Tutto Serie A - Issue 2

April 2013

www.tuttoseriea.co.uk

The Wonderful Cesare Prandelli (Page 1)

What Serie A Needs to do to Retrieve 4 Champions League places (Page 7)

Juventus v Bayern: Why the Italian’s can be Confident (Page 11)

Final League Predictions (Page 19)

The Serie A Stars of the Future (Page 23)

Does Paul Pogba Deserve a Starting Birth at Juventus?

(Page 30)

The All‐Time Serie A Goal Scorers (Page 33)

All E­Magazine’s can be read at www.tuttoseriea.co.uk

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The wonderful Cesare Prandelli

By Richard Postin

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Having comprehensively outplayed Brazil in last month’s friendly Cesare Prandelli’s Italy side are starting to turn a few heads. And rightly so!

Ever since his appointment in 2010 he has stressed the importance of playing good positive football, something not always (rightly or wrongly) associated with the Azzurri. But under Prandelli Italy have developed a philosophy of play in which they combine a command of the game with slick passing to move swiftly from defence into attack, always looking to create at the first opportunity.

Throw in a goalkeeper like the great Gianluigi Buffon and the traditional defensive grit you find at the heart of any Italian defence and this has the makings of quite a team.

But it is the ability of the midfield, which is key to this style and indeed the first thing Prandelli noted as Italy manager was the abundance of quality midfielders he had at his disposal.

Whether it be the marauding runs of Marchisio, the sublime vision and passing offered by Montolivo and of course Pirlo, De Rossi’s strength and knack for scoring important goals or the willingness of the ever tireless Giaccherini, the midfield selected by Prandelli poses a range of threats which are more than a danger for any defence.

This versatility is something which runs throughout the team as

Prandelli’s vision of football encompasses a flexible style of play that best exploits the attacking talents available. It is thus easy to see why Louis van Gaal was so full of praise of the Fiorentina side he once possessed, labelling them ‘the most adaptable team in Europe’.

Italy have had a hugely successful national team ever since the advent of international football, but this philosophy to play bright, purposeful football sets Prandelli’s team aside from past generations.

Italy have always been blessed with great attacking creative talents, looking at the last 20 years alone we can see greats such as Baggio, Del Piero and of course the evergreen Francesco Totti! Yet despite this wealth of attacking talent, rarely have Italy played in this positive style on such a consistent basis, and for this Prandelli deserves our praise.

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Prandelli has also successfully created an atmosphere, which has brought the players right back into the hearts and minds of the fans. Despite the World Cup victory in 2006, what followed, especially in 2010, had left fans disillusioned and distanced from the Azzurri superstars. It is to Prandelli’s great credit that he immediately recognised this and set about tackling this issue at the root cause, as he stressed that his players must appreciate their privileged role in society and demanded they be less cut off and indeed more available to the public. And in this aspect Prandelli has realised his ambitions, reflecting that the squad have indeed “regained the trust of the fans by showing our love and respect for the blue jersey”.

Not only has Prandelli repaired the relationship between footballers and fans alike, but he has also recognised the desire for progress in Italian life as a whole and attempted to contribute to this through his Azzurri squad. He states “All over the country in every area of life, including politics, I see this desire for change and fresh air.

For the last three years we have been doing our part by interpreting that desire, working with courage on the youth academies”. And the fruits of this can now be seen in the form of the current side which looks set to continue well into the future.

Prandelli has blooded a number of youngsters into the squad, whilst the likes of De Sciglio, Verratti, El Shaaraway and Balotelli appear to have become permanent fixtures in the team.

Perhaps the greatest talent of this current batch of young players is the enigmatic Balotelli who is excelling under Prandelli. He is clearly a highly talented footballer, but what sets his performances for the Azzurri apart from his club form is his desire and hunger in the blue of Italy. Against Denmark last year he was the hardest working player, chasing and harassing the Danish defence as he singlehandedly led the attack to guide a 10 man Italy to victory.

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He has since become the highest scoring player in the Prandelli era with 8 goals, justifying the manager’s faith in a player who had seemed fated to make headlines more for his misdemeanours off the pitch rather than on it.

However it’s not always been plain sailing for Balotelli and the Azzurri, Prandelli did after all ban the player for having kicked out at Scott Parker while playing for Manchester City. Yet this never damaged their relationship and Balotelli has gone on to display his best form for his country, perhaps suggesting that Roberto Mancini too should have taken a tougher stance against him on occasion to get the best out of him as Prandelli has done.

Balotelli was suspended by Prandelli for breaching the manager’s code of ethics, something that marks Prandelli out from all of his peers. It is something he introduced at Fiorentina, ensuring that sportsmanship was shown at all times. Indeed it was during his reign at Fiorentina that they introduced ‘il terzo tempo’ (the third half) whereby players would shake hands and applaud their opponents at the final whistle. Unfortunately ethics and sportsmanship are seen all too rarely in football nowadays as money, greed and the desire to win at all costs seemingly prevail over such concepts. Yet as manager of Italy, Prandelli has disciplined players such as De Rossi, Osvaldo and Balotelli for violent conduct, alongside Bonucci for taking protests against a referee too far in a league match. The quality of the players who have suffered from this ruling demonstrates that this is not a cheap PR stunt or gimmick, but something Prandelli takes very seriously as he seeks to restore values of honour and integrity to the national side.

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In a sport blighted by cheating and questionable morals, where the gap between fans and the super rich footballers cut off from reality grows ever more this is a wonderful example. Even more so when we consider the scandals and corruption that has blighted Italian football of late.

The transformation of Italy from an ageing group of players who came bottom in a World Cup group containing New Zealand, Slovakia and Paraguay has been nothing short of incredible. The attacking intent and creative modern style of football expressed under Prandelli shows the way in which football can delight fans the world over. With a versatile playing staff, who have developed a philosophy which can be continued for years to come through the young players imbedded into the squad today, Prandelli has created a legacy which should see a bright future for the Azzurri. Meanwhile his code of ethics is an example to beholden, not only to those involved in football but to everybody, and in the country of Italy, perhaps none more so than to the politicians!

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What Serie A needs to do to retrieve 4 Champions League places

By Mahmoud Ghellai The day was May 22, 2010 and the venue was the Santiago Bernabeu. Inter Milan had just clinched their third Champion's League triumph to complete a treble along with their Serie A and Coppa Italia under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho. Fast forward 3 years and Italy have failed to reach the European heights of old with no Italian teams reaching the semi‐finals since then. What has especially affected Serie A is that they have lost the fourth Champion's League to Germany's Bundesliga. What's worse is that since Bayern has reached the Champion's League final again in last year's while Borussia Dortmund has won this year's "Group of Champions" and is one of the most dangerous teams in the Champion's League.

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Due to this the race for Champion's league spots is even more condensed and difficult while Italian teams are not improving in the Champion's League and Europa League and because of this Italy is falling further behind in the co‐efficient rankings. In order to get back into the top 3 in the co‐ efficient rankings Italy needs to several things, though it would take some time in order to do this.

The first thing Serie A's leading clubs need to do is to start constructing their own stadiums. It is a major source of revenue and while it may cause some hard financial times initially, the pay‐off long‐term will be extremely high. Juventus is a perfect example. Since the opening of their new stadium Juventus has increased their revenue immensely and will continue to do so.

Increasing revenue for clubs is also important for clubs to raise funds that will allow for them to purchase and attract world‐class talent. In today's world, money talks and players are willing to leave the clubs they love for pastures new, especially if there's big paycheck waiting. In fact they're even willing to leave for rivals, burning bridges with their former club and their supporters.

It was painful to watch the outgoing talent this year in Serie A, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Wesley Sneijder amongst the top players to leave the league. Yes Mario Balotelli has returned, but it was just a case of him having to leave Manchester and Milan interested, while Balotelli himself is a boyhood fan of the club.

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Another part of the stadium that requires a major change is the playing field.

Too many times games played in Serie A seem like they're being played on low‐grade unprofessional levels. Many stadiums have large patches of brown and the grass is not well‐kept. This affects the ability of players to play the game properly and therefore the level of the game declines. If Serie A is to improve, major changes need to be done to the stadiums.

Italy needs to go back to its roots as a nation. It was built on the best defenders in the world as well as a tactical ingenuity and innovation that was not matched anywhere else in the world. It was why the Serie A was widely regarded as the world's best league in the 1980's and most of the 90's. However legendary defenders such as Costacurta, Maldini, Nesta, Cannavaro, and others are now done and the only world‐class defender Italy has to show is Juventus player Chiellini. One way Serie A can return to this is by implementing a youth system and strategy that will be preached throughout all the top clubs in not just Serie A but in Serie B. The Bundesliga did this to great affect and now even the national team is reaping the rewards.

Serie A teams need to also remove the habit of not turning to youths early on and instead sending them to various clubs on loan until they are in their mid to late 20's. Giovinco is one of Italy's better players yet Juventus was just not ready to commit to him and instead he had to grow up at Parma.

Stephan El Shaaraway and Mattia De Sciglio has been a breath of fresh air this year and highlights to Serie A clubs that the key to their future lies in their youth. Let's not forgot that Paolo Maldini burst on the scene as an 18 year old.

One of the beautiful things about the Serie A is that when most clubs find out tactical weaknesses in other teams and once one is successful, other teams around Serie A start using that blueprint, forcing coaches to constantly change‐up their tactics and do little tweaks in order to avoid a loss. This constant tactical battle shows that Serie A has not lost this part of its identity but it needs to work hard to improve as a league. Clubs need to start building their own stadiums while also joining in agreement to start implementing a long term strategy as to how the youth will be taught in the country so that the goal of attaining that fourth Champion's League spot will be achieved. Otherwise Serie A may continue its decline for a long while more.

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The Champions League draw in Nyon matched these two European giants. The two games are to be played on the 2nd and 10th of April, with Bayern playing at home first. The draw could have been kinder to both of these teams, however Juventus can take away some belief following the draw.

Full Champions League Quarterfinal Draw:

Malaga vs Borussia Dortmund Real Madrid vs Galatasaray Paris Saint Germain vs Barcelona Bayern Munich vs Juventus

With Bayern Munich running riot in the Bundensliga, there were glimpses of weaknesses revealed in their recent home tie against English team Arsenal in the last 16 of tournament, and with respect, have not been much of a force in recent years. The German team lost the second leg 2‐0 and so, scrapped through 3‐3 on aggregate, after winning at the Emirates 3‐1.

Juventus overcame Celtic to reach the last 8 of the competition. They certainly showed their defensive and tactical qualities against the Scottish opposition from both of the matches, winning 5‐0 on aggregate. The Italian champions were fortunate to be paired up with the Scottish champions, because on paper, there was no easier draw. However they still had a job to do. After a tough group, which included Shaktar and current European champions Chelsea, the teams from Turin are set to meet the other finalists from last year’s competition.

The two sides last met in the 2009 group stages of the competition, with Juventus losing 4‐1 at home against the Germans, missing out on a top 2 finish with Bordeaux and the Germans progressing. That was just a sign on where the Italian team were back then and have come far since.

Many Juventus fans are hoping that the history between Italy v Germany on the International stage can be transmitted to these two corresponding clubs. In recent years Italy have been the better of the two, knocking the Germans out in the semi‐final of the 2006 World Cup and most recently in the European Championships last summer.

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The Azzurri have risen from the ashes from their 2010 World Cup disaster, evident with a surprise runners‐up place in the Euro 2012. A large contingent from the set up also plied their trade at Juventus, no fewer than 6 players were in the starting line‐up v Germany.

Manuel Neuer; Philipp Lahm, Holger Badstuber, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira; Lukas Podolski, Toni

Kroos, Mesut Ozil; Mario Gomez

Gianluigi Buffon; Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Federico Balzaretti; Daniele de Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio; Riccardo Montolivo; Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli Germany themselves has no fewer than 7 Bayern players within their starting line‐up in the 2‐1 loss to Italy last summer.

Both Juventus and Bayern would have liked an easier draw, most notably ties with Galatasaray and Malaga. With Bayern Munich seen as the favourites to win the competition, it seems many players and experts find it hard to call the winner between the tie v Juventus, could this be linked with Germany falling short in the International stage against Italians?

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Franz Beckenbauer: The legendary German sweeper believes the two sides will be difficult to separate, despite his allegiance with the Bavarians.

"It is a tough draw. It's 50­50, although it's not such a good thing that Bayern kick the tie off at home,"

"It will be an unpleasant task.

Juventus can take on any opponent in the world, are incredibly strong defensively and have a superior clock­ticker in Andrea Pirlo."

Fabio Cannavaro has tipped his former side Juventus to eliminate Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter‐finals.

"It won't be easy, but they can play at the Germans' level.”

Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos feels that the Bavarians were unfortunate to be paired with Juventus in Friday's draw for the quarter‐finals of the Champions League “We'll need two top performances to go through. It would be optimal if we won the first leg while keeping a clean sheet”

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Juventus v Bayern Munich (Head‐to‐Head)

Matchup to Watch

Toni Kroos v Andrea Pirlo ‐ Cast your mind back to the Euro 2012 semi‐ final between Italy and Germany, and this very matchup was decisive. That day, there was little doubt that Juve's playmaking maestro Pirlo came out on top, able to dictate the play despite Kroos supposedly being charged with the task of closing him down. If he's allowed that much space again, it's advantage Juve. On the other hand, with Pirlo not known for his defensive play, Kroos will try to exploit the gaps either side of the midfielder, though that's where the box‐to‐box energy provided by Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal will be crucial.

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Bringing you popular tweets from Serie A stars!

Stephan El Shaarawy @OfficialEl92

The Milan striker tweeted shortly after being knocked out the Champions League by Barcelona and receiving the shirt of Lionel Messi!

“Thanks Leo ...

Champion on and off the field!”

Kevin‐Prince Boeteng @KPBofficial

The Ghanaian tweeted a heart‐ warming message, regarding Iniesta after the same match against Barcelona.

“I faced the best midfielder in the world on Tuesday UNBELIEVABLE quality...respect Iniesta” #MyOpinion

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Leonardo Bonucci @bonucci_leo19

The Juventus defender tweeted a video clip of the club undertaking internet dance hit ‘Harlem Shake’!

(Click on the image to watch the full

Andrea Barzagli @andreabarzagli2

The Italian international tweeted after the 2‐2 friendly draw against next years World Cup hosts Brazil

He actually enjoyed himself, for once!

“What a great game! I even had fun, I don’t usually ever as a defender!”

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My Final League Prediction’s

By Nick Farrell Juventus has clear hold of the Serie A table while other sides fight for the remaining top spots

With a few weeks remaining in the 2012‐13 Serie A schedule, the Scudetto is all but locked up. Juventus, which as of March 30 had 65 points, have a nine‐point lead over second‐place Napoli. With this substantial lead, Juve are clearly on the path to a second consecutive Scudetto, but several other clubs are still jockeying for position at the top of the table.

Here is a listing of which clubs will likely join with Juventus in qualifying for the Champions League next year and the others that will just narrowly miss out.

Fifth Place – Lazio A year removed from a fourth‐place finish in the table, Lazio have made some noise in both Serie A and Europa League play.

Lazio’s struggles in away fixtures have kept the club out of the top‐five in the table for the majority of the season. In away matches, Lazio have been outscored 22‐12 and have only earned points in half of their 14 road fixtures.

Despite this, Lazio, Internazionale and AS Roma are all square at 47 points apiece. Lazio stands in seventh place in the league table on goal differential, but that can all change quickly.

In order to finish in fifth or better, the Biancocelesti must generate more offense during the club’s last four road games of the season.

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Fourth Place – Fiorentina

Fiorentina is certainly within striking distance of the top‐three, trailing AC Milan by just three points in the league table.

Stevan Jovetic leads Fiorentina with 12 goals and is among the best scorers in Serie A this season.

Similarly to Lazio’s situation, how he and the rest of the club plays during their final four away fixtures will dictate Fiorentina’s final ranking.

Third Place – Napoli

Currently in second place with 56 points and a two point lead over Milan, Napoli is poised to finish right behind Juve and qualify for the Champions League. Napoli dominate opponents at home with a 34‐to‐ 14 goal differential, thanks to the likes of Serie A’s top goal scorer Edison Cavani.

A key fixture lurks in the near future against AC Milan that may decide who finishes in second. Will Cavani and fellow goal scorer Marek Hamsik able to outplay the likes of Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli after the two sides battled to a draw earlier in the season?

Perhaps Napoli will be vulnerable and much less dominant in that key road fixture in just a few weeks.

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Second Place – AC Milan

The acquisition of Mario Balotelli is what will allow AC Milan to repeat as Serie A’s second‐place finisher and once again appear in the Champions League.

Milan’s home fixture against Napoli will have a huge impact on which club finishes with the higher rank in the table. The first matchup between those two sides ended in a 2‐2 draw. Expect Balotelli, who has recorded seven goals in six Serie A games this season, and the home crowd to provide a pivotal three points for the Rossoneri, helping them to finish in second place at the end of the season.

First Place – Juventus

After dominating Celtic in the Round of 16 in the Champions League, it was no secret that Juventus have one of the top defences in all of Europe. Their statistics in Serie A play prove this as well: in 30 games, Juve’s defence has conceded just 20 times, the fewest of any team in the league.

With the trusty play of Gianluigi Buffon and a healthy Giorgio Chiellini anchoring Juve’s 3‐5‐2, the Bianconeri won’t be conceding too many goals anytime soon.

In addition to that, Juventus sports Italy’s finest midfield, which includes the likes of dominant maestro Andrea Pirlo and the upstart sensation Paul Pogba. Though Juve’s forwards are weak at times, the midfield picks up the slack and continues to make Juventus one of Europe’s best clubs.

The Bianconeri are the clear favourites to take the Serie A title again this year, and it won’t be a surprise to see them continue to thrive in their Champions League matchup against Bayern Munich.

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Giorgio Chiellini models Italy’s new shirt for this summers Confederations Cup in Brazil. Italy are in a group containing Brazil, Japan and Mexico!

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The Serie A Stars of the Future

By Anthony Cooper • Alessandro Florenzi ‐ Midfielder, Roma, 22 years

It is clear to anyone who has been watching that a youth movement is well underway in Italy. For the first time in a while a huge emphasis is being put on grooming young players, and in many cases, giving them first team action.

While this can be seen throughout most clubs, there are absolutely a few who stand out. But first, here are 10, in no particular order, who in years past would have found themselves either on the bench, (given the treatment of youngsters in Italy), or among the nation's top young prodigies.

The only qualifications for being mentioned are to be an active footballer playing in the Serie A, and of 22 years or less. In addition to this, Mario Balotelli is no longer seen as a promising young player, but a legitimate star, so he is excluded from the list.

• Manolo Gabbiadini ‐ Striker, Bologna (on loan from Juventus), 21 years • Mauro Icardi ‐ Striker, Sampdoria, 20 years • Marquinhos ‐ Defender, Roma, 18 years • Pedro Obiang ‐ Midfielder, Sampdoria, 20 • Mattia Perin ‐ Goalkeeper, Pescara (on loan from Genoa), • Miralem Pjanic ‐ Midfielder, Roma, 22 years

• Ishak Belfodil ‐ Striker, Parma, 21 • Andrea Bertolacci ‐ Midfielder, Genoa, 22 years

• M'Baye Niang ‐ Striker, Milan, 18 years

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The five players, who follow, have been selected for various reasons to be looked at further. For most, they have seen breakout performances this year for their club, and if they aren't already one of the first names on the team sheet, they look to be very soon!

5. Erik Lamela - Attacker, Roma, 21 years

A costly and somewhat sceptical buy for Roma prior to last season, Lamela has taken it upon himself to grow and prove doubters wrong during the current campaign. With two months left the young argentine has 13 goals and 2 assists in 24 appearances as part of a Roma attack that has been the most prolific with 60 goals scored in the Serie A.

Lamela is known for his immense pace and dribbling ability, and for those reasons is subject to a speculated summer transfer to Manchester United. That United are interested in him says a lot, and the potential is certainly there. If he can curtail his occasional hot‐headed outbursts, there is no reason as to why he should not become one of the best players in Serie A.

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4. Lorenzo Insigne - Attacker, Napoli, 21 years

A promising seconda punta for Napoli who has been described as an 'Italian Messi,' Insigne has been good if not great for Napoli thus far, but it is only a matter of time. A product of Zemanlandia, he formed a deadly attacking triangle with Marco Verratti and Ciro Immobile last season on his way to winning Serie B Player of the Year. This season, he has as appeared 29 times for Napoli and shows 4 goals and 5 assists to his name.

Napolitano born and bred, Insigne has a great eye for attack, is incredibly quick and athletic, and offers a lot in terms of creativity. He is short at only 5'4", but has had success none the less, and there is no reason this should change in the Serie A. Look for him to be an integral part of the Azzurri for many years to come.

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3. Mattia De Sciglio - Defender, Milan, 20 years

De Sciglio has burst onto the scene at Milan this year, showing maturity and promise beyond his years, with the only question marks being why Allegri neglects to give him the Right Back position full time. Regardless, he seems well on his way to putting his name on the position for the next 15 years.

Coming up through the Milan youth squad starting at age 10, Milan native Mattia De Sciglio is a technically sound, and versatile player also capable of playing comfortably on the left, and shows great ability to help out in attack.

He has made such strides this season that Italian National Team coach Cesare Prandelli has already deemed fit for the youngster to be given his first cap, and performed admirably in the recent friendly fixture with Brazil.

Look for De Sciglio to be a permanent starter at Milan for years to come, as well as the solution to the Right fullback position for La Nazionale as well.

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2. Paul Pogba - Midfielder, Juventus, 20 years

Not many professional footballers would say no to Sir Alex Ferguson at 19 years old, but Paul Pogba is not a typical footballer. Leaving Manchester United in search of playing time, Pogba chose to join what is arguably the most complete midfield in Europe. With Marchisio, Pirlo, and Vidal in front of him, nobody expected the young Frenchman to get a shot. He has done all this and more, with 21 appearances and 5 goals thus far this season.

Pogba burst onto the scene as a substitute vs. Napoli, scoring a ‘golazo’ to ensure the victory for Juventus. At only 20 years old, he is already a physical specimen, displaying great strength and pure athletic ability. As his vision and tactical awareness continue to improve, they will allow him to reach great heights. His passion on the pitch is obvious, and ever since being late for a training session last fall, he has toed the line, stayed humble, and said all the right things. His future looks to be as bright and spectacular as his goals. Questo Fenomeno!

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1. Stephen El Shaarawy - Striker, Milan, 20 years

For Stephan El Shaarawy, the future has arrived. The hole in the Milan attack left by Zlatan Ibrahimovic fell right to ‘Il Faraone’, and he caught it in stride. After taking 3 games to really get going, the promising young striker netted 15 times in the next 19 games and has 16 goals in 28 games this term. Some of that can most likely be attributed to fatigue, as he has never before been asked to shoulder this much of the workload. The arrival of Balotelli will certainly help his progression, as it will free him up be more creative on the wing.

El Shaarawy was born to an Egyptian father and Italian mother in Italy, hence the Egyptian heritage and ‘Il Faraone’ nickname. SES is a left sided player blessed with great dribbling and creativity, and above average pace. Many have likened him to Alessandro Del Piero because of the similar role they share on the pitch. He obviously still has to improve to reach the level of Del Piero, but his talent is real, and he has the potential to shine for both club and country for many years to come.

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Does Paul Pogba deserve a starting birth at Juventus?

By Mahmoud Ghellai It has been an interesting and incredible year for Paul Pogba. First he left Manchester United after feeling that Sir Alex Ferguson did not deliver on his promise of more first‐team opportunities. Much to Sir Alex's ire, Pogba left for Juventus, who were fresh off an unbeaten league campaign that brought the Serie A trophy home in the first year under Antonio Conte. It puzzled some at first, mainly because Juventus's MVP midfield compromising of Marchisio, Vidal and Pirlo was heralded as one of the best midfields in club football and it seemed that Pogba would not be a regular player and instead a stand‐in for any of the three. So why leave Manchester United looking for first‐team opportunities only to go to a club that seemed set in that department?

Well fast‐forward 9 months and it appears Pogba chose the best club for himself. He has earned a call‐up to the France national team while also playing extremely well when called upon by Juventus, scoring 5 goals while appearing in 29 games, including 6 games in the Champion's League. While he may not have started all of them, he has played a lot of instrumental roles as a substitute and when asked to start, he does not shy from the burden any of the midfield trio, especially in regards to Pirlo.

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This fact should let Juventus fans rest easy knowing that when the 33 year old Pirlo's aging legs finally give way, Pogba will be able to adequately replace him and perhaps surpass him, such is the testament to his ability and potential. Pogba's performances this year have warranted regular playing time, but unfortunately the midfield is too crucial and excellent to justify replacing any of the three players currently occupying the first‐team. Conte's system also doesn't call for a larger midfield while doing so would also, sadly, leave him devoid of any truly world‐class options on the bench and he cannot afford to play them all in case they burn out and require a rest.

Therefore someone has to lose out and since Marchisio is a Conte and fan favourite who scores and is touted as the future captain of Juventus. Vidal may be the best ball‐winner in the world and perhaps the most important player to Juventus along with Pirlo, Buffon and Chiellini. Pirlo is the creative hub for this Juve, the metronome, the player that dictates the game and orchestrates attacks. How can you argue for any of them to be replaced?

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The excellent thing for Pogba is that Conte demands a high‐pressing game to win possession and unsettle opposition and as a result of this, coupled with fighting on several fronts for trophies, he will have to rest some of his midfielders and Pogba should be the first one to do so. The stats do not lie, and Pogba appears to be happy in Juventus after his agent, Mino Raiola, promised that he will not leave the club stating "He [Pogba] has found the right coach and environment here. Pogba will remain and you have my word".

While Pogba may feel that he is playing well and deserves a more regular starting spot, he should realize that this may not always be possible, but take to heart that he appears to have Conte's trust and seems his No. 1 man when he needs to change the game from midfield or if they need to rest.

Juventus fans should also rejoice, your midfield has an even brighter future.

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Let’s take a look into the all time top 10 Serie A goal machine’s!

By Anthony Cooper The current season has been an historic one in the Serie A, specifically for Roma captain Francesco Totti. The last true Italian fantasista, Totti has bagged 11 goals so far, moving him from fifth to second on the all time Serie A goal scoring charts past Jose Altafini (216), Giuseppe Meazza (216), and Gunnar Nordahl (224).

Below is a list of the top 10 goal scorers in Serie A history.

10 ­ Gabriel Batistuta; 184 Goals

Considered by Totti to be his strongest teammate ever, Batistuta made his mark in a big way with Fiorentina in the 1990s. Staying with La Viola when they were relegated during the 1992‐1993 season, 'Batigol' will be forever endeared in Fiorentina. Also described as the "greatest striker I’ve ever seen," by Maradona, his desire to win led him to transfer to Roma just before the 2000 season, and the move paid off as he team up with Francesco Totti to win the Scudetto.

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9­ Alessandro Del Piero; 188 goals

Bandiera of Juventus for 19 years, Il Pinturicchio lives on in the hearts of Juve fans all across the globe, not only for his goal scoring exploits but for also for the ways in which he endeared himself to the club. One of a few who stayed with Juventus in the Serie B after Calciopoli, he gave his heart and soul to the club he loved and will be go down in history as one of the greats. Now playing in what may be his final season abroad in the A‐League, his tally looks to be final.

8­ Giuseppe Signori; 188 Goals

One of the greatest Italian footballers never to win a team trophy, Signori was a left footed striker with great pace who spent the majority of his career at Lazio. Scoring 107 goals in 152 matches with the club, he won three ‘capocannonieri’ during his time before finishing his career with a very nice if unspectacular 6 year stint at Bologna.

7­ Kurt Hamrin; 190 Goals

Also hailing from Sweden, Hamrin bounced from Padova to Juventus, before finally finding his home at Fiorentina where he spent the majority of his career.

Known for his fantastic dribbling ability, Hamrin excelled at Fiorentina, but could not win a Scudetto until a transfer to Milan. However, he enjoyed his time in Florence so much that he elected to move back upon retirement.

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6­ Roberto Baggio; 205 Goals

Considered by many calcio enthusiasts to be the greatest Italian to ever grace the peninsula, his career was hampered early by an injury many doctors thought would end his playing days. Baggio not only proved them wrong, but did so to the tune of 205 goals, while playing with Fiorentina, Juventus, Milan, Bologna, Inter, and Brescia.

5­ Jose Altafini; 216 Goals

The lone Brazilian on this list, Altafini also predominantly featured for the Milanese sides of the late 1950s and early 1960s. However, after bagging 134 goals in 8 seasons for Milan, he would go on to struggle later in the game once he transferred to Napoli and then Juventus. Altafini is now a commentator on Sky Sport Italia, and coined the term 'Golazzo.'

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4­ Giuseppe Meazza; 216 Goals

The namesake of Inter's stadium, Meazza was considered the best player in the world during the 1930's. In addition to playing 13 seasons with Inter Milan, including breaking into the side at age 17, he led Italy to two world cup triumphs. Meazza was known for scoring two different types of goals, one where he would dribble through countless defenders before rounding the goalie and slotting home; the other, the bicycle kick!

3­ Gunnar Nordahl; 225 Goals

Nordahl, a member of the great Milan teams of the 1950's, is the top Serie A goal scorer among non‐italians. Part of the great Gre‐No‐Li trio with Gunnar Gren and Nils Liedholm, Nordahl won the capocannoniere a record 5 times, on his way to scoring 225 goals in 291 appearances, an incredible game to goal ratio. The Swede is still revered in Milan for his goal scoring exploits.

2­ Francesco Totti; 226 Goals

Totti, similar to Del Piero, has cemented himself in the hearts of Roma and Calcio fans alike for his loyalty to his club, and his prolific displays while there. The captain began the current campaign with 215 goals, Totti has seen himself jump 3 spots with over 1 month left to go. He has done all this despite playing many seasons in the trequartista role servicing other players. At 36 years of age, it is yet to be seen whether he can play long enough to overtake Piola. I am personally inclined to say no, as the influx of young attackers at Roma will make playing time hard to come by as he ages, however at the same time Totti has performed well enough for Cesare Prandelli to consider his name once again for La Nazionale.

Click here to view his 226th goal! 

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1­ Silvio Piola; 274 Goals

Piola's mark has stood for nearly 60 years since he hung up his boots in 1954, and there it looks unlikely it will fall anytime soon. While his Serie A record is not as spectacular having played 537 games, 274 goals is still an incredible feat. Piola played the majority of his games for Lazio and Novara, and also had an incredible Nazionale record bagging 30 goals in 34 caps.

The future of Serie A goal scorers is intriguing as Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Shaarawy, Edinson Cavani, and Antonio Di Natale could all make a push for the list, as well as starlets Domenico Berardi, Ciro Immobile, Mattia Destro, Simone Zaza, Manolo Gabbiadini, Mauro Icardi, and Ishak Belfodil. The biggest question mark, however, is how long these players will remain on the Peninsula, and whether they will be able to maintain world class form for an extended period of time.

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