(^) BRESCIA
The Serie B champions are back in the
top flight after an eight-year gap, but
coach Eugenio Corini – who took over
from David Suazo on the fourth day of
last season – will have his work cut out
with a modest squad. Brescia’s highest
Serie A finish was eighth place in the
2000-2001 season.
(^) LECCE
Former Leyton Orient manager Fabio
Liverani pulled off a minor miracle in
taking Lecce from Serie C to Serie A in
successive seasons, finishing second in
Serie B last June. Former Milan striker
Gianluca Lapadula, Ukraine midfielder
Yevhen Shakov and Romanian defender
Romario Benzar have been drafted in to
strengthen an inexperienced squad.
(^) VERONA
Back in Serie A after just one year
thanks to a last-gasp play-off win
over Citadella. Former Genoa player
and coach Ivan Juric faces a tough
season, and while Amir Rrahmani,
Miguel Veloso and Emmanuel Badu
all look solid journeymen, will they
be enough to ensure survival?
such as striker Ciro Immobile, midfielder
Lucas Leiva and Spanish Euro Under-21
champion Luis Alberto.
As for the rest, no small curiosity will
be focused on mid-table Fiorentina and
Torino. The Florence club made headlines
in early June when it was confirmed that
the US billionaire Rocco Commisso, who
is the chairman of New York Cosmos,
had bought the club from the Della
Valle family for around €165million.
With Vincenzo Montella confirmed as
coach, seasonal expectations have been
focused on the club’s striker Federico
Chiesa. Will the new ownership manage
to hold onto a player who has been
sought after by clubs, near and far,
Juventus included?
As for Torino, they have so far lived
up to owner Urbano Cairo’s promise of
greater things to come by celebrating
their return to European competition,
beating the Hungarian side Debrecen
3-0 in a late July Europa League
qualifying tie, played in Alessandria. With
such as Andrea Belotti, Simone Zaza and
Alex Berenguer up front, Cristian Ansaldi
and Tomas Rincon in midfield, and the
experienced Salvatore Sirigu in goal, you
can count on Torino to make life difficult
for everybody...including all their
illustrious Turin city neighbours.
And what about Juve? New coach
Maurizio Sarri will preside over a squad
that looks very similar to that of last
season, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading
the way, supported by interesting recruits
in Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey and
19-year-old Ajax defender Matthijs De
Ligt. After Juventus were beaten 3-2 by
Spurs in an International Champions Cup
friendly in Singapore, Sarri appeared to
indicate that nothing much is going to
change with the tactics, saying: “Ronaldo
is the best player we have. My job is to
organise the other 10 players, whilst he
plays wherever he wants.”
With Ronaldo now 34, will such a
plan suffice? In reality, Sarri is probably
bluffing. He is almost certainly working
on adjustments to the Juventus set-up.
In the meantime, he must wait and
see if the club sells on striker Gonzalo
Higuain, replacing him with another
Argentinian in Icardi.
Whichever way that one shakes down,
Juve are favourites to win a 36th title.
Paddy Agnew
Gap...Brescia
Recruit...Juventus’
Matthijs De Ligt
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