⚽️🇮🇹 Juve and Bologna take center stage on CBS!
In this week’s Italian soccer digest, we're also looking at the love and support that has poured in for Fiorentina's Edoardo Bove, and much more!
❤️ Serie A unites in support of Edoardo Bove
Fiorentina’s match against Inter was postponed in the 16th minute on Sunday when midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed on the field.
👉 The 22-year-old, who is on a season-long loan from Roma, was immediately rushed to Careggi University Hospital in Florence. Bove is out of intensive care and recovering, according to Fiorentina general manager Alessandro Ferrari.
👉 On Monday, Fiorentina posted an update that Bove was “awake, alert, and oriented” and speaking to family and his teammates.
👉 Tributes and support have flooded in from across the league, with players from his parent club wearing shirts bearing his name in the warm-up for their home match with Atalanta on Monday.
👉 Fiorentina’s Coppa Italia clash against Empoli on Wednesday went ahead at Bove’s request, with fans and the club showing their support for the recovering midfielder. The Viola narrowly missed out on progression after penalties, following a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
📺 Juventus and Bologna headline historic American broadcast this weekend
Saturday’s clash between Juventus and Bologna will take to the biggest stage for its American broadcast, with CBS showing the game on its main broadcast television channel.
📺 The match kicks off at 12pm ET and will be preceded by a 60-minute pre-match show on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+, and a 30-minute post-match show. The full CBS on-air crew will be on the sidelines at Allianz Stadium in Turin.
🇺🇸 This marks the second-ever occasion a Serie A game has been shown on American broadcast television, following the telecast of Milan’s trip to Parma in August.
👉 The match is significant for Juventus coach Thiago Motta, who faces his former club with his new one for the first time.
😲 Juventus is unbeaten this season and is unbeaten in its last 24 league meetings against Bologna.
💪 Bologna—owned by Canadian businessman Joey Saputo—will also come to Turin with confidence. They’ve scored seven unanswered goals in the past week, including a 3-0 home win over Venezia on Saturday and a 4-0 triumph over Monza in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday.
🇺🇸 With striker Dušan Vlahović struggling for fitness, the match may also see USMNT star Tim Weah playing as striker, as he did in Sunday’s draw with Lecce.
🏆 Inter triumph at Gran Galà del Calcio awards
The Gran Galà del Calcio, the annual awards ceremony organized by the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC), took place in Milan on Monday evening.
🌟 With the awards recognizing achievements in the 2023-24 season, Inter was the big winner on the night. The reigning Serie A champions won Club of the Year and Coach of the Year (Simone Inzaghi).
🗣️ “I want to share this award with my players, as it would not be possible without them,” said Inzaghi. “I also share it with my club, which ensured we had everything needed at our disposal, and to the fans who always support us.”
⚽️ Inter’s Marcus Thuram won Goal of the Year for his sublime effort in the 5-1 Derby della Madonnina victory over Milan last September. While most awards were voted for by the league’s players, the best goal was chosen by the public.
👏 Last season’s top scorer, Lautaro Martínez, was named Serie A Player of the Year.
👉 AIC members also picked a Best XI of the Year: Sommer (Inter); Bellanova (Torino/Atalanta), Bastoni (Inter), Calafiori (Bologna/Arsenal), Dimarco (Inter); Barella (Inter), Calhanoglu (Inter), Koopmeiners (Atalanta/Juventus); Zirkzee (Bologna/Manchester United), Lautaro Martínez (Inter), M Thuram (Inter).
💫 Patrick Vieira helps turn Genoa’s fortunes around
In his first two games as Genoa coach, Patrick Vieira has secured four points. His first win as a Serie A manager came over the weekend when his side registered a 2-0 win at Udinese.
1️⃣4️⃣ Genoa - who sit in 14th place with 14 points after 14 games - booked their first win in nearly a month under Vieira’s revitalized approach.
🙌 The legendary Frenchman, who won four consecutive scudetti as a player with Inter, is credited with helping to unlock the offensive potential of the front three of Alessandro Zanoli, Fabio Miretti, and Andrea Pinamonti.
Up next for Genoa 👉 On Sunday, Vieira’s team host Torino in a game that could put either team in the top half of the table with a win (9am ET, CBS Sports). Their last encounter, back in January, ended goalless.
👏 Parma’s young side climb up the table
Upon its return to Serie A this season, following a three-year absence, Parma sits in 11th spot in the table after an impressive win over high-flying Lazio over the weekend.
😮 Parma’s win over in-form Lazio was inspired by a wonder goal from teenager Anas Haj Mohamed, who became the second-youngest foreign scorer in Parma’s Serie A history with his beautiful curling effort.
🆙 The Crociati’s second win in three league games pulls them up to 11th, four points clear of the relegation zone and a single point below the top half of the table.
🗣️ After the win, coach Fabio Pecchia spoke about his youthful side, which boasts an average age of just 23: “We are a very young team, and in this match, we lowered the age even more, but by now, this isn’t news. We need to think about winning games and getting points to reach our goal […] Courage is doing things despite fear, and I wasn’t afraid to let the kids play.”
🤕 There was some bad news for Pecchia’s side, who will have to do without forward Gabriel Charpentier after he ruptured his achilles in the game.
😯 Historically, Parma is one of Serie A’s most successful teams in domestic and European play. Between 1992 and 2002, they won eight major titles, including three editions of the Coppa Italia and two UEFA Cups (now known as the Europa League).
Up next for Parma 👉 The Emilia-Romagna side will face one of its toughest tests of the season when they head to the San Siro to face Inter tomorrow (12.30pm ET, CBS Sports). Parma last took points from Inter in September 2018.
👍 Bologna, Milan and Empoli progress in Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia Round of 16 kicked off on Tuesday evening, with big wins for Bologna and Milan.
👍 The Rossoneri dismissed Serie B leaders Sassuolo by a 6-1 scoreline, which coach Paulo Fonseca rightfully described as “magnificent.” Milan has now won its last three matches and is unbeaten since October.
😲 Fonseca could face his former club, Roma, in the quarterfinals, if Claudio Ranieri’s team progresses past Sampdoria in two weeks’ time.
💪 As noted earlier in the newsletter, Bologna prepped for their trip to Turin with a resounding 4-0 win over Monza, marred only by an injury to Riccardo Orsolini.
👉 Fiorentina staged their aforementioned Coppa Italia bout with Empoli under difficult circumstances, with Empoli triumphing 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
⏭️ At 3pm ET this afternoon (CBS Sports), Lazio host Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico with a place in the final eight at stake. Antonio Conte has posited the game as a chance for the league leaders to utilize their squad depth.
💬 Calcio Conversations
Continuing our recent focus on Serie A club nicknames, this week we are having a look at the home of USMNT stars Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah. It’s time to put Milan under the spotlight!
🤷♂️ What is Milan known as? They are primarily referred to as the Rossoneri (Red and Blacks) after their iconic striped shirt. However, you might also hear Milan being called Il Diavolo (The Devil), one of the historic symbols of the club and one that is directly linked to the color choice. Milan’s English founder Herbert Kilpin supposedly said back in the day: “We are a team of devils, our colors red as fire and black to invoke fear in our opponents.”
🧐 Wait, shouldn’t they actually be called Milano? Well spotted! The club has kept the English spelling of the city’s name, rather than the Italian Milano, as another nod to its English origins. They aren’t alone: the aforementioned Genoa still go by their English name, ‘Genoa Cricket and Football Club’ (rather than Genova), in tribute to their English founders.
🇺🇸 Pulisic praised ahead of Atalanta test
Christian Pulisic headlined The Athletic’s weekly USMNT Player Tracker after his latest goal involvement in Milan’s 3-0 win over Empoli on Saturday.
⭐️ The creative USMNT star provided his eighth assist of the season for the Rossoneri when he set up in-form midfielder Tijjani Reijnders for the second goal of the match. He created four chances in the game in total.
💪 The 26-year-old is Milan’s top scorer in the league (5) and across all competitions (8) this season.
👏 On Wednesday, Pulisic was nominated for US Soccer Male Player of the Year.
🇺🇸 His American teammate Yunus Musah also earned a start on the right wing against Empoli, marking his 11th appearance of the season.
⏭️ Milan will be full of confidence when they head northeast to Bergamo tomorrow to take on Atalanta (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports), having scored nine goals across their last two matches.
🛑 However, Atalanta sits second in the standings and has won its last eight matches in all competitions. Milan’s most recent win at the Gewiss Stadium was back in October 2021.
🤳 Social Post of the Week: Daniele De Rossi provides the selfie assist
In a long and illustrious career, Daniele De Rossi notched 61 assists in all competitions for Roma. We’re glad to see the Giallorossi legend is still providing excellent assists… albeit for selfies rather than goals…
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports, Paramount+, FOX Deportes, and SiriusXM
Friday, December 6th
Inter v Parma (12.30pm ET)
Atalanta v Milan (2.45pm ET, also on FOX Deportes)
Saturday, December 7th
Genoa v Torino (9am ET)
Juventus v Bologna (12pm ET, CBS and FOX Deportes)
Roma v Lecce (2.45pm ET)
Sunday, December 8th
Fiorentina v Cagliari (6.30am ET)
Verona v Empoli (9am ET)
Venezia v Como (12pm ET)
Napoli v Lazio (2.45pm ET, also on FOX Deportes and SiriusXM FC)
Monday, December 9th
Monza v Udinese (2.45pm ET)
🇨🇦 Watch ALL Serie A games live on Fubo - and select games with Italian-language commentary on TLN 🇨🇦
🇺🇸 Watch select games with Spanish-language commentary on FOX Deportes and English-language commentary on SiriusXM 🇺🇸
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