Genoa: Sleeping Giant finally wakes up

After a 12 year exodus from Serie A Genoa returned two seasons ago and played some steady football. Boriello was their star man with 19 goals in the league, but inevitably he was snapped up by AC Milan in last years mercato and perhaps some fans feared the worse for the port side. However, Genoa were a revelation last season. Two players who arrived last summer quite quietly, Diego Milito and Thiago Motta, proved to be two of the players of the season in Serie A last year. Milito contributed 24 goals whilst Motta the midfielder contributed 7, but the latter was a rock in midfield and instrumental especially in the Easter Saturday night win against Juventus. That was one of the highlights of a season packed with them, the others being the home opener win against AC Milan and of course the derby wins over rivals Sampdoria. It was a very special season that culminated in a 5th place finish. For most of the season they were pushing for a Champions League spot, but were they really good enough. I guess the answer at the moment is no, as they faltered in the crucial moments. The 2-0 defeat at home to Inter was dissapointing as despite them facing Italy's best side I had hoped they would step up and assert their quality, as teams like Palermo had done against the Benemata. Additionally the away defeat to Roma, 3-0, was perhaps a bitter pill to swallow at a time where again they were soundly beaten by a direct rival. Still, its easy for me to be critical, and really nobody would have predicted how brilliant this side would have played at the start of the season and I have to say as a Lazio fan this Genoa side provided me with much entertainment of the seasons duration, and no game moreso than the 3-3 draw with Fiorentina.


Genoa: The next chapter
Again its arguable they have lost their best assets. Milito and Motta have moved on to Inter Milan for £30 million, but the side is deeper this year. Palladino, Jankovic, Criscito, Olivera all had excellent seasons and will be joined by forwards Sergio Floccari, Hernan Crespo and former Siena winger Houssine Kharja. Also, they have acquired the services of the excellent Robert Acquafresca from Inter, but have loaned him out to Atalanta and this is probably a wise move as it will guarantee more football for him and in the long run a better all round player for Genoa.


What should they aim for next season
This is a difficult question to assess and with European football their to be played next season in the form of the Europa League. In that competition they certainly have the quality to go a long way, and aiming for the quarter finals at least should not be beyond them at all. Indeed a side that can beat Milan and Juve perhaps should aim far higher. As far as the league goes it is difficult to judge. I think that along with Napoli, Lazio, Palermo and Udinese they should be aiming at least for the Europa League although as Cagliari showed last season there will be suprises in this league.


THANKS FOR VOTING IN THE POLLS

Thanks guys for voting in the polls on the site, great to hear your views. Zlatan Ibrahimovic topped the poll for player of the year whilst Pato and Zarate each were tied in the youngplayer of the year award. Zlatan had an outstanding season and was consistent throughout with two magic goals against Bologna and in the last game against Atalanta. Pato and Zarate both had great seasons also. The former was arguably more consistent, and his goal against Fiorentina at home epitomised his class. Zarate did blow hot and cold, but when he was hot the opposition were usually roasted. He usually also stepped up when it mattered with magical goals against Roma in the derby and against Juventus in the Coppa Italia final. Lets not forget it was his first Serie A season and I think we can expect more from him next season, perhaps much closer to 20 goals compared to his 13 league strikes this campaign and more of his magical footwork.

Mercato round up: The week that was June 27th

The rumour mill has been churning into overload once again this week without many deals actually going through. The planned buyout of Roma has hit the rocks again which will disappoint their tifosi who want to see a team capable of challenging the dominance of the Turin and Milan teams. City and great rivals Lazio have continued their steps towards greatness once more. Mauro Zarate has been permanently added to the squad and is now joined by Portuguese International winger Eliseu Pereira who transferred from Malaga after Lazio activated his low buyout clause. This looks like a really good signing for the Aquilotti, a player with great pace, technique and a quality shot. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to Serie A, who knows we may be talking about him in the same class that Felipe Melo is now regarded in after his low key transfer from Almeria to Fiorentina last summer. One to watch for sure.

Check out Eliseu here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN9a273LvaQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GQNIReX07c


Elsewhere in the world of mercato
Thiago Motta and Diego Milito have finally put pen to paper to sign for Inter Milan, and it would now appear that Maicon and big Ibrahimovic are destined to stay at the benemata. Across the city ay AC Milan, the rumours keep coming about about the continued saga over Cissokho, Dzenko, Adebayor, Mertesacker and now Brazil and Sevilla forward Luis Fabiano but nothing concrete seems to have emerged. Frankly, Milan should have done something by now if only to appease the fans. Galliani stated yesturday that they are targeting top three in Serie A and a deep run in the Champions League. Thats not what their fans want to here, and a club like AC Milan should always aim to win. To me it looks like its time for Berlusconi to sell for a owner that wants to take Milan to the top again. Meanwhile over in Turin Juve are being linked to a lot of names. D'Agostino, Rossi, Diarra and Santacroce have been linked to a move to the Turin giants and it is likely that some of those names will be in black and white next season.

Palermo: Established, what next?

Palermo have been in Serie A now for five years now as they returned to the league from Serie B in 2004. They have done well in recent years, briefly challenging at the top for the first ten weeks or so in the 2006/2007 season and indeed were top for a while, eventually finishing 5th. Last season was a slight anti climax when they finished 11th and had to sell top player Amauri to Juve but this in effect lead to the discovery of the perhaps already superior Edison Cavani. Indeed, it has been a much improved season for Palermo. The forward line of Cavani and Miccoli is leathal and lead to a fantastic home record of 14 wins, 1 draw and just 4 defeats. Nobody in Serie A won more than them at home, with Inter, Fiorentina and Milan, three sides playing in the Champions League next season, only managing to equal that impressive feat. Unfortunately for Palermo though, they could not carry this form onto the road with just three away wins registered during the season. Indeed, if they could have just won three more games on the road they would have achieved European football in the form of the Europa League instead of just missing out in 8th place.

Still, the season for them cannot be considered a disappointment. There is no getting away from the fact that Serie A is getting far more competitive each year with now a number of teams targeting Europa League places. Genoa, Lazio, Napoli, Sampdoria, Udinese and Palermo themselves all fall into this category and it does not include the five teams looking for Champions League football. All in all then 8th place is a credit to them, and its an position that included a fantastic win at home to Milan, 3-1, and a breathtaking fightback against Inter at the San Siro when they were 2-0 down to draw eventually 2-2. This season has also seen the discovery of Simon Kjaer and the development of Edison Cavani. Both players are fantastic prospects, and the latter has been playing brilliantly without the plaudits that Pato, Zarate and Balotelli have received on a weekly basis.


The Future for Palermo

I personally think the future is bright. Maurizio Zamparini has ambitious plans for the club, with Stadium plans in the offing. Factor into that the steady progress of the team then their fans, providing they hold onto their key assets and add players, can look forward to challenging for the Europa League places. Again they will likely depend on a strong home record as new manager Walter Zenga made this a priority with previous club Catania. However, make no mistake it will be tought for them with several high profile sides, Napoli Lazio and Sampdoria in particular, looking to bounce back after disappointing league campaigns. Still, good luck to them.

Next on all things Calcio: Lazio, Genoa and Cagliari season review and mercato updates

Sampdoria: Up or Down for the Genoa side

After a great season in 2007/2008 in Serie A, Sampdoria got left behind this season. A quiet mercato last year did them little favours as they failed to repeat their 6th place finish and instead fell to 13th. It was perhaps always unlikely that they would do that, but to slip outside the top ten must be slightly dissapointing for the Doria faithful. Much of this was down to a dismal start to the season. They did improve as the campaign progressed as registered great wins over Milan, Sevilla and Inter in the Coppa Italia. Indeed, they played a great final match against Lazio in what was effect an away match at the Stadio Olimpico. As a Lazio fan the win gave me much joy, but I acknowledge the part Sampdoria played in the final, and the competition as a whole.

Positives for Sampdoria

The main positive is that they now have one of the best forward lines in Italy as a whole. Pazzini and Cassano have been outstanding. Pazzini has finally been given the opportunity to showcase his emense talents. Frozen out at Fiorentina, he seized the chance to play for a weaker side in Sampdoria, and has made his partnership with Cassano one of the most lethal and entertaining to watch in Italy, if not Europe. Additionally, the emergence of Guido Marilungo has given Doria fans more to shout about and his goals in the latter part of last season will perhaps give manager Del Neri the headache of factoring him into the team. The negatives is that the midfield perhaps could do with some additional creativity. Daniel Dessena has begun to show the promise that he carries and at the tender age of 22 could build on the 25 games and quality he showed this season. No doubt Angelo Palombo carries the midfield with his grit and determination, but generally it has not been enough when playing the other sides competing for Europa league and Champions league places, as their double derby defeats confirmed.

What to expect next season

So long as they start well and build upon what they have, then they should finish inside the top ten. That being said it will not be easy, Palermo, Genoa, Lazio and Udinese will be looking for Europa League football whilst Cagliari have shown they are a quality side. Napoli also are responding from a dissapointing season. Still, if Pazzini and Cassano keep firing in the goals then they have every chance, providing of course the latter stays.


Next on all things calcio: Palermo season review, Lazio season review, Genoa season review

Napoli mercato revolution

Two seasons have passed since Napoli returned to Serie A and if I were a fan of the Azzurri then I would be quite satisfied with the progress the club has made. The season just passed was one of anti climax for them in many ways. They started the season in strong fashion and looked virtually unbeatable at home, but it all really went down him after the 3-0 bashing in the derby del sud against Roma. 60,000 packed the stadium that day and witnessed a mauling against Roma. After, Napoli just could not win at all. Loosing at home all to frequently and beaten easily on the road. Lavezzi and Hamsik didn't quite have the impact that they did last season at Napoli, while hitmen like Zalayeta and Denis didn't score the amount of goals that was expected of them. Donadoni came in the rescue Napoli from total free fall and in many respects he did his job, which was perhaps more difficult than at least I initially thought. A stunning win over Inter gave hope to the Napoli faithful, but after they continued to struggle and finished the season on a whim really. But, it was a second consecutive season in Serie A and they comfortably avoided relegation. This in itself should be considered progress when you consider it was not so long ago they were in Serie C.


Napoli: The future

The future of Napoli does however look even brighter. Already they have signed promising Italy forward Fabio Quagliarella to partner Lavezzi upfront and have expressed desires to sign Lazio forward Goran Pandev and Sampdoria fantasita Antonio Cassano. Also, reports confirmed that Napoli have had turned down by Sampdoria a bid of 17 million euros for Giampaolo Pazzini, who in my view would have been the perfect foil for Lavezzi and Quagliarella. Sevilla goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis is apparently also on the way. A few more signings would make Napoli a very competitive outfit targeting the top seven for the European places. Indeed they would join a very competitive group of clubs. Whilst Juve, Inter, Milan and perhaps Roma and Fiorentina will battle for the Scudetto, Napoli with a squad like this would not need to feel inferior to the likes of Lazio, Genoa, Palermo and Udinese and should along with these sides battle it out for Europa league activity. That being said, who would have believed Genoa would have almost made the champions league last season. This shows the strength in depth Serie A has between the 4-12 placings in the league and it will make for one hell of an interesting season once again.

Next on all things Calcio: Mercato round up and Sampdoria season and mercato review

FIORENTINA: Where to next for the viola?

The club with perhaps the coolest shirts in Serie A have had another solid season and have, in my view at least, finally got back to the level that they were showing before financial ruin in 2002. It must have been a hard pill to swallow for the Viola faitful when they were renamed Florentia Viola especially after a decent period during the 90s where they were reguarly in contention for the title, won two Coppa Italia's, saw countless epical goals from Batistuta and beat both Manchester United and Arsenal in the Champions League.

Still, the season just passed was a pretty decent one for them. 4th again in the League, some great performances including the 4-1 rout of Roma, and the discovery of Stefan Jovetic suggests a positive future for the Viola. But just how positive? Its a well know fact that Prandelli dreams of a Scudetto in Florence, but with the demands of the Champions League and Coppa Italia tournaments as well is this a realistic demand. Currently it is not. They were not consistent enough for me last season, and need a few more additions before they can consider themselves Challengers at all. Take into consideration that Serie A will be much harder next year with Inter, a revamped Milan and a reborn Juventus, as well as a Champions League deprived Roma and developing sides in Lazio, Genoa and Napoli, then Fiorentina need to act fast.


What do they need to do?

No doubt about it, they must keep Felipe Melo. Wanted all across Europe, and for good reason, the Brazilian International has had an excellent season in Serie A demonstrating a great all round game from defence to attack. What Fiorentina should be able to rely upon is the continued development of Kuzmanovic and Montolivo and of course the 19 year old revelation Stefan Jovetic who certainly looks like one for the future.

Fiorentina do however need a quality centre back to partner Italian International Gamberini and perhaps also a quality right back as well. Nicolas Burdisso is know to be on his way out of the San Siro and his Champions League and International experience could add to the quality of the Fiorentina side. Additionally, Bayerns Massimo Oddo is looking to reignite his career and could also help out. Another forward is need also, perhaps Lucarelli or Julio Cruz could perform off the bench whilst also getting the opportunity to play in the Champions League.

Additions like this would add great depth to this Fiorentina side and perhaps could end a drought of seven years without a trophy in some shape or form.

Mercato watch: Inter Milan

The current champions of Italy have had a relatively quite start to the mercato by their exorbitant standards. Inter have often been the third side in Italy, behind Juve and Milan, and in the past this forced them to spend large amounts on players, usually forwards, like Ronaldo, Vieri, Crespo and the list goes on. So far though Serie A tried and tested players, Motta and Milito, have arrived giving extra depth. Indeed, the forward line looks very potent with Ibrahimovich and Balotelli now joined by the excellent Milito. Expect another striker to arrive though, as Cruz, Crespo and Obinna are likely to be shown the door.

One area where Inter do need to pay attention to is the midfield. They need a playmaker. Cambiasso and Muntari have shown how good they are in their respective positions this season, but Inter are in desperate need of a player who can run the game from the midfield. Someone like David Silva or Franck Ribery would be able to add an extra dimension to the attacking elements of Inter Milan. Deco has been linked to Inter, along with club mate defender Richardo Carvalho, but he alone would not take Inter to the next level. This really is a crucial area for Inter to address as creativity from deep as it were has been critical for the last three winners of the Champions League in Milan, Man Utd, and Barcelona. Make no mistake, it will be important next year as well for teams that want to go deep in Europe.

Inter will therefore will need to take action this summer. Juve have re-enforced very well with Diego and Cannavaro, and with Guiseppe Rossi, Diarra and D'Agostino linked also to Turin Juve it would seem have no intention of slowing down. Milan also have begun their mercato and look set to add Wolfsberg's Dzenko in the coming days, and perhaps Eto'o also. Real Madrid though could be one team to look for with regards a bargin. They want by some reports to raise cash for more high end purcases as have put the likes or Robben up for sale. Although injury prone the dutchman could help Inter solve their overreliance on Ibra as he had a great season for Real recently. One thing is for sure though, it will be a fascinating championship next season.

Lazio Appoint Ballardini

Lazio have appointed Davide Ballardini as their new manager as the club look to build upon their Coppa Italia win and Europa League qualification. 10th in the League last season was regarded as a dissapointment for a club that took the Scudetto in 2000 and was consistently in the top 6 of Italian football during the 90s and up to 2004. After that financial ruin gripped the club and the star players departed left right and centre. But, depsite 10th being regarded as a dissapointment there were promising displays to be seen in the capital over the last three years under the rein of Delio Rossi. Champions League qualification from the 2006/2007 season, a third place Serie A finish and a Coppa Italia win, not to mention three home derby wins, make Rossi a hard act to follow. However, with more money appearing to be in the club now Ballardini will have the opportunity to surpass this, and hopefully he will do so by winning the Europa League next season.

Elsewhere in Serie A, Benzema again appears to be on the Inter Milan radar whilst Alberto Gilardino looks set to start up front for Italy tonight against the USA where anything but a win will be regarded as a total disaster. Gilardino has been in great form all year long and will need a strong tournament to establish himself amongst the best strikers in the world. 19 goals in Serie A is a very good return but he is still an unknown quantity for many. His time at Milan was not great for him, despite 17, 12 and 7 goals in his three seasons there. At last though, he looks like he is recapturing his form that he last showed at Parma.

Milan sign Cissokho from Porto

Milan have officially signed promising wing back Aly Cissokho from FC Porto for a reported £13 million, who along with Thiago silva will re-invigorate an ageing backline. Zambrotta, Nesta, Silva and now Cissokho complete a very good back line, on paper at least, that Milan fans can have a lot more confidence in. Indeed, the average age of the side would have been brought down a little further with this deal as the side is beginning to have a fresh look about it, especially with young Pato up front. The forward line is likely to be the next area of attention for Milan, with Benzema or Edin Dzenko rumoured to be the likely target. Lyon's Benzema would be some coup and it is possible given the funds that the Milan giants have got at the moment. As well as the Kaka sale, let us not forget that they recieved £15 for Gourcuff. There is still some work to be done though, Hernanes from Sao Paolo is another target as Milan look to fill the hole Kaka left.

Calcio Mercato Roundup

The rumour mill has kept churning all week long without many transfers actually resulting from the rumours in an Italian context. The world transfer record has been broken again by ridiculous proportions as Christiano Ronaldo has moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid as Los Blancos quest for world domination has hit full throttle.

However, it has by no means been a quite week in Italy. Promising player Housinne Kharja has moved from Siena to Genoa as the port side continue to beef up their squad, and he joins Crespo, Aquafresca and Sergio Floccari. Kharja has been impressive all season long and looks destined to have success again next season. Catania goalkeeper Albano Bizzari has moved to Lazio, in what looks like the beginning of the end for Argentine number 1 Juan Pablo Carizzo who has been linked to Athletico Madrid.

Rumour mill rumoured deals

The rumour mill, as mentioned above, has kept churning though despite few deals actually going through in recent days. Pato now would appear to be staying at Milan, as would Ibrahimovic at Inter as the deal with Barca has appeared to have fallen through, unless Real sneek in of course. The deal for Edin Dzenko for Milan has stalled, as has Juve's deal for D'Agostino.


Whos been linked to Italy
Both Deco and Karim Benzema have been linked with a move to Inter, and the latter has also been linked to AC Milan. Sao Paolo star Hernanes has also been linked to both Milan clubs, but this transfer could be difficult as the Brazilian club may try to milk the situation for all it is worth. Guiseppe Rossi has also called for a move back to Serie A from La Liga to Juventus as their positive mercato continues.


The Lavezzi issue
One player who has been very active this mercato is Napoli's Ezequiel Lavezzi although for all the wrong reasons. Constantly appearing to want away he then backtracked, but the owners have refused, so far, to meet his pay demands even insisting that he should rot in the reserves. Lets see what happens here.

Ciao for now

Who do you think will be best for your club? let me know below.

Kaka sold: Where to from here for Milan?

KAKA SOLD

So finally the saga is over. Kaka has been sold to Real Madrid for a reported £59 million pounds. Despite wishing to stay with Milan, his words, he has departed Milan. He joins a Madrid side that need desperate rebuilding after a dreadful season, although rebuilding looks exactly like what Real fans will get after David Villa is now on the verge of joining. But forget about Real, what about Milan. Where do they go from here.

Milan: Their next steps
All in all while it is sad to see Kaka go, they money received can be used to reinvigorate an ageing side. One thing that is for certain though is that no other stars can be sold. Pato, Pirlo, Ronaldinho, Gattuso, Boriello, Antonini and Flamini must stay as they will be the crux of the new side. Thiago Silva, the Brazilian international has already arrived and will complement Nesta in the central of defence. Others, Zambrotta, Jankulovski and Seedorf while getting older are stil quality players and would complement any top side.

So, there is still great quality in Milan. But there are also a lot of players who frankly should move on. Favalli, Dida, Shevchenko, even perhaps Ambrosini and Kaladze should be sold to create a bit more transfer capital that can be used to buy a couple of very good players.

What do Milan need?

Undoubtably, they need a central defender and a left back to start off with. Inter Milan's Maxwell has already been heavily linked with the Rossoneri and he would represent both good value for money and quality. At 27 years old he would breath new life into the Milan side. Roma's Mexes has also been linked with Milan, and what with Roma striving to creat transfer funds this a move like this could help both sides.

Milan are also in dire need of a centre forward. Inzaghi cannot keep going like this for more than two more seasons, and he would still be a useful bench option. Already they have been linked to Eden Dzenko, the wolfsberg striker who set the Bundesliga alight this season. A good player undoubtably, and would play well alongside Boriello and Pato, who must stay. But perhaps someone like Samuel Eto'o would be the better buy. Barcelona are looking to sell him rather than loose him to Article 17 next year and Eto'o would represent the sort of star quality that Milan deserve.

Milan though also need to replace Kaka. Although that would appear impossible, midfield creativity is a must. David Silva or Frank Ribery would represent this, or perhaps Milan will look back to Brazil for fresh talent.


How Milan may look next season

4:3:1:2 formation

GK: Abbiati / FREY
RB: Zambrotta
CB: MEXES
CB: Silva / Nesta
CB: MAXWELL
RCM: Gattuso
CM: Pirlo
LCM: DAVID SILVA
ST: Ronaldinho
RF: ETO'O / DZENKO
LF: Pato

Agree of Disagree, let me know below :)

Calcio Mercato: Mauro Zarate signs for Lazio for 21 million

Finally, the saga appears to be over. Mauro Zarate has signed for Lazio for 21 million euros. The deal has at last gone through to complete an interesting day for the Lazio faithful, myself definately included, as manager Delio Rossi has handed in his resignation. Whoever takes over on the Lazio bench they will be glad to have Zarate in their arsenal.

Rossi era ends

Manager Delio Rossi has left Lazio, after a succesful era that included a Coppa Italia win, a third place berth in Serie A and Champions League football that included THAT 2-2 draw with Real Madrid infront of 80,000 Laziali. It is sad to see him go, but a new direction is needed to get the best out of a very talented group of players. Zarate, Kolarov, Foggia, Radu, Diakite and Ledesma are the core of a team that should have finished higher than 10th in the league, and if it were not for THAT Coppa triumph then we would not be talking about a successful season for Lazio. But, now Europa League football beckons and a trophy is in the cabinet. Zarate has remained and Ledesma and De Silvestri must also, as Pandev seems all but gone. New talent must come in, a creative midfield a central defender and a striker, as not only are Genoa, Fiorentina, Roma pushing for top four but Palermo and Napoli also. Next year will be a big season for Lazio, a good run in Europe is a must and they have the quality to get to the latter stages, and a strong league campaign resulting in European football again will be testament that Lazio really are getting back to where they belong. Forza Lazio

Italy 3 - 0 Northern Ireland

A second string Italy side beat a second string Northern Ireland side in a friendly in Pisa. Lippi played exactly the type of lineup that we had all been looking forward to see. Guiseppe Rossi and Giampaolo Pazzini and Catania's Mascara lead the line up front, with Gattuso, Udinese's D'Agostino and Fiorentina's Montolivo in midfield. In defence Legrottaglie and Grosso combined with Fiorentina's Gamberini and Inter's 18 year old start Davide Santon. Cagliari's Marchetti stood between the posts.

It was a bright start by both sides, with Italy keeping posession and with Ireland giving little away. But Guiseppe Rossi unleashed a cannon of a shot from 2 yards to open the scoring after 19 minutes. Italy should have been going into the break 2-0 up, but only for Johnson to clear a Gamberini header off the line. Italy were rarely troubled and were very solid in midfield with D'Agostino showing why Juventus are courting his signature.

Four changes were made at half time in what was a lively and entertaining encounter. Brighi, Foggia, Palombo and Dossena came on for Grosso, Montolivo, Mascara and Gattuso. It worked to great effect as Italy really began to take control and Northern Ireland rarely got out of their own half. Foggia was at the centre of everything and scored a wonderful goal on 52 minutes. He gathered the ball in midfield, nutmegging casement, and chipped the keeper to score his first azzuri goal.

Pazzini could have made it 3-0 soon after, but Tuffey made an excellent save from the penalty spot. The Pisa crowd didn't have to wait long though, as debutant sergio Pellissier scored a wonderful goal as he turned and volleyed home to the amazement of the Irish defence. It was a good game by both teams who would have enjoyed the experience.

Calcio Mercato: Manager musical chairs continue!

Walter Zenga has found himself a new club just a short time after leaving Catania. Suprisingly it is arch rivals Palermo. It would never happen in Rome :). Zenga, perhaps looking to creep his way up the ladder to the Inter, or perhaps Italy, job will have his work cut out in Palermo. Expectations are high, and 8th place will be expected to be improved upon. Good luck to him !

The Atalanta seat has also been filled by another young up and coming Italian coach. Angelo Gregucci has been given the job, and the former Vicenza coach and assistant to Roberto Mancini at Fiorentina will also be expected to build upon Atalanta's recent sucess, and keep them a solid midtable outfit.

Atalanta are also rumoured to have signed Lecce striker Simeone Tirribocchi for 2.8 million. Goran Pandev also has apparently been subject of a bid from Bayern Munich and Massimo Moratti was apparently only in Barcelona to see the Barcelona president Laporta who is his friend. we will see how that one develops.

COMING SOON TO ALL THINGS CALCIO, PLAYER PROFILES AND SEASON REVIEWS TEAM BY TEAM.

Player profiles will start off with some young guns including Mauro Zarate, Mario Balotelli, Marek Hamsik, Alex Pato and Stefan Jovetic.

Calcio Mercato: Ferrara confirmed, Ibra out?

Ciro Ferrara has been confirmed as the next manager of Juventus. A good move a think. Its a one year deal. He is a man who loves the Juventus shirt and knows what it means to the fans and ultras like the Drughi. What do you think on this issue? Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has also been confirmed as the Roma manager for next season and the one after that. Another sensible move, even if I do say so as a Lazio fan. Arguably Roma can expect to have most of their players away from the injury table next season, unless lightning strikes twice. Maybe they can challenge for the title also, as they do not have the Champions League to focus on.

AGOSTINO TO JUVE

Its all but confirmed. Gaetano D'Agostino looks set to complete his move to Juve in the coming days. Great news if you are a Juve fan, less so if you are one of Udinese. He will link up with Diego, Sissoko and Camoranesi in an excellent midfield. Factor in Marchisio, Marchionni and De Ceglie who can play wide left then the depth is coming that can allow them to beat anyone. The Trezeguet issue does not seem to be going away. Perhaps a trade and cash, or Poulsen as well, for Lyon's Benzema would complete a great mercato for them.


KAKA and PATO Issue

Died down today a bit. Milan have explicitly rejected the notion of Payto going anywhere but have left the Kaka deal up to the man himself, who has suggested some ridiculous terms to have the deal completed. Maybe Kaka is trying to stop the move from going through? What are you thoughts on this?


Delio Rossi likely to leave Lazio

After guiding Lazio to a coppa Italia win and Champions league football two years ago its seems almost certain that Delio Rossi will leave as Lazio manager. Walter Zenga appears the front runner on the day that the Mauro Zarate deal looks likely to conclude also. Goran Pandev may still leave Lazio, but not cheaply and will cost an 'indecent proposal' in the words of Claudio Lotito.


Ibra off as well?

Rumours have suggested that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is going to Barcelona. The Inter president massimo Moratti was in Barcelona to start negotiations. However, rumours also suggest that Samuel Eto's agent was present at the meeting and this could be just a deal to take the Cameroon international to the San Siro. After all Inter are likely to go 4-3-3 next season with Zlatan, Eto'o, Milito and Balotelli competing for the places up front.

Thats all from me for today. However, I would be interest in knowing what club the readers of this site support. Let me know in the comment box.

Calcio Mercato: Kaka gone?

Kaka gone? Pato Next?
Real Madrid and Chelsea are looking to throw their considerable financial clout around buy trying to tempt the two Brazilians to their respective teams. Once again Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi and acting boss Adriano Galliani have done little to quash the deals, in fact once again they seem to be encouraging them. Milan fans seem to be braced to be let down yet again. Time and time again we have heard about their lack of money, despite the fact that little in reality has been spent over the last few years to invigorate an ageing squad. Ronaldinho was a fantastic addition, but he has hardly been used.

Selling Kaka is one thing. Arguably he is an injury liability, and now at 27 perhaps at his peak and will in a couple of years not quite be at the same level that he is now. Perhaps a deal of £60 million would give Milan the necessary funds to reinvigorate the squad, provding the money is used for that of course. But to even consider selling Pato is ridiculous. At 18 he has shown he is an unbelievable prospect, one that could reach the heights of a certain Lionel Messi in the next few years. He has great pace, a superb shot and can dribble all night long. If both players do go, there will be mayhem in Milan. In fact, Berlusconi would do better to sell Milan football club instead especially as he seems totally disinterested in football and trying to take Milan back to the top of the world. After all, the crux of the ability to do this is there already. Kaka, Pato, Pirlo, Gattuso, Ronaldinho, Borrielo, Flamini and Silva all have many years ahead of them and the likes of Nesta, Jankulovski and Zambrotta can still cut it at the top level. Only in reality is a world class center back, striker and left back required in order for them to at least challenge for the Serie A title and realistically target at least a semi final berth in the Champions League.

Taking all of this into consideration, Milan would be absurd to sell up their best assets. Its Berlusconi that needs to consider his place at the club and whether he still has the interest in it anymore. Frankly, at the moment, I hope he sells up and leaves. There has been significant interest from the middle east in AC Milan and they would be able to fend of these advances from two clubs that really have no adherance to developing players but just want to pillage the best assets from clubs that may not be able to resist their huge financial advances.

Anyway, thats enought of a rant from me on this topic. You may wonder why im even interested in light of the fact that im a die hard Lazio fan, but I want the best players to stay and play in Serie A. I am still hoping that both these players will stay, and think in all likely hood that Pato, at least, will. Wow, its only been three days since the season ended and already I realise why I HATE this time of year for football.


Todays Transfers

Cigarini confirmed from Atalanta to Napoli


Contract extensions:

Juan extended contract at Roma

Todays Rumours

Kaka to Real Madrid (Hopefully not!!!!!!!!!!!0
Lavezzi to Juve (Interesting one this, will keep an eye on it)
Crespo and Juninho Pernambuco to Genoa (The former will definately arrive, the latter would be a very ambitious signing)
Pandev to Juve (The rumours about Goran refuse to end, likely to go somewhere else this summer)

Week 38: Final day review

So thats it, the final day. No more Serie A until the last saturday in August. Well, I supose there is the pre season, the mercato and the confederations cup to keep us occupied in the mean time. Bye the way to those who have voted on the site polls thanks. Anyway, back to the review...

Torino down
So the granata bite the dust, in what has been a really poor season for them. With players like Abete, Rosina, Bianchi they were at least expected to avoid their ultimate end but they did not and went down 3-2 in Rome to Roma. Bologna therefore kept their head above water and deservedly so. They will need to improve to do so next season as the return of Parma should seen some decent players go there in the summer, and therefore they are a team I expect to stay up. Bologna in a whole are too reliant on Marco Di Vaio, who scored on sunday in the 3-1 win over Catania. They need to find a way to get the best out of Osvaldo and to strengthern their defence as on occassions they have leaked goals. None the less Bologna can be proud of their season and their fans who have often filled their stadium. Hopefully, Torino can bounce straight back up as they are a team that belongs in Serie A.


Juve hold Second
Juventus beat my beloved Lazio 2-0 on the final day to secure second place in a season that has struggled to live up to expection for their fans at least. For me they have lacked creativity in the midfield, which is where their new signing Diego will blossom. They still need a decent central playmaker for me to balance Camoranesi, Sissoko and Diego out, but they do have good depth with the likes of Marchisio and Marchionni in the side. It was infact Marchisio who played a wonderful through ball to Iaquinta to open the scoring, and he added to that in the second to make it 2-0 against a Lazio side that had none of its first choice options in the side. Ferrara will now have to wait to see if he is confirmed as Juve manager for next season, and we will see whether the conveyor belt of great Italian coaches is set to continue.


Ancelotti's last match and Nedved, Figo and Maldini retire

AC Milan won 2-0 away to Fiorentina on Sunday afternoon to wrap up automatic qualification in the Champions League. Kaka scored and created a goal for the wonderful Pato who scored his 15 goal of the season. Not bad for an 18 year old. But, Fiorentina can also look forward to Champions League football next year as well, and to the improvement to Stefan Jovetic who has shown the skill and technique to suggest that he could become one of the best in the world in the future. Remember the name. But the real story from this match was the news that Ancelotti was leaving Milan as coach, with Leonardo set to take over, and that it was Paolo Maldini's last game. The latter is one of the all time greats and deserved a better send of then he recieved at the San Siro last week. Pavel Nedved, my favourite Lazio player of all time, and Luis Figo also retired at the weekend and will be sorely missed from Italian football.

Serie A wrap up

Champions: Inter Milan
Coppa Italia winners: SS LAZIO!!!!
Super cup winners: Inter Milan
Champions League entrants: Inter, Juve, Milan, Fiorentina
Europa League entrants: Lazio, Genoa, Roma
Relegated: Torino, Reggina, Lecce
Promoted: Bari, Parma and one team from Livorno, Empoli, Brescia, Grosseto
Top Scorer: Ibrahimovic 25, Milito 24, Di Vaio 24

Mercato News

Keep up to date on all the mercato issues from around Italy this summer right here on all things calcio. Even in the few days since the seasons end there has been rampent activity already.

Transfers
Fabio Quagliarella moved from Udinese to Napoli
Luca Cigarini moved from Atalanta to Napoli
Thiago Motta moved from Genoa to Inter Milan
Diego Milito moved from Genoa to Inter Milan
Pablo Barrientos moved from FC Moscow to Catania


Contract Extensions
Vincenzo Iaquinta extends contract contract with Juventus
Pasquale Foggia extends contract with Lazio
Mirko Vucinic extend contract at Roma


Coaching Changes
Leonardo confirmed as coach of Milan
Walter Mazzarri leave coach of Sampdoria
Gigi Del Neri leaves as coach of Atalanta and is confirmed as Sampdoria coach

updates will be added daily, as this is a mercato that we will all undoubtably be obsessed with.