⚽️🇮🇹 Serie A returns this weekend!
In this week’s Italian soccer digest, we're having an exclusive chat with Giuseppe Rossi, we're previewing the brand new league season, and much more!
👋 Serie A is back: key storylines from the opening weekend
Allora! It’s been 74 days since a ball was last kicked in Italy’s top flight, but Serie A makes its triumphant return this weekend!
🤗 There’s plenty of big narratives for the opening weekend, with Como making its highly anticipated return to Serie A action after 22 years away. Cesc Fabregas’ side will be tested immediately on Monday, when they head to Turin to face Thiago Motta’s new-look Juventus (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports).
🐍 Reigning champions Inter start their campaign on Saturday on the road at Genoa (12.30pm ET, CBS Sports). The Nerazzurri haven’t failed to leave the Stadio Luigi Ferraris with points since 2018.
👍 Milan, under the tutelage of new coach Paulo Fonseca, kick off at the San Siro on Saturday against Torino (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports). Calciomercato reports that USMNT star Christian Pulisic may be rested for the opener as a precaution.
🤘 Venezia is back in the top flight - thanks in part to the efforts of Drake (more on that later in the newsletter). Eusebio Di Francesco’s side, which features Americans Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessman, head to the Stadio Olimpico to take on Lazio on Sunday (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports).
🙌 There’s great news for North American fans, who can catch over 400 Serie A and Coppa Italia games on CBS, CBS Sports and Paramount+ this season.
🎥 Plus, for the first time ever, a Serie A game will be shown live on the main CBS Television Network channel, when Parma host Milan in game week two (Saturday August 24th, 12.30pm ET, CBS). The CBS crew will be live pitch side at the Stadio Ennio Tardini for the Rossoneri’s visit.
🗣️ Exclusive Interview: Giuseppe Rossi previews the season and discusses life playing in Italy
Ahead of the new season, Calcio Weekly caught up with former Parma, Fiorentina, and Genoa striker Giuseppe Rossi to discuss his time playing in Serie A, his thoughts for the coming campaign and much more.
🔝 New Jersey-born Rossi gave us his predictions for the top four. He’s feeling good about Juventus’ chances under his former Italy national team teammate Thiago Motta: “I think they needed a change at the coaching position, just a different type of energy, and I like the way that Thiago Motta is establishing himself with the team.”
🇮🇹 Rossi discussed the unrivaled levels of passion that Italian fans have for the game: “It's a quality league to watch, and it's full of emotions, because that's how Italians play, right? They play with so much emotion for 90 minutes, because they feed off of the fans.”
😲 The 37-year-old notes that one of his favorite moments in Serie A was an iconic 4-2 comeback win for Fiorentina against Juventus, in which he scored a hat-trick.
📺 Rossi, who started his youth career with Parma, is excited to see his former side take on Milan on CBS: “For the game to be on CBS is big news. I hope a lot of people tune in!”
👉 Read the full interview with Rossi here
🇨🇦 How Drake helped save Venezia
As noted above, Venezia make their return to Serie A this Sunday, when they travel to the capital to face Lazio (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports). The Leoni alati might not have been back on the big stage, however, if not for help from Canadian rapper Drake.
👏 In an interview with GQ Italia, Drake’s chief brand officer Matte Babel explained that he was contacted by Venezia’s ownership group last season, with the club needing €40m in funds:
“Venezia is an incredible city, and Venezia has always been a special club. I spoke to Drake, then Brad and I discussed the details of how we could help. Within two weeks, we had a deal, and raised the money needed to pay salaries and avoid bankruptcy.”
👕 This week, Venezia announced a new kit deal with Nocta, a Nike sub-brand owned by Drake.
🤳 Social Post of the Week: Weston McKennie picks his perfect 5-a-side team
Would USMNT and Juventus star Weston McKennie pick Messi or Ronaldo in his 5-a-side lineup? Would Harry Kane or Karim Benzema make the cut? Find out below…
😮 McKennie has positional versatility, but would he be described as a jolly? Keep reading…
💬 Calcio Conversations
As the calciomercato (transfer window) approaches its final couple of weeks, you might find a surprising English word appearing in the Italian media. What on earth does it mean if a team is looking for a ‘jolly’?
🤷♂️ What is a jolly? In the world of calcio, jolly has nothing to do with being in a good mood. Or Santa Claus’ disposition. In fact, the word is used instead to describe a versatile player; someone who can play in several different roles.
It’s also the word for the joker in a pack of cards, but in soccer, it’s used to describe an all-rounder, who can do a bit of everything.
💪 Which players might be dubbed a jolly? Recent reports have described Milan defender Pierre Kalulu as a defensive jolly: he can play at center-back and right-back, while Frosinone’s all-round midfielder Marco Brescianini has also earned jolly status. Nicolo Zaniolo’s ability to play in a variety of attacking roles has seen the new Atalanta signing earn the moniker at times, too.
🏟️ Lecce announces stadium renovations
Lecce has announced plans for a €36m ($40m) renovation of their Stadio Via del Mare, as part of funding assigned to the region to host the 2026 Mediterranean Games.
🛠️ The stadium, which initially opened in 1966, will see significant improvements - notably a roof over all the seats. Currently, only the main stand is covered.
🇪🇺 According to Football Italia, the revamp puts the stadium among the contenders to stage games at Euro 2032, which is being co-hosted by Italy and Turkey.
👸 This will be welcome news for Lecce’s most famous fan… Dame Helen Mirren!
🏁 Lecce will kick off their Serie A campaign on Monday when the Stadio Via del Mare will welcome Atalanta (12.30pm ET, CBS Sports).
🏟️ Elsewhere in stadium news, Inter and Milan are keeping all their options open in terms of their respective new homes. Plans to purchase the current San Siro site - and potentially build a new stadium in its current parking lot - are being explored, along with proposals to build individual stadiums elsewhere in the city.
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📺 Highlights: Atalanta’s UEFA Super Cup bout with Real Madrid
On Wednesday evening, Atalanta traveled to Warsaw, Poland to take on Real Madrid in the 49th edition of the UEFA Super Cup.
💫 Gian Piero Gasperini’s side had seven shots on goal and accounted very well for themselves, but were ultimately outmuscled by the reigning European champions, who earned a 2-0 victory via goals from Federico Valverde and new signing Kylian Mbappé.
🥊 The UEFA Super Cup is contested annually between the winners of Europe’s two biggest continental competitions: the Champions League and the Europa League. Atalanta featured by virtue of beating German champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League Final back in May.
🆕 Atalanta are one of five Italian teams who will play in this season’s new-look Champions League format. Inter, Milan, Juventus, and Bologna will also feature in the competition, which will have a league-style structure prior to the knockout phase for the first time.
🎯 Zlatan discusses Italy’s passionate fans, Milan stars do the crossbar challenge
During Milan’s US summer tour, Milan Special Advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic was asked what what makes Serie A special. Just like Giuseppe Rossi in our exclusive interview, the five-time scudetto winner noted that passion was the differentiator…
Elsewhere on the US tour, a selection of Rossoneri players - including USMNT star Yunus Musah - attempted the crossbar challenge with social media influencer Tommy Unold…
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports and Paramount+
Saturday, August 17th
Genoa v Inter (12.30pm ET)
Parma v Fiorentina (12.30pm ET)
Empoli v Monza (2.45pm ET)
Milan v Torino (2.45pm ET)
Sunday, August 18th
Bologna v Udinese (12.30pm ET)
Verona v Napoli (12.30pm ET)
Cagliari v Roma (2.45pm ET)
Lazio v Venezia (2.45pm ET)
Monday, August 19th
Lecce v Atalanta (12.30pm ET)
Juventus v Como (2.45pm ET)
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