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.
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.
It’s a well trodden path, Serie A to the Premier League. Some all time greats like Gianfranco Zola, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Pierluigi Casiraghi have made the trip to England from Italy. And this summer, three more players have already made moves from Southern to Northern Europe.
Diego Coppola left Hellas Verona for the sunny south coast of England, rocking up in Brighton (pun intended) for €11m on a 5 year deal. Brentford snapped up Michael Kayode from Fiorentina for €15m and Manchester City spent a whopping €55m on Tijjani Reijnders as part of their squad rebuild.
But what can the English fans expect from these three players?
Diego Coppola – Brighton
The 21 year old centre back is one of Italy’s brightest defensive prospects along with Kayode and Leoni. He played 34 games and contributed one goal for Hellas Verona last season as they had a perfectly average season.
Diego Coppola unveiled as a Brighton player
He stood out against much older and more experienced opponents though, with 2.09 tackles per game. He also managed 2.31 interceptions per game, like any good Italian centre back. This put him in the top 1% of Serie A defenders. He was also in the top 1% for aerial duels won with 3.94 per game, a key facet of the game for this “old fashioned” centre back.
Coppola fits the bill for what you think of when you think Italian defender. Great reading of the game, enabling him to make high amounts of interceptions. Strong in the air and disciplined in his positioning, he’ll add much needed strength to Brighton’s back line.
One area he can improve (and will need to at Brighton) is his ball playing. Coppola isn’t what you’d call a ball playing centre back. His composure under a press isn’t fantastic and playing out remains a key facet of Brighton’s game. He is, however, intelligent and adapting to play in Brighton’s back line won’t be difficult for him.
All in all, this is a solid signing and I expect one of the power 5 to pick him up in a few seasons time.
Michael Kayode – Brentford
One of Italy’s most prized future full backs has moved to West London and before long their manager was on his way to North London. Brentford are a club that do their homework and stick to one ethos, so I don’t anticipate there being an issue here.
He only appeared in the Conference League for Fiorentina and played 5 matches before moving on loan to Brentford, but the 20 year old impressed in them. What will he look like long term for Brentford? 80% passing accuracy and 50% crossing accuracy and making 11 interceptions across those 5 games paints a picture of a composed full back who’s always looking to start attacks and contribute across the half way line.
Energetic, calm, disciplined and reads the game well, he’s really highly rated in the Azzurri youth teams and it’s no secret as to why. One criticism that has been levelled at him is the speed of his decision making, but for a young man that will improve.
If he keeps his high energy and good whipped crosses going, he’ll become a fan favourite in no time at all. Expect to see him gradually introduced throughout the season but I reckon by next season he’s the starting right back at Brentford.
Tijjani Reijnders – Manchester City
Ok, you probably know all about him anyway. Or at least a bit about him. The 26 year old comes with a big reputation and an even bigger boots to fill replacing the outgoing Kevin de Bruyne.
After two years at Milan, it seemed a fairly emotional goodbye, but he’s in a good place in his career and I’m sure he’ll make the step up.
Tijjani Reijnders has already played in the Club World Cup for City
Last season Reijnders was the top scoring midfielder across Europe’s big 5 leagues with 15 goals in all competitions as well as another 5 assists. He maintained an 88% passing accuracy across the season the box to box number 8 made over 45 line breaking passes last season.
Intelligent positioning play, strong dribbling, accurate passing and long range shooting. He’s the perfect pre-packaged De Bruyne replacement. He’s even received praise for his engine from Frank Rijkaard – high praise indeed.
Breaking the lines and late arriving in the box will certainly see him fit like a glove into any Guardiola team but the faster tempo and tighter pressing of the Premier League will take some judgement. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out, some big players have gone to City and flopped completely…
The Club World Cup has provided a lot of talking points in the build up to the tournament. And a few more now the tournament is underway. Chief among them is, who does this actually benefit? From forklift drivers conceding ten goals to completely empty stadiums and matches played in blistering heat with exhausted players, the tournament is prompting discussions.
But there may be one man, or one club who can benefit greatly from these glorified exhibitions. Christian Chivu walked into Inter Milan this month hot on the heels of Simone Inzaghi’s swift exit after the Champions League Final humiliation. The UCL final was the latest in a line of Inter collapses as they went from quadruple to trophyless in a matter of weeks.
A tired looking team and pundits questioning pretty much everything about the team. Its age, its rigid formation, the full backs… In any other season, the players would be on holiday now and Chivu and his superiors would be guessing who was going where, what was happening with transfers, who would be able to step up from the younger groups. Instead, they have at least three games to check it out.
Sebastiano Esposito and Asllani starting last night, with de Lima and Sucic off the bench, was a nod to Chivu taking the opportunity to check out a few players. I would expect to see a much less experienced line up for the game against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds too.
Christian Chivu checks out what his players can offer
Chivu started off with the tried and trusted 3-5-2 that Inzaghi so fervently developed. At its best, Inzaghi’s Inter bewildered opponents with positional interchanges, overloads and energy. At its worst, the shape was too predictable, lacked defensive width and left an ageing squad struggling for their life in midfield.
However, what we saw last night was a little different. In the incredible Californian heat the first half saw an energetic press, quick one touch football and resulted in a lovely move that saw Lautaro equalise at the end of the first half.
Lautaro tries again
Asllani’s clipped ball over the top marked his improvement from a player who appeared more than a little lost in the closing months of last season. The Inter fan base will take a bit more convincing if he stays at the club, and he just might with Calhanoglu flirting with a move to Turkey.
The same problems that Inter struggled with last season began to show through at the end of the game and their predictability shone through. Lautaro’s offside goal was another lovely move and if the one touch football persists, Inter will get it right – they always manage to.
There’s a lack of real creativity in Inter’s midfield. Mkhitaryan is 36 years old and looks every day of it in the burning Pasadena sun. Barella is nowhere near the player he was a year ago, but is it any wonder? The Italian has been almost ever present for club and country for around 3 seasons now. He looks like he needs a long summer break.
Barella, in need of a break, toils in the sun
With a team with the highest average age in Serie A pace is always going to be a problem and with no Dumfries or Thuram in the line up it becomes stark that Inter will struggle in transitions. The final issue is the sheer profligacy in front of goal. Despite the aforementioned problems they face, Inter were by far the better team in this game and should’ve scored three or four goals quite easily.
That they didn’t harps back to games that ultimately cost them the Scudetto last season. Milan away in March being the most obvious example. The midfield problems they face is mostly nitpicking, they still created a lot, but they do need to get better at putting that ball in the back of the net.
The good news for Chivu is, he’s got a couple more games at least to make a full assessment of his squad and to begin to impress ideas upon them before the window opens and the squad takes a well earned break.
We English have a habit of laying claim things that aren’t ours. Like half the World at one point… But one thing we do have a pretty firm claim on is that we invented the beautiful game.
In the 1920s and 30s Benito Mussolini would have Italians believe that Calcio descended from Calcio Storico Fiorentino, the medieval football of Florence. This game was mostly played by noblemen (including Popes) and dates back to 1530 where it was first referenced in Piazza Santa Croce. The game combined elements of football, rugby, wrestling and street fighting, which I guess is where the great Italian defenders of the 70s and 80s were drawing inspritation.
Calcio Storico Fiorentino in the modern day
Benito Mussolini promoted the game as the “true origin” of Calcio in direct contrast to the foreign game of football. He used the game in fascist propaganda to reinforce the idea of Italy’s deep cultural and martial heritage, distancing itself from British influence. The game was even revived in the 1930s in Florence with choreographed pageantry to tie it in with Renaissance and Roman virtues.
But Calcio does owe a lot to British football, including one of its biggest clubs and one of the most iconic kits in the game.
James Richardson Spensley in Genoa
Dr James Richardson Spensley was an English physician and football enthusiast who worked on boats that came through the port in Genoa. During his time in Italy, Dr James would organise football matches with local dockers and as a result, is largely considered to be the first person to bring football to the masses in Italy.
James Richardson Spensley – Apparently…
By 1897 he had founded the Genoa Cricket and Football Club. Not only did he found the club, but he managed it, organised their games and was their goalkeeper. He helped to shape Genoa into the first dominant team of Italian football, winning the first championship in 1898, going on to win another 5 titles with him at the helm. He retired from playing when he was nearly 40 and would go on to manage the side for a few more years before his death in World War One at the Fortress of Mainz.
Had it not been for the four clubs in Turin founded by Edoardo Bosio then Dr James would’ve founded the first club in Italy. The two of them are rightly considered as the Grandfathers of Italian football.
Herbert Kilpin and the Milan cricket club
129 Mansfield Road in Nottingham is an unassuming terraced property that could be any other in England. However, on the 24th January 1870 at this property, a man was born who would go on to shape Italian – and World – football for years to come.
Herbert Kilpin was a lace maker who lived most of his life in Nottingham playing as a Midfielder and Defender for local part time teams. In 1891, he moved to Turin to work for Edoardo Bosio who was an Italian-Swiss textile merchant. Bosio had founded the first ever Italian side, Internazionale Torino, and Kilpin would represent the team in his time with Bosio.
In 1898, however, while living in Milan with Samuel Richard Davies, Kilpin would found AC Milan, then known as the Milan Cricket and Football Club. To this day Milan still uses the English spelling of the city’s name to pay homage to their founder.
He chose the famous red and black stripes after being quoted as saying, “We’re going to be a team of devils. Our colours will be red like fire and black to invoke fear in our opponents”.
Herbert Kilpin striking fear into his opponents in Red and Black
The first elected president of AC Milan was Alfred Edwards with Kilpin acting as player-manager. Milan were, unsurprisingly, immediately successful, winning the championship in 1901 in only their second season. Kilpin spent 9 years with the Milan side and won two more titles in 1906 and 1907.
Herbert Kilpin died in Milan in 1916 aged 46, apparently due to his smoking and drinking habits – another English trait. Little was known, or acknowledged, of his influence over Milan’s early history until the 1990s when Luigi La Rocca tracked down Kilpin’s grave in the Municipal Cemetary in Milan. In 1999 the club paid for a new tombstone acknowledging his role in Milan’s history and in 2010 he was moved into the Famedio in the main building where Milan’s most illustrious personalities are interred.
The Curva Sud pay homage to their founder
John Savage and the spare kits
Nottingham’s influence over Calcio doesn’t finish there though, a few years later in 1903 an Englishman John Savage would help one of Italy’s most iconic clubs gain their iconic kit design.
John Savage was a footballer who had played with Kilpin at Internazionale Torino before joining Juventus in 1900. He was the first foreign player to represent the Old Lady, who at the time wore pink shirts. Savage wasn’t impressed with the quality of them though and likened them to being similar to a “gang of war survivors”. Whatever that means.
He wrote a letter to Nottingham based tailoring company Shaw and Shrewsbury requesting new kits and nearly a month later received a spare set of Notts County kits, in the famous black and white stripes.
Juventus in their new colours alongside some of the old kits
At first, Juventus were not impressed with the change, Domenico Donna – a founder of Juventus – compared them to funeral attire. However, thanks to a remarkable upturn in form in the new kits, Donna labelled the kits as “a symbol of old fashioned Piedmontese elegance”.
Juventus would keep the Notts County kits and the retain the black and white to this day, the link remained so close that when Juventus opened their new stadium in September 2011, Notts County were invited over to play in the first ever game here.
John Savage would go on to referee the 1902 Italian Football Championship final between the other two English influenced clubs, AC Milan and Genoa.
More general influences
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) was inspired by the structure of the English FA when it was formed in 1898. Not much of a surprise given the English influence of the game in those early years, rules and club structures were based on the English game and most of the clubs were started as cricket and football clubs.
In fact, one of the Italian terms still used today, Il Mister, used to describe a coach is attributed to an affectionate term given to William Garbutt during his time managing Genoa between 1912-27. He won three championships with Genoa and introduced structured training and tactics to Italian football.
Inter and Roma are two clubs that have had English ownership stakes or partnerships in the past and Serie A was brought into British homes in the 90s thanks to James Richardson and his Sunday show Football Italia on Channel 4. That programme, in fact, was responsible for this Calcio fan’s own obsession!
Much like everything else though, England introduced the sport to Italy but Italy took it and ran with it, made it their own and subsequently has won 4 World Cups to England’s one. They even beat England in their own back yard in the Euro 2020 final after a penalty shootout to really assert their dominance over the English game.
While English domestic football has surpassed Italian domestic football for quality and finances, Calcio had some great days in the 80s and 90s and Italian clubs still have joy against Premier League teams in England.
England and Italy will always be inseparable for their love of the game and their passion for it, and we’ll always be linked thanks to those English pioneers back in the day.
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.
Ok you’ll have to bare with me on this one, because I only just about understand it myself. But there’s a “play out” happening tonight in Serie B. A play out, so much as I can figure out, is the same as a play off. But they don’t always happen. They only sometimes happen.
Welcome to another Calcio madness…
So the relegation from Serie B is settled by the bottom three going down. Sometimes it’s the bottom four though. But sometimes you can finish 5th bottom and be relegated. How? Well it depends how fair ahead of 4th bottom you finish. Still with me?
If you finish the Serie B campaign in 20th, 19th or 18th you’re down no matter what. Now normally the 17th place team will also be relegated. But there could also be a play out between the 17th and 16th place team as long as the gap between them is 4 points or fewer. So finishing 16th guarantees you safety as long as you finish 5 points ahead of 17th placed team.
But the season finished three weeks ago, so what’s been the hold up? We all saw the scenes of Sampdoria being relegated and the top class shithousing from Genoa supporters celebrating? How come they’re playing tonight.
Sampdoria were relegated to Serie C for the first time in their history. Or were they?
Well, it’s “simple” really. Sampdoria finished 18th, so were relegated. Salernitana were 17th and Frosinone were 16th, separated by a point and Brescia were 15th by dint of having better goal difference than Frosinone.
And then the news broke that broke hearts of Calcio fans of a certain vintage. Brescia had gone bust, they probably won’t be around anymore and their financial misfortune could cost them points. The FIGC acted swiftly and dished out a 4 point penalty at the end of the season.
That meant that Sampdoria have been briefly spared. Brescia took the 18th place after that and Sampdoria escaped automatic relegation to move into 17th. The biggest winners? Frosinone. They’re now not involved in the relegation picture at all.
The final table after the 4 point deduction to Brescia
Cue absolute legal pandemonium. Brescia are obviously challenging the ruling, Salernitana aren’t happy and Sampdoria are remaining suspiciously quiet. There’s suits and countersuits going on all over the place and beneath it all, Sampdoria take on Salernitana in the first leg tonight.
Sampdoria haven’t been spared some shenanigans from their city rivals Genoa though. The Genoa fans are determined to make sure Sampdoria play in front of an empty stadium and have taken advantage of Samp putting tickets on at €5 each to fill the ground. They’re purchasing up tickets in the name of Genoa legends past and present and plan to then leave the seats empty.
Whatever happens tonight and next week, it’s not a situation where the FIGC covered themselves in glory and it doesn’t reflect well on Italian football that these situations come up. But it can’t take away the excitement of two winner takes all games.
Keep your eyes on this one, even when the football is done, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of this relegation battle.
Italy’s second team in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup is Juventus. The Bianconeri players set off for Miami this week all decked out in some rather fantastic baseball style shirts – if you haven’t seen them, head to Juventus’ Instagram page now!
Will the Allianz Stadium become the trophy’s permanent home?
Like Inter, Juventus are coming to the tournament off the back of a trophy-less season although not straight off the back of a humiliating Champions League final. Juve qualified for the CWC thanks to their ranking of 8th in the UEFA’s 4 year ranking, despite not appearing in a Champions League final in that time.
Igor Tudor was appointed in late March and they only lost one game after that, qualifying for next years Champions League in 4th place – something that secured him the job for a further two years.
But you already know all this, you know all this about Juventus. What about their opponents? What do we know about the rest of Group F? Well, you’re in the right place, check out the lowdown below.
Manchester City
I’m not sure they need a lot of introduction. By far the favourites to win the group and one of the favourites for the entire tournament, City are the team everyone wanted to avoid. Hurt from a poor trophyless season themselves, they’ve been spending big – nearly €400m since January – and they’re refreshed and ready to go.
New arrivals Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki will add threat behind Erling Haaland. The 2023 Champions League winners are Juve’s last opponents in the group, which looks likely to be the decider for who tops the group and avoids a probable tie with Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
It’s hard to pick just one player to watch for Man City and there’s some obvious choices but I’m eager to see how they deal with the lack of Kevin de Bruyne after his move to Napoli. There are a number of players who could step into this role and the potential three man attacking midfield of Reijnders, Cherki and Marmoush should have more than enough skill and firepower to replace one man.
Tijjani Reijnders signed for Man City early to join them in America
Some of the lesser known younger talents at City have travelled and will certainly not be out of place based on their finish to the season with the likes of Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly flourishing late this campaign. City are widely expected to top this group and it’ll take a special performance from Juve in Orlando to stop that happening.
Al-Ain FC
Juve’s first opponents are the UAE’s most successful club. They are 14 time champions, 7 times cup winners and hold two AFC Champions Leagues. The Abu Dhabi based club won the competition in 2024 with star striker Soufiane Rahimi the top scorer and best player.
The forward has scored 5 times in 14 appearances for Morocco and is known for his clinical finishing, direct running and explosiveness in transition. The pacey striker is more than capable of causing problems for Gatti and co.
Soufiane Rahimi, or “Mr Clutch” is a threat to Juventus
Rahimi is nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” in the UAE media, given his propensity to turn up in the big matches, scoring 5 times in two matches against Al-Hilal in the 2024 AFC Champions League Semi Final. For comparisons in Europe, think Luis Diaz or Rafa Leao. If he’s not marked tightly, he has the potential to cause some real problems for Juventus.
Alongisde Rahimi, look out for Kodjo Laba, the forward has scored 20 goals in 21 games this season. Behind them, will be Kaku. Better known as Alejandro Romero, the Paraguay international is considered a set piece expert and has contributed to 15 goals this season.
Al-Ain have actually had a disappointing campaign this time out and despite coming into the tournament on the back of 4 wins in their last 6, they finished the season in 5th position – a whole 19 points behind eventual winners Shabab Al-Ahli.
Wydad AC
Much like Juventus this season, draws have cost Wydad dearly. Nearly half of their results were draws, with 12 stalemates in their 30 games in the Moroccan League. They did win 14 games, however, which meant they finished a strong 3rd postiion, despite being 16 points behind the champions.
Defensively sound, but with a lack of real firepower, they could be an Italian team and the 2022 African Champions League winners are here to prove a point. They are 22 times champions of Morocco and are even nicknamed the “Club of the Nation” because of their dominance in the country.
Expect veteran winger Nordin Amrabat to cause issues, the older brother of former Fiorentina player Sofyan, his big game experience will be key if Wydad don’t want to finish bottom of this group as is expected of them.
Wydad could be a dark horse in this tournament, Juventus won’t underestimate them.
The Italian theme continues with their defensive stalwart Amine Farhane. The 31 year old centre back is a no-nonsense, old school defender who relies on his positioning, strength and aerial dominance. Very Leonardo Bonucci.
Forward Mohamed Rayhi is going to be a headache for the likes of Alberto Costa or Savona. Playing off the left, the Dutchman is a direct forward who will constantly look to run in behind, especially when Wydad win the ball and transition to forward areas.
Look out for his quick release, he won’t dribble very often and he won’t hold the ball. He’s a limited dribbler who relies on time and space to receive the ball in positive areas, where he’ll then get snap shots away. The instinctive finisher can use both feet but is stronger off the left foot.
What Next?
Well, Juventus are expected to make it through the group stage fairly comfortably, but the battle for first with Man City will be key. The reason for this? Real Madrid. First place in Group G will get to play second place in Group H next and vice versa. When you see that Group H contains, Real Madrid, Al Hilal, CF Pachuca and RB Salzburg, you’ll understand the importance of winning Group G.
Topping the group will be key to avoid a meeting with Real Madrid in Round 2
With Real likely to top Group H, second in Group G provides a stern test very early in the tournament. If Juve were to top the group, it looks like it’ll be Al Hilal in Round 2 and a chance to take on old foe Simone Inzaghi, unless Pachuca or Salzburg can pull a surprise out of the bag.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess who’s in the Quarter Final, it could potentially mean a meeting with Inter which would certainly bring the CWC into the living rooms of everyone in Italy. Maybe it would even be 4-4 again…
Here it is then, finally, the long awaited part three to the Calcio weekender review! After two days in Bologna, it was time to actually spend a day there. With no travelling to be done for this match, there’s a bit of tourism writing here!
Bologna had never really ever occurred to me as a tourist destination. Sure you go to Milan, Rome, Sicily, Turin – but Bologna? Short of being the home of bolognese, I didn’t really know anything about it.
Well hold on to your hats folks, because it turns out it’s bloody beautiful. Not as hustly and bustly as some of the bigger cities I mentioned earlier, Bologna is chilled. A perfect place to spend a day sat outside cafes with a coffee watching the world go by.
Not that there’s nothing to do there. Isabelle and I left the apartment with a clear plan of our day after a quick Google. We had plans, we’d researched what we were going to do, so what could go wrong?
Well. It was Monday by now. Despite the fact I was off work, booked annual leave and wasn’t supposed to be contactable, I work in sales so I’m never really off the clock other than weekends or Christmas. And sure enough, I was awoken by the sound of my work mobile going off. A crisis for one of my customers that needed sorting.
Cue an entire morning of back and forth phone calls with the customer and my office, with Isabelle’s face increasingly more fuming as the minutes passed! Don’t get me wrong, being sat in my office dealing with the crisis wouldn’t have been anywhere near as nice as sitting in a cafe Piazza Maggiore dealing with it.
Crisis resolved, I was marched back to the apartment by Isabelle to deposit the work phone and focus on her and Bologna. That’s where I noticed I still had Andrea’s sons fan card from Parma a few days before. Surely not, what a ballache!
A quick phone call, and I had an address to send it to. But no stationary to send it with and no idea how to send it. I figured it must be easier to post in Italy than when I get home so Isabelle and I set off for the nearest Post Office.
Now if you think UK/US post offices are a nightmare, at least you speak the language. PostItalia in Bologna was at least air conditioned but that’s where the positives end. When my number was called I approached the desk and opened with my best, “Ciao, Inglese??”. To be met with a firm shake of the head. Well how the fuck are we going to do this?
Turns out there’s no phone signal or free WiFi in this particular branch so speaking into Google translate is out. No amount of gesturing to the fan card, then to the address on my screen was working. Shouting “SEND” or “POST” while doing it wasn’t working either.
Finally, the bloke in the next booth was done with his client and apparently spoke some English and came to help. It cost me roughly €5 all in for the envelope and postage and I swiftly sent the tracking number to Andrea and wished him all the best in receiving because who knows if it’s making it there!
Well, it’s time to enjoy our day in Bologna, surely. We head straight for Le Due Torre, a large tower sticking out of the ground made of the local red brick. Nowadays it sticks out like a sore thumb but apparently in Bologna’s heyday there were loads of these towers all over town.
Le Due Torre
As we arrive, there’s a notice on the door, it’s closed for renovations while we’re out of season. Of course it is. Now what? Back to Google. The Clock Tower is open, over in Piazza Maggiore. Looks like that’s the plan.
We head over and finally greeted with a bit of good luck. It’s open and tickets aren’t ridiculously priced. It’s a shame there’s no lift to the top, but Italy is a country with many old buildings so I didn’t really expect one. I’m not a man exactly built for lots of stairs but the Clock Tower breaks it up nicely with art exhibitions on each floor so it’s not just constant climbing. The views from the top are great, over Piazza Maggiore, the entire city and over to the hills outside of town.
Your guides in this journey
There’s just sight of the evening entertainment too, right over in the distance you can catch a glimpse of the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. Home of Bologna FC since 1927. Tonight Isabelle and I are finishing our Calcio epic at Bologna v Napoli, an exciting prospect in a Serie A season where Napoli are chasing down Inter (they eventually succeeded, spoiler alert) and Bologna are pushing hard for a return to the Champions League (they fell away late and didn’t make it).
First, we need some lunch and it was time to embrace a tradition for Isabelle and I. Some people also partake, some people think we’re mad to do it in Italy. But we always, wherever we visit across the World, always, have a McDonald’s one day for lunch. For those who don’t know, the menus in McDonald’s are wildly different all over the World so we always insist on seeing what each country offers that the UK doesn’t.
Sorry…
On this occasion, Italy didn’t really offer anything more exciting that being able to have a beer with my meal, my favourite thing about European McDonald’s. I went for a spicy chicken burger of some description while Isabelle went for her favourite food of all time, wings – something else unavailable in the UK.
Our afternoon was spent exploring the rest of the town fairly aimlessly, basically walking around flitting from bar to bar, it’s matchday and I’m English so obviously beer is required. It’s also always required when there’s a city with the ambience and weather of Bologna.
When I tell you this city is beautiful, there’s no lie, it is gorgeous. The architecture on nearly every building is unique and ornate. I’ve no doubt that if I headed out of the centre to the outskirts I’d see the normal high rise flats built in the 1970s, but I’ve rarely seen a city centre like this.
We stumbled across the Finestrella. A small canal running along a street in Bologna, and rather cheekily named “Little Venice” locally. It’s literally one canal so I’m not sure it can rival Venice, or even Milan’s Navigli area! There’s a small window in a wall that opens out onto the street, but there was an awful long queue of travel influencers queuing up to take videos of the window opening to a trending audio. If you head across the road there’s an equally good view which is below.
Finestrella
As we edged closer to match time, I decided we should get some dinner. Kick off was at 9pm so around 5pm I thought we should eat and begin our journey to the ground. The stadium is around a 30/40 minute walk and I had designs on pub crawling down there!
We ate at Sfoglia Rina on a few recommendations. There’s no reservations so expect to queue, but we weren’t waiting longer than ten minutes for a table. Sfoglia Rina all feature fresh pasta made on site and is a popular place with locals and tourists alike. There’s one large table in the middle where different groups can all sit together. Not really my thing, so we plumped for a small table for two on the outside.
Isabelle was keen to have a proper Bologna bolognese and went for the Taglietelle Bolognese Ragout, which was delicious and I had the Gramigna with Sausage Ragout. It was absolutely fantastic. A great meal to end our time in Italy.
Tasted better than it looked!
After the meal, we popped into the Celtic Druid Irish Pub around the corner, we’d been in a couple of times when returning from the other cities and I knew there was a lot of Bologna FC themed decoration and figured there’d be some fans in pre-match.
I wasn’t wrong and the atmosphere was lively. I love the way Italians talk so expressively and with their hands. Even though I don’t know what they’re saying, I can pick out footballer and team names, there’s so much discussion on the previous weekends Calcio going on here.
We have a couple of pints here and begin the long trek to the ground, stopping at a few pubs along the way. The amount of people on the street increases the closer we get and there’s a few livelier fan bars here. In one I’m immediately accused of being “Napolista” because I’m different to them. I refer him to the fact I’m English and show Isabelle’s scarf bought earlier at the club shop in the City Centre and I’m immediately bought a sambuca and welcomed. I’m not sure how many more sambucas I can take.
When we head to the ground it’s about half an hour before kick off, and this is a mistake. The beautiful old facade to the stadium is also the only entry point to that stand, which is where our tickets were. There’s only two gates and two long queues stretch in either direction and in a very Italian way there’s absolutely no organisation. The queue is carnage, absolute chaos. It’s anarchy. The Brit in me breaks out in a cold sweat.
The other uniquely Italian thing about the queue is across the road from it, it is easily the biggest moped parking area I’ve ever seen. It raises a smile in me, this is a unique country and I love it.
Italy…
We eventually get into the ground about 5 minutes before kick off and head to our seats and we’re confronted with another Italianism of football matches. Just because your ticket has a seat number on it, unless you get in early don’t expect to be able to sit there.
It’s every man for himself and we arrive to our seats to see them filled with Napoli fans. Again, in Italy it’s very common for away fans to sit in any area of a stadium and not just the allocated away section. You won’t find them in the ultras section obviously, but they’re generally accepted. If you’re watching your team as an away team in the home end, just don’t rub it in if you’re winning. You’re allowed to cheer the goals, but not excessively, then sit down and shut the fuck up is basically the rules.
Chaos reigns in the queue…
Even last year at the Milan derby I was sat with both Inter and Milan fans who were chatting about the game together.
Anyway, the section we’re in is crazy, the game is sold out so rather than go in the hunt for two seats together, we plonk ourselves down on the stairs with a few others and watch the first half. Napoli take the lead after 18 minutes through Anguissa. It’s a scrappy goal that started with some nice football and Anguissa going through 1v1. The goalkeepers attempt to close him down results in a messy “rounding” of the keeper by Anguissa who taps in as he’s falling over.
No one in a Napoli shirt cares how good or scrappy the goal is though, and they’re up. Flares are lit and the noise cranks up a level in the ground. Bologna aren’t in the game and they’re in danger of being overrun here. Napoli can smell blood after Inter’s draw on Saturday.
Napoli fans all over the ground celebrate taking the lead…
Half time comes and Isabelle and I have noticed a smattering of empty seats right down at the front, so we head there (via the bar). Down in position right in the front row, we strike up conversation with a half drunk guy next to us. He’s Scottish and travelling Italy watching football, and came to this game to see the obvious Scott McTominay, but also last season’s best midfielder winner Lewis Ferguson who turns out for Bologna.
As the second half gets underway Bologna have decided to play. They’re much more positive, much more decisive and much quicker. The Napoli section quietens down and the Bologna ultras step it up. They’re rewarded in the 64th minute when Dan Ndoye scores a quite audacious goal. Meeting a cross from the left he flicks it through his own legs with his heel, the ball rising to meet the underside of the bar and settle in the back of the net.
Dan Ndoye celebrates his equaliser…
They deserve the equaliser and there’s absolute pandemonium. Suddenly Conte’s team look happy with their point and there’s a ten minute spell where they look like they won’t get it. Eventually, the game settles back down and rather peters out in the final few minutes. Napoli have done a good job of killing the momentum Bologna were enjoying.
All told, the point is probably deserved. It’s not terrible for Napoli who saw Inter also drop points. And it kind of helps Inter out too. As we leave the ground with our new Scottish friend in tow, there’s a row of buses waiting and we hop straight on one heading for the City Centre.
We depart the bus outside the Celtic Druid pub and head in for a nightcap. The trip to Italy is coming to an end and tomorrow I’ll be hungover in an airport heading for home. It’s been three fantastic days and we haven’t seen one team win a game, witnessing three draws. I guess that’s almost appropriate for a country whose entire football identity is built on strong defence.
Writing these reviews of the long weekend have done nothing to quench my thirst to get back out to Italy and watch some more Calcio. I was over there 4 times last season and it wasn’t enough. As I mentioned back in part one, in my opinion Italy does food, beer, football (and women) better than anyone in the world and I think it comes from passion. Watch an Italian talk to another person and there’s passion oozing out of them, they apply the same to cooking, their football, to everything. Last week the fixtures for 2025/26 were released and I’m already planning trips.
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…
The Calcio Blog 