Oh Oh, the Schedule is Out!
By: Martha | July 31st, 2007
In case you missed it, the Serie A draw was conducted today in Rome, which is a glorious sign that the new season really is going to start soon.
Since this is Italy, of course, the draw is not actually totally random. Instead, thanks to a seeding system which, in effect, protects the big clubs, none of last season’s top four teams — Inter, Milan, Roma and Lazio — will play one another in the first round; two will likely end up facing newly promoted sides, allowing them to ease into the season. Why will only two play newly promoted teams, you ask? Oh, that’s because Juve, totally arbitrarily, were also seeded, despite being in Serie B last year. Like I said, protecting the big clubs — Juve don’t want to face someone really good in the first round, and Inter don’t want to play Juve right out of the gate, either. A similar system regulates the last weeks of the season, too: The top teams never play one another at the end of the round of matches or as the season is coming to an end.
In addition, a new rule this year dictates that no big derby matches (Milan, Turin, Genoa and Rome) can take place in the first week.
Here’s week one (Can you stand the excitement?); the full schedule is after the jump.
Week 1:
26/8/07, 27/1/08
Fiorentina-Empoli
Genoa-AC Milan
Inter-Udinese
Juventus-Livorno
Lazio-Torino
Napoli-Cagliari
Palermo-Roma
Parma-Catania
Reggina-Atalanta
Siena-Sampdoria
Week 2
1/9/07, 2/3/08
Atalanta-Parma
Cagliari- Juventus
Catania-Genoa
Empoli-Inter
Livorno-Palermo
Milan-Fiorentina
Roma-Siena
Sampdoria-Lazio
Torino-Reggina
Udinese-Napoli
Week 3
16/9/07, 10/2/08
Fiorentina-Atalanta
Genoa-Livorno
Inter-Catania
Juventus-Udinese
Lazio-Empoli
Napoli-Sampdoria
Palermo-Torino
Parma-Cagliari
Reggina-Roma
Siena-Milan
Week 4
23/9/07, 17/2/08
Atalanta-Lazio
Cagliari-Palermo
Catania-Fiorentina
Empoli-Napoli
Livorno-Inter
Milan-Parma
Roma-Juventus
Sampdoria-Genoa
Torino-Siena
Udinese-Reggina
Week 5
26/9/07, 24/2/08
Catania-Empoli
Fiorentina-Roma
Genoa-Udinese
Inter-Sampdoria
Juventus-Reggina
Lazio-Cagliari
Napoli-Livorno
Palermo-Milan
Parma-Torino
Siena-Atalanta
Week 6
30/9/07, 27/2/08
Cagliari-Siena
Empoli-Palermo
Livorno-Fiorentina
Milan-Catania
Napoli-Genoa
Reggina-Lazio
Roma-Inter
Sampdoria-Atalanta
Torino-Juventus
Udinese-Parma
Week 7
7/10/07, 2/3/08
Atalanta-Udinese
Catania-Livorno
Fiorentina-Juventus
Genoa-Cagliari
Inter-Napoli
Lazio-Milan
Palermo-Reggina
Parma-Roma
Siena-Empoli
Torino-Sampdoria
Week 8
21/10/07, 9/3/08
Atalanta-Torino
Cagliari-Catania
Fiorentina-Siena
Juventus-Genoa
Livorno-Lazio
Milan-Empoli
Reggina-Inter
Roma-Napoli
Sampdoria-Parma
Udinese-Palermo
Week 9
28/10/07, 16/3/08
Catania-Sampdoria
Empoli-Atalanta
Genoa-Fiorentina
Lazio-Udinese
Milan-Roma
Napoli-Juventus
Palermo-Inter
Parma-Livorno
Siena-Torino
Week 10
31/10/07, 19/3/08
Atalanta-Cagliari
Fiorentina-Napoli
Inter-Genoa
Juventus-Empoli
Palermo-Parma
Reggino-Livorno
Roma-Lazio
Sampdoria-Milan
Siena-Catania
Udinese-Torino
Week 11
4/11/07, 22/3/08
Cagliari-Sampdoria
Catania-Atalanta
Empoli-Roma
Genoa-Palermo
Juventus-Inter
Lazio-Fiorentina
Livorno-Udinese
Milan-Torino
Napoli-Reggina
Parma-Siena
Week 12
11/11/07, 30/3/08
Atalanta-Milan
Fiorentina-Udinese
Inter-Lazio
Palermo-Naples
Parma-Juventus
Reggina-Genoa
Roma-Cagliari
Sampdoria-Empoli
Siena-Livorno
Torino-Catania
Week 13
25/11/07, 6/4/08
Cagliari-Milan
Empoli-Torino
Genoa-Roma
Inter-Atalanta
Juventus-Palermo
Lazio-Parma
Livorno-Sampdoria
Naples-Catania
Reggina-Fiorentina
Udinese-Siena
Week 14
2/12/07, 13/4/08
Atalanta-Naples
Cagliari-Livorno
Catania-Palermo
Fiorentina-Inter
Milan-Juventus
Parma-Empoli
Roma-Udinese
Sampdoria-Reggina
Torino-Genoa
Week 15
9/12/07, 20/4/08
Empoli-Cagliari
Genoa-Siena
Inter-Torino
Juventus-Atalanta
Lazio-Catania
Livorno-Roma
Naples-Parma
Palermo-Fiorentina
Reggina-Milan
Udinese-Sampdoria
Week 16
16/12/07, 27/4/08
Atalanta-Palermo
Cagliari-Inter
Catania-Udinese
Empoli-Genoa
Lazio-Juventus
Milan-Livorno
Parma-Reggina
Sampdoria-Fiorentina
Siena-Naples
Torino-Roma
Week 17
23/12/07, 4/5/08
Fiorentina-Cagliari
Genoa-Parma
Inter-Milan
Juventus-Siena
Livorno-Atalanta
Naples-Torino
Palermo-Lazio
Reggina-Catania
Roma-Sampdoria
Udinese-Empoli
Week 18
13/1/08, 11/5/08
Atalanta-Roma
Cagliari-Udinese
Catania-Juventus
Empoli-Reggina
Lazio-Genoa
Milan-Naples
Parma-Fiorentina
Sampdoria-Palermo
Siena-Inter
Torino-Livorno
Week 19
20/1/08, 18/5/08
Fiorentina-Torino
Genoa-Atalanta
Inter-Parma
Juventus-Sampdoria
Livorno-Empoli
Napoli-Lazio
Palermo-Siena
Reggina-Cagliari
Roma-Catania
Udinese-Milan
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Comments
-
This is one of the things I guess I’ll never fully understand about the way things work in Italy.
I mean, why bother to call this a “draw” if you are attaching so many levels of contingencies on it? Each team has to play a home and home with every other team.
Why not just make a schedule that spreads out the big matches and adjusts well for television purposes and announce it? I don’t think it would upset people and it would actually get the results the league is looking for, be easier to pull off, and it gets rid of this sham of having a “draw” with so many contingencies.
Posted from
United States
-
I’m just waiting for your post on the Rossi transfer so I can yammer about how La Liga is a graveyard for talented Italian attacking players.
Posted from
Netherlands -
tmc, I’m totally with you — it’s unsurprising but totally bizarre. And what would be so wrong with a derby in the last week, with everything at stake?
rickard, I’m trying to figure out how to work the Rossi thing into a post, since it doesn’t actually INVOLVE Serie A anymore. It’ll definitely be in the one that goes up in a couple of hours, though, so you can yammer at will then.
Posted from
Portugal -
I spent AT LEAST thirty seconds wondering why the schedule ended with Week 18. Serie A has 20 teams, donnit? (You wrote week 18 twice ;) )
Posted from
Canada -
Dates are circled. November 4th and March 22nd. The dates I hope Gigli chokes on his words. Bring it, don’t sing it buddy.
The December 23rd and April 5th. The dates when Milan will find out That the proper way to wear black is with blue!
I am also looking forward to Inter’s fixture’s with Roma, Lazio & Fiorentina and then well, pretty much all of them.
FORZA INTER!!!!!!
Posted from
United States -
Sam, I did the same thing about why there are only 19 weeks. Don’t tell anyone. (And damn, you’re fast — I fixed the double 18 thing the second I noticed it.)
Posted from
Portugal -
Paolo, I’ll be with you on those days, for sure, not-so-secretly hoping something awful befalls Nedved on 12/23. (And gotta love Inter opening up against Udine, the one team that took points off them in both meetings last year.)
Posted from
Portugal -
“it doesn’t actually INVOLVE Serie A anymore”
Well you do cover Azzurri news, and I have faith in the kid, that eventually he will be an important Azzurri player at some point…although this strange move certainly does not help in the short term, what with Donadoni complaining about having to travel to Germany now that Toni is in Bayern. Poor Roberto.
I know it may not happen but I still can’t wait for when Italy lines up with Rossi, Montolivo, Rosina and Aquilani as the creative forces.
Posted from
Netherlands -
hahaha the day of the second inter-juve game (march 22) is the day before my birthday…hopefully i will get an early birthday gift and get 3 points for juve!
FORZA JUVE!
Posted from
Canada -
i’m going to bitch because, well, i’m just going to bitch. Napoli have the following fixtures:
30-Sept/27-Feb Genoa
7-Oct/2-March Inter Milan
21-Oct/9-March Roma
28-Oct/16-March Juventus
31-Oct/19-March FiorentinaHoly crap, that is two months of straight hell right there. I love a good conspiracy theory but I doubt there’s anything at play here. I’m just bitching because that is a brutal, brutal stretch of matches.
I’m with you, Rickard. Rossi, Montolivo, Rosina, Aquilani, Rossi, Chiellini, Pazzini, Nocerino, Criscito… those are just the guys I can think of off the top of my head that could all wear the Azzurri shirt in the next 12 months. Good times, good times.
Posted from
United States -
I’m joining Joe in the bitching corner.
Posted from
United States -
I’m with you there, Joe while I’m rarely one to turn down a calcio conspiracy theory, it’s hard to come up with a scenario under which The Powers That Be wouldn’t want Napoli to stay up. You guys have great fans and, more importantly, a lot of them, which means profit for everybody.
That said: Damn, that does suck.
Posted from
Portugal -
If u guyz think Napoli’s fixtures were bad look at wat v romans hv got
4) Rome-Juventus 23 september
5) Fiorentina-Rome 26 september
6) Rome-Inter 30 september
7) Parma-Rome 7 October
8) Rome-Naples 21 October
9) Milan-Rome 28 October
10) Rome-Lazio 31 OctoberAnyway we will beat every1
FORZA ROMA!!!Posted from
United States -
Wat kinda shit fixture list is this?? The last yr’s top 2 teams r facing Udinese n Palermo n AC Milan get 2 play Genoa.. the newly promoted team.
Posted from
United States -
Palermo will take Roma in week 1…watch
Posted from
United States -
The fact of the matter is… If you are a good club then you should welcome any challenge with open arms and if you are good enough to compete for the Scudetto then what does it matter when you play which team? The fixture was going to be played anyways. Your objective is to take points and prove you have what it takes to be among Serie A’s best. Some of you sound like you are already chalking up the excuses and admitting defeat.
Now I Hardly ever admit this but I am going to give credit to the Juventus fans. Their team just spent a year down in Serie B and they have lost a key players due to Calciopoli. Their attitude ( arrogant or not :) ) is: we’ll take anything you throw at us, we want to, and believe they’ll, win. They may not be right lol but they have the right spirit.
Posted from
United States -
awwwe thank you paolo!!! wow i better read your comment a second time just to make sure thats what you said! i should take this for what it worth because i cant see you ever saying anything like this ever again! ahaha we onyl think this way becasue we know that juev want revenge on teams like inter so that will drive them forward. the reason juve arent complaining is because we were in serie b for a season so really to us nothing could get worse than that, we are just happy to be back where we belong because we really missed the rivalry and competition
Posted from
Canada -
No problem Sofia! you guys as fans are fearless and it makes the rivalries all that much better! Credit should be given where its due. Welcome back to the “A” !
Now back to business lol. A quick rebuttal to Juve wanting to exact revenge. To put a spin effect on it, it will tough for them this year. I think it there will be equal effort from teams that want to get back at them for what they did. Teams are going to play them tougher than ever and will want to beat them as bad they as Juve want to win. Mr. Gigli certainly was not shy with some remarks he made about a certain team either. It just adds fuel to the fire which will make this season that much more intense. Its going to be a good season.
I cannot wait for it start!!!!
Posted from
United States -
im completely agree…holy crap am i actually writing this….lol but your right this season is going to be super intense and i like it so im am really really excited for it. i like a little healthy competition….haha gigli god love that guy, i love how he isnt shy about anything he says….kinda like me in that sense….us juventini never too shy to offend people:D aahahah
Posted from
Canada -
Me too, never worried to speak to my mind. Odd that I just worte about Juve in 2 seperate paragraphs and not once insulted them… am I losing my edge? *looks up and ponders for a minute…. hmmm* Na… I still hate them (the team)… lol
November 4th, can’t wait!!
Posted from
United States -
[...] Oh Oh, the Schedule is Out! By Martha Instead, thanks to a seeding system which, in effect, protects the big clubs, none of last season’s top four teams — Inter, Milan, Roma and Lazio — will play one another in the first round; two will likely end up facing newly promoted … Italy – http://italy.theoffside.com [...]
Posted from
United States
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