan

Like it or not, the Club World Cup is happening this summer and as the tournament kicks off on Sunday, what better way to reluctantly throw open our arms and welcome the tournament than by previewing the first of two Italian participants to the tournament: Internazionale Milano.

Now, I’m treading dodgy ground here because my last prediction blog for Inter didn’t fare too well. Read it in this post here, but essentially Frattesi didn’t kick a ball, Lautaro was missing and Acerbi had no one to mark and they lost 5-0.

So let’s steer clear of making bold predictions this time and just stick to the facts. Who are Inter playing, what are they like and when are the games on.

Tournament Overview

Let’s start with a simple one, the tournament starts on Sunday June 15th and will run until July 13th when the final is held at New York’s MetLife Stadium.

The group stage runs until June 26th and features eight groups of four, as per previous international World Cups the top two from each group progress. Inter were drawn in Group E.

Group E

Group E features Italy’s own Inter Milan, along with River Plate from Argentina, Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan and Mexico’s CF Monterrey.

Inter kick things off on Tuesday 17th June at 6pm local time as they face Monterrey at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Los Angeles. The team touched down there overnight and have a few days training to adjust to the rather insane time difference.

Their second and third matches both take place at Lumen Field in Seattle, facing Urawa Red Diamonds on Saturday June 21st and River Plate in what is likely to be a group decider on the 25th.

Let’s take a closer look at each team involved…

Inter Milan

Shaky season for the Nerazzurri, placing second in the league to Napoli, coming a distant second in the Champions League final after a rather forgettable night in Munich and then losing their coach Simone Inzaghi straight after the final.

Christian Chivu is in place, though and will be eager to impress. There’s a lot of tired legs in the Inter squad which is the oldest on average in Serie A. However, new signings Petar Susic and Luis Henrique are young, refreshed and on the plane.

Petar Susic is a new signing at Inter Milan

Inter are heavy favourites for the group, with an 81.2% chance of qualifying and a 63.3% chance to top the group according to Opta. Some of these Inter players need a big performance after their end to the season and I wouldn’t bet against a deep run into the latter stages of this competition. There will be pressure from owners Oaktree to perform and scoop some prize money if they want to have a productive summer.

River Plate

Potentially the trickiest team in the group for Inter. They qualified by being the top eligible representative based on the CONMEBOL’s four year ranking. River Plate are Argentina’s most famous powerhouse club and come packed with Libertadores pedigree.

Watch out for Franco Mastantuono. You probably saw him go viral earlier in the year with an insane free kick. The 10 is a generational talent and at 17 years old could probably rival Yamal for future Ballon D’Or’s and be the next Messi and Ronaldo.

Franco Mastantuono

River Plate were pleased to keep him for the tournament given the inevitable interest from Real Madrid who like to farm up young South Americans like hoarders. He may not be around much longer after the World Cup so he’ll be keen to go our with a bang.

At right back, 28 year old Gonzalo Montiel will add experience down the flanks. Montiel is a two time Copa America winner and one time World Cup winner so he’s no fool. He may pose just a few issues for Di Marco on that side as he’s known to like to push forward and pin wing backs deep. Chivu may consider Zalewski for this assignment.

One sight that may be familiar to Calcio fans in the River Plate ranks is centre back Lucas Martinez Quarta. Quarta spent 5 seasons in Italy with Fiorentina and represented La Viola 105 times in that spell. He recently rejoined the Argentine side and after averaging a goal every 11 games or so in Italy, he’s a centre back to be watched.

CF Monterrey

Qualified for the tournament through their CONCACAF Champions Cup ranking, they finished 7th in Liga MX and lost to Toluca in the quarter finals round on away goals.

After losing to Vancouver in the Champions Cup Round of 16 they probably don’t pose the biggest threat to Inter but in Los Angeles they’ll have a large Mexican crowd to back them and home advantage where weather is concerned.

A physical, high paced team, it may be the test that Inter just don’t need to start the tournament off after a long season. Uruguayan international Santiago Mele is a new signing and is likely to be between the sticks for the Mexicans given he was signed specifically for the tournament in the brief transfer window we’ve just had.

Their creative spark will likely come from Colombian Nelson Deossa in the centre of the park. The 25 year old is Monterrey’s most valuable player at €6m according to website Transfermarkt. Deossa provided 5 goals and 1 assist in his 21 matches this season, as well as picking up 3 yellow cards so he packs a punch as well as contributing in forward areas.

Urawa Red Diamonds

The 2022 AFC Champions League winners are the fourth team to make up Group E. Based at the impressive Saitama Stadium that was built for the 2002 World Cup (peak nostalgia era) they sit 3rd in the J-League and are taking a mid season break to compete in the Club World Cup.

This makes them arguably the freshest team competing and the three times AFC Champions League winners will be a danger if underestimated.

In 21 matches so far this season, Ryoma Watanabe has contributed 6 goals and 6 assists from wide positions. Their top scoring midfielder, his pace will be an issue, another headache potentially for Fede Di Marco!

Ryoma Watanabe

Theirs South American flair in the side too, in the shape of Matheus Savio. The set piece specialist (no viral videos here) has contributed 2 goals and 6 assists so far this season from centre midfield. The guy has an engine apparently and his high energy performances will cause a problem for a tired and ageing Inter midfield.

What’s next?

Well the winners of Group E will face the runners up from Group F and with Inter tipped to qualify as group winners they’ll hope to secure a favourable tie in the next round. Finishing second means they’ll face the winners of Group F.

This means that their next opponents will be anyone from Fluminense (Brazil), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Ulsan HD (Korea) or Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa).

Inzaghi signs with Al Hilal

After that it becomes a lot less clearer to predict, but there is the prospect in the Quarter Final of an early meeting with former boss Simone Inzaghi and his Al Hilal side, so keep your eyes on that…

12th Jun 2025