⚽️🇮🇹 Revealed... Serie A's MVP!
⚽️🇮🇹 Revealed... Serie A's MVP!
In this week’s Italian soccer digest, we're looking back on Empoli's great escape, Christian Pulisic's kind words for his coach, and much more!
🏆 Lautaro Martínez takes top prize at the Serie A Awards
The winners of the 2023-24 Serie A Awards have been revealed, with Inter forward Lautaro Martínez earning the overall MVP award.
🇦🇷 Lautaro was the league’s Capocannoniere (top scorer) with 24 goals and six assists, and captained the Nerazzurri to its historic 20th scudetto.
👏 The sixth annual edition of the Serie A Awards also recognized the league’s best across the following categories:
Best Goalkeeper: Michele Di Gregorio (Monza)
Best Defender: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter)
Best Midfielder: Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter)
Best Striker: Dušan Vlahović (Juventus)
Best Young Player: Joshua Zirkzee (Bologna)
Best Coach: Simone Inzaghi (Inter)
🇺🇸 Christian Pulisic was shortlisted for the Best Midfielder award after logging 12 goals and nine assists in his debut Serie A season, but his Inter counterpart Hakan Çalhanoğlu claimed the prize.
🤓 The awards are decided by several metrics, including a player rating system which measures in-game impact, movement and decision making.
😮💨 Empoli’s final-day great escape!
With 92 minutes on the clock of their final game of the season, Empoli were tied with Roma and occupying 18th spot in Serie A, which would have condemned them to relegation. But then… M'Baye Niang saved the day with a dramatic late winner that saved Davide Nicola’s side from the drop!
⛓️💥 Empoli coach Nicola is forging a reputation as a relegation escape artist, having pulled off the same final-day feat with Crotone, Salernitana and Genoa.
🤯 In fact, Nicola has now finished 17th in Serie A five times - with five different teams!
🙁 Empoli’s win meant Frosinone took their place in the relegation zone, following their 1-0 home loss to Fabio Cannavaro’s Udinese.
🫂 Cannavaro - who took charge for Udinese’s final six games and ensured their survival with only one loss - was quick to console his Frosinone counterpart Eusebio Di Francesco.
💔 Fiorentina’s Europa Conference League dream ends with late goal for second successive season
Greek side Olympiakos defeated Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League Final on Wednesday evening, with a 116th-minute goal making the difference.
😢 The defeat was especially heartbreaking for the Viola, who lost last year’s Europa Conference League final to a last-minute West Ham goal.
🇪🇺 Not only would a victory have delivered two European trophies to Serie A teams in a week (following Atalanta’s Europa League triumph), but it also would have confirmed a ninth European qualifying spot for Italy, sending Torino into next season’s Europa Conference League. Now, Serie A will have eight teams in European competition next season.
👉 Fiorentina’s season isn’t over: they will play fellow European finalists Atalanta on Sunday in Serie A play (12pm ET on Paramount+) in order to make up for the fixture that was postponed due to the tragic death of Viola GM Joe Barone in March.
🇪🇺 Six Serie A players make the Europa League Team of the Season
UEFA's Technical Observer panel has revealed its Europa League Team of the Season, with a majority of players hailing from Serie A teams.
🫡 Mile Svilar and Gianluca Mancini from semifinalists Roma made the cut, while champions Atalanta provided Berat Djimsiti, Matteo Ruggeri, Teun Koopmeiners and hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman.
🆙 Venezia and Cremonese face off in Serie B playoff final
The two-legged Serie B playoff final begins today, with Venezia and Cremonese vying to become a Serie A team next season.
👀 The first leg of the playoffs takes place today in Cremona (2.30pm ET on Fox Soccer Plus and Fubo), with the second leg following in Venice on Sunday (2.30pm ET on Fox Soccer Plus and Fubo).
🙂 Cremonese, who defeated Catanzaro in the semifinals, were relegated from the top flight last season, and will be looking to bounce straight back up.
😎 Venezia last featured in Serie A in 2021-22 and overcame Palermo to reach the playoff final.
🏁 Social Post of the Week: Weston McKennie at the Monaco Grand Prix
Before reporting to the USMNT’s Washington D.C. camp to begin preparations for the Copa América, Weston McKennie was among the stars attending the Monaco Grand Prix.
🏎️ The Juventus midfielder’s visit to the Scuderia Ferrari garage must have brought good luck, as both Ferrari drivers notched a podium finish at the iconic race.
🇮🇹 Marten de Roon takes a tour of Bergamo
Marten de Roon recently completed his seventh season with Atalanta, and has fallen in love with his adopted home of Bergamo. In the latest episode of our Champions of Made in Italy series, the Dutch midfielder — who has sadly been ruled out of Euro 2024 due to an injury picked up in the Coppa Italia Final — discusses the ways in which he has embraced the local culture, his successes at Atalanta, and much more…
🇮🇹 Serie A is partnering with the Italian government for the Champions of Made in Italy documentary series, which is bringing insight into the cities and cultures that surround every club in the league. More episodes below…
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With Euro 2024 around the corner, you might have already started hearing about the selections of the commissario tecnico.
🤷♂️ What does it mean? This is the term given to the national team manager in Italy, often abbreviated to ‘CT’ to make it a bit catchier. You will only find this title given to those in charge of national teams, while a club coach is an ‘allenatore’ or even a ‘Mister’.
⚽️ Who is the Italy CT for Euro 2024? Luciano Spalletti was appointed into the role last August, shortly after leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years. This is the first time Spalletti has led a national team, and Euro 2024 will therefore be his first experience in a major tournament.
❤️ Christian Pulisic pays tribute to coach Stefano Pioli following Milan exit
USMNT star Christian Pulisic thanked Stefano Pioli on Instagram after the Milan manager’s departure was confirmed.
🗣️ “Thank you for everything Mister,” said Pulisic on Instagram, to the coach who guided him through a highly successful debut Serie A season. “You and your staff helped me find the joy in this beautiful game again and for that I’m most grateful. Wishing you nothing but the best always!”
🥹 Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Salernitana was also the final Rossoneri appearance for Olivier Giroud, who will head to LAFC after Euro 2024.
👊 Pulisic’s impact in his freshman Italian campaign was recognized with a place in Opta’s Team of the Season:
👌 Next season, the American will be looking sharp in Milan’s new kit.
☀️⚽️📺 Summer calcio schedule
The Serie A season proper may have concluded, but look out for some key calcio fixtures in the coming days and weeks…
Thursday, May 30th
Serie B playoff final first leg: Cremonese v Venezia (2.30pm ET on Fox Soccer Plus and Fubo)
Sunday, June 2nd
Serie A: Atalanta v Fiorentina (12pm ET on Paramount+)
Serie B playoff final second leg: Venezia v Cremonese (2.30pm ET on Fox Soccer Plus and Fubo)
Saturday, June 15th
Euro 2024 Group Stage: Italy v Albania (3pm ET on ESPN)
Thursday, June 20th
Euro 2024 Group Stage: Spain v Italy (3pm ET on ESPN)
Monday, June 24th
Euro 2024 Group Stage: Croatia v Italy (3pm ET on ESPN)
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