⚽️🇮🇹 Napoli and Inter meet with the scudetto on the line
In this week’s Italian soccer digest, we're also looking forward to a Coppa Italia Milan Derby, we're finding out about Como's new teenage sensation, and much more!
🍿 Inside Napoli and Inter's top-of-the-table clash
We’re being treated to a clash of the titans on Saturday (12pm ET, CBS Sports), when second-place Napoli hosts league leaders Inter… with just one point separating them in the Serie A standings.
👉 After leading the league for seven game weeks, Napoli dropped to second last weekend, when they were defeated 2-1 at Como - a result that had a huge impact on the survival hopes of Cesc Fabregas’ side.
⏎ Napoli will be looking to arrest a four-game winless run, although Antonio Conte’s side is undefeated at home in 2025.
3️⃣ Multiple reports in Italy suggest Conte will keep his recent trend of using a back three, which is also the preferred defensive setup of rival coach Simone Inzaghi.
👉 Inter leapfrogged their Neapolitan rivals with a 1-0 home win over Genoa and kept their good form going on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Lazio in the Coppa Italia (more on that shortly).
🤕 The defending champions, however, will be without first-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
Inter will have some new support this weekend, though, in honorary Interista Josh Allen.
🗣️ Inter won’t have a QB on the field, but they’re fortified across the pitch by Denzel Dumfries, who spoke with the Serie A YouTube channel about the pride he takes in wearing black and blue:
👉 It must be noted that there are more than two teams in the title race: Atalanta is just three points behind leaders Inter. La Dea hosts Venezia on Saturday (9am ET, CBS Sports).
💬 Italians will refer to Napoli v Inter as a huge moment in the lotta scudetto. Find out why in Calcio Conversations below…
💪 Coppa Italia quarterfinals set up Milan derby, while Empoli shocks Juventus
Inter’s aforementioned Coppa Italia victory on Tuesday sets up a tantalizing semifinal matchup with rivals Milan. Meanwhile, stalwarts of the competition, Juventus, were eliminated by Empoli on Wednesday.
😲 The Derby della Madonnina semifinal will be played over two legs in April. The Milan sides will meet five times this season across three competitions.
👏 Milan reached the final four when they overcame Roma earlier this month.
👉 Juventus, the reigning champions and record 15-time winners, ended their journey on Wednesday with a 4-2 defeat to Empoli on penalties, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
😮 Empoli is the only remaining team to have never won the Coppa Italia.
👉 Their semifinal opponents, Bologna, haven’t won it since 1973-74. They will meet over two legs in April.
🏆 The Final takes place at its traditional home, the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, on May 14th.
👏 Cristian Chivu is off to a winning start at Parma
Former Serie A defender Cristian Chivu got off to the best possible start in his first senior coaching role on Saturday, when his Parma side shocked Bologna with a 2-0 win.
🆙 Crucially, the win lifted Parma out of the relegation zone and ended a seven-game winless streak.
🫡 Chivu showed his class by dedicating the victory to the manager he replaced, Fabio Pecchia: “The compliments should be given to the coach and the man Fabio Pecchia rather than to me. They should be given to him for what he has done for this team and this city.”
💪 Chivu played for Roma and Inter and was a treble winner with the latter as part of Jose Mourinho’s iconic team of 2009-10.
👉 Although this is his first senior coaching role, the Romanian has been coaching with Inter’s youth team setup since 2018.
Up next for Parma 👉 Chivu will aim to go two-for-two on Saturday when his team travels to Udinese (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports).
🇺🇸 Reports: Christian Pulisic to extend Milan contract
On Wednesday, the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport was among the media outlets reporting an agreement to extend Christian Pulisic’s contract at Milan through to 2029.
🙌 Pulisic, whose existing contract runs through 2027, has enjoyed the finest form of his career in his two seasons at the San Siro.
👉 The American, who remains a talisman for Sérgio Conceição’s side, missed the first penalty of his career in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Torino.
👏 The 26-year-old has 12 goals in all competitions this season, making him the Rossoneri’s joint-highest scorer alongside Tijjani Reijnders. No one at Milan bettered his tally of four goals in the Champions League.
📺 Want more Pulisic? Three episodes of his eponymous Paramount+ docuseries are available now.
🆕 Inside Davide Calabria’s new adventure at Bologna
Davide Calabria spent 18 years at Milan, where he earned the captain’s armband and won the scudetto in 2022.
👉 Now, the 28-year-old fullback is embracing a new adventure, on loan at Bologna, where he has discovered a welcoming family atmosphere and new and exciting philosophies from coach Vincenzo Italiano.
💬 Calcio Conversations
If one thing is certain, it’s that Saturday’s mouth-watering clash between Napoli and Inter will be a key moment in the lotta scudetto.
🧐 The what? Anyone leafing through the Italian media this week is sure to have seen this phrase, translating to “scudetto fight,” but used where we might say “title race” in English.
🤷♂️ What about the relegation battle? The Italian phrase for that is lotta salvezza - or ‘fight for safety.’ But you will see lotta used for all sorts of duels, including the lotta Champions for a top-four spot that seals UEFA Champions League qualification.
⚽️ Supporters’ Club of the Week: Milan Club Montreal
All across North America, Serie A supporters gather each weekend to cheer on their respective favorite teams. If you’re a fan of the Rossoneri in Québec, you may well be familiar with Milan Club Montreal.
👋 Calcio Weekly caught up with Milan Club Montreal President Marcello Furgiuele, whose 70+ members meet up to watch games at the Ciociaro Sports Bar & Grill.
🗣️ “The supporters club has been in existence since the 1980s,” said Furgiuele, who notes his personal favorite moment of fandom as Milan’s 2003 Champions League victory over Serie A rivals Juve.
🏆 The long-running supporter’s club was once visited by Milan forward Daniele Massaro, who brought the Champions League trophy with him.
🎧 In addition to hosting watch parties and events, the organization produces the Milan Weekly Podcast.
Want to feature your supporters’ club on Calcio Weekly? Get in touch!
💫 Como’s new secret weapon: Assane Diao
At the start of the year, we shone a light on midfield prodigy Nico Paz and his impressive contributions to Como. Now is a good time to give winger Assane Diao his flowers for his incredible form since arriving at Como in January.
🇪🇸 The 19-year-old Spanish youth international arrived from Real Betis in January.
👏 He’s scored five goals in his first eight games, including the winner in the aforementioned victory over high-flying Napoli last week.
😲 Only league top scorer Mateo Retegui has scored more goals than Diao since January.
😮 He’s also the youngest player in Europe’s top five leagues to have scored five or more goals this season.
🗣️ Diao says he chose to come to Como to work with its legendary Spanish coach: “I spoke with Fabregas, who explained the project, the vision, and what he had in mind for me and for the proper development of the team. Speaking directly with him was very important; after that conversation, I had no more doubts and chose Como.”
😎 Away from the field, Como has quite the reputation for attracting Hollywood megastars. The latest star of the big screen to show them some love is Emma Roberts:
🍝 Social Post of the Week: Bernardeschi rates pasta!
Former Fiorentina and Juve winger Federico Bernardeschi was asked to rank his favorite types of pasta. What do you think of the Toronto FC star’s rankings?
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports, Paramount+, FOX Deportes, and SiriusXM
Friday, February 28th
Fiorentina v Lecce (2.45pm ET)
Saturday, March 1st
Atalanta v Venezia (9am ET)
Napoli v Inter (12pm ET, also on FOX Deportes)
Udinese v Parma (2.45pm ET)
Sunday, March 2nd
Monza v Torino (6.30am ET)
Bologna v Cagliari (9am ET)
Genoa v Empoli (9am ET)
Roma v Como (12pm ET)
Milan v Lazio (2.45pm ET, also on FOX Deportes and SiriusXM FC)
Monday, March 3rd
Juventus v Verona (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 🇺🇸
👏 Thank you for supporting Calcio Weekly!
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