Advertisement

EURO BITES: Serie A - Is Marco Verratti the new Andrea Pirlo? AC Milan's solution to a trouble season, and Maradona's number 10 shirt to remain retired

A round-up of news from Italy and Serie A after a weekend in which the national team secured qualification for Euro 2016, Juventus suffered injury blows and Maradona’s shirt remains retired.

ITALIAN NATIONAL TEAM “A LITTLE WAR MACHINE”

On Saturday evening the Italian national team secured the win they needed to qualify for Euro 2016 when they faced Azerbaijan. They booked their place at the finals in France with an impressive 3-1 victory thanks to goals from Eder, Stephan El Shaawary and Matteo Darmian. Coach Antonio Conte’s unexpected 4-2-4 formation gave the two midfielders Marco Verratti and Marco Parolo a chance to take control the game. Verratti’s performance in particular fostered hopes among Italy fans that he will fill Andrea Pirlo’s shoes in the future — especially at the finals in France. Conte was satisfied by his team’s qualification and said: “We’re not the favourites, and I don’t know how far we’ll go. But we’ll try to create a little war machine.”

INTER STUMBLE IN FRIENDLIES

From the beginning of pre-season this year, Inter has been cursed in friendly matches and successful in official ones. This week was no different. Despite sitting second in Serie A, Inter lost on Friday in a friendly match against Chiasso 3-1. With many players away with their national teams and Geoffrey Kondogbia, Martin Montoya and Rodrigo Palacio out with injuries, the loss did not discourage coach Roberto Mancini. The Inter that played in Switzerland was not the one that will be put to the test next Sunday against Juventus. This week Mancini was relieved that Montenegro striker Stevan Jovetic, who has been out with injury the last two weeks, did not suffer any setbacks having been an unused substitute as Montenegro lost 3-2 and were eliminated from Euro 2016.

AC MILAN EXPERIMENT WITH NEW FORMATION

After Milan’s disastrous defeat last Sunday, coach Sinisa Mihajlovic and his players have been under the gun this week. The team that invested almost €90 million in the transfer market last summer has yet to show results. Milan management kept quiet, because as CEO Adriano Galliani put it: “Those who win can talk, those who lose need to keep their mouths shut”. But in a friendly match against Monza on Thursday in which the Rossoneri won 3-0, there were signs that the team may turn things around. Mihajlovic replaced his classic 4-3-1-2 formation with a 4-4-2, obtaining more balance between defence and midfield, and used Alessio Cerci on the right wing to great effect. The underused midfielder shone, scoring an impressive goal and assisting another. Milan supporters were also encouraged by the presence of former starr Kevin Boateng, who was given permission by Schalke 04 to train with Milan - a move which could pave the way for a potential return to the Rossoneri in January.

JUVENTUS INJURIES CONTINUE

The injuries that have plagued Juventus players this season and have contributed to one of the worst starts to a season in Juve’s history seem never ending. Although coach Max Allegri hoped that all his players would return from the Serie A break this week fully fit, injuries continue to be a headache ahead of Sunday’s clash with Inter. Juve’s forward line is suffering the most: striker Mario Mandzukic, who has been out for two weeks, was deemed unfit to play for the Croatian national team and will probably have to sit out the match on Sunday as well. Fellow attacker Alvaro Morata left the pitch where he was playing for Spain on a stretcher, although recent exams show his injury to be less serious than originally feared. Midfielder Paul Pogba also had to pull out of the French team because of an ankle injury. But Allegri has one positive bit of news for his midfield with the return of playmaker Claudio Marchisio after a month of rehabilitation.

FIORENTINA MANAGEMENT SHINE IN THE TRANSFER MARKET

The fact that Fiorentina sit top of the table in the Serie A is in large part thanks to coach Paulo Sosa. But the admirable management of Fiorentina cannot be overlooked: no other Serie A team has got as satisfying a return from its investment in the last transfer market. For a comparatively low cost (around €20 million for 9 players), the Fiorentina newcomers have shown themselves to be among the best in Serie A, particularly striker Nikola Kalinic and midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski. Fiorentina’s management has continued its search for talent, and is already preparing a deal with Benfica for the next market window for the purchase of Argentine defender Lisandro Lopez. The negotiations should not be difficult, since Benfica’s sporting director Manuel Rui Costa is a former Fiorentina player and a good friend of coach Sosa.

DON’T MESS WITH A SAINT

Diego Armando Maradona, who captain Napoli to win two Serie A titles in the 1980s, became a sort of patron saint of the city of Naples. Altars with photographs of Maradona and his iconographic number 10 jersey can be found in the centre of the city, where devoted fans come to worship. In 2000, the president of Napoli, Corrado Ferlaino, retired the number 10 in honour of Maradona, but this week in a historic proposal Ferlaino himself suggested that it be reinstated for the Neapolitan striker Lorenzo Insigne, who has been on fire this season. The newspaper of Naples conducted a survey: should Napoli give Insigne Maradona’s magical number 10? The answer was a resounding no. From fans interviewed on the street to former Napoli players, the sentiment was “Insigne is a wonderful striker, but it is sacrilege to compare him to the Pibe de Oro.” The idea was put to rest.