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| Thursday, September 12, 2002 19:49 EST |
Serie A team-by-team guide
[Reuters]
MILAN -- Prospects for Italian Serie A clubs. Last season's league position in parentheses:
ATALANTA (9)
The relatively quiet transfer market has helped Atalanta
coach Giovanni Vavassori to keep the bulk of his squad together
with Italian international midfielder Cristiano Doni and young
defenders Damiano Zenoni and Luciano Zauri all staying put.
With an experienced defense marshalled by veteran Massimo
Carrera and former Milan play Luigi Sala and striker Fausto
Rossini back to fitness, Vavassori should have enough at his
disposal to ensure a season free from relegation fears.
BOLOGNA (7)
The loss of Matteo Brighi and Salvatore Fresi from midfield
will be hard to compensate for although the arrival of Luciano
Colucci from Verona and the return from injury of Tomas
Locatelli will help coach Francesco Guidolin as he aims to
repeat a creditable campaign last term.
Veteran striker Beppe Signori remains a threat and if he can
stay clear of the injuries which have plagued him in the past
two seasons, Bologna can expect a calm, if unexciting, midtable
season.
BRESCIA (13)
Brescia has been busy in the transfer market and look to
have an improved squad with Ghanian midfielder Stephan Appiah
expected to add the steel that was missing at times last term.
The strike partnership of former European Player of the Year
Roberto Baggio with the towering Luca Toni showed signs of
promise and while Pep Guardiola's switch to Roma was a blow,
Carlo Mazzone's side look stronger on paper and will aim to keep
well clear of the scrapping at the foot of the table.
CHIEVO VERONA (5)
Like the pop band whose first record is a number one
success, Chievo has the difficult task of proving it is not
a one-hit wonder after its remarkable debut season in the top
flight.
Winger Christian Manfredini and striker Bernardo Corradi
have both gone to Lazio to be replaced by Swedish international
midfielder Daniel Andersson and veteran German striker Oliver
Bierhoff and while it will be difficult for Luigi Del Neri's
team to repeat its feats of last term the club has enough quality
to compete again for a UEFA Cup slot.
COMO (promoted)
Two successive promotions have brought Como from Serie C to
the top flight for the first time since 1989 and the club has
totally overhauled its squad as it looks to avoid a
relegation dogfight.
Benito Carbone returns to Italy after his spells in England
with Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City while veteran French
midfielder Benoit Cauet, formerly with Inter Milan and Torino,
should bring some craft to midfield but mere Serie A survival is
the only goal for the lakeside team.
EMPOLI (promoted)
Empoli has kept faith with the bulk of the youthful team
which won promotion from Serie B last term although the club has
lost the services of its top scorer Massimo Maccarone who is
now with England's Middlesbrough and midfielder Mark Bresciano
who has moved to Parma.
Former AC Milan striker Luca Saudati, who struggled at
Atalanta last year, will be expected to deliver the firepower in
a young side who will relish the chance to try and emulate
Chievo.
INTER MILAN (3)
Thirteen years and counting. Inter thought that last season
it had ended its wait for the club's first Italian title since
1989 but after handing the title to Juve on the final day of the
campaign, coach Hector Cuper has resisted the temptation to make
wholesale changes.
Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldo has left for Real Madrid
but his replacement, Argentine striker, Hernan Crespo is a wise
buy, while Fabio Cannavaro will add class and composure to the
defense.
With an abundance of attacking and midfield options, Inter
has the quantity as well as the quality to make a serious bid
to finally end its search for the 'scudetto'.
JUVENTUS (1)
After spending heavily on reinforcements last year and being
rewarded with its 26th league title, Juventus coach Marcello
Lippi has opted just to freshen up his back-up options rather
than alter the look of his starting lineup.
The arrival of pacey Italian international striker Marco Di
Vaio and the return to fitness of Chilean forward Marcelo Salas
give Lippi plenty of alternatives in attack already containing
Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet.
The defense is solid and the midfield tough, if lacking a
little finesse, and with Lippi's calm but forceful approach Juve
is again among the favorites this term.
LAZIO (6)
Financial problems have forced the Rome club to sell captain
Alessandro Nesta to Milan and Argentine striker Hernan Crespo to
Inter -- moves which may well rule Lazio out of the title chase
this season.
Nonetheless, new coach Roberto Mancini still has a strong
squad at his disposal having brought in several new faces
including winger Christian Manfredini from Chievo and striker
Enrico Chiesa from Fiorentina.
Much will depend on how Mancini, who never had a chance to
prove himself during his spell at troubled Fiorentina, can gel
together the new faces but a Champions League slot may not be
beyond the club.
AC MILAN (4)
After the signings of Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo
from Barcelona and Italy defender Alessandro Nesta from Lazio,
Milan fans are convinced that this is their year.
As well as those high-profile deals Milan has also added
to its range of options by bringing in Dutch midfielder
Clarence Seedorf and Croatian defender Dario Simic from Inter
and Danish striker Jon Dahl Tomasson on a free transfer from
Feyenoord.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti finished a runner-up twice at
Juventus and is desperate to get his first major honor as a
coach. A lot of work is needed for all the new faces to settle
in but Milan should surely be contenders this season.
MODENA (promoted)
Returning to the top flight for the first time in four
decades, the Canaries will have a chance to play its local
derby with Parma in Serie A for the first time.
Promotion was won last term on the basis of some
attractive, attacking football and it will be interesting to see
if such an approach is maintained throughout what will surely be
a long, hard battle for the team from Reggio Emilia.
PARMA (10)
On the face of it Parma, who struggled last season, has
been badly weakened by the loss of defender Fabio Cannavaro to
Inter and striker Marco Di Vaio to Juventus, but the club's
policy of turning to promising young players will make it a
fascinating side to watch this season.
Young Italian midfielders Matteo Brighi and Massimo Donati,
Brazilian striker Adriano and Romanian Adrian Mutu are among
those drafted in by new coach Cesare Prandelli, while Japan's
Hidetoshi Nakata should provide some creative input.
Not seriously considered title-contenders this season but
Parma could produce a surprise or two and UEFA Cup placing
should not be beyond the club.
PERUGIA (8)
A perennial mid-table presence in recent years and little to
suggest things will be any different this season.
Charismatic coach Serse Cosmi is the club's main asset and
this season he has promising former Italy Under-21 midfielder
Roberto Baronio and former Juve striker Nicola Amoruso added to
his young squad but will miss the influence of midfielder Davide
Baiocco sold to Juventus.
PIACENZA (12)
Once again survival will be the only goal and it is the
goals of veteran striker Dario Hubner, joint top scorer last
term, that will be essential if Piacenza is to avoid the drop.
Italy Under-21 midfielder Enzo Maresca will be one to watch
in midfield and should be the main provider to Hubner -- but
that may not be enough to avoid the dogfight under new coach
Andrea Agostinelli.
REGGINA (promoted)
The only club from Italy's south, the fanatical Calabrian
support has been rewarded for its loyalty with some good
summer signings for the club's return to the top flight.
Japan international midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura and
striker Davide Di Michele from Udinese look good buys but
staying up is the only target for new coach Bartolo Mutti.
AS ROMA (2)
The excitement that surrounded the 2001 title-winning side
has waned and with the departure of Brazilians Zago and Assuncao
and defender Aldair heading towards his 37th birthday, coach
Fabio Capello has opted to rejuvenate his reserves.
The only new arrival of note is former Barcelona captain Pep
Guardiola on a free transfer from Brescia and it is likely to be
a similar starting side to last season's with Francesco Totti
expected to provide the ammunition for strikers Gabriel
Batistuta and Vincenzo Montella.
If that trio struggle Roma has few other options and
Capello must hope that his core players perform at their peak if
Roma is to make an impact this term.
TORINO (11)
Few changes were made to a team that could have done much better
than a midtable finish last season but lacks the quality to be
free of any concerns about the drop.
Big striker Cristiano Lucarelli is the main danger man and
this season he will be assisted by pacey Uruguayan Federico
Magallanes from Venezia, while Diego De Ascentis is a reassuring
presence in midfield.
UDINESE (14)
After a narrow escape from relegation last season, Udinese
has turned to its former coach Luciano Spalletti to bring
some badly needed stability.
Towering German international striker Carsten Jancker has
been signed from Bayern Munich while veteran Argentine
midfielder Nestor Sensini has arrived from Parma and midtable
security should be a realistic goal.
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