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Even more excitement this weekend!
It seems as though football has been back for a while but the Spanish domestic league is still over a week away whilst the Italian Serie A returns this weekend.
Inter Milan will be looking to clinch their fifth title in a row but Jose Mourinho will no doubt be craving a bit more glory in the Champions League. The issue for Italian clubs is the fact that they are lagging behind the top teams in England and Spain and the odds are stacked against them breaking into the final in that tournament.
This means it could be another year of battling it out at home and if Inter Milan are as dominant as they were last season, some may find it hard to maintain their interest in the top Italian league this season.
Can Inter Make It 5?
Inter Milan's quest for five in a row kicks off with a home match against Bari, promoted from Serie B as champions last season.
This is going to provide a hard challenge and a tough re-introduction for the newly promoted side but perhaps this is the best time to face Inter Milan. Inter lost in the Italian Super Cup final and may need a few weeks to get into their stride. It is likely that Inter Milan will take all three points in their curtain raiser but there are sometimes surprises in opening league matches.
One club who will be expected to push Inter Milan all the way will be their city and stadium neighbours AC Milan but it is hard to predict how they will fare this season. Carlos Ancelotti said goodbye to everyone at the San Siro and headed to Kings Road to manage Chelsea and the stability of the club may not be what it was. There is an element of continuity in the appointment made by AC Milan, as Leonardo, previously the Technical Director of the club, has been named the new head coach.
AC Milan have applied a strong air of continuity and consistency in the past few years and Leonardo will obviously know the players he has at his disposal this season but there is a feeling that they need to freshen up. Not only have they lost their coach but they must play without Kaka, the Brazilian having been lured away by the promise of Real Madrid's filthy lucre. Much will be expected from Dutch internationalist Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who made the opposite journey from Kaka.
Aside from this, it is pretty much as they were for AC Milan although there is talk that David Beckham may be returning in January on another loan deal. The way that Beckham is behaving in America he could see himself thrown out of the country before the end of the August transfer window but with a World Cup next summer, it is expected that the England man will be keen to find a new club to keep him match fit and playing highly competitive football.
The Other Serie A Contenders
AC Milan kick off their campaign on the Saturday with an away trip to Siena, who finished 14th in the 2008/09 season. They play at home and it remains to be seen if Milan will kick off the season with a win.
Juventus second in last seasons Serie A and they too will be hoping to push Inter Milan hard and hopefully prevent them from clinching their latest title. It has been a difficult few seasons for the Old Lady of Turin but their resurrection is nearly complete and only a major trophy stands in the way of the club being recognised as back to their best. Juventus kick off their 2009/10 campaign with a home match against Chievo.
Chievo finished 16th, four points above the relegation zone and so they will be hoping to get a few more points on the board.
As stated for the Inter Milan versus Bari match, early season may be the ideal time for the smaller clubs to face a big team in the hope that they can catch them unawares. Juventus gained direct entry to the Champions League and so have yet to experience any competitive games as yet and this is something that Chievo may be looking to take advantage of.
New Signings Provide Hope at Juve
There have been a few transfers in at Juventus this summer with the return of Fabio Cannavaro at centre back capturing the attention and there have been some big money signings too.
One that will seriously catch the attention of the fans will be the capture of Diego from Werder Bremen. The Brazilian playmaker has been at heart of so many of the good things conjured up by Werder Bremen and his signing is quite the coup for Juventus. A fee of around 25 million euros was paid to secure Diego and a similar sum was paid to Fiorentina for the capture of Felipe Melo, a midfielder.
If Juventus are to have serious aspirations of clinching another scudetto, they will need these new signings to gel quickly.
Familiar Faces Return to Serie A
Away from the title challengers, the two other promoted clubs from Serie B are certainly no strangers to top flight Italian football. Parma were the runners up in the second league last season and they need very little introduction to football followers.
In the 1990s, Parma seemed to explode onto the scene and made a name for themselves in European football. The club experienced financial difficulties linked to problems had by their owners but have managed to regroup and reclaim their place in the top flight of Italian football.
Livorno are the other promoted side and they qualified for the UEFA Cup group stages a few seasons back, although their history is hardly littered with success. The club will be hoping for safety in this season but anything above that will be deemed as a bonus for the small club with great ambition.
Compared to La Liga and the English Premier League, Serie A has slightly fallen back in the pecking order of Europe's top leagues but it remains a captivating and exciting campaign as well as a provider of great football action.
by Andrew Reilly
for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk
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Dear Greg,
I've been a member since July 2003, maybe one of the first to join the Silver Circle.
2004 was a good year but I really enjoyed the long run we had in, I think, July 2005. It was exhilarating! 2006-2007 was not as exciting although still quite profitable and so far 2007-2008 looks quite good. I'm wondering if we're going to hit a long one again soon. Anyway, it's been a pleasure as always with your service, Greg. Armstrong and you are one of the few people I trust on the internet. You have made my retirement so much more fun and financially happy!
Best Wishes, Trent Wrayford, Sidney
