⚽️🇮🇹 Lukaku’s immediate impact at Napoli
In this week’s Italian soccer digest, we're looking back at the close of the summer transfer window, we're looking ahead to Italy's Nations League campaign, and much more!
🇮🇹 Tonali returns for Italy’s Nations League squad
International soccer is back! The Azzurri start their UEFA Nations League campaign on Friday with a trip to France, followed by an away test against Israel.
👍 Sandro Tonali is back in the 23-man squad, following his reintroduction at Newcastle Utd.
👋 There are new faces in the squad in the form of Leicester defender Caleb Okoli and Atalanta midfielder Marco Brescianini.
👉 Nicolò Barella has not been selected, in order to undergo a planned operation for a sinus problem, while Jorginho and Federico Chiesa are also absentees.
🗣️ “We turn a new page and from now on, we have to think more about our identity,” said head coach (or ‘commissario tecnico’) Luciano Spalletti, following Italy’s Euro 2024 Round of 16 exit.
💶 Big arrivals as Fiorentina and Napoli conclude busy summer transfer window
The busiest ever summer transfer window saw Serie A clubs spend a reported €747m ($823m). Only the Premier League spent more on new talent this summer.
🇧🇪 Napoli had to increase their fireworks budget over the weekend, with several new additions to unveil, including striker Romelu Lukaku, who arrived from parent club Chelsea to represent his third Serie A team. The Belgian had immediate effect by securing a 92nd-minute equalizer in Napoli’s eventual 2-1 win over Parma.
🏴 Napoli also brought some Scottish flavor to their midfield proceedings, with Scott McTominay arriving from Manchester United and Billy Gilmour making the switch from Brighton.
😮 Fiorentina were the busiest team on the final day of the mercato, with defender Matías Moreno signing from Argentine side Belgrano, and loan deals for Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Robin Gosens (Union Berlin), and Edoardo Bove (Roma). Gosens had a dream start by securing the 96th-minute leveller in Fiorentina’s 2-2 draw with Monza at the weekend. And speaking of that match against Monza…
🎯 ICYMI: Daniel Maldini puts Monza ahead from distance
Serie A fans were given a pleasing reminder of one of Italy’s greatest soccer dynasties over the weekend, when Daniel Maldini - son of Paolo and grandson of Cesare - stylishly converted Monza’s second goal in their aforementioned 2-2 draw at Fiorentina.
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Daniel is the youngest son of legendary Milan defender Paolo Maldini, and was on the books with the Rossoneri before permanently joining Moza this past summer. His grandfather Cesare Maldini won four league titles and a European Cup with Milan in the 1950s and 1960s. Daniel’s older brother Christian Maldini also got his start with Milan, but has since retired to become an agent.
🗣️ Monza coach Alessandro Nesta, who played with Paolo Maldini at Milan, spoke after Daniel’s weekend worldie: “I’ve known him since he’s a little kid. He doesn’t even know the potential he has, he has to do better in managing the game as a whole. If he finds the key he has no limits.”
🤩 Serie A stars among Ballon d’Or nominations
Five players from Italy’s top flight are on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, the award that recognizes the best player in world soccer over the previous year.
👏 Artem Dovbyk, Lautaro Martinez, Ademola Lookman, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and new Roma arrival Mats Hummels all made the shortlist for the men’s prize. Roma’s Manuela Giugliano is on the Women’s Ballon d’Or shortlist.
👉 Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini is one of six nominees for Best Coach of a Men’s Team, along with Real Madrid’s iconic Italian mister Carlo Ancelotti.
🧤 Milan’s Mike Maignan and Inter’s Yann Sommer are both on the list for the Yacine Trophy (Best Goalkeeper).
😮 This is the first time since 2003 that neither Lionel Messi or former Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo are nominated.
🏆 The main award is voted for by a jury of journalists from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA men's world ranking, and the winner will be crowned at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on October 28th in Paris. See the full list of nominees here.
🇺🇸 Pulisic assist helps secure Milan vital point on the road
Milan are yet to register a win after three games, but USMNT star Christian Pulisic earned his second goal involvement of the season with an assist for the opener in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Lazio.
💪 Pulisic appears to be firmly in coach Paulo Fonseca’s plans: he is the only forward player to start all three games.
👏 His USMNT teammate Yunus Musah came on for the final 10 minutes, during which fellow subs Rafael Leão and Tammy Abraham combined for a late equalizer.
👋 Juventus also drew against Roman opposition, with Weston McKennie earning an introduction in the 67th minute. His compatriot teammate Tim Weah remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
👕 Social Post of the Week: Napoli fan gets creative to show support for new signing
As noted above, Napoli were busy when the mercato closed last week, with Romelu Lukaku arriving to fortify the front line. The Belgian was on the scoresheet for the Partenopei’s dramatic late comeback win over Parma, with one fan eager to show his support via the medium of a Sharpie…
😂 With the match occurring a matter of hours after Lukaku’s arrival, the innovative fan appears to have supplanted the name of Victor Osimhen, who has moved on loan to Galatasaray.
⓵⓵ The makeshift jersey isn’t entirely accurate, as Lukaku will be wearing No.11 in Naples this season.
⏭️ We’re sure the fan will have time to visit the club store before Napoli’s next match at Cagliari (September 15th, 12pm ET, CBS Sports).
💬 Calcio Conversations
You may have noticed that we referred to Luciano Spalletti as Italy’s commissario tecnico earlier in the newsletter.
Uh…their what? This is a strange quirk of calcio lexicon: the head coach of a club side in Serie A is referred to as an allenatore or Mister, but the title of the national team boss is commissario tecnico or ‘CT’ for short.
What does it mean? The literal translation is ‘technical commissioner.’ In the early days of international football, the Azzurri were led by a ‘technical commission’, a group of coaches, directors, referees, and even sometimes journalists, who selected the team together, instead of leaving the decision to an individual. So, the term has stuck.
🇪🇺 Schedule for Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League revealed
Eight Serie A teams will be involved in European competitions this season, with each now knowing how their continental schedule will play out.
🗓️ Serie A is sending five teams into the Champions League’s new League Phase, with each side playing four home and four away games.
Reigning Serie A champions Inter start on the road with a tough test at Manchester City.
Juventus will kick things off at home against PSV.
Milan begin at home, by recreating a few notable Champions League Finals against Liverpool.
Atalanta will host Arsenal at the start of their campaign.
Bologna will start Champions League life at home against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Go here to see all Champions League fixtures involving Serie A sides.
👀 The Europa League will have a Roman flavor this season, with Roma and Lazio representing calcio in the contest. With each side facing eight opponents in the new League Phase, Roma kick off at home to Spanish giants Athletic Bilbao, while Lazio begin on the road at Dynamo Kyiv.
🟣 Fiorentina, meanwhile, were runners up in the Conference League last season, and start play in this year’s competition at home to The New Saints, who are the first-ever Welsh league side to feature in European competition. La Viola will face six opponents in the newly structured League Phase.
🫡 Become a Calcio Weekly Capitano
Share this newsletter with 10 friends, and we’ll send you a genuine Serie A captain’s armband (as seen below, expertly modeled by the Coppa Italia trophy in our NYC offices)…
🏎️ Alessandro Del Piero waves checkered flag as Ferrari win Italian Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc delivered Ferrari’s third win of the 2024 Formula 1 season at the iconic Monza circuit on Labor Day weekend. There to wave him across the line was another Italian sports icon: CBS Sports’ very own Alessandro Del Piero!
🤗 Tomori and Abraham reunited at Milan
Former Chelsea teammates (and close friends) Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham are now back together at Milan, since the latter arrived on loan from Roma. File this under ‘things you love to see.’
👋 Grazie e arrivederci!
Thank you for supporting Calcio Weekly.
🎧 Before we head out, we wanted to give a shout out to Raffaele and the Calcio Corner podcast. Raffaele, based in New York, has been a die-hard calcio fan for nearly two decades - go check out the pod!
If you’re enjoying the newsletter, please share it with your friends - and send us any feedback at calcioweekly@legaseriea.it.
Ciao ciao!