Serie A 2008-2009 Season Preview: F-L

By: Francesco | August 26th, 2008

Here we go with the second installment. In this preview we’ll look at Fiorentina, Genoa, Inter, Juventus, Lazio, and Lecce.

FIORENTINA

2007/2008 was a good year for Viola fans. Well, it wasn’t just a good year, it was a great year. Fiorentina, led by great performances from key players like Frey, Gamberini, Montolivo, and Mutu, ended the season in 4th place, gaining Champions League qualification for the first time since the days of Batistuta and reaching the semi-final of the UEFA Cup. There’s lots of enthusiasm around Florence, and the Delle Valle family has done a great job turning this club into a contender again. Fiorentina arguably had the best transfer market of any team in Italy, strengthening their squad in all areas (except for center defense, but one may arrive before the window ends) and are ready to compete in Serie A and in Europe. Of course it always helps when you have a transfer genius like Pantaleo Corvino working for you. The biggest name to arrive was of course Alberto Gilardino. Prandelli managed Gila at Parma and will look to get the best out of the World Cup winning striker. At Milan Gila lacked confidence and was never the player we saw at Parma, but at Fiorentina he is the main man and feels loved, which means we’ll have a confident Gilardino and we may see the player we saw a couple of years ago. Also he’ll get help from Adrian Mutu, who in my book was the best foreign player in Serie A last season. Mutu is the true talisman of this squad, and when he’s in form he’s a joy to watch and Fiorentina can beat anyone. The most important thing Fiorentina did this summer was convince Mutu to stay. On the bench there is Giampaolo Pazzini, who had a difficult year last season goalscoring wise, but did a lot of hard work for the team. He has been playing well in preseason and should be a great option for Prandelli this season. In goal they can always rely on Sebastian Frey, who is one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A and his cat-like reflexes allow him to perform jaw-dropping saves. In defense Alessandro Gamberini had an excellent year last season, showing that he has the potential to be the next great Italian defender. Fiorentina could’ve tried harder to find a really good partner for him this summer, but as I said one may arrive before the end of the transfer market. One area that has been completely strengthened is the fullbacks. Fiorentina brought in Juan Vargas from Catania, Gianluca Comotto from Torino, and Luciano Zauri from Lazio. Vargas was easily the best left-back in Serie A last season. The Peruvian likes to get forward and attack, but he can also defend. He also has an awesome left foot which guarantees a couple of goals every season. Gianluca Comotto is a hardworking player who never stops running, during a game you’ll see him constantly motoring up and down the wing. Luciano Zauri is experienced and provides excellent defensive cover, even if he’s not as good offensively as Vargas and Comotto. With all the competition left-back Manuel Pasqual may be on the way out before the window ends. In midfield, Fiorentina lost their director in Fabio Liverani but bought two players to make up for it. Felipe Melo arrives from Spanish side Almeria, and Sergio Almiron arrives from Juventus. When I watched Felipe in Fiorentina’s Champions League qualifier, I was very impressed. He may very well be the revelation of the season. He is a player that knows how to dominate the midfield: he can break up plays but has very good technique. Then there’s Riccardo Montolivo. For years we’ve been hearing that he’s the next great Italian midfielder, and for years we’ve waited for it to show. Last season we saw glimpses, as he started out very well then dropped off in form, but he picked up towards the end of the season. This season should be the year of his consecration. Zvradko Kuzmanovic is also improving rapidly and should be another excellent option in midfield for La Viola. Another surprise could be young Montenegrin Stevan Jovetic. The 19 year old attacking midfield arrives from Partizan Belgrade and has been compared to Roberto Baggio. He probably won’t see so much time (Prandelli said it himself) but he will get his chance to make a contribution. To sum it up, Fiorentina did an excellent job this summer and if they fire on all cylinders there is no reason why they shouldn’t challenge for a top 4 spot in Serie A and even getting out of the group stage in the Champions League.

Manager: Cesare Prandelli

Best Buy: Felipe Melo- I could’ve said Gila but I have to go with Felipe. The Brazilian midfielder is extremely talented and could become one of the top midfielders in Serie A.

Probable Formation (4-3-2-1): Frey; COMOTTO (ZAURI), Kroldrup, Gamberini, VARGAS; Kuzmanovic, FELIPE, Montolivo; Santana, Mutu, GILARDINO.

GENOA

Last season was Genoa’s first season in Serie A since the mid-90’s and they didn’t let down their fans. Led by the goalscoring of Marco Borriello, the squad exceeded expectations and finished in the top half of the table. Gian Piero Gasperini showed that he is one of the top up-and-coming managers in Serie A. He plays a 3-4-3, relying on the two outside midfielders to run up and down the wing all game. Even though Genoa lost their top scorer in Borriello, Genoa did an excellent job on the transfer market, strengthening their squad in all areas. In goal is the Brazilian Rubinho, who did very well last season. Defense is a department where they revamped completely. Matteo Ferrari was signed on a free transfer and will look to be the leader in defense (although he suffers from lapses of concentration many times). Domenico Criscito, who played for Gasperini in the Juventus youth team, will start on defense and look to impress this season after Juventus sent him away to gain more experience. Giuseppe Biava was brought in from Palermo, and right back and former Italy U21 captain Alessandro Potenza was signed from Fiorentina. Salvatore Bocchetti, who played with Italy at the Olympics, also was signed. From Greece 20 year old central defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos (who probably has the longest name in Serie A) has been signed. He has drawn comparisons to Fabio Cannavaro. Moving to the flanks, Gasperini got the wingers he needed. Giandomenico Mesto, who has long been one of the most consistent right backs in Italy, was signed from Udinese and will start on the right. Mesto never tires and likes to get forward and join the attack. On the opposite side Francesco Modesto was signed from Reggina. Modesto has been impressive in Reggio Calabria (he was linked with Roma all of last summer) and is also very good going forward but better defensively than Mesto. In midfield Genoa will rely on the inspirational play of captain Marco Rossi, who can literally play anywhere on the pitch. They also have a hardman in the form of Croatian midfielder Ivan Juric. Promising young attacking midfielder Davide Di Gennaro was signed on a co-ownership deal from Milan as part of the Borriello sale. Up front, Gasperini signed two former pupils of his from his Juventus youth team days: Andrea Gasbarroni and Raffaele Palladino. Gasbarroni is incredibly talented yet incredibly inconsistent. Maybe Gasperini will know how to motivate him. Palladino has long been touted as one of the best young talents in Italy, but could find no space at Juventus and therefore this will be the year where he will have to confirm himself. He really knows how to beat a defender one on one and should be a valuable asset for the Rossoblu. The big story of the preseason is Ruben Olivera. The former Juventus player was signed this summer and moved to a new position (striker) by Gasperini, where he has been flourishing. Maybe he will make the Grifone fans forget about Borriello. If all the new signings can come together and work as a team, this squad is very good and could be good enough to even reach a UEFA spot.

Manager: Gian Piero Gasperini

Best Buy: Raffaele Palladino- Palladino is extremely talented and if Gasperini can get the best out of him he can make the difference.

Probable Formation (3-4-3): Rubinho; FERRARI, PAPASTATHOPOULOS, Criscito; MESTO, Rossi, Juric, MODESTO; GASBARRONI, OLIVERA, PALLADINO.

INTER

Of course the biggest story of the summer for Inter has been Jose Mourinho. The egotistical Portuguese manager has made his way to Serie A, and will take charge of last season’s Scudetto winners. Inter will look to win their 3rd consecutive Scudetto but what would make owner Massimo Moratti really happy would be a Champions League success. Inter didn’t really make big moves on the market at all (if it ain’t broke don’t fix it), but brought back Adriano from his Brazilian rehab session, signed Amantino Mancini from Roma, and bought Sulley Muntari from Portsmouth. Mourinho really wanted Lampard, but the English midfielder decided to stay in London with Chelsea. Mourinho as also asked for Porto winger Ricardo Quaresma, but Moratti has been unwilling to open his wallet. However you never know and he may arrive before the transfer deadline. Mourinho looks set to play a 4-3-3, although once Adriano comes back from injury he may decide to test a 4-2-3-1. In goal there is Julio Cesar, who has confirmed himself as one of the best shotstoppers in Italy. In defense Maicon is one of the most consistent performers in Serie A, making marauding runs down the right flank. On the other side Maxwell will start on the left, and has always been extremely underrated. In the center we will most probably see a Chivu-Samuel partnership with Materazzi, Cordoba, and Rivas as other options. Also as we saw Cambiasso could play at the back in emergency situations. In the center there will be influential captain Javier Zanetti, along with the aforementioned Estaban Cambiasso and new signing Sulley Muntari, who seems to have fit in very well into Mourinho’s plans. There is also Dejan Stankovic who will contribute from the bench and we can’t forget Patrick Vieira, who is currently injured but once he gets back he should figure in a starting role. Chilean attacking midfielder Luis Jimenez, who played well last season, will most probably play a bit-part role. In attack Luis Figo looked all set to retire but the arrival of Mourinho convinced the former Golden Ball winner to stay for another season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will also work his magic up front, and new signing Mancini will work on the left wing. Mancini’s problem has always been poor confidence and inconsistency and we’ll have to see if Mourinho can get the best out of him. Then on the bench there is the always reliable Julio Cruz, who is great at coming off the bench and scoring goals, and the experienced Hernan Crespo, who played under Mourinho at Chelsea. However it remains to be seen if Crespo will make a last minute move to Lazio. David Suazo looks to be 100% on the way out and will most probably leave before the deadline. Adriano will try to rediscover his form and become the Imperatore again, but the most interesting player is of course Mario Balotelli. 18 year old Balotelli is incredibly talented and has all the tools to become a superstar. Mourinho has shown confidence in him and if Balotelli has the right attitude he can go very far. I would be lying if I said Inter wasn’t a strong team. They have all the tools necessary to be Scudetto winners again and possibly have some European success.

Manager: Jose Mourinho

Best Buy: Sulley Muntari- There weren’t many buys, but I liked what I have seen from Sulley Muntari. The Ghanaian midfielder looks to be very motivated and is very skillful with a rocket of a shot. He will do very well.

Probable Formation (4-3-3): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Chivu, Samuel, Maxwell; J. Zanetti, Cambiasso, MUNTARI; Figo (Balotelli), Ibrahimovic, MANCINI.

JUVENTUS

After two seasons away from Europe, La Vecchia Signora are back where they used to be. The Bianconeri, led by Claudio Ranieri, look to compete on 2 fronts (3 if we count Coppa Italia) and have put together a squad that can handle multiple competitions. Juventus have had an active transfer campaign, no gigantic names, but players have been acquired that will fit into Ranieri’s system and work for the team. The biggest move was signing Brazilian striker Amauri from Palermo. Amauri had been a king in Sicily the past few seasons but it came time for the striker to make the big jump to a big club and prove his worth. In goal there is of course Gigi Buffon, but this summer Juve were looking for valid understudies in case of emergency and they signed two. Antonio Chimenti makes his return to Torino and provides experience on the bench. Alex Manninger, who has been impressive with Siena for a couple of years, was also signed and will most probably be the back-up. Ranieri also brought in experienced Swedish defender Olof Mellberg from Aston Villa to reinforce the backline. He will most likely start next to Giorgio Chiellini, who is starting to look world class, but since Chiellini is injured his partner will probably be Nicola Legrottaglie, who was one of the surprises of last season. Legrottaglie was all ready to sign a contract with Beskitas last year, but in the end Juventus kept him and he turned out to be a solid performer last season and impressed many. Also brought in to help out in defense is Dario Knezevic, who had a solid year at Livorno and will be a good sub. On the right is Zdenek Grygera, who had a discrete year last season but got the job done, and the experienced Jonathan Zebina is still on the roster. On the opposite side there is Christian Molinaro, who has loads of pace and knows how to get forward, but he needs to work on his crossing ability. He will face competition from the young Paolo De Ceglie, who was very good at Siena last year and in my opinion De Ceglie will be the starter by the end of the year (however that’s my opinion, Ranieri seems to be in love with Molinaro). De Ceglie is a solid player who knows how to defend as well as attack, and his crossing ability is very good. In midfield there is the reliable quartet of Mauro Camoranesi, Momo Sissoko, Cristiano Zanetti, and Pavel Nedved. When fit Camoranesi is untouchable on the right wing, and Sissoko impressed all of Italy last season after many were skeptical about him at first. Cristiano Zanetti was simply awesome last year. He seemed to gain a second wind under Ranieri and really was one of the top central midfielders in Italy. If he plays like that this season he will be hard to remove from the starting line-up. To strengthen center midfield Juventus signed Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen (of Totti spitting fame). Many Juve fans did not want Poulsen to sign but after seeing his performances in the preseason they may have changed their mind. Italy U21 starlet Claudio Marchisio will also be in the squad, he is a complete midfielder who can defend, attack, tackle, pass, score, etc. Promising young Swedish midfielder Albin Ekdal was acquired as well and really impressed everyone in preseason with his confident play. Tiago is still around, but he really should just leave already. Marchionni is a really good player when he’s not injured, but he’s always injured. Then we have Pavel Nedved. He signed a 1 year extension last season to play in the Champions League one more time. This will most probably be his last season but we never know. The one everyone is waiting to see is Sebastian Giovinco. Giovinco is the star of the Italy U21 team and has so much skill and technique. This season he will probably be Nedved’s understudy, however if he impresses he may force himself into the line-up. Up front Ranieri has 4 excellent strikers at his disposal. Alessandro Del Piero always gives his all when he’s wearing a Juve jersey and this season should be no different. David Trezeguet’s goalscoring record speaks for itself. He may be asleep all game and then just show up and score a goal. Then there’s the aforementioned Amauri and Vincenzo Iaquinta, another player that is excellent having off the bench. The one thing they seem to be missing (and that Ranieri has wanted all summer) is a central midfield director that can dictate the tempo of the squad. That’s why they wanted Xabi Alonso and have been linked with Aquilani. We will have to see if it happens. Otherwise, Juventus have a strong roster and should be able to compete for the Scudetto and make a good run in the Champions League.

Manager: Claudio Ranieri

Best Buy: Amauri- If the Brazilian striker can replicate his Palermo form in a black and white shirt, Juventus will have a very talented player on their hands and valid goalscorer.

Probable Formation (4-4-2): Buffon; Grygera, MELLBERG, Chiellini, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Sissoko, C. Zanetti, Nedved; Trezeguet, Del Piero.

LAZIO

The Biancocelesti were very disappointing last season. After an excellent season in 2006-2007, where they finished 3rd place, last season was an utter disaster. Lazio returned to Champions League football but were eliminated in the group stage. Things in Serie A weren’t going well either, and they wound up finishing in 12th place, not even qualifying for Europe. There were many problems with injuries, squad depth, and they had serious goalkeeping issues. President and famed loudmouth Claudio Lotito looked to rectify those problems for this campaign. First, the goalkeeping issues were solved. Ballotta retired and is now working at a desk in the Modena front office. Argentine goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo was signed from River Plate (he was signed last year but had passport issues). Lazio will finally have a reliable goalkeeper and Lazio fans are thanking the good lord that Fernando Muslera will be sitting on the bench. Manuel Belleri was brought back from his loan to Atalanta to add some depth in defense. Swiss international right back Stephan Lichtsteiner was signed from Lille and will start on the right. There is the Romanian defender Radu who impressed last season and Czech center back David Rozehnal. There is also Brazilian center back Cribari and Sebastiano Siviglia. On the left 20 year old Lorenzo De Silvestri, who I really think has all the potential to be the next great left back, will most probably start. There is also young Serbian Aleksander Kolarov, who has a rocket of a left foot and is good in the air. In midfield skillful winger Pasquale Foggia was brought back from his loan. Foggia’s first stint at Lazio was not successful but he will look to improve and impress Delio Rossi. The leader in midfield is Argentine Christian Ledesma, who was recently having problems with the club but will stay this season. Doing the hard work will be Frenchman Ousmane Dabo, and the new signing is Brazilian Francelino Matuzalem. Matuzalem already has some Serie A experience, playing with Napoli, Parma, Piacenza, and Brescia in the past. Matuzalem is a skillful player and is a very good passer and he will be a good addition to the Lazio midfield. There is also Mourad Meghni on the bench and the experienced winger Christian Manfredini. Up front the new boy is Argentine Mauro Zarate, who was signed with big fanfare but has not pleased Delio Rossi in the preseason (Delio Rossi said he doesn’t run enough). Zarate is very talented and he should be able to work himself into the starting line-up. There is Stefano Mauri, who has always been a good skillful player, and Goran Pandev. The Macedonian was really good last season and has tons of skill. Captain Tommaso Rocchi leads the line up front, and will look to score lots of goals, especially since his Olympic dream ended so quickly. Lazio will look to improve this season and try to qualify for Europe, but for some reason this squad still doesn’t convince me.

Manager: Delio Rossi

Best Buy: Juan Pablo Carrizo- Ever since Peruzzi retired Lazio has had goalkeeping woes, but they finally look to be solved with the arrival of Carrizo. Lazio fans no longer have to worry about the goalkeeping department.

Probable Formation (4-3-3): CARRIZO; LICHTSTEINER, Radu, Siviglia, De Silvestri; Dabo, Ledesma, MATUZALEM; Mauri, Pandev, Rocchi.

LECCE

The Pugliese club returns to Serie A after a two year absence. The Giallorossi’s first move of the season was firing coach Giuseppe Papadopulo and hiring Mario Berretta, who miraculously saved Siena last season and in recent years has been an expert in avoiding relegation. Last year Lecce relied on the goals of ex-Chievo striker Simone Tiribocchi, but this season they have given him some help. Promising striker Daniele Cacia was signed from Fiorentina, and he will look to impress and show his potential. Jose Castillo, who spent most of his career with small teams before exploding with Pisa last season, was signed as well. (I guess the nickname for the front pair will be Ca-Ca. Anyone? Anyone?) Fabio Caserta was signed from Palermo. Caserta is an all-around midfielder who is very good at breaking up plays but good at passing as well. Luca Ariatti has Serie A experience and so does Andrea Zanchetta, who is also a free-kick specialist. Experienced midfielder Guillermo Giacomazzi was signed as well, and for the Uruguayan this will be his second stint with the club. Also young Portuguese left-back Antunes was signed from Roma to get some experience. Francesco Benussi is a decent goalkeeper but the defense is Serie B caliber. They really should have signed some experienced defenders. I have a feeling they will be giving up some goals. Lecce’s main goal is avoiding relegation, and having Berretta at the helm helps, but it will be very tough.

Manager: Mario Berretta

Best Buy: Daniele Cacia- The 24 year old striker scored boatloads of goals in Serie B but didn’t get playing time at Fiorentina. Now he’s at a club where he will play and be able to prove his worth.

Probable Formation (3-5-2): Benussi; Polenghi, Diamoutene, Cottafava; Angelo, CASERTA, Zanchetta, GIACOMAZZI, ANTUNES; CACIA, CASTILLO.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Milan, Napoli, Palermo, Reggina, and Roma.