⚽️🇮🇹 Gregg Berhalter's Tour of Italy
⚽️🇮🇹 Gregg Berhalter's Tour of Italy
Ciao a tutti!
Welcome back to Calcio Weekly, your comprehensive weekly digest for Italian soccer.
In this edition, we’re looking at USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter’s visit to Italy, Milan’s financial uptick under American ownership, Jose Mourinho’s latest touchline ban, and much more.
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🇺🇸 Gregg Berhalter hails Milan v Juve as ‘turning point’ for US soccer
USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter was at the San Siro for Juventus’ high-stakes 1-0 victory over AC Milan on Sunday. The game featured national team stars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Tim Weah and Weston McKennie.
🗣️ Speaking with broadcaster DAZN, Berhalter noted the significance of having four USMNT players start a marquee Serie A game: “To have four American players is really a turning point in US soccer history. There are more and more American talents now plying their trade in Europe’s highest leagues and this can only be a positive.”
⭐️ The national team coach also spoke favorably on the progress of Pulisic, who has scored four Serie A goals in nine appearances. “We’ve been watching Christian the last few months, he has really gained in confidence and you can tell he is really coming into his own here in Milan.”
⏱️ McKennie and Musah played the full 90 on Sunday, while Pulisic was sacrificed by coach Stefano Pioli after 43 minutes, so that Milan could retain their defensive structure following Malick Thiaw’s red card.
🪽 After the game, Weah spoke about the way he is embracing his wingback role with The Old Lady: “Patience is the key. They told me to be patient and always be ready. Playing at wing-back? I like it. I have to help the team, so I expand my knowledge of everything. For the USA I play on the wing, but I like to learn new things.”
👌 When Musah sent Weah over the touchline with a robust first-half challenge, we appreciated the Milan man looking back several times to make sure his USMNT teammate was OK…
👋 Berhalter takes in Juventus training
On Tuesday, Berhalter paid a visit to Juventus’ practice facility, where he observed a training session before shooting the breeze with Weah and McKennie.
3️⃣ The 50-year-old also posed with Juve Coach Massimiliano Allegri, holding up a shirt personalized with the number three — that’s the number the former defender wore during his USMNT playing days.
🏠 Juventus trains at Continassa, a state-of-the-art facility in Turin that has housed the men’s team and U23s since April 2018. The previous facility, the Vinovo, still hosts the women’s and youth teams.
➡️ Up next for the Bianconeri (the “white and blacks”): Juventus host Hellas Verona on Monday (2.45pm ET on Paramount+). If they win and both Milan teams fail to win, the Turin side will climb to the top of Serie A.
Meanwhile, Gregg Berhalter will be reunited with Weah, McKennie, Pulisic and Musah in November, when the USMNT face Trinidad & Tobago in a pair of CONCACAF Nations League matches.
📈 Milan record profit for first time in nearly 20 years
The Rossoneri (“Red and Blacks”) have, quite fittingly, moved from the red into the black, by recording a profit for the first time since 2006.
💶 According to financial statements issued this week, Milan reported profit of €6.1 million ($6.51 million) for the 2022-23 financial year, compared to losses of €66.5 million (then $66.7 million) the previous financial year.
The turnaround in financial fortunes is due to club-record revenue of €404.5 million ($431.4 million), which saw a significant boost due to their run to last year’s Champions League semifinals.
🇺🇸 Did you know? Milan is owned by American private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners, which assumed control of the club from its compatriot hedge fund Elliott Management in the summer of 2022. RedBird also has a stake in Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox.
Ciccio Caputo tearfully dedicates goal against Fiorentina to daughter
⚽️ Francesco ‘Ciccio’ Caputo scored his first goal for Empoli over the weekend, sealing a shock 2-0 victory over high-flying Fiorentina.
Il gol di Ciccio Caputo contro la Fiorentina
🫶 In a post-match interview, the 36-year-old tearfully told reporters he dedicated the goal to his 14-year-old daughter, who spent 50 days in hospital over the summer with a serious illness.
The journeyman forward admitted his daughter’s health made him consider retirement, but confirmed she has now recovered.
Thanks in part to Ciccio’s goal, Empoli now sit one point outside the relegation zone.
➡️ Up next for Gli Azzurri (“The Blues”): Empoli host Atalanta on Monday (1.30pm ET on Paramount+), knowing they have lost four of their last five home games against their visitors.
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🤔 Materazzi quizzed in New York
During a recent visit to Serie A’s office in New York City, World Cup winner and five-time Serie A champion Marco Materazzi was challenged to name players past and present based on their career progression. Clearly, the legendary defender knows more about other Serie A stars than himself…
Materazzi wasn’t only in New York to test his soccer knowledge — the former Serie A Defender of the Year was helping to launch the league’s global Made In Italy initiative, which seeks to celebrate Italian soccer, fashion, food culture and industry through digital content and community events.
🛑 Udinese fire coach Andrea Sottil
Serie A saw its third managerial casualty of the season this week, when Udinese dismissed Andrea Sottil.
Following a 1-1 deadlock with Lecce on Monday, Udinese are now winless in the opening nine rounds of Serie A.
Udinese sit in the relegation zone in 17th. The club, located in the north-east region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, have been in the top flight since earning promotion in 1995-96.
Two other coaches have been replaced this season: Aurelio Andreazzoli came in for Paolo Zanetti at Empoli and Filippo Inzaghi recently took over from Paulo Sousa at Salernitana.
💬 Calcio Conversations
Did you know? When a player puts the ball through another player’s legs, we call it a ‘nutmeg’. In Italy, they say: “Fare un tunnel.”
🤔 Why? It literally means, “make a tunnel,” which is far more logical than the spicy English equivalent!
There’s plenty of debate about why it’s called a nutmeg in English, with some suggesting it is Cockney Rhyming Slang for “legs” 🤷♂️
Mourinho handed ban for ‘cry baby’ gesture
The Special One is no stranger to controversy or match suspensions…
😭 Jose Mourinho has been handed a one-game suspension after he was deemed to make a “provocative” gesture at the opposing bench during Roma’s 1-0 win over Monza on Sunday.
🟥 Mou was sent off in the 100th minute of the game and will subsequently miss this weekend’s visit to league leaders Inter Milan.
🏆 The Portuguese coach may regret missing out on an appearance at Inter, where he is still widely lauded by the home contingent for delivering the treble in 2009-10 (where he coached the aforementioned quiz aficionado Marco Materazzi).
🔙 Roma’s visit to Inter Milan on Sunday (1pm ET on Paramount+) will also be a big occasion for Romelu Lukaku, who returns to the San Siro in Roma colors, having played for the Nerazzurri (“Black and Blues”) last season. In a press conference this week, Mourinho stressed Lukaku’s importance to the Giallorossi (“Yellow and Reds”), and downplayed any controversy about his move between the Serie A clubs.
Social post of the week: Mascot shows his true colors
Inter Milan earned a 3-0 win on the road at Torino over the weekend, even if one of their pre-match mascots turned out to be a rogue agent…
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports and Paramount+
⏰ Note: Daylight Savings Time begins in Europe on Sunday, so kick-off times are an hour later than usual…
Friday
Genoa v Salernitana (2.45pm ET)
Saturday
Sassuolo v Bologna (9am ET)
Lecce v Torino (12pm ET)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (2.45pm ET)
Sunday
Cagliari v Frosinone (7.30am ET)
Monza v Udinese (10am ET)
Inter Milan v Roma (1pm ET)
Napoli v AC Milan (3.45pm ET)
Monday
Empoli v Atalanta (1.30pm ET)
Lazio v Fiorentina (3.45pm ET)
Grazie e arrivederci!
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