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║ Serie A Season 2013-14 ║

Juventus

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'Astori to Napoli was a done deal'
The defender was ready to move to Naples according to the president of his current employers, before a sudden change of plan


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Montella commits future to Fiorentina
The club insist the coach's contract extension was agreed "a long time ago" despite speculation over his future this summer


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Barcelona rebuff Napoli & Inter's Montoya interest
The Spanish full-back has been targeted by the Serie A duo but his agent insists a stay with the Liga champions is almost certain


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Inter complete Taider deal
The Algeria international had caught the attention of a number of clubs with his fine performances, yet will continue his career at the Giuseppe Meazza side


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Ziegler leaves Juventus for Sassuolo
The Switzerland international has been farmed out on loan for the fourth time since his arrival in Turin in 2011


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Palacio backs Inter for Scudetto challenge
The Argentine believes his side have a good chance of mounting a title charge this season under new coach Walter Mazzarri


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El Shaarawy thrilled to end goal drought
The 20-year-old scored his first goal in competitive club games since February against PSV on Tuesday but was disappointed his side could not hold on to the win


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Inter quash Belfodil exit rumours
The Nerazzurri have denied reports the youngster could be sold to pave the way for new signings despite only joining the club last month


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Serious Balotelli good for Milan - Emanuelson
The Dutch winger is hoping the Italian's more focused attitude can help fire the club through to the Champions League group stages at the expense of PSV


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Roma jet in for Lamela talks with Tottenham
Football director Walter Sabatini arrives in London to discuss a €35m move for the Argentine as Spurs prepare to pay a similar fee for Brazilian target Willian


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Osvaldo plays down Balotelli comparisons
Saints' record signing has distanced himself away from suggestions he will follow in the footsteps of his international team-mate and become a Premier League bad boy


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Balotelli the best Serie A striker - Inzaghi
The AC Milan icon believes that there is nobody better than the 23-year-old in the Scudetto race, while praising PSG and Barcelona's strikeforces


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Klose lays out retirement plans
The striker looks set to stand down from international duties next year and said he would like to finish his playing career in Germany


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Unstoppable Pogba puts Marchisio's Juventus future at risk
The Italy star may have to get used to watching on from the sidelines as the Frenchman looks to take advantage of Il Principino's absence


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Isla agent denies ‘only Inter’ claims
The Chilean’s representative insists his client is not desperate to secure a move to San Siro and would be happy to stay at Juventus


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Inter only playing at '60 per cent' potential - Mazzarri
The Nerazzurri boss has called on his team to keep improving after their comfortable Coppa Italia win over Citadella on Sunday


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Juventus suffer Marchisio blow
The midfielder has suffered a "first-second degree tear" of his medial collateral ligament and will now be missing for over a month


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Galliani rules out Milan signings
The Rossoneri CEO is satisfied with the club's transfer activity so far and believes Italy will soon be overtaken by Portugal in the Uefa ranking


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Kingsley Boateng completes Catania loan
The striker joins the Rossazzurri on season-long deal, with the Sicilian club having an option to purchase a 50% stake in the player next summer


 

Juventus

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Galliani: Milan in talks over Honda
20 August 2013

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Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has revealed that the club are in discussions with CSKA Moscow over Keisuke Honda.

The 27-year-old's contract with the Russian club is set to expire in December, and they are believed to be keen on a sale in order to avoid losing his services on a free transfer.

Milan have been most strongly linked with the Japan international, though Galliani insists he cannot yet reveal details regarding a potential move.

"Honda? We are in constant contact with the Russian club," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "At the moment there is no news.

"But even if there was I couldn’t tell you because we are bound by secrecy with CSKA."

Honda has made 107 appearances in total for CSKA, scoring 26 goals.

The former VVV-Venlo attacking midfielder has also been capped on 46 occasions by his country.

 

Juventus

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Juventus issue hands-off warning to Pogba suitors


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Aug 21, 2013 1:21:00 PM

The likes of Arsenal have been linked with a bid for the French starlet but the Serie A champions will not entertain any offers

Juventus director general Giuseppe Marotta has issued a hands-off warning to clubs chasing Paul Pogba amid reports that the France international could be on the move this summer.

The likes of Arsenal and Real Madrid are rumoured to be interested in the former Manchester United man, but the Serie A champions have made it clear they have no intention of cashing in on the 20-year-old.

"Forget about Pogba," Marotta told Tuttosport.

"We do not have the slightest intention of listening to any offer which may arrive for our midfielder."

Pogba joined Juventus from Manchester United on a free transfer in the summer of 2012 and has since developed into an integral first-team player in Turin, making 37 appearances for the Bianconeri last season.

The midfielder, who captained France to Under-20 World Cup glory this summer, has a contract with Antonio Conte's side until the summer of 2016.

 

KangTao

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Italian transfer gossip: Napoli turn to Vermaelen

There are reports Napoli are targeting Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen after losing out on Davide Astori.

FootballItalia – Tue, Aug 21, 2013

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Thomas Vermaelen is happy at Arsenal (PA Photos)

The Partenopei had a deal worth €12m with Cagliari for Italy international Astori, but it suddenly collapsed this week.

According to Radio Kiss Kiss in Naples, their next target is 27-year-old Belgian Vermaelen.

He suffered from several injury problems last season and is not expected to be fit until late September after a stress fracture.

Nonetheless, he played 47 games in all competition for club and country, scoring one goal.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal would sell to Napoli, who so famously clashed with the Gunners on the transfer market for Gonzalo Higuain.

English media reports Liverpool have rejected a £10m Napoli offer for Martin Skrtel.

The defender was a target for Partenopei coach Rafa Benitez, who first brought him to Anfield five years ago.

According to the Daily Mirror, Liverpool have turned down the £10m proposal for the 28-year-old.

This is because his teammate Sebastian Coates is out injured for up to six months, so Skrtel is now required.

The Slovakian had also been linked with Manchester City and Zenit.

Liverpool have already done business with Napoli this summer, loaning them goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

With Keisuke Honda still unavailable, Milan are looking to Landon Donovan and Ajax’s Christian Eriksen.

The Rossoneri have an agreement with Honda to join as a free agent in January, but so far attempts to convince CSKA Moscow into an early sale have proved fruitless.

According to reports emerging from America, one of their ‘Plan B’ targets for this summer is LA Galaxy star Donovan.

It would be a return to Europe for the winger, who played for Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Everton.

Milan have a good rapport with LA Galaxy, having worked with them in the past to ‘share’ David Beckham during the season.

The other candidate is Ajax midfielder Eriksen, as Dutch newspaper Die Telegraaf claims there is a €10m offer on the table.

There is competition from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal for the 21-year-old.

It should be noted Milan would only bring in reinforcements if they qualify for the Champions League proper.

The first leg ended 1-1 away to PSV Eindhoven and they won’t know their fate until August 28.

Miralem Pjanic will not be the latest big name player to be leaving Roma this summer, says his agent.

The Giallorossi have already sold Marquinhos, while Pablo Daniel Osvaldo joined Southampton this week.

There is now talk that Erik Lamela and Pjanic may be on their way out, with Tottenham reportedly interested in both.

“Miralem is and will remain a Roma player,” Michele Gerbino informally told Centro Suono Sport. “He will not be sold this summer, absolutely not.”

The 23-year-old midfielder was signed by the Giallorossi in 2011 from French side Lyon for a fee in the region of €11m (£9.3m).

The versatile former Metz player has scored seven goals in 60 games, in all competitions, for the Stadio Olimpico outfit.

Gregory van der Wiel looks to have played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain, with Inter set to make a move for the defender.

Le Parisien claim that the Dutch full-back is at loggerheads with the Ligue 1 champions having been left out of the squad to face Ajaccio at the weekend.

The Netherlands international is apparently desperate to leave Laurent Blanc’s side and will look for a move to Italy or England.

Inter have been heavily linked with the 25-year-old and are in the midst of making enquiries, according to the French paper.

Bologna admit Alessandro Diamanti continues to be of interest to various sides, but they still intend to keep him.

The Italian international has been linked with Milan, Inter and Juventus over the last 12 months.

“Diamanti is liked by a lot of teams,” Bologna director general Roberto Zanzi told Radio CRC on Wednesday.

“He has an important dimension as a player, he’s an Italian international too.

“We made it clear to him that we wanted to keep him and he has given us a helping hand in that regard.

“He is an extraordinary player and it has been some years since we have had someone like him in a Bologna shirt.”

The attacking midfielder, 30, was signed by the Stadio Dall’Ara outfit in 2011 from Bologna. He has scored 17 goals in 69 games for the Rossoblu.

Adem Ljajic has still not signed a contract extension and Fiorentina director Sandro Mencucci admits “all theories are still possible.”

The striker’s current deal expires in June 2014 and the club made it clear he would not be allowed to hold on until he can leave on a free transfer.

Milan have seen a €9m offer rejected, while Atletico Madrid were also linked with the young Serbia international.

“We are close to the end of the transfer session and the conclusion of this saga,” general manager Mencucci told Radio Blu.

“All theories are still possible. Is Ljajic distracted by all this? That is also possible, but I am accustomed to thinking positive.”

It’s reported Duvan Zapata will undergo a Napoli medical after a €5m deal with Estudiantes and the all-clear from Sassuolo.

The Colombian striker has had a chaotic last couple of weeks, as he had agreed terms with QPR only for the English club to abandon the move due to work permit issues.

He then sealed a pre-contract agreement with Sassuolo, but Napoli also agreed a deal with Estudiantes thought to be worth €5m.

According to Sky Sport Italia this evening, Sassuolo have given the all-clear to tear up their agreement so Zapata can undergo his Napoli medical.

“We are very close to concluding the transfer, but there are still some details left,” Estudiantes President Enrique Lombardi told newspaper Diagonales.

“It is a difficult negotiation process directly with the club.”

Inter have officially loaned Diego Laxalt to Bologna as part of the Saphir Taider deal.

As expected, Bologna have agreed personal terms with the Uruguayan midfielder, who already started training with his new teammates on Tuesday.

Inter are now in a co-ownership deal for Taider, while Bologna have Laxalt on loan with an option to buy half his contract at the end of the season.

The news was confirmed by a statement on the official Bologna website.

It has been reported for several weeks that Juventus wing-back Paolo De Ceglie is close to Sunderland, but a deal is now imminent.

De Ceglie can play as a left-back or a wing-back, but has fallen behind in the Bianconeri pecking order and Paolo Di Canio wants to take advantage.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Sunderland’s interest in the 26-year-old has intensified in the last few hours.

De Ceglie made only 18 appearances last season for Juve in all competition, playing a total of 1,109 minutes of football.

He would be reunited with fellow Juve alumni Emanuele Giaccherini, who moved to Sunderland over the summer.

Like Giaccherini, De Ceglie is considered a utility player in Turin and would be available at a relatively low price in the region of £2.8m.
 

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Fiorentina resigned to losing Ljajic
The Serbian forward has been heavily linked with a move to a bigger club and the Viola have now accepted that he is likely to leave


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Leonardo hints at Inter return
The former Brazil international has stated that he would be open to a return to the Giuseppe Meazza side in the future following his departure from PSG


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Balotelli provokes racists, says Verona mayor
The local politician has accused the Italy international of riling up opposing fans with his behaviour and feels he doesn't do himself any favours


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Hamsik fully committed to Napoli - agent
Juraj Venglos insists the player is not unsettled by the recent overhaul at Stadio San Paolo and is already forming a strong partnership with Gonzalo Higuain


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De Ceglie rejects Sunderland move
The wing-back does not want to leave northern Italy, but Juventus are hopeful that the Black Cats will return with a better contract offer and complete the transfer


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Tevez hails Vucinic partnership
The strikers started alongside each other in Juventus' 4-0 Supercoppa Italiana win, though the Argentine hopes the duo can propel the team to Champions League glory


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Isla agent rules out Juventus exit
The Chilean has been linked with Inter over the summer but his representative says the Bianconeri are counting on him for the upcoming season


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Inter loan out Laxalt, Duncan & Mbaye
The Nerazzurri have parted company with three of their most promising young players on a temporary basis to let them gain valuable first team experience


 

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Higuain keen to emulate Maradona


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Aug 23, 2013 10:12:00 AM

The Argentina international is aiming to guide his new club to trophies rather than be remembered just for his individual performances

Gonzalo Higuain is keen to follow in the footsteps of Diego Maradona at Napoli and help the Serie A side to silverware.

The Argentina international joined Napoli from Real Madrid for a fee in the region of €40 million to fill the void left by Edinson Cavani's departure to Paris Saint-Germain, but is not too concerned with the Uruguayan's legacy and would rather emulate his compatriot.

"Cavani has gone away and will be remembered for all the goals he scored," Higuain told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I don't want to be remembered here just for scoring goals, though,but I want to get into the history of the just like Maradona. My only goal is to win."

The prolific striker then went on to discuss Napoli's title credentials and is confident they can challenge Juventus for the Scudetto.

"We must believe in the Scudetto. We are competitive and we can dream despite the league being very difficult.

"Juve have made clear their intentions clear by winning the Super Cup, while Milan are also in good shape. Overall, though, I am convinced that if we do things right, we can win."

Rafael Benitez's men get their Serie A campaign under way on Sunday when they host Bologna.

 

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Hellas Verona-AC Milan Preview: Minnows face Rossoneri on Serie A return


Massimiliano Allegri's side being their 2013-14 campaign with a trip to the Marc'Antonio Bentegodi fresh from a spirited draw with PSV in midweek


By Matthew Rogerson

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AC Milan will play their 4,000th competitive game when they face Verona in Serie A's opening game at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi on Saturday.

Massimiliano Allegri is likely to see this campaign as an opportunity to move on from what was a mixed season last time out.

After a poor start, which saw Milan win just one of their opening four games, Allegri was quickly under fire.

However, he eventually secured a place in the UEFA Champions League play-offs thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win in the final game against Siena to ensure they finished third.

Verona enjoyed a much more positive season as they finished second behind Sassuolo to secured promotion from Serie B.

Milan full-back Ignazio Abate believes their opponents will see the arrival of the 18-time Scudetto winners as a "dream".

Abate, who assisted Stephan El Shaarawy's header in Milan's 1-1 Champions League draw with PSV on Tuesday, told the club's official website: "We will have a big game on a difficult pitch.

"We expect it will be sold out in Verona, it has been their desire and dream so we need to watch out."

The 26-year-old also believes a boosted togetherness within the camp can help Milan improve on their third-place finish last season.

"We are an amazing group, it is an adjective that is taken for granted, but it is. We are very united and we get on well," he continued.

"Since last year the group has cemented itself a lot, and Massimiliano Allegri has squared the circle. It will be a long season, and there will be difficult moments where we will suffer.

"Our objectives are to remain attached to the top teams, then we'll see what happens in the last two months."

Allegri could have defender Mattia De Sciglio (knee) and Brazilian forward Robinho (thigh) available after injury, with both players returning to training after Tuesday's draw in Eindhoven.

While Milan come into the game having only managed a draw with PSV, Verona picked up a 1-0 win in the Coppa Italia over Palermo on Saturday thanks to a Luca Toni goal.

Andrea Mandorlini has since strengthened his side with the loan acquisition of Samuele Longo from Inter, with the 21-year-old anticipating a challenge this season - starting with a clash against his parent club's fierce rivals.

The 21-year-old told the club's official website: "(Verona) was one of the first teams to look for me and I immediately accepted the offer to come to Verona.

"It's a challenge that I'm ready to deal with, I cannot wait (to) start."

 

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Serie A Preview: Juventus, Napoli face tricky starts
23 August 2013

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Champions Juventus open the new Serie A season with a trip to one of only the three grounds they lost at in 2012-13.

Antonio Conte's side face Sampdoria at Stadio Luigi Ferraris - where they were beaten 3-2 on the final day of last season - on Saturday.

Juventus have made significant additions to their squad ahead of the new term, with Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente the stand-out names.

Both players will be hoping to open their accounts for their new club on the first day, while Manolo Gabbiadini is set to make his Sampdoria debut against his former side.

Napoli have also had a productive close-season as they attempt to close the gap on Juventus, having finished second in Serie A in 2012-13.

Rafael Benitez has replaced Walter Mazzarri in the hot-seat and he will have a host of new names available for Sunday's visit of Bologna.

Star striker Edinson Cavani may have left, but Benitez has added Pepe Reina, Gonzalo Higuain, Dries Mertens, Jose Maria Callejon and Raul Albiol to his squad.

However, they will have to be careful against a Bologna side that won twice at the Sao Paolo last season, scoring three goals on both occasions in the league and the Italian Cup.

Mazzarri left Naples to join Inter and he begins his tenure at San Siro at home to Genoa on Sunday.

Inter had a poor campaign under Andrea Stramaccioni last term, and the new coach is expected to make wholesale changes in order to make sure the club once again challenges at the top of the table.

Genoa have not beaten Inter since 1994, although they did pick up draws in both games last season.

Serie A new boys Verona, Livorno and Sassuolo all face tough trips on the opening weekend of the season.

Verona welcome Milan side off the back of Masimiliano Allegri's side's 1-1 draw with PSV in the UEFA Champions League play-off round on Tuesday.

New Roma coach Rudi Garcia takes charge of his first game in their visit to Livorno. The Frenchman has made 13 new signings in the close-season, including highly-rated Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman.

Sassuolo's first Serie A game in their 91-year history sees them travel to face Torino.

Head coach Eusebio Di Francesco guided the club to the Serie B title by three points last year, and he will be hoping they can cause an upset against a Torino side who struggled in the top flight last season.

Elsewhere, Cagliari face Atalanta, Lazio and Udinese go head-to-head at Stadio Olimpico and Vincenzo Montella's Fiorentina - who have signed the likes of Joaquin and Mario Gomez in the close-season - host Catania.

 

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Serie A season preview 2013-14

The annual exodus of players from Italy has been offset by a series of high-profile arrivals, promising an exciting campaign


Paolo Bandini
Friday 23 August 2013 10.00 BST

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Carlos Tevez, one of several high-profile names joining Serie A, was key in Juventus’ 4-0 win over Lazio in the Supercup. Photograph: Claudio Villa/Getty Images

It has become a dispiritingly familiar routine. The summer transfer window opens and a handful of Serie A's best players depart. Last year the league bade farewell to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi; in 2011 it lost Alexis Sánchez, Samuel Eto'o and Javier Pastore.

This summer's flight began in July, when Edinson Cavani, Stevan Jovetic and Marquinhos secured lucrative transfers abroad, and it may not be over. Roma's Erik Lamela is expected to join Tottenham Hotspur imminently, with the Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reporting on Thursday that only "agents' fees, payments and other details" remained to be agreed.

There was a time when such sales would have provoked serious soul-searching on the peninsula. Not so much these days. The Italian football community is well aware of its league's diminished standing within Europe. A Champions League berth has been lost to Germany, and there is a strong chance that Italy will fall behind Portugal in Uefa's coefficient rankings next season – even if only temporarily.

Supporters, furthermore, have always been willing to accept the sale of star players as long as they are adequately replaced. This summer's departures were offset by a number of high-profile arrivals.

"Look! The top players are coming back," exclaimed Gazzetta dello Sport's front-page headline on 25 July. Those words were accompanied by a photo of Gonzalo Higuaín making his way through Rome's Fiumicino airport, with a Napoli scarf around his neck. The Partenopei had agreed to pay €37m (£31m) plus bonuses to sign him from Real Madrid.

That was just the tip of the iceberg. Napoli earned €64m from Cavani's sale to Paris Saint-Germain, but the club's owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, declared afterwards that his team had a total of €124m to spend. Along with Higuaín, they have added Raúl Albiol and José Maria Calléjon from Madrid, as well as Pepe Reina from Liverpool and Dries Mertens from PSV, yet still have significant funds left over.

Fiorentina, meanwhile, acted pre-emptively, signing Mario Gómez from Bayern Munich for €16m before selling Jovetic to Manchester City for almost twice as much. Likewise, Roma had already landed their top summer target, the PSV midfielder Kevin Strootman, by the time they accepted PSG's remarkable €31m bid for Marquinhos.

Throw in the foreign acquisitions made by Juventus – signing Carlos Tevez from Manchester City and Fernando Llorente on a Bosman – and you can see how Gazzetta came to the conclusion that "the scales weigh in favour of the arrivals". Lamela's imminent departure may alter that assessment, but then so could any signings that Roma make with the proceeds.

Certainly it would appear that many supporters are enthused. Serie A has experienced steadily declining attendances for many years, but the early indications are that this season could buck that trend. Gazzetta reported on 15 August that 28,000 more season tickets had been sold across the league's 20 teams than at the corresponding point in 2012.

Fiorentina enjoyed the most significant rise, increasing their sales from 12,000 to 22,000 in the space of a year. It is not hard to understand why. Vincenzo Montella's team played some of the most optimistic and entertaining football anywhere in Europe last season, barely missing out on a Champions League spot on the final day of the campaign.

The signing of Gómez has captured fans' imaginations, with 25,000 of them showing up to his unveiling at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, but Fiorentina have strengthened in different areas besides attack.

Josip Ilicic, Joaquín and Juan Cuadrado give Montella a range of options behind the attack, while Massimo Ambrosini offers discipline and leadership in midfield. If Giuseppe Rossi, finally recovered from successive knee ligament injuries, can recapture anything of his past form, this could be quite some team.

On paper Fiorentina look capable of breaking into the top three, especially if Napoli should falter. Last season's runners-up will, after all, not only be adjusting to life without Cavani – the man who scored 40% of their league goals last term – but also to a whole new tactical system under Rafael Benítez.

The Spaniard was quick to abandon the three-man defence used by his predecessor Walter Mazzarri, a decision that will be heavily scrutinised. Christian Maggio, whose marauding runs from right wing-back have been a key component of Napoli's best performances in recent years, has often struggled when deployed in a back four with the Italian national team.

In the wake of Juventus' Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich last season, a good many pundits argued that the Italian champions would need to adjust to a four-man defence if they wished to go any further. Antonio Conte has thus far resisted those calls. Instead, the Juve manager brought in another central defender, Torino's Angelo Ogbonna, to alternate with his existing back three.

The Bianconeri played poorly in pre-season, winning only two of their six friendlies. One of those victories came via a penalty shootout, and the other was against Aygreville – a team from the sixth tier of Italian football. "When the president tells me to rearrange our season to win some friendlies, I'll do it," Conte shot back at a reporter questioning his methods. Ten days later, Juventus thrashed Lazio 4-0 in the Italian Supercup – their first competitive fixture of the campaign.

Tevez played a leading role, scoring his team's fourth and pulling Lazio apart with his movement. Llorente did not feature, and concern has been expressed over his apparent struggles in adapting to Conte's systems. Even without him, though, this team will be hard to stop – especially if Paul Pogba continues to perform at the level he showed in that game.

If any team is to challenge Juventus, it will most likely be Milan, who collected more points than anyone else in the second half of last season. The Rossoneri have lost Ambrosini since then but will have Nigel de Jong available once more following the achilles injury that ruined last season for him.

Up front, they can rely on "the most interesting man in the world". That is how Mario Balotelli was billed by Sports Illustrated this week, when he became the first European-based football player to appear on its cover. The Rossoneri will care less about their player's media profile and more about his goals; he scored 12 in 13 games for them last season.

Anxiety has been building over a possible renewal of the racist abuse directed at Balotelli last term. The player told Sports Illustrated that he will not walk off the pitch if it does occur, but only because he knows that the rules forbid him from doing so.

The league will attempt to discourage such chants by handing down more severe punishments for repeat offenders. Lazio have already been ordered to close the Stadio Olimpico's Curva Nord – home to the team's Ultras – for their opening league game against Udinese this Sunday after supporters were heard abusing Pogba during the Supercup.

On the pitch, Lazio's season has already been damaged by a six-month ban for their captain, Stefano Mauri, who was found guilty on two counts of failing to report a third party's attempts to fix a match. The club's most realistic target this season may be to retain a place in the Europa League, but even that will not be straightforward; Italy's falling coefficient has meant stiffer competition for places in all continental competitions.

Roma, despite the sales of Lamela and Pablo Osvaldo, are targeting a spot in Europe under their new manager, Rudi Garcia, and their potential midfield combination of Strootman, Daniele De Rossi and Michael Bradley could be very imposing indeed. Internazionale, meanwhile, are rebuilding under Mazzarri, but believe that the additions of Mauro Icardi and Ishak Belfodil up front, as well as Hugo Campagnaro at the back, can help to make them competitive sooner rather than later.

All of those three teams, however, could be usurped by Udinese – just as they were last season. Luis Muriel missed a significant part of the 2012-13 campaign due to injury, but struck up an electric partnership with Antonio Di Natale once he had returned.

There will be plenty of interest at the other end of the table, too. Sassuolo, playing in the top flight for the first time in their history, have already pulled off something of a coup by landing the highly-rated young striker Simone Zaza – who scored 18 goals for Ascoli in Serie B last season – on a co-ownership deal from Juventus. Livorno did likewise by loaning the Italy Under-21 goalkeeper Francesco Bardi from Inter.

Hellas's promotion, meanwhile, means that the Verona derby is back on the calendar for the first time since 2002. Given that both teams are among the favourites for relegation, it would be wise to enjoy these games while they last.

Elsewhere, the soap opera that surrounds Italian football will rumble on just as it always has. Managers will be fired, owners will bicker and Cagliari will continue to play their home games more than 500 miles away from their hometown. Because players come and players leave, but the show must always go on.

 
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Conte: Juventus are surely the favourites
Ahead of their opening game with Sampdoria, the Italian boss insists their back-to-back Scudetto wins make them the team to beat this season but has issued a warning to his side


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Napoli close in on Zapata signing
The Colombia striker is set to have a medical ahead of sealing his switch to Naples, as Rafa Benitez's rebuilding process shows no signs of slowing


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El Shaarawy back to his best, warns Allegri
The Italian coach says the striker is ready to reproduce his finest form this term after tailing off in the second half of last season


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Conte excited over new arrivals
The 44-year-old has been impressed with his latest acquisitions and expects them all to have a big impact this season


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AC Milan will always prevail, says Abate
The Italy international has hailed the strength of the San Siro side and added that they can challenge for the top positions again this term

 

Juventus

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Allegri: Balotelli is captain material

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By Craig Turnbull0
Aug 24, 2013 3:42:00 AM

Ahead of the opening Serie A clash with Verona, the AC Milan coach has backed the forward to be influential in the club's fortunes this season and hopes he scores 30 goals

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri says Mario Balotelli has the characteristics needed to be the club's next captain.

Balotelli, 23, is no stranger to controversy, with a number of alleged incidents over the last few seasons highlighting his 'bad-boy' image, such as setting off fireworks, training ground bust-ups and throwing darts at youth team members.

However, some of his Milan team-mates have noticed a difference in the striker since his move back to Italy in January, citing a maturity in his behaviour and Allegri believes that, with a little fine tuning, Balotelli can become a great leader for the club.

Speaking ahead of the Rossoneri's opening Serie A clash with Verona on Saturday, Allegri told the club's official website: "I hope he’ll score 30 goals but it’s better if the goals come from all the forwards.

"He can turn into one of the best players in the world but like all young players he still has to improve in certain aspects. He’s young to be captain but he has the quality to become one."

While there may be concerns raised about Balotelli's temperament, his strike rate in Italy cannot be questioned. Twelve goals in 13 Serie A appearances at the turn of the year helped fire Milan to third place, and Allegri is hoping the club can build on that achievement in the campaign ahead while looking for a quick start which eluded them last season.

"We’re the same team as last season. We got [Andrea] Poli but we lost [Giampaolo] Pazzini and [Riccardo] Saponara is not available," he continued.

"Juventus are favourites and Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina, Napoli and Inter are the teams we’re up against for the top three spots.

"We have the quality to improve on last season and we have to start better than we did."

 

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Serie A Preview: Inter v Genoa
24 August 2013

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Inter manager Walter Mazzarri will be hoping his new club can make a winning start to their Serie A campaign against Genoa on Sunday.

Mazzarri took over from Andrea Stramaccioni in May after Inter slumped to a disappointing ninth-place finish in Serie A last season.

The former Napoli boss has made wholesale changes since assuming control of the 18-time Italian champions, bringing in several new players as he aims to return Inter to the upper echelons of the table.

Inter enjoyed success in their first competitive game of the season, cruising past second-tier side Cittadella 4-0 in the Coppa Italia last Sunday, thanks in part to a double from forward Rodrigo Palacio.

However, they are likely to face a slightly more difficult challenge against Fabio Liverani's Genoa, who narrowly avoided relegation to Serie B last term.

Genoa have also recruited heavily in the transfer window to try and improve their fortunes this time around, signing right-back Sime Vrsaljko from Dinamo Zagreb as well as experienced centre-back Alessandro Gamberini on loan from Napoli.

Liverani will be hoping that his new charges can help Genoa go one better than last season, when they secured a 1-1 draw at San Siro, Esteban Cambiasso's late goal winning a point for the hosts after Ciro Immobile - who has since departed for Torino - had opened the scoring.

Inter historically have a strong record against Genoa, and are undefeated against the Liguria club in their last 15 matches in all competitions.

They will attempt to maintain that streak without striker Diego Milito (knee), who is still on the sidelines due to an injury sustained in the UEFA Europa League in February, while Walter Samuel (thigh), Cristian Chivu (foot) and Javier Zanetti (Achilles) are all unavailable.

Meanwhile, Genoa who will have to cope without suspended duo Giovanni Marchese - banned for three months for match-fixing offences - and Davide Biondini.

 

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Balotelli is a troublemaker who brings abuse on himself, says Verona mayor ahead of Serie A opener against Mario's Milan

By TERRY DALEY
PUBLISHED: 12:26 GMT, 23 August 2013 | UPDATED: 15:28 GMT, 23 August 2013

The mayor of Verona has said Italy striker Mario Balotelli brings abuse upon himself ahead of Hellas Verona’s Serie A opening game at home to AC Milan on Saturday. ‘Mario is a troublemaker. There are lots of black players (in Italy) and those who don’t wind up opposition fans don’t have any problems,’ Flavio Tosi, who represents the separatist Northern League party, told Radio Sportiva. ‘Balotelli is a formidable player... but he knows how to be irksome when he’s out on the pitch, and that exasperates people. He even managed to have issues with Chievo fans, who most certainly are not racist.’

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Booked: Balotelli is shown a yellow card during AC Milan's match with PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday


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Safety official: After almost setting his house on fire, Balotelli became the face of a fire safety campaign


However, Tosi appealed to Hellas fans not to abuse Milan’s black players and backed the closing of spectator sections or even whole stadiums should fans racially abuse players. Lazio and Roma will have to play matches with the hardcore fan sections of the Olympic Stadium in Rome closed after incidents of racist chanting. ‘If chants come from four idiotic individuals then it’s right to close the sector. If it’s the whole stadium at fault then it’s correct to close the entire ground,’ the Gazzetta Dello Sport quoted him as saying.

Tosi’s party has been embroiled in a series of racism scandals. He was the only Northern League politician to publicly apologise to Italy’s Minister for Integration Cecile Kyenge after Senate vice-president and fellow party member Roberto Calderoli said she looked like a orangutan.

Hellas Verona’s match with Milan will be their first in the top flight for 11 years after securing promotion from Serie B on the final day of last season.
Meanwhile, Lazio have failed to overturn a partial stadium closure issued for racist behaviour from fans.The north stand of the Stadio Olimpico will remain closed to supporters for Sunday's Serie A game against Udinese after a section of Lazio fans allegedly directed racist abuse at Juventus players during last weekend's Supercoppa Italiana.

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It's gone: Balotelli gave away his notorious camo Bentley to Milan team-mate Urby Emmanuelson who removed the paint


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Wind-up: Manchester United players react badly to Balotelli's celebrations


A statement published on the Italian Football Federation's official website confirmed the Federation's appeal court had rejected the club's appeal against the closure.A hardcore group of Biancocelesti fans this week broke its silence, insisting provocative boos and catcalls are targeted at all opposition players regardless of race, before offering to end the practice for the good of the club.Lazio responded by publishing a statement on their official website reading: 'Say no to racism!'

On the occasion of the first game of the season, Lazio will send out that strong and direct message to help reject any form of racism or discrimination.
'The fans can choose to have the slogan printed on their shirts that the Lazio players will wear against Udinese.'UEFA ordered Lazio to play two Europa League games behind closed doors in February following continued racist behaviour, which had seen the capital club fined 200,000 euros (£120,000) for offensive chanting in European matches against Tottenham and Maribor.Roma will also play one home game with the south stand of the Stadio Olimpico off limits to the public this season after racist chants were directed at Balotelli by Rossoneri fans at San Siro in May.

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Training ground problems: Balotelli got into scuffles at Carrington with former boss Roberto Mancini (above) and former team-mate Jerome Boateng (below)

 

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Serie A: Verona 2 Milan 1

25 August 2013

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Luca Toni scored twice as newly promoted Verona got their Serie A campaign off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory at home to Milan.

Andrea Poli struck first for the visitors, but two headers either side of half-time from the 36-year-old Toni handed Verona the points.

Andrea Mandorlini made three changes from the side that defeated Palermo in the Coppa Italia last weekend.

Romulo, Bosko Jankovic and Fabrizio Cacciatore all came in at the expense of Alessandro Agostini, Daniele Cacia and Jacopo Sala.

Massimiliano Allegri named four changes from the side that drew 1-1 with PSV Eindhoven in midweek.

Kevin Constant, Antonio Nocerino, M'Baye Niang and Poli all came in to the side in place of Kevin Prince-Boateng, Nigel De Jong, Urby Emanuelson and Sulley Muntari.

Riccardo Montolivo had the first effort of the game, firing just over from outside the box in the second minute.

Mario Balotelli then went close as he saw his shot well saved by Rafael low to his right.

Poli opened the scoring after 14 minutes, running on to Balotelli's pass before slotting past Rafael.

Balotelli continued to threaten for the visitors, as the striker saw a well-struck free-kick dip just too late to trouble the goalkeeper.

Verona's first effort on target came midway through the half as Raphael Martinho's volley from distance was comfortably held by Christian Abbiati.

But despite having failed to significantly test their visitors, the hosts drew level with 30 minutes on the clock.

Toni met a corner from the right with a thumping header beyond Abbiati from six yards.

The striker went close to giving his side the lead five minutes later, but this time the goalkeeper was down smartly to his right to parry the shot.

Toni was again on target as the half drew to a close, rising to meet Jankovic's cross, but his header lacked the power to seriously trouble Abbiati.

Jankovic went close to giving Verona the lead early in the second half, but his firm header from Martinho's free-kick was tipped over the bar.

They did not have to wait long, however, as a minute later Toni nodded them in front from Jankovic's perfectly weighted cross using the outside of his right boot.

Balotelli then had a close-range effort blocked after Philippe Mexes had made a mess of an attempted overhead kick when it looked simpler to head the ball towards goal.

As Milan pressed, Verona broke swiftly and Abbiati had to fly to his left to cut out Martinho's cross-shot in the 65th minute.

With the game entering its final stages, Balotelli tested Rafael with a curling effort from distance and Domenico Maietta was forced to clear over his own crossbar, but Milan could create no further chances as Verona held on for the win.

 

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Serie A: Sampdoria 0 Juventus 1
25 August 2013

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Carlos Tevez scored his first Juventus goal as the Serie A champions started their title defence with a 1-0 win at Sampdoria on Saturday.

The striker - who joined from Manchester City in the close-season - found the net just before the hour mark to give Juventus all three points at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Antonio Conte handed a league debut to Tevez, the Argentinian partnering Mirko Vucinic in the Juventus attack, while Paul Pogba started in midfield in the absence of Claudio Marchisio.

Juventus came close to taking the lead after just two minutes, Andrea Pirlo's superb long-range strike tipped over the bar by Brazilian goalkeeper Angelo Da Costa.

Sampdoria responded well, pressing Conte's men back into their own half, but they could not take advantage of that period of supremacy and almost fell behind when Da Costa produced another fine save as Kwadwo Asamoah met a Pirlo corner with a powerful diving header.

The visitors attacking quality was evident, and Sampdoria were again grateful for the reflexes of Da Costa as he denied Tevez his first goal in Italian football with a great stop at the near post.

Asamoah fired a swerving effort over the bar from the edge of the area seven minutes before the interval, but despite an array of chances Juventus were left frustrated as they failed to find a breakthrough before the interval.

Sampdoria looked to have deflated Juventus in the early stages of the second half, but after 57 minutes the visitors sprung back into life in spectacular fashion, Vucinic, Arturo Vidal and Pogba combining excellently in a wonderful team move, with the latter pulling back for Tevez to tap into an empty net with Da Costa stranded.

The hosts almost crafted an instant response, defender Andrea Costa converting from an inswinging free-kick only for the assistant referee to disallow the goal for offside.

Pogba, afforded too much time and space by Sampdoria, continued to exert his influence on the game, and he was heavily involved again as Juventus looked to close the game out, crossing for Stephan Lichtsteiner, only to see the Swiss head wide.

Juventus took their foot off the gas in the dying embers of the game, with Sampdoria lacking the ability to turn the deficit around.

The game ended on a sour note for the hosts, substitute Paolo Castellini sent-off for a lunging tackle on Lichtsteiner, the dismissal extinguishing any hope of a late comeback.

 

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Tevez ecstatic after 'perfect night'
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Sampdoria 0-1 Juventus: Tevez fires Bianconeri to opening day win
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Allegri: Milan should have played like 'lion' Toni
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Hellas Verona 2-1 AC Milan: Toni double seals huge shock
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Mazzarri: Genoa more important than Eto'o
Ahead of his side's opening clash against Genoa, the Nerazzurri coach has quelled rumours linking the Cameroon international with the club


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Buffon desperate for Champions League glory
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Juventus should sign Nani, says Lombardo
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Cambiasso: Inter must build own identity
The veteran midfielder freely admits that the Nerazzurri are starting from scratch again and that it is therefore imperative that they hit the ground running this season


 

Juventus

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Crowd injuries tarnish Serie A´s opening day

25 August 2013

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Crowd incidents in Genoa and Verona have marred the opening day of the Serie A season on Saturday.

Reports in the Italian press have claimed two Sampdoria fans suffered injuries before their match against Juventus, while Verona and Milan fans were pictured throwing seats at each other at the conclusion of their contest.

Despite police attempting to ensure there was no contact between the supporters pre-match, two Sampdoria fans were injured as they walked away from a group of Juventus supporters.

One of the Sampdoria fans was reportedly taken to hospital with minor injuries.

In Verona, trouble erupted moments after the final whistle of the home side's clash against Milan when both sets of supporters faced each other and threw seats over the barrier separating the sections.

Police were forced to intervene to disperse the fans involved in the incident.

The Serie A continues on Sunday with seven games headlined by Inter and Genoa, while Fiorentina will take on Catania on Monday.

 
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