Serie A 2011-2012 thread

[Daniele]

The new serie a season begins saturday the 26. or at least was supposed to be. Players threaten to strike because of the renewal - or better, lack of it - of their national contract.

This will be the season that will finally certify Italian football's decline. only 3 teams will qualify for the 2012-2013 CL and players like Pastore, Sanchez and Eto'o - who will leave Inter for relatively unknown money-bags Anzhi - have gone on to play elsewhere.

A distinctly average AC Milan side romped to the title last season despite them having ageing players like Nesta, Van Bommel, Seedorf, Gattuso and Ambrosini in their starting 11. Consistency was personified by Zlatan Ibrahimovic the man who has won all the Scudetti that he's taken part in from 2005 onwards. At back Thiago Silva claimed his stake as one of the world best defenders. Milan have strenghtened by signing Mexes and Taiwo at back and the promising El Shaarawy - Italian of Egyptian descent - uo front. In the closing stages of the window they will bring in a midfielder, possibly Aquilani on loan from Liverpool.

Their main rivals will be world champions and neighbours Internazionale. They have had a poor run-in to the season, though. New coach Gasperini has come in for stick for changing his team's back four into a 3-man defence and not taking to Beijing - where Inter lost 2-1 the Italian supercup v Milan - the players involved in the Copa America: Cambiasso, Lucio, Milito and Maicon. Eto'o's departure will be a blow, given that he scored 37 goals last season. Forlan or Tevez might come in but no-one still knows yet.

Other contenders will be Napoli, Juventus and Roma. Napoli have kept their best players and signed some good players to bolster their roster: swiss internationals Inler and Dzemaili in midfield, Fiorentina's Donadel and Santana and Bologna's Britos and Independiente's Fernandez at back.
Juve revolutionised the team once more. After two 7th place in a row, new manager Antonio Conte, former captain of the team in their glory days in the mid-90s - said will play an attack-minded 424. They have 2 new fullbacks in Ziegler and Lichtsteiner. Then signed Italy and Milan playmaker Andrea Pirlo on a Bosman and Chilean Arturo Vidal, from Leverkusen. Mirko Vucinic from Roma has come to beef up their attacking options.

Roma have changed manager and style too. From Little Barcelona B has come in Luis Enrique and a host of new players like Bojan, Lamela, Stekelenburg, Jose Angel. But, with Vucinic even Menez - and possibly Borriello - has left. The team has had a nightmare pre-season with players struggling to adapt to his ball-to-feet approach and heavy 3-0 defeats against Valencia and Psg. A 1-0 loss at Slovan in the Europa league has already fuelled speculation that Enrique might be a has-been soon and Roma will call former Lazio and Palermo manager Delio Rossi to their rescue.