The winter transfer window is just three weeks away and many Serie A clubs will be trying to reinforce their rosters. Italian Football Daily spoke with Giovanni Capuano to get his perspective on what we should expect come January 2016.
Preface:
Giovanni Capuano is a professional journalist based in Italy who has his own blog, calcinfaccia.it, writes for panorama.it and is a radio host on the show Tutti Convocati on Radio 24-Il Sole 24 Ore. He has extensive experience appearing on television and has also worked with editorial group Mondadori.
Italian Football Daily would like to thank Giovanni for his time and valuable input, as we prepare for the upcoming mercato.
We are almost at the midpoint of the Serie A season. Which team has surprised you and which team has been a disappointment?
The surprise team of the season is certainly Fiorentina. No one could have imagined a start like they had, not only for the value of the team in itself but also for the turmoil this summer with the departures of [Vincenzo] Montella and [Mohammed] Salah. Paulo Sousa so far is number one. A mention also for Inter, not because there weren’t elements for a good season, but being at the top of the table as we reach the midpoint of the season goes beyond every prediction.
The worst team? Roma. Potential wise they are even with Napoli yet they are risking throwing away the season as they seem to be lost and repeating old faulty habits. There is still time to recover, but the risk of a flop is high.
All five participating clubs in Europe have advanced to the next round. How do you rate their performance ?
Champions League
JUVENTUS – Did very well but literally threw first place away during the two matches vs Borussia which is a shame and a sin.
ROMA – Did the bare minimum and without applause. Qualifying with 6 points is the equivalent of an elimination even if it brought some money for the second half of the season. The humiliation suffered against Barcelona and the one point (only one) in two matches versus Bate Borisov is a cry out for vengeance (by the fans).
Europa League
NAPOLI – Extraordinary even if the group was not difficult. However the way in which Napoli dominated like a big club makes them a favourite to win it all.
LAZIO – They did their duty as expected. Lazio always performs more than adequately in Europe as evidenced by their UEFA ranking. This qualification has even more merit as Lazio has been struggling in league play
FIORENTINA – Contradictory. When they pressed on the accelerator Fiorentina demonstrated it is superior to the others, however they lost one too many games. On paper they are among the strongest for the next round, but they need reinforcements to improve their roster.
As we look ahead to the mercato, can you name a player from each of Serie A’s big clubs that you see leaving in January (whether sold or on loan)?
Juventus: Norberto Murara Neto
Milan: Jose Mauri
Inter: Andrea Ranocchia
Roma: Juan Iturbe
Lazio: Miroslav Klose
Napoli: Manolo Gabbiadini
Fiorentina: Giuseppe Rossi
Speaking of the big 7 – which position do you see each team wanting to reinforce as a priority?
Juventus: midfield
Milan: midfield
Inter: wing back
Roma: center back
Lazio: center back
Napoli: midfield
Fiorentina: defence
In order of how many moves they will be making and how busy they will be during the mercato, how would you rank the big 7 (from highest to lowest) ?
1- Roma
2- Inter
3- Milan
4- Juventus
5- Napoli
6- Fiorentina
7- Lazio
The post IFD Exclusive: Serie A January mercato preview with Giovanni Capuano appeared first on IFD.
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