Serie A: 9 things we will see this season
The players strike is over and the much protracted kick off to the 2011-12 Italian Serie A season will happen this Friday in Milan as the champions take on Lazio in the curtain raising fixture. There have been a lot of sea changes in the league over the summer with several shocking player transfers, new managerial appointments and plenty of other happenings, which have made the wait for this new season a nail-biting one. As we gear up for an exciting season ahead of us, here are 10 things to expect from this 2011-12 Serie A season.
9. Italy’s terrible infrastructure: Juventus pointing the way forward?
Juventus Arena
Italy’s terrible football infrastructure is an oft discussed issue amongst commentators and pundits. The country’s stadium maintenance has seen a huge dip since the 1990’s and stadia have been crumbling all over. There has to be improvement in Italy’s infrastructure to attract fans, and a step towards that is the new Juventus Arena. The 100 million Euros project(the first such project out of red tape rampant Italy) has seen a tremendous response among fans, with a 50% increase in ticket prices, which is already higher than last year’s. Certainly a few teams can take a leaf from Old Lady’s new project, thus pointing the way to a radical makeover of Italy’s football infrastacture.
8. Strong showing in the Champions League
Known for their great pedigree in the Champions League, AC Milan have been under-performers in the competition in recent years, the one where they boasted of being specialists. Inter won the Champions League in 2010, breaking their long standing jinx in Europe, but looked completely out of sorts last season despite being the defending champions. With strong rebuilding done this summer, these two Milan rivals can hope to put up a good show in Europe. Napoli are back in Europe after the Maradona days and Walter Mazzarri faces a challenge in taking his team past the new challenge. They have a strong team with the likes of Cavani and Hamsik capable of wreaking havoc on opposition teams. Udinese were knocked out by Arsenal, but Napoli, Milan and Inter carry Italy’s hopes in their able hands and look to deliver.
7. The Totti-Enrique conundrum
The gladiatorial city of Rome is witnessing a different battle altogether, an internal battle between Francesco Totti and Luis Enrique at the club. Francesco Totti is a gladiator like figure for the Roma fans, one who is revered as a demi-god at the club. His current feud with new manager Enrique, who has been brought in to usher in a new era at the club, is not something good for Roma. Totti reportedly does not agree with Enrique’s methods, and the manager on the other hand does not want to start the ageing Totti regularly in games since he wants to give youth a chance. Come January and the mid-point of the season, will the Enrique revolution still be on or will the new manager be sacked due to pressure from Totti? Things at Roma are going to be interesting this season.
6. Inter and 3-4-3
The biggest discussion in Inter circles is the 3-4-3 tactic employed by new manager Gian Piero Gasperini. Based on a model which has 3 central defenders, this outdated tactic leaves the flanks exposed against teams with marauding full backs and wingers, as was evident in pre-season for the club. This system also has the club’s best player, Wesley Sneijder, playing in a position other than his natural one as the Dutchman will be called to play deeper in midfield as opposed to the ‘behind the striker in the hole’ role he played in to perfection during the treble winning season. There have been loud cries for Gasperini to change his system and use Inter’s more favoured system of a four man defence, but whether or not his loyalty to his methods will succeed is a puzzle that remains to be solved this season.
5. Napoli top dogs for silverware
Last season Napoli did what the legendary Diego Maradona had done for them two decades ago: Reaching the promised land of the Champions League. At one point last season, Napoli were in strong contention for the Scudetto, before they fell apart. Walter Mazzarri has added Gokhan Inler and Goran Pandev to his squad as he looks to take Napoli up a notch and fight for the title. The team’s biggest achievement this summer was in keeping hold of their manager and star players like Hamsik and Cavani, who were hot properties in the transfer market. Now that they have done that, Napoli can look to break the Milan dominance at the top of the Serie A.
4. Roma: Building of a new empire
Roma's godfather ??
A certain American project has been started in Roma as Thomas Di Benedetto has taken over the club, thus making Roma the first club in Serie A to have a foreign owner. The Roma supporters were a little apprehensive early on about a foreigner taking control, but this might be a boost for the club in several ways. First, Di Benedetto is all willing to continue the Roma tradition and is not looking to interfere in the footballing matters. Secondly, being an outsider, he will have an objective look at the ongoing internal politics at the club and not be swayed by traditional opinions. For instance, to him, Totti will be just another player in the club and he will not budge to the player’s demands to remove manager Enrique, should the situation arise, given the current feud between the player and manager.
Roma also have brought in fresh young talents like Bojan Krkic, Erik Lamela, Jose Angel, Martin Stekelenburg and a fantastic manager in Luis Enrique. They have certainly been the best club this summer in transfer dealings and the potential that the new look side oozes is immense. Will the Enrique revolution at Roma bear fruit? Let’s wait and watch.
3. Potential madness in the January transfer window
Bound for an Italian Job??
Several big name footballers have left the Serie A in recent years, Samuel Eto’o being the latest one, and there has not been an influx of big players back into the league recently. The January transfer window could be the time for this to materialise. Kaka, increasingly being marginalized at Real Madrid, could finally force a way back to Milan, thus completing a fairy tale return and giving life to a return story that has been floating for ages. Inter were linked with Carlos Tevez heavily this summer, but chose to go in for cheap replacements for Samuel Eto’o in Diego Forlan and Mauro Zarate. Should the replacements fail, Inter could well be willing to spend the tons of money they have made from the Eto’o deal in bringing in a world class striker like Tevez.
2. How long will Gasperini survive?
Brought in after Leonardo’s exit to PSG, Gasperini to Inter came as a shock to many, given that he has not managed any top club in his career and Inter is a big job. With Massimo Moratti known for his explosive trigger finger, Gasperini could be sacked soon if he does not deliver results. However, with a new look team and several youngsters coming in, Gasperini should be given time to build a good side and put his stamp on it. The Italian is certainly a credible manager, and how well he responds to a challenge as big as Inter is one of the most exciting things to look forward to this season.
1. A tight title race
Since the Calciopoli scandal broke out, the fight for the Scudetto has been one-sided with Inter winning it all, taking advantage of the sanctions to Juventus and the weakening of Milan. Last season though was markedly different and it signaled the end of the Calcipoli curse as the Scudetto was tightly contested between AC Milan, Inter and Napoli, a rarity in the Serie A for more than 5 years. This season too, the title race could go down to the wire with the top three vying for honours. Udinese, despite losing their star players like Sanchez, Inler and Zapata, have a great manager in Francesco Guidolin, while Juventus and Roma look to be on renaissance missions with new look sides that show plenty of promise.
Edited by Zico