⚽️🇮🇹 Pulisic and McKennie shine, Osimhen earns major award
👋 Ciao a tutti!
Welcome to Calcio Weekly, your comprehensive weekly digest of Italian soccer.
This week, we’re looking back on Christian Pulisic’s latest beautiful goal in a Milan shirt, we’re catching up with the winners at the Italian Footballers' Association Awards, and we’re finding out why Lecce’s goalkeeper made history in a very unusual way…
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…
🇺🇸 Pulisic’s epic goal came straight from training
⚽️ The long-range assist for the strike, which was the go-ahead goal in Milan’s 3-1 home victory over Frosinone, came from goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Speaking with broadcaster DAZN after the game, Pulisic revealed that the combo move came straight from the training ground:
“We train with this a lot, so I know he’s capable of playing a pass like that. It was amazing, right on my foot, just perfect.”
🧤 Maignan has form for route-one goals: according to Football Italia, he is the only goalkeeper to have registered an assist in each of the last three seasons in the top five European leagues.
✂️ Meanwhile, during his recent time on duty with the USMNT, Pulisic was tested on his Italian language skills, and revealed the key to his on-field confidence: a good haircut…
🏆 Victor Osimhen takes the top prize at Italian Footballers' Association Awards
The latest edition of the AIC Gran Galà del Calcio (the Italian Footballers' Association Awards) was held this week, with Victor Osimhen earning the coveted Player of the Year prize.
🏆 While on stage, the league’s best XI were asked whom they voted for in the Best Player category. After Rafael Leão declared Osimhen was his pick, the Napoli star concurred with the opinion, and said that he voted for himself!
👏 To be fair, Osimhen had good cause to cast his vote close to home: he was the league’s top scorer last season and helped guide Napoli to their first scudetto in 33 years.
Five Napoli players made the AIC Team of the Year, while the Coach of the Year award was given to the man who delivered the title to Naples, Luciano Spalletti.
🇺🇸 McKennie remains “indispensable” to Juventus
As Juventus continue their title challenge, Weston McKennie remains a vital part of the team, with Goal hailing him as “indispensable” to the Bianconeri.
3️⃣ Juve earned a hard-fought three points at Monza last Friday, with a 94th-minute winner from defender Federico Gatti.
🧠 It was a big psychological win: last season, Monza beat Juve home and away.
👏 McKennie has featured in all 14 Juventus league matches this season, and played on the right side of midfield in Monza, with Andrea Cambiaso occupying the fullback role.
🤓 Per WhoScored, the American had four shots (two on target), and won two tackles and four aerial duels.
➡️ Up next for Juventus: It’s another huge Friday night game for The Old Lady in game week 15, as Napoli visit Allianz Stadium (2.45pm ET on Paramount+).
Juve currently sit just two points behind league leaders Inter. “We can’t stop,” said coach Massimiliano Allegri after the Monza win. “On the contrary, we need to continue week in, and week out to remain as close as possible to the top of the table.”
🫨 ICYMI: Cyril Ngonge’s outrageous bicycle kick!
Take a bow, Cyril Ngonge! During Hellas Verona’s epic 3-3 draw at Udinese last Sunday, the Belgian score a bicycle kick for the ages…
Ngonge’s outrageous bicycle kick | Every Angle | Serie A 2023/24
🔥 The 23-year-old, who signed for Verona in January, made it 2-2 with a goal that he had no right to score while sandwiched between four Udinese defenders!
😕 The draw put Udinese two points above the relegation zone, but wasn’t enough to bring Ngonge’s side out of the bottom three. Verona survived last year by virtue of a rarely-seen one-match relegation tie-breaker against Spezia.
🇪🇺 Italy dealt tough draw for Euro 2024
All eyes will be on Germany next summer for the 2024 edition of the European Championship. Defending champions Italy will share Group B with Albania, Spain and Croatia.
😬 It’s something of a “Group of Death” for the Azzurri, who, despite being reigning champions, are the lowest ranked team in the group, in Pot 4.
🇩🇪 Italy’s campaign will kick off on June 15th against Albania at Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion.
🎵 Moise Kean makes his rap debut
Juventus striker Moise Kean has a new section to add to his resume, after releasing ht single...
💿 On the new single “Outfit,” the Italian striker performs under the pseudonym “KMB,” as part of the rap group 19F. (NSFW link to listen to the song here)
🎤 Kean isn’t the only Serie A star with some serious bars: in April, Milan’s Rafael Leão launched his rap career under the name Way 45.
🧤 Lecce’s goalkeeper makes penalty history!
Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone earned an unexpected accolade last weekend, when he became the first-ever Serie A goalkeeper to win a penalty!
😧 Lecce were 1-0 down to visitors Bologna in the 98th minute, when Falcone came up to participate in a last-gasp set piece.
⚽️ The 28-year-old Rome native was felled by Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori, leading to a penalty that was converted by Roberto Piccoli.
📈 The vital point put a six-point gap between Lecce and the relegation zone, while Bologna sit a single point outside European qualification in seventh.
👕 Win a Serie A jersey of your choice!
Congratulations to Calcio Weekly reader Erick Hidalgo, who won a signed Christian Pulisic AC Milan shirt at our recent Serie A event in Miami!
This week, 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! ⬇️
🥹 Insigne returns to Naples (as a spectator)
Lorenzo Insigne left his hometown club Napoli in 2022 to join Toronto FC in MLS. The 32-year-old returned to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona last weekend for Inter’s high-profile visit.
💬 Calcio Conversations
You might hear some Italian soccer analysts talking about “Catenaccio.”
🤷♂️ What does it mean? The term literally means ‘door bolt,’ and is used to describe a tactical model that rose to prominence with Helenio Herrera, coach of the “Grande Inter” side in the 1960s.
🛑 It has come to refer to an ultra-defensive style of soccer. Hence, the door is bolted and the opponent is shut out.
❤️ Social Post of the Week: Soccer commentary with a difference
La Gazzetta dello Sport shared a heartwarming fan clip this week, featuring a visually impaired Bologna fan, who has been coming to the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara for 29 years. For every game, the fan who sits beside her narrates the action…
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports and Paramount+
Friday December 8th
Juventus v Napoli (2.45pm ET)
Saturday December 9th
Hellas Verona v Lazio (9am ET)
Atalanta v AC Milan (12pm ET)
Inter v Udinese (2.45pm ET)
Sunday December 10th
Frosinone v Torino (6.30am ET)
Monza v Genoa (9am ET)
Salernitana v Bologna (12pm ET)
Roma v Fiorentina (2.45pm ET)
Monday December 11th
Empoli v Lecce (12.30pm ET)
Cagliari v Sassuolo (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.
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!