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After a scandalous and chaotic summer in Italian football, this weekend will see the start of the country's main championship - "Serie A". The battles of the 2005/06 season of one of the strongest European leagues will begin with 20 teams participating.
The portal EuroFootball.com presents part II of the preview of the upcoming "Serie A" season:
"Messina"
Head coach: Bortolo Mutti
Last season: 7th place
Incoming: Claudio De Sousa ("Lazio"), Giuseppe Sculli ("Brescia"), Roberto Stellone ("Genoa"), Marco Zanchi ("Juventus"), Andrea Gentile ("Juventus"), Zlatan Muslimovic ("Udinese")
Outgoing: Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos ("Milan")
Leaders: Rahman Rezaei, Alessandro Parisi, Domenico Giampa, Riccardo Zampagna
Potentials: mid-table
Despite finishing 7th in the previous season, "Messina" faced financial difficulties that almost led to their expulsion from "Serie A". They strengthened their attack significantly by acquiring R. Stellone, G. Sculli, and Z. Muslimovic. Although repeating the previous season's success will be challenging, strengthening the squad makes it realistic to compete among the mid-table teams.
"Milan"
Head coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Last season: 2nd place
Incoming: Johan Vogel ("PSV"), Marek Jankulovski ("Udinese"), Christian Vieri ("Inter"), Alberto Gilardino ("Parma"), Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos ("Messina"), Zeljko Kalac ("Perugia")
Outgoing: Hernan Crespo ("Chelsea"), Christian Brocchi ("Fiorentina"), Vikash Dhorasoo ("P.S.G."), Jon-Dahl Tomasson ("Stuttgart"), Giuseppe Pancaro ("Fiorentina"), Christian Abbiati ("Juventus")
Leaders: Dida, Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko
Potentials: title contention
After a challenging 2004/05 season, where "Milan" finished as runner-up, they strengthened their squad with A. Gilardino and C. Vieri in attack. With Gilardino joining forces with A. Shevchenko, "Milan" will be a formidable force in various competitions, including the Italian championship.
"Palermo"
Head coach: Luigi Del Neri
Last season: 6th place
Incoming: Andrea Gasbarroni ("Sampdoria"), Valerio Virga ("Roma"), Andrea Caracciolo ("Brescia"), Stephen Makinwa ("Atalanta")
Outgoing: Stefano Morrone ("Livorno"), Lamberto Zauli ("Sampdoria"), Luca Toni ("Fiorentina"), Davide Possanzini ("Brescia"), Stefano Morrone ("Livorno")
Leaders: Eugenio Corini, Mario Santana, Franco Brienza, Andrea Barzagli
Potentials: top six finish
After a successful return to "Serie A," "Palermo" finished sixth and secured a UEFA Cup spot. The departures of coach F. Guidolin and top scorer L. Toni were compensated by new arrivals like A. Caracciolo and S. Makinwa. With these reinforcements, "Palermo" aims to compete for a Champions League spot.
"Parma"
Head coach: Mario Beretta
Last season: 18th place, maintained in the league after playoffs against "Bologna"
Incoming: Cristiano Lupatelli ("Fiorentina"), Giovanni Pasquale ("Siena"), Bernardo Corradi ("Valencia"), Zlatko Dedic ("Empoli"), Sebastian Siviglia ("Lazio"), Ferdinand Coly ("Perugia")
Outgoing: Sebastien Frey ("Fiorentina"), Cesare Bovo ("Roma"), Alberto Gilardino ("Milan"), Francesco Ruopolo ("Lokomotiv"), Fabio Vignaroli ("Modena")
Leaders: Daniele Bonera, Mark Bresciano, Fabio Simplicio, Marco Marchionni
Potentials: bottom half of the table
"Parma" narrowly avoided relegation last season and lost key players like S. Frey and A. Gilardino. The arrival of B. Corradi and C. Lupatelli aims to compensate for these losses, but the team's performance might be affected if further reinforcements are not made.
"Reggina"
Head coach: Walter Mazzarri
Last season: Shared 10th place
Incoming: Ivan Pelizzoli ("Roma"), Luca Vigiani ("Livorno"), Davide Dionigi ("Bari"), Emanuele Belardi ("Modena"), Rolando Bianchi ("Atalanta")
Outgoing: Shunsuke Nakamura ("Celtic"), Marco Borriello ("Sampdoria"), Ricardo Veron ("Lanus"), Mozart ("Spartak"), Viktor Boudianski ("Juventus"), Marco Zamboni ("Sampdoria"), Emiliano Bonazzoli ("Sampdoria")
Leaders: Carlos Humberto Paredes, Emiliano Bonazzoli
Potentials: bottom half of the table
"Reggina" faced departures of key players like S. Nakamura, Mozart, and E. Bonazzoli. Replacements such as L. Vigiani and R. Bianchi will strive to fill these gaps, but the team might struggle to replicate the previous season's success.
"Roma"
Head coach: Luciano Spalletti
Last season: Shared 8th place
Incoming: Cesare Bovo ("Parma"), Rodrigo Taddei ("Siena"), Samuel Kuffour ("Bayern"), Shabani Nonda ("Monaco"), Edgar Alvarez ("Cagliari"), Houssine Kharja ("Ternana"), Luigi Sartor ("Genoa"), Matteo Brighi ("Chievo")
Outgoing: Ivan Pelizzoli ("Reggina"), Valerio Virga ("Palermo"), Daniele Corvia ("Ternana"), Carlo Zotti ("Ascoli"), Matteo Ferrari ("Everton")
Leaders: Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano, Cristian Chivu, Daniele De Rossi
Potentials: top six finish
"Roma" struggled last season and appointed a new coach, Luciano Spalletti, over the summer. Despite strengthening the squad, challenges remain, especially due to A. Cassano's behavior. Achieving a top-four finish might be difficult for "Roma."
"Sampdoria"
Head coach: Walter Novellino
Last season: 5th place
Incoming: Luigi Sala ("Atalanta"), Samuele Dalla Bona ("Lecce"), Lamberto Zauli ("Palermo"), Fabio Bazzani ("Lazio"), Marco Borriello ("Reggina"), Ignazio Abate ("Napoli"), Luca Castelazzi ("Brescia"), Emiliano Bonazzoli ("Reggina"), Marco Zamboni ("Reggina"), Gennaro Del Vecchio ("Perugia")
Outgoing: Andrea Gasbarroni ("Palermo"), Simone Inzaghi ("Lazio"), Fausto Rossini ("Udinese"), Stefano Sacchetti ("Modena")
Leaders: Francesco Flachi, Fabio Bazzani, Aimo Diana, Cristiano Doni, Sergio Volpi
Potentials: top six finish
Managed by W. Novellino, "Sampdoria" narrowly missed out on fourth place last season. The team made significant changes in the squad, with M. Zamboni and F. Bazzani returning along with other new signings. If "Sampdoria" achieves fifth place again, it would be considered a successful season.
"Siena"
Head coach: Luigi De Canio
Last season: 14th place
Incoming: Nicola Legrottaglie ("Bologna"), Paolo Negro ("Lazio"), Erjon Bogdani ("Verona"), Tomas Locatelli ("Bologna"), Massimo Marazzina ("Torino"), Roberto Nanni ("Dinamo Kiev"), Cristian Molinaro ("Salernitana"), Davide Zomer ("Treviso")
Outgoing: Alex Manninger ("Strasbourg"), Bruno Cirillo ("AEK"), Giovanni Pasquale ("Parma"), Igor Tudor ("Juventus"), Davide Chiumento ("Le Mans"), Fabio Pecchia ("Bologna"), Rodrigo Taddei ("Roma"), Massimo Maccarone ("Middlesbrough"), Tore Andre Flo ("Valerenga"), Adriano Zancope ("Treviso")
Leaders: Enri">
cius ("Bari"), Emanuele Belardi ("Modena"), Rolando Bianchi ("Atalanta")
Outgoing: Shunsuke Nakamura ("Celtic"), Marco Borriello ("Sampdoria"), Ricardo Veron ("Lanus"), Mozart ("Spartak"), Viktor Boudianski ("Juventus"), Marco Zamboni ("Sampdoria"), Emiliano Bonazzoli ("Sampdoria")
Leaders: Carlos Humberto Paredes, Emiliano Bonazzoli
Potentials: bottom half of the table
"Reggina" faced departures of key players like S. Nakamura, Mozart, and E. Bonazzoli. Replacements such as L. Vigiani and R. Bianchi will strive to fill these gaps, but the team might struggle to replicate the previous season's success.
"Roma"
Head coach: Luciano Spalletti
Last season: Shared 8th place
Incoming: Cesare Bovo ("Parma"), Rodrigo Taddei ("Siena"), Samuel Kuffour ("Bayern"), Shabani Nonda ("Monaco"), Edgar Alvarez ("Cagliari"), Houssine Kharja ("Ternana"), Luigi Sartor ("Genoa"), Matteo Brighi ("Chievo")
Outgoing: Ivan Pelizzoli ("Reggina"), Valerio Virga ("Palermo"), Daniele Corvia ("Ternana"), Carlo Zotti ("Ascoli"), Matteo Ferrari ("Everton")
Leaders: Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano, Cristian Chivu, Daniele De Rossi
Potentials: top six finish
"Roma" struggled last season and appointed a new coach, Luciano Spalletti, over the summer. Despite strengthening the squad, challenges remain, especially due to A. Cassano's behavior. Achieving a top-four finish might be difficult for "Roma."
"Sampdoria"
Head coach: Walter Novellino
Last season: 5th place
Incoming: Luigi Sala ("Atalanta"), Samuele Dalla Bona ("Lecce"), Lamberto Zauli ("Palermo"), Fabio Bazzani ("Lazio"), Marco Borriello ("Reggina"), Ignazio Abate ("Napoli"), Luca Castelazzi ("Brescia"), Emiliano Bonazzoli ("Reggina"), Marco Zamboni ("Reggina"), Gennaro Del Vecchio ("Perugia")
Outgoing: Andrea Gasbarroni ("Palermo"), Simone Inzaghi ("Lazio"), Fausto Rossini ("Udinese"), Stefano Sacchetti ("Modena")
Leaders: Francesco Flachi, Fabio Bazzani, Aimo Diana, Cristiano Doni, Sergio Volpi
Potentials: top six finish
Managed by W. Novellino, "Sampdoria" narrowly missed out on fourth place last season. The team made significant changes in the squad, with M. Zamboni and F. Bazzani returning along with other new signings. If "Sampdoria" achieves fifth place again, it would be considered a successful season.
"Siena"
Head coach: Luigi De Canio
Last season: 14th place
Incoming: Nicola Legrottaglie ("Bologna"), Paolo Negro ("Lazio"), Erjon Bogdani ("Verona"), Tomas Locatelli ("Bologna"), Massimo Marazzina ("Torino"), Roberto Nanni ("Dinamo Kiev"), Cristian Molinaro ("Salernitana"), Davide Zomer ("Treviso")
Outgoing: Alex Manninger ("Strasbourg"), Bruno Cirillo ("AEK"), Giovanni Pasquale ("Parma"), Igor Tudor ("Juventus"), Davide Chiumento ("Le Mans"), Fabio Pecchia ("Bologna"), Rodrigo Taddei ("Roma"), Massimo Maccarone ("Middlesbrough"), Tore Andre Flo ("Valerenga"), Adriano Zancope ("Treviso")
Leaders: Enrico Chiesa, Francesco Cozza
Potentials: relegation battle
In the middle of last season, "Siena" managed to climb out of the relegation zone under a new coach. The team saw a significant turnover of players, with several key departures and new arrivals. Survival in the league will require considerable effort from "Siena."
"Treviso"
Head coach: Ezio Rossi
Last season: 5th place in "Serie B," promoted to the league due to "Genoa" disqualification
Incoming: Pinga ("Torino"), Dino Fava ("Udinese"), Raffaele De Martino ("Bellinzona"), Andrea Dossena ("Verona"), Samir Handanovic ("Udinese"), Antonio Filippini ("Lazio"), Emanuele Filippini ("Lazio"), Paolo Dellafiore ("Inter"), Robert Acquafresca ("Torino"), Andrea Russotto ("Bellinzona"), Adriano Zancope ("Siena")
Outgoing: Paulo Barreto ("Udinese"), Andrea Capone ("Cagliari"), Fernando Centi ("Treviso"), Davide Zomer ("Siena")
Leaders: Reginaldo, Damien Florian
Potentials: relegation battle
In their debut season in "Serie A," "Treviso" faces its biggest challenge yet. Promoted due to "Genoa's" troubles, the team had to make quick decisions and register new players in the final weeks. With minimal time for the squad to gel, "Treviso" faces an uphill battle to avoid relegation.
"Udinese"
Head coach: Serse Cosmi
Last season: 4th place
Incoming: Vincent Candela ("Bolton"), Juarez de Souza ("Bologna"), Christian Obodo ("Fiorentina"), Luis Vidigal ("Livorno"), Saadi Gheddafi ("Perugia"), Fausto Rossini ("Sampdoria"), Paulo Barreto ("Treviso"), Cesare Natali ("Atalanta"), Marco Motta ("Atalanta")
Outgoing: Emilson Cribari ("Lazio"), Manuel Belleri ("Lazio"), Per Kroldrup ("Everton"), Marek Jankulovski ("Milan"), David Pizarro ("Inter"), Samir Handanovic ("Treviso"), Michele Pazienza ("Fiorentina")
Leaders: Nestor Sensini, Giampiero Pinzi, Vincenzo Iaquinta
Potentials: top six finish
Coming off one of the most successful seasons in club history, "Udinese" failed to strengthen adequately in the offseason. With key players departing, new signings like V. Candela, C. Natali, and P. Barreto will look to fill the void. The departure of long-time coach L. Spalletti may pose challenges, but "Udinese" should still compete for a top-six finish in the league.
