What??! Maybe even more important, Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa: Dunno if we mentioned that among the recent league decisions, but the 2019/20 cup season was abandoned at the quarterfinals. For the new season, the Coppa Italia is changing radically to some kind of 24-team international megaleague, with 8 groups of 3. And the Supercoppa will expand to a knockout with 4 teams (take a guess who they are...) instead of a single match of champions v cupwinners. https://www.asroma.com/en/news/2020/7/roma-women-to-play-in-supercoppa (Archive) 2019 Coppa Italia winners, Juventus and Eni Aluko - (Guardian) And of course, Serie A: "The 2020-21 season will get underway on 22 August 2020. The 12 teams in the competition are: Roma, Juventus, Fiorentina, Milan, Florentia SG, Sassuolo, Inter, Empoli, Hellas Verona, Pink Bari - and the promoted sides Napoli and San Marino Academy." - (asroma.com) The costs are high - despite the events of last season, the entry fee for Serie A has risen to €50,000 per club, for Serie B it's €20,000, to be paid next week. Money is no object for Roma women's team, who will join the men's in being sponsored by Qatar Airlines this season.
⬤ Napoli will present its 2020/21 squad today after their promotion. And in true Neopolitan style it'll be at the city's massive castle (img Lamberto Zannotti, cc-by-sa) But are the team's foundations equally strong? Or will it crumble like, uh, some other building that fell apart? #JournalisticCliches Napoli have added strikers, Florence native Isotta Nocchi and Sweden's Jenny Hjohlman, but it's in defence where they'll be tested most. There, they've signed Federica Di Criscio (from Roma), a past champion with Verona. Southern Squadre 2020/21 will have two southern teams in Serie A Femminile, for the first time in a while... (Mapmaster) Not ancient history, but the south dominated the league for a brief time. The happiest club in Sicily became champions, Jolly Catania in 1978, and then there were two title hat-tricks in the 1980s for Alaska Lecce and Trani 80 – all those champion clubs had Rose Reilly, who was often captain and top-scorer. Finally, Naples club Giugliano won in 1989. Maybe it was a question of how much money was available(?) but since 2000 southern teams have been few – Sicilian clubs Gravina Catania, Aquile Palermo, Ludos and Orlandia97 stayed briefly, and on the peninsula Matese Bojano. In 2014 Pink Bari first entered Serie A, and Napoli came 5th in 2012/13 but were soon relegated. In 2020/21 Pink Bari and Napoli will be in the top division, but can either team excel this season, or will they be fighting each other and relegation?
I guess that season epitomized all the problems of women's soccer in the south of Italy, where you never seem to see any project that's thoroughly made to last in the long period! In that season 2012-2013, two big sponsors (Carpisa and Yamamay) had come to rescue and a dream-like market campaign had brought to the team any kind of strong players, from international veterans (Emi Yamamoto) to young promising national players (Valentina Giacinti; we all saw at WWC 2019 what she would have become some years down the road). A brilliant season, including the final in the National Cup, was the result from that investment (that was also including a brilliant marketing of the team, including videos, articles and so on...). And then...? Then, just one year later, all the strong players were dismissed to other teams and the team was basically dismantled, thus fatally resulting in an immediate relegation. Women's soccer will never manage to flourish in the south of Italy, until someone will plan for something longer than an "all-in", one-season, just sudden burst of flame project.
News of the Italy U21 men's team – the WNT legend Patrizia Panico is their new assistant coach, after she had managed the national U15s. This makes her one of the foremost female coaches in the men's game so far... Next stop, the men's Azzurri? Or would she prefer to manage a World Cup team? (Signor C, cc-by-sa) Why does that happen? I'm guessing the football culture isn't so different from in the north? I assumed that the current success of Napoli women's had some backing from the men's club who are so popular, but they aren't the same organization.
It's a long long story, remounting to the unification of Italy that happed in the second half of XIX century (I am serious: not for what concerns the football part, of course, but for what concerns the deep differences in culture existing between north and south of Italy: I recently briefly touched the subject on the US boards here on BigSoccer, but a quite long and boring history lesson would be needed to fully understand at least the basis of the phenomenon). Anyway, you mentioned Napoli men's team, that's indeed one of the most popular in Serie A, but did you try to count how many clubs respectively from north, center and south of Italy currently play in the two first Divisions (Serie A and Serie B) of men's football? It would give you a rough idea about the fact that a big part of what happens in women's football is nothing but a reflection of a general situation involving men's football too, besides many other cultural or economical aspects of the noth/south divide in my country.
2020/21 is starting today, Saturday. Another season of knowledgeable analysis and learning Italian if not already fluent yet (..."Le probabili formazioni"? What's that?!) On Saturday evening, 3 games: Pink Bari v Napoli: a matchup of the south to kick off; Bari have signed Czech striker Gabriela Matoušková, and Italy U18s' Ludovica Silvioni on loan from Juve, while Napoli added more to the squad, FW Eleonora Goldoni who had little game time at Inter, and French GK Émmeline Mainguy. Can they make a winning start? Verona v Juventus: The home team have loaned Juve's Asia Bragonzi up front this season. Not many changes at Juve but Dalila Ippólito becomes the team's first Argentinian player. This game (15:45 GMT, 17:45 CET) will be on Verona's Facebook page, as was the last fixture in February, when it was a 0-4 result. Fiorentina v Inter Milan: The Viola have signed an exciting central pairing, Cláudia Neto and Tessel Middag respectively from Wolfsburg and West Ham, after losing Alia Guagni in defence. For Inter, Ilaria Mauro joins from Fiorentina. Matchday 1 opponents: Neto and Mauro (Anders Henrikson cc-by/Threecharlie cc-by-sa)
And on Sunday, the other 6 teams kick off: AC Milan v FLorentia: After Milan missed 2nd place last campaign, a good start is a must, against the 5th-place finishers. Milan acquired German midfielder Julia Simic, ex-England FW Natasha Dowie, in defence Laura Agard and Giorgia Spinelli - the latter is profiled on the excellent TotalFootballAnalysis site. The Florence club adds DF Paola Boglioni. The game's on Milan TV and maybe their Dailymotion channel (17:45 CET). Empoli v San Marino: New coach Alessandro Spugna has loaned 4 players from Juve to Empoli including FW Benedetta Glionna and Bellucci in midfield. San Marino will find this season hard, hoping for goals from Raffaella Barbieri who won two successive promotions and scored 15 in Serie B. Their recruits include 3 players from the relegated Tavagnacco and Orobica. Sassuolo v Roma: Italy midfielder Alice Parisi will wear the black and green of the neroverdi, who also sign defenders Mana Mihashi from Japan and Estefania Fuentes from América, i.e. Mexico. Roma striker Andressa Alves arrived back in Italy from Brazil, and left quarantine days ago. But it's the 3-year contract renewal of Manuela Giugliano, 2019's Italian player of the year, that has really got tongues wagging. https://www.asroma.com/en/news/2020/8/the-big-interview-as-roma-x-manuela-giugliano Giugliano: Serious artist (Threecharlie, cc-by-sa)
Two main headlines of Matchday 1 ooooooooohhhhhhhh Empoli 10 - 0 San Marino - (Elisa Polli 9', 33', 36', Cecilia Prugna 14'p, Norma Cinotti 40', Benedetta Glionna 50'p, 64', Chante Dompig 63', Silivia Leonessi 80', 83') www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Dvo2Ny9P8 More polite to discuss Empoli's quality and amazing debuts, a hat-trick by Polli (signed from Tavagnacco), two for Glionna and the Danish Leonessi, who had a better week than Leo Messi. Too early to doom San Marino to retrocessione yet, but oh, this looks bad. A point for Sassuolo, who were tipped to continue or improve their 6th place Sassuolo 1 - 1 AS Roma - (Valeria Pirone 67' / Paloma Lazaro 20') www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfZQmcE8bj8 The three usual leading clubs all won on opening day, Fiorentina most impressively. Juve got a 2-0 win after half-time at Verona, and AC Milan were misfiring but quite comfortable in a home 1-0 v FLorentia, though the goalscorer Miriam Longo injured her shoulder while celebrating (not even overcelebrating). The promoted teams both made a losing start, as Pink Bari beat Napoli 1-0 with a penalty by Noemi Manno. Fiorentina 4 - 0 Inter - (Daniela Sabatino 37', 43'p, Marta Mascarello 60', Tatiana Bonetti 61') https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=345545076470099
Why does she keep smiling at a time like this?! On the plus side, Shino Kunisawa played the full 90, so ... er ...
One or two surprises in matchday 4 at the weekend, and the first top-three matchup of 2020/21 was on Monday. That game video is on Milan's channel: AC Milan v Juventus (5 Oct 2020) www.dailymotion.com/video/x7wnf18 + Match highlights (dailymotion.com)
Great game to watch, two teams with different gameplans made it bery entertaining, Juventus won 1-0 thanks to an early penalty.
It would be about time, since this process started way before the WWC 2019 and, after the World Cup, it had been said that it would have been completed "right away"!
Is the name of that website really "sportface.it"? (the Italian 'face' or the English 'face'?) "Might as well sportface.it, you're addicted to sport" I was surprised that Milan couldn't put their chances away - it was a similar story in their opening match of the season too, a lot of misses. Guess that's why they don't get the honour of qualifying for Europe to lose in round one. (possibly they were overawed by playing in the San Siro atmosphere for the first time. It was mostly empty, but still...) (img: www.ilpost.it)
Matchdays 1–5 brought some surprise results, and clubs on the rise... The look of the top four was merrily smashed by Sassuolo, who are undefeated in 2nd place. Fiorentina-Sassuolo 1-3 Breitner 87’ / Dubcová 39’p, 47’, Bugeja 45’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=INpyuoGrqOM Sassuolo also beat Inter and San Marino, with the Czech Kamila Dubcová and experienced Italian FW Valeria Pirone each on 4 goals this season. But it was Malta's Haley Bugeja who stole the limelight with 2 brilliant goals for Sassuolo v Napoli. Elsewhere, Empoli are in 4th place: Juventus-Empoli 4-3 Bonansea 13’, 54’, Girelli 58’p, 92’p / Acuti 36’, Polli 52’, Prugna 85’p www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xH8GGVGhxY Empoli-Roma 2-0 - (Prugna 51′p, Glionna 96′p) www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYNlngMropU
Both playing in the Champions League soon, but week 5 showed a gulf in form: Juventus vs ACF Fiorentina Femminile 4-0 Girelli 4', Alves 15', Bonansea 66', Hurtig 80' www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0wxhoroP0I In another close Florence derby, the hosts Fiorentina won 3-2 v FLorentia with Sabatino's winning goal, but the Viola seem defensively leaky since Alia Guagni left; they also beat Napoli 5-2. Napoli are last so far with no points. San Marino found their feet and won with a goal by captain Yesica Menin, 1-0 v FLorentia. It'll be an intense relegation battle – also struggling are Verona and Pink Bari (3pts each) whose matchup ended 1-0; since Bari's opening day win they've scored 0pts and only 1 goal. Goals, matchday 5/Highlights 5° Giornata Serie A www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1uiRcPWE0c So far: Juve 15pts, Sassuolo 13, AC Milan 12, Empoli & Fiorentina 9, Roma 8, Inter 7, FLorentia 6, Verona/Pink Bari/San Marino 3, Napoli 0 Match 6 on Saturday (17 Oct) includes Sassuolo-FLorentia, and on Sunday it's Milan Derby time, a fixture that's always favoured AC Milan Women so far. They switched to a classic 3-5-2 in grinding out a win last week, while Inter held Roma to a draw. Most ACM games appear the same day on their video channel.
the famed, Vero is rumoured to want to leave her current Utah Royals.At first I read she wanted to go back to play in her native Spain, but just found this social media post. So anybody knows if she's going to AC Milan?
Many Italian websites, including the usually very reliable "Calcio femminile italiano", confirm the rumour, although no-one can give the trasfer as officially finalized. Speculations include the vision of what a Valentina Giacinti assisted by Vero Boquete could achieve: yummy!
Matchdays 6–10 brought changes to the European places and the relegation zone... It's been a while since there was a real upset against a usual title contender, but it was the champion club of yesteryear who got a shock win in week 6: Fiorentina 0 - 1 Hellas Verona Asia Bragonzi 72'p A poor season for La Viola so far, they don't look like their old selves. In fact, they look like a simulazione. (And got booked for that.) Winning another European place is almost out of the question - they're 13pts adrift of it, in fifth place. AC Milan kept winning, and have risen to 2nd place as 2021 begins. With a brace by Dowie, the Milan derby ended 4-1, and victories of a single goal against Roma and Fiorentina have taken Milan to 6 wins in a row. Sassuolo continue to impress in 3rd place, they dispatched FLorentia 3-0, Verona 4-1, and Bari 4-2. They won't get too cocky, as they lost at Juve 4-0 after half-time, but in week 10 Sassuolo matched the league's second-best for long periods and showed that they belong in the top four: AC Milan v Sassuolo (full match) www.dailymotion.com/video/x7y1uff + Match highlights (Sassuolo channel) Napoli and Bari are in all sorts of trouble, losing almost every game. Napoli took heart from close results v Juve and Milan but a third loss by the same scoreline (2-1), to Verona, was a big blow for Napoli. San Marino stemmed the flow of goals conceded, and got their second win in Serie A. After a 3-2 loss to Roma, they ground out a 0-0 at Verona, another 0-0 v Napoli, and a week 10 win that could define San Marino's season: they now lead their Pink opponents by 5 points and sit above the relegation places: San Marino 4 - 2 Pink Bari Baldini 44', Barbieri 64', 73'p, 83'p / Helmvall 4', 50' https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=985854745236573 In exciting mid-table action, it's tight between Empoli, the Florence clubs, Inter, and Roma. The 4th-placed Empoli had their progress checked in week 7 when Cecilia Prugna's opening goal was outdone by Luisa Pugnali and Sofia Cantore of FLorentia, a 2-1 win for them. The main surprise has been the slump by Fiorentina and Roma, who drew 2-2 at Stadio Tre Fontane in Rome. Next week, those two teams are both in the four-team Supercoppa tournament. Standings after 10 games: Juve 30pts, AC Milan 27, Sassuolo 22, Empoli 17, Fiorentina/Inter 14, Roma/FLorentia 13, Verona 10, San Marino 8, Bari 3, Napoli 1
Serie B has plenty of intrigue this season, with 5 current contenders for promotion, and 4 relegation places because the division was expanded, taking two extra teams for 2020/21 only: Lazio are undefeated and beat the leaders Pomigliano 3-1 to conclude their year 2020. With games in hand, the chasing clubs Lazio, Tavagnacco and Ravenna are well in the fight. Previous Serie A clubs Chievo Verona and Orobica are just above the drop zone near the halfway mark, and the second Roma women's club, Roma CF, are last while playing few games - I assume(?) because of the pandemic. Their derby with Lazio (13 Dec) was postponed, as was their Cup game against the top-division AS Roma (30 Dec), they're calling it Il derby maledetto, the cursed derby, so that's not good ↯
Outside the league, two more national trophies to be won: The Coppa Italia is nearly at the quarter-final stage - it's a new format for 2020/21, but familiar clubs are in the draw for the last 8. The three-team groups made a few close contests, as goal difference separated Inter and Lazio (who drew 3-3 with two goals each for Gloria Marinelli and Adriana Martín) and Sassuolo and Napoli (1-1). In the last match of 2020, Empoli won at the Serie B hopefuls Ravenna 4-2 in a Poker, after Juventus beat Pink Bari 4-1, in another Poker. The big question is, @blissett, what is this poker? (not the card game or the fireplace equipment...?) Group winners are are FLorentia (group A), Inter Milan (B), Fiorentina (C), Empoli (D), AC Milan (F) and Sassuolo (G). Two delayed fixtures will decide the other quarter-finalists: Pomigliano v Juventus, and Roma v Roma And the Supercoppa is getting 2021 off to an exciting start, with 2019/20's best four clubs. With all games held at the Chiavari stadium in Genoa, the semi-finals were on Wednesday 6 Jan. A late extra-time win for Juventus over AS Roma, and then, a comeback by Fiorentina put them into the final at AC Milan's expense (2nd-half goals by Abi Kim and Louise Quinn). On Sunday, La Viola will face the holders of the cup, Juve; this final is a repeat of 2019's one-match Supercoppa. Full semi-final, Juve-Roma www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fJ1cnU9hTw - Match report: Juventus v Roma (AmoRoma.fr) Highlights: Fiorentina v AC Milan - Match reports: Sky Sport Italia
In Italy, when a team wins by scoring 4 goals, they use to say that it was "a poker", referring to the combination of the card game.