Friday News and Matchday 29 Preview: Anybody Want a Cheap Winger?

Matchday 29 begins in a matter of hours in Italy. Two coaches have also spoken about futures- one about his own, one about that of a player- as a club and a winger appear to be at a crossroads. As ever, Serie A remains fascinating.

• Former Roma boss Luciano Spalletti has distanced himself from the Juventus job, should Gigi Del Neri get sacked: “In Italy there’s talk of me at Juve? First there was talk of Fiorentina, then Inter, and now Juventus: I remain at Zenit because I’m happy, it’s a great group.”
• Azzurri coach Cesare Prandelli speaks on how he’ll deal with Daniele De Rossi, now in much trouble for elbowing Srna during Roma’s Champions’ League defeat: “I want to hear him and speak to him, then deal with the problem. I’ll talk to Daniele. These guys must remember that the represent the Nazionale even when they wear their club’s shirt.”
• Fiorentina and winger Juan Manuel Vargas appear to be at a crossroads. After many minor injuries, the winger is ready to return to form for the side, which apparently has 10 games to persuade him to stay at the club. However, if an offer over 10 million Euro were to come in, it seems that Della Valle would be willing to sell the player. Last year he was rated around 30 million but a drop in form and persistent injuries, as well as Fiorentina’s terrible season, seem to have drastically affected his expected price.

Of course, Serie A resumes this weekend. Matchday 29 begins today, with Inter away to Brescia, and end with Parma playing Napoli in the late game on Sunday.

Two games are almost certainly worth watching. The derby between Roma and Lazio should be a must-see, as they’re always feisty affairs. This year both sides really need the points for fourth place so expect a win. Should Lazio prevail, it will likely be the end of the Giallorossi’s fourth place hunt.

Palermo and Genoa also find themselves far too low on the table for their liking, at eighth and twelfth, respectively. Both have lost their last two games but incredibly, Palermo have also lost the two before that. Serse Cosmi will be desperate for points, and Genoa are quite poor at home, winning five, losing five, and drawing three. Palermo however have already lost eight times on the road, meaning that this game could easily go either way.

As always in the campionato, nearly every game has an interesting story. Can Milan bounce back from their Champions’ League exit? (Since they are playing Bari, the answer should be overwhelmingly positive). Will Del Neri find relief with a win away to Cesena? Can Catania condemn Sampdoria to a relegation battle? Can Lecce-Bologna actually be as boring as the teams playing it would indicate?

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Follow Julian on Twitter for Serie A news coverage, updates on new posts, and more, @JulianWCB.

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Category: Azzurri, Champions League, Preview, Rumors & News