In the first of a series, we look back at the Bianconeri’s season last year and assess where they were strong and where they need to improve heading into 2025/26.
Season Overview
Last season Juventus finished 4th in Serie A after a bizarre start to the season in which they were unbeaten after 20 games, somehow drawing 13 of them. Thiago Motta was wishing for draws, however, when consecutive defeats to Atalanta (4-0) and Fiorentina (3-0) led to the end of his short reign in late-March.
Thiago Motta applauding something in his short reign
Igor Tudor took over and in 9 matches managed to win 5 and lose just one of them. Overall, however, Juventus will be disappointed with their season, 4th is too low for a club the size of theirs. Add to this a semi-final exit in the Supercoppa, a quarter-final Coppa Italia defeat on penalties to Empoli and exiting the Champions League in the play-off round against PSV and it was a disappointing campaign.
Strengths and Weaknesses
So where did it all go right, and wrong, for Juve this year? In a league campaign in which they lost only 4 games, they were clearly still hard to beat. High numbers of draws takes the shine off this consistency, however.
A balanced, consistent and disciplined defence helped them on their way, conceding an xGA of only 1.17/game and receiving no red cards.
However, it was in front of goal that the problems are stark for Juventus. They have a high shot volume but with remarkably low efficiency. Juventus converted only 8.3% of shots to goals in Serie A last season, and their top scorer only hitting 10 goals is a consequence (or cause) of this.
Juventus’ shot conversion ration lagged behind everyone except Roma and Milan
Vlahovic with 10 was too far ahead of the next highest scorer Yildiz, who managed 7 goals all season. Two of these coming in that barmy 4-4 draw (yes, draw) with Inter. Don’t just blame the strikers though, no midfield player for Juventus managed double-digit assists in Serie A.
Where should they improve then?
It’s easy to say “everywhere”, but that’s probably the correct, if short, answer. Juventus desperately need a striker when you look at the above, but they also need a capable playmaker. A number 10 to get the fans off their feet, someone like, I don’t know… Zidane, Del Piero? Wishful thinking.
With Igor Tudor preferring a 3-4-2-1 formation, wing backs wouldn’t go a miss and there’s always room for a back up centre back. But really, they look fairly well set at the back. In front of goal has to be the priority.
Transfer Rumours
It’s usually always a busy summer in Turin. Juventus are rightly considered the biggest club in Italy and they will want to get back to the top level as quickly as possible, having not won a Scudetto since 2019.
With their poor record in front of goal, it’s no wonder that along with the rest of the big European clubs they’re maintaining an interest in Viktor Gyokeres. His value of €70m may be a stumbling block for an Italian team, especially with Arsenal and Manchester United also interested.
Sporting Lisbon striker (for now) Viktor Gyokeres
Any sale of Dusan Vlahovic would be welcome funds towards Gyokeres, however, and talks are rumoured to be ongoing over a move to Fenerbahce for the big Serb.
One player potentially on their way out would be Nicolas Gonzalez who has failed to impress after his big move from Fiorentina last summer. Another, who Juve fans would be more reluctant to lose would be Andrea Cambiaso, reportedly on the shopping lists of Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool and Milan.
As ever, Juve are linked with all the big names looking to move in the summer and rumours persist around Victor Osimhen, Jonathan David and Sandro Tonali. Tonali looks the longer shot given Newcastle also qualified for the Champions League, but at least he’s used to wearing black and white.
Josh Doig, Scottish full back at Sassuolo is a versatile player who would offer good back up coverage. He would fit the profile of young players to develop given he’s only 23. Another player who would work in that respect is Giovanni Leoni, 18 year old centre-back from Parma. Roughly €15m would be needed to pry him away from the Tardini, and Juve would face stiff competition from his former manager at Inter.
So how will Juve do next season?
Who the hell knows? Not a great answer for a blog about Juventus, accepted, but they have been notoriously up and down in recent years and this current spell looks no different. One thing for sure though, if they can add goals to a solid defence they’ll do well.
Juventus tend to be that team that if they start well, they’ll sweep all before them, but if they start poorly – write off the season in October and enjoy either one of Inter or Milan collapsing in on themselves.
A lot will depend on their transfer window, and that all depends on the Club World Cup. A strong run in that competition would add much needed lira to the club coffers and enable them to be more aggressive before Serie A returns in mid-August.
One thing is for sure with Juve, don’t you dare write them off. Watch this space…
Overwhelming success of the Calcio Weekender day one post was so warmly appreciated, thanks so much for recommending it to everyone you know! I promised that it was three matches in three days and as promised, here’s day two.
Sunday morning was just as beautiful as day one and it’s fair to say that after a long day in Parma we didn’t exactly spring out of bed. Again, anyone else who’s raising a 15 year old girl will know that it isn’t as simple as just getting up and going again!
But we rose at the sound of an alarm, there was more travelling to be done and no time to lay in bed waiting. Now, in the previous post I was extolling the virtues of the Italian rail system but today I curse it. Nothing to do with the network, but the pricing of it this time.
So, it may be cheap if you’re travelling in the same region, but leaving Emilia Romagna and heading to Tuscany shoots the price up a fair bit! Over €100 for the two of us. Surely there’s a cheaper option? You better believe it.
For a fraction of that price and frankly the same amount of time, Isabelle and I would be travelling to Florence for the day with the big green Flixbus. Shockingly comfortable is how I would describe the experience. Isabelle and I would be on the 8:45am bus to Florence from Bologna bus station, which arrived at a reasonable 10:05am.
Firstly, the drive through the Tuscan hills was bloody spectacular, some beautiful scenery. Secondly, there was plenty of comfortable leg room even for me at 6ft4in. The temperature was comfortable and the ride smooth. And all this for a mere £23 return. For us both. Incredible value I thought.
The Flixbus takes you to Villa Costanza, a small bus station on the edge of town, serviced by a regular tram that comes straight to the main station. Easy.
When we arrived, there was just enough time to grab a quick snack at the shop before loading up onto the tram and heading into Florence. The point of this day trip was to suss out what Florence was like. It’s been on the list for some time, everything I’ve ever read about sculptures, art, renaissance etc all seems to point you in the direction of Florence.
So I wanted to check it out first, this seemed like a good idea. I have to say, it’s beautiful. Isabelle and I headed straight for the Duomo and it lived right up to the expectations I had of it. History pours out of every building. We didn’t head into the museums or Duomo, it was a day trip so we just came here to check out the scenery more than anything.
Plus, this is a football blog, this is a football trip. There was a match to get to in the afternoon. Sunday is football day in Italy and the gods of Futbology had informed me there was a derby going on locally in Serie D.
You guessed it, we were heading to Prato to see the city derby between Zenith Prato and AC Prato. Now, no, I’d never heard of the city or the teams, but football is football. I’ll go watch anything.
Prato is around 20 minutes by train from Firenze and the trip out there cost us less than €10 for us both. The Stadio Lungobisenzio is less than ten minutes walk from the station and in the sun it’s a glorious walk. I’d tried through Twitter/X to get some information on tickets and there wasn’t really any at all. The two clubs share a stadium in the city, much like in Milan, although the level is a little different.
The stadium is old, but has nods to a former golden age, with a large structure for one stand which looks quite grand from a distance, until you get close and see the paint peeling off the walls and the faded Olympics logo.
There’s a Gillingham style temporary stand behind one goal and flats behind the other. The opposite side of the main stand has a lovely view over a mountain. Now, I’ve watched Serie C before and wasn’t entirely bowled over by the level, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from D.
Well, that question was answered when we arrived at the ground around 45 minutes before kick off and everything was closed up. People were sat on the steps waiting for the one entrance to open. The little ticket booth was open, however, so I offered up my €10 and was presented with one adult ticket and a free kid ticket.
When the gates finally opened around 30 minutes before kick off, we made our way in to the unreserved main stand and took a seat. Things started to get busy about 10-15 minutes before kick off but there was something nagging at me. Where were the away fans? AC Prato fans were all hanging around a bar by the station, but shouldn’t they be here now?
Well, as it turns out, this derby was about to lose a big sting in the tail. The AC fans had decided to boycott the game and subsequent other games due to a dispute with the clubs ownership. Something I see happening a lot here in Italy.
My concerns about the level of the Serie D football was confirmed when two of the AC Prato players were warming up in full kit as they didn’t seem to have training tops. The warm up seemed to consist of groups of players stood in a circle doing keep ups. I was more than a little concerned…
Concerns that were indeed well founded. Twenty minutes into the game and still nothing had happened. Wayward passes, shots looping way off target and defensive mix ups, yet still nothing. Now, I’m no snob, I just love football, but with the missing away fans this game was lacking any real spark.
But hold on, what’s that noise? I can hear drums and chanting off in the distance. And is that a whiff of smokebomb I just got? It was, there’s some white smoke off behind that away end. I’m sure I just saw a flag wave too.
The AC Prato fans were in attendance, without being in attendance. They came down to support their team, from a distance and without going in and funding the owners they protest against.
They don’t hang around, however, and soon the game drifts back to silence and very little action. There’s a few bright sparks out there, one of the Zenith lads in centre midfield is tricky. He’s got pace and he can take players on, confident. Perhaps over confident though, he keeps taking it a step too far.
We make it all the way to the 89th minute before there’s any action to speak of in this game. After a typically rough scramble in the penalty area, AC are awarded a penalty. Players are down all over the pitch, walking wounded. Well, not walking, they’re all prone. This delay could get in the head of the taker. Surely not though? He’s still got to put it away, penalties are easy.
Well, nope. As it turns out, this game was about to take another lurch to the ridiculous. The penalty is ballooned over the bar, high. In fact, two months on it could still be rising. At least the bar was open though. Cheap beers, in the sun, watching football, what could be better? That’s what these trips are all about!
We head back to Firenze straight after full time, we have a bus to catch after all. One piece of advice for anyone travelling by Flixbus like us, get an early tram. The exodus from the main station at the end of the day is almost ridiculous. Americans are everywhere and the queues to get on a tram to the outskirts of town is excessive.
Once we make it to Villa Costanza, we board the coach and take the opportunity to relax. Another hectic day of travelling around, but less intense than the previous day, less panicking and less rushing around. And less alcohol.
I’ll go back to Florence for a proper trip at some point, I’d love to see La Viola play. The food and drink as usual in Italy was spot on, although we weren’t able to get into the viral sandwich shop All’Antico Vinaio, next time I guess…
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?
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?
As the blog begins, it seems that I should lend some credibility to my self proclaimed “expertise” in Italian football. And like every other love story, it came about with falling in love with an experience rather than an individual. The weekend in question is one of my most recent experiences, but by far the most varied so it seemed like the best place to start. This blog will cover day one, so look out for days two and three coming…
In early April I travelled for “just another” Calcio weekender with my 15 year old daughter Isabelle in tow. I guess that makes us a little unique too, most people go to matches with their mates or their son, I take a 15 year old girl. Anyone who knows anything about 15 year old girls will know that spending time with Dad isn’t always viewed as cool and they certainly don’t appreciate early starts and late finishes! But God bless her, my kid Isabelle goes with it and I tend to pay for it the couple of days after we’ve returned.
Pizza and beer and football are three of my favourite things and I think the Italians do them all better than most of Europe.
So I earmarked the first weekend in April. Inter were away at Parma, which is not a million miles from Bologna. Bologna is easily accessible with Ryanair via London Stansted and the rail network in Italy meant that we had easy access to Parma. Further to this, Bologna would play Napoli the same weekend. With both Inter and Napoli chasing a Scudetto I knew there was no chance Italian TV schedules would allow the games to be on the same day.
£55 later and Isabelle and I have return flights booked from Stansted to Bologna. Ok, £55 is stretching it a bit, I added prebooked seats, fast track security and a checked bag for us to share so it was more like £200 between us. But come on, £100 a head to get to Italy and back in relative comfort once I’d added everything on? I can’t go to Manchester from London for that!
My go to when travelling is always Airbnb. I don’t really know why, hotels are great, especially if you can get breakfast included. I just like the local experience and those apartment buildings in Italy are a great authentic experience. We chose one on Via Pescherie Vecchie just off the central Piazza Maggiore. Naturally, with Ryanair and a night flight, it was late so we didn’t arrive at the apartment until 1:30am on Saturday morning, but whatever, we’re on holiday. Who cares?
The check in was so easy, there was a lockbox that I had a code to, we opened it and found the apartment key and let ourselves in. The place was “cosy” but again, who cares, we’re only sleeping here.
The ambience at 1:30am betrayed the ambience for the rest of our trip. At check in we were completely alone, waking up at 8am we were atop a busy bustling market street with Parma ham, parmesan and coffee the main wares being sold. Truly, it was fantastic, the sights and smells of Italy right there, absorbed in the culture. What else was there to do but head for a coffee in the Piazza. Honestly, sat there with my daughter with a cappuccino in the sun, picking at a croissant I have never felt so anti-Brexit. Europe is fantastic, what the hell were we doing leaving this place??
The chilled start to the day belied what was to follow. Saturday was the day of Parma v Inter. We still had to get to Parma, then we had to find tickets. Shit, I never mentioned, I still had no tickets for the main game we came to see! I’d tried online, surely I would secure a Parma ticket? They hadn’t sold out all season! Bullshit, they sold this game out immediately. No ticket. Well, there’s always a chance on the day…
The next best thing was paying slightly over the odds on Vivaticket. Secondary reselling sites are common in Italy and mostly they’re ok to be trusted. You’ll pay more than you would directly to the club, but if you’re desperate to see the game it’s a really good option. The only problem here was, nothing was hitting the website!
Now we reached desperation time. I joined every Parma fan group on Facebook. It must be possible, people must be surely not travelling to the game who have season tickets. Surely they’ll help out a foreigner in need?? Surely??
For about a week before the match I hit nothing but brick walls. But fuck it, I could travel to the game and surely find someone selling there? Isabelle and I set off for Parma from Bologna station, for a mere €14 each return. This is something I need to praise Italy for. The transport system is a joke compared to the rest of Europe. It’s cheap and it’s more often than not on time. Don’t get me wrong, try to get to Como in peak summer season and the trains arrive whenever they feel like it, but I’ve had nothing but broadly positive experiences on Trenitalia. I tend to use the English website to buy my tickets and just download them to my phone, but the big stations have super helpful staff who all speak your language and will help. Definitely don’t get caught without a ticket though! The wrong ticket’s fine, your ignorance as a tourist will be accepted, but having no ticket is a problem!
Anyway, 1h10 minutes or so later, Isabelle and I are pulling into Parma and the first thing we see is the Inter team bus parked up at a hotel opposite the station. We hang around for a bit, hoping for photo opportunities that never materialise before jumping in a cab to the ground. We’d hoped to explore Parma a bit but the tickets are more pressing. It’s a shame because Parma looks magnificent.
As we arrive at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, there’s hustle and bustle everywhere. But no one selling tickets! We hang around the shop, the ticket office and are informed that maybe by 3pm there’ll be some returns for sale. Not exactly promising. I increase my desperation to the Facebook Groups – “Please, I’m English, I’ve only travelled for the game” – but no response. Well, we have three hours, so let’s go grab lunch.
Easy as pie in Italy, avoid anything touristy looking and you’re getting a fantastic meal for next to nothing. The food is incredible in this country, always has been, always will be. It’s the first thing that always comes to mind when you think of Italy; pasta and pizza. So true to form, we drop into the first place we walk past and Oh My God look at this pizza below! Parma Ham and Parmigiana! That, in the sun with a cold beer and the world of work felt a million miles away!
Then suddenly a breakthrough… a message on Facebook, from a knight in shining armour! It was a simple message, “I have a woman ticket. 14 year old ok”. First I’d ever heard of a woman’s only ticket, but then there was a pin dropped to a pub around half a mile from the ground. And this is where it gets interesting. Really interesting!
Isabelle and I set off immediately on foot towards the pub, Google Maps reckons 25 minutes but I’m half running. We pass the ground and are now heading in the opposite direction, please god please!
On the final stretch a truly bizarre encounter. As we wander up the road, a VERY familiar figure walks out in front of us. No, surely it isn’t? It is, someone else just asked for a photo… “Lilian!” I shout, “A picture?”
Somehow, in this little back street cut through in Parma, I’ve bumped into former Parma and Juventus player and French World Cup Winner Lilian Thuram. His son now plays for Inter so it makes sense he’d be in attendance for this match. A lovely bloke, with very little English, he happily posed for photos with Isabelle and I before we head off to the pub.
As we approach the pub, it’s clear this is a testosterone charged environment. This is the Ultras. Mattia greets Isabelle and I at the door and ushers us in, I duly buy him a pint.
Now, the Ultras have a very mixed reception in Italy and Europe. Viewed on by some as nothing more than hooligans, but by others – including themselves – as the life blood of the club. They travel to every match, they rally the team when required, they organise charity events and they fill the stadium with noise and get every chant going. And yes, they fight each other.
It’s a complicated relationship that clubs have with their Ultras and the other fans at the clubs, which I won’t go into in any great detail here but if you want to know more, Tobias Jones’ book Ultra is a great insight into their World.
One thing I will say is, if you turn up and you’re ready to get involved and be part of their World – you cannot wish to meet a friendlier and more welcoming bunch. Immediately a Sambuca shot is thrust into my hand, a scarf wrapped around my neck and I’m welcomed.
Their English is probably only slightly better than my Italian and conversation is limited to saying names like “Gianfranco Zola” and everyone nodding and cheering. Mattia brings over his friend Andrea, an absolute tree of a man, who hugs me and welcomes me.
I explain the ticket predicament to him, “No problem”, he says, “we can get you in”. Pints downed, we march off the four of us to the ground, Mattia on his pushbike, and I’m handed Andrea’s son’s season card and his ID. Apparently I’m going to be passing for a 12 year old boy. Andrea explains that I just need to keep my thumb over the picture, “the only check the name matches”. Surely, surely, this isn’t going to work.
As we arrive at the Tardini, the throng of people at the gates parts and we are ushered to the front. Andrea must be a big deal I figure, and even more so when none of our tickets are even checked, we’re ushered into the ground. I hand over – as agreed – a €50 note to Mattia and he takes us into the underbelly of the huge open Kop behind the goal. Again, the queues part and we are handed a beer each, more people come to kiss Andrea on each cheek – yep, he’s the guy here.
Mattia takes Isabelle and I into the stand in the last few minutes before kick off and it is absolute pandemonium in there. People are everywhere, there are far more people than there’s space for and we take our place a third of the way up a staircase. There’s no stewards or security inside this stand, another quirk of the Ultras sections – the club expects them to self police. Largely it works. Yeah it’s over subscribed and there’s a strong smell of weed around, but there’s good vibes only here.
As the game kicks off, no one is paying any attention whatsoever. The young lads down at the front are on their perch, back to the pitch facing the crowd, megaphone to their mouths starting every chant. Flags everywhere wave around, we can only catch glimpses of the match through the singing, jumping, flags and general party vibe. Football is secondary today to everyone just getting together and catching up on their weeks. Perhaps it’s not always like this, Inter are top and Parma scrapping to survive, so defeat is generally accepted before a ball was even kicked.
And sure enough, Darmian gives Inter the lead after 15 minutes and the away section erupts behind the opposite goal. Right on half time, Thuram doubles Inters’ lead with potentially one of the worst goals he’ll ever score. And no one noticed. The noise never stopped, the singing never stopped, the flags never stopped. They’re here to support their team, not to react to a setback.
In the second half a new Parma emerge, pulling a goal back on the hour before equalising on 69 minutes from Ondrejka. And you can bet your life that there were spectacular scenes on the equaliser. Limbs everywhere, people falling downstairs, beers being hurled in the air, pure delirium, this was a brilliant display of emotion and it was impossible not to raise a smile for them. Ultimately they deserved it, they fought right until the end and Inter were poor. The game ended in a draw, this was to be the theme of the weekend, 2-2 but it felt like a victory for Parma. They deserved it.
As we filtered out of the stadium, I joined my new friends back at the same bar and we had a few more beers and sambucas, posed for photos and exchanged numbers to become friends for life. Every now and again I still get a text from Andrea after a matchday and we briefly speak to each other in broken English about football. One day they want to join me in Gillingham for a match, I think they’ll be disappointed by the atmosphere.
I sat on the 10pm train back to Bologna with Isabelle and shared a smile with no words as we ate kebab. This was everything we loved about travelling to Italy to watch football, the experiences, the dashing around, the new friends, the atmosphere and the crazy games. And, above all, it’s only day one. There’s two days left yet…
The first blog in a regular series looking at some of the players from English speaking countries who are affecting things in Calcio. If you’re anything like me, the first player who immediately springs to mind is AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic. Italy seems to be a hotbed for American “soccer” talent and what better place to start than the first American to score in a Milan derby.
Hershey, Pennsylvania isn’t a traditional hotbed of football talent like Paris, South London or Milan would be but in September 1998 Kelley and Mark Pulisic welcomed their son Christian to the world. Kelley and Mark had both previously played “soccer” at college level at George Mason University and Mark had gone on to play professional indoor soccer for the Harrisburg Heat in the 90s.
Christian’s idol growing up may surprise a lot of Milan fans, identifying Inter star Luis Figo as his hero when he was a child, but seeing him run at defenders at the San Siro, they can surely forgive him for adopting his style!
During a year in England as a child, Christian briefly played in the youth academy of non-league side Brackley Town, however, it was the return to America that saw his soccer career really kick on. He played as a youth for Michigan Rush and then for US Soccer Development Academy club PA Classics.
At the age of 16 Christian decided to head to Germany, eligible through his Croatian grandfather to travel and play at 16 rather than 18 in the States. Sure enough, Borussia Dortmund picked up a young Christian Pulisic and the rest is history. He made his first team debut at the age of 18 in a victory against Ingolstadt in January 2016.
It wasn’t long before the USMNT recognised this young talent and in March 2016 he made his National Team debut in a 4-0 win against Guatemala. As of June 2025 he’s made 76 USMNT appearances, contributing 32 goals and 18 assists for his country.
Pulisic made the move from Germany to England in 2019 for a spell with Chelsea often harshly viewed by a partisan English crowd. While at Chelsea he became only the second American to score a hat trick in the Premier League, at the same time becoming Chelsea’s youngest ever hat trick scorer. He became the first American to win the UEFA Champions League Final and only the second ever to play in one when Chelsea defeated Man City at the final in Portugal. Injuries and increased competition would put paid to his career in England and he would eventually join Milan in 2023 to seek more playing time.
Christian scored on his debut in Serie A against Bologna in a 2-0 win, making him the first ever American to score in 3 of the top 5 European Leagues. In his first season in Italy he contributed 15 goals and 10 assists in 50 appearances. He was the first Milan player since Kaka to score more than ten non-penalty goals in a single Serie A season.
Last season Milan struggled and as a result, the players form largely went with it. However, Pulisic still achieved several milestones. The main one being the first American to score in the Derby della Madonnina when he gave Milan the lead at the San Siro “away” to Inter. Milan went on to win the game and break the curse of 6 consecutive defeats against their city rivals.
The goal was a perfect example of Pulisic’s energy and leadership, pressing Mkhitaryan in the midfield, running at the Inter back line who seemed to run away like scared sheep before passing the ball into the back of the net. It’s this kind of all action performance that earned him the nickname Captain America from the Curva Sud.
Although the season was not a classic for Milan, he did also score in the Supercoppa Final victory over Inter and his 15 goals and 9 assists earned him a spot in the Serie A team of the season and he led the league in chance creation.
Italy seems to have taken to the American from Hershey, with La Gazzetta commenting after one performance that, “He comes from Hershey, famous for the best chocolate in America. Yesterday, CP was pure sweetness too.”
The Milan fans have taken him to heart too, his willingness to learn Italian and conduct interviews in Italian will always see you right in Italy. One fan even remarked, “For me, he’s Milan’s best player, and I also really like his attitude whenever I hear him speak.” and MilanTV commentator Mauro Suma frequently chants “U-S-A, U-S-A” after his goals!
The pundits like him too, with popular and respected Tiago Leal saying, “For me, Pulisic can play on the right. He did it under Pioli, he is humble and he is a great professional, so he can play a lot of positions.” Fabio Caressa from Sky Sport Italia is also impressed. The esteemed journalist praised Pulisic as “the best signing of the entire summer transfer window,” highlighting his versatility and goal-scoring prowess.
His importance to Milan was also underlined with Stefano Pioli tailoring tactics to leverage Pulisic’s defensive diligence, with the team encouraging opponents to play towards Pulisic’s flank, trusting his work rate in defence.
The more attention that falls on Pulisic with these performances, the more chance there is he’ll be lured away from Milan and Italy, but for the time being he and his audience seem quite content to continue in each other’s company.
It’s Monday, so there’s a whole week of the soap opera about to begin. Below is our top ten list of things to look out for happening this week.
1. Serie A Fixture Release – Friday, June 6
Grab your espresso and mark the date—this Friday, the 2025/26 Serie A calendar drops. Fans are praying for a soft opening fixture. Clubs are crossing fingers to avoid an away trip to Bergamo in Week 1. And somewhere in Milan, Allegri is plotting a 1-0 already.
2. Serie C Play-Offs – Semi-Final Stage
It’s chaos, it’s passion, it’s Serie C. Ternana and Pescara will fight it out in the final for a golden ticket to Serie B. Expect drama, flares, debates, and at least one 90th-minute winner to shake things up over the two legs tonight and Saturday.
3. Maurizio Sarri Back at Lazio
Yes, you read that right—he’s back. Maurizio Sarri returns to Lazio just 15 months after quitting. Apparently, absence does make the heart grow fonder (or the board ran out of options). Two-year deal, one big reset button. Get the cigarettes and 4-3-3s ready.
4. Allegri Returns to Milan
AC Milan have turned back the clock and hired Max Allegri. He’s promised structure, pragmatism, and probably a very annoyed Rafael Leão being told to track back more. Milan want trophies. Allegri wants another coat. Let’s see who gets what first.
5. Gasperini Leaves Atalanta
After nine iconic years, Gian Piero Gasperini has waved goodbye to Atalanta and is set to join Roma. One Europa League trophy, countless 3-4-2-1s, and more underdog wins than a Rocky film series. Replacing him? Not so easy. The next coach better love wingbacks.
6. Special Serie A Transfer Window (June 1–10)
A unique transfer window opened on June 1 for clubs preparing for the FIFA Club World Cup. Deals can be registered until June 10. It’s like Black Friday for sporting directors—but with more agents and fewer refunds.
7. Davide Frattesi Transfer Rumours Heat Up
After a Champions League final cameo that never materialised, Frattesi is being linked with a move away from Inter. Juventus, Roma, and even some cheeky Premier League clubs are sniffing around. Inter might sell—but only if the price makes Oaktree raise an eyebrow. Watch this space—and Frattesi’s Instagram stories.
8. AC Milan Push for Samuele Ricci
With Allegri back and reportedly craving a Ricci-type in midfield, Milan are stepping up talks with Torino for the Italian starlet. At this point, Ricci may just walk to Milanello himself to get it over with.
9. Napoli Trademark “McFratm”
In what might be the most Napoli move ever, the club has filed a trademark on Scott McTominay’s nickname “McFratm.” He’s the city’s new cult hero, and merchandising execs are already dreaming up beach towels. All that’s missing is a line of limited edition Limoncello.
10. Juventus’ New Tudor Era Maybe Begins
With Thiago Motta drama behind them (for now), Juventus moved forward under Igor Tudor. The Croatian is a disciplinarian who doesn’t mind upsetting a few stars. Think of him as the anti-Allegri—except with just as much tactical tinkering and slightly better hair, and they look set to make his temporary stay a permanent one.
That’s your Italian football week ahead: part soap opera, part tactical chess, part transfer market circus. And it’s only Monday.
In Milan fans of the Rossonero were holding a mock funeral for Inter’s Champions League final last night, but inside Inter’s organisation there’s already a full post mortem underway. On the receiving end of a record Champions League Final drubbing to a brilliant PSG, coming second in Serie A and losing to Milan in both the Supercoppa and Coppa Italia it’s not exactly a marquee season for Inter.
Until March they were very much looking at the possibility of a banner season and a second ever treble, going down in history with Mourinho’s team of 2010. However, a complete collapse in the league and a hiding from Milan in the Coppa semi final put paid to that. But morale boosting ties with Barcelona gave Inzaghi and his team some breathing space from too many external questions.
Last night, however, the chance to save their season and go down in history passed them by. Inter simply never arrived in Munich. A midfield that went completely missing, a confused Acerbi marking no one, Di Marco running in rings and an isolated forward line and this was not the Inter we’d come to appreciate over the last couple of seasons.
Everything Inter did to beat Barcelona’s press in those two memorable matches recently was missing, they completely went to pieces. Inzaghi didn’t seem to have an answer, rigidly sticking to his 3-5-2 in the face of its obvious failure on Saturday. Confusing substitutions and the refusal to use last minute hero Davide Frattesi meant Inzaghi faces legitimate criticism from both outside and inside the club.
Speculation began over Inzaghi’s future in the run up to the final with Gazzetta breaking the news that Al-Hilal were prepared to pay him €30m a year to break free from Inter and go to the Club World Cup with them. Last night, in his post match press conference he refused to confirm he’ll lead Inter in the tournament in America next month.
The rumours are now picking up with La Repubblica reporting that everything will be decided in a meeting Tuesday with the clubs hierarchy. There’s even a rumoured list of ready made replacements with Cesc Fabregas the front runner after his fabulous season at Como. Roberto De Zerbi from Marseille and former Inter defender and current Parma manager Christian Chivu are also on the list.
This fits firmly with the owners plan to introduce some young fire into the club. Oaktree made it clear that their strategy is to reduce the average age of the squad, something fans will be delighted by after the leggy performance of an ageing side last night. Nico Paz, the 20 year old Argentinian midfielder at Como is reportedly high on the list along with 25 year old Canadian striker Jonathan David.
They have already added Tomas Palacios, Argentinian Centre Back last August, he spent this season on loan at Monza. The club also secured their 11th Primavera title this season (the Under 20s crown), with a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina in the final.
Oaktree have a plan to freshen Inter up and last night’s “performance” probably sped this process up significantly. However, all isn’t doom and gloom over at Inter. The Gazzetta reported this month that Inter have money to spend. The Oaktree takeover from Steven Zhang is complete, the last few seasons of free transfers and big sales have boosted the coffers and given some Financial Fair Play breathing space. The almost successful European run has added millions to the bank and the Club World Cup will do the same.
The one thing Inter need to do before any of this freshening up is decide what to do with their manager. Inzaghi exposed his own weakness on Saturday night against PSG and his negotiating position isn’t as strong as it was in March. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see the club decide on a different direction, but don’t start writing the obituary of Inzaghi’s Inter yet…
Look away now Milan fans… it’s time to break down this absolute breakdown of a season from one of Europe’s biggest teams. The Red Devils experienced turmoil in the boardroom, changed managers, didn’t qualify for European football and had their lowest finish for years. Milan and Manchester are united in their red half being in disarray while their blue half powers on. But what exactly happened this season to Milan?
After the close of the 2024 campaign, Pioli was out and on his way to Saudi Arabia and Lille manager Paulo Fonseca was on his way to Italy. He wouldn’t see 2025 in Milan. In a reign framed by internal dispute and strife, a fall out with Rafa Leao over his defensive contributions would lead to his ultimate departure.
Leao and Theo Hernandez were left out of the line up in late August against Lazio, with Milan trailing 2-1 in the second half both were introduced. However, shortly after scoring the equaliser Leao and Hernandez chose not to join the team huddle for tactical advice during a drinks break, instead opting to stay on the other side of the pitch, to the embarrassment of Fonseca and Milan.
Both parties tried to play it down, but the message was clear – we don’t respect the coach.
Still, a month later and facing the prospect of a record breaking seventh consecutive defeat to cross town rivals Inter, Milan finally showed up. A swashbuckling performance led by season’s silver lining Christian Pulisic drove the team on to a 2-1 victory which in truth could’ve been more. Milan were back. Or were they? Despite beating Lecce in their next outing, they were beaten by Fiorentina and Napoli in the coming matches and drew with Cagliari and Juventus.
It was an odd few weeks for Theo Hernandez who equalled Maldini’s record of 29 goals for a Milan defender, then followed it with a missed penalty and a red card against Fiorentina. Encapsulating the inconsistency that defined Milan’s season.
Fonseca’s short reign ended on 29th December 2024 after a rather tame 1-1 draw with Roma, another side who would change managers in the season. His replacement, Sergio Conceicao was appointed a day later and would take the team to Saudi Arabia and the Supercoppa campaign. Milan easily despatched Juventus and would face the old enemy Inter in the final.
By half time, it was business as usual and Inter led Milan 2-0, appearing to be heading for defeat. Conceicao sparked something other than a cigar at half time and Milan’s comeback was complete when Tammy Abraham smashed home a last minute winner to hand Conceicao a trophy before he’d even managed a league game. His famous dance moves in the dressing room would come back to haunt him later in the season though…
Theo would surpass Maldini’s goalscoring record with his 30th goal in a 2-1 win over Como in January. Corner turned by Milan then? Well, not quite, the popular Davide Calabria was stripped of the captaincy and loaned to Bologna prompting him to comment, “I will miss everything”.
Milan would spend the next few months lurching from one headline to another, inconsistency on the field was becoming the norm, while off the pitch turmoil gathered pace. The Curva Sud were vocal in their criticisms of the club’s American owner Gerry Cardinale and the board running the club.
During the 125th anniversary celebrations, chants of “Cardinale you have to sell” and “We are not Americans” were heard, banners were erected and directors had to use a secondary exit to escape.
Against Roma in Fonseca’s last game, the first ten minutes of the match was dedicated by the Curva to constant criticism of the owners and the manager, in January against Parma they did the opposite and stayed silent during the entire match. Then, in March in a match with Lazio, the ultras delayed their entry until the 15th minute and as they entered, they chanted insults against Cardinale and Conceicao.
This came to a head in the final game of the season with the famous choreography of the fans spelling the words “GO HOME”. The Curva Sud were quick to point out their issues, “Incapable directors, a club without ambition. You are not up to the level of our history. Players without desire and dignity, you are the mirror of this ownership.”
Conceicao managed to make it to the end of the season and not much further. He was dismissed on May 29th rather unceremoniously and has already been replaced with Massimiliano Allegri. Expectations are high for Allegri in his second spell, having won the league in 2011. He’ll need to do something quickly because morale is very low.
Allegri hasn’t spoken publicly yet, but there’s concern for the English players in the squad, Kyle Walker, Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all facing uncertain futures.
But was it all bad this season? Pulisic had a real breakout season, bagging 17 goals and 12 assists, Theo Hernandez became the highest scoring defender in Milan’s history and Tammy Abraham contributed 10 goals.
Milan stopped the rot against Inter, with three wins and two draws in various competitions including winning the Supercoppa against them and knocking them out of the Coppa Italia. A brief high point included the 3-2 comeback win at Parma scoring two goals after the 90th minute.
And let’s not forget the thrilling 3-1 win at the Bernabeu against the imperious Real Madrid. Morata, Reijnders and Thiaw with the goals on a night when Milan could’ve won by so many more. There’ll be none of that next season, with Milan finishing the Serie A season in 8th and not entering Europe at all. Napoli weren’t in Europe this season though, and the extra time on the training ground seemed to work for them.
So it’s not entirely a “banter era” for Milan, but Allegri needs to get it right to stop it becoming one. And quickly too…
The casual observer may have missed Scott McTominay’s deadline day move from Manchester United to Napoli, dismissed it as an average player joining a 6/10 team not expected to pull up any trees. What the hell happened then? Fast forward 9 months and the newly crowned Serie A Player of the Year was scoring a bicycle kick in the final game to win Napoli only their fourth ever title.
It was 12th goal of a stellar season which also included 6 assists in his 34 matches and it underlined his importance to Napoli and, perhaps more importantly, to Antonio Conte. A dynamic midfielder himself, he saw something in “McSauce” at Manchester United and knew it would set Napoli on their way to a title.
The numbers speak for themselves too, in the top 5 European leagues this season, he ranks in the top 10% of all midfielders for goals per 90 minutes. His non-penalty xG of 0.21 goals per 90 minutes puts him in the top 4% of European midfielders his average touches in the opposition area per match of 2.84 is in the top 10% of European midfielders.
So is this simply a case of a player not being great in a top league and excelling at a “lower” level? Well, anyone who watched the Europa League final would argue that the Premier League standard isn’t exactly among Europe’s elites at the moment. There is something to be said for the breath of fresh air that seems to be achieved by leaving Manchester United. Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and others have all experienced a renaissance outside of Old Trafford.
But there’s something else at play here… McTominay has taken on a more attacking role in Napoli’s midfield. Traditionally viewed as a box to box player, Conte has shifted McTominay into an advanced playmaker role, finding himself often between the attacking and midfield lines and exploiting the gaps that brings. Aerially he’s a threat too, Napoli’s other midfield players don’t carry the same physical presence of McTominay – making Napoli a handful on set pieces with Lukaku also involved.
“Scott has goals in his blood; he’s very good at making runs into the box.” Antonio Conte
It’s notable how much McTominay has been able to improve his pressing and his off the ball runs. Timing has significantly improved, yes Serie A is played at a slower pace than the Premier League, but Conte and McTominay have clearly worked hard to improve this part of his game.
This marked improvement and desire to get better has had a ripple effect on a squad who last season rather limply defended their title. The entire squad is clearly working harder, thinking more and getting the results that go with it. McTominay was emphatic when asked on Conte’s influence on him, “When a coach like that wants to bring you into the squad, it fills you with confidence. The conversations we’ve had are obviously between me and the coach, but all very positive and really demanding, which is really good for a player of my age.”
Conte wasn’t holding back when he spoke about McTominay either, “Scott has goals in his blood; he’s very good at making runs into the box. He has excellent technical qualities, as well as an important physical stature. And he’s strong in the air. In his DNA, he has quite a few goals.”
In fact, pundits in Italy have been falling over themselves to praise the Scottish contingent in Naples, especially McTominay. Paolo Di Canio was decisive when he said, “How can you sell Scott McTominay for £30 million and sign Ugarte for £50 million?”.
It’s hard to argue with Di Canio too, while United were labouring to a 15th place finish in the Premier League after losing the Europa League final, McTominay was enjoying the adulation of Neapolitans by swigging from a whiskey bottled thrown onto the team bus during the victory parade.
Naples is the birthplace of pizza, and I have a feeling it won’t be long before we start seeing the deep fried…
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