Serie A Transfer Window roundup – A winter of bitter discontent
“Now is the winter of our discontent…” the Duke of Gloucester boomed jealously in the opening lines of Shakespeare’s Richard III. Gloucester spoke enviously toward his King, but for Serie A fans this has been a winter of bitter discontent – a rotten transfer window.
There were plenty of rotten apples among the bargains on the winter market.
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Quadrangolare di Lega Pro – Aversa & Avellino Play Host To All The Young Dudes
Last week the Southern cities of Aversa and Avellino were at the centre of the Lega Pro footballing world as they co-hosted the 32nd edition of the Quadrangolare di Lega Pro. The tournament is a showcase for young talents plying their trade in Italy’s third and fourth tiers.
Youngsters in action at the Quadrangolare di Lega Pro
The competition involves four representative teams from Lega Pro consisting of players aged 21 and under. Before the tournament started, legendary defender Fabio Cannavaro sent his best wishes to all concerned stating that “you are the stars of the future” and telling them to “play with passion and strength“.
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Napoli lack alternative plans, they play like a broken record
Napoli have captured the hearts of fans and neutrals with their performances in Europe this season, but in their domestic games they have conspired to shoot themselves in the foot again and again, and again. In Serie A they have beaten the best but have been beaten the weaker sides as well. So why are Napoli enduring such a mediocre season?
Napoli lack variation in their play (Credit: Flickr, TrueArtCrew)
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Lega Pro Review – Giovanni Stroppa Making The Hills Come Alive In The Sudtirol
In the late eighties and early nineties Giovanni Stroppa was an attacking midfielder who was an integral part of the all conquering AC Milan dynasty. Stroppa was a product of the Milanello youth academy and he would later continue his top-flight career at Lazio and with the iconic Zdenek Zeman in Foggia.
'Gianmaria Cesaro free from the pirates hands' - Sorrento fans threw themselves into the campaign to have Cesaro released from the hands of pirates
With Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello and Zeman all major influences in his playing career it is no surprise to see the 44-year-old now making great strides in his first coaching role at C1 side Sudtirol. This week, Stroppa has been speaking about how much he is enjoying life in the beautiful city of Bolzano and the comparisons he sees between his current employers and that of the team that gave him his big break.”It is obvious to everyone that you cannot compare Sudtirol with Milan” explained Stroppa “we are a very small club but the organisation here is reminiscent of my time at Milanello”
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As you were in Serie A – the imminent return of the natural order
Serie A is boring, again. Last season saw an end of season run-in where four sides were potential candidates for the Scudetto. Post-World Cup seasons can often throw up surprises, perhaps because players in the top sides will have exaggerated schedules.
Alessandro Del Piero: a reminder of how things were
The league enthralled neutrals worldwide as Napoli, Udinese and Lazio chased Milan all the way to the title. This season, though, we are seeing a return to the normality of the pre-Calciopoli era – at one point Inter even threatened to re-assume the position of perennial losers.
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Triestina’s tribulations – Time is running out at the Stadio Nereo Rocco
After Relegation from Serie B last season Triestina sit a disappointing 11th place in group B of the Lega Pro first division. But the disappointments don’t end there for the Trieste based club. The coach was sacked just a few weeks ago and the owners, past and present, have allowed huge debts to accumulate, crippling the club.
Triestina: Real fans...
A courthouse decision has requested that the club is declared bankrupt. It is a situation which is repeating itself over and over again up and down the Italian peninsula. Time is running out to save Triestina Calcio.
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Enrico Preziosi Should Shoulder the Blame for Genoa’s Inconsistency
Genoa fans must be the most confused fans in the entire Italian peninsula. Take for example the protagonists of our story: Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo. Here is the recounting of a conversation had between the three of them at the last Genoa home game.
Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo: Genoa's three most confused fans (Image via scotthuckphoto on Flickr)
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