The 2012/13 Serie A season looks set to be a battle between three giants of the Italian game - Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan. Here is our closer look at their preparations and chances of success in the upcoming campaign.
In this age of austerity and looming Financial Fair Play regulations, Italian clubs have spent the summer shedding their squads of expensive players in order to bring their finances into line.
Add to that the spectre of match-fixing casting an unfortunate shadow over the game yet again, there is a feeling the new campaign represents a fresh start for a number of clubs as they bid to put recent troubles behind them.
Defending champions Juventus are understandably 11/8 favourites to retain their trophy after going unbeaten throughout the whole of last season.
Juve’s 2011/12 title completed the renaissance of a side that had hit rock bottom just six years ago when relegated to Serie B following the ‘Calciopoli’ scandal.
A return of Champions League football is the main reason for Juve fans to get excited this season and crystallises their return to the top of the European game.
Transfers have been reasonably modest so far, with Kwadwo Asamoah, Mauricio Isla and Sebastian Giovinco expected to fill out the squad rather than be first-choice. Brazilian defender Lucio and former Manchester United star Paul Pogba are exciting talents, however, and should see more action.
The crowning glory to Juve’s summer shopping, though, will be a striker. The club are desperate for a big name to spearhead their European challenge with Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez, Stevan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko the names regularly mentioned.
Add one or more of those to the squad and they will be difficult to dislodge at the top of the division.
Behind Juve, 18-times champions AC Milan are 2/1 second favourites for the title, but they, perhaps more than any other club, represent Italy’s efforts to comply with Financial Fair Play.
Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been flogged to PSG, despite being key first-team players, while further departures have not been ruled out, with Robinho among those consistently linked with the move away.
Incomings, in contrast, have been sparse, with Kevin Constant a loan signing from Genoa and Bakaye Traore a free transfer. Riccardo Montolivo is, though, also a shrewd signing on a free from Fiorentina.
Boss Massimiliano Allegri will have to show all of his man-management skills to build a side shorn of his biggest stars but in contrast to Juve’s summer shopping, they look unlikely to challenge.
Milan’s city rivals Inter will dearly hope they have a better campaign than last, where they went through three managers, with Gian Piero Gasperini, Claudio Ranieri and finally Andrea Stramaccioni occupying the manager’s chair at the San Siro.
Stramaccioni managed to steady the ship during a troubled campaign, where they eventually finished sixth – significantly better that what was expected midway through the season.
Like Milan, the Nerazzurri are also clearing out their experienced players, with Lucio, Ivan Cordoba Goran Pandev and Diego Forlan all departing. Dejan Stankovic and Julio Cesar are expected to follow, while Douglas Maicon, Wesley Sneijder and Giampaolo Pazzini have also all been linked with a move away.
However, while Milan have limited themselves in the transfer market to date, Inter appear to have been shrewd in their dealings, with highly-rated goalkeeper Samir Handanovic joining from Udinese and Matias Silvestre arriving from Palermo. Rodrigo Palacio should also add goals to a side that struggled to find the net last season.
Roma (14/1) and Napoli (20/1) should be considered rank outsiders for next seasons’ title, though the latter could be a handy each-way beat to snatch the runners-up spot.
It is Juve, then, who look the team to beat next year again. The Old Lady appear determined to rediscover past glories after a traumatic few seasons and exert their dominance both at home and in Europe.
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