They could hardly be at more different stages of their managerial careers but they share the same hunger for silverware. Giancarlo Rinaldi looks at what it would mean for the coaches of Atalanta, Roma and Fiorentina to lift a trophy this season.

Don Carlo Ancelotti might well look on and smile. Perhaps he can remember what it was like when he too was a tactician without any titles to his name. Now he sits at the very top of the European trophy tree but three of his countrymen would kill to take a first major honour on the bench for their Serie A clubs this year.

Atalanta, Roma and Fiorentina have played a huge part in ensuring Italy will have five representatives in the Champions League next season so it would be fitting if they could earn a trophy to crown their efforts. Last term was a heartbreaking one when the world of Calcio went three for three in continental cup final disappointments. They stand on the brink of a potential double once more.

Their bosses, of course, are of very differing ages and experience levels. Nonetheless, for each one of them it would be a significant boost to their CV to win something that matters as a manager. Any success would be a special moment for the men involved.

Gian Piero Gasperini, at the tender age of 66, is finally getting the European kudos his skills deserve. Isn’t it amazing what a resounding victory over an English Premier League side can get you? With a Coppa Italia final against Juventus in the bag and a Europa League battle with Marseille in store, he would love to get his hands on a trophy as he closes in on 400 games in charge at Atalanta with the best part of a decade at the helm. To earn such an honour in Bergamo would truly be a stratospheric achievement. La Dea – The Goddess – would genuinely be in heaven.

It hasn’t always been easy, of course, and at the start of this season there were many – myself included – who doubted his ability to reinvent his team once more. Instead, he has rolled up his sleeves and got on with the job of creating yet another unit which has been capable of going on a great run both at home and abroad. On their day, the Bergamaschi are capable of beating anyone.

At the other end of the coaching spectrum, of course, is his Europa League rival Daniele De Rossi. A trophy-laden playing career does not guarantee success as he found out to his cost during a brief spell in charge of Spal in Serie B. But his work to transform Roma from the grumpy, grouchy Giallorossi we witnessed under Jose Mourinho to a much more spectator-friendly outfit has been impressive. He has, of course, the little matter of a seemingly unbeatable Bayer Leverkusen side to defeat to even make it to the final in Dublin.

Still, it would be something pretty magical if he could take his hometown club to glory. Europe has often reserved more heartache than happiness for the capital side and it would be brilliant for him to take another open-top bus round the Eternal City. He is already a legend but it would cement that status still further.

Somewhere in between the two, in managerial experience terms, is Fiorentina’s Vincenzo Italiano – now apparently approaching the end of his three-year cycle with the Viola. Considered by many to be an up-and-coming coach, it would surely boost his credentials to actually win something. Last year, of course, his team made two finals and lost them both.

This time around they have blown the Coppa Italia a little earlier – to Gasperini’s men – and so will have to go all in on the Conference League. They face a Club Brugge side in impressive form but they know it is the only way they can send their coach off in style. Otherwise, it will always be a story of what might have been for his time in Tuscany.

Trophies aren’t everything, of course, and no doubt all three men will have another crack at a title or two in the years to come. Nonetheless, having come this far it would be a shame for them not to have something to show for all their great efforts. If nothing else, it would let them sit down at the dinner table with Don Carlo without feeling quite the same inferiority complex.

The boys from Bergamo were rightly praised for their astonishing and well-deserved win at Anfield last week. But, as Giancarlo Rinaldi warns, history suggests the Serie A side should take nothing for granted.

Momentum is as precious as gold dust in football. It is a glorious feeling when the tide is in your favour – as Atalanta found when they blew away Liverpool in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final. However, Italian teams have some history of sinking horribly when the wind changes direction. Here are a few occasions when that sickening feeling struck and success slipped away like that last elusive pea dancing around your plate in a dish of risi e bisi. Gianluca Scamacca and company will hope to avoid hitting the wall in such spectacular fashion.

Napoli v Chelsea (Champions League 2011-12) It was a last-16 tie which started badly in Naples for Walter Mazzarri’s side but, inspired by Ezequiel Lavezzi, they emerged in a “position of strength” with a 3-1 home triumph. Juan Mata had given the visitors the lead but a double from the Argentinian either side of an Edinson Cavani strike put the Partenopei in a commanding place. Perhaps goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis had a premonition of what was to come when he told reporters: “It is a good result but we are not fully happy because we could have added a fourth.” Didier Drogba started the comeback at Stamford Bridge before John Terry levelled things on aggregate. A Gokan Inler goal gave the Italians the upper hand once more until Frank Lampard took the tie to extra time. Branislav Ivanovic then scored for the Blues to deliver what had looked an unlikely triumph for Roberto Di Matteo’s men en route to the trophy. “We go out with our heads held high,” insisted Paolo Cannavaro.

Inter v Real Madrid (UEFA Cup 1984-85) The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza was packed to the rafters for a semi-final first leg between two of the continent’s elite sides. Alessandro Altobelli was at the heart of everything as he was fouled to win a penalty which was calmly slotted away by Liam Brady before tucking away a goal himself from a Karl-Heinz Rumenigge assist. Ilario Castagner’s side looked in a strong position with a 2-0 triumph. Santillana kick-started this Remontada as he struck twice to level the tie. The Nerazzurri’s hero in Milan, Altobelli, suffered heartache this time as Uli Stielike made a goal-line clearance from his shot which – due to the away goals rule – would surely have seen the Nerazzurri progress. Instead, Michel delivered the killer blow past a despairing Walter Zenga dive and the disaster was complete. And if you want proof that lightning can strike twice – Inter blew a 3-1 lead at the same stage of the same competition against the same opponents the following year.

Juventus v Fulham (Europa League 2009-10) It should have been no-contest as La Vecchia Signora strolled to a home 3-1 triumph over the unfancied Londoners in the last 16. Nicola Legrottaglie, Jonathan Zebina and Hasan Salihamidzic struck for the Bianconeri in Turin while a heavily deflected Dickson Etuhu shot gave the English side a slim hope. At Craven Cottage, however, it was a different story as Alberto Zaccheroni’s men capitulated in spectacular fashion. An early goal for David Trezeguet should have made qualification a formality but, instead, Roy Hodgson’s team roared back. Bobby Zamora levelled the game before Fabio Cannavaro saw red and the game began to turn sour for the Serie A giants. Two Zoltan Gera goals made it 4-4 on aggregate and the stage was set for a Clint Dempsey chip to humble the mighty Juve.

Milan v Deportivo La Coruna (Champions League 2003-04) A fine Milan vintage thought the job was done in this quarter-final encounter as a Kaka double and goals from Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko gave them a seemingly unassailable 4-1 advantage at the San Siro. The reigning European champions possibly thought the job was done but things would fall apart for the Rossoneri after Walter Pandiani struck an early goal to shake their resolve. Juan Carlos Valeron and Albert Luque ensured the tie was – incredibly – level before the half-time whistle blew in Spain. Club legend Fran would seal the deal in the second half in a clash that became a byword for bottling a big lead in Europe.

Milan v Liverpool (Champions League 2004-05) Not a two-legged tie but just a year later and Milan were busy squandering another three-goal advantage – this time in a single game. A clash which will go down in legend was completely dominated by Carlo Ancelotti’s players in the first half as Paolo Maldini opened the scoring before Hernan Crespo struck twice. They appeared to be out of sight and could have had even more of an advantage as their fans were busy planning their full-time celebrations and lifting the trophy. Something snapped, though, in this brittle Rossoneri setup and Steven Gerrard planted the seeds of doubt by pulling one back. Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso made the miracle of Istanbul a real possibility and heroics from Jerzy Dudek in the penalty shootout completed the job. Revenge a couple of years later in Athens would only slightly dull the pain.

Luciano Spalletti is taking his Italy team across the Atlantic in search of answers for its future. Giancarlo Rinaldi argues he should make maximum use of his new faces in order to boost his chances at Euro 2024 and beyond.

As warm-up locations for the European Nations go, it is not the most obvious choice. In the middle of a gruelling season, it is not easy to understand why the Azzurri are upping sticks to head to America to face Venezuela and Ecuador. However, there could still be valuable lessons to be learned – if they are willing to take the risks required.

It is worth remembering that Luciano Spalletti is just half a dozen games into his Italy reign and this will be his first opportunity to see his players in anything other than a pressure-cooker atmosphere. We last saw his troops in action in the sigh-of-relief draw which got them past Ukraine and on to Germany this summer. The back-to-back friendlies will finally give him a chance to remove the sticking plaster and start to carry out some more major surgery.

That is why it feels most logical for him to use the games against sides ranked 31st and 52nd in the world to throw caution to the wind and try out some fresher faces. We already know what Gigio Donnarumma, Matteo Darmian and Jorginho can offer, it is time to find out what less experienced names can deliver. It’s a sink or swim world in international football and this is a decent chance to discover who has what it takes to float.

The new Italy boss has remained pretty loyal to his most-picked players, in truth. Of his 10 ever-present call-ups for his six games in charge thus far, only Fiorentina‘s Christian Biraghi and Roma‘s Bryan Cristante have been left out. The rest – including the likes of Nicolò Barella, Federico Dimarco and Giovanni Di Lorenzo – will be on the plane. But around that backbone, he has to roll the dice when he gets Stateside.

Three completely new faces make for the most intriguing inclusions. Raoul Bellanova has been in absolutely rampaging form at full-back for Torino and more than merits his spot in the squad. It completes a journey with the national team that started with the Under 15s and has seen him represent his country nearly 90 times on his trip to the top team. Hopefully that can help him with a smooth transition.

He is joined by the one-time Tower of Pisa, Lorenzo Lucca, who offers Spalletti a different option up front. The Udinese striker – once of Ajax – gives him a target for others to play off which he has not always been able to utilise. Completing the new boy trio is Michael Folorunsho who is on a one-man mission to keep Verona afloat. For a national team in need of an infusion of enthusiasm, they could prove just the tonic.

Much of the rest of his squad is on the inexperienced side as well. Giorgio Scalvini, Riccardo Orsolini, Marco Carnesecchi, Guglielmo Vicario, Alex Meret, Destiny Udogie, Andrea Cambiaso, Alessandro Buongiorno, Mateo Retegui and Mattia Zaccagni all have less than 10 caps to their names. But it is precisely for that reason that they must get game time in order to assess their ability to represent their country.

If there’s another theme to Spalletti’s selections, it is probably the willingness to wipe the slate clean for players who had fallen out of favour with Roberto Mancini. Lazio‘s Zaccagni is one such player but it has been a similar story for Manuel Locatelli of Juventus and the eternal promise Nicolò Zaniolo of Aston Villa. It is up to them to seize this opportunity.

Preparations were not helped by Francesco Acerbi getting caught up in a racism row which resulted in Gianluca Mancini being called up to take his place. However, that is exactly the kind of stramash which is often the unwanted bread and butter of being Italy’s boss. It is how you handle some of these off-the-pitch distractions which is sometimes just as important as any magnificent coaching insight.

The venue of these friendlies, of course, brings back bittersweet memories for most fans of the Azzurri of a certain vintage. Of 16 games played in the US, Italy boast seven wins, six draws and three defeats, but by far, their most memorable sortie was at the World Cup now nearly 30 years ago. That was when Roby Baggio became La Nazionale’s all-time top scorer on American soil with five strikes to his name. If any of Spalletti’s new generation turn out to be half the player he was, this lengthy pre-Easter journey may yet have been worthwhile.

@Ginkers

The clash of two Italian coaches in the Europa League makes for a truly tantalising prospect. Giancarlo Rinaldi looks at the contrasting routes Daniele De Rossi and Roberto De Zerbi have taken to this mouthwatering showdown.

The last time they met in Europe was on a December night in Romania. Roberto De Zerbi was in the twilight of a career which had taken him across much of Italy and meandered its way to playing for Cluj. For his part, Daniele De Rossi was in the very heart of his best part of two decades with Roma. No prizes for guessing that the draw which unfolded saw the Giallorossi progress.

It says much of their respective careers on the pitch that their paths only properly crossed across those two Champions League group games. The Brighton boss was part of a Napoli side which shared a thrilling 4-4 draw at the Stadio Olimpico in 2007 but he never saw any action. While De Zerbi was no more than a spectator from the bench, De Rossi was in the thick of the action and grabbed one of the goals.

Even when the gifted attacking midfielder moved to the coaching role he seemed born for, he struggled to put one over on his opposite number. In games where the former Roma skipper played, he could only watch his Palermo and Benevento sides take a bit of a thumping. So far, so one-sided.

In terms of their playing reputation, of course, it will surprise nobody that De Rossi far outshines his opposite number in England. To be fair, you could say that of many footballers. The king of the Italian capital won a couple of Italian Cups and a Supercup for his hometown club but his crowning glory was a World Cup with his country. De Zerbi’s only honours came during his short spell in Romania.

De Rossi: Roma ‘didn’t want Brighton’ as ‘De Zerbi is a genius’

However, as anyone will tell you, what you did on the pitch counts for little as a coach and it is often those with more journeyman careers who end up being better tacticians. Almost as soon as he had hung up his boots, the former Foggia, Arezzo and Avellino player quickly revealed himself to be an astute analyst of the game. By the time he got to Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk, he was considered a rising star and a great innovator of the game. It was only a matter of time before he started ruffling feathers in the English Premier League.

There have been highs and lows – for sure – but the overall feeling is that De Zerbi is one of the hottest properties in the coaching world. Little wonder that he is being touted as a potential replacement for the man widely considered to be one of the best in the business – Pep Guardiola – if he departs Manchester City. His approach to matches has been widely studied by his rivals.

Indeed, in the coaching game, De Rossi is very much the student to De Zerbi’s master. In a recent interview, he thanked the Brighton boss for being so open and helpful to him as he took his first steps in management. In fact, the man currently leading the Seagulls was one of the first on the phone when his counterpart’s spell in charge of Spal in Serie B came to an abrupt end after just a few months at the helm.

That relationship has only been cemented further by the fact that their daughters are now good friends. As De Rossi recently revealed, they regularly meet up in London to watch Roma games together and support the capital club. De Zerbi will surely be hoping his child puts that to one side when the Giallorossi face his Brighton side over two legs.

Picture: When De Rossi and De Zerbi met Guardiola for dinner

De Rossi has made no secret of his admiration of his opposite number. When asked about how he would define his vision of football, he said that only a few people deserved to have anything described as “their football”. Among the names he mentioned as true innovators of the game was none other than De Zerbi.

Of course, that does not mean that he will not be hoping to put one over on his friend and adversary. They share an attacking vision of the game and the transformation that has been delivered at Roma has been a pretty impressive one. Yes, he has had a relatively softer run of games than the ones which brought José Mourinho’s time in charge to an end but something more fundamental has been going on. The new man has started to dismantle the “nobody likes us we don’t care” philosophy instilled by his predecessor and reduced the orchestrated protests to the referee to a minimum. Whisper it, but he has almost made his team good fun to watch.

That, in fact, is what makes this coaching clash such an exciting one. Two young managers – De Zerbi is 44 and De Rossi just 40 – will be going head to head and they both like to see their teams take the initiative and look to win matches, rather than defending a 0-0. That can backfire, of course, but it should make for a thrilling clash for the neutral. They might have travelled by very different roads to get here but they share very similar philosophies. Long gone are the old shadows of Catenaccio which used to be cast over Italian coaches – this promises to be one of the best encounters on a packed midweek of football. So plate up your best antipasti, get the Moka coffee maker on the stove and crack open your finest Chianti. Roma versus  Brighton should deliver the very best tactical innovation that the Bel Paese has to offer. All we need to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Twitter: @ginkers

Be careful what you wish for is an old adage which often proves true on the transfer market. Giancarlo Rinaldi looks at how Fiorentina’s Moroccan midfielder has struggled to make his mark in England.

Even by the surreal standards of modern football, it has been a topsy-turvy 12 months for Sofyan Amrabat. It was barely a year ago that he was at the centre of name-your-price transfer speculation after his stellar performances at the Qatar World Cup. Now it appears he is already off the menu at the giant club which finally secured his services.

Timing, of course, is everything and Fiorentina fought to hold on to their Moroccan star when his stock was at its highest. That might be a decision that the bean-counters in Tuscany will look back on with some regret. If the £100m figure that was being plucked out of the air in the last January transfer window was true then they could surely have reinvested in a heck of a lot of players to replace him. He took the Viola close to two trophies – the Coppa Italia and Conference League – but in the end, there was to be no cigar.

By the summer, it seemed that interest in Amrabat had cooled, and his standout performances on the international stage had been forgotten. It was only pretty late in the day that Manchester United finally came up with a formula that saw him quit the Stadio Artemio Franchi for Old Trafford. Cue the obligatory Instagram post about realising a dream come true in coming to the Premier League giants.

Even the most purple-painted diehard would have to admit that a move to the Red Devils was a step up the footballing ladder. One could argue about the cultural and scenic losses of leaving behind the River Arno for Lancashire but there can be little debate about the relative stature of the sides. Fiorentina are a grand old team, for sure, but the English side are different gravy. But that, as he is now finding, comes with a very different side order of expectations.

Manchester United will return Amrabat to Fiorentina

I warned at the time of his signing that it would likely take him time to adjust – as it does with most Serie A players moving to England – but his transition has been hampered by a number of factors. If he had been transferred to a well-oiled, winning machine of a side, it might have been more straightforward, but United have not been at that level for some time. They needed him to be ready immediately – and that has clearly not been the case.

He has also been asked to play out of position on a number of occasions which has hardly helped. Nobody who watched his rise in the Italian game would ever have thought he was crying out for a switch to full-back. It was admirable that he was willing to play there to help his team – but it did little to showcase his best qualities.

Watching Erik Ten Haag’s side recently appears to have confirmed that his future plans have no place for the former Verona man. He seems much happier to give younger players their chance in midfield and consign Amrabat to a spectators’ role. Any thoughts of the club using its option to buy – with a reputed price tag of about £20m – seem to have disappeared more quickly than the Manchester club’s hopes of progress in Europe.

Not many in Florence – at least among the reasonable fans – will take any pleasure in his troubles, but they should serve as a reminder for almost every player who quits a middle-tier team for a bigger one. He was at the heart of a project with the Viola but has quickly become a more peripheral figure in England. It is understandable that everyone wants to challenge themselves at the highest level in what is a relatively short career – but it always comes with a health warning. Perhaps he could have spoken to Stevan Jovetic or Juan Cuadrado before leaving Tuscany and heading north.

Assuming United no longer see him as part of their future – whatever their latest plans for that are – it leaves Fiorentina with a bit of a conundrum. Should they try to take him back into a midfield which has already found a new hero in Arthur Melo? Or can they find another buyer for a player whose reputation has definitely taken a bit of a tumble since its high point in late 2022? It certainly looks difficult to think they will be able to command an offer that runs to tens of millions of pounds.

Indeed, financial matters may yet play a role in his future as there are many who doubt that the Viola will find the resources to keep Melo – who is currently impressing on loan from Juventus. That might create a gap that Amrabat could fill although there would have to be question marks about how much he might wish to return to a club he made little secret of wanting to leave. It could be better – for the player and the team – to start a new chapter.

There is still time, perhaps, for him to convince Manchester United that he is worth keeping. Injuries, suspensions or a change of heart might yet give him the opportunity to move his way back up the pecking order. But he finds himself at a club which has used up and thrown away plenty of players in recent years and is definitely in danger of ending up on that particular scrap heap.

And yet, when in full flight, he was a glorious player to watch. A determined ball-winner at the heart of a possession-based game he was always prone to a booking or two but never gave anything less than total commitment. After a stuttering start in Florence, he found his position and never looked back. There are surely plenty of places – in Italy or elsewhere – which could do with that kind of dependable screen for their defence. Perhaps somewhere where the tempo is a little less frenetic than in England and the expectation to be a world-beater from day one is a little lower than at Old Trafford.

His story might also help the Tuscan club to keep some of its current top performers. It is the nature of the Florentine outfit to see its top talent plucked away by bigger sides but the Moroccan’s case highlights once more that it does not always work out. They could show videos of him watching Kobbie Mainoo in action to underline what fate can await a player trying his luck in the Premier League.

Whatever the outcome, hopefully it will be for the best for Amrabat and all the teams involved. Manchester United will undoubtedly move on – that’s what big clubs do – and he will be a bit-part figure in their history. Fiorentina may well choose to let him go elsewhere too, since he was so keen to move on when he got the chance. As for the player, he will surely find somewhere to get more out of his talents than they did in England. He might not be the global superstar he briefly appeared to be at the World Cup but, at 27 years old, he certainly still has plenty to offer. But it will be critical that he makes the right move this time around to ensure he gets back to the levels that everyone in Italy knows he can achieve.

Three of Italy’s European magnificent seven return to action this week. Giancarlo Rinaldi assesses the prospects of success for the two capital clubs and the Rossoneri.

It hardly feels like we have had time to digest the last of the festive panettone before continental competition has returned to the table. Serie A enjoyed a string of good results prior to the Christmas break but we are now at the real business end of proceedings. First into the fray will be Lazio, Roma and Milan – but what chances have they got of going any further?

The toughest task, by some distance, lies with the Eagles who will have to reach new heights in their clash with Bayern Munich. However, there are some crumbs of consolation for Maurizio Sarri’s side if they choose to seek them. Their form in recent weeks has definitely taken an upturn after a poor start to the campaign and that gives them a little more encouragement than they might otherwise have had. They warmed up with a comfortable enough victory over Cagliari at the weekend – the cherry on the cake being Ciro Immobile’s 200th Serie A goal, joining a very exclusive club.

Their star striker, of course, spent a pretty unproductive spell in the Bundesliga himself with Borussia Dortmund, so he will know exactly the scale of the task facing the Biancocelesti against the German giants. Thomas Tuchel’s side are a colossus of the European game but they are not enjoying things their own way on the domestic front this season. Trailing Bayer Leverkusen, they lost to their main title rivals in pretty resounding fashion on Saturday. It was a rare show of frailty which the Romans will hope to pounce upon.

Immobile on meeting Kane and the last time he heard Spalletti

They are a free-scoring side with Harry Kane leading the line and Leroy Sané providing assists galore. A familiar face to Serie A fans – Kim Min-jae – has already settled in pretty well in the defence of their preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. It will likely need more heroics from Ivan Provedel in goal to give the Laziali a chance. The last time these two met in the same competition three years ago, it ended in a heavy aggregate defeat. If they can still be in with a chance after they meet in the Stadio Olimpico that would be a major achievement.

Their city rivals face another side currently sitting second in their league. Feyenoord are a long way behind PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie but are on an undefeated run in competitive games that stretches back to their clash with Celtic last December. Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez is their biggest danger by far – although his form has cooled significantly in 2024 – but watch out for the creativity of Calvin Stengs as well. Fans of Calcio will also recall David Hancko who has become a stalwart of the Dutch side’s defence after a very brief sojourn in Italy with Fiorentina.

Roma, of course, have undergone a seismic shift on the bench with Daniele De Rossi taking over from José Mourinho who took the club to two European finals in a row. The new coach’s winning start came to a halt on a soggy night against Inter but he already appears committed to a more expansive approach. There is no doubt the Portuguese boss was a master in winning by any means possible but his replacement looks like he wants to show a bit more attacking intent. The Giallorossi saw off the same opponents in the same competition last year in a pretty epic clash so fans will be keen to see what progress, if any, has been made. Expect a few bitten nails at the De Kuip on Thursday.

Milan practically sacked Pioli in December – report

Last, and least enthusiastic probably, are Milan who have dropped down into the Europa League alongside Roma. In truth, however, this competition looks a more manageable prospect for Stefano Pioli’s men than the Champions League ever was. Their Serie A form has been solid this calendar year and they keep defying the critics who believe their coach’s days are numbered.

Their opponents, Rennes, sit in a lowly seventh place in Ligue 1 but that disguises a significant upturn in their form of late. Their last league defeat was early in December and they saw off Le Havre on the road at the weekend. However, the likely loss of the talented Enzo Le Fée with a hamstring injury was a major blow during their recent cup thrashing of Sochaux. It will leave boss Julien Stephan with a few puzzles to resolve.

For the Rossoneri, after a win against Napoli, it will surely be a question of motivation. If they put their best team out and combine that with the right attitude, they should have too much quality for their French visitors at the San Siro. However, any failure to take the game seriously might well leave them with another European regret to add to those they already have this season.

Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. You can follow him on X @ginkers

A new format has opened the door to extra sides in the Supercoppa Italiana so Giancarlo Rinaldi looks at what Fiorentina need to lift the trophy and what they hope to gain from their trip to Saudi Arabia.

The Supercoppa – or Italian Super Cup – is a competition of distant memories for Fiorentina. They last played in it – and lost – more than 20 years ago and their only victory dates back to the days of Gabriel Omar Batistuta. The new four-team structure, however, has opened the door to the possibility of repeating that success from 1996. But what do Vincenzo Italiano’s side hope to gain from their January break in the Middle East?

Global appeal. There has been a lot of grumbling in the build-up about the venue and the virtual impossibility of Viola fans following their team but it does present one opportunity. The side from the Artemio Franchi are probably the lowest profile in global terms of the four contenders. A shop window in Saudi Arabia – and at least making the Final – could allow them to gain some new followers. Marketing and money are king these days and good performances in the tournament might boost the income at a club where it is a constant struggle to compete against sides with greater revenue streams.

Find a striker. It has been a successful season so far for the Viola despite a lack of goals from their centre forwards. Both M’bala Nzola and Lucas Beltran have struggled to trouble opposition goalkeepers since they arrived – with the former already linked with a potential move away. They both found the net at the weekend in the draw with Udinese but they need to do so more consistently to help their team maintain its dream of European qualification once again. Any flicker of form on their travels outside Italy would surely be a big help to their coach and perhaps decide once and for all the pecking order up front for the club.

Supercoppa: Napoli-Fiorentina, probable line-ups

Emerge unscathed. With a spot at the top end of the Serie A table and still on course in the Coppa Italia and Conference League, the fixtures are piling up for the Florentines in the weeks ahead. They could probably have lived without travelling so far in the middle of such an energy-sapping season at a time when they already have a number of injury headaches. Whether it is one or two games away from home, everyone connected with the club will be hoping that nobody else picks up a knock in what is truly a bit of a bonus event.

Fit in Faraoni. They have not been frantically active in the transfer window to this point, but the Supercoppa will give Fiorentina a chance to try out their new acquisition at right-back David Faraoni. An injury to Brazilian Dodo has thrown youngster Michael Kayode into the fray and he has performed amazingly well, but there is no doubt that squad depth is not what they want it to be. Any chance to get minutes into their new signing from Verona will be welcome as he tries to adapt to his new surroundings. He has already shown he can slot in pretty well with an assist in his first appearance on Sunday.

Lift A Trophy. It is a long shot when they are up against such illustrious opposition but it has been a long time since the Tuscan club picked up any silverware at all. Last season, they were unlucky runners-up in two competitions but they will be desperate to ditch their nearly men tag at some point in the not-too-distant future. They have shown themselves to be more than a match for almost everyone in Italy in recent times and their competitive spirit was recently underlined with a gutsy cup win over Bologna. If they could somehow get their hands on the Super Cup it would surely be a source of celebration – if only thousands of miles away at their lovely new Viola Park training complex.

Twitter: @Ginkers

Love him or loathe him, it is pretty hard to ignore him. Giancarlo Rinaldi looks at the legacy of José Mourinho’s time in charge at Roma and why it made sense to part company with the Giallorossi coach.

In the end, Mourinho’s demise came quicker than a Leandro Paredes booking. His last act – perhaps fittingly – was to serve yet another touchline ban in the San Siro as he watched his team go down to defeat.

There is no doubt there will be a section of Giallorossi support which will be unhappy with the move. They saw the Portuguese coach as one of their own and had bought into his nobody likes us, we don’t care message. Unfortunately for them, they were not the ones with ultimate control of his fate.

It was not so long ago – a little more than a year-and-a-half – that they were dancing in the streets of Rome to celebrate the delivery of the Conference League crown. That cemented his place in legend at the Stadio Olimpico but it also masked continued shortcomings on the home front. The Serie A stats were brutal with his average points per game the lowest of any Roma coach with more than 50 games in charge in the last three decades. It ultimately proved too much for Dan Friedkin to stand.

• Read more – Roma sack Mourinho: Live updates and reactions

What was just as interesting, however, as the timing of Mourinho’s departure was the choice of his replacement. Seemingly conscious of a potential backlash from the home support, the capital club has gone for a senator who should placate even the most ire individual. Daniele De Rossi stands just behind the likes of Francesco Totti in the list of all-time greats.

It is something of a gamble, though, as his coaching career has not been star-studded to this point. Followers of Serie B will remember his pretty disastrous spell in charge of Ferrara’s finest SPAL which lasted just a few months. In truth, there were other issues at play in that debacle but, nonetheless, it does not look great on his coaching CV.

Still, for neutrals, it looked like the time was right to ditch the Special One some weeks or months ago. He has always been a high-impact manager – the European trophy showed that – but has rarely stayed anywhere for the long haul. For a club with a squad as costly as Roma’s, to be sitting in ninth spot in Serie A was unacceptable. De Rossi gets pretty much a free hit to try to turn that around.

It might, perhaps, also bring an end to the histrionics which had become a somewhat tiresome side-order every time the Giallorossi played. Aside from his own red cards, Mourinho’s team used to like nothing better than hounding a referee to the point where you imagine they would see Gianluca Mancini’s face in their sleep. The new coach was certainly combative as a player, but hopefully, his team will express itself a little more freely than under his predecessor.

Because the door is absolutely open to take the team back into Europe and, potentially, the Champions League. After Inter, Juventus and – at a slight distance – Milan, there is a big gap to the fourth spot Fiorentina currently occupy. It would hardly take a huge upturn in form to mount a challenge to the Viola and the other contenders for that final slot in the continent’s biggest competition.

Video: sad Mourinho leaves Roma training centre for the last time surrounded by fans

There will no doubt be some kind of tribute to Mourinho – as there should be – when Verona visit on Saturday. Two European finals in a row – one of them won – was quite an achievement but in the league bread and butter things were a lot less tasty. Two sixth-place finishes and a struggle to match it this campaign were hardly the stuff of Hall of Fame potential. And yet he does enjoy some residual love among some slices of the home support.

If anything, he has always known how to work a crowd and use the media to the best effect. Some of his touchline posturing and post-match comments have felt staged to ensure they play out the best they can with the fans. Eventually, though, that starts to wear pretty thin with most people.

Nonetheless, some will be sorry to see him go and that will put pressure on the man stepping into his coaching shoes. Luckily for De Rossi, his first few games do not look the most challenging but he will need to get off to a winning start in order to banish any nostalgia for Mourinho. The former Chelsea boss definitely casts a long shadow.

Dybala bids farewell to Mourinho and hopes to see ex-Roma coach ‘soon’

His magic in delivering the Conference League should not be underestimated, and he deserves credit for a better approach from all Italian teams in Europe. Having seen the scenes winning any trophy produced in Rome, many other clubs saw that it was worth trying a little bit harder. As a coach, José understood that delivering silverware – no matter at what level – was something fans craved much more than a creditable league finish. An open-top bus parade is pretty rare for finishing second in Serie A.

Some in Rome will remain loyal to his cause but most, it seems likely, will move on quite quickly if results are decent. It is the nature of modern football that yesterday’s heroes are soon forgotten and nobody knows that better than Mourinho himself. Fans can be grateful for the trophy he won without having to feel too distressed at his departure. Rest assured, the coach will move on and be ready for battle wherever he next appears.

Twitter: @Ginkers

Sides across Serie A and beyond are set to lose some of their stars as major competition kicks off in the Ivory Coast. Giancarlo Rinaldi takes a look at who Calcio fans can follow as AFCON gets underway.

I like to imagine them all getting aboard a Sunday-league-style minibus as it tootles around various pick-up points across the country. You would only need a 20-odd seater to carry Italy’s deputation to the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast this year. Victor Osimhen – as the biggest name of the group – would surely be allowed to sit up the back and pick the tunes as they settle down and travel full speed ahead to Abidjan.

Indeed, it will be the Napoli star who heads up the Serie A supporters’ team of choice at the competition set to start on January 13. He leads a three-strong Nigerian deputation which also includes Milan‘s Samuel Chukuwueze and Atalanta‘s Ademola Lookman. They should give the three-time AFCON winners a sizzling attack that ought to take them deep into the tournament. However, their recent form has been cause for concern and the Super Eagles will hope to put that behind them and take flight towards the knockout phases at the very least.

Another side with a triple Italy-based threat is Algeria who boast Chukuweze’s Rossoneri teammate Ismael Bennacer, Roma‘s Hossem Aouar and Lecce’s Ahmed Touba. There is no doubt Stefano Pioli will wince slightly at the thought of his midfield metronome heading off on international duty as he has only just got him back from injury this season. Aouar, for his part, has struggled to feature much under José Mourinho with Touba having a similar fate at the Via del Mare. Having impressed as winners in 2019 – but flopped in their title defence – a strong-looking squad still has plenty to prove.

The final team, with a trio of players with Italian connections, is Equatorial Guinea, although they are dotted across divisions. Jose Machin is part of the Monza squad in Serie A here but has been largely used as a substitute this term while teenage defender Hugo Buyla is part of Serie B Sampdoria‘s youth set-up. You have to trawl even further down the tables to find Oscar Siafa who has managed a couple of goals playing as a centre-forward for Serie C strugglers Alessandria. A major tournament with their country might well be a welcome break for all three.

The only other nations taking more than a single star are the Democratic Republic of Congo – with Ascoli’s Brian Bayeye and Cremonese’s wonderfully-named Charles Pickel – and hosts Ivory Coast with the better-known Christian Kouamé of Fiorentina and Evan Ndicka of Roma. The latter look well-equipped to progress to the later stages of the competition but AFCON has not been particularly kind to countries playing at home over the years. It has been 18 years since Egypt won and since then the hosts have always drawn a blank.

With M’Bala Nzola of Fiorentina deciding to stay at home, Cagliari‘s Zito Luvumbo will be Angola’s only Serie A player. Other names of note are André-Frank Zambo-Anguissa of Napoli with Cameroon, Salernitana‘s Jovane Cabral (Cape Verde), Lassana Coulibaly (Mali) and Boulaye Dia (Senegal), Bologna‘s Oussama El Azzouzi (Morocco) and Lecce’s Hamza Rafia (Tunisia) and Lameck Banda (Zambia). Rounding out the delegation is Modena’s Abdoul Guiebre with Burkina Faso.

It means that fans of Calcio should have an interest across all six groups of the competition and, most likely, into its later stages. Although that fascination is liable to be mixed with apprehension as they watch events unfold in the middle of the league season. Followers of at least 15 Italian clubs will be hoping their players return uninjured to boost their fortunes when the final whistle blows on the last match in the tournament on 11 February. Coming back with the trophy would be a nice boost, of course, but getting them back in one piece will surely be the top priority.

Twitter: @Ginkers

There was class and controversy, magic and madness and delight and despair for Italian clubs in 2023. Giancarlo Rinaldi gives his ratings to the best performing sides in the country’s top division over the past 12 months.

A calendar year league table is a curious creature as it offers no titles or recognition. However, it does give a starting point for assessing how good or bad a time it has been for the teams involved. Here is what it tells us about Serie A.

It will probably surprise nobody to see Inter sit on top of the 2023 points table as they have been the division’s most consistent side. There was no Scudetto, but they are very much in the hunt to lift it in 2024 and they did get their hands on the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa as well as reaching a Champions League final. Elimination from the domestic cup this year was a disappointment but their league and European progress made it an impressive year for Simone Inzaghi. 8/10.

The celebrations of a third league title are still ongoing for Napoli and there has been something of a hangover in their performances. In truth, they tailed off a little on the title run-in but nothing should tarnish the gigantic joy that team delivered. A good Champions League run before being knocked out by Milan was followed by more stuttering progress in the competition this season. Still, the scintillating football they produced and the momentous nature of the Serie A triumph mean it can only be judged an unforgettable 2023. 9/10.

When winning is the only thing that matters, a year without getting near a trophy is always considered a failure at Juventus. Add to that their exclusion from European competition and bans for Paul Pogba after a positive doping test and Nicolò Fagioli over gambling and it was something of an annus horribilis for La Vecchia Signora. A decent run in the Europa League after tumbling out of the Champions League was small consolation but more winning ways this season – if rarely entertaining – have given signs of hope. 6/10.

It might sound daft but maybe winning the Scudetto in 2022 was the worst thing that could have happened for Stefano Pioli’s Milan. The expectation bar was raised so high that more fluctuating fortunes have led to repeated calls for his head. Humbled in the Supercoppa by their cousins, they also suffered at their hands in the Champions League. A slump into the Europa League this year was also unwelcome, although it may present a greater opportunity for success. 6.5/10.

If this table had been drawn up in the summer then things would have looked a whole lot better for Lazio. A distant runners-up spot in Serie A appeared to justify Maurizio Sarri’s snubbing of European competition and represent a major building block. The loss of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was a huge blow but it can’t fully explain their league collapse this season. Their progress in the Champions League offered some comfort but there was still a feeling, overall, of a good year that could have been much better. 6.5/10.

Nobody remembers the runners-up, so it was a time of what might have been for Fiorentina. Under Vincenzo Italiano, they have a clear imprint of how they want to play – even if they don’t always manage to deliver it. They were undone by Inter in the Coppa Italia but the more bitter heartache came in the Conference League with late, late defeat by West Ham. Still, they dusted themselves off and have progressed in both competitions again and are sitting fairly pretty in the league too. 7.5/10.

The undoubted revelations of this season have been Thiago Motta’s Bologna as they have built on a mid-table finish last term to become genuine contenders for a European place. Playing some classy football, they have also unearthed some under-the-radar talent like Lewis Ferguson, Joshua Zirkzee and Sam Beukema. Knocking Inter out of the Coppa Italia was proof of their progress and only raised their coach’s stock still further. Keep a hold of him and there could be great times ahead. 7/10.

They have revived a bit in Serie A but it has still been a curious 12 months for Jose Mourinho’s Roma. Two European finals in a row – one won and one lost – helped to mask some truly disappointing league form which they have only recently started to address. Their coach appears to be working on a “nobody’s likes us, we don’t care” mentality which makes watching the Giallorossi a bit of a hard ask for the neutral but if it produces a trophy then they surely won’t care in the capital. 6.5/10.

We have got so used to the quality of their performances that even a slight dip in form feels like a flop for Atalanta. Europa League qualification was impressive last season, but the follow-up campaign has been a bit inconsistent although it has brought progress on the continental stage. If they can start to get the best out of their new faces, then don’t rule out another second-half surge up the table in 2024. 6.5/10.

When they came up it looked like they were destined to go straight back down but what an outstanding impact Monza have had. They enjoyed comfortable survival and some memorable wins in 2022/23 and have pretty much continued where they left off this term. Andrea Colpani’s Italy call-up was simply another stamp of approval on the great work they have been doing to keep themselves above many of Italian football’s bigger names. 8/10.

Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. You can follow him on X @ginkers and listen to him on the podcast Rigore!.

Last season was a bittersweet one for Italian teams in Europe with three lost finals. But, after seven out of seven made progress this year, Giancarlo Rinaldi assesses their chances of going one better in at least one competition.

It is never nice to get close to a prize and go away empty-handed. Inter, Roma and Fiorentina were all left with that sinking feeling last term after they fell at the final hurdle when European glory was within touching distance. But, with all its teams making it through to the latter stages this year, surely close but no cigar won’t cut it for Serie A this May and June.

For a league dismissed by many as a second-rate product, the 2022-23 campaign was seen as something of a sign of revival. The Nerazzurri, Giallorossi and Viola all produced an epic run in their respective competitions and could count themselves unlucky – in very different ways – not to pick up a trophy. This season has, so far, seen a continuation of that trend.

Simone Inzaghi’s side have picked up where they left off and look the most credible Italian contender to go deep into the Champions League. It was annoying that they failed to win their group and enjoy a better seeding but Atletico Madrid were not the worst opponents they could land. A return of Diego Simeone to the club where he once played (no, not Pisa) will be a testing but not impossible reunion. Indeed, some thought the Milanese side’s coach had seen the future when group winners Real Sociedad landed Paris St Germain as their last 16 opponents.

Last term, of course, it was Napoli who were many people’s dark horses to win the competition but they have been less convincing this season. They were reasonably comfortable qualifiers behind Real Madrid but they failed to produce the glorious football they did under Luciano Spalletti. However, there have been glimpses of Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia starting to return to their best which will give them hope. Barcelona look like a difficult but not insurmountable object – provided they can recapture the scintillating football they can produce.

It is harder, in truth, to feel much optimism for Lazio‘s prospects. They rarely hit great heights – Ivan Provedel’s heroics excepted – in getting through from a weakish group and now face an almighty mountain in the shape of Bayern Munich. The positive, if there is one, is that Maurizio Sarri has time to plan for that one and, hopefully, start to get the best out of his new acquisitions that have yet to truly shine.

Milan, of course, dropped down to the Europa League despite their epic comeback against Newcastle but the second-tier competition looks a much more plausible target for this particular squad. Stefano Pioli has had an up-and-down season, but there have been some hints that he is starting to understand how to use his summer arrivals better. They landed Rennes in the competition’s play-off draw and will be optimistic of seeing off a side in the bottom half of Ligue 1 at the time of writing. It would be ironic if a coach who has faced repeated calls for his head was to deliver a long-awaited European crown.

They were joined in the draw by Roma after the Giallorossi failed to win a pretty average-looking group, but nobody should underestimate Jose Mourinho’s side. They might not be all that much fun to watch but they know how to get results by one means or another. He will surely already have a plan in place to plot Feyenoord’s downfall, just don’t expect entertainment along the way. They undoubtedly have the players to make a decent tilt at the competition which eluded them last time around.

Their matches will be watched with interest by Atalanta who, thanks to their group-topping display, are already through to the last 16. Gian Piero Gasperini’s team came through undefeated and conceded just four goals – a total bettered only by Bayer Leverkusen. It was not so long ago that the Bergamaschi were stars of the Covid-hit Champions League and it would not be such a stretch to think they could do well. Perhaps Charles De Ketelaere might even cross paths with his parent club.

And, finally, there is Fiorentina. Last season’s heartache against the Hammers is still fresh in the memory but they have put that disappointment behind them to grind out a group win. It was not as impressive as their previous campaign but they got the job done and, like the boys from Bergamo, are through to the last 16 of the competition to await the play-off winners. The Conference League, as always, has a very mixed bunch of teams involved and the bookies favourites are, unsurprisingly, Aston Villa. Another match-up with English opposition in Athens would be a bit of a nightmare but also a chance for some measure of revenge. Vincenzo Italiano will hope to add some depth to his squad in January in order to continue to battle on two or three fronts. The chronic lack of a prolific goalscorer is his biggest headache but he has shown himself smart at finding solutions in the past.

It all means that, overall, things look quite bright for Serie A. They have high hopes of landing an extra Champions League spot as a result of their performances this year but a trophy would be even nicer. The top competition might be a step too far but the Europa League or Conference League look more manageable prospects. It would also confirm the upward trend that Italian teams have enjoyed of late. Taking things a little more seriously has started to produce results. Lifting a bit of silverware would be the amarena cherry on top of that particular cake.

Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. You can follow him on X @ginkers and listen to him on the podcast Rigore!.

It was a traumatic year for the Italian national team with a change of coach and a troubled qualification campaign. Giancarlo Rinaldi looks back at the testing events and ahead to the challenges in store.

When Mykhailo Mudryk tumbled in the box, a nation held its breath. Bryan Cristante’s dangling leg looked like it might have consigned the reigning European champions to a troublesome play-off route to their title defence. The sigh of relief when there was no VAR check of the incident could be heard among Azzurri fans across the globe.

It was the pivotal moment of a tempestuous 12 months for the Italian national team. Having watched a World Cup from the sidelines at the end of 2022, the rebuilding process did not go smoothly. Having put their faith in Roberto Mancini despite his failure to qualify, the rug was definitely pulled from under everyone when he announced he was quitting his post in August. The path to Euro 2024 looked more arduous than the Stelvio Pass.

Defeat by England in Naples and a victory over Malta in March had left La Nazionale on the back foot and their mixed results in the Nations League – losing to Spain but beating the Netherlands – failed to convince. Many felt their coach should have quit – or been pushed – after failing to make Qatar 2022 and his squad still looked very transitional. The glory day at Wembley just a couple of years earlier appeared to be a distant memory.

But then he dropped his bombshell and, later, set off for Saudi Arabia. All the ins and outs of how that happened may never be fully known but the upshot was to leave the Azzurri in turmoil. They were fortunate to have a man of Luciano Spalletti’s character waiting in the wings having decided to take a sabbatical after guiding Napoli to the Scudetto.

Anyone hoping for a miracle cure would be disappointed as he did his best to steady the ship but still struggled to produce any dominant displays. There were moments of quality but he was clearly battling to get to grips with the new reality of what he had at his disposal. The great football he had overseen in Naples did not happen overnight.

Still, it was to his credit that he started to create a more confident attitude and, in truth, that vital game with the Ukraine should have been put to bed more convincingly. It was only later in the match that nerves kicked in and there was a danger of the defeat which would have meant missing out on automatic qualification. In the end, it felt like they just about deserved their spot as runners-up to England.

Those difficulties, of course, put the champions into a lowly pot for the draw for Euro 2024 and that duly produced what looks like a bit of a group of death. Albania are tricky enough opponents while Spain and Croatia have both proved hostile opposition in recent years. If Italy are to defend their crown, they will surely have to do it the hard way.

At least qualification has bought Spalletti a little bit of breathing space and time to experiment. There were signs of improvement over his short time in charge as he started to try to give his own identity to the boys in blue. There is more work to be done if they hope to progress deep into next summer’s competition.

Goalkeeping remains a question mark, with Gigio Donnarumma showing worrying signs of decline, and the hunt for a prolific goalscorer remains the headache it was for Mancini. There is plenty of food for thought in other departments too as the Azzurri try their best to blend tried and tested performers with new faces. It is perhaps for the best that their coach has no hair left to pull out.

Still, he can have some grounds for optimism with hints that Federico Chiesa is returning to his breathtaking best. If the Juventus man can be harnessed properly, he is undoubtedly Italy’s main matchwinner and difference-maker and they need to do everything they can to put him in the best position to influence matches. It feels like he can help to recreate the positive vibe that took Italy to glory in England.

The main thrust, however, should be to use the tournament in Germany as a building block towards a World Cup campaign in 2026 in the United States, Mexico and Canada. By that point it will be a jaw-dropping 12 years since they graced the global competition and – for a team of their stature – that cannot be allowed to extend any further. Spalletti should be bold in his choices at the Euros in order to reap the rewards a couple of years later.

The federation needs to back its man with a mandate to plan in advance and use the Euros to be bold and experimental. It could be a chance to give young players a test run and see how they perform in the cauldron of top competition. There is talent there in reserve, but he needs to get a chance to use it without the pressure of thinking he will be shown the door at his first flop. His priority should be to show signs of progress in their football with an eye on the next major competition around the corner.

Italy are definite outsiders for victory in 2024 but they should use that as an opportunity to construct a more credible challenge for the World Cup. They used to be good at long-term planning with the national team but the pressure to produce results seems to have thrown that out the window. It is time to keep calm and trust Luciano. If he can prove as lucky as his name might suggest, there could still be good times in store.

Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. You can follow him on X @ginkers and listen to him on the podcast Rigore!.

Fiorentina enjoyed a cracking win over the reigning champions recently to soar further up the Serie A table. Giancarlo Rinaldi examines the secrets of their success with one evergreen superstar at its centre.

When Giacomo Bonaventura left Milanello for the final time, there were those who thought it was the beginning of the end. He had passed 30 and his days as a rising star at Atalanta felt a long time ago. There had already been a couple of seasons of dwindling minutes with the Rossoneri when they ultimately decided he was surplus to requirements. Now in his fourth year at Fiorentina, however, he has kicked any thoughts of a downward spiral firmly into the stratosphere.

His reward for his impressive form has been a return to the Italy fold for the first time in years. “He has complete control of the ball,” swooned Luciano Spalletti. “He can shoot from outside the area and break into the box. The only thing I was hesitant about was his age but if he keeps doing what he’s doing you’ve got to call him up.”

• Read more – Bonaventura on Bellingham comparison, Italy return, Spalletti-Italiano similarities

There will be mixed feelings in Florence, however, as the 34-year-old has been vital to the Viola’s great start to the Serie A season. While it is always an honour to see a player pick up international caps, it will be tinged by concern over the possibility of him getting injured or, at the very least, tired against Malta and England. The pews of the Duomo may be filled with some unfamiliar faces over the next few days praying that he comes back to the Stadio Artemio Franchi in one piece.

His start to the league campaign has been a blistering one with four goals and two assists in his first eight games. That already matches or exceeds his scoring tally in five of the last seven seasons. Nobody expects him to continue at this rate but, nonetheless, it has made him one of the first names fans look for in the match squad for any game Vincenzo Italiano’s men play.

What he lacks in pace, Bonaventura trumps with his football brain. He rarely gives away possession, has the vision to cut open defences and also possesses a cool head in front of goal. It is a skill set that a player half his age would envy.

That has made him a key performer in this good start to the season by his club which was capped by the convincing win over Napoli. In a sliding doors moment, it had many people wondering how different the world might have been if the Fiorentina coach – who was linked with the position – had moved to the Stadio Maradona instead of Rudi Garcia. Certainly, the transition to the Frenchman has not been a smooth one.

It is easy to get carried away by one good result, of course, and closer scrutiny of the Viola’s opening games flags up as many worries as it does wonders. They rode their luck to win in Udine with just two shots on goal – both converted – to their opponents’ eight. It was proof, if proof were needed, that San Pietro Terracciano’s divine performances already appear to have seen off another contender to his goalkeeping crown – Oliver Christensen. The role of number one is not up for debate among even the most contrary Fiorentini.

Second-half slumps against Frosinone and Lecce would also have some alarm bells ringing as would a supine showing against Inter. But when they have been good – like against Genoa, Atalanta and the Neapolitans – they have been tremendous. It has got fans dreaming of another European finish this year but perhaps of a higher quality than the one they pinched from La Vecchia Signora’s shopping basket last summer.

Bonaventura has stolen the show but there are other names worthy of mention. Lucas Martinez Quarta and Luca Ranieri have both become unlikely goal threats in a formation as fluid as stracciatella soup. Young full-backs Fabiano Parisi and Michael Kayode have also been revelations – the latter particularly welcome with Dodô looking set to sit out much of the season with an injury. Spalletti might well be watching both of them with an eye to the future.

Alongside Bonaventura, Alfred Duncan is also enjoying something of a revival and new boy Arthur Melo looks to be rebuilding his reputation one game at a time. The odd match has looked too physical for the Brazilian schemer but with the time and space he is getting in this 4-2-3-1 formation, he has been thriving. Most fans have already forgotten that Moroccan lad who signed for Manchester United.

On the wing, too, it has been a joy to behold Nico Gonzalez – fresh from a contract keeping him in Florence until 2028. He is the livewire who sparks this team into life with his darting runs, dribbling skills and amazing aerial prowess. Add to that a dash of Josip Brekalo and the return to fitness of Jonathan Ikoné you have the makings of a team that can unlock you in many different ways and from all kinds of angles.

The only bum note so far has been from the forward line where M’bala Nzola has but a solitary goal to his credit – a late, inconsequential strike against Cagliari. That still puts him one better than fellow new boy Lucas Beltran who is still waiting to burst the net. Dreams of him being the next Gabriel Batistuta will have to be put on hold for a wee while to come.

But that is to pick a flaw in a team that has been on a run of results since the tail end of last season which is truly impressive. Their coach – a relentless firecracker on the touchline with constant gesticulating and outfit changes – has seen his reputation rightly rise along with his team. They appear to have taken the disappointment of last season’s two lost cup finals and channelled it into improving their performances and becoming a better side all around.

We’re only eight games in, of course, and few fans have had their fingers burned more often than followers of Florence’s finest. Still, these opening exchanges have at least put a smile on their faces ahead of some stern tests to come. With Bonaventura pulling the strings, Italiano orchestrating and Gonzalez striking all the right chords, they are one of the most magical sides in Serie A at present. Where will it take them? Only time can tell. But – like a sunset over the Ponte Vecchio – all their fans will be hoping to savour this special moment for as long as they can.

Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football – you can buy them here. Or why not follow him on X where he is @ginkers.

Big spending and superstar arrivals may be few and far between but Italy’s top division has still seen a shake-up this summer. Giancarlo Rinaldi does his best to examine whose acquisitions policy has most impressed.

• Read more – All completed Serie A transfers in 2023 summer transfer window

ATALANTA – 7.5 They may have lost Rasmus Hojlund but that has helped to fund a pretty sumptuous transfer market. Charles De Ketelaere is an intriguing gamble while similar things could be said about Gianluca Scamacca and El-Bilal Touré up front. Marco Carnesecchi has looked like an outstanding prospect with Italy’s Under 21s while Sead Kolasinac adds a dash of experience. All in all, even Gian Piero Gasperini would struggle to grumble.

BOLOGNA – 5.5 A pretty quiet window but some would argue that if it isn’t broken then you don’t need to fix it. Thiago Motta’s side were solid last season and they have pretty much kept that team intact. The loss of Marko Arnautovic was a major blow as he was a leader for this side but there have been early indications that new boy Dan Ndoye might fit into their system pretty well.

CAGLIARI – 6 A fairly major reshuffle was always likely to be in order to try to ensure Serie A survival and they have not hesitated about making a string of signings in Sardinia. The once hugely promising Simone Scuffet in goals is a welcome return to Italy while Sampdoria full-back Tommaso Augello is a reliable performer. Jakub Jankto is well known after his time in Genoa too while Eldor Shomurodov will hope to have found a club to finally showcase his talents.

EMPOLI – 6.5 Some star names have been lost such as Guglielmo Vicario to Spurs and Fabiano Parisi to Fiorentina but that is pretty much par for the course for the Tuscan side. They have just dusted themselves off and hope to have brought in the next crop of rising stars. Daniel Maldini is an eye-catcher but Elia Caprile and Matteo Cancellieri will also look to enhance their reputations and careers at the perfect club to do so.

FIORENTINA – 7 Although the Sofyan Amrabat saga dragged on, the Viola were not slow in making their signings. Out went the likes of Igor, Lorenzo Venuti, Arthur Cabral and Riccardo Saponara while on the inbound train came the promising Parisi from Empoli, the tactically important Arthur from Juventus and a revamped attack with Mbala Nzola and Lucas Beltran. The potential looks good, at least on paper.

FROSINONE 6 – It is hard to programme survival but they have done their best with a mix of older heads and young hopefuls. In have come a player with plenty of Serie A knowledge in Pol Lirola and another experienced defender in Simone Romagnoli. It will be interesting to see how Juventus loanees Kaio Jorge and Matias Soulé get on and the same is true of Reinier Jesus coming from Real Madrid while Abdou Harroui from Sassuolo has already made an immediate impact.

GENOA 7 – Although they got torn apart in their opening game, the Rossoblu have invested quite heavily in making a mark on their return to the top division. Mateo Retegui is the standout name but the likes of Ruslan Malinovskyi and Junior Messias also have a proven track record. Morten Thorsby has also crossed the port city from Samp to Genoa via Union Berlin.

INTER 7.5 – The loss of Milan Skriniar, Andre Onana and Marcelo Brozovic cannot be underestimated but the Nerazzurri have done their best to bring in quality with Yann Sommer, Marcus Thuram, Davide Frattesi and Benjamin Pavard on the arrivals list plus Davy Klaassen on the deadline day. No doubt the Romelu Lukaku and Lamar Samardzic sagas were frustrating but they still look to have put a strong squad at Simone Inzaghi’s disposal.

JUVENTUS 6 – If the window closes without having to sacrifice Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa then that will probably be seen as a victory. With no European football to worry about, they should be more than capable of a Scudetto challenge. Timothy Weah was the biggest name to arrive but it was more a summer about stability than doing anything spectacular in Turin.

LAZIO 5.5 – It appears that Maurizio Sarri has not been all that impressed by the transfer strategy in Rome and it would be hard to blame him. Any team would struggle to replace Sergej Milinkovic-Savic but the action has been sluggish from the Biancocelesti. Nicolò Rovella is a talent and both Daichi Kamada and Mateo Guendouzi could be quality additions but it is not the big step forward fans were hoping for in order to mount a title bid.

LECCE 6 – The wily old sporting director Pantaleo Corvino knows how to find a jewel and early results seem to be backing him up. Nobody would look at the arrivals board and think it was breathtaking but Pontus Almqvist has already made an impact and Nikola Krstovic has got among the goals. How long it will last remains to be seen but don’t be surprised if there are a few revelations in there.

MILAN 7 – Perhaps the hardest club of all to mark as the departure of Sandro Tonali was such a blow as a future Bandiera of the Rossoneri. However, they have gone out and looked at easing the pressure on Rafael Leao as the main attacking inspiration. Christian Pulisic has hit the ground running and Tijjani Reijnders has also got off to a flyer. If other acquisitions back them up, they could well forget the man who moved to Newcastle very quickly.

MONZA 5.5 – A pretty unexciting window and the loss of Rovella is a blow to the midfield. Arrivals like Roberto Gagliardini and Danilo D’Ambrosio from Inter are hardly the kind of acquisitions to get pulses racing but they are at least dependable performers. It will all, ultimately, be about how they gel on the pitch to see if they can repeat the exploits of last term.

NAPOLI 6 – The champions might well be pleased to only have lost one big name with Kim Min-jae heading to Bayern Munich. Otherwise, it has been pretty much all quiet on the Neapolitan front with no big names to really get supporters excited. However, they have shown themselves more than capable of unearthing surprise successes and Natan and Jens Cajuste might fit that bill this time around.

ROMA 7.5 – Another side to be plundered by Saudi Arabia but the loss of Roger Ibanez may not prove all that painful. Some very interesting new faces in Renato Sanches, Houssem Aouar and Evan Ndicka could give a strong spine to Jose Mourinho’s side and they added Romelu Lukaku late in the day which could really be transformational – with all respect to Andrea Belotti.

SALERNITANA 6.5 – It was all about Boulaye Dia really this summer and fending off the advances of others and ensuring they kept a hold of him was the best piece of business Paulo Sousa’s side could do. The rest of it feels a bit like tinkering around the edges but with the Senegalese striker in place there is every reason for optimism for the campaign to come.

SASSUOLO 5 – Another club with a campaign that will fall into the underwhelming category but they have shown plenty of times that they can do great things with unheralded names. Few players to steal the headlines but they might yet manage to develop some of them into future superstars to sell on.

TORINO 7 – It was slow progress on the transfer front in Turin and it was no surprise to hear that Ivan Juric was once again unconvinced about the summer moves. However, the last few hours brought a lot of excitement around the Stadio Grande Torino with product of club academy Alessandro Buongiorno snubbing a move to Atalanta and Duvan Zapata joining the Granata anyway from Bergamo. With the Colombian man up front, Torino can dream of a European spot, but competition will be stiff.

UDINESE 5 – The loss of Destiny Udogie was already expected but Beto and Rodrigo Becao going also punched holes in Andrea Sottil’s side. A string of arrivals from Watford come as no surprise but perhaps the most interesting new name might be that of Lorenzo Lucca. A spell with Ajax did not work out but he was being mentioned as a potential Italy international and will hope to rebuild that reputation.

VERONA 6 – Losing Adrien Tameze to Torino was bad news but they have moved to try to fill that gap and strengthen the squad for a more comfortable survival. Riccardo Saponara might add a dash of class that was missing last year while Michael Folorunsho should bolster the midfield. Don’t expect fireworks but it might be a little better than last term.

This article was first published in July when the first reports of a possible move to Manchester United emerged.

Manchester United are among the clubs in talks with Fiorentina for Sofyan Amrabat, but Giancarlo Rinaldi warns the Red Devils fans must be patient if the Morocco international ends up at Old Trafford.

If there is any lesson to be learned from Sofyan Amrabat’s time in Florence, it is probably to be patient. The Moroccan midfielder arrived in Tuscany from Verona with plenty of fanfare but little immediate impact. Should a deal go ahead, fans at Old Trafford should be ready to give him a little time to adapt to his new surroundings – because it is worth the wait for his slow-burn success.

He came to Fiorentina with a reputation for rarely putting a pass astray during his time at the Stadio Bentegodi but he struggled to translate that to similar standards in a purple shirt. He split his time between defensive midfield and a more advanced role in that 2020-21 campaign and his performances suffered as a result. Never much of a goal threat, he failed to impose himself on games as he had at the outset of his Serie A adventure.

That would change, however, as the deeper role became his staple under Vincenzo Italiano and that was when he truly came into his own. A below-the-radar hit with the Viola, his cover was blown with an outstanding World Cup for his country and an impressive run in the Conference League. A price tag of anything up to £80m was being thrown about in the January transfer window.

That always seemed a bit exaggerated, although club president Rocco Commisso might be feeling a pang of regret if any deal like that was indeed being offered. This summer, his stock has subsided to more manageable levels and a number of potential suitors have already looked elsewhere. Resigned to losing him, it is up to his current owners to secure the best deal they can.

Amrabat brings solidity, bite and organisation to the area he patrols. Some of his sliding tackles have become the stuff of legend and he rarely gives up on anything as a lost cause. It has cost him more than his share of yellow cards but won him plenty of fans in the process.

He looks like a guy who has a game style that should be well suited to England but he might find that the tactical fouls he could get away with in Italy are more often punished in his new surroundings. However, if they can harness him correctly, there is no doubt he is a formidable acquisition. His price tag could seem like a bit of a bargain if they can get the best out of him in Manchester.

He will be missed in Florence, that’s for sure. After a stuttering start, he became one of the first names that fans looked for on the team sheet and he put a lot of the early mistakes behind him to become an influential performer. He leaves a big, bald gap in the heart of the team after three seasons which saw him grow in stature throughout.

Signing any Serie A player to the English Premier League always comes with a bit of a health warning but he looks equipped for what might lie ahead. The pace of the British game may come as a bit of a shock but he showed in Qatar that he could cope with different styles of play too. He should slot in nicely as one of the defensive midfield pair in a 4-2-3-1 formation for Erik Ten Haag – a man he knows well from their time together at Utrecht.

As for Fiorentina, they have gotten used to seeing the players they develop move on to pastures new for big price tags. Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic and more have made tidy profits for the Tuscan club in recent years and they already appear to have found his replacement in Liverpool and Juventus misfit Arthur. Whether the Brazilian can make up for the Moroccan’s departure remains to be seen. And, without a doubt, a few at the Stadio Artemio Franchi will be keeping a closer eye on the Red Devils to see how their former hero gets on if he ends up making the move.

Twitter: @Ginkers

Despite not winning the Serie A title, Carletto Mazzone made history in Italian football and not only by having a major influence on the careers of lends like Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti and Roberto Baggio, writes Giancarlo Rinaldi.

If your footballing philosophy is that winning is the only thing that matters then you can stop reading right now.

Carletto Mazzone’s trophy cabinet was stubbornly uncluttered with the trinkets we usually use to measure success. And yet, as the tributes poured in after the 86-year-old’s passing, his significance to Serie A – and some of the game’s greatest stars – would be hard to understate. His special qualities were worth more than mere silverware.

For the best part of four decades, he was a permanent fixture on the Calcio landscape and rattled up the best part of 800 matches as a coach in Italy’s top division. As Roman as a plate of Cacio e Pepe – he travelled the length and breadth of the country and is remembered with warmth and affection everywhere from Brescia to Lecce and many points in between. Fans loved his plain speaking and passion while countless players considered him a father figure or, later in his career, a surrogate Nonno.

• Read more – Guardiola: ‘Mazzone knew Baggio should not be treated like me’

It all began in Ascoli – the club where he transitioned from player to manager and spent the best part of seven years in charge. That kind of long-term commitment was as rare in the late 1960s as it is now but he rewarded his employers with an impressive run of results at the provincial side. He set a win rate there that would remain among the best of his career.

It got him a move to Fiorentina where he managed his best-ever Serie A finish – a third place in the 1976-77 campaign. However, he struggled to build on that and would soon start wandering up and down the Peninsula. It would be 25 years into his managerial adventure before he landed the job that he had dreamed of – in charge of Roma.

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Although the trophies refused to arrive, he cemented his reputation as a great nurturer of talent with the Giallorossi. His special relationship with fellow Romano, Francesco Totti, saw him help the then-teenage talent develop into the player he would become. Many years before, he had also played a part in bringing through a certain Giancarlo Antognoni in Florence.

It was that paternal and educational role that was a constant theme of his football life. He has been widely credited with switching Andrea Pirlo to the deep-lying role in Brescia which would see him become a world-beater. “I am proud to have met you and that you helped me to grow as a man and a footballer,” the ex-Azzurri star said in tribute.

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His bond with Roberto Baggio helped the Divin Codino to shine later in his playing days when many thought he was a spent force. And Pep Guardiola was also among the many to honour Mazzone at the weekend with kind words and a T-shirt featuring his mentor’s image. For a guy who did not win much, he influenced an awful lot of people who did.

The picture on the Manchester City boss’ chest was an iconic one from a famous derby clash with Atalanta while he was in charge at Brescia. Having been insulted for much of the match by the opposition support, he could not contain himself when his team equalised late on and he went to celebrate in front of the rival fans. When, inevitably, he was sent off by referee Pierluigi Collina, Mazzone admitted he deserved to see red.

• Read more – Conte: ‘Mazzone won the most important Scudetto’

It was this humanity, simplicity and sense of humour which will be remembered now that he is no longer with us. While in charge at Roma, he had one famous exchange with marauding full-back Amedeo Carboni as he flew up the pitch. “How many games have you played in Serie A?” he asked his player and the answer came back – 350. “And how many goals have you scored?” he followed up. “Four,” was the response. “Then I’d like to know where the hell you think you are going,” quipped Mazzone, “get back in defence right now.”

A smart tactician, he never took himself too seriously and that earned him respect from his own fans and opposition supporters alike. His drooping features had the air of a man who had seen it all and knew that there was more to life than winning football games. That did not mean he lacked passion – as his celebrations often testified – but simply that he was capable of keeping things in perspective. When he retired from coaching, post-match TV interviews lost one of their star performers.

His family and friends will mourn him most but any true fan of Serie A will also be saddened by his passing. Some people might see the absence of Scudetti and Coppa Italia triumphs as a mark of failure but he showed us there was much more to the game than titles and trophies. He was true to himself and loyal to his players with a warmth that has been returned in the glowing tributes from around the world. The sport has lost one of its most charismatic figures whose importance could never be measured in simple silverware. Grazie di tutto, Carletto.

Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. He is also half of the Rigore! Podcast team. You can follow him on X @ginkers.

A new season starts on Saturday and Giancarlo Rinaldi explains what to expect from Serie A coaches, from José Mourinho to Massimiliano Allegri and Luciano Spalletti’s replacement at Napoli Rudi Garcia.

Serie A can feel at times like an actor whose best days are behind him, living on past glories. However, last season’s treble of European hard luck stories showed that there is one area where it can still deliver an Oscar-winning performance. The coaches of Italian football remain elite box office in their own unique way.

The campaign ahead should be no different despite the illustrious exit of one of the game’s most famous bald heads from the spotlight’s glare. Spalletti’s decision to dribble out of Naples quicker than Khvicha Kvaratskhelia turns opposition defenders inside out means we have lost at least one of Italy’s most compelling characters – from league competition. His replacement, however, is a familiar face as Rudi Garcia returns to the centre of the Calcio village.

The Frenchman faces a tough assignment in trying to retain the Scudetto won by his predecessor despite possessing a squad undoubtedly capable of doing so. Since his time with Roma, he has been back home with Marseille and Lyon before taking a tilt – like so many – at the Saudi league. He returns to a landscape filled with hostile, ingenious and innovative competitors.

None are likely to be more so than Simone Inzaghi, despite Inter’s questionable performance in the transfer market so far. His Coppa Italia triumph and a creditable Champions League final display against all-conquering Manchester City have seen his stock rise rapidly with the Nerazzurri and they will now hope he can deliver a league title. His evolution as a coach suggests that he might be just about ready to do so.

Not that he will have it easy if he does achieve that goal. Grumpy old Max Allegri is on a death or glory mission at Juventus which nobody should doubt could deliver Scudetto number whatever the Bianconeri now claim they have achieved. With only the league to focus his attention on, he surely has a squad which can be a major contender. How entertaining it will be remains a matter of some conjecture but few could doubt he has the pedigree to add another domestic honour to his trophy cabinet.

If you don’t like the dour pragmatism of the Old Lady’s current minder, what about the delights of Maurizio Sarri-ball at Lazio? Now entering season three with the Biancocelesti there have been signs of him reproducing the old magic which so captured hearts in Naples. The loss of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is a blow, but he has repeatedly shown that his teams are greater than any one individual. He has also displayed a much greater willingness than others to throw away his chances in Europe in favour of domestic success.

There is no such attitude on the other side of the Eternal City where Jose Mourinho continues to play all the old mind games that will either endear or infuriate depending on your stance. There is little middle ground when it comes to the Portuguese boss who threw everything at winning the Europa League last term to follow up on Conference League glory only to come up just short. Not everyone may love his methods, but it is hard to deny their effectiveness.

And then there is Stefano Pioli, The Normal One who has been struggling in some stormy seas at Milan after his Scudetto win. Many of his acquisitions last season failed to deliver but there seems to be greater optimism about the arrivals this summer. A good team did not go bad overnight, however, and if he gets the right additions, he has shown he is more than capable of doing an outstanding job. Don’t rule them out of contending in the upper reaches once again.

The supporting cast is enviable too. Vincenzo Italiano at Fiorentina was another boss to come within a whisker of European silverware last year and will be keen to make a more consistent tilt at Serie A. Gian Piero Gasperini looks like he has got a more solid squad than he had 12 months ago and remains a sharp tactician. Add to that rising stars like Thiago Motta or Alberto Gilardino and wily old campaigners like Claudio Ranieri and you have a wonderful mix once again. Insight, innovation and inspiration will be the order of the day on the benches of Italy’s top division which should make for a gripping spectacle once again. If there is ever a lull on the field of play, just take a look at the dugouts and you should be thoroughly entertained.

Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. He is also half of the Rigore! Podcast team. You can follow him on Twitter @ginkers.

The dreams of Serie A grabbing an historic continental clean sweep were dashed and hopes of an Under 20 World Cup and Nations League double collapsed. But, Giancarlo Rinaldi argues, there were some positives to be taken from all the pain.

Football can be a game of brutal and often superficial judgements. A victory can, like skilfully applied make-up, conceal a range of flaws and blemishes. On the flipside, the anguish of defeat can often drown out rational analysis of any good points from a game – like letting your son smother the cordon bleu dinner you cooked him with ketchup. A middle ground is harder to find than the swift and unanimously accepted imposition of Italian sporting justice.

There will be those who are ready to lord it over Serie A once again over its triple tragedy in Europe. As the headaches still clear for the tens of thousands of Interisti, Romanisti and Viola who saw their hopes die, it would be easy to dismiss their efforts as entirely worthless. And yet that really does not do justice to how deep into all three European competitions Italy’s deputation managed to get in the season just ended. Call me delusional, but I reckon my Chianti glass is more than half-full.

Looking at the finals alone is surely sufficient to allow for optimism. All three sides who reached the last act of their tournaments had their chances to go on and win the thing. None of them, for sure, were outclassed in the manner some predicted. Defeats, perhaps, but by margins as thin as the finest homemade sheets of lasagna.

There were plenty who forecast a ritual slaughter for Inter against the financial and footballing might of Manchester City and yet that never materialised. The Nerazzurri managed to disrupt Pep Guardiola’s side as well as anyone has in recent times and produced a few chances of their own. If Big Rom’s big body had not got in the way of Federico Dimarco’s header how different might things have been? Like a schoolboy struggling with his maths homework, we may never know the answer.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still a gigantic gulf between the Premier League and its Italian counterpart. There’s a separate article to be written about the financial rights and wrongs of that one but – as things stand – the British behemoth continues to batter its European rivals with a huge cudgel of cash. That Simone Inzaghi’s side kept them within touching distance throughout the game should show that there are foundations there to build a comeback on.

Fiorentina, too, went toe-to-toe with English monetary clout and came within inches of extra time at the very least. They were perhaps too cautious until they went behind but after conceding they showed they were more than a match for their London rivals. That the homeland of Catenaccio was caught out by a counter-attack in the closing stages tells its own story.

Roma were something of a rule apart, with all the gamesmanship and histrionics that José Mourinho suckles his superstars on. They sometimes seemed more intent on playing against the referee rather than the opposition before succumbing to tournament specialists Sevilla. Still, in the moments when football was allowed to break out, they looked more than capable of getting a result and almost did so until penalties snapped their resolve.

All three sides showed they had the reserves of talent to go far in the competition, but this was a year when almost all Serie A teams made good progress. That in itself should be cause for optimism. For too long Italian outfits have turned their noses up at the lower level European trophies as if they were somehow beneath them, but they now look ready to roll their sleeves up and battle to go as far as they can.

It is worth remembering that two other representatives of the league had to be knocked out by their Calcio compatriots. Milan stunned everyone – perhaps even themselves – by eliminating a Napoli side which was many people’s dark horse to win the Champions League. Certainly, the Partenopei produced some of the finest football in the competition prior to being shown the exit.

The Rossoneri, in turn, succumbed to their city rivals having, in truth, got much further than anticipated. There is work to be done by Stefano Pioli or whoever is in charge in future to rebuild the Milanese giants after some questionable activity on the transfer market last summer. Their squad is still strong, but it looked stretched in defending the Scudetto and trying to muster a serious tilt at Europe’s top trophy.

And what about Juve? Their Champions League demise was a miserable one, as they finished miles behind PSG and Benfica and level on points with Maccabi Haifa. Like Roma, they were unable to solve a problem like Sevilla after dropping down a level, but their overall performances were surely well below what a squad like this should be able to muster. Max Allegri might not have the keys to a Ferrari, but he still insists on driving his top of the range Alfa Romeo as if it were an Ape – one of those three-wheeled little trucks you see teetering along some hillside track in Tuscany. At a club where winning is the only thing, there can be no crumb of comfort in anything other than success.

Lazio were a case apart as they appeared to go at things more old school and clearly prioritised league position over European progress. They got what they wanted in the end, although they surely had the resources to get just as far – if not one step further – than Fiorentina did in their Conference League journey. Viola fans, despite defeat, will be telling tales of their trip to the Fortuna Arena for years to come. It seems unlikely that Biancocelesti supporters will be regaling their grandchildren with memories of how they finished 16 points behind Napoli in the Scudetto race.

They will argue, not without some justification, that qualifying for next year’s Champions League provides a solid financial footing and allows them to invest to further enhance their squad. That’s a very pragmatic approach, but it seems hard to believe that fans will ever find their souls more stirred by finishing a couple of places higher up the table than actually lifting a trophy. No doubt they got some satisfaction by watching their city rivals stumble at the final hurdle in the Europa League, but it’s surely much more rewarding to battle for silverware of your own. Maybe, with some solid player investment strategy to give Maurizio Sarri the depth of squad he feels he requires, they can stretch themselves to try flat out in two competitions.

The misery did not end with Italy’s club sides as its national teams too had some big summer appointments. The Under 20s had a brave tilt at their age group’s World Cup in Argentina, while the full Azzurri team had a less impressive impact in the Nations League final four in the Netherlands. The younger group, this time around, perhaps gave consolation to its more mature counterparts.

Cesare Casadei and Tommaso Baldanzi stole the headlines with Carmine Nunziata’s expedition to South America and, although it ended in defeat to Uruguay in the final, there were plenty of bright spots. They failed to do themselves justice at the last hurdle, but throughout the tournament they produced some cracking football. It was worth the journey to see Simone Pafundi’s exquisite free-kick to defeat South Korea alone.

The lesson, if there was one to be learned, was that there is a pool of talent there which needs to see more football at a higher level. Roberto Mancini was justifiably upbeat about what he had seen in terms of potential resources for a World Cup in 2026. The proviso, of course, is that these boys have to get game time.

What is not in doubt, after a defeat to Spain in the Nations League semi-final, is the need for another process of rejuvenation of the Azzurri side. Leonardo Bonucci’s calamitous display underlined the need to move on from the Euro 2020 generation and start to blood more up and coming players. Mancio has shown himself to be bold in that respect in the past – but can he achieve it once again?

That is a curious conundrum for the Italy boss as he is pulled between the loyalty he perhaps did not receive as a player for the Nazionale himself and the need to overhaul his side. There was a magic about this group of players when they won the continental crown in 2021, but it has vanished just a couple of years down the line. The materials are still there, but it is not always easy to throw the right ones into the cauldron to come up with the potion you require.

There was some consolation in the defeat of the home nation in the third and fourth place play-off. The Azzurri were reshuffled and the likes of Dimarco, Alessandro Buongiorno and Davide Frattesi all performed well. There was even a goal for Federico Chiesa, which was something to cheer about after his trouble with injury. There is plenty of work to be done to get back to the levels which won the Euros, but there were a few glimmers of hope. Perhaps the U21s can build on that at their upcoming European Championship.

This run of glum outcomes – for clubs and country – still has the potential to be a watershed moment. For Serie A, it showed that a different mindset to European competition could be rewarding for both fans and the bank balance. Building on that might not topple the English Premier League from its financial pre-eminence, but it could at least mount a more credible challenge.

For the national team, too, there were tasty treats of consolation to be found among the disappointment. Italy has still got talent, it is just about nurturing it and getting the correct mix and spirit when they get to full national team level. That needs a concerted effort to ensure that young players get enough football of a high enough quality to ensure they are ready for the rigours of top competition. Defeats always feel bad at the time, but it is all about how you learn from them and come back stronger. Then, perhaps, you get to lift a trophy and put a smile on the face of the fans who have suffered a summer of heartache.

Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. He is also half of the Rigore! Podcast team. You can follow him on Twitter @ginkers.

Position: 8th

Points: 56

Last season: 7th, 62 points

Best Serie A scorer: Arthur Cabral, eight goals in 28 Serie A games

Rating: 6.5/10

Season overview

There were two Fiorentinas this season, in truth, the one that competed in Serie A and the other that they kept up their sleeve for cup competitions. They never really threatened to manage the top-six finish their squad could surely have mustered in the league but they more than made up for it in the Coppa Italia and Conference League. Dull and predictable in the first half of the campaign, they kicked into life after the World Cup break – perhaps benefitting from having relatively few players on duty in Qatar. Their biggest regret will be that without that sluggish start, they could surely have finished much higher up the table.

Turnaround moment

There was actually a moment when Viola fans were genuinely scared of getting dragged into the relegation fight and it was relatively late in the season. It took a trip to the Stadio Bentegodi in late February to kill off those fears with a convincing win over Verona which banished such thoughts entirely. The result seemed to relax the team as they went on a winning run – both in Europe and domestically – which completely contrasted with their previous form. It helped to take them to two cup finals and the brink of the European places before more stuttering form saw them slip back to midtable.

The coach – Vincenzo Italiano

There were calls at some stages for Vincenzo Italiano’s bald head on a plate, but the club stayed strong and were rewarded in the long term with a brilliant winning streak. He chopped and changed his 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 – particularly the central defensive pairing – but got it right more often than not throughout the campaign. Initially, his tactics appeared a little too predictable and the Viola were vulnerable to the counter-attack but they gradually became quicker and more clinical and ended up as one of the better sides to watch in Serie A this year.

Player of the season- Cristiano Biraghi

If he’d hit form a bit earlier, then there is little doubt the flying little Brazilian Dodô would have been the people’s choice, but he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings at the outset. Instead, it was assist machine, free-kick specialist and captain Christiano Biraghi who was the most consistent throughout the campaign. Not always loved by his own supporters, he nonetheless was a vital contributor from both an attacking and a defensive standpoint throughout a season which saw him shine at home and abroad although the Conference League Final against West Ham saw him struggle and cause a penalty after being left bleeding by objects thrown by Hammers’ supporters.

Disappointing Player of the Season – Pierluigi Gollini

It was meant to be a glorious return for the former youth team player but things went wrong for Pierluigi Gollini almost from the start of his spell back in Tuscany. He was supposed to challenge – and probably oust – Pietro Terracciano as a first choice, but instead, a series of errors made him regularly second choice. He appeared to blame others but should have shouldered some responsibility of his own. Neither he nor the club were happy about his role so when the chance came to ship him out to Napoli in January, there were few regrets on either side.

Position: 14th

Points: 43

Previous season : 14th, 41 points

Best scorer: Nicolò Cambiaghi, six goals in 28 Serie A games

Rating: 6.5/10

Season overview

It was hardly a thrill a minute at the Carlo Castellani this season, but a relatively comfortable survival and a few more points than last term will have satisfied everyone at the club. They have become a good place for young talent to emerge. Once again, they proved to be a fine breeding ground, with Tommaso Baldanzi, Nicolò Cambiaghi and Fabiano Parisi among those getting a chance to shine. They were far from free-scoring but their solid 4-3-1-2 formation conceded far fewer goals than the majority of their main relegation rivals.

Turnaround moment

Serie B was definitely a possibility for much of the time, but it was a very late rush of form that ensured the Tuscan side could enjoy the closing few weeks of the season. An epic win over Bologna in early May – in which VAR denied their opponents two goals – was vital in finally banishing any fears of relegation. That sent Empoli on one of their best streaks of the season with three wins in five games – including a skelping of Juventus – which ensured they kept their heads comfortably above water.

The coach – Paolo Zanetti

After winning promotion but then crashing into relegation with Venezia, there were some dents in Paolo Zanetti’s reputation but the team where he featured more than 50 times as a player was willing to take a chance on him nonetheless. It proved to be a good match as he was in tune with the ambitions of bringing through young prospects and giving them an opportunity to experience Serie A away from the stresses of bigger clubs. He will undoubtedly lose some of them in the summer, so his talents will be tested again next year.

Player of the Season – Fabiano Parisi

It could easily have been flying goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario who had an impressive season with some astonishing saves but the honour has to go to defensive colleague Fabiano Parisi who captured the attention of many other clubs with his displays at left-back. It earned him a call-up to the Italy squad in November although he failed to add to the Under 21 appearances he had already earned. Don’t be surprised if he pops up on a bigger side soon to become a mainstay of their defence.

Disappointing Player of the Season – Marko Pjaca

There was a time when Marko Pjaca was a hot prospect but those days have seemed a distant memory as misfortune and injury have seen his stock tumble. Empoli could have been the ideal place to kick-start his career but things never really got going and he struggled to influence things – featuring in less than half of their league games and playing 90 minutes in none of those matches. Everybody would wish him a return to the promise he once showed but it didn’t happen for him in Tuscany.