Serie A
Serie A: Team of the Season
In what was a fantastic finale for Italian football, Ravin Sampat picks his eleven top players from the Serie A season.
In what was a fantastic finale for Italian football, Ravin Sampat picks his eleven top players from the Serie A season.
Daniele De Rossi was in terrific form for Roma last season
Formation
This being the season for goals, 4-3-3 seems the ideal one for Serie A’s Team of the Year.
Goalkeeper
Realistically, there were only three choices; Gigi Buffon, Julio Cesar and Seb Frey. Of the three, Frey has been the best consistently, largely because Fiorentina’s game plan almost invites others to attack them. Frey doesn’t have the same defence in front of him as Cesar or Buffon so his job is much harder. But it is key saves that win you matches, and titles. Despite not winning anything, Juve had a renaissance season, whereas Inter won a third successive Scudetto, and for that reason, Cesar is the top keeper. He has kept Inter in matches they were struggling to win, and won them matches with point blank saves against the top teams.
Defence
Inter’s captain Javier Zanetti must surely take up the right-back berth as the attacking full back/midfielder combines attack and defence so well. Zanetti has performed in an odd season for Inter, and after 12 years at the club is still regarded as one of the best. On the left, Juventus’ Giorgio Chiellini has shown his versatility at either centre-back or left-back, and has been described as the new Cannavaro with his last-ditch tackles.
Selecting the centre-backs is a tough job, considering that the art of defending has been almost non-existent this season.
Roma’s Phillipe Mexes has grown in stature this season, and no longer is he viewed as a weak link. His technical skill and ability to play with the ball from out of defence gives him the first centre-back position. If we have one technically gifted centre-back, the other must surely be the rugged, last ditch defender who is willing to break every bone in his body to prevent the ball from going in. With that being the case, only one player fits the bill - Paolo Cannavaro - the younger brother of Fabio. Although not as famous as his World Cup-winning brother, Paolo’s performances in defence have guided Napoli into the dizzy heights of the top end of the table, bringing back the memories of Napoli’s glory days under Maradona. The Intertoto Cup awaits.
Midfield
A three-man midfield in the modern game is defined most likely by a holding player in front of the defence, flanked with a attacking midfielder and a more centralised midfielder who is the midfield engine.
Over the past few seasons, half of the AC Milan midfield (Gattuso and Pirlo) would take up two of these positions yet Milan’s failure this season has been as much to do with their inadequacies in front of goal as it has been the poor midfield performances. In front of the defence, Roma’s Daniele De Rossi fits the bill perfectly. Despite his awful disciplinary record, De Rossi has grown this season and expect him to have a big role in Euro 2008. His midfield partner Simone Perrotta would fill the midfield engine role, but this season he has been used more as a central attacking midfielder off the forward than a central midfielder.
In contrast, Fiorentina’s Zdravko Kuzmanovic has been a fantastic presence in Fiorentina’s energetic midfield. Playing alongside Mario Santana and Mario Donadal has evolved the Serbian into an established member of Prandelli’s team, alerting interest from Premier League side Arsenal.
Alongside De Rossi and Kuzmanovic is Slovakia and Napoli wonderkid Marek Hamsik. The attacking midfielder, who idolises Juve’s Pavel Nedved, has played a key role in Napoli’s rise into eigth position in Serie A. Keeping him at the club will be a test for manager Reja, but Hamsik’s performances in midfield and attractiveness to clubs such as Inter, Juve, Barcelona, Chelsea and Lyon only confirm his excellent form and he deserves his place in this eleven.
Attack
The Italian Golden Boot (Capocannoniere) was an interesting battle between two of Italy’s strikers for Euro 2008. Marco Borriello, Genoa’s goal-scoring phenomenon showed what Milan missed when he scored 19 goals on-loan from the Rossoneri.
Interestingly, it was Alex Del Piero who won the boot with 21 goals, which earns him a spot in this team of the season. Del Boy has captained Juve well under Ranieri, earning himself a place in Roberto Donadoni’s Euro 2008 squad as well as helping Juve to a top three finish as planned. With Del Piero’s leadership and creativeness, it is only fair that poacher Borriello is placed alongside him. Both strikers may not start at the Euros but their instinct in front of goal is undoubted.
Even though Mutu, Ibrahimovic and Trezeguet all scored vitally important goals throughout the season, the third attacking birth goes to Udineses’ Antonio Di Natale. The marksman has scored 17 goals this season, but has also captained Udinese to a Uefa Cup spot as well establishing himself as a regular Italian international. Di Natale is quick, conjuring and brave, three vital ingredients for the modern day striker. Not only can he play upfront or on the wing, but he can drop into deeper midfield positions when needed, a versatility that is unique.
Manager
So Roberto Mancini is leaving Inter despite winning the Scudetto, while Spalletti came close but ended up with only the Coppa Italia. Two excellent managers who have guided their teams to success, but both were regarded as unsuccessful too. Mancini failed miserably in the Champions League and Spalletti could not mount a consistent Roma charge in the league despite the late turn of events.
But then trophies are not everything, and the Serie A manager of the year goes to two men - Eddy Reja of Napoli and Claudio Ranieri of Juventus.
Both secured finishing positions to be proud of under differing circumstances. Ranieri has rebuilt Juve, earned respect and given them a chance to fulfill dreams that were quashed after Calciopoli scandal. Meanwhile, Reja has brought Napoli in from the cold, from relegation and bankruptcy, to a top 10 finish and some sublime football.
CESAR
ZANETTI
MEXES
CANNAVARO
CHIELLINI
DE ROSSI
KUZMANOVIC
HAMSIK
DEL PIERO
DI NATALE
BORRIELLO
|
Serie A Team of the Year
1. Julio Cesar INTER
2. Javier Zanetti INTER
3. Giorgio Chiellini JUVENTUS
4. Paolo Canavarro NAPOLI
5. Phillipe Mexes AS ROMA
6. Daniele De Rossi AS ROMA
7. Zdravko Kuzmanovic FIORENTINA
8. Marek Hamsik NAPOLI
9. Marco Borriello GENOA & AC MILAN
10. Alex Del Piero JUVENTUS
11. Antonio Di Natale UDINESE
Managers: Claudio Ranieri and Edy Reja
Some notable players left out: Kaka; Pandev; Berhami; Cambiasso
Tags: Alessandro Del Piero, Antonio Di Natale, AS Roma, Claudio Ranieri, Daniele De Rossi, Edy Reja, Fiorentina, Giorgio Chiellini, Inter Milan, Javier Zanetti, Julio Cesar, Juventus, Luciano Spalletti, Marco Borriello, Marek Hamsik, Napoli, Paolo Cannavaro, Phillipe Mexes, Roberto Donadoni, Roberto Mancini, Serie A, Udinese, Zdravko Kuzmanovic
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Maicon is Inter’s right back, not Zanetti. Zanetti has played very little in the back line.
Thus, being hard to accomodate every player, Zanetti’s captain’s performances warrant his picking in this side, but seeing as this is 4-3-3, he slips into the right backs role perfectly.
Gamberini over Cannavaro
so stupid? where is best player of history ? kaka
are u joking? team of the year without kaka?
I think Adrian Mutu deserved a place after his Fiorentina exploits.
Its clear you Kaka lovers do not watch the Italian league as much as you claim, as Kaka neither performed well and neither did his exploits with Milan help either. Being in a team of the season is based on your contribution to the season - and if you can find a player i should take out - to replace with Kaka, then please go ahead and do so. I put Kaka in the list of players who didnt make it, but his exploits were not enough for him to warrant a starting berth.
John - putting in Adrian Mutu was so tempting, but the three pronged Italian attack was too hard to turn down.
I would suggest Zanetti is actually a midfielder by nature, and that that has been forgotten because Inter have played him so much in the full back berth. I agree with the calls for Mutu, too. He’d be in there ahead of Del Piero every time for me.
Why you people are so pathetic?why you ask for Kaka when you know that he didn’t played 10 games last year ?