The Calcio Blog

Category: This Week

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
Milan – Como in Australia. Has Serie A lost its mind?

In 2026 the Winter edition of the Olympic Games will be held in Milano-Cortina, Lombardy. Great news for the area. Or so you’d think. When the opening ceremony of the tournament is held in February, there was only one venue that was deemed sufficient. The Stadio San Siro was the perfect choice for the opening ceremony. With one exception. Milan are due to play host to Como on February 8th.

In any other ordinary “non-batshit crazy” league, they might move the game to a different stadium in the same area. Or they could swap the home and away matches around and avoid the clash altogether. What did the FIGC decide? Go to fucking Australia and play football.

I’m all for Serie A increasing its commercialisation. I’m a huge fan of Italian football and have long held belief that everyone else should love it as much as me. It’s why I have a blog. But what the hell are they thinking here?

It is the middle of the season, not a pre-season tour. Milan and Como will be travelling some 20 hours to Perth (if reports are to be believed) and then, suffering with immense jetlag, will proceed to “put on a show” for the Australian fans.

Then, when that’s all done – in the Aussie summer by the way – they’ll fly another 20 hours back to Italy to continue their season. So a half arsed show for a few extra quid. Is this worth the pressure on the players and the squads?

If Serie A really want to push their product into a new region, they firstly need to choose a country where they can actually tune into the games at a reasonable hour, like when they’re awake. East Coast of America is an option, Saudi Arabia too. Why Australia?

It is completely baffling to me why they’ve made this particular choice. The Supercoppa is already in Saudi Arabia, so why not send Milan and Como over there to increase the presence of Italian football, cement relationships and show some faith to the country. Sure, Saudi Arabia comes with other legitimate criticisms and questions, but if the FIGC has already decided to do it, then why not go all in?

The travel to Australia, the cost of the teams heading there, the affect it has on the playing squad out there and the disruption to the calendar just doesn’t seem worth it.

If Australia really is a target audience for Serie A and the FIGC, then why are they going out for one match in the middle of February? Why don’t they go out there for 2/3 games with a few teams over a longer period? Why don’t they take the Supercoppa there? Why don’t they go for a pre-season competition?

The whole idea feels half baked. A quick decision that’s been taken hastily. Have Milan or Como agreed to this willingly? What’s the compensation they’re getting for agreeing to this?

And where does it stop? Is this a green light from UEFA for more matches to be hosted in foreign commercial paradises? The Premier League will be following this debacle closely and you can bet your bottom dollar that within two years we’ll be watching Fulham v Wolves in Charlotte, NC.

It smacks of a big comedic bag with a dollar sign on it has been handed around somewhere (allegedly of course), and everyone’s nodding along without really thinking of the consequences. Not just the consequences for the teams involved, but for the integrity of top level European football. It’s going to have far reaching consequences and Milan v Como in Perth is going to be ground zero for it.

10th Jul 2025
Transfer Window Round Up: Week 1
Ok, it isn’t strictly week one, since there was a window pre- Club World Cup, but the main summer window is now open and Italian clubs have wasted no time getting to work.

It’s been a week, just, and what’s going on? Who’s signed, who’s leaving and who’s rumoured to be doing what? We’ve rounded up the latest news and rumours below!

✅ Confirmed Signings (Incoming)

🔵 Inter Milan
- Ange‑Yoan Bonny (Parma → Inter) – €23 million + €2 million in add‑ons.
⚪ Juventus
- Jonathan David (Lille → Juve) – Free Transfer
- Pierre Kalulu (Milan → Juve) – €14.3 m (after loan)
🔴 AC Milan
- Samuele Ricci (Torino → Milan) – €23 m + €1.5 m add‑ons
🔵 Napoli
- Luca Marianucci (Empoli → Napoli) – €9 m
🔵 Pisa
- Isak Vural & Mateus Lusuardi (Frosinone → Pisa) – €4.5 m & €0.5 m
🔄 Rumoured Incoming Transfers

🔵 Inter Milan
- Giovanni Leoni (Parma → Inter) – Rumoured buy
- Richard Rios (Palmeiras → Inter) €30m rumour
⚪ Juventus
- Jadon Sancho (Man Utd → Juve) – ≈ €25 m in talks
- Dusan Vlahović – Rumoured sale (~€70 m)
🔴 AC Milan
- Luka Modrić (Real → Milan) – Free; arrival confirmed August, on a one‑year deal worth net €3–3.5 m .
- Lorenzo Lucca (Udinese → Milan) – Interest growing
🔵 Napoli
- Jayden Addai (AZ → Napoli) – ≈ €14 m, close deal
- Jens Cajuste (Besiktas → Napoli) – Loan with €6.5 m option
🔵 Lazio
- Lorenzo Insigne – Free agent, potential September arrival
📤 Outgoing Transfers

🔴 AC Milan
- Tijjani Reijnders → Man City – €55 m + €15 m add‑ons
- Theo Hernández → Al Hilal – €25 m
- Marco Pellegrino → Boca Juniors – €4 m
- Davide Calabria, Alessandro Florenzi, Luka Jović – Left on free transfers
⚪ Juventus
- Timothy Weah → Marseille – ≈ €15 m, deal in progress
👑 Spotlight: Ange‑Yoan Bonny → Inter Milan
- Fee: ~€23m + €2m in add‑ons; plus a 20% sell‑on clause per Calcio e Finanza
- Contract: 5‑year deal until June 2030 earning €2m net/year
- Why It Matters: Inter have secured a young, powerful striker and are now prioritizing midfield and defence reinforcements
⚽ Final Thoughts

Serie A’s transfer window is in full swing. Transfers like Bonny, Modrić, and major departures have reshaped several squads. Expect more dramatic moves as clubs await preseason preparations.
8th Jul 2025
🗞️ Calcio Weekly Round-Up: June 23–29, 2025
Italian football is starting to heat up as the summer transfer window takes shape. From smart moves in Milan to Juventus’s mega sponsorship deal, here’s everything you need to know from the past week.

🔁 Transfers & Market Moves
- Nicola Zalewski stays at Inter: The Polish international has been signed permanently from Roma for €6.5 million after a successful loan. Confirmed on June 23.
- Ange‑Yoan Bonny joins Inter from Parma: The 20-year-old striker’s loan is now permanent for a total fee of €23 million plus €2 million in add-ons. His contract is worth €2 million net per year.
- Fiorentina signed midfielder Jacopo Fazzini from Empoli for a reported €8 million plus bonuses. The deal was confirmed on June 26.
- Samuele Ricci to AC Milan: The Rossoneri have agreed a deal with Torino for around €25 million including bonuses. Ricci is expected to reinforce Milan’s midfield depth.
- Alex Meret extends at Napoli: The title-winning goalkeeper has renewed his contract until 2027, with an option for 2028 – putting to bed interest from Arsenal and Inter.
🔄 Player Movement & Rumours
- Tammy Abraham (formerly of Roma) is set for a €20 million move to Besiktas. A deal is in place, pending final paperwork.
- Tim Weah (Juventus) is close to joining Nottingham Forest, possibly as part of a swap involving Samuel Mbangula. The American is valued at around €22 million.
- Romano Floriani Mussolini, great-grandson of Benito Mussolini, has returned to Lazio after a season-long loan at Juve Stabia. A name that always draws attention, he’s working to make headlines for his performances rather than his lineage.
📊 Club Finances & Strategic Moves
- Juventus have extended their partnership with Adidas until 2037 in a huge €408 million deal. This follows a recent €69 million per year renewal with Jeep as shirt sponsor – clear signs of a long-term commercial rebuild.
- Serie A clubs are set to receive confirmation of the fixtures for matchdays 1–3 by June 30, with the full schedule to be locked by September 5.
🏆 Competitions & Coaching News
- Inter Milan, under new boss Cristian Chivu, continue to impress at the FIFA Club World Cup, with a strong 2–0 win over River Plate on June 25. The club is showing ambition both on the pitch and in the transfer market.
- Napoli are quietly reinforcing their Scudetto-winning squad. Having secured Meret, they’re now being linked with another Scottish international after the success of McTominay and Gilmour in Serie A.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Inter are going all-in on youth and cohesion: Zalewski, Bonny, and Chivu form the foundation of a long-term project.
- Napoli are building on continuity: renewals and smart reinforcements aim to make them consistent contenders in Europe.
- Juventus are focusing on the business side: with their Adidas and Jeep deals, the Old Lady is preparing for financial stability and competitive growth.
- Lazio continue to balance heritage and ambition, bringing back young talents from loan to reshape the squad.
🧠 Final Thought

This week marked a transitional phase: deals being finalised, pre-season strategies being laid out, and new leaders stepping forward. As the summer rolls on, the moves made now will set the tone for what promises to be a thrilling 2025/26 Serie A season.
30th Jun 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
Calcio Week: Seven things to look out for this week

It’s a new week, Monday comes and brings with it more from the soap opera that is Calcio. Football in Italy isn’t even being played at the moment but it’s still all going on…

1. Club World Cup Kicks Off in America

Ok so it actually kicked off yesterday, but this week is the turn of the Italians. Inter kick off against CF Monterrey on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning depending on where you’re reading this. Juventus get going on Wednesday night/Thursday morning against Al-Ain.

Inter will be hoping for a little better than their last outing, that Champions League humiliation. Juventus happy to be there without a European final since 2017. So far interest is very low, FIFA will be hoping it increases as time goes on. I’ll be out in Seattle at the end of the Group Stage so look out for some content on that!

2. Will there be anyone left at Milan?

Mike Maignan’s move to Chelsea may have broken down but that doesn’t mean he isn’t looking to move on. Chelsea will come back when the CWC slows down for them and with one year left he looks set to be sold this summer.

Theo Hernandez and Rafa Leao are also rumoured to be on the way out, with Bayern Munich a possible destination for both. That or Saudi Arabia anyway.

Luka Jovic is going at the end of his contract next month, looking likely to join Torino. That other Turin club, Juventus, are sniffing around Pierre Kalulu and Yunus Musah is in discussion with Napoli.

Calabria will also leave when his contract expires and the club confirmed that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is surplus to requirements. Along with fellow Englishmen Tammy Abraham and Kyle Walker departing at the end of their loan spells.

Can the last person to leave Milan turn off the lights?

3. The tug of war for Giovanni Leoni

The highly rated 18 year old is in high demand and it’ll be a miracle if the centre-back starts next season at Parma. Juventus are interested, as are Milan, Napoli, Torino and Inter. A move to Inter would probably appeal most, the shift in focus from Oaktree to younger players and his former manager Christian Chivu being in place will be a big pull.

Giovanni Leoni is a target for most of Serie A

But a bigger pull may be the Premier League. Thomas Frank might not be the newest face at Tottenham Hotspur for long, and the option for Parma to loan him back might sway them to accept this offer. Maybe he prefers the French Riviera? Monaco are also interested, and the chance to live a life of luxury in the millionaires playground has been a big pull in the past for players.

Watch this space, this race could go on a while, but needless to say it’ll develop significantly this week…

4. Sometimes maybe good, Sometimes maybe shit

Had to jump on and edit this part of the post this morning. The FIGC were telling us all that they had aaaaages to make this decision as there were no internationals until September.

Then out of nowhere they appointed Gennaro Gattuso. The former Milan player left his job at Hajduk Split earlier this summer and won the World Cup as a player with the Azzurri in 2006. He’s fiery, he divides opinion and he’s a strict disciplinarian. This will be one to watch through the World Cup qualifiers!

5. Josh Doig to Juventus?

Sassuolo’s 23 year old Scottish Full Back Josh Doig could soon be making a move to Juventus according to rumours. The Scottish Sun are reporting that around €13m would secure his signature for the Bianconeri. The Scottish revolution in Italy is certainly getting out of hand now, has no one watched any Scotland matches???

Italy has fallen in love with Scotland, and Juventus have eyes on Josh Doig

6. Chivu starts life with Inter

Ok, so we alluded to the FIFA Club World Cup earlier in the blog, but with the tournament kicking off, so too is Christian Chivu’s Inter Milan career 2.0.

The young coach, fresh from a spell with their youth team and then rescuing Parma was a very public second choice, but he’s a popular figure at the San Siro so he’ll get a chance to prove himself.

Will he stick with Inzaghi’s 3-5-2? Will he freshen up the side with some younger players? Just how many Parma players is he trying to sign? All of these answers will be a bit clearer by this time next week…

7. Edin Dzeko to get one last Calcio outing?

Rumours were starting late last week that potentially we will see Edin Dzeko in Italy one more time… The former Roma and Inter striker has just left Fenerbahce and the 39 year old is now linked with a move to Florence.

Edin Dzeko scoring for Roma twenty years ago probably…

Yes, that’s right, Fiorentina are apparently lining up a move for the veteran striker. He does guarantee goals, but at 39 does he guarantee games? A deal until 2027 is rumoured to have been offered which would see him play at the top level of Italian football until he’s 41. I’m sceptical, but Calcio constantly surprises you.

16th 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
The Calcio Managerial Merry Go Round: Who, When and Why

We’re only a month on from the end of the 2024/25 season in Italy and already there’s more talking points that throughout most of the actual season. And the main one seems to be, who on Earth is going to be managing in Serie A next season?

Axes have been wielded, resignations have been handed in and managers have been caught flirting with rival clubs. So what’s going on? And what’s still to come? Hopefully I’ve made sense of it below for you…

Fiorentina

After being appointed in June last year to replace Vincenzo Italiano, Fiorentina manager Raffaele Palladino has left the club “by mutual consent”. There’s no replacement as yet, although Stefan Pioli is being heavily linked with the role according to Viola Nation. Seen by some as a stabilising influence, he’ll need to use all his experience to turn around a gradual decline in Firenze.

Atalanta

After 9 very successful years at the club, Gian Piero Gasperini has left Atalanta. During his time in Bergamo, Gasperini led Atalanta into the Champions League five times and his tenure was characterised by swashbuckling attacking play. He famously led the team to the 2024 Europa League title.

His replacement at Atalanta? It’s a baffling one… Ivan Juric has been handed the reigns in Northern Italy. That’s the same Ivan Juric that oversaw a disastrous spell in Rome last season before heading to England to somehow make Southampton worse than they already were – avoiding being the worst team in Premier League history by 1 point.

Roma

Gasperini comes through the door at Roma replacing firm fan favourite Claudio Ranieri. His move “upstairs” may be put on hold, however, with the news that Spalletti is leaving the national team job. Ranieri is the favourite to take the Azzurri through the rest of the World Cup qualifying campaign. Watch this space!

Lazio

Across the city and Roma’s great rivals Lazio have also had a change in the dugout after a rather underwhelming end to the season. A comeback draw at the San Siro to hand Napoli the Scudetto was a brief highlight in an otherwise forgettable season under Marco Baroni. He was dismissed and Maurizio Sarri is back after a 15 month hiatus. Sarri was announced in spectacular fashion by the media team at Lazio and the former banker will be chain smoking his way through next season with the hopes he can restore the Lazio empire.

AC Milan

In Italy’s second city, change is also afoot. For the second time in a season Milan sacked their manager after Fonseca didn’t see in 2025, Conceicao is now also gone. An underwhelming season all round, Conceicao paid the price for an 8th place finish and no European football next season after a Coppa Italia final defeat. However, brief respite was offered in the shape of a 3-2 defeat of city rivals Inter in the Supercoppa final.

Allegri returns to Milan for next season after a break from the game following a trophy-laden spell at Juventus. In his first spell at Milan, he won the Serie A title and Supercoppa, Milan certainly hope he can repeat that next season.

Inter Milan

So near, yet so far to a treble. Dumped out of the Coppa Italia in the semi finals by Milan, beaten in the Supercoppa final, trounced in the Champions League final and second to Napoli by a point. Inter’s season could broadly be viewed as fairly successful until April. Simone Inzaghi was in demand from Al-Hilal and the news breaking in the run up to the final didn’t help their preparation.

A mutual parting followed a 5-0 defeat from PSG. Inter acted swiftly to woo Cesc Fabregas who promptly turned them down in a rather embarrassing episode. Christian Chivu is the man to take them forward. Their former centre back was manager of the Under 19 team who won the Primavera before being installed at Parma to secure Serie A survival. It’s a gamble, but Inter weren’t left with much choice with the Club World Cup on the horizon.

Torino

Further down the table, Torino parted company with Paolo Vanoli and replaced him almost immediately with Marco Baroni following his sacking by Lazio.

Parma

Parma only confirmed today that Christian Chivu had left the club after only a few short months. He replaced Fabio Pecchia in February and had the brief to save the club from an immediate return to Serie B. He did it, and then left for Inter. Rumours about a replacement are few and far between, but they’ll need to act fast to avoid losing out in the summer transfer window.

Italy National Team

In true bizarre fashion, national team manager Luciano Spalletti announced his own sacking in a press conference after a 3-0 defeat in Norway. But he’s not going anywhere yet… He’s managing the team tonight against Moldova before finally leaving. Clear? Thought not. Ranieri is the favourite to replace him since Calcio has some clear agenda on letting the poor guy retire in peace.

And there you have it. It’s been a matter of weeks since Serie A finished and the soap opera continues. Honourable mention to Juventus who look set to appoint Igor Tudor permanently after he finished off the season Thiago Motta started. Who do you think is the best appointment? Who’s undersold themselves and Who just got it plain wrong?

9th Jun 2025
Seven things to look out for in Calcio this week.
1. The Azzurri Coach Saga: Spalletti’s Swansong

In a dramatic turn, Luciano Spalletti has been sacked after Italy’s embarrassing 3–0 defeat to Norway and a poor start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. He’ll still lead the team one more time, though—against Moldova on Monday—before stepping down.

2. Pioli or Ranieri? FIGC’s Next Head Coach Dilemma

Who steps into the Azzurri hot seat next? The Italian FA (FIGC) is torn between Claudio Ranieri—fresh off a Roma renaissance and desperate enough to postpone retirement—and Stefano Pioli, still basking in his Milan fame.

3. Chelsea Tries Club World Cup Heist on Maignan

AC Milan’s top-class keeper Mike Maignan is being eyed by Chelsea—who’ve made an emergency bid in hopes of registering him in time for the Club World Cup next week. Milan are lining up Roma’s Mile Svilar as a replacement. Classic mercato drama: massive tournament, ticking deadline, and goalkeeping musical chairs.

4. Italian Representation at Club World Cup

Speaking of the competition, Inter Milan have confirmed their participation, with a tough group including Monterrey, Urawa Red Diamonds and River Plate. And Inter will debut a new coach—with Cristian Chivu taking the reins. Meanwhile Juventus’ run will hinge on whether interim boss Igor Tudor impresses enough to earn the gig permanently. Expect some epic comebacks… or meltdowns.

5. Transfer Talk: Chalobah to Napoli, Svilar to Milan

Napoli are prioritizing Chelsea’s English defender Trevoh Chalobah to bolster Antonio Conte’s defence. At the same time, AC Milan are edging closer to bringing in Luka Modric, expect movement when the international duty ends. Napoli are also closely linked to Alejandro Garnacho and Jack Grealish – watch these closely over the next weeks.

6. Managerial Chairs Spinning Across Serie A

Atalanta have officially announced Ivan Juric as Gasperini’s successor after the legendary coach moved to Roma. Roma, in turn, confirm Gasperini on a three-year deal . Inter confirmed Chivu from Parma and Lazio have also re-hired Maurizio Sarri, one year after his departure, just in time to plan their summer transfer binge. It’s raining gaffer changes in Italy… umbrellas optional.

7. Season Wrap & Azzurri Warm-Up

We’re still raw from Napoli’s Scudetto triumph and Inter’s crushing Champions League final loss, capped by Simone Inzaghi’s departure. Now, the Azzurri need a lift ahead of the Moldova game—ideal for one last rally (or epic meltdown) before sweeping the coach saga under the rug. Let’s just hope they’ve practiced their goal celebrations.

Why It Matters

This week is pure Italian football theatre:
- National team in turmoil = big story.
- Transfers and coaching swaps will set next season’s tone.
- Club World Cup puts Italian clubs on global display.
- All against the backdrop of season-end fatigue and summer sizzle.
Brace yourself for press-room drama, comedic transfer photos, and hopefully some actual… you know… goals.

What are you most excited about? The national team drama, the managerial musical chairs, or who ends up playing keeper for Milan?
9th Jun 2025