The current Serie A season has seen a trio of clubs compete for the Scudetto with Milan ahead by a small margin over Inter and Napoli respectively. The Milan-Inter showdown, set after the international break, will determine to a large extent the direction of the title. From an individual standpoint, there have been very few influential signings this season who can be credited with shaping the fortunes of their respective clubs.

Milan’s capture of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, on a loan deal likely to be made permanent at end of season, must rank as the season’s best transfer with the talented Swede carrying the club on his shoulders for an extended stretch earlier in the campaign. Ibrahimovic currently has 14 goals and 11 assists in the league alone. The former Juventus and Inter striker had an unimpressive spell with Barcelona, yet he has been firing on all cylinders with the Rossoneri. The knock on Ibrahimovic is his habit of disappearing on the big stage, with one major exception being his decisive goal for Barca in a 1-0 win over Real Madrid last season. In recent weeks, the Swede has been underperforming and his reckless side surfaced leading to his sending-off against Bari. This resulted in a three-match ban which could be decisive due to his absence from the much anticipated Milan derby.

Another success story has been Napoli’s striker Edinson Cavani who is having a remarkable campaign after his loan move from Palermo this summer. Cavani, who is only 24-years-old, is having the best season of his young career with a tally of 22 goals in 30 league appearances as well as another 7 strikes in just 8 European games. Cavani scored two goals against Cagliari over the weekend but his best achievement this season must be the hat-trick he managed against fallen giants Juventus. He also managed to score both goals in a 2-0 in over Roma to show he can rise to the occasion when needed. His two goals against Cagliari halted a recent slump in front of goal which included a missed penalty in recent weeks. Cavani will be one of the players to keep an eye on in the upcoming years as he has the potential to keep improving.

Finally, Juventus winger Milos Krasic deserves to be mentioned because he was instrumental in the early season push by the club before the Bianconeri started their plunge in the standings early 2011. Krasic’s drop in form coincided with Juve’s fall but he cannot be the one to blame for everything and he is clearly not the main reason. In recent weeks, coach Luigi Delneri has on more than one occasion subbed Krasic without a clear indication to the reasons despite the Serb’s critical role in providing much needed width. Krasic managed 5 goals in 26 league appearances which might seem as a low number but one must remember the Serb is not a striker. The winger provided 6 assists which ranks highest amongst his Juve teammates in Serie A. Krasic must also be dealing with fatigue since the Russian season’s schedule and his lack of rest must have exhausted him prior to joining the Bianconeri.

Considering various factors such as results, the importance of certain goals and the team’s progress, Ibrahimovic might be considered the summer’s best signing ahead of Cavani while Krasic’s stock has fallen as a result of Juve’s poor performances.

# To discuss your choice of Serie A’s best signing of the season or anything related to Italian or European football, feel free to contact @RamiSoufi on Twitter

Milan remain on top of Serie A yet their hold has become more tenuous than ever with city rivals Inter lurking just two points behind. The Rossoneri have some of the league’s most talented individuals such as Robinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Antonio Cassano, but along with that talents comes a lot of baggage and unpredictability.

Robinho has often missed chances which would make even those again the Rossoneri shake their head in disbelief while Ibrahimovic has often disappeared when needed the most. Zlatan was having a fantastic season and for over two months he was the main reason behind Milan’s rise to the top as his goals were decisive. In recent weeks, the talented Swede has looked like a shadow of the player who tormented Serie A defenders earlier in the campaign.

As for the Nerazzurri, the club parted ways with former coach Rafael Benitez and hired former Milan boss Leonardo as a replacement. Benitez cannot be blamed for all of Inter’s early season problems as injuries, fatigue from having key players such as Wesley Sneijder involved in the latter stages of the World Cup, the departure of Mourinho and the lack of signings contributed to the inconsistency prior to 2011. With players such as Andrea Ranocchia and Giampaolo Pazzini added to the squad along with the change in the coaching staff combined with Sneijder’s return to form, fans and pundits have witnessed Inter’s slow yet methodical surge in the league standings.

With eight rounds remaining, the Rossoneri and Nerazzurri will most likely keep the title in the city of Milan for another season. Third place Napoli are just one point behind Inter yet their schedule includes hosting Lazio, Udinese and Inter as well as trips to face Palermo and Juventus. Napoli’s tricky fixtures could potentially rule them out of the title race unless the two Milan clubs draw in their upcoming clash while Napoli grab all three points against Lazio. This could give the Partenopei the much needed boost as they have struggled when facing the top sides, losing twice to Milan and once to Inter. It is hard to envision Inter losing to Napoli a week prior to the end of the season because the Nerazzurri have a winning mentality and can cope better with pressure.

Going back to the Milan-Inter clash in the next round, this could be decisive in the title race (and you can get tickets for the Milan derby on TixDaq). A victory for the Rossoneri will effectively eliminate Inter from the race. A draw would not change much but would probably favor Inter despite being two points behind their city rivals. The Nerazzurri have momentum on their side, particularly after the stunning comeback win in Germany which ousted Bayern Munich to retain Inter’s hopes of defending the Champions League trophy.

In addition, Inter’s results have improved since the loss to Juventus with the club winning five out of the last six matches. On the other hand, Milan are struggling following a draw with Bari and a defeat to Palermo. The Rossoneri have also been eliminated from the Champions League and their star player Ibrahimovic was sent-off against Bari prompting a three-match ban which sees him miss the clash with Inter.

One other factor playing to Inter’s advantage is the fact Leonardo has experienced coaching a big club before, ironically with Milan, while Massimiliano Allegri is having his first coaching job at the helm of a powerhouse. Leonardo is familiar with some of the Rossoneri’s weaknesses and will be plotting for the downfall of his former team.

Finally, Milan’s new faces such as Cassano and even Robinho have yet to completely get on the same wavelength as the rest of the squad. Inter have the same core players and their new acquisitions have blended well with the squad.

Once again the key to the Scudetto race might be the Milan derby with the Rossoneri having much more to lose since the Inter players are playing with confidence, a fact backed by current form in Serie A and the progress in Europe. For those who argue Inter’s players will be tired from playing two more matches in Europe, the point is negated by the fact these same players have successfully dealt with this issue last season. Moreover, continuing to win in Europe will build confidence as opposed to early elimination.

April 2nd will be a decisive clash for both clubs but more emphasis will be on Milan not losing because playing away at Udinese on the last day could prove to be a daunting task under the pressure of achieving a positive result.

To discuss Milan-Inter clash or Serie A in general, feel free to contact me on Twitter @RamiSoufi

Italy’s elite clubs are struggling in the Champions League and have struggled since 2000 despite two trophies won by Milan and one by Inter in the last decade.

Italian clubs were the dominant force in the 1990s with Milan and Juventus winning the Champions League with Juve reached  three consecutive finals. Italian clubs were also a force and quite successful in the UEFA Cup.

This raises the question as to what has caused this decline in European competitions. A number of reasons can be used to track and carefully assess the factors behind the fall from grace of the Italian clubs.

1- The English Premier League has been steadily gaining ground in terms of financial muscle, worldwide viewership as well as attendance at matches.

2- The top two clubs in Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid, have been able to effectively use their popularity across the globe to promote their successful runs on both the domestic and European front. Barca have been particularly successful with many players such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi starring on the club and international scene.

3- Calciopoli has certainly effected Italian football even if some would like to discount its effect or perhaps put it behind and overlook it. Juventus are no longer a force and can no longer afford, or even attract, stars such as the ones who wore the famous Bianconeri shirt in the 1990s like Zinedine Zidane, Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Baggio and others.

4- Inter’s dominance for a number of years in Serie A has weakened the opposition in Italy, whether Milan or other clubs. Milan are back as a force but are struggling in Europe for various reasons.

5- Financially, the Italian league is simply behind England’s Premier League while both the Spanish La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga have overtaken Serie A as revealed by UEFA’s updated co-efficients which will starting 2012-13 see Italy have only three spots in the Champions League compared to four for German, English and Spanish clubs.

6- The lack of money compared to the other top three leagues has contributed to big names and stars preferring either La Liga or Premier League. The Spanish league might be limited to Barca and Real Madrid in terms of star power but the Catalans alone have Messi, Xavi and David Villa as well as others while Los Blancos have Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and other big names.

7- Big investors and wealthy businessmen are flocking to invest in the English Premier League with the global audience focusing on EPL and, thus, TV rights are much more lucrative for English clubs than Italian ones.

8- The lack of emerging Italian talent with Antonio Cassano long proving he lacks the discipline while Mario Balotelli remains immature. Other potential stars are not as prominent as those from Spain or Argentina or Brazil. Argentina’s biggest star, Messi, plays for Barca. Even the established Brazilians playing for Inter are no longer featuring much for the Selecao with Lucio and Maicon being overlooked in recent international matches.

9- One of Italy’s strong points used to be defenders and the peninsula now suffers from the lack of emerging leaders who can play as centre-backs or full-backs. The most evident example is Juve’s decline and their pathetic defensive record despite having two of Italy’s starting defenders in Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.

10- Some of Italy’s elite coaching figures such as Carlo Ancelotti, Fabio Capello and Roberto Mancini are plying their trade in England with Capello in charge of the national team while Ancelotti is in charge of Chelsea and Mancini manages Manchester City.

Obviously, the lack of investors and capital have been quite a hindrance for Italian clubs and the progress made has been slow in recent years with Inter’s success last season owing much to foreign players as the Nerazzurri barely had any Italian citizens in their squad last season. This season Milan have been solid in Serie A but have been inconsistent in Europe due to their aging defensive line and midfield. The likes of Gianluca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso, Massimo Ambrosini, Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Nesta are all over 30 years old.

It is hard to see Inter overcome a 1-0 deficit against Bayern Munich since the return leg will be played in Germany but anything is possible. Roma will need to win by a two goal margin in order to progress unless they can win 4-3 while Milan will need a massive turnaround to even have a chance of defeating Tottenham in London.

For further discussions on Serie A and the Champions League, feel free to contact @RamiSoufi on Twitter

Lazio inflicted another defeat on Serie A champions Inter with coach Rafael Benitez’s position becoming weaker and weaker with every passing week. The victory against Parma in the previous round was by a big score raising hope the Nerazzurri will be back on the right track yet many failed to note the Ducali are having a poor season and are in the bottom half of the table.

Injuries cannot continue to be used as an excuse as the form of certain key players like Wesley Sneijder has been quite disappointing this season. The extended World Cup campaign has had a negative effect on certain players, in particular Sneijder who is a shadow of the player who helped the Nerazzurri achieve a historic treble last season. Inter’s solid defensive line has struggled this season due to injuries but also due to the struggles of Lucio and Maicon. The biggest blow came when Walter Samuel was ruled out for the reason of the season due to his horrific injury. This certainly qualifies as a massive blow for the Nerazzurri yet this offered a window of opportunity for coach Benitez to either introduce Davide Santon as a starter on the flanks and moving Cristian Chivu to a central role in the back-line. One other option would be to have captain Javier Zanetti play as a full-back too while starting Ivan Cordoba in the back as a partner of Lucio.

Benitez has struggled to shape this team based on his strategy and has not been able to get the best out of the squad available at his disposal. Once again, it must be said that injuries have negatively affected the Nerazzurri but other factors have played a role as well. Benitez is not as good as former coach Jose Mourinho when it comes to motivating players, manipulating a situation to get the best out of his players and preparing his teams for certain matches. Inter have become too dependent on Samuel Eto’o and appear toothless whenever he is having an off night or suspended, as was the case for the Lazio clash.

Benitez’s approach does not inspire confidence and one can tell the players are not playing with the same swagger as last season under Mourinho. There are complaints about injuries, there is the excuse of bad luck, there is talk of opponents scoring from their limited opportunities and so forth. Rarely do champions resort to unconvincing or weak excuses to justify a tough spell in terms of results. The loss of Walter Samuel has been a major blow but that cannot excuse the poor form of their other starters. Other teams have in recent seasons endured a plethora of injuries but were able to cope with such emergencies and the Nerazzurri must do better considering they have been regarded as one of the deeper teams in Serie A.

Benitez now has the FIFA Club World Cup to redeem himself but if he cannot bring back the trophy to Italy then the Spaniard will likely be on his way out as the tifosi have not warmed up to his hiring. Fate has it that rivals Juventus were linked with Benitez during the summer yet he ended up with the Nerazzurri. Ironically at this stage, the Bianconeri appear to be building towards the future and improving while the Nerazzurri continue to struggle, have looked both slower and void of ideas when attacking opponents as well as the fact they are already seven points behind city rivals Milan.

The match against Werder Bremen in the Champions League will serve as a test for Benitez. While qualification to the Round of 16 has been secured, beating the worst team in the group will provide a massive boost to the team’s morale. Benitez is unlikely to rest players since first place in the group is on the line and this could make a big difference in terms of Inter’s next opponent in the elimination round. Only positive results will save Benitez’s job but it has become clear that failing to win the Club World Cup will usher a change in the coaching staff at Inter.

Serie B champions Lecce have once again made the jump to Serie A, two years after finishing nineteenth and being relegated.  Prior to that they spent two years in Serie B, preceded by three years in Serie A.  As you can see, Lecce has made a habit of bouncing up and down the ranks, making every season dramatic for the Giallorossi fans.  This season, the club looks to establish a foothold in Serie A, but does the club have the players to do so?

Management: Luigi De Canio is entering his second full year with the club after coming on board late in the 2008-2009 season to try and save the club from relegation.  He was unsuccessful and was initially let go, only to re-up with the club a few weeks later.  He is known as a “salvation specialist” as he helped Siena and other Italian clubs avoid relegation in the last decade.  He is known for getting the most out of young players, and will not be over-matched in Serie A.

Transfer Market: The club’s goal in the transfer market so far has been to acquire players who, even if they lacked a large number of Serie A minutes, have enough top flight experience to add quality minutes to the club.  Their best signing then may have been former Juventus midfielder Ruben Olivera.  The Uruguayan national has eight Serie A goals in 42 matches, and adds needed talent in the Giallorossi attack.

All told, they have three players on loan from the Serie A Big Three.  They were also able to take on loan Schalke 04 defender Tore Reginiussen.  The Norwegian, who can also move up to the midfield, was the victim of a numbers game in the Bundesliga club and wanted to play more minutes.  He does have eight caps with the Norwegian national club.

Key Players and Formation:  A major concern for Lecce fans is the starting keeper Antonio Rosati.  The 27 year old has his only Serie A experience with Lecce but has appeared in 37 matches for the club since 2002.  Fortunately for him, the defense in front of him has some quality players.  Inter loanee Giulio Donati, who was recently called up for Italy’s U-20 match against Hungary, will likely pair with Reginiussen, U-21 and former Fiorentina defender Davide Brivio, and Brazilian Gustavo.  If this is the starting backline, then all four starting defenders will be new to the club this year.

Captain Guillermo Giacomazzi anchors the midfield for the Giallorossi.  He is the record-holder for more Serie A appearances with the club and has 27 career goals for the Apulia-based team.  If Olivera is moved forward then taking his place in midfield will be another Uruguayan and Schalke product Carlos Grossmuller, who has twenty-five career goals.  Another midfield option is career Serie B player Gianni Munari or the youngster Andrea Bertolacci.  Although 19, the Roma loanee has eleven caps for the various Italian national youth clubs.

Expect Olivera to be moved forward in De Canio’s formation as the lack of quality forwards is a concern heading into the 2010-2011 season.  The most talented player is Daniele Corvia, who had seventeen goals for the club last season.  His previous season high, however, had been six.  Brought in to bolster the attack is Ignacio Piatti, who has experience in Serie A, Ligue 1, Turkey, and Argentina.

Outlook: The combination of a poor attack and a poor keeper leads to relegation, and unless the club addresses these issues in the transfer market I would not expect much from Lecce.  There is some talent on this club, however, and they will battle to stay in Serie A the entire year.  They have reinforced the squad, but need additional help to achieve salvation once again.

While this was a mere friendly and many of the starters from both teams were not on hand, the manner with which Inter overcame Manchester City serves as a warning for those aiming to dethrone the Serie A champions and Champions League winners.

The Nerazzurri were missing the likes of Diego Milito, Lucio and Wesley Sneijder but still managed to put a solid display with some silk passing and neat moves. In midfield, Esteban Cambiasso was as productive as ever with his passing and disrupting of opponents while captain Javier Zanetti was as usual reliable at the back and a useful player going forward.

Inter dominated the match and were in control of possession even before the sending off of Patrick Vieira who was in all fairness unlucky to see red. The former Juventus and Inter midfielder deserved a yellow card in the worst case scenario. The 3-0 final score can be considering a flattering one for Manchester City since the game could have easily finished with a bigger win for the Nerazzurri.

Inter will be a force to contend with in the Champions League and appear to be confident about their chances of repeating as European champions. As for Serie A, it will be hard to see any club, including Roma, Milan and Juventus, challenge the Nerazzurri for the title. Roma do not have a big squad and there is a major drop off in level between the starting XI and the bench players while Milan rely on too many of the senior players who are edging closer to retirement such as Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta and Massimo Ambrosini. The Rossoneri will only have one youngster featuring regularly in their starting lineup and that is Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato. As for Juventus, they are still in the process of recovering from a dismal season and it will be hard to see them challenge for the title unless all pieces of the puzzle fell in the right place for the Bianconeri.

Inter’s victory against the Citizens showed that the Nerazzurri have a big squad and a deep bench which can be relied upon when there are injuries and suspensions. In fact, the Nerazzurri will probably have to trim their squad in order to save on some of the big salaries paid to fringe players and reserve players. Having a big squad has another disadvantage which is growing discontent amongst those not getting enough playing time. Such players might begin to cause undesired distractions and might hurt harmony within the squad.

Two factors will shape the Nerazzurri starting XI as well as the quality on the bench and these are related to the future of Maicon and Mario Balotelli. If both players remain with the club then Inter’s bench will be even stronger, but if they leave then the bench will be a weakened a bit since Balotelli will be gone while a full-back will have to start in Maicon’s place on the right flank. Even if the duo will depart, Inter will remain top contenders to sweep the trophies in their path and repeat as treble winners. Only Barcelona and Real Madrid with their talented roster can dethrone Inter as European champions as the elite English Premier League sides are perhaps a step below the Italian giants and the two Spanish clubs.

Inter’s starting XI will likely be (provided Maicon & Balotelli stay): Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, W. Samuel, Chivu, Cambiasso, J. Zanetti, Sneijder, Eto’o, D. Milito and Pandev.

It will be interesting to see if Davide Santon and Mario Balotelli can establish themselves as regulars under new coach Rafael Benitez. The upcoming season certainly looks promising for the Nerazzurri and their supporters.  Feel free to comment below or simply contact me on Twitter  @RamiSoufi for further discussion. I am including below two pieces written following the end of last season which pertain to Inter:

www.serieatalk.com/diego-milito-inters-hero-as-nerazzurri-complete-historic-treble/2432

www.championsleaguetalk.com/what-next-for-inter-after-winning-the-champions-league/748

Inter dismissed Manchester City 3-0 to win the Pirelli Cup on Saturday in Baltimore, Maryland.

While the scoreline fairly reflects the way the Nerazzurri dominated the match, particularly after Patrick Vieira was sent-off, the biggest surprise came after full-time when a massive sized trophy was presented to the winning team.

Having attended the match and prior to leaving, I was surprised to say the least when I saw the trophy and decided to take a few pictures. I am attaching two pictures which perhaps can give the readers a fair idea about the trophy’s ridiculously large dimensions despite this being a mere friendly match.

Feel free to contact me for further comments or to discuss any topic pertaining to Serie A on Twitter: @RamiSoufi

Italy managed to draw 1-1 against both Paraguay and New Zealand while failing to impress despite having seen a lot in terms of ball possession, in particular against the Kiwis when the Italians had just over 70% in terms of ball possession. Pundits and fans alike are debating what has gone wrong for the Azzurri in South Africa 2010 with some attributing it to the Italian tendency to start slow referencing Spain 1982, USA 1994 and even Germany 2006.

What some fail to acknowledge is the fact the Italian squads in previous editions of the World Cup in 1982, 1994 and 2006 were far superior to Italy’s current team in terms of the quality of defenders and talent in the attacking department. In USA 1994 the Azzurri could rely on some of the best defenders to every play the game such as Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi while four years ago Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluca Zambrotta were at their best. Zambrotta has admittedly surprised in this tournament and has been consistent and playing his best football in 3 years albeit still short of his commanding performances in 2006. The main concern here is Cannavaro’s decline with the skipper at fault on both occasions when the Azzurri conceded to Paraguay and New Zealand.

On both occasions, Cannavaro was off in his positioning and could not jump higher than the opponent or control the ball. Against the Kiwis the ball took a deflection off the captain proving he was clueless in terms of his positioning while the Paraguayan goal scorer out jumped both Cannavaro and Daniele De Rossi to score the opener against Italy. Cannavaro has become a weak link in the Azzurri’s defensive line and he is by far the slowest and least impressive of the back four considering Giorgio Chiellini is powerful and tough tackling while Zambrotta is consistent and Domenico Criscito has shown promise on the left flank.

Another main issue is the lack of talent up front with none of the strikers, including Antonio Di Natale, known for their ability to create something spectacular out of nothing. Alberto Gilardino has been a massive disappointment and has barely shot the ball on or off target with the match against the Kiwis showing how ineffective he can be if there is insufficient supply inside the box. The problem with Gilardino is the fact he does not get involved in the build-up and he does not create for himself or teammates rendering him useless in both World Cup matches. The other striker who has started Vincenzo Iaquinta has been played out of position and has struggled to shoot on target due to the lack of supply from the midfielders yet he at least puts the effort and chases the ball. This leaves Antonio Di Natale as the only striker capable of making a difference for the Azzurri yet in both matches he was inserted in the match in the second-half giving him little time to get accustomed to the opponents and to get in the flow.

Di Natale can create and can score as shown by his impressive 29-goal tally in Serie A yet he does need the support of the midfielders. The other two strikers on the bench are Giampaolo Pazzini and Fabio Quagliarella with neither considered world class. Compare those to the attackers at Italy’s disposal in 1994 and one name will suffice to show the massive gap in quality: Roberto Baggio. The former Fiorentina and Juventus forward was the hero for Italy in USA ’94 yet the Italians also had other stars on the bench or starting such as Gianfranco Zola and Giuseppe Signori. In 2006, Italy could rely on Alessandro Del Piero coming off the bench to offer a spark and Francesco Totti starting despite his questionable fitness due to surgery. None of the current forwards compare or come close to Baggio or Totti in terms of talent or the ability to change the direction of the match from a set-piece or a magical move.

This raises the question about Marcello Lippi’s decision to overlook Giuseppe Rossi who was one of the very few bright spots in an otherwise disastrous campaign in the Confederations Cup last year. Everyone knew Lippi would not consider Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano and Fabrizio Miccoli for various reasons while Alessandro Del Piero is perhaps too old for consideration. Under such circumstances, why did not Lippi pick Totti despite his age? Instead Lippi argued Totti could not withstand the rigors of having to play 7 matches in a single month. One can easily counter that by saying why not use Totti or even Del Piero as substitutes or perhaps for 30 minutes during each match? They surely could provide more spark than Pazzini or Di Natale who is closing on 33 years (Totti is a year older and Del Piero is 2 years older).

Besides the deficiencies on the defensive end due to Cannavaro’s alarming drop in level and the blow following Gianluigi Buffon’s injury, the lack of a creative force will come back to haunt Lippi and the Azzurri if it has not already done so since the Italians could end their campaign prematurely if the Slovaks are not beaten. Below is a list of other key factors which have hurt the Azzurri:

- Set-Pieces: The Azzurri were a force defending against set-pieces and actually used them best to their advantage. In this tournament so far, the Italians have conceded twice as a result of free-kicks and have lacked in terms of positioning (particularly Cannavaro).

- Trailing: The Azzurri have trailed against both Paraguay and New Zealand which is a major disadvantage considering the lack of goals in this tournament and more importantly the Italian strategy which relies more on taking the lead, sitting back and bouncing on the mistakes of opponents to score more goals. The Azzurri needed to score first to force opponents to come out and let go of their defensive plot. Ironically, Italy lost 4 points because of teams successfully implementing the Italian strategy.

- Injuries: The injury to Gianluigi Buffon will not be felt at this stage but it is a massive blow and against the likes of the Netherlands, Argentina or Brazil, the Juventus goalkeeper could be a difference maker. The injuries to Andrea Pirlo, Mauro Camoranesi and Claudio Marchisio have hurt the Azzurri in one way or another. Missing Pirlo has forced Lippi to keep experimenting using formations which actually do not suit the Italian players. In addition, Camoranesi has been a marginal influence off the bench while Marchisio has struggled in both matches.

- Tactics & Positioning: The system used by Lippi was a complete failure and even when he shifted to a more suitable 4-4-2 it did not work properly because Marchisio was still being used out of position while the strikers were starved from service. Marchisio cannot be used as a left-winger or a playmaker behind the striker. He was an attacking midfielder way back in his youth career but he has been a central midfielder since breaking into the Juventus starting lineup. Lippi is wasting three players by using his system or the current team selection since Marchisio, Iaquinta and Gilardino are all struggling under this formation. The key is to either move Marchisio to a more central role or simply to bench him once Pirlo returns or perhaps even starting Camoranesi at his expense while moving Simone Pepe to the left flank.

- Shots on Target: Against the Kiwis,Italy had 15 corners, shot 23 times and had possession 71% of the time yet only shot 5 times on target including a penalty and the rest were  long-distance shots. Not one shot on target by Gilardino and Iaquinta, except for his converted penalty. Montolivo had one long range effort which hit the post while two other shots on target came courtesy of long distance strikes by De Rossi and Camoranesi. Thus, there was a single effort inside the penalty box which was on target and it came from substitute Di Natale. This is quite shocking and will not help the Azzurri cause considering in 2006 both goals against the Germans were from shots from inside the box. According to ESPN’s stats New Zealand’s goalkeeper Mark Paston touched the ball more than any other player from the Kiwis who cleared the ball more than 50 times (most of any team in South Africa 2010). Clearly all stats were to Italy’s advantage yet the Azzurri failed to defeat the Kiwis in another sign of the declining game of the Italians.

- Marcello Lippi: No one can argue Lippi’s ability to guide teams to glory as evidenced  on both club level (with Juventus) and with the Azzurri, yet his decisions have been poor in terms of excluding players such as Totti and failing to convince Alessandro Nesta to return for the World Cup (Nesta performed much better than Cannavaro this year). Even more troubling is the fact Lippi does not appear to have settled on a strategy to implement which can be attributed to the lack of a creative force capable of integrating the strikers and linking the midfield with the attack.

- Friendly Matches: Italy probably played the fewest matches of any team participating in the World Cup whether in terms of the friendly games before the event or even throughout the year. Lippi needed more matches to test his system instead of implementing it in a couple of games. This had an adverse effect on the team in terms of performances and familiarity with the system. The Mexicans beat the Azzurri in a friendly prior to the event and are now doing well in the tournament having played more matches than the Italians in preparation for the World Cup.

- Teams Using Italian Strategy: While some might give Jose Mourinho a lot of credit for winning the Champions League, he really did not invent the wheel and actually relied on a trusted system which evolved from the Italian strategy: defend well, pressure the ball and have talent up front to make the difference. This is what won the Champions League for Inter with Julio Cesar, Lucio and Maicon a key component of the Nerazzurri success and even Brazil’s Carlos Dunga admitted he will be relying on the trio to guide the Selecao to success. Thus, the top teams and even the weaker ones are using an Italian strategy to achieve success. Only the Dutch, Spain and Argentina do not implement the Italian method. Brazil is one of the teams depending on the system and many of the average and weaker teams have relied on the Italian strategy to earn a draw or even snatch a surprising win.

Simply put, all is not lost for the Azzurri but Lippi must give Di Natale a chance to start while Gilardino and Marchisio ought to be benched. One change would make the transition to the new-look Italy even smoother and that would be to bench Cannavaro which is obviously not going to happen under Lippi. Regardless, The key is to defeat Slovakia and then face either the Dutch (if Paraguay finish first) or take the easier route which will still see Italy face Spain in the quarter-final (If Spain can bounce back to win Group H) and then Argentina in the semi-final. Either way, Italy must focus on defeating the Slovaks first and then turn attention to the knockout stages. On a match by match basis anything can happen as long as the Italians play as one unit, defend better against set-pieces and the strikers begin to pose a threat and score goals.

For further comments and other discussions please feel free to contact  @RamiSoufi on Twitter.

Inter have succeeded in completing a historic treble and credit must be given to everyone at the club from president Massimo Moratti for his persistence in pursuing the dream of emulating his father by winning the Champions League to Jose Mourinho for his exemplary preparation ahead of keys matches and for his superior motivational skills. However, the Nerazzurri players deserve much of the credit for their solid performances with Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti, Lucio, Walter Samuel and Samuel Eto’o among others providing the driving force behind the successes this season. One player stands out above all the rest and it is not Wesley Sneijder who had a great season but Argentina striker Diego Milito who deserves much of the credit for his valuable contributions in the big games.

Mourinho deserves credit for guiding the squad, for making them believe and for his solid tactics, but none of this can be achieved without the proper players. The outspoken Portuguese craves the media and the fact he did not get along with the Italian press is one of the reasons behind his decision to leave the club which is not something that reflects positively on Mourinho. The former Chelsea manager expects the media to make a big deal out of his statements and create the attention he craves. In England, Mourinho was able to successfully manipulate the press to cater to him and give him the desired attention while in Italy he has failed to do so and was at odds with the Italian media early in the season.

Without taking away from Mourinho, the credit must also be shared with the squad with many of the starters providing solid contributions at different stages of the season such as full-back Maicon who broke down the resistance of Juventus with a great strike in a crucial win which helped the Nerazzurri to retain their Serie A title. Dutchman Sneijder has been very influential too but striker Milito has been phenomenal when it really matters considering the Argentina international has scored the winner against Roma in the Coppa Italia final then followed it with the winner against Siena in Serie A which secured the league title before his stunning brace against Bayern Munich helped Inter claim the Champions League trophy.

Mourinho prepared the Nerazzurri in the proper way and the squad provided a solid and professional display yet Milito was by far the star of the Champions League final. While Goran Pandev struggled to make much of an impact and flopped on every possible occasion, Eto’o sacrificed for the team and was running around the pitch like a man possessed, but above Milito was the difference maker. The former Genoa striker was a willing runner often taking on defenders and running from either flank but his well taken double against Bayern perhaps merits the highest of praise due to the level of skills involved in both goals. For the first one, Milito actually used his head to direct the ball to Sneijder before he ran to accept the Dutchman’s wonderful pass and finish it with style. Another striker might have rushed his shot and missed the goal or hit the goalkeeper but not Milito who faked an initial shot before finishing with style.

As for the second goal, words would not give it enough justice and cannot represent how great it was because Milito ran a reasonable distance before showing some great footwork and displaying great skill to perfectly place his shot to put the match beyond Bayern’s reach. Diego’s numbers with Inter have been quite good as he scored 30 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions divided into 22 strikes in 35 Serie A games, 6 goals in 11 Champions League matches and 2 strikes in 5 Coppa Italia appearances. Mourinho might be gone but the Nerazzurri have a winning foundation and this is evident by the Serie A titles won before the Portuguese arrived under Roberto Mancini who is a decent coach but not part of the elite coaching group. Mancini benefited from having a great squad as well as the demise of certain teams, in particular Juventus, due to Calciopoli which helped pave the way for Inter’s dominance.

All credit must go to the players as well as Mourinho for this great achievement and there is no doubt Inter are currently Europe’s best. The interesting question now is whether Mourinho will take with him to Real Madrid two key players in the shape of Maicon and Milito. If the Portuguese does indeed lure both players to Madrid then Inter might struggle next season. Regardless of who leaves, the current Nerazzurri squad is one of the best as a group and they could challenge again in Europe if the core players are kept and a decent coach is hired to guide the club.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho has indicated on more than one occasion his desire to take charge of an elite club in Spain, a hint most likely directed towards Real Madrid since he has quite a tense relationship with Barcelona. Only the two giants of Spanish football can afford Mourinho’s wage demands and can meet his ambitions to win trophies on a regular basis.

Mourinho appears to be frustrated with the Italian media and Calcio considering he has not been able to easily win them over unlike his spell in England when he was able to use, manipulate and employ the media to serve his objectives. The outspoken Portuguese must ranks as one of the best at not just motivating his players but also making use of the press to launch psychological warfare and mind games against his fellow tacticians and opposing teams. In England Mourinho was able to a large extent to use the media to vent his frustration and take on fellow coaches or opponents prior to some decisive games.

Mourinho has also come to blows with the Italian FA considering he has been fined and suspended on a number of occasions following some of his unacceptable actions during the course of the season. On the flip side, the Portuguese has succeeded in guiding Inter to the Champions League final and has a great opportunity to win a historic treble which could convince him to remain for at least another season in the peninsula. The Nerazzurri won the Coppa Italia by overcoming Roma 1-0 and will have a great opportunity to add the Serie A title considering they are on top of the league standings with one match to go. If the Nerazzurri win against lowly Siena then they will be crowned champions regardless of Roma’s result.

Finally, Mourinho’s greatest achievement will be winning the Champions League if his club can triumph in Madrid by beating the German champions Bayern Munich. Mourinho might decide his future following the match next weekend.