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Firm favorites Lazio and Juventus a notch above the rest
Lazio's last-ditch victory last season opened many eyes in Italy. It essentially proved two things: that someone other than AC Milan and Juventus can, indeed, win the title and that money can buy success, but only if you have a clear, coherent medium-term project in mind. Even the slime on your toilet knows that while winning is tough, repeating is even tougher, which is why Lazio's task is monumental, despite spending close to US$100 million on new signings. Here's an overview of how things may turn out.
Aiming for the topLazio and Juventus look to be a notch above the rest. The defending champions haven't just spent a lot, theyıve spent well, without upsetting the chemistry of the team. The all-new, all-Argentine strike force of Hernan Crespo (a guy who still doesn't get the respect he deserves) and Claudio Lopez should be a natural fit and score more reliably than last seasonıs cast (most of whom, incidentally, are still around):
Manager Sven Goran Eriksson's squad is not as deep as it was last season, especially in midfield, and that could be Lazio's biggest weakness. Odds are, the Champions League will be priority number one, so as the season grinds on, Serie A could fall by the wayside. All this points to Juventus as firm favorites. The starting XI is the same as last season, when Juve took Lazio down to the wire, except now there are real alternatives off the bench. Juventus' back-up midfield foursome of Antonio Conte, Matteo Brighi, Enzo Maresca and Fabian OıNeill are as good as they come, while reserve strikers David Trezeguet and Darko Kovacevic would start for most other clubs. Juve is similarly stacked at the back, with new signings Michele Paramatti and Marco Zanchi providing some much needed relief to Serie A's stingiest defense. Still, it doesn't matter how good your bench is, you can only field eleven guys on the pitch, which is why Alex Del Piero will have to bounce back in a big way. Del Piero was shockingly bad for much of last season, and Juventus still came within an inch of the title. He can't afford another off season. If he fires on all cylinders, not only will he take some of the creative pressure off Zinedine Zidane, he will also propel the club to its umpteenth title. Parma could well provide a few surprises, though few are tipping it for the title. Coach Alberto Malesani always appears to be on the brink of losing his job, but he has a sharp tactical mind and a squad brimming with talent. He also has a boatload of ifs:
...then Parma may be in with a shot. Too many ifs, but the depth of talent in this team (further bolstered by the arrivals of Sabri Lamouchi, Sergio Conceicao and Almeyda ) is such that Parma can't be ignored. Alberto Zaccheroni's place on the Milan bench is even wobblier. Picking up Redondo was a smart move, though he will take time to settle, but Zaccheroni has raised many more questions than he has answered. The backline is aging, Oliver Bierhoff seems to be deteriorating by the day, and there is a serious lack of pace and width on the flanks, where guys like Tomas Helveg, Guly, Serginho and Rino Gattuso appear overmatched. Andriy Shevchenko can only do so much, Milan can challenge, but winning the scudetto appears to be a stretch. Romaıs summer spending spree yielded the likes of Walter Samuel, Jonathan Zebina, Emerson and, of course, Gabriel Batistuta. This is a team constructed to win here and now, and, on paper, it looks impressive. Look closer and youıll spot problems. One defender, Antonio Carlos Zago, is unwanted, and another, Aldai, turns 35 in November. Emerson, the man who was supposed to solve all the problems in midfield, is injured and wonıt return until December. And finally the arrival of Batistuta (who cost an outrageous US$35 million) means that Vincenzo Montella, himself a US$35 million striker (who also happens to be five years younger), is destined to find unhappiness on the bench. This team looks like a powderkeg waiting to go off (Romaıs ever-demanding fans wonıt help, either). It's going to be boom or bust, and it could cost Fabio Capello his job.
Gunning for EuropeInter Milan's suicidal tendencies continue. This is a club that spends money like there is no tomorrow and yet manages to end up with a team with more holes than a bullet-riddled slice of Emmenthal. Chairman Massimo Moratti is running out of patience after another expensive transfer campaign. Robbie Keane and Hakan Sukur have plenty of talent, but neither can carry a team. Francisco Farinos is very promising, but will need time to adapt to Serie A. It's a similar story with Sebastien Frey. He may have been the best goalkeeper in Italy last season, but he is still only 20 years old. What should worry Nerazzurri fans most is that Inter have recently shown a knack for ruining young talent rather than allowing it to develop. Bear in mind that there is still a gaping hole on the left of Interıs midfield and that manager Marcello Lippi starts the season without the injured Christian Vieri and Ronaldo, and nobody knows what theyıll be like when (and if) they return. It looks like another long and painful season. Fiorentina decided to begin the post-Batistuta era with a courageous choice of manager: former Galatasaray boss Fatih Terim. Terim is a bright, ambitious coach, but heıll need all his wits (and plenty of luck) to negotiate his way through the madhouse that is Florentine soccer. The fans are unhappy, the media awaits with daggers poised, Rui Costa threatened to go on strike last month. Paolo Vanoli and Domenico Morfeo are smart pickups who can contribute, but the key will be whether Portugalıs Euro 2000 star Nuno Gomes can fill even one of Batigolıs immense shoes. A hefty task indeed. Udinese, Serie A's little engine that could, can ride Stefano Fiore's sublime skills all the way into Europe, provided too many of its players aren't caught with counterfeit passports (three so far -- Warley, Alberto and Jorginho -- and counting), while Bologna's savvy veterans know how to get the job done.
Hoping for respectabilityNapoli, back in the top flight after the relegation nightmare, looks poised for an easy ride, provided the fans finally understand that the Maradona Glory Days are over. Newly arrived Portuguese midfielder Vidigal is already drawing rave reviews, while striker Nicola Amoruso knows how to find the back of the net. It's a similar story for Atalanta, another newly promoted club that can rely on a crop of talented youngsters and two expert goalscorers, Maurizio Ganz and Nicola Ventola (provided the latter stays healthy). Bari's campaign should also be trouble-free, but look out for budding wonderkid Antonio Cassano.
Relegation dogfightBrescia scored quite a coup in signing Roberto Baggio, and they can now pair him up with Raul Gonzales. Alas, while this Raul is also a striker, heıs not the Raul from Real Madrid, and as for Baggio, nobody knows if theyıre getting the real deal, either. Still, even a fully fit Roberto Baggio and the original Raul would struggle to keep Brescia afloat. The outlook is very bleak at Verona, Vicenza and Reggina as well, while Lecce's future hangs on the goals of Cristiano Lucarelli (assuming he stays), and it's difficult to make heads or tails of Perugia (though there is plenty of curiosity surrounding their Korean signings, Jung Hwa Ahn and Ju Ming Ma). Three of those five will join Brescia in Serie B in the 2001-02 season. Based in London, Gabriele Marcotti writes a weekly column on international soccer for CNNSI.com.
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