www.tuttoseriea.co.uk  June  2013   Issue  4  

   

Fiorentina  this  season,  more  than  just  a  purple  patch?    (Page  1-­‐3)    Don’t  judge  his  Inter  reign,  Rafa  Benitez  can  succeed  with  Napoli  (Page  4-­‐7)    Promoted  to  Serie  A,  an  insight  into  the  3  teams  (Page  8-­‐11)    A  tribute  to  Walter  Mazzarri  (Page  12-­‐17)    Javier  Zanetti  -­‐  The  man,  the  footballer  (Page  19-­‐22)    Marek  Hamsik  –  La  Bandiera  di  Napoli  (Waving  the  flag  for  Napoli)  Page  23-­‐25    With  Balotelli,  Milan  can  challenge  Juventus  for    the  Scudetto  (Page  26-­‐28)    

 

By  Jack  Beresford  

A  fourth  place  finish  in  Serie  A  under  Vincenzo  Montella  was  a  step  forward  for  the  Viola  but  will  it  be  undermined  by  the  loss  of  Stevan  Jovetic?  

As  the  final  whistle  blew  on  another  season  in  the  English  Premier  League,  fans  and  journalists  alike  turned  to  the  21st  century  transfer  gossip  merry-­‐go-­‐round  otherwise  known  as  Twitter  for  the  latest  rumours.  Social  media  has  emerged  as  a  driving  force  behind  much  of  today’s  football  news,  so  when  word  got  out  of  an  impending  announcement  from  Arsenal,  the  online  chatter  moved  into  overdrive.      Rather  than  focusing  the  acquisition  of  the  latest  unheard  of  youngster  from  the  lower  reaches  of  France,  the  stories  circulating  focused  on  potential  news  of  a  different  purchase:  Stevan  Jovetic.  

The  Gunners  were  linked  with  a  30  million  euro  swoop  for  the  Montenegrin,  with  reports  suggesting  Chelsea  were  also  interested  in  landing  the  star  with  Jovetic’s  agent  rumoured  to  be  in  London  to  finalise  a  deal.  But  a  week  on,  and  with  no  deal  forthcoming,  the  23-­‐year-­‐old  was  then  linked  with  a  move  to  Juventus  –  another  long-­‐term  admirer  of  the  ex-­‐Partizan  Belgrade  prodigy.      

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 This  latest  twist  had  many  a  Viola  fan  fearing  the  worst  –  the  loss  of  a  key  player  to  that  most  hated  of  national  institutions,  the  Old  Lady  of  Turin  -­‐  in  a  move  that  was  all-­‐too-­‐reminiscent  of  Roberto  Baggio’s  famous  exit  from  Florence  in  1990  for  the  Bianconeri.  But  while  that  move  prompted  rioting  in  and  around  Florence,  fans  of  the  Viola  would  be  wise  to  hold  off  such  uproar  given  the  current  footballing  climate  surrounding  both  the  club  and  Serie  A.            After  all,  the  club  had  just  completed  an  impressive  season  marked  by  a  return  to  the  upper  echelons  of  Serie  A  –  albeit  one  that  did  not  end  with  the  reward  of  Champions  League  football  next  term.  Indeed,  the  failure  to  land  a  place  at  Europe’s  top  table  may  one  day  be  looked  back  on  as  a  blessing  in  disguise,  with  manager  Vincenzo  Montella  evidently  keen  to  build  steadily  at  the  Artemio  Franchi.  

Early  in  May,  when  asked  about  a  potential  challenge  to  AC  Milan  for  the  aforementioned  Champions  League  spot,  the  former  Roma  star  remained  focused  on  his  primary  goal.    “Let  us  consolidate  our  place  in  the  Europa  League,”  he  told  reporters.  “After  that  we’ll  then  see  about  the  rest.”  

 In  truth,  it  was  a  shrewd  assessment  from  the  ex-­‐Catania  coach,  who  was  brought  in  from  the  Sicilian  side  to  steady  the  club  following  a  year  of  turmoil  under  Sinisa  Mihaljovic  and  then  Delio  Rossi  –  a  manager  who  was  sacked  after  attacking  Viola  midfielder  Adem  Ljajic.          The  Serbian  attacker  has  emerged,  as  a  key  man  under  Montella  is  testament  to  his  ability  as  a  coach  and  motivator  –  with  the  new  boss  even  bringing  the  best  out  of  veteran  striker  Luca  Toni,  who  came  to  the  club  from  the  Middle  East  and  netted  eight  times  from  the  bench.   2  

 

       With  the  focus  on  stability  rather  than  over-­‐extension,  Fiorentina  would  be  wise  to  look  at  the  example  set  by  fellow  non-­‐big  four  outsiders  Napoli  and  focus  on  a  Europa  League  assault  and  further  developing  a  coherent  attacking  style  of  play  before  moving  up  a  gear  in  the  seasons  to  come.            The  likelihood  is  that  Stevan  Jovetic  will  depart  Fiorentina  this  summer,  but  with  the  club  getting  a  handsome  sum  for  his  departure,  Montella  can  be  trusted  to  use  the  money  shrewdly  –  a  quality  he  demonstrated  in  spades  prior  to  this  season’s  kick-­‐off.  Aside  from  Toni,  he  has  also  recruited  Premier  League  cast-­‐offs  Alberto  Aquilani  and  Stefan  Savic  to  good  effect  while  relegated  Villarreal  were  raided  for  defender  Gonzalo  Rodriguez  and  midfielder  Borja  Valero.  

Emiliano  Vivano  arrived  from  Palermo  on  loan  with  Udinese  also  lending  them  highly  rated  Colombian  full-­‐back  Juan  Cuadrado.            Bolstering  the  squad  again  this  summer  is  evidently  a  priority  with  Fiorentina  moving  to  bring  in  highly-­‐rated  Uruguayan  midfielder  Matias  Vecino  from  Nacional  and  Ukrainian  striker  Oleksandr  Yakovenko  from  Anderlecht.  This  unheard  of  pairing  are  likely  to  be  only  the  start  too,  with  former  Spain  and  Malaga  star  Joaquin  and  defender  Marcos  Alonso  heavily-­‐linked  with  moves  to  the  club  alongside  Galatasaray’s  Buruk  Yilmaz.    And  when  it  comes  to  replacing  Jovetic,  Montella  may  already  be  one  step  ahead  with  the  purchase  of  Giuseppe  Rossi  earlier  this  year.  Bought  for  ten  million  euros  the  American-­‐born  star  is  back  playing  after  suffering  an  anterior  cruciate  ligament  injury  in  La  Liga  that  kept  him  out  for  the  best  part  of  18  months.  

“After  a  year  and  a  half  of  suffering  I  have  finally  come  back  to  play  a  game  with  the  team,”  he  told  Sky  Italia.  “It’s  the  end  of  a  nightmare.”  

Let’s  hope  it’s  the  beginning  of  dream  partnership  with  Montella  and  the  Viola.    

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By  Mahmoud    

4  

 It  seems  that  Rafael  Benitez  can  never  catch  a  break,  can  he?  After  making  a  name  for  himself  winning  the  Liga  twice  with  Valencia  (the  last  time  a  team  other  than  Real  Madrid  or  Barcelona  won  the  league)  as  well  as  the  UEFA  Cup.  Then  he  moved  to  Liverpool  where  he  was  given  the  thankless  task  of  trying  to  bring  Liverpool  back  into  its  glory  days  with  owners  that  refused  to  give  him  any  sort  of  serious  budget  with  which  he  can  legitimately  challenge  in  the  Premier  League,  though  he  was  still  able  to  win  the  FA  Cup,  Community  Shield,  UEFA  Super  Cup  along  with  the  Champion’s  League  in  the  most  dramatic  of  fashions  and  even  made  it  as  high  as  a  second-­‐place  finish,  Liverpool’s  highest  in  almost  20  years.  

 He  then  had  the  monumental  task  of  taking  a  aging  squad  that  had  just  won  a  historic  treble  under  Real  Madrid-­‐bound  Jose  Mourinho  with  President  Moratti  refusing  to  bring  in  any  reinforcements,  and  so  could  only  must  the  Italian  Super  Cup  and  a  Club  World  Cup  before  he  was  fired  six  months  in.  And  this  season  he  was  hired  as  an  interim  manager  by  Chelsea  and  was  constantly  booed  by  a  fan  base  that  didn’t  forgive  or  forget  his  strong  ties  to  rivals  Liverpool,  despite  the  fact  that  he  won  the  Europa  League  and  was  able  to  achieve  third  place  in  the  Premier  League  after  their  disastrous  start  under  Di  Matteo.              Rafa  has  had  to  constantly  answer  accusations  of  being  too  defensive  while  a  closer  look  will  show  that  his  Liverpool  team  were  among  the  top  scorers  in  the  Premier  League,  in  fact  finishing  the  highest  in  one  year.  Along  with  this,  his  teams  always  have  had  a  strong  defence  leading  Liverpool  to  be  among  the  top  every  year  in  terms  of  least  goals  conceded.    

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 Now  he  will  come  to  Napoli  where  he  will  be  left  to  build  on  the  success  of  Inter-­‐bound  coach  Walter  Mazzarri.  He  will  inherit  a  team  that  has  an  excellent  starting  line-­‐up  with  Hugo  Campagnaro,  Marek  Hamsik,  and  Edinson  Cavani.  His  first  task  will  be  to  convince  star  striker  Edinson  Cavani  not  to  leave  for  greener  pastures,  or  if  he  fails  to  do  this,  then  use  the  60  million-­‐plus  euros  in  his  buyout  clause  to  bring  new  faces  and  build  a  squad  with  more  depth  and  strength.  This  Napoli  team  is  not  short  of  quality,  they  did  after  all  finish  in  second  place,  win  the  Coppa  Italia  last  year  and  were  within  one  goal  from  defeating  Chelsea  and  reaching  the  quarterfinals  in  the  Champion’s  League.  

The  only  question  would  be  what  tactics  and  philosophy  that  Benitez  would  use  and  whether  he  would  be  sufficiently  backed  in  the  transfer  window.  He’s  had  his  fair  share  of  flops  in  the  transfer  market,  something  critics  always  use  against  him,  but  its  actually  unfair  criticism  considering  the  results.  He  brought  in  Dirk  Kuyt  who  proved  to  be  an  admirable  worker  on  the  wing  and  a  scorer  of  important  goals,  while  it  was  he  who  brought  in  Xabi  Alonso,  Javier  Mascherano,  Lucas,  and  Fernando  Torres.            These  all  proved  to  be  inspired  purchases  and  most  were  sold  for  significant  profit,  with  the  exception  of  Kuyt.  In  fact  Benitez  allegedly  asked  Inter  to  sign  Alexis  Sanchez  on  the  cheap,  one  year  before  he  was  sold  for  more  than  30  million  to  Barcelona.  

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He  also  got  it  tactically  wrong  at  Inter,  but  some  blame  can  be  laid  at  the  feet  of  the  players  who  were  disinterested  in  fighting  for  the  coach  after  the  loss  of  Jose  Mourinho.  He  attempted  to  turn  the  team  from  a  counterattacking  one  into  one  that  held  possession.  These  all  backfired  on  him  later  and  he  will  be  getting  a  Napoli  team  that  is  also  similarly  built  on  a  counterattack.  The  most  significant  change  that  is  most  likely  to  be  brought  with  Benitez  is  the  move  away  from  the  three-­‐man  defence  that  Mazzarri  was  famous  for.    Benitez  wanted  a  project,  and  in  Napoli  he  certainly  has  a  project  that  already  possesses  many  key  pieces  and  requires  only  some  tinkering  and  that  coach  to  bring  them  to  that  next  level.  So  long  as  the  team  and  the  owner  back  him,  Benitez  can  be  that  man.  

7  

 

 

This  past  season  it  was  Sampdoria,  Pescara,  and  Torino.    Sampdoria  and  Torino  succeeded  in  sustaining  top  flight  Italian  football.    Sadly  enough  for  Pescara,  they  will  return  to  Serie  B,  and  reload  for  another  run  at  the  top.    This  year,  there  are  three  new  challengers  for  a  lasting  spot  in  the  Serie  A;  Sassuolo,  Hellas  Verona,  and  Livorno,  have  bested  the  rest  of  the  second  division  and  are  ready  for  a  shot  to  prove  they  have  what  it  takes  to  remain  in  the  Serie  A.    Question  is,  who  are  these  teams?    Where  are  they  from?    And  finally,  do  they  have  what  it  takes  to  keep  their  place?  

U.S.  Sassuolo  Calcio    Founded:  1922  Colours:  Black  and  Green  Located:  Province  of  Modena  in  the  Emilia-­‐Romagna  Region  (Location  of  Parma,  Bologna,  Cesena,  and  Modena)  Stadium:  Modena's  Stadio  Alberto  Braglia  Scudetti:  0  Owner:  Giorgio  Squinzi  Coach:  Eusebio  Di  Francesco  Top  Players:  Domenico  Berardi,  Richmond  Bokaye,  Yussif  Chibsah  

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Hailing  from  the  Emilia-­‐Romagna  region,  Sassuolo  Calcio  has  a  long  history  of  floundering  in  the  lower  leagues  of  Calcio,  however  a  breakout  season  has  seen  them  top  Serie  B  and  earn  them  their  first  ever  promotion  to  the  Serie  A  in  squad  history.  They  did  so  playing  an  exciting  brand  of  attacking  football,  very  much  in  vogue  throughout  the  peninsula.  While  this  does  not  guarantee  success  in  the  top  flight,  there  are  signs  that  certainly  point  towards  at  least  maintaining  their  spot.    Unlike  Pescara  last  year,  Sassuolo  look  set  to  keep  the  core  of  the  squad  together.    Berardi,  joint  leading  scorer  with  11  goals,  will  either  remain  a  Sassuolo  player,  or  stay  on  for  at  least  one  more  year  if  he  is  sold.    Meanwhile,  Juventus  and  Genoa  have  already  entered  negotiations  to  renew  their  co-­‐ownership  of  Boakye  (also  11  goals)  which  would  see  him  stay  at  the  club  for  at  least  another  season.                  Ultimately,  I  see  this  side  finishing  somewhere  between  the  16th  and  19th  spots.  While  they  were  a  force  to  be  reckoned  with  in  the  first  half  of  the  season,  they  dwindled  in  the  second  half  and  captured  the  league  largely  in  thanks  to  their  massive  lead.  Depending  on  which  side  shows  up,  and  how  quickly  they  adapt,  they  could  perform  like  Torino  of  this  past  season,  or  plummet  like  Pescara.      

Hellas  Verona      Founded:  1903  Colours:  Yellow  and  Blue  Located:  Province  of  Verona  in  the  Veneto  Region  (Home  to  Chievo  Verona,  Vicenza  Calcio,  Calcio  Padova,  and  Treviso)  Stadium:  Stadio  Marc'  Antonio  Bentegodi    Scudetti:  1  President:  Maurizio  Setti    Coach:  Andrea  Mandorlini  Top  Players:  Daniele  Cacia,  Jorginho,  Domenico  Maietta  

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Verona,  one  of  the  bigger  clubs  which  spent  this  past  year  in  the  Serie  B  has  earned  a  long  awaited  return  to  the  Serie  A  following  their  relegation  in  2002.    They,  alongside  Sassuolo,  did  so  with  ease  finishing  on  82  points.  However,  unlike  Sassuolo,  this  is  a  club  with  a  history  of  Serie  A  success,  and  should  have  a  much  larger  fan  base  behind  them  (playing  in  a  bigger  stadio  will  undoubtedly  help  as  well).    Ever  since  signing  Mandorlini  on  as  coach,  the  team  has  been  on  the  up  and  up,  going  from  Serie  C  (now  Serie  Lega  Pro)  in  2010-­‐2011  to  Serie  A  promotion  by  the  end  of  the  2012-­‐2013  season.    Another  bonus  could  be  the  possible  addition  of  one  Luca  Toni,  who  has  been  heard  to  say  that  he  would  be  open  to  signing  for  the  team  seeing  how  his  time  in  Florence  has  come  to  a  close.    While  Toni  is  old,  he  would  add  much  desired  top  flight  experience,  and  be  an  excellent  tutor  to  younger  players,  namely  Serie  B  Capocannoniere  Daniele  Cacia.    If  they  can  hold  onto  Cacia,  as  well  as  young  midfield  sensation  Jorginho  who  has  been  linked  with  Milan,  they  will  at  the  least  have  a  good  competitive  core.  As  with  all  things  it  is  far  too  early  to  tell;  however,  be  that  as  it  may,  don't  be  surprised  to  see  Hellas  Verona  experience  moderate  success  and  finish  outside  the  relegation  zone.  

AS  Livorno  Calcio    Founded:  1915  Colours:  Dark  Red  or  Maroon  and  White  Located:  Province  of  Livorno  in  the  Region  of  Toscana  (Tuscany)  Stadium:  Stadio  Armando  Picchi  Scudetti:  0  Chairman:  Aldo  Spinelli    Coach:  Davide  Nicola  Top  Players:  Paulinho,  Federico  Dionisi,  Luca  Belingheri  

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Founded  in  1915,  Livorno  are  another  squad  who  have  spent  much  time  in  the  lower  levels  of  calcio,  and  because  of  this  have  no  scudetti  to  their  name.    A  short  stint  in  Serie  A  during  the  mid-­‐2000s  would  not  change  this,  and  they  would  find  themselves  quickly  back  down  in  Serie  B.    After  finishing  3rd  this  past  year,  and  much  closer  to  the  top  2  sides  than  the  those  in  the  4-­‐6  positions,  Livorno  were  sad  to  see  they  had  to  go  through  the  promotion  playoffs.    After  dispatching  Novara,  they  had  the  tough  task  of  beating  Empoli  who  had  been  playing  very  well  of  late.    This  however  posed  no  problem  for  the  Tuscan  club  as  they  won  2-­‐1  on  aggregate  earning  the  final  top  flight  spot  they  had  battled  for.         The  team  did  not  lack  for  goals,  as  forward  Paulinho  led  the  side  with  20,  but  recieved  help  from  Dionisi,  Belingheri,  and  Siligardi  who  all  contributed  14.    Belingheri  also  proved  to  be  the  creative  force  in  midfield  that  powered  the  forward  line  of  Paulinho,  Dionisi,  and  Siligardi.    The  thing  that  may  hurt  this  team  however,  is  the  number  of  starters  that  were  loaned  players  from  other  clubs,  and  the  fact  that  Paulinho  has  been  consistently  linked  with  a  move  away  from  the  club.    Again,  while  everything  is  still  up  for  grabs  next  season,  do  not  be  surprised  to  see  Livorno's  glory  short  lived.      

By  Anthony  Cooper  

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By  Richard  Postin  

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As  the  Serie  A  manager  merry-­‐go-­‐round  kicks  into  action,  one  of  the  more  successful  managers  Walter  Mazzarri  has  called  time  on  his  spell  in  charge  of  Napoli.    He  leaves  the  club  in  a  strong  position.    They  have  the  strongest  attack  in  the  land  and  have  proven  to  be  the  only  consistent  challengers  to  Antonio  Conte’s  Juventus  over  the  past  two  years,  indeed  overcoming  them  to  lift  the  Coppa  Italia  last  year.              Following  on  from  his  success  at  Reggina  and  Sampdoria,  Mazzarri  was  appointed  Napoli  manager  in  2009  in  what  was  to  be  his  biggest  challenge  to  date.    Indeed  managing  the  expectations  of  the  notoriously  passionate  Partenopei  fans  can  be  a  daunting  task  in  itself!    Mazzarri  inherited  a  mid-­‐table  side  that  were  still  settling  into  Serie  A  following  their  return  from  the  lower  divisions.    Mazarri  transformed  the  clubs  fortunes  with  immediate  effect,  leading  them  to  a  sixth  place  finish  and  qualification  for  Europe  in  the  process.  

Although  he  inherited  a  side  which  already  had  the  talents  of  Marek  Hamsik  and  Ezequiel  Lavezzi,  it  was  the  addition  of  Edinson  Cavani  in  his  second  year  in  charge  which  really  pushed  Napoli  forwards.    Although  Cavani  had  done  well  at  Palermo  it  was  only  at  Napoli,  where  Mazzarri  had  both  the  faith  and  judgement  to  play  him  centrally,  that  he  became  one  of  the  world’s  most  feared  forwards.      

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By  playing  Cavani  centrally  alongside  Lavezzi  and  Hamisk,  Mazzarri  harnessed  the  talents  of  all  three  as  they  combined  superbly  to  become  one  of  the  most  successful  trios  in  modern  football  and  a  threat  to  any  defence.                The  on-­‐field  relationship  of  this  triumvirate  was  second  to  none,  as  time  and  time  again  they  would  break  from  defence  with  breathtaking  speed,  quick  incisive  passing  and,  in  the  form  of  Cavani,  deadly  accuracy  in  front  of  goal.    Mazzarri  deserves  much  credit  as  not  only  did  he  provide  the  right  settings  for  this  attacking  football  to  flow  but  he  also  got  the  most  out  of  these  players  defensively  too.    Indeed  it  is  hard  to  imagine  an  attacking  trio  of  talents  who  have  worked  so  hard  for  the  cause!      

Mazzarri’s  reign  saw  consistent  progress  as  the  league  position  improved  year  on  year  bar  one,  when  they  tasted  Champions  League  football.    And  to  bring  Champions  League  football  to  Napoli  for  the  first  time  since  their  rebirth  and  just  five  years  after  their  spell  in  Serie  C  was  a  stunning  achievement  and  something  all  Neapolitans  took  to  their  hearts!    The  players  likewise  as  they  put  in  performances  of  the  highest  quality  against  the  best  in  Europe.  

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This  culminated  with  the  decisive  victory  over  multi-­‐billionaires  Manchester  City  to  all  but  seal  qualification  from  the  group  stage.    They  put  in  another  incredible  performance  to  defeat  Chelsea  at  the  Stadio  San  Paolo  (accordingly  nicknamed  ‘Dante’s  inferno  with  an  athletics  track’  by  the  English  press)  before  bowing  out  to  the  eventual  champions.      

Mazzarri  leaves  a  side  which  will  once  again  face  Champions  League  football,  but  arguably  his  finest  achievement  was  in  returning  silverware  to  the  club’s  cabinet.    Under  Mazzarri’s  stewardship  Napoli  lifted  the  Coppa  Italia  for  just  the  fourth  time  in  their  history,  and  brought  silverware  back  to  the  city  for  the  first  time  since  the  days  of  their  God:  Diego  Maradona.                      Inconsistent  performances  against  the  best  sides  in  the  league  are  the  one  black  spot  against  Mazzarri  and  were  the  reason  Napoli  failed  to  push  Juventus  to  the  wire  this  past  season.    Yet  further  marking  this  cup  final  success  out,  was  that  the  fact  that  it  came  against  bitter  rivals  Juventus.    The  Bianconeri  had  gone  the  season  undefeated  but  were  finally  put  to  the  sword  by  a  Napoli  side  rising  to  the  occasion  to  send  their  supporters  into  delirium  and  confirm  Mazzarri’s  reign  as  a  success!  

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This  cup  victory  turned  out  to  be  the  final  match  in  Lavezzi’s  Napoli  career  prompting  the  break-­‐up  of  the  famous  triumvirate,  and  giving  Mazzarri  a  new  dilemma.    The  natural  replacement  for  Lavezzi,  Goran  Pandev,  struggled  to  fill  the  gap  on  a  consistent  basis  so  Mazzarri  gave  youth  a  chance  in  the  form  of  Neapolitan  youth  product  Lorenzo  Insigne  who  has  since  became  an  important  part  of  the  team.    Indeed,  in  the  absence  of  Lavezzi,  Mazzarri  arguably  created  a  more  rounded  team  capable  of  producing  goals  from  all  over  the  pitch.    Whereas  in  the  2011-­‐12  season  just  four  players  went  over  the  4  goal  mark  (the  famous  triumvirate  plus  Pandev),  a  total  of  seven  players  topped  this  haul  this  season.                          Another  player  to  benefit  from  this  departure  was  Marek  Hamsik.    Mazzarri  shuffled  his  position  closer  to  the  attack  where  he  could  have  a  greater  influence  in  the  attacking  third  and,  with  the  increase  of  threats  coming  from  all  over  pitch,  Hamsik’s  vision  and  passing  ability  was  maximised  as  he  became  the  highest  assist  provider  in  the  league.    Here  Mazzarri  demonstrated  his  tactical  nous  to  overcome  the  loss  of  such  a  key  player  in  Lavezzi,  and  the  new  Napoli  manager  will  need  to  show  the  same  adaptability  if,  as  the  speculation  suggests,  Cavani  also  leaves.  

 

It  also  seems  that  Mazzarri’s  tactical  legacy  will  be  continued  in  Serie  A  in  the  form  of  the  3-­‐5-­‐2  system  which  he  has  helped  bring  back  to  prominence.    He  has  controversially  stated  that  Antonio  Conte’s  two  Scudetti  as  Juventus  manager  have  only  come  about  due  to  the  adoption  of  his  formation.    Of  course  it  is  undeniable  that  a  major  factor  behind  Conte’s  thinking  was  to  accommodate  space  for  Andrea  Pirlo  in  a  3  man  midfield.    Yet  it  also  without  question  that  Napoli’s  3-­‐5-­‐2  formation  caused  all  sorts  of  problems  for  Juventus,  and  it  was  only  by  copying  this  shape  themselves  that  Juventus  were  able  to  stifle  Napoli.    This  success  promptly  resulted  in  them  adopting  this  tactic  permanently,  which  has  consequently  led  to  Conte’s  two  Scudetti.    This  gives  some  credence  to  Mazzarri’s  statement  and  certainly  to  his  tactical  ability.  

Many  will  question  Mazzarri’s  motives  for  moving  on  at  this  stage  but  upon  leaving  he  outlined  his  belief,  based  on  Fabio  Capello’s  assertion,  that  it  is  not  possible  to  last  more  than  four  or  five  years  as  a  coach  at  an  Italian  club.    And  certainly  when  you  look  at  the  recent  history  of  Calcio  this  would  seem  to  be  the  case.    The  most  successful  managerial  reigns  have  not  lasted  more  than  five  years,  with  the  likes  of  Arrigo  Sacchi,  Fabio  Capello,  Roberto  Mancini  and  Cesare  Prandelli  all  leaving  their  respective  posts  after  such  a  period.    Even  Marcello  Lippi  who  seemed  to  symbolize  Juventus  in  the  late  90’s  and  early  2000’s  did  not  stay  at  the  club  for  longer  than  five  years  at  any  one  time,  as  his  time  there  was  split  into  two  periods.    Only  Carlo  Ancelotti  as  Milan  manager  has  outlasted  the  five  year  cycle  as  he  almost  became  a  permanent  feature  of  an  Italian  managerial  bench,  lasting  a  mighty  eight  years.                      However  this  too  can  be  considered  an  anomaly,  as  his  reign  was  built  on  his  reputation  for  bringing  success  in  European  competition.    Carlo  also  had  the  added  bonus  of  being  one  of  the  most  popular  and  patient  men  in  football,  something  which  helps  when  you  have  Silvio  Berlusconi  as  a  boss!    Nonetheless  one  Scudetto  in  eight  years  is  probably  not  the  success  rate  you  would  expect  from  Milan  domestically,  and  you  could  not  imagine  Massimiliano  Allegri  being  afforded  the  same  time.    Mazzarri  has  thus  followed  this  Italian  trend,  believing  that  he  would  no  longer  have  been  able  to  inspire  the  same  levels  of  motivation  in  his  players.    Many  will  query  this  line  of  thought  but  what  cannot  be  in  doubt,  however,  is  that  Mazzarri’s  four  year  spell  was  a  resounding  triumph.    His  new  club  Inter  will  thus  have  high  hopes,  whilst  he  also  leaves  some  pretty  big  shoes  to  fill  at  Napoli.   17  

Javier Zanetti – A tribute to the man, the footballer

When Javier Zanetti was carried off in Sicily just 14 minutes into his 1101th game not many, if any would have given a chance to the 39 year old of making a comeback from a ruptured Achilles tendon. However, such is the will of the man and the love for the game that he wants to come back even stronger and play on for another year, at least.  

Not many would have predicted the success that Zanetti has had when aged just 15 he was rejected by Independiente, for being too small to make it as a professional footballer. However he did and that too after spending his days delivering milk and laying bricks with his father and playing in shoes that his father had sewed for him.  

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Once he had found his first professional it was only going to matter of time before he made his mark in Argentina, as well as on the world stage. It only took him a year to progress from the second division to the first division. One instinctively knew that much better things lay ahead of him. In his 20+ years playing for Talleres, Banfield and Internazionale not only has he done great, he has been an epitome for every professional in all respects. Zanetti holds the record for the highest number of appearances for a Nerazzurri player after overtaking former club captain Giuseppe Bergomi and is only second only to Paolo Maldini terms of all time appearances in Serie A. Although primarily a right back Zanetti has played as a played at left back, center back, central midfield, central defensive midfield, left wing and right wing for the Milanese club and never has he shirked any responsibilities. This shows that the man has not only been on top of his game but has been tenacious and determined enough to do well wherever he has been deployed.  

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A lot of things have changed at the Biscione over the last 18 years including the 18 managers that have come and gone but one thing has remained the same if not gotten better than before; ever since the Club president made Zanetti his first ever signing at Inter Milan, he has been a rock for the La Beneamata in good and some turbulent times. He has played in more than 90% (845 out of 938) of the games that the club has been involved in. In fact from October 2006 to April 2010 he made 137 consecutive appearances for the club and there has not been a season in which Zanetti has played less than 34 games. As a player for Internazionale he as won everything as part of his 16 trophies at Inter (which includes the complete set of UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup and the Serie A titles). 15 out of 16 trophies that Zanetti has won have come under his captaincy which he took over in 1999; he is the only non-Italian to be the captain of a Serie A Side. The reasons behind his success are simple, i.e. training as hard as possible and practicing every day of the week with same intensity and purpose, prime example of his dedication is when he turned up for Argentina's training camp for international duty on the morning of his wedding!

Another testament to Zanetti’s abilities is his inclusion in Pelé’s ‘FIFA 100’ list of the game’s greatest living footballers.  

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Away from the football pitch Zanetti is a thorough family man and a devoted catholic. He along with his contemporaries is a FIFA ambassador and focuses on a venture called SOS Children’s Villages in Argentina. Zanetti along with his wife Paula have created Fundacion PUPI to help malnourished children by taking care of their food needs; providing educational opportunities and along with his team mate Esteban Cambiasso has started a charity called Leoni di Potrero, to assist young children with mental disabilities and social isolation problems. Mark of a person who is giving back to the society from which he has gotten so much love and adulation. One will struggle to find a person who has anything bad to say about Javier Zanetti or criticize him for his actions on or off the pitch. That is the kind of fine example that he has set for all the budding footballers and indeed human beings. If it is to be the end of a glittering career than I will be the first to admit that these have been 3 marvelous decades watching Zanetti. Being a fan first I hope that “El Tractor”, makes a full recovery and does a few more miles.

By  Himanshu.D    

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By  Richard  Postin  

Marek  Hamsik  is  coming  off  his  best  ever  season  at  Napoli  as  he  asserts  himself  as  one  of,  if  not  the,  best  midfielders  in  the  league.    Certainly  if  we  take  assists  into  account  he  comes  out  on  top.    At  the  same  time  he  has  also  maintained  his  formidable  goal  scoring  pedigree  which  sees  him  stand  out  as  the  only  midfielder  in  Serie  A  to  have  entered  double  figures  six  years  running.  

Many  questions  were  being  asked  at  the  start  of  the  season  regarding  how  Napoli  would  overcome  the  loss  of  Ezequiel  Lavezzi,  who  along  with  Hamsik  and  Edinson  Cavani,  was  one  of  the  ‘three  tenors’  who  had  tormented  Italian  defences  over  recent  years.    Napoli  altered  their  style  of  play  slightly  whilst  others  came  in  to  the  side  to  take  on  a  greater  role,  none  more  so  than  Hamsik.      

Despite  his  decisiveness  in  previous  seasons  he  was  often  on  the  periphery  of  play,  whereas  this  season  he  has  become  much  more  of  a  focal  point.    He  has  still  maintained  his  impressive  goal  scoring  record  but  is  now  in  a  position  to  create  more  opportunities,  from  which  numerous  teammates  have  benefited  this  season.  

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Becoming  such  a  focal  point  has  also  had  a  hugely  positive  influence  on  him  and  he  has  taken  this  responsibility  on  his  shoulders  to  lead  by  example.    Indeed,  when  Paolo  Cannavaro  has  been  absent,  he  has  more  than  stepped  up  to  the  role  of  captain.    He  is  a  man  who  understands  the  passion  of  Neapolitan  life  and  is  completely  devoted  to  the  Azzurri  shirt.    In  contrast  to  the  highly  sought  after  Lavezzi  (who  has  departed)  and  Cavani  (who  looks  set  to  depart)  there  has  been  little  speculation  regarding  his  long  term  future.    This  owes  absolutely  nothing  to  a  lack  of  talent,  but  is  due  to  the  fact  that  Hamsik  sees  himself  remaining  at  Napoli  for  the  rest  of  his  career.                                        Even  his  agent  Mino  Raiola  has  indicated  that  he  will  be  there  for  life.    And  this  coming  from  Super  Agent  Raiola  is  significant  in  itself,  because  here  is  a  man  who  specialises  in  moving  his  clients  on  as  often  as  possible.    But  he  too  has  had  to  accept  that  this  will  not  be  the  case  with  Hamsik,  who  wishes  to  create  a  legacy  at  the  club.  

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Of  course  there  is  no  doubting  that  Cavani  too,  a  world  class  forward  in  his  own  right,  is  a  vital  player  for  Napoli.    And  in  many  respects,  especially  considering  Napoli’s  finances,  he  is  irreplaceable.    Yet  I  cannot  help  but  feel  that  Hamsik,  who  has  truly  embedded  himself  into  the  team’s  style,  would  be  harder  to  replace.    Indeed  there  are  not  many  goal  scoring  midfielders  who  are  also  capable  of  contributing  10+  assists  every  year.    Again  it  should  be  noted  that  replacing  Cavani’s  29  goals  would  be  no  easy  challenge,  but  if  they  could  find  a  forward  who  could  tuck  away  penalties  that  would  be  no  bad  place  to  start  (Cavani  missed  a  total  of  5  penalties  this  season).    We  are  in  for  an  interesting  summer  of  speculation,  wild  rumours  and  last  minute  transfers,  but  one  thing  we  can  be  sure  of  is  that  come  the  start  of  the  new  season  Marek  Hamsik  will  be  dressed  in  the  famous  blue  of  Napoli.    And  he  will  once  again  being  leading  from  the  front  in  search  of  a  first  Scudetto,  as  he  establishes  himself  as  a  true  symbol  of  this  new  Napoli.    

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With Balotelli, Milan can challenge Juventus in Serie A Such  has  been  Juventus’s  domination  of  Serie  A  since  the  hiring  of  former  captain  Antonio  Conte  that  it  was  hard  to  remember  that  it  was  only  two  years  ago  that  Juventus  had  done  back-­‐to-­‐back  7th  place  finishes  in  the  table  along  with  a  long  list  of  expensive  flops  such  as  Diego  and  Amauri.  In  fact  last  year,  Milan  had  stormed  to  the  Serie  A  title  so  emphatically  on  the  back  of  Zlatan  Ibrahimovic  that  most  predicted  that  they  would  do  so  again  the  following  year,  but  were  bested  by  an  unbeaten  Juventus,  although  they  did  hold  a  four  point  margin  over  the  Turin  side  with  just  a  few  games  left  to  go.  

Then  last  summer  Milan  sold  top  scorer  Zlatan  Ibrahimovic  and,  more  significantly,  the  world’s  best  defender  in  Thiago  Silva  in  a  double  transfer  to  Paris  Saint-­‐Germain.  Pundits  from  all  over  felt  that  such  a  loss  would  mean  that  Milan  would  no  longer  challenge  for  honors  and  it  appeared  in  the  beginning  that  this  was  true  as  they  were  unable  to  win  six  of  their  first  eight  matches  in  Serie  A.     However  the  astronomical  rise  and  maturation  of  Stephan  El  Shaarawy,  who  scored  several  game-­‐winning  goals  and  appeared  to  carry  Milan  on  his  young  shoulders,  brought  Milan  back  up  the  table  as  they  became  on  of  Serie  A’s  in-­‐form  teams,  although  their  disastrous  start  meant  they  were  never  truly  able  to  challenge  for  the  title.  

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The  in  January  Milan  moved  on  homesick  Manchester  City  striker  Mario  Balotelli  who  starred  for  Italy  in  the  Euros,  including  a  match-­‐winning  performance  against  Germany  in  the  semi-­‐finals.  Against  Udinese,  Balotelli  was  a  last-­‐minute  introduction  to  the  starting  line-­‐up  since  he  was  not  match  fit  just  yet,  but  he  scored  two  goals  to  give  them  a  2-­‐1  win.  He  the  proceeded  to  score  11  goals  in  his  next  11  games  and  ended  the  season  with  12  goals  in  13  appearances  with  Milan  achieving  third  place,  and  Champion’s  League  qualification,  on  the  last  day  of  the  season.     And  although  Juventus  seemed  to  have  won  Serie  A  easily  once  again,  a  closer  look  at  the  last  two  years  will  tell  you  that  their  domination  was  merely  a  perception  given  their  unbeaten  campaign  last  year  and  lofty  status  as  Italy’s  historically  most  successful  side.  Let  us  not  forget  that  in  the  2011-­‐12  Serie  A  campaign,  that  Juventus  experienced  dreadful  finishing  abilities  with  a  seemingly  endless  run  of  draws  allowing  Milan  to  take  the  lead  by  as  much  as  four  point  with  a  few  rounds  left,  before  Juventus  were  able  to  somehow  win  it  in  the  end.  

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Then  they  barely  reinforced  their  striker  department  last  summer  and  suffered  for  it  as  they  lost  to  Inter  and  twice  to  Sampdoria.  Actually  early  on  in  the  year  it  appeared  that  Inter  or  Lazio  would  challenge,  only  for  Inter  to  come  crashing  down  to  earth  after  that  historic  win,  while  Lazio’s  small  team  was  stretched  with  obligations  in  Europe.  With  their  second  title  in  a  row  there  is  talk  of  a  dynasty,  but  such  dreams  will  not  be  so  easily  achievable.     With  Balotelli  spearheading  a  dynamic  young  strikeforce  that  has  El  Shaarawy  and  M’Baye  Niang,  and  his  excellent  finishing  ability,  Milan  will  just  need  to  work  on  enforcing  a  defense  that  has  not  fully  recovered  from  the  loss  of  Thiago  Silva  so  that  they  will  be  able  to  challenge  for  honors  in  Europe  as  well.  It  should  not  be  forgotten  that  Milan  almost  defeated  Barcelona  over  two  legs,  but  were  criminally  exposed  in  the  away  tie.  However  with  a  stronger  defense  to  and  the  strong,  young  shoulders  of  Balotelli  leading  the  way,  Juventus  may  have  already  lived  their  glory  days  and  will  seriously  need  to  step  up  their  game  to  win  again.  

By  Mahmoud  Ghellai