Serie A preview

Vincenzo Montella, manager of Fiorentina

Italian football rumbles into action this weekend, with the Supercoppa Italiana taking place on Saturday, the game exported to the Bird's Nest stadium for the third time. Juventus take on Napoli in the Serie A curtain-raiser and interest will be high after Italy's excellent showing in Euro 2012.

Juventus completed an unbeaten season last year, and despite drawing 15 games they conceded just 20 goals all year, which saw them edge home ahead of the more volatile AC Milan who were four points away. As well as a resolute defence the midfield three of Pirlo, Marchisio and Vidal were key to the title for the bianconeri. Pirlo was magnificent in the deep playmaking role and Vidal and Marchisio had the energy to press extremely high-up, giving Pirlo time and space.

They have moved quickly this summer, signing Lucio from Inter on a free and adding Udinese's best midfielders; Mauricio Isla and Kwado Asamoah. Paul Pogba finally made the switch from Old Trafford and with Robin Van Persie heavily linked with a switch, Juventus look in best shape to defend their 28th scudetto (30th if you ask the club).

AC Milan have taken the biggest hit this summer, losing Thiago Silva and the league's top-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic to PSG. Sold for a combined €60 million it remains to be seen how Massimo Allegri reinvests in his playing squad, if sanctioned by Berlusconi. Milan have already brought in Ricardo Montolivo, excellent business on a free, Bakaye Traore and Columbian, Christian Zapata, from Villerreal. However, none of these signings look like exciting the Milan faithful, and fans will be looking for a star striker to replace the outgoing Ibrahimovic. Carlos Tevez and Van Persie look dead deals, so fans will hope that Pato can stay fit the coming season.

Udinese finished an impressive third last year, but after losing more key players, they will be relying on youngsters stepping up to the plate in 2012-2013. Giampaolo Pozzo's Udinese experiment reached English shores with his acquisition of Watford, adding to a portfolio that includes the Spanish side Granada, and the president has invested heavily in scouting at the Italian side. Two of the latest products from the scouting set-up, Isla and Asamoah, were sold this summer and the only star performer left is 34-year-old Antonio Di Natale. I think they'll struggle to make the Champions League in 2013.

Lazio finished fourth last season, and claimed Italy's first Europa League spot, after the league lost its fourth CL place via co-efficient. They did well to finish above fierce rivals Roma, who spent heavily, and Miroslav Klose adapted well to Italian football. They pipped Napoli to fourth by a single point, but you would expect Napoli to finish above them this season, without the added pressure of Champions League football. The departure of Ezequiel Lavezzi is a massive blow, but the Naples outfit have invested in youth and Chilean Eduardo Vargas will get his chance in the starting XI. Further reinforcements come in the shape of Valon Behrami and Alessandro Gamberini from Fiorentina, and bring real experience.

36-year-old Andrea Stramaccioni has been thrust into the deep-end with Internazionale, and the club seem unsure of how to overcome their Mourinho vacuum. The club have flopped since his departure for Madrid, and despite the core of that side still being around they have failed to threaten domestically, let alone continentally. Expensive flop, Diego Forlan, has been moved on, but the acquisitions this summer are relatively modest for a club that splashed a then world-record €48 million on Christian Vieri in 1999.

Handanovic has been brought in at goalkeeper, but with the experienced Julio Cesar already at the San Siro his addition seems superfluous. Matias Silvestre has signed on loan, and Rodrigio Palacio has come in, as has free-kick specialist, Freddy Guarin, after a loan move. Doubts remain over Wesley Sniejder's future, as do Chelsea target, Maicon. Inter seem stuck in a rut. Unwilling to splash the cash like their competitors, they need to move on an ageing squad but their rivals are moving away from them. Winning the inaugural Next Gen series indicates that there is some impressive young talent coming through the ranks but these teenagers are not ready to be thrust into Serie A action en masse.

The team to watch for me however, are Fiorentina. They finished a lowly 13th last season, in a year that will be remembered by armchair fans for then manager, Delio Rossi, attacking winger Adem Ljajic as he was substituted. Unsurprisingly the club dismissed Rossi, and bought in the relatively 'green' Vincenzo Montella. Nicknamed 'The Little Airplane' he had a fantastic playing career at Roma and after a caretaker role with the Rome side, he spent last year managing Catania. Montella steered the unfancied side to a 11th place finish, their highest finish in 10 years.

This led to Fiorentina making their move and the Viola have invested superbly this summer. The club lost the integral Ricardo Montolivo on a free, but have acted quickly to make dreams of a Champions League return a real possibility. Alberto Aquilani is a ready-made replacement for Montolivo, whilst the Chile international Matias Fernandez and Emilano Viviano have also come in. Fiorentina managed to raid relegated Villerreal for two of their most important players; Borja Valero and Gonzalo Rodriguez. Despite his failure to breakthrough at West Brom, Valero is one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe and the experienced Rodriguez is a superb replacement for Gamberini.

Gabriel Batistuta scored this for Fiorentina in a remarkable Champions League run in 1999-2000, but within two years the club were on the brink of bankruptcy, and had to be re-formed as Associazione Calcio Fiorentina e Florentia Viola in 2002, starting in the Serie C2. They have a history of giving young managers a chance, Roberto Mancini cut his teeth at Artemio Franchi, while current national team manager, Cesare Prandelli was manager for five years before taking the national post. Montella was a cult icon at Roma and I predict an impressive year for him and Fiorentina. 

Euro 2012 review

I did say that Spain weren't boring...

Spain made history on Sunday after winning three successive major international competitions and Andreas Iniesta was justifiably bullish in asserting that it was "something that cannot be repeated".

He may well be right and it will take some set of players to eclipse the current squad of Spanish players who have all peaked gloriously in the last four to five years. Other teams will adapt and try to copycat the tiki-taka style, with competition likely to increase among the top football nations making another three tournament run an incredible ask.

Italy did not play badly in Sunday's showpiece event. They created several good chances versus the strongest nation in world football, more than most teams have mustered at Euro 2012, but the standards set by Spain in the final were staggeringly good.

Spain well and truly dismissed the laughable claim that they are a boring side after some breathtaking football that saw them ease to a 4-0 victory. Saving their best performance of the Euro's for the final, the Spanish produced one of the best team performances to ever grace an international tournament and they extended their shut-out in knock-out games to nine games.

The basis of the knock-out stages is to avoid losing, and Spain have now gone 900 minutes without conceding a goal in the latter stages of 2008, 2010 and this year in Poland and Ukraine. Sergio Ramos was a colossus in defence and allowed Xavi and Iniesta to slice open the normally reliable Italian defence.

Spain's win was a joy to behold and the only downside of watching the game was the sight of Andrea Pirlo distraught after the final whistle. For some reason the sight of the Juventus man in tears had more of an effect on me than seeing Stevie G and co sprawled on the floor after England's exit. Worrying times for an England fan, but few would begrudge Pirlo a place in this Spain squad that were again the dominant side at a major tournament.

After the shocking team of the tournament from Garth Crooks (who still gets paid by the BBC), which included Gerrard and Glen Johnson, here is my best XI from Euro 2012.

4-2-3-1

Casillas

Srna, Ramos, Pepe, Alba

Pirlo, Busquets

Moutinho, Xavi, Iniesta

Cassano

Euro 2012 final and player of the tournament

Spain aim to make history on Sunday as they look to become the first side to win three consecutive international tournaments, but they will be up against a side who frustrated them in a 1-1 draw on day three of Euro 2012.

West Germany reached three consecutive finals in the 70’s, but you sense if Spain win tonight, they will go down as the greatest palette of players to ever play for a national side. This Spain side is not the all conquering side of Euro 2008 though. The efforts of the last four years seem to be catching up with the team (especially the Barcelona players) and their performance against Portugal was one of their least convincing in recent tournaments.

Their passing accuracy was down at (just) 75% against Portugal and Spain look like a long-distance runner desperately trying to make the finishing line. Performances have not yet peaked, but if Spain manage to grind out a 1-0 win it will have been a virtuoso lesson in monopolising possession and dominating games.

I didn’t think I’d say this two months ago after he blazed a penalty into the Allianz Arena to hand Bayern a spot in the Champions League final, but Sergio Ramos has arguably been the standout performer for Spain. Returning to centre-back the 26-year-old has covered for Carlos Puyol with all the gusto and passion that we are used to from the Barcelona captain. Neither player is the most technically proficient, but they will attack the ball and are incredibly committed defenders.

The Panenka penalty that Ramos coolly despatched past Rui Patricio, was sublime and suggested that the defender has spent the last two months practising penalties (or at least watching Pirlo). Spain don’t have a striker, and other than Busquets none of their midfielders has really impressed in Poland and Ukraine. Ramos has been part of a Spain side that has conceded just one goal and has made some superb individual contributions leading the way from the more established Pique.

UEFA and FIFA seem to have an instinctive predisposition to look away from defenders when awarding their player of the tournament, but if any defender deserves the accolade it is Ramos, who in the space of three weeks has matured incredibly, from the young man who already holds the red-card record at Madrid, into an international standard centre back.

In contrast to the burnt out Spanish, Italy look to be finding form at the right time and have produced two sensational displays in the quarters and semi-final. The Juventus inspired defence has been resolute and Andrea Pirlo, flanked excellently by two midfield dynamos De Rossi and Marchisio, has been the best midfielder at the tournament.

Pirlo, Buffon, Barzagli and De Rossi are the only survivors from the World Cup winning squad from 2006 and their play at Euro 2012 has arguably been more expansive then Spain’s. They dominated their two knockout games in midfield and with Cassano and Balotelli on-song up front they will thoroughly challenge the Spanish procession. Spain will need to disrupt the midfield axis that shields Pirlo or his passing ability will pick holes in the Spanish backline.

Andrea Pirlo has embarrassingly only been heralded by a mainstream audience at the age of 33, and the former Inter and AC Milan man has vindicated Prandelli’s decision to base the Italian team around him. Pirlo is one of the most gifted midfielders in European football and the level of his appraisal after the England match indicates the dismissive arrogance of the English media. The lack of European coverage in England and obsessive admiration of Pirlo after the quarter final and semi-final confirms that until a player delivers against England they are immediately dismissed.

Pundits are bemoaning the absence of an ‘English’ Pirlo after now having it thrust in front of them, but the reality is that Pirlo has been winning titles and World Cups for years previously without this level of deification.

Spain beat the Italians 4-2 on penalties in a gripping quarter final at Euro 2008, in what proved a watershed moment for the Spanish national team. Despite playing excellently in previous tournaments they had come un-stuck and choked in the knockout phases and their gritty elimination of the Italian's paved the way for their first major title since 1964 and the start of their current run. Should La Roja win tomorrow it will be a fitting and appropriate opponent for Spain, as they return full circle to the Italians, looking to make history as the greatest assembly of players in football history. 

England once again find their level

England were left to rue their inaccuracy on penalties as they suffered a 4-2 penalty defeat to Italy after 120 goalless minutes in Kiev. Statistics never tell the full story but with a possession of 34%, joint with the damage Greece inflicted on Germany, and an average of 2.75 shots on target a game it is easy to see why England failed to trouble many teams.

That it took a penalty shoot-out to finally finish England off was indicative of some profligate finishing from Italy and the dogged determination of the England players. Sadly this seems the only trait that English players can excel at in international competition, and bravery and commitment are no longer enough to win a major tournament.

Roy Hodgson has come in and in the space of just ten training sessions done all that he can; make England harder to beat. Hodgson can do little about the scarcity of players brave enough to demand possession of the ball and was denied the presence of one who can, Jack Wilshire, through injury. But to suggest that Wilshire in midfield would have seen us dominating other teams in possession stakes is wildly optimistic and glosses over the deeper issues at hand.

The £750 million invested on Wembley Stadium still has a long way to go before it repays its outlay and the FA must be wishing that more of that money was invested in youth coaching. Other than Jack Wilshire there is a dearth of ball friendly midfielders in England set-ups and the FA are now several years behind other nations in their development programmes.

Germany completely overhauled their youth development eight years ago under Jurgen Klinsmann and Joachim Low, with the tacit approval of the Bundesliga, and their crop of midfielders at Euro 2012 reflects their philosophy. Until the Premier League agrees to a reduction of power and influence in England the FA and national set-up will continue to struggle. There needs to be a readdress towards the FA and the national side, but with the rampant financial success of the Premier League this looks increasingly unlikely.

England could quite easily have lost all four of their games at Euro 2012 and only dictated the majority of the play in one of them, against Sweden. There was no goal-line injustice or red card to rage against or hide behind this tournament. England were given a football lesson by the Italians and a revaluation of how England approach football will need to start soon. Past tournaments have provided the nation with a scapegoat or a reason to put off any major change. England’s meek exit this year may finally see an overhaul of a nation still clinging to 1966 as they finally move on.