EURO BITES: Serie A - Inter to sign Andrea Pirlo? Juventus keen on Lavezzi? Serie A players no longer young...or Italian

Salvatore Avallone rounds up the latest news from Italy with Andrea Pirlo linked with a return to Serie A and the revelation that the league’s players are no longer young…or Italian.

INTER LINKED WITH MOVE FOR ANDREA PIRLO

Although Inter sits top of the table with Fiorentina in the Serie A, their quality of play has not been the best in the league. Inter’s results, critics point out, have depended on a solid and consistent defence and midfield. Now, with last week’s break in Serie A matches and the real possibility of winning the title on the horizon, Inter’s management have been focused on possible acquisitions in the transfer window in January. Roberto Mancini expressed interest in Andrea Pirlo, who moved to the MLS this summer to play with New York FC, as well as the Belgian winger Dries Mertens, who plays with one of Inter’s direct contenders for the championship, Napoli. A more realistic possibility is Oguzhan Ozyakup, a central midfielder playing with Besiktas in Turkey.

PAULO SOUSA IS FIORENTINA’S SUPERMAN

The biggest surprise in this year’s Serie A is the stunning success of Fiorentina, a team that not only tops the table along with Inter after 12 matchdays, but has, along with Napoli, the most dynamic and entertaining game in the league. The secret to Fiorentina’s success? Portuguese coach Paulo Sousa, who arrived in Florence this summer with ideas and new strategy, and who has inspired Fiorentina players like Borja Valero, Milan Badelj and Josip Ilicic following disappointing seasons last year. Sousa is also in large part responsible for the success of Fiorentina’s transfer activity this summer, when the team acquired players like Nikola Kalinic, who this season has already scored seven goals, at very low cost.

SAMPDORIA GETS RID OF ZENGA AND CELEBRATES MONTELLA

Walter Zenga, who has been the coach of Sampdoria this season, has never had a great vibe with the fans. Although Sampdoria’s results have been decent, their 2-0 defeat at home against Fiorentina on November 8 was not received well, and was made worse by the fact that Zenga went to visit his family in Dubai after the match instead of staying with his team. On Tuesday, the Sampdoria management terminated Zenga’s contract and decided to replace him with Vincenzo Montella. But Montella’s situation was complicated: still under contract with Fiorentina, which he coached last year, he was bound by a €5 million fee for whoever wanted to sign him. Fortunately for Sampdoria, a less pricey agreement was reached on Saturday, and the following day Montella officially became the new coach. Fans were thrilled, as Montella was one of the greatest strikers ever to wear the Sampdoria jersey.

MARIO BALOTELLI TO UNDERGO OPERATION

Mario Balotelli has been struggling with a groin injury since last featuring for AC Milan on September 27 against Genoa. Although Milan’s medical staff gave him various treatments hoping to resolve the problem, it has continued to trouble him. Last Monday, Balotelli went to Copenhagen to see the Danish specialist Per Holmich, who recommended surgery this week. Although responsibility for the decision to operate will lie with the player and Liverpool, who he is on loan from, Balotelli seems convinced that surgery is the answer. The striker is expected to return in January after the Serie A winter break.

JUVENTUS FACE FIVE CRUNCH GAMES, AND TARGET LAVEZZI

Juventus must bring home five wins in the five matches that remain before the winter break if they are to close the gap on frontrunners Inter, Fiorentina, Roma and Napoli and keep championship hopes alive. Coach Massimiliano Allegri is convinced that the key that will be playing Paul Pogba, Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio together in midfield. One or more has often been out with injury this season, but on the occasions that the three stars have played together, Juventus recorded three victories and two draws. Juventus management, meanwhile, has its eye on striker Ezequiel Lavezzi from PSG, as they prepare to make a move in the transfer market window in January.

PROSPECTS DIM FOR YOUNG ITALIAN FOOTBALLERS

A recent study highlighted certain surprising characteristics of the Serie A, and suggested that young Italian players have better chances elsewhere. Data compiled by the CIES Football Observatory showed that the average age of players in the Italian league is 27.1 (younger only than the average age of players in the Turkish league), and that Italians represent only 43.5% of players. The percentage of UEFA-classified “home grown” players (those that have played at least 3 years in the club between the ages of 15 and 21) in major teams has declined in all of Europe, but again Italy is among the lowest. While the European average is now 19.7%, in the Serie A it has gone down to 8.6% (again with only the Turkish league worse off). Apparently, Italy appreciates seasoned foreigners rather than young, home-grown talent.