⚽️🇮🇹 How Serie A is dominating the European rankings
👋 Ciao a tutti!
Welcome to Calcio Weekly, your comprehensive weekly digest of Italian soccer.
This week, we’re looking at the impressive progress Italian teams are making in Europe, we’re heading to the San Siro for a teenage dream debut, and we’re getting a day-in-the-life tour from one of the league’s rising stars…
Plus, we’re giving away a Serie A team jersey to one lucky reader - to be in with a chance of winning, you just have to share this newsletter with five friends! Read on to learn more…
🔝 Italian teams raise Serie A to top of European rankings
Serie A currently leads the UEFA club coefficients ranking, with all seven Italian sides who entered European competition this season remaining in continental contention.
👍 Inter, Napoli and Lazio have all qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League.
🙌 AC Milan - who were in the Champions League “Group of Death” with PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle - were unable to make it a Champions League clean sweep for Italy, but they will now move into the Europa League, where they join Roma and Atalanta in the knockout stages.
💫 Fiorentina topped their Europa Conference League group to move on in a competition where they made the final last season.
👏 All seven Italian teams who earned a place in European competitions this season are still active in continental contests. The only other nation to manage this is France, whose six teams are still competing.
🧐 What is the UEFA coefficient ranking and why does it matter? The UEFA coefficients decide the rankings and seedings for club competitions. In general, the higher the coefficient, the more Champions League berths will be granted to a domestic league.
📈 Thanks to its impressive slate of European performances this season, Serie A is now ahead of Germany, England, Spain and France in the rankings.
🤞 If Italy finishes the season in the top two of the rankings, Serie A will be granted a coveted fifth Champions League berth in 2024-25.
🏟️ Inter take steps towards new stadium
Inter have shared the iconic San Siro stadium with city neighbors AC Milan since 1947, but are committed to building a home of their own. 👌
🏠 The Nerazzurri are “strongly committed” to building a new home in the municipality of Rozzano on the southern outskirts of the city.
😮 The new venue would have a 70,000 capacity and would boast a “sports town" entertainment district.
👌 The project is being designed by renowned architecture firm Populous, which is also responsible for Wembley Stadium, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, San Francisco’s Oracle Park, and many more.
📝 The club has launched a fan survey process, which begins with a focus on the impact of traffic in the local area.
🙏 Tributes pour in for Serie A legend Siniša Mihajlović a year after his passing
Legendary Serie A player and manager Siniša Mihajlović passed away in December 2022, following a battle with leukemia. On the anniversary of his passing, last weekend, the Serbian was remembered by teams, players, coaches and fans across Italy.
🇮🇹 After winning the European Cup with Red Star Belgrade in 1991, the Serbian spent over three decades in Italy. He played for Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter before coaching at Bologna, Catania, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Milan and Torino.
❤️ Tributes poured in from across the league for the much-loved former defender on the anniversary of his passing. Thiago Motta, who succeeded Mihajlović as Bologna coach in 2022, dedicated his side’s impressive 2-0 win over Roma to the former great.
🗣️ “There was also something special in the air, it was a victory for Sinisa,” said Motta. “I am sure he was watching and gave us a big hand, as these lads showed great character right to the end.”
🇺🇸 Christian Pulisic logs a career-first stat
USMNT star Christian Pulisic’s freshman season in Serie A is going from strength to strength, with a new career feat achieved in AC Milan’s 3-0 win over Monza in the most recent game week.
👏 After assisting Tijani Reijnders’ opener in the aforementioned win, the 25-year-old has now notched four goal involvements in as many games for the first time in his career.
🫶 Pulisic has five goals and four assists from 14 Serie A appearances this season.
➡️ Up next for Pulisic and Milan: The Rossoneri travel to Salernitana tomorrow (2.45pm ET on Paramount+). In four historical meetings, Milan are undefeated against Salernitana, and have never failed to score.
🙌 A dream Milan debut for Jan-Carlo Simić
AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over Monza wasn’t just a special occasion for Pulisic: it represented a special debut for teenager Jan-Carlo Simić.
😮 Not only did the 18-year-old defender keep a clean sheet on his first-team debut, but he scored the second goal with an instinctive finish from a Rafael Leão cross!
❤️ The goal was a joyous moment for Simić’s parents, who were thrilled to see their son put the ball in the net just 17 minutes after entering the field at the San Siro…
🥐 Simić was asked by broadcaster DAZN if scoring on his debut meant he would have to buy dinner for his teammates. The relieved defender replied: “No, no, I only have to bring pastries.”
👋 A Day in the Life of Joshua Zirkzee
In last week’s edition of Calcio Weekly, we told you to look out for Serie A’s rising star, Joshua Zirkzee. The 22-year-old Dutch forward, who led the line in Bologna’s aforementioned 2-0 win over Roma last weekend, took us through the bui to that game…
Day in the Life of a Serie A Footballer | Joshua Zirkzee | CBS Sports Golazo
🆙 Thanks in part to Zirkzee, Bologna go into this weekend in fourth place. He has notched seven goals and two assists in Serie A this season.
⏭️ This Saturday, Bologna face seventh place Atalanta (9am ET on Paramount+), whom they defeated 2-0 in their last meeting back in April.
👕 Good news: We’re giving away a Serie A jersey to one lucky reader!
All you have to do is refer at least five friends to Calcio Weekly, using the share button below. We’ll then pick a random winner who will be sent a jersey of their choice!
Enter to win and help the latest Serie A news land in more inboxes! ⬇️
❤️ Drăgușin discusses his love for Genoa
Radu Drăgușin, one of the most highly rated defenders in Europe, stars in the first episode of Champions of Made in Italy, which you can watch below. The Romanian, who helped guide Genoa to promotion last season, discusses his love for his adopted home city and its people…
🇮🇹 Serie A is partnering with the Italian government for the Champions of Made in Italy documentary series, which will bring insight into the cities and cultures that surround every club in the league.
🫨 ICYMI: Victor Osimhen’s incredible assist
Napoli stayed with the chasing pack at the top of the table in game week 16 with a 2-1 home win over Cagliari. The highlight of the match was Victor Osimhen’s outrageous assist for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s winner.
How did he keep it in the air that long?!
🏆 Napoli will fight for the Scudetto “to the end,” says Politano
Napoli are 14 points behind league leaders Inter going into game week 17, but winger Matteo Politano insists their title defense will continue.
🗣️ After the hard-fought 2-1 home win over Cagliari, Politano said: “We are slowly recovering ground and will keep taking it one game at a time, but we hope to fight to the end for the Scudetto, as there is a long way to go yet.”
Napoli face a huge test this Saturday, when they head to the Stadio Olimpico to face Roma (2.45pm ET on Paramount+). Jose Mourinho’s side are undefeated at home since September, and could leapfrog Walter Mazzarri’s charges with a win.
💬 Calcio Conversations
In Italian soccer, you’ll often hear a player referred to as the Capocannoniere.
🤷♂️ What does it mean? It means ‘top scorer’ and refers to the leading goalscorer in Serie A, a coveted prize at the end of every season. In other soccer leagues and tournaments, this is sometimes referred to as the “Golden Boot”.
⚽️ AC Milan legend Gunnar Nordahl has won more Capocannoniere crowns than any other player, winning five in the 1950s, but Lazio’s Ciro Immobile is right behind him with four.
🏆 Victor Osimhen of Napoli scooped the award last year, while Inter’s Lautaro Martinez is currently on course to win it for the first time this season with 15 goals, six clear of his closest rival, Domenico Berardi of Sassuolo.
💍 Social Posts of the Week: Love is all around at Juventus!
It’s a good time of year for romantic gestures, and there are plenty going around at Juventus right now!
Over the weekend, Federico Chiesa popped the question to his partner Lucia Bramani while in Venice…
Meanwhile, Juve defender Daniele Rugani showed that he is used to performing in front of big crowds by proposing to his partner Michela Persico during a concert at Turin’s Pala Alpitour…
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports and Paramount+
Friday December 22nd
Empoli v Lazio (12.30pm ET)
Sassuolo v Genoa (12.30pm ET)
Monza v Fiorentina (2.45pm ET)
Salernitana v AC Milan (2.45pm ET)
Saturday December 23rd
Frosinone v Juventus (6.30am ET)
Bologna v Atalanta (9am ET)
Torino v Udinese (9am ET)
Hellas Verona v Cagliari (12pm ET)
Inter v Lecce (12pm ET)
Roma v Napoli (2.45pm ET)
🇨🇦 Reading this in Canada? Watch ALL Serie A games LIVE on Fubo - and try it for free! 🇨🇦
Grazie e arrivederci!
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Calcio Weekly and we wish you a very Happy Holidays!
Feel free to share Calcio Weekly with your friends - there’s a chance to win a Serie A jersey if you refer five friends - and send us any feedback at calcioweekly@legaseriea.it.
Ciao ciao!